Work Text:
“I think he’s waking up”.
The first words Zanka’s mind can register are spoken softly. Zanka groans, fighting to open his eyes, wondering absentmindedly why they feel like they’ve been weighed down by a ton of bricks.
“Mm… wha hap’n?”. He murmurs, wincing as his eyes are met with beaming bright lights, that are blinding. He closes them again. Then he stiffens. Why did his words sound like that?
“Wha’s …goin’ n’?”. He tries again, and again the words come out sloppy and slurred, like how Enjin sounds when he comes back late from the bars after a long night out. Enjin? Hey, where was Enjin?
“I’m right here Zanka”. The words are accompanied by a familiar chuckle. Zanka turns his head instinctively in that direction, and another chuckle is heard. “Can you try opening your eyes for me?”.
And Zanka would really rather not, considering how bright things had been last time, but it’s Enjin asking, and Zanka did not ever like disappointing his team leader. Besides, how hard could it be to simply open his eyes?
So, with a lot of mustering, he does. At first he’s only able to crack open one, though the bright lights are still blinding him, he forces the other open too. “S’ brigh’”. He says. Or tries to say anyway. Frustratingly though his mouth seems unable to use the letter T.
He squints so much that his eyes are more closed than open, and he can barely make out Enjin’s figure sitting next to him. He’s sideways though, which was weird. Or was Zanka the one who was sideways? He shakes the thought off with a laugh. Why would he be sideways?
“What was that?”. Enjin asks, leaning forward. His hand is sat comfortingly on Zanka’s arm.
“S’ brigh’”. He repeats dutifully. “Ligh’s r’ brigh’”.
Enjin takes a second before he catches on and he laughs. “Right sorry bud. Eishia would you mind?”.
There’s the sound of metal sliding against metal and then the room is considerably darker. Zanka sighs in relief, cracking his eyes open more and taking in his surroundings. He was in the medwing, in a bed. Had he gotten hurt on a mission? Why couldn’t he remember?
“You feeling okay? The anesthesia might have you feeling a bit loopy for a while? But is there any pain?”. Enjin asks again, voice calm and comforting.
Zanka eyes him warily, then shakes his head. “Wha’s hap’nin’?”.
“You apparently had a pretty nasty situation going on in your mouth there”. Enjin waves his hands around as he explained. “Had to take out some troublesome teeth before it got any worse. Wisdom teeth I think they’re called. It’s rare but it happens. Eisha handled a lot of it, you can ask her later”.
But Zanka had stopped listening midway through. His teeth? They’d taken his teeth. He narrowed his eyes in concentration as he moved his tongue to swipe over his pearly whites but found he couldn’t feel anything.
Oh god, they’d stolen his teeth.
“Ya’ ‘ook my ‘eef?!”. He erupts, slowly feeling a panic settle over him. He feels his breaths start to quicken. How was he gonna chew food? How would he smile?! He had such a nice smile too, everyone said so!
Enjin waved his hands around, face clearly amused but still trying to calm down Zanka’s frenzied thoughts. “No! No, you still have all the teeth you need! These were in the very back, if we left them in you could’ve gotten a really bad infection”.
He explained quickly and thoroughly and yet Zanka still frowned. “I don’ re’mber sayin’ ya could ‘ake my eef”. He pouted, face pinched in a very familiar frown. “I can’ feel em! Why don’ I feel em?!”. He began working himself up again.
Enjin’s caressing of his arm did little to help calm him down. “They numbed your mouth for the procedure, you shouldn’t be feeling anything in there right now. And when that changes in a few hours, trust me you’ll wish it stayed numb. The healing process is said to be a total bitch”.
Zanka frowned, stubbornly trying to feel around in his mouth again. Enjin turned to say something to Eishia, who was watching over them warily as she put a few items away. Zanka barely paid them much mind, as he lifted a hand towards his mouth. The movements were slow and uncoordinated but eventually he could feel his lips. Or, at least where his lips should be. He had to navigate his fingers around the lower half of his face to find his cheek and then his nose before he trailed down to where his mouth must’ve been, if he could feel it.
His fingers wedged open his lips, only to find they were already open. He pressed further into his mouth and felt something wet and cottony. He frowned, drawing back his fingers only to see red. Blood. His mind sluggishly provided the thought. He was bleeding. He was bleeding?
His mouth was bleeding!
He must’ve shouted something in alarm because in the next blink of a moment Enjin was back by his side, pulling his hand away. “Nope! Leave that gauze in there. It’s soaking up the blood, we don’t want a big mess”.
“You cu’ up my mou’h?”. He sluggishly aims the accusing question towards Eishia who startled at being addressed before she shook her head.
“No! Well, y-yes”. She corrected almost immediately. “For the procedure we had to! Your mouth was too delicate for me to use just my vital instrument. Sorry! Does it hurt?”.
