Double Trouble in Paradise | cw

Romeo hated how weak he proved to be. Hated how despite what he believed Eden had done, he couldn't stop loving him. No, not loving Eden would mean his death, though that option was more tempting now than ever. The voice on the other end was colder than he had expected, but then again he wasn't sure what to expect. He was the one who had disappeared for weeks! Why had he decided to call the vampyre in the first place? Was it to prove to himself that he just needed to suffer even more? Was it a push towards the edge that he needed? He felt like such a failure, because he couldn't even answer him. His cheeks felt wet with tears, grasping around the phone as if it was his only lifeline. "It won't stop," he sobbed softly into the phone, his heart hurting, his body in literal pain from what he was going through, "I want to make it stop." It was a loaded statement, that was for sure.

It was hard for the lycan, but even harder because today was his birthday. And he was all alone. He was alone and the day that they had both been looking forward to celebrating now felt like a death sentence. He didn't even know what he was capable of doing in this state just to have the pain go away. What wouldn't stop? How could Romeo best describe it? It was as if his heart was missing, like it had been ripped out and what was left behind was just a bleeding hole of what had once been. But he couldn't say that while sobbing. At least not so it made sense or was coherent in any way whatsoever. "I can't feel my heart," he admitted.
Being curled up on the floor he looked at the old and dirty carpet he was laying on in this cheap motel. His mind was racing, his breath picking up as his brain showed him vivid and creative ideas to make the pain stop. "I need it to stop."

He felt so conflicted and hurt, and yet hearing Eden say his name still made his body react so strongly. And he hated himself for it. Eden was begging to help him, but what could he really do? He felt too hurt to really do anything. "I .. I need to go now," he whispered, whimpering softly as he knew it had been a mistake to call him. He should've stayed silent. He should've suffered alone, and let his brain convince him to do something irreversible. In all of this, it hadn't occurred to him that his phone call could be traced because of the length of it.

He hung up. He couldn't bear talking anymore. It took him some time, but he eventually got off of the floor, tossing the phone on the bed as he got undressed to go out to the bathroom. He ran a bath, something he hadn't really had for weeks. He had covered the mirror up as soon as he had gotten here, and once the bath was filled he turned on the radio. He didn't even care what music it was, he just couldn't handle the silence. Getting into the water he felt his body relax with the heat, tears still streaming down his face as he leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling. When Eden arrived the music could be heard outside, but there was no answer from Romeo. If he managed to get in he would find a scarily thin lycan in the tub, a bottle of pills empty on the floor and a dead silence besides the radio playing.

Romeo's body didn't really respond at first before Eden hit far enough to trigger his gag reflex. The pills spilled out from his mouth, gasping and coughing for air, unsure of what was even going on. Until he felt the cold hands around him. He started to whimper, sobbing again before puking up another round of pills, getting them all out as he was shivering and shaking. He barely looked like the sweet boy that he had been a fair few weeks before. He cried, scared that he had even done this, scared that he had gone this far and yet also terrified of the fact that he hadn't succeeded as the pain came rushing back. He had been so close to relief, and now mortality hit him, his body writhing in pain as his heart felt like a black hole.

Romeo wasn't sure what was worse; The fact that he was being forced to stay alive or that it had been Eden who found him like this. The vampyre must've been so disgusted seeing him like this, right? He just cried, not really fighting back as Eden held him, because truth be told he had no strength to do so. When the ambulance arrived, Romeo was almost instantly hooked up to an IV, getting some fluids into him. Eden was told what hospital he would be brought to, but that what came next would not be pretty. The lycan was put in the back of the ambulance, feeling so alone, trying to fight back, pulling at the IV, telling them to stop.

He wasn't sure what came over him, but as soon as Eden joined him in the back of the ambulance, taking his hand and touching him so gently he stopped fighting. How could he keep fighting when the vampyre made his heart ache still? The paramedics got to work, hooking Romeo up to the IV again which made him whimper, grasping at Eden's hand. He looked worse for wear, his forehead covered in sweat as his body had still managed to dissolve some of the pills and it was making him sick. One of the paramedics held Romeo's head on either side, just to keep him leveled and so he wouldn't get dizzy from the driving. She looked to Eden, unsure of what they were to one another, but it was clear the vampyre cared deeply for the lycan. "You're doing great," she told Romeo who felt sick again. The paramedic helped him turn his head, but all he did was gag, puking up yellowish green substance that didn't smell that pleasantly. She looked to Eden, "do you know when he last ate?"

