Chicken Soup: A Sulu/Chekov fic for Slashfest

[katmarajade]

Title: Chicken Soup
Author:  katmarajade 
Requestor:  slashmod 
Fandom:  Star Trek XI
Pairing:  Sulu/Chekov
Rating:  light R
Wordcount:  ~2850
Warnings:  Fluff and a bit of pretty mild sexual content
Summary:  Sulu comes down with an unknown space illness after an away mission.  Chekov takes care of him. 
Disclaimer: Sadly, none of these characters is mine.  They belong to their creators.  I'm just playing with them. 
A/N: written for slashfest round eight and betaed by the fantastic echoinautumn .  All remaining mistakes are totally my own.

 

Chicken Soup

 

It takes a week after returning from the mission on a strange little mining colony moon in the Laurentian system before Hikaru even notices anything wrong.  He writes it off as being tired at first, because he has not been getting as much sleep as usual due to an insatiable eighteen year old new boyfriend.  He makes an offhand comment about the bridge being too hot, which earns him an odd look from Pavel. 


As they are playing a discreet game of chess a few hours later, he recognizes that something must be a bit off.  The pieces are swimming around on the screen and multiplying, and it has gotten even hotter on the bridge and his black undershirt is sticking to him uncomfortably. 

 

Pavel watches him with concern because he is squinting at the screen, which he never has to do, and has gone quite pale.  He looks over at Pavel, meaning to ask why his screen is acting up, when he's suddenly hit with a rush of dizziness.  For some stupid reason, he jerkily stands up, as if this will help matters.  His unsteady swaying must be pretty worrisome, because Pavel is yelling, his voice higher than usual and laced with anxiety.  He feels familiar arms around his torso, and his brain takes this as its cue to sign off.  He hears Pavel rattling off a string of Russian profanity as everything goes dark.   

 

*****

  

Blinking against the harsh white lights, Hikaru finds himself waking up in Medical Bay.  Blearily gazing around for the source of the voices he's hearing, he sees Dr. McCoy, Captain Kirk, and Pavel standing to the side, discussing something in low, urgent voices.  Pavel's the first to notice that Hikaru is awake, and with a relieved shout, he reaches the biobed in three long, marathoner strides. 

 

''Hikaru, you scared me.  You must never do that again!''  Pavel's voice is sharp and scolding, but the hands that are stroking his face and hair and shoulders are gentle and full of comfort.

 

''I feel like I got into a fight with a horde of angry Romulans-- again.   Worse, actually.  What the hell?''  Hikaru's vision is still hazy and he is freezing.  Pavel frowns as he notices him shivering and grabs a blanket from the adjacent bed to tuck around him.

 

Dr. McCoy reaches him and runs a tricorder up and down him, frowning and growling under his breath. 

 

''Damnit, Jim!  This is exactly what I warned you about.  He's got whatever Riley has, which isn't pretty.  Riley's been down for almost a week and still no improvement.''  Pavel looks terrified at this pronouncement and clutches Hikaru's hand so hard it hurts.  The Captain glares at McCoy, but looks concerned underneath. 

 

''We took precautions, Bones!  We weren't calling over the sickly, dry-coughing miners and begging them, 'Please hack all over us!  And while you're at it, got some bodily fluids to smear around and infect us with?  'Cause that would be great.'''  Kirk sighed, ''Do you at least know what it is?''

 

''I'm narrowing it down, but no, I don't know exactly.  Seems to be some sort of sleeping sickness.  Riley has only been conscious for about twelve hours all week.  And stop looking at me like that, Chekov!  As far as I can tell, it's not lethal, so skip the petrified puppy dog act, would you?''  McCoy closes his eyes for a moment and rakes a hand through his hair.  When he looks at Pavel again, his voice sounds mildly apologetic.  ''Really, kid.  Don't worry.  He just needs lots of rest and fluids and chicken soup.'' 

