A Prince's Friend is Hard Work

[chocobosnap]

 Prompto was nervous.

That was not the least bit unusual in itself, he had some terrible anxieties that made his life complicated and challenging all at once, all the time, but he'd had a handle on things, at least, he thought so. 

He received a letter and turned his world upside down.

All of that hard work had come to fruition and he was now a new friend to the prince, someone he got along with a lot better than he used to. He'd seen and met some of his retainers, some of the people around him. They all seemed nice, if wary, and huge. 

Prompto had never been tall, and he was slightly shorter than Noct who seemed short beside his bodyguard Gladio. He was kind of hoping he'd get bigger, but he doubted it. 

The longer he spent with Noctis, they'd begun asking him questions about his skills in self-defense, because there could be danger inadvertently. Ignis had been the one to deliver the message that he should learn, and asked him to report to the Citadel one Sunday morning to meet with Cor Leonis - The Marshal - who was going to test him, or teach him, or something. 

He was on time, had been escorted to the gym and, dressed in his gym clothes, he was waiting nervously, pressed against a wall to avoid any looks from any of the Glaives around. He couldn't have looked more out of place if he tried, with his black track pants and dark purple t-shirt with a frolicking cartoon chocobo on it. 

Comments

[chocobosnap]

"Oh y-yeah, great!" Prompto said cheerfully. "I just walked over here, it's so hot out today."

It wasn't, it was a very cool, windy day.

"Just some indigestion you know?" That, or his insides were trying to explode but he couldn't let Cor down.

[immortalmarshal]

"You do know that I won't hold it against you if yoh called in sick. I'm not that big of an asshole..." He stands in front of the other man ahd puts the back of his hand to Prom's forehead to see how warm he is.

"...was it something you ate yesterday? Or this morning?" And has he been eating enough, outside of school and whatever he gets to eat over at Noct's place?

[chocobosnap]

His skin was hotter than Ifrit's and he seemed a bit more breathless than usual, but he just smiled.

"I know, it's okay, I've got everything under control!"

Prompto shook his head. "Didn't eat then, but only because I'm so full from lunch yesterday? Or....or something."

He felt mildly nauseous, and extremely pained honestly, but he could handle it, it would go away eventually. He just had to persevere.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor's concern grows more evident as he removes his hand from Prompto. "You're burning up, and you said you haven't eaten since lunch yesterday? Sounds like you're sick to me."

Evem withour knowing about the pain, he moves to put the gear away. "You stay right there until I'm done with this. Then we'll head towards the medical wing."

[chocobosnap]

"Oh no, I'm fine really. I can just go home. Really. Medical is just...expensive." Prompto said nervously. "But I'm sure some sleep will be fine. Just fine."

He rubbed at his stomach absently.

[immortalmarshal]

"Like hell, I'm letting you go home in that state without at least a check-up. And knowing Noctis, he would try to kick my ass if I ever did." Especially since the young prince is starting to get the hang of warping...

He finishes putting things away, not yet aware of how Prompto is vaguely focused on his stomach. "Besides, the medical wing is for those who are part of the government. I can always tell them to put it on mh tab..."

[chocobosnap]

"Yeah but..." He got up with a little groan.

"N-No it's fine. I can pay for it. I'll work more!" Prompto protested.

[immortalmarshal]

"Prompto, sit back down." The tone's sudden change into a command may be sharp, but Cor wasn't trying to be cruel here. He doesn't want to risk the kid collapsing on the floor at the most inopportune moment.

He does stop what he's doing, though, and softly thunk his forehead against the door of the wooden weapons rack. Shiva give me tranquility and patience...

"...you shouldn't have to work so hard and bear such a burden at your age - not when there are those willing to help you."

[chocobosnap]

He sighed and did as he was told, sitting with a thud and a pained groan.

"Oh no really, it's fine."

It sounded nice, but Prompto knew no one who was willing to help me - and he couldn't bother Noctis or the kingdom for anything. It wouldn't be fair. He wasn't there for that.

[immortalmarshal]

Slam! goes the door. "No, it's not fine; not one damn bit!" Cor has tried to be nice, tried to keep his temper in check. But with all the reports providing more and more evidence of what he feared, and this normally-sunny young man in pain?

He's just letting it all out as he stomps over. "You're a minor, and I haven't heard any complaints that would indicate that you came from a bad neighborhood. You shouldn't have to work, not unless your family's that damn desperate for money. And speaking of which, why the hell are they letting you run around so damn ill? Do they even know about all of this?!"

[chocobosnap]

He started, surprised at the door slam and then cowed slightly.

Prompto shook his head, biting his bottom lip. "I d-don't. It's fine there. Fine enough."

There were things he didn't like about his neighbourhood, but that had nothing to do with where it was. He had to work, because he was desperate for it.

He flinched at the question. "....A-All of what? Me being sick? ...No."

[immortalmarshal]

"Why not? Where in the Six are they? No decent parent should be letting their kid wander around ill and be left alone in that sate! I--" He stops himself as soon as notices the cowering, and takes a few deep breaths to get the worst of his temper under control. Growling at the kid isn't going to help.

