Page 92 of Sixty Meters Under

“Sure. But don’t wait too long. We don’t need another patient.”

The doctor and the nurse moved Ryosuke onto the bed and began the transfusion. Lennart stood on the side and watched the whole process. When everything seemed to be going well, he left the room.

?

About fifteen minutes had passed, and Lennart was once again in the medical room.

“You are back, Mr. Landberg?” the nurse asked, raising her eyebrows.

Lennart walked through the room with his hands hidden in his pockets. “I will hang around until he stabilizes.”

“That can take a while. Why don’t you go and rest in the meantime?”

Lennart shook his head. “I wouldn’t be able to.”

“Then I can offer you a chair.”

The nurse pulled a chair from the corner of the room and asked, “Is he your family or a friend?”

Lennart was taken aback with the question. “He is… a friend.”

She smiled and added, “The transfusion will last about another hour and a half, so it would be good if someone checks on him frequently. And you say you will be here…”

“Sure. I will let you know if I notice something. But what should I look for exactly?”

“Any changes on the skin like a rash, or a change in breathing, pulse. I will be coming to check on him as well, but now I am going to see other patients.”

“You can count on me.”

The nurse nodded and left.

Lennart lowered his body onto the chair and watched Ryosuke sleep. While sitting next to him, he realized the gravity of the situation: watching Ryosuke lying so helpless tore at his heart. He wished he could ease his suffering or to go back in time and stop Ryosuke from hurting himself.

Lennart reached over and took Ryosuke’s hand in his.

I shouldn’t be doing this… but I want to give you some warmth.He intertwined their fingers. Gosh, your hand is so cold.

He wrapped both of his hands around Ryosuke’s and felt fuzzy feelings bubble in his chest.It feels so good… touching you.

Lennart watched their clasped hands and looked up, remembering when he first saw this young man about two years earlier. It wasn’t in person, true, but thinking about it now was as if he knew then that their paths would cross one day.

Ryosuke had a few strands of hair clinging weirdly on his forehead, so Lennart stretched his hand and brushed them away with his fingertips. As he did so, he ran his fingers lightly over his cheek. He knew that under normal circumstances he wouldn’t be able to touch Ryosuke this way, so he couldn’t resist stealing the experience for himself.

“I apologize for doing this,” he muttered under his breath.

He pulled his hands away and leaned back in the chair with a sigh. He didn’t take his eyes off of Ryosuke though, and tried to make sure there were no changes on his skin from the transfusion.

Lennart’s heart squeezed, worry gnawing at him.

Blood dripped slowly while Ryosuke’s chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Lennart was deep in thought when he heard the door open.

He looked up and saw Hugo enter.

“You’re here,” the older man spoke.

“Yeah. Ryosuke’s having a blood transfusion so I’m watching over him since he’s still unconscious.”

Hugo approached the bed. “What happened? I saw the empty room on the camera and I called Tom.”