Whenever someone is wounded or sick, Shu never fails to be present. He tends to their injuries and makes sure they eat and drink, keeping them company all day and night. His, Millie's, and Nina's efforts before the latter’s death, are usually enough to nurse most people back to health.
But even when they aren't, even when the person's life is slipping between his fingers when he holds their hand, he stays until they leave, makes sure that they aren't alone in death. Countless times he has watched over someone's passing, closed their eyes and wished their souls well, before moving on to comfort the living. Ike had thoughtfully called him a black cat once, not without respect, referencing psychopomp hellhounds that would see the dying to the borders of life. Shu had simply laughed, shaken his head, and told him he thought too highly of him.
It's been this way even before Finana's death - Shu being the person who's always there to be depended on when someone is unwell, always looking after them with his steady gentleness, something grounding in his very presence.
Even when he is not nursing someone, he always makes sure everyone's needs are met, that they aren't alone for too long, that they know someone is there for them. It was unavoidable that he became sort of the heart of their group over time, with so many people sharing the memory of receiving his care. His diligent support serves as the cement that maintains their unity.
This is why his demeanour is such a shock to everyone when he comes back from a mission with Luca in his arms.
Mysta is the first to notice their presence upon their return, and the first to be frightfully certain something is wrong. Shu's face is bruised and scratched, his clothes are torn in several places and his leg visibly threatens to give under him – even then, he holds Luca against his chest with impressive strength, especially given that he is carrying both their weapons as well.
When he limps his way through the camp to the infirmary, no one stops to question him, because the aura he radiates is simply overwhelming.
Everyone he meets the eyes of freezes and jumps out of his path. "Not now." That's what he tells Vox, and even he complies with a tense jaw when he sees the state Luca's in.
Millie ushers them into the infirmary, draws the curtain shut on them and gestures at one of the vacant mattresses while she rummages through her supplies. Fulgur quietly walks in at some point, but Shu is too busy arranging Luca's position on the bed so that his wound is accessible to notice him.
The sort-of-medic duo both gasp when they catch sight of Luca's wound over Shu's shoulder. "Someone used a pole to stab him," he spits bitterly. "I killed them," he adds, and it could almost sound like an offhand comment if something in his strained voice wasn't so blatantly murderous. It's making him sound like he wants to kill them twice more and frankly, if both Millie and Fulgur didn't know Shu as well as they do, perhaps they would've thrown him out of the infirmary right this instant.
They keep quiet while Millie examines Luca and starts tending to him. They've gathered enough supplies to appropriately take care of most injuries, but the gaping wound in Luca's side should normally need surgery. That's if it wasn't for Millie, of course. Way before having the idea of researching a cure for the virus, she had been asked to make balms and healing potions, and sadly has had a lot of occasions to perfect that. It means that Luca's injury, as far as her capabilities go, has high chances of healing - she's no miracle-maker and his body will need time to recover, but Luca's vitality assuredly will be enough for him to make it out of it alive.
Which is why Shu's reaction worries - scratch that, scares them. Never has he lost his cool this way, even that one time when Petra broke her leg and Shu had to bring her back at night by himself. Sure, he had been worried sick, a little panicky even, but he had managed to stay steady and reassuring. A Shu who's deathly quiet and glaring at the wound like he could threaten it into healing ? That sounds like a bad omen, the ultimate sign that the world is going apesh*t.
A shiver drops down Millie's spine when she lifts her head and meets his gaze. It doesn't even last for a second, how his eyes seem to glow with very narrowly contained rage. She tells herself it's probably a trick of the light and mutters, "He's gonna be okay bitch, chill. Luca's skin is thick, and you brought him back in time. He'll be fine, trust me."
Shu's fists clench on his lap, and the atmosphere of the rooms turns so unbearably oppressive they both think he's about to let his rage loose. Fortunately, Fulgur's hand crashes onto his shoulder, deliberately rough enough to shake him from his trance, and it startles him so badly their hearts ache for him. "Okay, that's enough, Shu. You've done your best. Don't beat yourself up for what happened."
Shu blinks at him for a long time, like the words can't pierce the thick fog that clouds his mind. Fulgur opens his mouth to repeat himself, but Shu cuts him, his voice hoarse like he's shouted it to shreds but his gaze unwavering. "You're not making me leave," and the way he stiffens tells them he's more than ready to wrestle them to stay. Fulgur's voice softens, and a bionic thumb traces soothing circles into his shoulder. "No, of course not. I'm just telling you to relax. You've got injuries of your own, and those need care too."
