medical matters

[misheard]

Title: medical matters
Fandom: Fate/Grand Order
Character(s): Asclepius, Roman
Pairing(s): Asclepius/Roman
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 355
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Asclepius on his immediate superior.
Notes:

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Asclepius is used to being in charge of any medical facility, but since the head doctor is also acting director of Chaldea, he supposes he can make one exception.

Romani as a commander is a nervous man, not well suited for leadership. He places Ritsuka's survival above all else, as he should, but he panics easily and hesitates at the worst moments. Were there anyone else available, he would be the first to step down from responsibility.

As a doctor, he is a different man. He's not as skilled a physician as Asclepius - no one is - but he's very good, and he knows it. There is the quiet confidence of someone in their own field, who has trained to heal others and knows that he can be of use.

It is a thousand times more difficult to watch someone in pain when you can do nothing to tend to them. Asclepius can hardly blame him for that.

There are dark bags under Roman's eyes, and Asclepius watches him over the rim of his coffee cup. By any healthy sleep schedule, he would have been in bed two hours ago, but there is always work to be done and so few staff to do it. Even if he could sedate his supervisor, he wouldn't be able to finish all of his work alone.

"Director."

Roman startles at the broken silence. "Uh - what is it, Asclepius?"

"You're doing a good job," says Asclepius.

Roman looks roughly as surprised as if Asclepius had informed him he was a pink elephant. "Wh-what brought this on suddenly?"

"Positive feedback is important to reduce stress, and stress can cause heart disease, headaches, and accelerated aging." Asclepius is not a trained therapist, but anyone can do this much, at least. "You should feel proud of the work you've done here."

Turning lightly pink, Roman scratches the back of his neck. "I'm just doing what anyone would do in my position. But… thank you."

He has a lovely smile. This has nothing to do with his health or aptitude as a commander or a doctor, but Asclepius makes a note of it anyway.