 

''Can I go back to my room at least?''  Hikaru croaks and, after a bit of grumbling (and cajoling from Kirk) McCoy dismisses him.  Pavel is under strict instructions to keep a close eye on him and Nurse Chapel has agreed to sit with him while Pavel is on the Bridge.  Not caring about anything but crawling into his own bed, Hikaru nods at the doctor's instruction, confident that Pavel is listening attentively enough for both of them.  They barely make it back to his room before he's nodding off again, and the crisp cool sheets on his bed are soothing in a way that a biobed in Sickbay never could be. 

 

*****

 

When Hikaru wakes up again, Pavel is curled up in the desk chair, his face half obscured by some sort of oversized instruction manual.  Pavel is chewing absently on his lower lip and is looking at the page scornfully. 

 

''What are you reading?''  Hikaru manages to choke out before succumbing to another coughing fit.  The manual goes flying out of Pavel's hands as he leaps out of the chair and over to Hikaru's side. 

 

Hands lightly touching Hikaru's cheeks, forehead, and shoulders, Pavel fusses over him before answering.    

 

''It is an instruction manual for the replicator.''  At this, Hikaru raises an eyebrow. 

 

''Since when do you need an instruction manual to work the replicator?''  Pavel gets huffy at this.

 

''Since it is providing substandard quality.  This is unacceptable.  I was looking through the manual to see how I could reprogram or modify it.  Of course, the manual is written for particularly ignorant Cossacks, so it is actually a complete waste of my time.  But do not worry, Hikaru.  I do not need a manual for this.  Not really.''

 

''I still don't get why you're reprogramming the replicator in the first place.  We've never had a problem with it before.''

 

Pavel gets up briefly to grab a bowl off the desk and shoves it towards Hikaru. 

 

''You made me chicken soup?''  Hikaru is touched by the gesture and smiles until Pavel snorts derisively and points at the bowl. 

 

''Yes, chicken soup.  I wanted you to have soup, because it is famous for its traditional healing properties and would make you happy and feel better.  But look at this!''  Hikaru peers into the bowl again, unsure what the problem is.  It looks like chicken soup to him and Pavel continues.

 

''See how watery this broth is?  And where are the vegetables?  It must have vegetables.  I think that this is very important and contributes to the healing properties.  Also, I do not believe that the chicken in this was produced with the proper amount of protein.  It looks weak, don't you see?  Unacceptable.  No, you must not worry, Hikaru.  I will fix this.''

 

Hikaru can't help but smile at Pavel's passionate insistence; it's one of the things he loves about him.  He means to stay awake a little longer, but his head is pounding and his limbs feel ridiculously heavy, and he slips back into the convoluted dream world of the fevered, as Pavel continues stroking his arms and pressing a blessedly cool cloth to his face, all the while muttering softly about proper soup consistency and the unschooled morons who write technical manuals these days. 

 

*****

 

He's sleeping almost constantly and losing track of the days.  Pavel has managed to produce an adequately thick chicken broth, which he seems to think will speed up the healing process, and wrapped Hikaru in a heavy red quilt made by his grandmother, adamant that it is far better than the Starfleet issued blankets.  Hikaru smiles vaguely in appreciation but shucks it off when Pavel turns around, because he feels way too hot.  Pavel purses his lips in irritation when he sees the quilt pushed to the edge of the bed, but then he notices Hikaru's flushed face and all traces of annoyance vanish. 

 

The cool cloth feels heavenly on his forehead and Pavel is clucking softly in the same weirdly soothing manner that his mother used to when Hikaru fell ill as a small child.  He hears Pavel muttering worriedly about red and fever and sweating, but he cannot seem to stay focused long enough to understand.  He jerks slightly when Pavel discharges a hypospray into his neck, probably to combat the fever, and slips back into darkness.    

*****

 

After sleeping for nearly a week straight, Hikaru wakes up, but he remains feverish and achy, barely able to move, and plagued by a dry, wheezing cough.  Pavel seems thrilled by his consciousness, but Hikaru can't help but think it was easier when he was sleeping through the pain. 