This seems to make the gears in Shu's brain somewhat turn. After he seemingly considers the situation, he stands abruptly and takes off his pants, revealing the large oozing wound on his thigh. It's deep and uneven at the edges, like something ragged was used to inflict it. And this, paired with the wounds on his face, immediately confirms what Shu’s comment implied - that their injuries weren't inflicted by zombies. But now isn't the time for a report. It'll come later, for when Vox or Ike will visit. For now, Shu sits on one of the chairs and stares at Millie, waiting for her.
She takes on treating him with the steadiest hands she can muster, even when she really wants to wince at the way the flesh is torn in areas of his thigh that are scarred already. From the many times she’s had to help him with various injuries, Millie knows that Shu’s burn scars, although impressive, don’t hurt, at least not anymore. Still, she can't help but wonder how he can remain so unfazed, because even if the pain is numbed at the skin’s level following the destruction of the nerves, his wound is way too deep for him not to feel some amount of it.
When he inevitably hisses as she wraps bandages coated in her medicinal balm around his leg, all she can do is mutter an apology, distraught. Had it been anyone else, they would be crying or screaming by now and Fulgur would have to hold them down. Shu’s mere hiss worries her more than any heart wrenching yell she’s heard, and the list is dreadfully long.
After she’s cleaned his bruised jaw and stitched his temple, she searches her friend’s face for any sign of fainting, but although his lips remain tight and his eyes blankly fixed on Luca, he does not seem to be about to lose consciousness. It’s like he’s simply withdrawn in some corner of his mind, but Millie knows better than to trust than kind of look - Shu is still far from recovery, both mental and physical.
Fulgur’s empathetic hum breaks the silence. It seems he has taken the place of being the third, steady presence that Shu usually fills. It weirds Millie out, but she doesn’t comment, simply pats her patient’s bandaged leg instead. “Here. And don’t move too much, or I’m kicking you.” Shu nods, head downcast, and she rises back up, sighing. “I’ll be making potions in the back if you need me. Fuuchan, look after them for me.” She sounds less like she is giving an order than like she is asking for help really, and Fulgur nods in a reassuring manner. God, too bad Uki’s already taken this man, or Millie definitely would have made a move a long time ago.
Once she has disappeared behind the curtains, Shu moves to sit on Luca’s mattress, his gaze never leaving the blonde. Fulgur quietly moves to sit on the other one, placidly letting the silence stretch between them. He knows that if someone has to break it, it has to be Shu.
It takes nearly an hour for Shu to finally croak out, raw devotion in his voice, “I love him.” Now, this isn’t exactly what Fulgur expected to hear, but sensing that it is wiser to let Shu go on, he simply hums. It breaks his partly metallic heart to see that Shu still can’t look away from Luca, like he’s scared he’ll disappear if he does. Which, honestly, is probably what’s happening.
“We were at the gas station, when it happened,” Shu rasps. “Luca wanted to check on the store to see if there was something to take. And then... Then they attacked him, when I was outside keeping watch. They probably wanted his weapon.” Shu’s voice falters, his breath catching. “I killed them, Fuuchan. We could’ve just given them some guns and they would have left us alone, maybe, I don’t know. When I went in and I saw Luca... He was on the ground, bleeding... And then... And then...!” At this point his breathing is quickening unevenly and Shu is curling in on himself, the shock finally catching up to him. Fulgur decides that it’s enough.
Moving as carefully as he can, so as to both not startle Shu and avoid sitting on Luca, the cyborg gathers Shu in his arms, wrapping him in a blanket, and lets him sob on his shoulder, emitting quiet sounds to soothe him. “I’m here, I’m here, Shu... It’s gonna be okay...”
When Shu’s sobs slow down to quiet tears rolling down his cheeks, Fulgur, with all the caution of a man who knows the dangers of addiction but also that Shu won’t rest without help, asks hushedly, “Shu... Trust me, I don’t like to say this, but... You and me both know you’re terrible at resting, but I think you need it. Would you want to take some sleeping pills ? I’m not forcing you. Just asking. Just so you can rest tonight.”
“But... Luca...” Shu lifts his head and throws a terribly anxious look over his shoulder, his breathing picking up again. Fulgur will have none of that, however. “Shu, I will be there the whole time. I’ll look after Luca, don’t worry. You trust me, right ?” Shu blinks at him, and for a scary, scary second, Fulgur sees him hesitate. It hurts, but he doesn’t blame him. Of course he doesn’t. “Yeah,” eventually comes the resigned answer. “I do. I trust you, Fuuchan.”
