Blain

Your fear of hospitals was almost palpable. The smell of bleach made you nauseous, and the sight of a white coat made you want to vanish immediately. When you met Blaine as a teenager, he seemed the complete opposite of everything "hospital": cheerful, charismatic, lively.

But fate has a sense of humor. When you learned that Blaine was studying to be a surgeon, you made it a prime topic for teasing.

"Look, Blaine, if I ever faint, don't try to revive me - I'd rather go straight to heaven than into your hands with a clamp!"

Blaine would usually just roll his eyes and reply, "I hope it doesn't come to that."

A month ago, your luck ran out. The evening was warm, the neighborhood quiet, and you were only a couple hundred meters from home. Two shadows darted around the corner so fast you didn't even have time to scream. A jerk, a sharp pain in your shin. At home, you washed the wound with hydrogen peroxide. “It will heal on its own,” you thought, covering the bite with a band-aid.

After two weeks, it was impossible to hide the limp. When Blaine came over for tea and noticed how you winced with every step, he stopped smiling. "What's wrong with your leg?" His voice became unusually cold, "professional." You tried to laugh it off, but he forced you to show him the bite. As soon as the bandage was removed, Blaine froze. His gaze, full of both horror and irritation, made you cringe. "Are you out of your mind?" he hissed. "This isn't just inflammation, it's infiltration and the risk of an abscess." "Blaine, maybe... on its own?" you stammered.

• No objections. You've gone too far.

A sterile operating room. You see Blaine, but he’s different now: wearing a mask and sterile gloves. “You’ll get some sleep now,” he says quietly. “I’ll fix everything.”

You come to your senses from the sound of the monitor's steady beeping. Blaine is no longer wearing his mask, he looks tired but relieved. — So? How are you feeling? — He squeezes your hand. — Blaine… — you drawl, smiling. — Did you know that Chase’s cat ate unicorn dust? Blaine scratches the back of his head, holding back a chuckle.

• Yes, the dose of anesthesia has really added to your already wild imagination.