Chapter Text
Roman and Remus were sitting on the ground together. Remus didn’t look pissed off anymore, which was a good sign that they had done what Virgil said and worked out their issues. Good, at least that was one thing dealt with.
Remus jumped up when the two walked in, looking eager to help, which Virgil was grateful for. He pointed towards Janus’s dresses.
“Pajamas. The comfiest he has.” Virgil said, before walking Janus over to his bed.
“Go ahead and sit down, and Bubba will get you dressed.” Virgil said, pulling back Janus’s blanket so that they could tuck him in when he was all dressed. Janus hesitated though, looking down at his bed, before shaking his head.
“Can I just lay down?” Janus asked, lip wobbling as his eyes teared up. Virgil opened his mouth to respond, because of course, Janus could lay down if he wanted, though it would make dressing him a lot harder, but Roman interrupted, which was annoying, but Virgil couldn't fault him, his eyes were closed.
“It’s his injury. Sitting puts pressure on the nerve and can make it worse.” Roman explained, which was a bit unnecessary, since Virgil had already deduced that, but he was aware that Roman was just trying to help. He sighed, before looking back at Janus.
“Of course you can. We’ll make it work.” Virgil said, and stood by with his arms out, ready to help in whatever way he may need to while Janus laid down in his bed. Janus climbed in, laying on his back, and for the first time all night, Virgil finally saw relief on Janus’s face.
“Got some pj’s for you, bud.” Remus said, walking over and holding them up. They were just a pair of soft pants and a long sleeved t-shirt, but that was about the most comfortable articles of clothing Janus owned. “Let’s get some clothes on this nakey snakey.” Remus teased, before he began the process of dressing Janus. Virgil stood just off to the side, blocking Roman’s view in case he accidentally prematurely stopped covering his eyes.
Remus started by pulling Janus’s boxers up his legs. Janus helped a bit by arching his back, though Virgil could tell immediately it was uncomfortable to do so. He moved a bit closer to Janus’s head, squatting down and planting an apology kiss to his hair, before he began running his fingers through it in what he hoped was a comforting manner.
“You’re doing great, Jan. We’re so proud of you.” Virgil whispered in his ear while Remus pulled up his pants. Janus didn’t respond, his eyes looked far away, like he wasn’t really registering anything that was going on. He still did the movements, lifting his hips once again when Remus tapped them, then sitting up just a tiny bit when Remus pulled his shirt on, but he was completely dissociated, or that’s what Virgil assumed anyways. He’d never seen Janus like this before, big or little. It was miserable watching Janus be in so much pain, to see him so dejected. God, what Virgil would do to switch places with him…
“Alright, he’s all dressed.” Remus said to Roman, who finally uncovered his eyes. He stood up and walked over to Janus’s desk, retrieving his pain medication from Janus’s desk, as well as a half full water bottle that had somehow fallen to the ground at some point. He walked over to the bed.
“He should take these, and then some again when he wakes up.” Roman said, handing the items to Virgil. Janus finally began to register what was happening around him again, and he began to whimper once more.
“M’sorry.” He cried, and it wasn’t immediately clear to Virgil what Janus was actually sorry about. But Roman seemed to understand. He knelt down beside Virgil, keeping a bit of distance between himself and Janus, save for the hand that reached out and gently took hold of Janus’s.
“You have nothing to apologize for, Janus.” Roman assured.
“Made you ‘set.” Janus responded back. Remus mouthed the word ‘upset’ to Roman when he didn’t seem to quite understand. But once it was explained, he was quick to respond.
“Janus, I promise on every star in the sky that you didn’t make me upset.” Roman explained, squeezing Janus’s hand lightly. “I did what I know was medically necessary, but I never want to see you hurt. I want to help you get better.” Roman explained, and though Virgil still had no context for what had happened while he was absent, it seemed that it was at least in the beginning stages of being resolved. Remus looked quite satisfied, and Janus seemed relieved to know that Roman wasn’t upset with him.
“Let’s prop some pillows behind his head and get him sitting up a bit so we can give him this medicine. I’ll also retake his blood pressure now that he’s relatively calm,” Roman said, but made no effort to move, still holding Janus’s hand. It was clear that Roman was working through some guilt silently, so Virgil stood up and began doing as he said.
