darker_london | Happy birthday, Flynn (Quinn, Flynn)

Of all days, why today?

It was his husband's birthday and Quinn had so many plans. He was going to whisk his Mal off to a fancy restaurant and spoil him rotten with presents before they rutted each other senseless back at home. Because that was what they usually did at the end of the day. Most days anyway.

Before he could do any of that, however, he had to take care of a few things at the shelter and while he was there, he ran into his friend, Camellia. Camellia who was kind and wonderful and who had once taken such good care of a homeless and hungry Mal. She had been there for him when few others were and Quinn was more than grateful to her for it.

When she asked his help with a hospital visit, he didn't even think to refuse.

They entered the hospital together, talking casually about his plans for Mal's birthday, though Quinn left out the rutting part. He knew Camellia was all too aware of the sexual aspect of some people's lives, but she always seemed so...pure. Talking about sex with her just felt wrong. It felt like soiling some innocent and pure being which should not be sullied. Camellia grinned at him anyway and then she elbowed him in the side, making Quinn flush red. Camellia was elbowing him and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Something about it was wrong.

"I'm sure it will be a birthday to remember," Camellia said with a smile. "Okay, I have to go visit the new client so if you take care of Mr Siever I would really appreciate it. Just chat to him a little. Let him see a smiling face."

Quinn thought that was easy enough, and he entered Mr Siever's hospital room with confidence and kindness. And then he caught sight of the man and his stomach immediately clenched.

"H...Hi, Mr Siever-" Quinn licked his lips and he approached the bed as the man occupying it stared out the window. He had a bandage wrapped around his head and he lay there, unmoving. He did not look at Quinn when he was addressed. "Uhm...my name is Quinn. I'm just here to visit with you." Quinn sat down in a hard, plastic chair and he faced the other man who continued to stare past him.

Quinn knew he had once been like this. His brain had been so damaged after a run-in with a demon, and he hadn't been able to function. He hadn't remembered who he was or who Mal was. He hadn't remembered anything. He hadn't been able to think or even move. Other people had had to do everything for him. Mal had had to bathe him, change him, feed him. Quinn didn't remember it, and he never would. His brain had healed, but while it was in that state, his ability to make long term memories had been compromised. He had snippets, and that was all. Faces. Smiles. Frowns. Crying and tears. Things he hadn't been able to make sense of at the time, and so it remained nonsensical. But now there was someone in front of him to show him exactly what he had been like.

The man in the bed slowly turned his head towards Quinn then, though there was no real determination or thought behind his eyes. He uttered a sound in Quinn's direction and Quinn felt like he might vomit. Which was just when a nurse entered.

"Oh, hello! It's so great to see Kirk have some visitors! Are you a volunteer?" She must have known the man's family so she would know he wasn't part of it. Quinn nodded. "It's so sad what happened to him. He just fell off a ladder a few weeks ago and now this. Apparently he owned a business and he was a really smart guy and now there's nothing."

Quinn's breath caught in his throat as the nurse described him for the most part. Brilliant university student about to graduate with a University Medal is attacked in his home and turned into...nothing. A blank slate. "That can...happen." The walls were closing in and Quinn put his hand on his chest. He started to gasp for breath because it felt like he couldn't get enough air. His lungs were burning.

"Excuse me," Quinn managed to gasp, and he stumbled out of the room to an abandoned stairwell in the hospital. He sat on the steps, willing his body to catch it's breath while he struggled to text his husband with shaking hands.

Why today? Why today of all days?

It seemed like hours there in the stairwell of the hospital, trying to hide from the world with his hands up over his head and his nose between his knees. When he finally felt a hand on his back, he knew it was Flynn and he was safe. "Mal," Quinn breathed, unfolding only so he could wrap his arms around Flynn's legs. "I can't breathe," he gasped.

Flynn knelt in front of Quinn, holding both sides of Quinn's face gently in his powerful hands. "Quinn," he said soothingly. "You can. Breathe with me, okay? I'm here, just breathe with me." Flynn took slow and deliberate breaths in and out, loudly enough so Quinn could hear. They stayed silent, breathing there in the hallway for some time until Quinn had calmed down.

When he could breathe again, Quinn lay his head against Flynn's shoulder, exhausted. "Mal...thank you."

"Always," Flynn said in the easy easy that made Quinn love him so much. "What happened? All you said in the text was 'help' and I thought someone was hurting you."

"Just...memories." Quinn sighed and he lifted his face so he could look at Flynn, the man who had taken such exquisite care of him for as long as he had known him. Flynn deserved to be told this face to face. "There was a man I was visiting. A man with...permanent brain damage." Quinn shuddered and Flynn immediately held him tighter. "You all told me what happened and that it was horrible, but seeing it...seeing what happened to me. What could happen again? I just...panicked." That was what it had been. A panic attack, and not even a very bad one, and still he was shaking and scared and he just wanted to go home. Immediately, Quinn burst into tears and Flynn rushed to wipe them away from Quinn's cheeks with his thumbs.

"Mal," Quinn groaned and sniffled. "I had amazing plans for your birthday. I was going to take you out and..." Quinn sighed. "There was going to be so much sex."

Flynn chuckled and then he kissed Quinn's forehead. "Babe," he said calmly. "The only thing I need tonight, is to be with you. How about we go home and order dinner and then we sit and drink tea and watch something ridiculous. Whatever happens, happens and that will be enough for me."

"You don't even...care that I'm being a bit of a headcase?" He sniffled again and laughed when Flynn handed him a tissue.

"You're not being a headcase," Flynn said firmly. Quinn had been shot recently and a coma had followed and it stood to reason that he would panic after something like this, especially after that. "I love you. That is all that matters today. Ready to go home?"

Quinn really was.