Aaron (hospital AU)

[mooningremus]

Remus woke up laying in a bed in the emergency room. "Where... am I?" he asked, his voice a croak.

"Ah, welcome back," said a woman standing by his bed. She was wearing a nurse's uniform. "You're in the hospital. A helpful bystander found you passed out on the sidewalk. You don't have any ID on you. What's your name?"

"Remus Lupin." He rubbed his head, and realized he was connected to an IV.

"It's saline," the nurse said. "You're severely dehydrated. Malnourished too from the looks of it though we're waiting for more bloodwork. Any medical conditions we should know about?"

"I'm HIV positive," Remus said with a sigh. "I... I'm so sorry about all this trouble. I'm fine, I probably just... haven't been taking care of myself..." Or more accurately, couldn't afford food.

"Well you should feel better once you're hydrated, and I'll send a doctor in to do a workup," the nurse said. "Rest."

Remus nodded, feeling like a complete idiot. Or maybe burden to society. Or something. And a few hours later he had a diagnosis of nothing worse than what the nurse had said. Though at least confirmation that his HIV status hadn't transformed into something worse. Sometimes he had trouble with food when the shelters were full, but he went to the HIV clinic to get his meds.

The nurse also kindly brought him some fresh clothes. He did feel better as he prepared to leave.

Comments

[mooningremus]

"I mean, I've been HIV positive since I was eleven," Remus mumbled. But then he just sighed and said, "It comes and goes. It's okay. Things aren't always as bad as they are right now."

[quitollis]

"Eleven? That's very young for such a fateful disease," Aaron observed.

[mooningremus]

"Yes, um, it was... a mistake, a blood transfusion after..." He didn't finish that, he already felt like he was just dumping a sob story onto him. "Like I said, maybe I'm just unlucky."

[quitollis]

Aaron didn't press, since clearly Remus didn't want to talk about it. "I'm sorry about my interrogation. It's a role I slip into all too easily."

[mooningremus]

"It's all right," Remus said. "I mean, I'm used to people assuming that my HIV status must mean I'm a slut, or I'm not careful... Not that there's anything to judge for people who are unlikely in other ways, but it's still hard to deal with."

[quitollis]

"He who is without sin..." Aaron said. "I try not to judge anyone. I'm merely so used to hearing people's life stories and asking them about thinfs... But you're not at confession and didn't ask to be questioned. So, I apologise and I will stop."

[mooningremus]

"It's all right," said Remus gently. "I would happily tell you my life story in exchange for your kindness, if you wanted it."

[quitollis]

"Well, whatever you tell me I'll treat confidentially and with great care," Aaron assured. He did want to hear more. He found he rather liked Remus talking. He gad a rather lovely voice.

[mooningremus]

"Yes, I imagine you would," said Remus. There was something terribly trustworthy about him.

He realized that he had completely cleaned his plate. "And I am feeling better already."

[quitollis]

"Good good," Aaron - who loved good food - said, pleased. "Do you want seconds?" He asked.

It was funny, but he felt quite free talking to Remus. The man didn't expect...priestly things from him. It was refreshing.

[mooningremus]

"Oh, I think I'm okay," said Remus. Then added politely, "Thank you." Honestly if it weren't for the collar Remus would have already forgotten he was a priest. He seemed neither interested in judging nor converting.

[quitollis]

"Whenever you're ready then, we can go to my flat," Aaron said.

[mooningremus]

There were only so many times Remus could thank him, so he only nodded. "I travel light," he said, nodding down to a clean but slightly ragged backpack he had with him.

[quitollis]

"That's quite alright," Aaron said. "I have extra supplies, so if you need anything... I'm sure we can find it." He stood and took his tray. "Let's go."

[mooningremus]

Remus nodded and followed along with him. He wondered if this was a good idea. But that was mostly because he felt like an imposition, not because he thought he was in danger or anything like that. Clearly Aaron was just a good man.

[quitollis]

"It's not far," Aaron said as they walked. "Around thd corner, in fact. It came with the job."

[mooningremus]

"Oh, that's very convenient," Remus said. Perhaps he should have become a priest.

[quitollis]

"One of the perks. You go where they send you, but lodgings are included," he said, conversationally.

[mooningremus]

"I imagine there are some drawbacks to your job as well," Remus said. "But it's... a calling?" He'd almost felt that way about teaching once.

[quitollis]

"It is, yes," Aaron said after a moment of thought. "It saved my life, in many ways."

[mooningremus]

"Oh? Maybe I should look into it," Remus joked.

[quitollis]

"Well, I mean that my path was not leading to anything good before," Aaron said. "Not that I would dissuade anyone from following the same path I travelled, but you don't seem particularly religious."

[mooningremus]

"I am not," Remus confirmed. "My grandmother was, but not in the good way. In the like, you're going to burn in the fires of hell if you touch yourself or don't obey your husband kind of way. Turned my mother off of it enough that I never set foot in a church growing up."

[quitollis]

"There's a lot of that, unfortunately," Aaron admitted. "I try to follow a different path. One where everyone is welcome."

[mooningremus]

"Yeah, uh..." Remus sighed. "They're both dead now but my mother never spoke to her again after my grandmother suggested that what happened to me was because she'd raised me as a heathen."