“Hey tiny tot, how big you feeling, bud?” Remus asked. Virgil helped Janus sit up a bit, and started rearranging his pillows so that he was at a bit of an angle, though nothing close to 90 degrees. He only needed to sit up enough that he could swallow some water.
“Dono.” Janus mumbled, which sounded enough like ‘Don’t know’ for everyone to understand, well, except maybe Roman, who might not have understood the line of questioning anyways. In fact, Virgil had no clue how much Roman knew and didn’t. He could only assume that Remus had given some sort of explanation, considering that he hadn’t asked a million questions about Janus’s behavior, or assumed that it was some medical anomaly.
“Okay, easier question. Think you can hold a water bottle, or do you want Bubba to get you a sippy or bottle?” Remus asked, and Virgil caught the side eye he sent to Roman, silently daring him to question anything. But Roman was far too distracted. He’d finally managed to let go of Janus’s hand, and walked to the other side of the room and retrieved his blood pressure pump thing. Virgil wasn’t sure why it was necessary, considering there was no way Janus had a normal blood pressure given the pain he was in and the stress he was under, but he seemed rather insistent on it, and it wasn’t like Virgil was the paramedic in the room, so he decided to just leave it be.
Janus just shrugged, and Virgil couldn’t tell if it was because he didn’t care, or he just didn’t want to make his preference known. He gently began playing with Janus’s hair, still trying to make up for the fact that he hadn’t been able to wash it like Janus wanted. Remus nodded, before picking up one of Janus’s blankets and wrapping it around his own shoulders.
“Alright, I’ll be back in a few minutes. Try to not fall while I’m gone?” He teased, but Virgil and Roman both grimaced at the unpleasant joke, though Virgil knew it was just one of those defense mechanisms Remus had. He couldn’t handle things being serious for too long, and dark humor was an easy fall back for him. Janus didn’t seem bothered by the joke though, which is ultimately what mattered. However, if it were to tread into offensive territory, Virgil wasn’t afraid to go Mama bear of Remus’s ass. Janus did not need it, not tonight.
Remus walked out of the room, and Roman approached the bed, holding out the cuff of the pump.
“Can you slip your arm in here so I can get your blood pressure…kid?” The pause before kid indicated Roman wasn’t entirely sure if that was okay to say, but Virgil appreciated the effort. Janus slowly held out his arm to Roman.
“Gona hur?” Janus asked, and even Virgil was beginning to struggle with understanding the baby talk, though he was pretty sure he had asked if it was going to hurt, and communicated as much to Roman. Despite Janus not knowing how big or little he was feeling, Virgil was starting to suspect that it was probably on the lowest end of his range.
“It will be tight, but it shouldn’t hurt.” Roman assured, but Janus didn’t seem convinced by the response, pulling his arm back towards himself just a bit and looking towards Virgil for guidance. Out of the corner of his eyes, Virgil could see the devastation on Roman’s face, even if he tried to hide it behind a smile. It was clear that Janus’s newfound lack of trust in him was going to take a toll on Roman.
“What if Virgil does it first, Jan? If it doesn’t hurt him, it won’t hurt you.” Roman suggested, looking towards Virgil, silently asking for him to agree.
“Mama do it?” Janus asked, looking from Virgil to Roman, then back to Virgil. Well, now the pressure was kind of on, wasn’t it?
“Sure, Mama can do it first.” Virgil said. It wasn’t like anything bad could come from an unnecessary blood pressure check, other than perhaps the confirmation that the events of the night had probably spiked his blood pressure. He held out his arm for Roman, who quickly adjusted the cuff in order to fit Virgil’s bicep.
“Just breathe normally,” Roman as he began the process. Virgil stood still and breathed how he assumed normal people breathed. He looked over at Janus, who was staring at the two intensely, watching to make sure his Mama didn’t get hurt. He gave Janus a comforting smile, which he hoped would help to assure Janus that it was safe and everything would be okay.
The cuff tightened and tightened, until Roman got what he was looking for, and slowly the air began to be released.