 

He is still sweating like crazy, which Pavel claims is a very good sign with such authority that he doesn't dare contradict him.  His body temperature fluctuates madly and it's wildly uncomfortable, his head hurts, and he's so sticky from the fevered sweating, that he finally complains to Pavel, who looks horrified that Hikaru should possibly be uncomfortable and immediately sets off to fix it.

 

Twenty minutes later, Pavel shows back up at Hikaru's door with the necessary materials for a sponge bath.  Hikaru balks and tries to backtrack, humiliated by the idea, but Pavel merely looks at him like he's an amusingly unruly child before picking him up and effortlessly carrying him into the lavatory. 

 

''How the hell are you carrying me, Pavel?''  Hikaru is flabbergasted at how easily Pavel is carrying him.  Pavel responds with a roll of his eyes. 

 

"First, Hikaru, I am obviously not so weak as you think and could have picked you up and carried you at any time, but I think you would not appreciate this gesture normally.  If it makes you feel better, though, you have lost far too much weight and are extremely lightweight at present.  Once you feel better, we must get you back to your normal size, because right now you are much too skinny.  But you are very sick, so is understandable."  

 

Hikaru balks, but judging by the ribs he can easily see protruding on his chest and the fact that Pavel is not even out of breath from lifting him, it's clearly the truth.  He doesn't have the strength to argue anyway.   

 

He lets Pavel set him in the shower, a towel underneath him to pad the cold ground.  Then Pavel is murmuring softly, words that might be Standard, might be Russian, Hikaru isn't sure.  It's somehow soothing though and the warm sponge running over his skin is amazing, wiping away over a week's worth of sweat and sickness and grime. 

 

By the time he's finally clean and does not stink of stagnant, fevered sweat anymore, he is completely hard.  Pavel touches his eyebrow hesitantly and he opens his eyes in response, embarrassed.  Pavel just looks concerned and Hikaru can't help but be annoyed. 

 

"Stop looking at me like that!  I'm not an invalid.  And I can't help it—damn it!  You realize that I haven't gotten off in how long now?  I don't even have enough energy to jerk myself off, so just… leave it, okay?  Help me up, would you?"  Hikaru feels ridiculous and childlike, even though he knows that getting a hard on when one's hot boyfriend is giving one a sponge bath is hardly a shocking development.  He feels weak and impotent and cold. 

 

Pavel says nothing, but kisses Hikaru's forehead and reaches a hand down to grip Hikaru's erection, stroking firmly, more like a private wank than a hand job.  It feels almost clinical, but it's been so long since Hikaru's gotten off that he is coming after only a half dozen pulls.  Pavel leans over and kisses his probably disgusting tasting mouth firmly as Hikaru comes, and whispers "I love you," as he quickly wipes off the mess with the sponge, wraps Hikaru in a towel, and carries him back to the bed.

 

*****

 

Two days later Hikaru wakes up to find Pavel literally bouncing with excitement.  It looks like the navigator has been perched on the desk chair waiting for Hikaru to wake up, because the moment Hikaru's eyes open he's shooting across the room, bouncing onto the bed, and exclaiming,

 

"Lieutenant Riley is awake!  He is awake!  He is awake and staying awake and Dr. McCoy says he thinks that the virus is almost completely out of his system!"

 

"So, is Riley awake?"  Hikaru can't help but tease his boyfriend, who is clearly elated by this news and oblivious to Hikaru's sarcasm. 

 

"Yes, he's awake!  And staying awake and..." Hikaru wheezes only a little as he laughs and Pavel stops, realizing that he's being mocked.  He gives Hikaru a half-hearted slap in the shoulder before grinning again.   

 

"You fell asleep six days and four hours after Lieutenant Riley.  He has been awake for twenty-four hours now!  Well, he did sleep a little at night, but he's back in a normal wakefulness pattern, which is very good!  So, I think that you will be better in only four days, Hikaru!  Isn't that wonderful?" 