Zanka stared at her for a long moment, so long that Enjin and Eishia shared another look, before he slowly shook his head. “Nah”. The smell of antiseptic hit his nose then and he shuddered, suddenly feeling nauseous. He wasn’t a fan of being cooped up in the medroom ever. Was always just another sign that he’d messed up in some way. He felt tired.
“I wanna go… wanna go t’ bed”. He says, forcing himself to sit up in from the medical room cot. Enjin jumps to help him and he ends up slumped against a stack of pillows.
“Tired bud?”. Enjin looks over him, eyes worried though everything else is calm. “You can go back to sleep, it’s okay”.
Zanka blearily shook his head. “Mm. My bed. N’ my room. Wanna…sleep n’ my room”. He says, and he really does. Sleeping in unfamiliar places has never come easy to him. Not like with Riyo who loves sleepovers in anyone’s room who will have her or even Rudo who’s been known to conk out in the most bizarre of places. Zanka wants his room, and his bed, and some privacy, and-
Zanka tensed then, entire body going still, head slowly turning to gaze around the room, eyes searching. “Where’ s’ she?”. He asks Enjin the moment he doesn’t spot what he’s looking for.
Enjin turns from where he’d been discussing something else with Eishia. “Hmm? Where’s who?”.
“Assis’aff”. He says, scowling when he can’t properly pronounce his beloved items name. “Where’s Assi’saff?”.
Enjin blanched. “Oh, um”. He seemed to bite down a curse. “You knew you wouldn’t be able to hold her during and didn’t want her in the way where something could possibly happen to her, so she’s… in your room”. Enjin trailed off a bit, as he spoke the last few words. Zanka registered them passively, eyes glazed as he realized he wouldn’t be able to feel the grip of his vital instrument immediately.
Then, embarrassingly enough, Zanka started crying. Fat ugly tears escaped his eyes and he choked on a sob. Enjin grimaced, not liking how the tears made his insides twist. “Oh crap”. He whirled around to look at Eishia. “Please tell me that’s normal?”.
Eishia hurried to nodded. “Yes, p-patients can be weepy when they first wake up! It’s all very disorienting. I’d suppose you can treat him like he’s drunk? He’s bound to be very sensitive. You probably should’ve had his vital instrument nearby but…”. She looked around the crowded and small med room full of supplies that barely fit the three of them. Right…
Another sad sounding whimper escaped from Zanka, and he sucked in a ragged breath before it turned into full of sobbing. “I wan’ her! I miss her!”. He stumbled to get the words out through the tears and the gauze in his mouth.
”I could go get her?”.
Zanka paused in his misery, pondering the idea. The very short list of people he trusted with touching his vital instrument probably started and ended with Enjin, but that would mean…
He sobbed again. “S’ you’re leavin’ me?”. He clutched at the blanket over his lap as another tidal wave of tears came. He shook his head at the idea. He felt so unlike his usual self right now it was frightening, and Enjin was the only thing here to help ground him. It was selfish, just as he often was, but he didn’t want Enjin to go. Even for a moment, even if it was to bring Assistaff back here. “Please don’ leave”. He dared to grab onto the cuff of Enjin’s sleeve, fingers clumsily curling into the fabric.
Enjin looked as though the motion broke his heart clean in half. He grabbed Zanka’s hand gently. “I won’t leave”. The confirmation just made Zanka cry harder.
“Someone could bring her here?”. Enjin quickly offered another solution before wilting under Zanka’s teary eyed glare.
“No! Don’ wan’ anyone else ‘ouching er!”. He snaps, before sniffling, moving to wipe his nose with his sleeve before he paused, and hiccuped.
“What?”.
“Need a ‘issue”. He grumbled and Enjin disappeared for a moment before he dutifully held a tissue up to Zanka’s nose.
“Blow”.
It was gross, and Zanka let out a few more sobs. “Eww”. He groaned, not liking how dirty it felt.
Enjin tossed the tissue in the trash and patted Zanka’s shoulder. “Well, guess that’s that. Eishia?”. He turned to address their medical leader. “Hey, he’s clear to leave yeah? I don’t think sitting in here will help him much”. Eishia eyed Zanka before nodding.
“He doesn’t seem to have too much swelling and he’s semi - coherent. If the bleeding gets any worse he may have to come back b-but, in terms of patient comfort I think being back in his own space would help more than staying?”. Enjin had already begun to grab his coat. “Just, uh, make sure he’s comfortable”.
“Don’t worry!”. Enjin flashed her a smile. I’ll keep an eye on him”.
-
Getting Zanka upright was more of a battle than either of them had estimated. After nearly toppling over when Zanka’s legs had refused to hold him up, and then a swirl of vertigo that nearly made Zanka dead weight entirely, Enjin had just rolled his eyes and hoisted the kid into his arms.
