Chapter Text
“Dr Lecter?” Will cautiously called as he knocked on the office door. He nervously checked his watch for the fifth time. It was five minutes passed the time his session was supposed to start. Ordinarily this wouldn’t be a concern but he knew Dr Lecter was fastidious and always punctual.
Will sighed when he received no answer wondering if he should just open the door to the office. As he glanced at his watch again he tried to decide how mortified he would be to enter to find Dr Lecter comforting another distressed patient. Shaking his head at himself for overreacting, he stepped back to take a seat when he heard a faint moan from within. Trance like he pushed open the door to find the source of the noise.
The second he stepped into the room he could smell the sweet cloying scent of fever and sickness. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply trying not to let the scent overwhelm him. It was only at another quiet moan that he opened his eyes. He inhaled sharply as he saw a body that was undeniably that of his therapists slumped over his desk. Immediately Will was on the move strolling to the desk all sense of nervousness forgotten as his concern mounted.
“Dr Lecter?” He put a hand on the man’s shoulder and after receiving no response gently lifted Hannibal’s limp upper body from the desk to lean back in his chair. He frowned as he caught sight of his friend. His eyes were closed and surrounded by deep shadows, his normally neat hair falling just above them plastered to his forehead by sweat. His whole forehead was covered in a thick shine of sweat. His lips were pressed tight together and a slight frown was on his face as though he was in pain.
Will put his hand to Dr Lecter’s brow, brushing the sweaty hair aside, to feel the heat radiating from his friend. At Will’s touch, his friend’s eyes slowly opened, though they were glassy and unfocused. As Will met his eyes he was overwhelmed by the feelings he could sense coming from the man. Will closed his eyes and attempted to sort the feelings into something that made sense rather a huge hurricane of jumbled emotions.
“Will…” the slurred voice snapped Will’s eyes open. Hannibal was looking at him clearly trying to focus his gaze.
“Um, I’m sorry but I came here for my appointment and when you didn’t come out to let me in I got-So I came to see if you were okay and then-“ Will mumbled, awkwardness returning to him like an old familiar friend, combining with his confusion and surprise at seeing his therapist in such a state.
Hannibal immediately grimaced and tried to sit up by himself, attempting to dislodge Will’s hand from his shoulder.
“My ‘pologies Will, must have fallen asleep. Let’s begin shall we?” Will watched as Hannibal struggled to his unsteady feet, before darting forward to grab his arm again when it looked as though he were going to fall.
“Dr Lecter, I really don’t think you’re well enough. Maybe we should cancel, you should get some rest.”
“M’fine. It would be rude to drag you out here only to cancel.” Hannibal mumbled entirely unconvincingly. Will opened his mouth with a frown preparing to respond when Lecter suddenly twitched before throwing himself away from Will and collapsing over the wastepaper bin. Will looked away awkwardly as the sound of eye watering retching filled the room. His heart ached a little as he put himself in Hannibal’s position, imagining how it felt for a man who valued control and dignity as much as Dr Lecter must be feeling right now.
Most of all though Will was shook by his own realisation. It never occurred to him that Dr Lecter could become ill. As stupid as it sounded when he thought of it now, it never really registered in his mind that Dr Lecter was human too. He was Will’s anchor, his paddle. He couldn’t imagine seeing the man being ill, or even sleeping. Now staring at the obviously ill man slumped on the floor he wondered if Hannibal had anyone to look after him when he needed to be human too.
Will made a decision at that moment to be Dr Lecter’s anchor, if only for the night. Picking up the empty cup from the desk, he filled it with water from the sink in the small bathroom that was attached to the office. Returning to his friends side he was relieved to hear that the retching had stopped and he crouched down offering the water to Hannibal who was rubbing his pale face with shaking hands. Hannibal took the water without meeting Will’s eyes and Will once again felt the man’s embarrassment. After Hannibal had rinsed his mouth out Will helped the man stand.