Pavel is beaming so brightly that Hikaru swears there is actually light coming out of his ears, but he just smiles back, glad to know that he's close to being over this miserable illness. 

 

He forces down some of the chicken soup that Pavel insists he eat.  This time it has noodles shaped like stars in it.  Hikaru wonders if the stars are rumored to have healing properties too, knowing that Pavel would have some reasoning behind it.  Some incredibly obscure geometry reference or maybe an old Russian legend or maybe it's just that real stars are strong and powerful and full of light.  It could easily be any of those things and the theories make him smile.  This time when he drifts off, his dreams are full of stars and Pavel, who is just as bright and beautiful and powerful as the stars themselves.

 

*****

 

It only takes three days.  Hikaru wakes up feeling like he's slept for years and, for the first time in weeks, has the energy to get out of bed.  Pavel is fast asleep in the desk chair, mouth open, curls springing up in eight different directions.  Hikaru smiles, kisses his boyfriend lightly on the forehead and heads into the bathroom.  He scrubs his teeth for about five straight minutes, trying to get the sleepy, plaque-y grossness out of his mouth.  The sonic shower is refreshing, though he's shocked to see how much weight he has lost. 

 

He's just toweling off when he hears a loud thump from the other room and Pavel's panicked 'Hikaru!'  The door to the bathroom flies open and Pavel stands in the doorframe just staring at him. 

 

"You're awake!"  Pavel finally manages, looking relieved but a bit wary that Hikaru might fall back asleep at any moment. 

 

"Yes, and I feel like an actual human being again.  How long was I sick for?"

 

"Two weeks, three days, fourteen hours, and eleven minutes.  Approximately."  Pavel looks like he might cry and Hikaru steps over and wraps his arms around him, knowing that it's his turn to take care of Pavel after Pavel's spent the last two weeks watching after him. 

 

"Thanks for taking care of me, Pavel.  I'm sure I was a pretty lousy and unappreciative patient.  Always was, just ask my mom or Dr. McCoy."

 

"You were not lousy or unappreciative.  You were just asleep.  You've only been awake for sixteen hours during the last two and a half weeks, Hikaru.  I was so worried about you.  Sometimes, you slept for days straight.  I thought maybe you would never wake up."

 

"I'm up now.  Must be all that chicken soup, huh?"  Pavel laughs breathlessly, as if he can't believe this is happening. 

 

"Yes, you are up!  And I promised Dr. McCoy that I would take you to sickbay the moment you woke up, but you're so strong and brilliant that you woke up a whole day before we thought you would... so I think I'm safe if I conveniently forget that order, just temporarily of course, and keep you all to myself for an hour or so, don't you, Hikaru?" 

 

Hikaru just laughs in agreement.  "Maybe that's why I woke up early.  You're too good an incentive.  God, I love you, Pavel." 

 

"I love you too, Hikaru.  And you, sir, are not allowed to get sick again for a very long time!"

 

"I can live with that.  Also, no offense to your stellar replicating abilities, but I am dying for something, anything other than chicken soup!" 

 

Pavel laughs and drags him out of the bathroom and begins replicating every food that Hikaru has ever mentioned liking, even in passing. 

 

"I didn't even know that you could even make some of this with these in-room replicators!" Hikaru says in wonder, as he chomps into a surprisingly delicious spring roll followed by mashed potatoes. 

 

"Well, you were sick, Hikaru.  I made some special modifications, myself."  Then they're both laughing, and dragging the food over to the bed, where they alternate kissing and eating and touching.  Hikaru feasts on strawberries and freckles, sharp cheddar cheese and earlobes, sourdough bread and hipbones.  Pavel can't stop touching Hikaru, reassuring himself that Hikaru is alive and awake. 

 

Turns out, it takes them four hours before they remember they're supposed to be down in sickbay.     

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