Thread by @MntlyDevastated

#rizzy role reversal

"Careful there, mate. Got a nasty scrape I'm gonna patch."
Roach looked down quickly, the movement sending pain through the whole of his body.
"Fuckin' just lay there!" Izzy said, pushing him back down gently.
"Bring me rum and gut. I'll do it myself."

"I've done this plenty times before. You'll be fine."
Somehow it sounded more reassuring than Roach thought Izzy was capable of.
The cut was on his side, it'd be hard for him to reach on his own anyway.
"Fine, at least give me some rum....and put some on the needle!"

"I know, Roach. I've got this, really."
Izzy layed a hand on his forehead. It seemed so warm.
"No fever, not yet at least."
He held the bottle up to Roach's lips and helped raise his head carefully for him to drink. Roach took a long pull and gestured he was done.

Izzy lowered the bottle and Roach felt his eyes linger on his lips a moment.
"I'm gonna douse it, want a bite?"
Roach shook his head no.
Izzy paused, then took one of Roach's hands in his own. The bare hand was calloused, firm.
It helped as fire erupted on his side.

Roach closed his eyes when he felt the needle press in, trying to think of anything else.
"First person I did this for was the doctor on my first ship. I was gonna be his apprentice. I had small hands. He thought that would make me nimble with a knife, needle."

Roach opened his eyes, watched Izzy work best he could from his position.
"I was pretty good. He showed me how to clean a wound, pull out bullets, cut off limbs. He told me after s couple months I was ready for the hard stuff then I watched him slice his own arm open."

"He talked me through closing it up again."
Izzy looked up into Roach's eyes.
"He was insane, but he was a good doctor."
Izzy huffed out a laugh. "Reminds me of you, honestly."
Izzy looked back down and got back to work.

"I got burned in a raid and my apprenticeship was put on hold. Then the next raid Baher was killed, and that was that."
Roach felt him tying off the stitches, pouring rum over the wound again.
"You want to take a look?" Izzy asked, meeting Roach's eyes again.
"Yes."

Izzy helped him sit up carefully, then held him steady as he got to his shaky legs. They walked over to the mirror and Roach realized they were in Stede's cabin rather than the galley. Izzy noticed.
"Captain said you're to stay on the sofa until you're healed up."

"Ah...thank you for asking." Izzy nodded. And the fact that he didn't correct Roach meant it was true.
Finally they were in front of the mirror and Roach looked over the stitches. Neatly spaced, thr slin not pulled too taut. 22 stitches, it hadn't felt like that many.

Roach fought off the urge to touch them. He looked up and Izzy was staring at him in the mirror, a pensive look on his face.
"Thank you, Hands. Looks good."
Izzy hung his head, breaking their contact. Roach could swear he saw a blushed creep on his cheeks.

"Got to do whatever I can to keep the doctor alive."
Izzy acting bashful was a new and fascinating thing.
"C'mon, let's get you laid back down."
They took the slow walk back to the setee and Izzy helped him lay back down with something like tenderness.
"Will you stay a bit?"

Izzy gave a slight smile.
"'Course, got to keep an eye on my patient."
He placed a blanket over Roach. It was maybe the softest thing he'd felt in ages.
"Ain't that shit nice?" Izzy asked.
"Eh," Roach said drifting off, "I always liked a bit of roughness..."

End

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