The paramedic nodded, speaking with her colleague as they agreed that the hospital would have to prepare for tube feeding if the lycan wouldn't eat himself. It wasn't the nicest option, but he wouldn't last long if he stayed this way. Romeo felt like the whole car was spinning, yet Eden touching his hand grounded him to some level.
Arriving at the hospital, the doors were open and Romeo was wheeled in on the stretcher, the IV still hooked up to him. Doctors and nurses flooded around him, noting down information to add to what the paramedics had already written up for them ahead of time. A nurse had to stop Eden as they reached a door only meant for patients and those working at the hospital. "I'm very sorry .. but you'll have to wait here .. I'll make sure a nurse comes and fetches you as soon as he's taken to a room," she said rather apologetically. There wasn't much she could do, Romeo crying as he was being rolled away from Eden, but he would come to understand later.

The wait was quite a while, but finally a nurse showed up, "Mr. Parish?" she asked, holding a clipboard in her hands. She sent him a hopeful smile, "would you be so kind to follow me?" If he did, she would lead the way off of the emergency room and up to the actual hospital. They passed quite the few doors before she stopped outside one. Room 109. "He needs his rest for now, and seeing as he refused to eat we hooked him up to a probe that feed him automatically," she said, glancing down at the clipboard, just to be sure she had everything right, "he's sleeping right now, but he kept asking for you until we gave him something to rest on." Opening the door the room was clean and sterile, but it had a pretty nice view. Romeo was laying on the hospital bed, his upper body raised a bit so he wouldn't get uncomfortable while his body adjusted to the probe.
He looked scarily tiny in that bed, barely filling it out as his arms were hooked up to all sorts of machines measuring his heartbeat, making sure he got enough fluids and of course the probe feeding him in reasonable intervals. "Don't hesitate to pull the string, and we'll be right with you," she said, leaving them to have a bit of privacy.

Every once in a while a nurse would come in, check up on Romeo's condition, change the IV and adjust the probe. It wasn't until very late that night the Romeo finally started to wake up. His eyes moving beneath his eyelids before he blinked slowly as he opened his eyes. He was confused, and he felt a bit overwhelmed by all the things in his arms, moving his hands up to pull at whatever was on his face until he saw Eden. His heart monitor dipped, but he wasn't dying, though the nurses and doctors did come running as it had triggered as a flatline in their system. Now that he was awake the doctors checked up on him and his senses. A nurse told him that he was lucky to have such a caring boyfriend. They were left alone after that, and Romeo sat up on the bed, though he didn't really have the strength to move out of the bed. He wasn't sure what to say. He just sat there, staring at his hand like he had done so many times before. It felt so empty without the ring, but he was sure he was so thin right now that any ring would just slip off of him.

He didn't really dare look up. The last thing he needed was to be scolded about what he had done. It hurt to even look at Eden! He felt so guilty, and as the vampyre so sweetly asked if he could hold his hand he started whimpering, a few tears falling from his eyes and down his cheeks. The only downside of the IV was that now he was getting fluids in his body and he could cry more. He didn't answer, but reached out, feeling weak as his slender hands pulled at Eden's. The bed was too big for him anyways, and who would judge him for wanting Eden close at a time like this? If he followed his pull, Romeo would move over, his body aching, but as soon as the vampyre laid down beside him he would snuggle up to him. He had to be mindful of the many tubes but besides that he just rested his head on his chest, sobbing as he felt so pathetic.

Romeo eventually managed to cry himself to sleep, hugging Eden close as his subconscious was terrified of him leaving now. He might've been afraid to show this vulnerability when he was awake, but asleep his body did as it needed. His voice was a bit broken, breathing sounded like he had a slight whistle to him, but it would go away soon enough. The nurses still came to check up on him, and didn't say anything to Eden being in the bed, except for one nurse who offered the vampyre a vial of blood to keep his strength up. She had been the one to show Eden to the room in the first place. "It's nice to see he's sleeping," she said in a hushed voice as she adjusted the IV, exchanging the bag that was now pretty much empty. "I know it's still a bit early .. But his body is rather weak," she was speaking as a worried nurse right now, and it was clear that she had something on her mind. Handing Eden a small folder about a recovery center for eating disorders she sent him a hopeful smile, "I won't pretend to know what he wants, but this might be what he needs." With that she let them be, hopefully giving Eden something to think about, because she was sure if she brought it up around the lycan he would refuse help.

Romeo slept for quite a while, his body so exhausted from lack of sleep and nutrition, so it wasn't a surprise that the next time he woke was before the sun rose from the horizon. Blinking lazily he was still tired, and yet he felt better than he had before his sleep. Realizing slowly that he was laying here with Eden made the guilt rush back. The faint memories coming back to his as well. He however didn't pull away, still having his arm around the vampyre, almost afraid that if he let go he would be left here in his own mess. "I-I'm s-s-sor-ry," his voice raw from not only having thrown up the pills but also the doctors having to suck out whatever had been left in his stomach. He felt weird. The probe giving him food was annoying and the IV needle made his skin itch.