“All done. See, perfectly safe?” Roman said, and Virgil did not miss the fact that Roman hadn’t commented on what his blood pressure actually was or if it was normal or not. That was probably a good call on his part, because if Virgil actually knew what it was, it’d probably just spike his anxiety more.
“Can you do it for me now?” Roman asked, readjusting the cuff so that it would fit more snuggly around Janus’s bicep. Janus still looked apprehensive, but slowly held his arm out.
“You’re so brave, kid. Very very brave.” Roman encouraged as he slipped the sleeve on. Janus didn’t say anything, and still looked absolutely concerned. Virgil would have loved to just scoop him into his arms and hold him in his lap while he got this done, but he knew he couldn’t, it would probably only end up hurting Janus. But most of what Virgil knew how to do was physical comforts.
Still, he needed to do something for his baby. He looked around the room for…something, and found Janus’s stuffed turtle on the floor. Her name was Shelly, she was one of Janus’s favorite stuffed toys. Virgil bent down and picked her up.
“Here, baby. Shelly will help you.” Virgil said, handing her to Janus. He also freed Janus’s stuffed Shark from between the bed and the wall and handed it to him too. “If you start to feel uncomfortable, you can give your stuffies a tight squeeze, and they’ll absorb some of the pain for you, okay?” Virgil wasn’t sure if it was ethical to try and convince Janus that he could lighten his pain by hugging his toys, but something something dopamine release? It could probably help a little bit! And Janus deserved every minute bit of comfort Virgil could provide.
Janus took his toys gratefully and gave Shelly a tight hug, before looking up at Roman, who was still waiting for a definitive okay before beginning.
“Okay, do it.” He squeaked, before closing his eyes tightly, waiting for Roman to begin. A small smile formed on Roman’s face, before he began taking Janus’s blood pressure.
It was only about a minute later when Roman got his reading. Again he, smartly, didn’t say what it was out loud, but assured Virgil and Janus that it was fine, and that he would probably want to check it again in the morning, but he didn’t think anything was wrong. That was not completely true, of course. Something was wrong with Janus, it just didn’t have anything to do with his blood pressure.
“Are you comfortable sitting like that?” Roman asked as he began to put the machine away. Janus nodded, but then shook his head, before ultimately shrugging.
“I get it. It’s not great, but it’s not causing a lot of pain, right?” Roman asked as he zipped up his bag. Janus nodded in agreement.
“Good. Once you get your medicine, we’ll lay you back down, and adjust you as needed.” Roman said, slipping back into that paramedic cadence. Janus nodded and laid his head back down, hugging his stuffies close to his chest.
With Janus…not distracted, but not paying attention, Virgil slipped over to Roman. He knew what the doctor had told Janus, that this could be his life for the next few weeks. But he wanted a second opinion. He wanted to hear from a friend that Janus was going to get better, that this was the worst of the worst. The past few hours had been hell for everyone. Probably mostly for Janus, but Virgil felt like he was a close second. Seeing Janus in so much pain, not being able to do much of anything to help. He understood he wasn’t the one who was in agony, but Virgil needed comfort right now too. He needed assurance that things were going to be okay.
“Can you tell me anything that will make me feel better about this?” Virgil whispered, making sure to keep his voice low, not wanting Janus to hear a peep of the conversation. The last thing he wanted was for Janus to know how scared he was.
Roman looked over Virgil’s shoulder and stared at Janus for a few seconds, before looking back at Virgil seriously. He’d known Roman as long as he’d known Remus, and that was a few years at this point, and he’d never ever taken Roman seriously. He was a goofball, just like his twin. He had a serious, important job, of course. But Virgil had never been on the receiving end of that side of Roman. Now he was, and it was unsettling, but also very very comforting too. Remus was uncomfortable with seriousness. He needed to be a jokester to make himself feel better. But that’s not what Virgil needed. Virgil needed something more grounded. And even though he was beginning to prepare himself for whatever Roman was going to say, he already felt a small weight being lifted off his shoulder, knowing he was going to get straight, honest facts. And when those facts devastated him, he would have someone sturdy to help him through it.
He held his breath.
“Janus’s condition is bad. This injury can affect people differently, and it seems he’s on the worst end of the spectrum.” Roman started out, matching Virgil’s tone so that Janus couldn’t overhear, which Virgil greatly appreciated.
