prompt: something based off of the events of dan's I Nearly Died (Not) video?
hopelessly, i’ll love you endlessly
a/n: written for day 4 of @phanfichallenge‘s week of writing challenge, and also for you, nonnie. sorry this sat in my inbox for so long.
summary: dan’s going into surgery to have his appendix removed, and phil’s there to provide him some before-and-after comfort. based off of dan’s I Nearly Died (Not) video.
read on ao3
1.1k words
warning: sex mention (v light, they just talk about it, but in case it makes you uncomfortable), hospitals, surgery
“Ow.”
Inhale.
“Ow.”
Exhale.
“Ow.”
Inhale.
“Daniel?” Dan’s eyes flew open and he whipped around to face thedoor, trying to ignore the sharp pain that shot up his neck. His head wasthrobbing. It had started with a dull ache at the base of his skull, but aftertwo hours of grinding his teeth whilst listening to Mr. Ow in the bed oppositehim, it had spread up and out to all the edges of his head.
The pretty nurse who had given him a magazine after he was settledbeneath rough sheets on the lumpy mattress was stood in the doorway now, agentle smile on her face, and her hand on the arm of a tall, lanky boy withstriking black hair. Phil.
“I’ve snuck your friend in, but you’ll have to stay quiet, and hehas to be back out in the waiting room by the time visiting hours are over.”She nudged Phil into the room, and it was only when she let go of his arm thatDan noticed his hands were shaking.
Phil stumbled a bit, making Dan reach out an arm (as if he was inany state to catch a falling Phil right now), but he managed to right himselfand closed the rest of the distance between himself and Dan’s hospital bed injust two more strides. He knelt down beside the bed, placing both of his handson Dan’s forearm. They stilled immediately.
“How are you feeling?” he whispered. His voice still wavered.
“I want McDonald’s,” Dan croaked.
Phil let out a startled laugh. “You’re not allowed to eat beforeyour surgery, but I’ll sneak some in tomorrow for when you’re all better. Nowscoot over.”
Dan slid to the edge of the bed - as far as he could go withoutfalling off - hissing as the lower, right-hand side of his stomach let out ajolt of pain. Phil slid into the bed beside him, immediately reaching for theoffending point of Dan’s discomfort. He rested his hand over the thin clothwhere it hurt and leaned down to press a soft kiss to Dan’s shoulder.
Dan breathed out softly. Phil was good. So good. Letting his lollonto Phil’s chest, he resumed listening to Mr. Ow. His exclamations weregrowing louder and louder with each inhale. It was almost as if he was puttingon a show.
“Are you sick of listening to this guy?” Phil’s breath blew warmlyinto his ear and fanned down his neck.
Dan nodded. “Headache.”
Phil clicked his tongue. “Well, we can’t have that. Do you want tolisten to music on my phone?”
“You won’t mind being stuck here listening to Mr. Ow without evenme to talk to?”
“Nah.” Phil shifted his hand to slot his fingers through Dan’s.“I’ll just listen to you breathe.”
He dug inside his pocket with his free hand, searching for hisphone. When he pulled it out, the headphones were already plugged in, coiledtightly around the glass screen. He let go of Dan’s hand to unwind them, butDan barely had any energy left to protest.
He just let his hand fall limply onto the bed. Phil made quickwork of the wires and wiggled them into Dan’s ears so he wouldn’t have to.There was a brief pause before any music flooded through the tiny speakers -presumably to adjust the volume - and then Muse came on, the soft notes fromMatt Bellamy instantly making Dan relax further into the mattress.
His eyes fluttered shut, and he curled into Phil, reaching blindlyfor his hand again. Phil obliged, slotting his fingers between Dan’s with onehand, and bringing the other one up to card through Dan’s hair. It wouldn’t getrid of his headache entirely, but it would act as an apt distraction.
Dan drifted to sleep just like that. With Phil’s hands providingthe comfort he needed and a lullaby from their favorite band.
When he woke, Phil was nowhere to be found. He’d tucked the sheetsmore tightly around Dan and removed the earbuds from Dan’s ears gently enoughto not wake him, but he was still gone now. Dan pouted. He’d rather be able tosee Phil before his surgery, but he knew that not even the nice nurse from lastnight would allow it. Phil wasn’t family, at least not by blood.
Dan sighed. At least Mr. Ow was gone. Or maybe he’d just finallyfallen asleep. Dan didn’t really give a fuck either way, but his headache hadfinally faded away in the night, and he’d rather not have another go of it thismorning.
“Knock, knock!” One of the nurses strode into the room. “Are youready?”
When he woke for the second time that day, Dan wasn’t quite surewhere he was. His head felt like someone had stuffed it full of cotton, andthere was something covering his nose and mouth. The more he came to, the more awarehe grew of his surroundings. The thing covering his nose and mouth was pumpingoxygen into his body. Beneath him, the rough sheets of the hospital bed werestill rough, but that didn’t feel nearly as bad as the cold metal table of theoperating room had. There was still a dull ache in his lower abdomen, but itdidn’t hurt nearly as badly as it had the night before.
Even though his eyes were closed, the light above his head wasmuch too bright for his liking. It pierced through them, pouring into his unwillingretinas until he thought he might scream. Could someone turn that fucker off?
Dan groaned lowly, and suddenly there was a warm hand wrappedaround his own.
“Danny?”
Dan groaned again but forced his eyes open. He knew that voice.Sea-blue eyes looked back at him beneath a furrowed brow, and Dan wished he hadthe energy to reach up and smooth it out. Phil shouldn’t ever have to be thatworried about him. He was just Dan.
“‘m ‘kay,” he mumbled.
Phil let out a long, relieved sigh. “That’s good. That’s reallygood. Does anything hurt, babe? Do you want me to call a nurse? Let me call anurse.”
“Hurts,” Dan grunted. “Morph’ne? I really jus’ want you. Don’t let‘em take you ‘way ‘gain.”
“I won’t. Let me get a nurse so you can have your morphine. Andonce they’re gone? I have a little surprise for you, but you can’t tellanyone.”
“Sex?” Dan startled. “Phiw we can’t ‘ave sex in ‘ere. I jus’ gotoutta surger-er-y.”
Phil snorted. “No, Dan, not sex. You need to be well-better beforewe’re having sex again because I said so.”
“Well then what is it?”
Phil smiled softly. “McDonald’s.”
