The Bond of Friendship

(A Code Geass Short Story)

It started with a sneeze in class and then it got progressively worse over the course of the day — or that's how Suzaku Kururugi viewed it. Lelouch had or was in the beginning stages of getting a really bad cold. How, when, or where he may have contracted it was a mystery.

Lelouch had been sneezing and coughing all throughout the latest Student Council meeting. Suzaku had voiced his concerns, but Lelouch dismissed them — stating he was fine. "Nothing than a little Vitamin C won't cure," he had said with an innocent smile, almost jokingly.

But Suzaku knew better. And he was right.

Lelouch got worse in their latest class together. And students around him, Suzaku observed, were getting annoyed with Lelouch's symptoms. His latest coughing spasm had him sounding like he was about to cough up out a lung. They were in algebra class.

Finally the teacher had had enough. He turned aggressively from the blackboard, chalk in hand, in the midst of a mathematical equation, and said, "Enough, Lelouch! Your dedication to your school work in admirable, but you're being disruptive to the rest of the class. I sympathize that you may be sick, but go home, or see the school nurse. Either one, will do."

Lelouch looked like he was about to protest, but started to cough again, inhabiting a response.

Suzaku put up a hand to speak. "With permission, sir, I'll take him home; someone should take him back safely." Again, it looked like Lelouch was going to protest, waving a hand in the air, coughing, but he was unable to give a verbal response.

The teacher agreed.

Lelouch sneezed, coughed more, and then finally stopped, sucking in air to fill his battered lungs. He knew he wasn't going to win this fight.

Lelouch closed his books and went to stand, but when he started to wobble, even appeared to faint, Suzaku jumped out of his seat to catch his friend before Lelouch could fall.

"My head is spinning," Lelouch said. "This is so embarrassing."

"I'll get you home as quickly as possible," said Suzaku. "Everyone gets sick, even the so-called invincible Lelouch." He smiled. Suzaku then turned to the teacher, said: "Sorry about this…" The teacher seemed to understand and nodded. Turning to Rival, who was in the same class, he asked, "Can you collect his things and take them to the Student Council Room? He can get them later or I'll collect them at another time."

Rival was Treasurer of the Student Council. He nodded. "Sure," he said. "I'll also let the others know. Maybe Lelouch should go to the hospital? He looks pretty bad."

"I'll get him to his room at the Ashford Mansion, then I'll play by ear." But calling a doctor would be more prudent call, Suzaku thought. "Oh, and Nunnally should be told. I don't think she's not on campus today, but I forget where…" Rival reminded him. And Suzaku nodded. "Thanks."

x x x

After everything was said and done, Suzaku escorted Lelouch out of the class, and subsequently back to his room in the Ashford Mansion that wasn't far off campus. He then helped him into his bedroom and into bed. "Maybe I should call a doctor?" Suzaku wondered to himself.

Suzaku turned to make the call from a phone that was on the bedside table. Lelouch lightly grabbed Suzaku's hand and then muttered something almost incomprehensible, dreamily. But Suzaku didn't need to hear Lelouch's voice to understand. He read Lelouch's lips.

Lelouch said, "Thank you."

Suzaku brushed a string of Lelouch's mop top, jet black hair, out of his boyish face, and then felt his forehead. Lelouch had a high a fever and he was sweating profusely.

He left Lelouch for a minute, and then returned, bringing a bowl filled with cold water and a cloth, applying a cold compress to Lelouch's forehead.

"You're burning up," Suzaku said.

He noticed a stand alone tall rotating fan near by and it was positioned, pointed at Lelouch's bed; too close, in fact. The weather has been warm lately. Perhaps Lelouch had it blowing on him at night? He sweats, it cools, and then causes irritation in the skin, and then an infection. It's a common occurrence, Suzaku concluded. And it's happened to me more than once. So, how Lelouch got the cold was solved, sensibly. Now it was time to bring his fever down.

Suzaku undressed his friend and tucked Lelouch under the sheets, and continued to apply cold compresses to Lelouch's forehead. Then he also did the same to his arms, chest and torso. He needed to settle the fever down.

x x x

It had been a long night, but finally at around three o'clock in the morning Lelouch's fever broke.

Suzaku sat back in a chair next to the bed he had been using and sighed softly, wiping sweat from his brow. The bond of friendship is stronger than any other and he wouldn't be much of a friend if he wasn't here for his friend.

He sighed a deeper breath of relief. Now he could relax. He had been so on edge trying to bring Lelouch's fever down, he hadn't slept all night.

"Thank god you're going to all right," he said softly, as Lelouch slept soundly in his bed. He hadn't been able to contact a doctor who made house calls, so he had to take care of Lelouch himself. With Lelouch resting comfortably, Suzaku suddenly found himself totally exhausted. His eyes heavy, he tried to stay awake, but his energy faded fast.

But there was no need to stay awake anymore, Lelouch was fine. And his adrenaline was gone. Suzaku leaned back in his chair and passed out.

x x x

Early the next morning Suzaku was startled awake with a hand touching his shoulder. Lelouch stood over him and he was smiling. Suzaku smiled back sleepily.

"You've been here the whole night?" asked Lelouch.

Suzaku nodded. "You had a really bad fever and I couldn't find a doctor who did house calls. I didn't want to leave you alone. Nunnally is away, and there was no one else. Even your maid isn't around. Where is she?"

"She's away for two days on an errand. Since Nunnally is away, I didn't need her." Lelouch, looking around, almost confused. "What happened? For the life of me I can't remember how I got here."

"I helped you home from school and then got you into bed. I hope you don't mind, I undressed you. You were sweating a lot. I cooled you down with cold compresses."

Lelouch smiled back. "So that's why all these towels are around. No, I don't mind what you did. Thank you, Suzaku. You're a good friend. I feel much better."

"I'm relieved," Suzaku said. "But I think you should call in sick today just to be on the safe side. And what are you doing up? You need rest or you'll exhaust yourself."

"I just went to the restroom." Lelouch sat down on his bed. "This cold hit me harder than anything I ever felt. I was fine yesterday morning before school."

"These things just happen," said Suzaku. "My theory is you got it from that fan blowing on you all night." He gestured to it.

Lelouch mused. "I'll try and watch that, but it has been exceptionally warm lately. Thanks again."

"You're welcome. You're my friend. I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

Lelouch nodded with a smile.

All of a sudden, Suzaku sneezed.

Lelouch said, "Oh no. That's how it started for me. Let me get you some vitamin C."

And Suzaku laughed.

END