ilya uses the like 0.5 seconds he's got when david is going to get coffee and yuna is stepping into the hall to SO gently take shane's face in his hands and get his attention like "hey, hey, shane, can you focus, please? ye-no, sweetheart, don't touch the gauze again. okay, do you want to be good for me?"
*muffled because there's cotton in his mouth* "yesh :)"
"good, you are always so good for me" *head kiss* "now, i need you to be VERY good and NOT talk until i say so, okay?"
"but you like when i'm loud, don't you?" *big, teary eyes* "you don't want me to tell you when i feel good?" *wobbly lip that would break a FAR harder heart than ilya's, especially when shane also currently has some very cute chipmunk cheeks happening*
"no, no, dorogoy, you know i love all of your pretty words and sounds." *smooch smooch* "but this is a new game, okay? we are trying something new together."
*still slightly sniffly but nod nod* "my shafeword is fashe-off"
*clinging to composure with the tips of his fingers* "yes, very good. but right now you are not going to say ANY words, okay?"
*nod nod and pleased little smile because he remembers The Rules under these circumstances* "then i tap you three timesh"
*SO close to fully having a breakdown* "yes, very good. and now time to be quiet, yes?"
*shane almost hits himself in the face miming zipping his lips shut*
...until the nurse asks shane what his pain level is on a scale of 1-10, and shane remains SILENT. and the nurse is, "shane? we can adjust your pain medication if you need. it's not a trick question." and shane just lolls his head over to the side and BEAMS at ilya because Look How Good I Am Being. :)
and ilya is about to just start beating his head against a wall.