Judging by his incessant wiggling, Zanka was clearly not a fan.
“M’ no’ a baby”. He grumbled, shifting with frustration in Enjin’s arms. “Pu’ me down!”.
“Never said you were”. Enjin answered easily enough, nodding his goodbyes towards Eishia before starting off down the halls back towards Zanka’s room. There was a wave or two as he passed by some other Cleaners, and he purposefully took a more discreet path knowing Zanka wouldn’t want the embarrassment of too many people seeing him so out of sorts.
“How’s he holding up?”. Semiu asks as they pass by the front desk. Enjin slows his pace, nodding her way before nodding down at the full load of teenager in his arms.
“As well as he can be”.
Zanka titled his head, glancing at Semiu momentarily before he asked. “Am I okay?… Do I look okay? S’ over righ’?”. Semiu raised an eyebrow his way, before she aimed that look at Enjin instead.
Enjin sighed, overly fond. “Yes, you’re okay, you look fine, and the procedure is done. As you’ve already asked me, about three times now in the past five minutes.
Semiu shakes her head. “Surprised he let you carry him without biting your hands off”. She remakes before waving them both along.
They finally make it to the hallway of Zanka’s room. Riyo perks up from where she’s leaned against Zanka’s door, a pouty looking Rudo sat by her feet. “Hey! Finally!”. She shouts down the hall as Enjin approached.
Rudo looks up, and does a hilarious double take at the sight of Zanka cradled in Enjin’s arms. He jumps upright, eyeing Zanka’s still dazed form. “What did you do to him? He looks terrible- ow!”. He’s cut off by Riyo cuffing him upside the head.
Enjin had to huff out a sigh. It was true, the procedure had left Zanka with swollen cheeks, glazed tired eyes, and bloody gauze in his mouth that needed to be routinely changed. The tear streaks that stained down his face certainly weren’t helping things. Still, timing. He really needed to teach Rudo a modicum of manners, didn’t he?
“Don’t be rude! I already told you the meds would make him wonky”. Riyo chided him, moving to open up the door to Zanka’s room so Enjin could step in, but a croaky whiny sound makes them all freeze. They turned in sync to look at the teen bundled up in Enjin’s arms.
Zanka was crying again.
If Enjin had it right, technically Zanka hadn’t stopped crying since he’d realized his vital instrument was missing from his side a few minutes ago. But the tears that had only just begun to slow, had now kicked right back up again and a hiccup-y sob exited his throat. Again, it made Enjin’s heart clench and immediately want to do everything in his power to make it stop.
“Why would-. Zanka paused around a hiccup. “-ya say I look ‘errible?”. He asked, eyes watery and lip quivering, he turned from where his face had been buried in Enjin’s shoulder to look up an Enjin, who was taking every amount of strength he had not to coo at the teen in his arms- because drugged up or not he was sure Zanka might actually bite him if he tried to overly coddle him.
“Do I… really look ‘errible?”. Zanka asked, sounding so pathetically saddened by the thought, that Enjin immediately shakes his head, wary of saying anything to make it worse.
“No! Course not!”. He sends a warning glance towards the rest of team Akuta. “Right, guys?”. Riyo perks up, bouncing into Zanka’s line of view.
“Looking great as always!”. She chirps, before kicking at Rudo’s shins.
“Ow! Stop hitting me!”. He scowled, before turning to Zanka hesitantly, red eyes darting around unnervingly. “You uh… you look fine, I guess”.
Zanka sniffled pitifully in response, and Enjin had to bite his tongue to withhold a sigh, and he mentally reminded himself to teach the kid how to give an actual compliment later once this fiasco was over with, before nodding his head at Riyo who held the door to Zanka’s room open.
It’s as pristine as anything ever is with Zanka, bed perfectly made, desk organized to a T, not a hint of clutter in sight, and there on his bed-
“Lovely!”.
Zanka gasps as soon as he spots her, immediately writhing in an attempt to escape Enjin’s arms to the point where the leader worries about dropping him. He dodges Zanka’s sharp elbow that threatens to slam into his nose.
“Hey! Okay okay, gimme a second!”.
It’s a slow careful process to put Zanka on his bed, propping up pillows so he isn’t laying down, according to Eisha’s orders. Zanka grips onto his vital instrument the moment it’s within reach, clutching his fingers around the handle tight and drawing her to his chest carefully, like he cherishes the every fiber of wood she’s made up of. And knowing Zanka, he probably did. He murmurs something in her direction, a long string of sappy sounding words lost in the sounds of Enjin shuffling around with the bedsheets and the gauze in Zanka’s mouth gumming up his words.
Rudo watches, head cocked and gaze curious. “I thought medicine was supposed to help you?”. He questioned. Riyo was watching with barely restrained glee as Zanka leaned his face forward to press Assistaff’s curved end against his cheek and sighed in content.
“It does”.
