Aiden Lewis

19. They hold my hand and ask me to pull through
A voice I know says dear, he probably can’t hear you...
[‘Air’ – Ben Folds Five]

Co-written with straight2point
[Follows THIS]

Aiden's eyeballs felt like they were hanging out of his head by the time he stepped off the elevator in the ICU at Mount Sinai. He hated this place. It reminded him too much of when Pat was in hospital after the Mexico trip, but it wouldn't be enough to keep him away. He had been stunned when Alex approached him at the party following the christening. He had recognised the face, but couldn't place it at first. It was only after Alex pulled him aside and filled him in on the whole story that Aiden started to follow what was happening... and he was stunned. It had been like his brain exploded then, trying to explain what had happened to Pat, and further explain he needed to go back to Princeton on some Men In Black spaceship and hopefully Alex didn't zap his memories en route. It had been a long flight, and Aiden was still reeling, but he just tried to focus on getting to Harri to keep him sane. He couldn't even begin to try and figure out what the fuck it all meant. He would need more info to attempt that.

( He found James' room easy... and it was strange trying to think of the bastard as 'James'. It would take some getting used to... )

All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe


Word Count | 3,615

13.11. “Sidney, are you gonna tell me what's going on? It's like a fucking episode of the OC in here.”
| Skins

Co-written with isabelowens, undercoverdoc, sexyinscrubs & agenfraser
[Follows THIS]

Alex was a completely different person to what had gotten on the plane in New York. His hair was now blond (thanks to a temporary dye), eyes blue from contact lenses, he was cleanly shaven and wore rimless, stylish glasses to complete the look. Neatly pressed suit, lab coat and stethoscope were all in place with an expensive leather briefcase clutched in his hand as he walked purposefully through the corridors of the private hospital in Liverpool. Marc and Izzy walked behind him, Marc pretty much looking like Marcus Fraser dressed as a doctor, but it worked. Izzy looked like herself and mostly had to just stand there and look important. They had gotten into the ward with no issues and Alex even pulled off an extremely convincing conversation with Cameron's team of doctors, explaining he was merely here to offer Cameron's family a second opinion on rehab options. The doctors gave access to Cameron's complete medical record and admitted them to Cameron's ward. Cameron was in Room 517, a private room with security watch. Understandably, considering he was a well-known celeb in the town. The threesome turned the corner towards the room, but nearly slammed into some people coming from the other direction. Marc's eyes widened and he sucked in a sharp breath of shock. Uh oh. Oh fucking fuck of all fucks. This was going to get messy.

( Oh shitting HELL... )

All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe


Word Count | 2,742

When you've got a spare second in the whole being pregnant thing, I need to know if you've seen Cameron.

26.7. Apology

Co-written with straight2point | Follows THIS and THIS

Pat's nursing skills actually managed to get Aiden vertical for the dinner at least. Aiden started feeling more normal in the afternoon and refused to let the dinner be called off. He needed Pat to at least know Marc and he had no idea why he had become so obsessed on the point. Pat reminded him that there would be plenty of time for him to meet Harri's boyfriend, but Aiden held firm, even if the protests were amidst waves of nausea and vomiting. Pat and Marc had now been inadvertently left in the living room together while Harri had followed Aiden into the kitchen when he came to get a drink of water. The water had been forgotten in favour of Aiden trying to peek around the corner and see into the living to make sure Marc and Pat hadn't decided they absolutely despised each other. Strangely enough, since Harri and Marc had arrived, the nausea was threatening to return after he had felt well for hours. He couldn't plead hangover this time.

( He was already six foot, but he stood up on his tiptoes to try and get a better look. At least no weapons had been drawn yet. The crystal vase was still safely on the coffee table out of reaching distance... )

All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe


Word Count | 2,241

1.14. "Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without."
- James C. Dobson

Co-written with straight2point | Follows THIS

When Aiden bought the house in Princeton with Pat, they made decision that he would keep his Upper East Side apartment in New York to give them somewhere to stay when they wanted to and gave Aiden a place to crash if he got tied up at work in the long hours he often had to put in. He stayed there in the couple of days after returning from Canada so he could go to the dinner at Harri's and then catch up on some work that needed to be seen to before the Easter break. His overnight bag was sitting on his sofa about packed to return home to Princeton. He didn't miss this place half as much as he thought he would. Princeton had become his home with a lot more ease than he anticipated.

He had his cell phone pressed to his ear on a business call with an over-anxious client. He made his way up the hall from the large bedroom and had to reluctantly turn his stereo down as he did. 'Love is in the Air' was playing and it made him think of Pat's birthday party where they 'danced' together while Lachlan sung this. He smiled to himself when he heard his apartment buzzer ring too. "I promise, Jake, nothing is going to happen over Easter. The place is closed, for one. They aren't going to run anything if no one is showing up. Secondly, they can't do anything until I give them the go ahead and I haven't."

( He opened the door and found Harri there, and he smiled, waving her into the apartment... )

All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe


Word Count | 2,094

1.2. "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
- Nora Ephron, 'When Harry Met Sally'

Co-written with sexyinscrubs

It was news that should have come face-to-face, but news that would be better coming sooner rather than later. When Lachlan called Pat late that evening to tell him that Chase had just been diagnosed with stage two cancer, there was no rule book on how to cope with that. Pat and Chase had been friends for some years and even worked together when Chase took the surgical job. It was horrifying shock and all Aiden could do was just hold Pat to try and offer some sort of comfort. He felt inevitably helpless, especially considering they were miles away from Princeton in Canada so Pat could finally meet Aiden’s parents. The trip had been wonderful right up until that moment. Aiden offered to get them flights home that very night, but Pat declined, pointing out that there wasn’t much they could by that point. Lachlan explained that Chase wasn’t taking phone calls but he had left messages of support, even him telling Pat to stay in Canada until they were due to come home because the last thing Chase probably wanted right now was people trying to treat him like an ill person. That was an avenue Pat understood loud and clear.