“I’ll take you home, Dr Lecter.” Will muttered softly as he supported the man’s weight. When he saw the man opening his mouth no doubt to protest he interrupted. “I insist. Please let me do this.” Inspiration suddenly hit as he realised how to ease the man’s embarrassment a little. “Please, for my piece of mind. It makes me feel edgy being around ill people.”
Not even a lie, well maybe a small one, but being around ill people did make Will feel edgy as he picked up all their emotions and could almost feel their pain. Will suspected that Dr Lecter might accept the lie when he was too ill to really put up too much of a protest. Will felt a slight sense of relief, both his own and Hannibal’s, wash over him as the man nodded tiredly.
*****
A few hours later, Will found himself sat awkwardly on Hannibal’s living room couch. Having driven the man home and practically carrying the feverish man to his bed he was now unsure if he should leave. He had stripped the man to his shirtsleeves, too nervous to remove the shirt although it was drenched in sweat. He had fetched a cool washcloth for the man’s brow and placed a glass of water on the bedside table next to the sleeping man before retreating downstairs to his current position. He didn’t know what else he could do, never having had to take care of another human, but he was sure there was more he could do. He had an overwhelming sense that he should not leave Hannibal alone tonight.
Sighing he stood and began to tread softly to the kitchen. Leaning against the counter he closed his eyes as a sense of loneliness came over him as he thought of what it must feel like living in this huge house alone, without even a pack of dogs to keep you company. He knew that Hannibal was an introvert like himself and valued his alone time and space. Although the man was outgoing and charming in public, Will could tell he preferred being alone where he wouldn’t have to keep up the act. Will wondered what was underneath that act and found himself hoping that one day he would be allowed to see the man behind the mask. He wondered if anyone was allowed to see behind the mask. Even introverts need someone sometimes.
Overcome suddenly with an urge to be near Hannibal he climbed the stairs and crossed to stand in the doorway of the man’s bedroom. His sleep was restless and the man tossed and turned in the bed, as though fighting the duvet that covered him. A frown still marred his brow and he looked anything but peaceful at that moment as he began muttering.
“ne. ne. prašome ne.”
Will found himself drawn to the bed and stared helplessly as Hannibal got lost in what was clearly a distressing dream. Coming to his senses he scolded himself for watching instead of trying to help. Sitting on the edge of the mattress he cautiously reached out and put a hand on the man’s cheek.
“Doctor, wake up. Dr Lecter?” he shook the man’s shoulder as the twitching became more vicious. “Hannibal!”
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Shadows passed over his gaze as he struggled to his feet. He looked up to find his sister caught in the arms of the grinning man. Growling, Hannibal launched himself at the man only to be held back by another of the pigs as they began to laugh at his struggling.
“pažvelgti labai mažai dalykas. Ar ketinate nužudyti mums berniukas?” the man holding Mischa mocked.
“Taip. Jūs leiskite jai eiti ar aš tave užmušti.” He snarled, struggling against the man’s arms as his sister reached out a hand to him. The men laughed before pulling the screaming girl away from him. Her cries of his name would ring in his ears for the rest of his life.
*****************************
“Hannibal!” The man jerked awake and Will held his flailing arms still. “It’s me, It’s Will. You’re okay. It was a dream. You have a fever. It’s okay.”
He was startled as the man grabbed his shirt and began sobbing into it. He patted Hannibal’s back awkwardly unsure how to react to this new development. He continued muttering soft reassurances into the Hannibal’s hair as he held the man while his body was wracked with sobs.
“Tai nėra gerai. Ji mirė. Tai mano kaltė. Aš valgė ją.”
“What? Hannibal, you have to speak English. I don’t-I don’t understand, okay?”
The man merely shook his head and continued sobbing. Will held him until his breathing evened out and he fell asleep with his head on Will’s chest. Looking down at the sleeping therapist he felt the overwhelming urge to peel back the many layers of this man and know everything there was to know about him. To be the one he could turn to. To protect him. He seemed so vulnerable at that moment.
Will placed a gentle kiss to the man’s hair.
“I’m here. It’s okay.” He mumbled before succumbing to sleep himself.