“He is going to be in a lot of pain for a while, even with medication. He isn’t helpless though. In fact, I am telling you that he’s going to need to do a lot of things on his own. Moving around, when he’s able to, is vital in his recovery. He doesn’t need to over exert himself, though.” Roman said. He looked back over at Janus, then down at Virgil again.
“Medicine will help. Heating pads will help. He’ll need to avoid sitting on hard surfaces for a while, but also he can’t lay in bed all day either. He is going to need patience… understanding…But there are things he won’t want to do that are important for helping him heal… Just try and take the time to explain it to him, if you can.” Roman nodded, and Virgil nodded back. He’d basically said everything the doctors had said, except for that last tidbit of advice. That felt more unique to their circumstances.
“Thank you…for everything. Tonight was a lot. God, you probably have a shift tomorrow too.” Virgil realized. Roman just shrugged.
“I think I was needed here.” Roman said with a soft smile, the Roman he knew well shining back through. Virgil couldn’t have agreed more.
The brief moment was interrupted when Remus came back into the room, and Virgil and Roman separated. Remus barely paid them any mind as he walked over to Janus, who’s eyes had slipped closed. Poor thing was probably exhausted…
“Banana Jan, no sleepin’ on me yet, baby.” Remus said, sitting on the edge of the bed. In his hands was Janus’s yellow bottle, filled with what Virgil presumed was angel milk, which was Janus’s favorite sleepy time drink. Also draped over his arms was the blanket he’d left with earlier.
“I warmed up your blankie in the dryer. I know how much you like that.” Remus said, taking the blanket around Janus, who immediately untucked it in order to cuddle the warmth to his face. It seemed to have almost an immediate effect on the little, who suddenly looked a tiny bit better, and a lot more present.
“And Bubba brought your favorite drink to take your medicine with. You’re gonna be a good noodle and take it, right?” Remus asked, and Virgil felt himself smile. Even if Remus couldn’t be serious, he still appreciated what Remus could do. And one of those things was that Remus was the best Bubba a baby could have.
Janus nodded, not even a pout on his face. It hurt to watch, even though it was going to make tonight go much easier. But Janus hated taking medicine when regressed, especially pills. He usually would put up a little bit of resistance, and Remus or Virgil would have to resort to bribery in order to get him to take it. Now, Janus held out his hand willingly, waiting for Remus to open the bottle and pour a couple of pills into it. A testament to the kind of pain Janus was in.
Virgil walked over to the bed and sat at the end of it, placing a hand on Janus’s leg. He watched as Janus scrunched up his face and plopped the pills into his mouth, before eagerly reaching for his bottle. Remus handed it to him, and he quickly took a few sips to wash the taste out of his mouth.
“Good baby. Such a good baby boy.” Remus whispered quietly. Virgil couldn’t see his face, but he could hear the building tears in his tone. He scooted forward a little bit and laid his head on Remus’s back.
“It’s gonna be alright, Remus.” Virgil said, and he could feel Remus nod beneath him. Virgil continued to pet Janus’s leg, and took a second to just enjoy the moment. It wasn’t a fully peaceful moment, he knew too much about the pain Janus was in, the fear that probably still coursed through everyone’s veins. There was no peace in that knowledge, but the moment was calming, and Virgil appreciated it greatly.
“The medicine will make him drowsy, hopefully, he’ll sleep through the rest of the night.” Roman said, throwing his bag over his shoulder. Virgil knew that Roman would stay through the night if they asked, but at this point, the emergency seemed to have passed. He was wanted, but he was no longer needed, and it would be unfair to keep him.
“You should go home. I can bring Remus home in the morning.” Or afternoon, or evening. Or whenever the two of them finally felt comfortable leaving Janus’s side, which didn’t feel like it would be any time soon. Remus could stay permanently if he wanted, since he didn’t have a job. Virgil didn’t work tomorrow but he did the next day, though he would 1000% call off if he felt like Janus needed him. Really, the only person who would object to their staying was Janus himself, when he was no longer regressed anyways.
“Are you sure? I could always just run home and grab my uniform and spend the night here.” Roman suggested. Virgil wouldn’t force him to leave if he really wanted to stay, and he was about to say as much, when Remus spoke up.