( It was nothing but a waiting game now... )

All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe


Word Count | 1,459

14.1.6. “When love is not madness, it is not love.” - Jacques Prévert

Co-written with sexyinscrubs

“Stop it,” Pat warned breathlessly, turning his head to shoot Aiden a weak glare. “I can hear you working up to an optimistic pep talk and I don’t want to hear it. I’m sore, I’m tired, I’m sweaty. As much as you’re my favourite cheerleader, darling, just no. It’s our first Valentine’s Day and I’m extremely unsexy and cranky. It’s a miracle I’m not crying right now and I’m warning you, there is a distinct chance I might vomit on you, so I just really don’t want optimism right now.” This was his fifth day of intense physiotherapy and it was one of the worst. He was gradually regaining the use of his legs, but the work he was doing to get that far was draining and exhausting. He could walk short distances now with assistance and currently that assistance was his partner, Aiden. Pat’s head was pounding from exertion and he really was everything he just listed and more. The biggest, most-hard to swallow issue was Valentine’s Day. This was their first together and this was how they were spending it… stuck in the hospital trying to keep him on his feet so he could fight through the latest MS attack. This was one of his worst ever and it was getting him down more than he could possibly explain. He was sick of hospitals and he was sick of being sick. He just wanted to finally go to their new home and just be a normal couple with Aiden. It wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

( Aiden couldn’t help but laugh softly as he wiped Pat’s face with a damp cloth... )


Word Count | 931

14.2. Jealous

Co-written with sexyinscrubs

[Follows THIS and THIS]

Aiden put his fingers to his lips worriedly as he watched his boyfriend sitting hunched over on the sofa beside him. He was afraid to really say anything at first, but then he wasn’t exactly sure what he supposed to say anyway. Pat had called him and said he needed to speak to him about something ASAP and Aiden had literally dropped everything to drive to Princeton straight away. He made it from New York in barely an hour and a half, which is what had him sitting beside Pat in silence on Lachlan and Tara’s sofa.

( Pat looked terrible. Aiden could see he was sick just from the pallor of his face and the dark smudges under his dull blue eyes that lacked their usual shine. He hesitantly wrapped his hand around one of Pat’s, watching his face... )

All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe


Word Count | 1,086

10.8.5. Change of Heart

Co-written with sexyinscrubs | Set Christmas Day

[Companion piece to THIS]

Aiden watched Pat and his twin up at the SingStar mics belting out You'll Never Walk Alone together. Pat in his wheelchair wasn’t going to let a single thing ruin his Christmas, especially not the illness. It was early in the day that Pat had caught Aiden’s hand in his and fondly but firmly told him to stop worrying. Aiden had been nervously watching Pat like a hawk but hadn’t realised how obvious he was being until Pat pulled him on it. Pat promised him that he would be the first to know if he didn’t feel well and that from that minute on it was time to enjoy themselves, and he hadn’t missed a beat in doing just that. It also gave Aiden the gentle nudge he needed to relax, realising Pat was surrounded by people who could help him in an instant if he needed it and even if he did overdo himself, it was Christmas. It would be worth it.

When the song finished, the mics were offloaded to Riley and Tab for their own twinly duet and Cameron wheeled Pat back over to Aiden. “Your turn again. Musical Wheelchairs,” he told him with a smirk and made a beeline for Harri again.

( Aiden laughed and sat down on the armrest of the sofa so he could be at Pat’s eye level... )

All muses here used with permission and come from the princeton2nyc universe


Word Count | 1,083

Track 04. If I had the sun and moon // I would give you both night and day // Of satisfyn’
(Bad Company – ‘Feel Like Making Love’)

[Follows THIS]

It was really early in the morning when Aiden sought some refuge in his office at home. It was still dark outside and the apartment was still and quiet save for his soft footfalls across the polished board of the floor. Lachlan was still at the hospital following Andrew abruptly coming down with appendicitis and in the bedrooms back up the hall, Pat and Tara were yet to wake up. It had been another bad night. Pat was in a lot of pain which was common when the MS was at its worst. It was a pain he struggled to describe, too, so Aiden could never understand no matter how much he wanted to. Pat said it was like an all-over toothache where his joints and muscles just had this hot ache in them that he couldn’t shake. He spent a lot of time in bed, even during the days, because it just took too much energy for him to be up and about.

At night, Pat was restless or uncomfortable, often awake in the middle of the night crying because it was too much and he was tired but couldn’t sleep. These were the times Aiden just held him and tried to keep him warm; tried to reassure him that he was still there and wasn’t going away. The moments when Pat was feeling okay and wanted to be up and about, Aiden made every effort he could for them to be together and enjoy themselves. They watched movies, went for some short walks, smiled and laughed together. But these moments were few and far between right now. Aiden would catch Pat watching him sometimes and he would just know his boyfriend was desperate to offer even more waves of apologies, but the words didn’t come anymore. It would just end up upsetting them both.

( Aiden had spent many hours talking to Pat’s family and friends about the MS and about how Pat deals with it, and even more hours researching it online... )

Patrick Preston [sexyinscrubs], Tara Brennan-Campbell [doctortara], Lachlan Campbell [drcampbell] & Andrew Connor [paramedically] referenced with permission


Word Count | 860