"...let's just. Get you to the doctor. We'll argue over payments later, once you're better." He's already starting to step towards the door, pulling his phone out to text said doctor about the incoming visit.

[chocobosnap]

He stifled a groan again as he got to his feet. Every step made his stomach shift and jolt and he had the worst pain there. He wasn't really afraid of Cor it was just...

He didn't know. His temper perhaps. He should learn to mask his reactions better.

As he padded behind him, he could answer his question. "Altissia. I think."

[immortalmarshal]

Cor picks up on the pain, now, but he doesn't trust himself to make many words at this point. At least the kid is following him towards the medical wing, albeit a little slower than usual. He can have the doctor ask him about the pain then.

"...do they often go to Altissia for business?" He inquires as they reach one of the fancier elevators - ones that can only be accessed with employee cards. Cor swipes his, and it opens for them.

[chocobosnap]

"Dunno." Prompto admitted, wiping his brow, he still felt overheated.

"Travel around Accordo I think? Yeah. They could be back soon...or not."

[immortalmarshal]

"...'or not'? Do they not tell you how long they go on these trips?" Which makes no sense; as far as Cor is aware, they're not working on anything that's sensitive to the security of Lucis.

After a moment, though, he digs out a rather worn hankerchief. "Here...I'll get you some more water once we get there."

[chocobosnap]

"Thanks." Prompto answered and dabbed at his face, breathing a bit heavier.

"Ah..w-well....sometimes it changes. But um, dad'll be back in three weeks unless he changes his mind. He does that. Mom almost never comes back nowadays."

[immortalmarshal]

Three weeks, at least, and Prompto is clearly ill... How in the Six are there people who are that careless about being away from their kids for so long without leaving proper supervision for them? Cor's highly tempted to make sure that he's holed up Noct's place, under the watchful eye of Ignis, before he goes off to hunt down the Argentums.

"...do you have their phone numbers? In case we need to reach them?" Cor finally asks, right when the door dings and he leads the lad onto the floor dedicated for the medical wing of the Citadel. Hopefully, the kid isn't in as much pain as Cor fears that he may be...

[chocobosnap]

"Y-Yeah, but they're pretty busy. It's nothing. I can handle this." Prompto insisted.

He was in a lot of pain and feverish, so very feverish. He didn't know what was wrong, but he didn't feel well at all.

"I'm sorry. I'll...I'll make sure I fix this."

[immortalmarshal]

Cor takes a good, long look at Prompto...and he has a flashback to when Noctis was eight. He can still remember peeking into a certain hospital room some nights, and see his king keeping vigil over his grievously wounded son - sometimes sitting by the bedside, sometimes kneeling, always talking softly and keeping a Carbuncle charm by the boy's side...

"...no. You won't be going thru this alone. I'll stay with you until I'm certain that you'll be taken care of."

[chocobosnap]

"I'm r-really okay Marshal." Prompto tried another weak looking smile.

"I just..." He groaned, leaning over with his hands on his stomach, for a moment unable to hold back.

Three slow breaths and he straightened.

"I'll be okay. Really. I m-mean I can text my parents so that they'll know." Was that better? They wouldn't sit by his side, that he knew, he was already unwanted and the older he got the less they wanted him.

There were times in his life he cried about that, but he'd been trying to move beyond it.

[immortalmarshal]

That groan and doubling over? That makes Cor's heart slow to a stop for a brief moment. One hand's already moving to help support the lad, in case he was feeling weak in the knees or light-headed...

And then came those words, and Cor felt something inside of his heart just...crack. How can this kid just keep acting like he can handle this when he clearly isn't? How could he keep acting like it's alright to suffer this alone? Like...

Like a far younger Cor tried to, before Regis claimed him as part of his retinue.

"There's no time for that. We need to get you seen. Now." And with that, he hustled the blonde over to the nearest medical profession and demanded that Prompto Argentum, barely an official trainee, needs to be seen to immediately.

[chocobosnap]

"Y-Yeah, okay." Prompto stammered and let Cor bring him over to the nearest professional.

She took him to a room and began pressing at his stomach and shook her head a little bit. "We need your guardian's contact information."

Prompto whimpered and cried out as she pushed at it. "Uh huh. S-Sure."

"But we may not have time to wait. Prompto, you need surgery immediately. You have appendicitis. It could get very dangerous and life threatening very fast."

He chewed his bottom lip, Prompto didn't like the idea of surgery and he was terrified, but he also didn't want to die. He took heaving breaths and nodded. "Okay." He whimpered. He knew they'd never get ahold of his parents. Never.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor's face grows stony as he heard the diagnostic. That's a very serious condition - and not one that develops simply overnight. "I'll contact his parents to let them know what's going on - they're on a business trip, from what he told me."

He takes a deep breath. "Just...do all you can to help him, Doctor. And put it on my tab."

[chocobosnap]

They're already preparing him, Prompto is getting hooked up to an IV which has made him look pale and uncertain, but he's putting on a brave face.

It was easier just to hand over his phone than give Cor the number.

His phone was yellow, several years old and had a chocobo charm hanging from it.

Dialing the number for his father yielded no answer, but the one for his mother did.

Amelia Argentum responded with a sigh. "What is it Prompto? I'm working." She sounded impatient.