The cyborg smiles down at him, patting his head gently. “I’m happy to hear that. Wait for me here, I’ll go get the pills. We can move the mattresses so you can sleep next to Luca, how’s that sound ?” Shu seems to perk up ever so slightly, perhaps both at the idea of finally resting and of being able to stay near Luca.
Once the cyborg has given him the pills and a bottle to drink, they take the chair away and put the mattress next to Luca’s as quietly as they can. Then Shu quite literally collapses on what’s the closest they’ll ever get to a double bed, bundles himself in the couple more blankets Fulgur brought him and falls asleep nearly instantly. Fulgur lets out a long, worn out sigh. He wishes his two friends could look as peaceful when they’re awake as they do sleeping.
Sadly, you can’t undo a worldwide apocalypse just by thinking that peace is neat.
Later, when Luca eventually comes to, Shu is there, sleeping next to him. Shu's always there, the blonde muses. Always behind him, having his back while they pierce together through the apocalyptic bullsh*t life throws at them. He’s there when he laughs, too. They always find a way to laugh like the world isn’t ending around them. Luca doesn’t know what kind of person he’d have become by now if Shu hadn’t been there.
Argh, if he keeps thinking sappy stuff like that, he’ll cry for sure.
“Hey, big guy,” someone thankfully interrupts. “Gave us a fright on that one.” Oh, and it’s Fulgur, too. He’s in the infirmary, so that makes sense. “Yeah… Sorry about that guys...” Luca won’t act like he’s in a movie and try to get up with a stomach injury. No way he can. But he does turn as much as he can towards Shu, reaching out to touch him. Making sure he’s there, safe and sound. Well. Safe.
“Need anything ? I’m your nurse for today.” It’s said with the tone of a joke but it’s not even funny because usually, Shu’s the one who says this, but Shu is on the infirmary mattress instead, looking exhausted even when he sleeps. “You got water ? I’m thirsty as hell.”
Soon enough, Fulgur is helping him drink, and then laying him back down. “Aagh...” He whines. “Can’t believe it takes being stabbed to get what periods feel like, man...” Fulgur almost kettle-wheezes. “Yeah man, I getchu bro.” When his laughter dies down, he sighs, and Luca can hear the seriousness seep back into his voice. “So... You remember what happened, or not at all ?”
Luca nods on the mattress, making his hair stick out in funny places. “Yeah. Shu’s told you, right ? I went in the station store and bam ! Got stabbed. Unpog. I should have been more careful.” He frowns tiredly. “I didn’t expect it. Guess people are as dangerous as zombies now, huh.” Fulgur winces. Luca’s right. Sadly, that’s pretty much the way people are gonna act if you throw them in a zombie apocalypse.
“Yeaah... Well. Good thing you’re still alive.” Luca hums. All in all, he doesn’t look too shocked by being almost stabbed to death. Leave it to a former mafia trainee to have that kind of nerve. Although Fulgur isn’t sure if it’s that good of a thing in the long run... But hey, no judgement.
There’s still a question the cyborg wants to ask. “Do you remember anything after they’ve stabbed you ?” Ah, from how Luca’s expression sours, Fulgur can tell that yeah, he does. “Yeah, I... I heard Shu. I heard him. When that happened. I heard him... Kill them. That was insane. He screamed so much... It was like I was hearing another person, y’know.” Luca’s hands shakily fidget on the mattress as he speaks, sounding both sad and distressed. Fulgur hums, sharing the sentiment.
“I think we’ll have to make him rest. Like, more than he would rest if he had anything to say about it.” The cyborg crosses his arms. Luca makes a sound of agreement, and they both look at the bundled up man sleeping next to him with concern in their eyes. He doesn’t look back, having sunk deep into a well-deserved, much needed slumber.
Shu’s steady presence is something their whole group has come to rely on, but this time, he is also the one who needs to be taken care of. As soon as Vox and Ike learn about this, the news will spread, and everyone will come by to check on him. He will need the support, Fulgur thinks, what with how shaken he was, and the cyborg won’t be the last to offer his. But for now, Fulgur settles with helping Luca move closer and find a comfortable position to cuddle with Shu, chuckling under his breath when he promptly falls back asleep, looking considerably more serene.