“Go home, bro. You won’t sleep if you stay here, you’ll be too busy checking on Jan or injury proofing the house.” Remus said, a tease in his tone.
“Oh, and like you and anxiety incarnate will be any better? Neither of you are going to get a wink of sleep.” Roman teased back, and everyone in bed chuckled a bit, even Janus, who had to put his bottle down in order to try and suppress his giggles. It was the most normal Virgil had felt all night, and he’d wager that everyone felt similarly.
“Virgil’s on night shift and I’m midnight’s mistress, we’ll be okay.” Remus said, before turning to look back at Janus. “Huh Jan? Tell my silly brother we’re gonna be okay.” Janus giggled again, and he turned only his head to look over at Roman.
“S’okay.” Janus said, and there was so much relief and bliss in knowing that Janus thought that things would be okay too.
“Alright alright. But call me if there’s another emergency. Or if you have any questions. Or--”
“Yeah yeah, we’ll call you.” Remus said, waving his hand dismissively. Virgil rolled his eyes, and shook his head to try and help to reassure Roman that they would call him if they needed, but he didn’t look convinced.
“Rem, I’m serious. Please call me if something’s wrong, I promise I’ll--” Once again, Roman was cut off by his twin.
“Roman.” Remus said. “I’ll call you. I trust you.”
Roman looked immediately touched by that, and was suddenly standing by the bed, hugging Remus tightly, Virgil having moved out of the way as soon as he realized what was happening. Virgil laughed as Remus groaned at the affection.
Once Roman was done smothering his brother with love, he pulled away from the hug and turned his attention to Janus.
"And I'll be back to check on you after my shift, kid." Roman said with a bright smile. Virgil hoped that he didn't notice his brother flinch at the reminder that Roman had work the next day. Janus nodded back and smiled slightly.
"And I'll, I'll bring you, like, a cookie…or something." Roman said, unsurely, though he was immediately reassured that it was the right thing to say when Janus lit up brightly.
"Yeah, cookie!" Janus gurgled excitedly, causing Roman to smile more, turning to look at Virgil as if to say 'Look! I made the baby happy!' Virgil chuckled and leaned close to Roman, lowering his voice so that Janus couldn't hear him.
"No guarantee he'll be little still tomorrow." He explained. It all just depended on Janus, and how this experience may or may not have tainted his regression. But Virgil was beginning to feel more and more hopeful the more he saw Janus smiling and laughing despite the pain.
"Well, big Janus likes cookies too, right? I'll definitely bring cookies." Roman said with a final nod. Virgil and Remus both snickered, while Janus continued to nod excitedly. Roman gave Janus’s hair a ruffle, before finally standing back up.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow. Remember to--"
"We'll call you Roman, jeez! I thought my sappy admission of trust would have been enough for you." Remus said with a playful eye roll, before punching Roman lightly in the arm. He seemed to take it as his goodbye, since he turned to Virgil and bent over, giving him a hug.
"Alright, see ya guys." Roman said, before making his way out of the room. The three of them stayed silent until they heard the front door shut, the car turned on, and it could be heard driving away into the night.
“You should get some sleep, Janus.” Virgil spoke up. He could already tell that the medicine must have been taking effect. Janus looked quite sleepy. Virgil continued to rub Janus’s leg, hoping to provide any and all comforts that he could.
“And maybe try staying in bed this time.” Remus added with a short laugh. Virgil frowned, but still didn’t feel the need to reprimand Remus for his sense of humor and coping. Janus nodded, and allowed Remus to tuck him back in, taking his nearly empty bottle and setting it on the bedside table.
“Story?” Janus muttered quietly, even as his eyes closed shut. Virgil found himself smiling once more. Things were finally beginning to feel normal again. And even though things were probably going to change tomorrow, whether it being Janus wanting to step away from regression, or them working towards rehabilitating Janus, or wondering how the heck they were going to fit Roman into this weird dynamic now, all of that was for tomorrow. And tonight, it could just be Mama, Bubba, and Baby, just for a little while.
“Hmmm, what about the story of Humpty Dumpty?” Remus suggested, finally earning himself a well deserved smack on the shoulder from Virgil.