“Then why is he acting crazy?”.
Zanka’s glazed eyes dart up, pausing in whatever positive affirmations and sweet nothings he was mumbling into the wood of Assistaff’s handle. “M’ no’ ac’in’ crazy”. He says, sniffling again. He glared Rudo down for a moment before he turned to where Enjin’ was overly committed to fixing the blankets around his waist. “Enjin”. Zanka whined, entirely unironically. “Make ‘m s’op bein’ mean to me”. He huffed, collapsing back onto the pillows behind him, body worn out from his struggles just a few moments prior.
“I’m not!”. Rudo was quick to defend himself, bristling when Zanka replied- rather pettily- with:
“Are so”.
Seeming to be so caught up with arguing that he forgot to remember that he’d been crying at all. The two bickered back and forth for a moment, and Riyo and Enjin stood back and just watched with amusement.
“I can’t tell if this is worse than they are normally or not”. Riyo leaned over to say, and Enjin sighed.
“Considering the crying, I’d say worse”.
Riyo glanced at him then, tone upbeat but still an obvious worry- though maybe Enjin had spent far too much time on studying his team to be able to notice it at all. “He’s gonna be alright. The crying is normal?”.
Enjin laughed. “For Zanka? No. But it’s a common side effect apparently. The meds make emotions confusing”. He explained, bumping Riyo’s shoulder with his own. “He’ll be fine. Just needs some rest”.
“Enjin!”. Both Rudo and Zanka’s voiced called for him and Enjin sighed, a weary smile on his face.
“Tell him to stop messing with me!”.
“-‘ell m’ t’ s’op messin’ wi’h me!”.
They both said in tandem, before frowning at each other. The glaring stalemate is broken by Zanka letting out a monstrously big yawn, a visible wave of exhaustion rippling through him that leaves him with fluttering eyelids and a drooping head. He jerks upright, seeming ready to fight off the needed rest and Enjin for what feels like the hundredth time that day, sighs again.
“Alright, alright. Rudo, apologize for being rude-“. Riyo snorted at the accidental word play.
“Zanka, stop instigating”.
Zanka pouted his way, though the effect was weakened with how he was obviously struggling to stay awake. “He s’ar’ed it”.
Enjin rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m finishing it. You need to rest. Rudo”. He waved his hands at their youngest team member to signal him to get it over with. Rudo scowled, glaring down at his shoes before he spoke.
“Sorry”.
“For?”. Enjin goaded, and Rudo’s face turned a bit red in the cheeks.
“Sorry… for making you cry”. He finally says. He finally glances up from his shoes to look Zanka in the eyes. Zanka just stares at him for a moment before another fresh wave of tears falls from his eyes. Rudo flinched, clearly panicked at his usually stoic mentor crying again.
“I didn’t even do anything that time!”.
Zanka sniffled, ignoring him, turning instead to Riyo and Enjin. “He’s so cu’e guys, why n’ ‘he hell is he so cu’e?”. He questioned, swatting a hand forward to try and ruffle Rudo’s hair, but he miscalculates and ends up dragging his palm slowly down the right side of Rudo’s face instead before the younger boy pulls back with a grimace, ears burning red with embarrassment.
“Am not!”.
“He s’ adorable”. Zanka mumbles again and Riyo can’t control herself anymore as she bursts out laughing.
“Oh he’s never going to believe this!”. She cackled. For some reason Zanka starts laughing too, a series of clunky little giggles, which just makes Riyo cackle harder. Rudo looks between them confused, struck with the thought that maybe they’ve both gone crazy.
“Is it contagious?”. He worriedly aims the whispered question to where Enjin is palming his face.
“God, I hope not”.
Riyo laughs for a good long minute, before finally gasping for a breath of air and calming down. “Oh my gosh, that was hilarious. We should get him high more often”.
“He’s not high… well, technically”. Enjin thumbed at his chin, before shaking his head and disregarding the technicalities. “Let’s give him some space, Eisha said he needs to rest up”. He steered Rudo by his shoulders towards the door, Riyo followed, jerking her thumb behind her at Zanka.
“He’s already on it boss man”.
And surely enough, when Enjin turns back to look, Zanka is out cold, head lolled back against the pillows behind him, snores echoing out of his open mouth. Drooling a bit, even. His grip on Assitaff is still deathly tight.
Enjin sighed in relief. “Good, now go on, shoo. I’ll come get you to see him when he’s actually concious”. He sends them off, hopefully without any lingering worries for their fellow teammate.
Enjin hesitates at the doorway before heading back in the room, closing the door behind him, and settling down on the end of Zanka’s bed. The movement doesn’t disturb Zanka one bit, clearly he was down for the count as he body began the process of healing. Enjin just sighed fondly, putting a grounding hand on the kids ankle and smiling to himself.
“You’re really gonna be the death of me, kid”.