wearingagun | Visitors

Visitors

She hated the hospital. She hated the drugs and the smell and the nurses coming and going. She couldn't get any decent sleep because someone was constantly there to check her stitches or her blood pressure or her temperature. It took a couple days before they eased off on the narcotic drip and she could focus and stay awake. Watch the vid. Raley and Ochoa had been in, as had the Captain and it seemed like half the department. Her oom was full of flowers and balloons and well wishes. The department shrink had been in twice already and Kate knew she was going to have to talk to him at length eventually.

But for now she had a tray of clear liquids, coffee and broth and gelatin. She had the vid on some mindless program about interior design. The day was sunny and Kin City General buzzed with activity around her. It made it easy to think of anything other than being tied to the wall and nearly gutted. It made it easier to forget why she hurt so much right now with her bandaged ribs and her wrist in a cast. No, she didn't think about those things in the daylight. Those thoughts came at night.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Nightwing had been at the hospital almost every night, staying with Kate for a few hours while she slept fitfully, drugged up and clearly having nightmares. But this was the first time he'd been in through the front door, during visiting hours. He'd spent time with Tereus, he'd finally met Aayla, and now he figured Kate would be clear headed enough to actually appreciate day time visitors.

He knocked on the door sill gently, a few books under his arm. "Hey." He gave her a slow smile, reaching up to push hair off his forehead, "good to see you awake."

Tereus now knew the nurses by their first names. They knew him on sight. He'd built up a rapport that they would give him some extra time after visiting hours before shooing him off.

And they'd see him again the next day.

Soon, he'd have to start run of 12s shift and his time would be limited until his next set of days off. So he spent every spare moment he had in her room while she slept and would continue to do so until he was forced to work, she woke up or the nurses ran him out again.

As soon as he was up and out of bed, he was out the door to see her and stay by her side until he had to leave.

Another handful of flowers, a few books, some of which were puzzle in variety, he, peeked his head in the door before barging in. It was nice the nurses had alerted him to the fact she was awake so he wouldn't have barged in. "Morning, detective."

She rolled her head on the pillow and smiled as she lifted her casted hand and waved at him with her fingertips.

"Hey," she said softly. "I was wondering if I'd get a visit from you. Come on in and have a seat."

"Morning, officer," she said softly. He'd been a constant presence- that she knew for a fact. Every time she'd roused enough to be aware, it seemed like Tereus was there. She wondered just how much time he was really spending by her bedside.

"You brought me flowers. Thank you. Sit down...I got my dosage of pain meds reduced so I can actually talk today. That's an improvement."

"I figured eventually you'd be awake enough to enjoy some brightness in the room." He stacked his handful of books by the bedside and settled in the chair he pulled up beside her, flowers left on her bed by her legs if she were so inclined to do anything with them. He'd look for something later.

Right now, he wanted to talk to her. "How are you feeling? You look good."

"I feel like I need a shower. And, you know, I hurt," she admitted honestly. "I'm okay now, though. The doctor says it's just going to take time. He said I need to take it easy." She snorted at that ridiculous idea.

He laughed and scooted closer. "I have to start 12s tomorrow. Can I bring you anything from the office?" Probably should not be encouraging her to work but, yeah, he did know her better than that. Better to give her what she wanted than have her drive everyone crazy.

"Yeah," he said with a sheepish laugh. Dick sank into the chair next to her bed, setting the books carefully on the side table. "Physically, how're you feeling?"

"There's things I'd love to get to work on, but I'm on mandatory six week leave with weekly visits to the shrink," she said, sounding disgusted. "I don't know what I'm going to do with myself for six weeks. There's only so many books and I'm in no shape to go dancing."

"Oh, I hurt," she told him. "It hurts to breathe and my stomach aches and itches and I'm not allowed to scratch it and my arm is killing me and my face feels swollen but I haven't really looked yet," she lists, indulging in a little bit of whining before sucking it up again.

"Other than that, I'm fine. They say I'll make a complete recovery, though I'll have some scars to show for it."

"Well," Tereus sat back in his chair and scrubbed at his face. "My laptop is beyond repair but I was able to salvage the work we were doing with our special project." He opened his hands as a means to offer an alternative.

This was a dicey thing to do. Beckett had the ability to throw herself into her work and to simply not deal with the issues before her. He could be enabling that. On the other hand, he understood going stir crazy.

He nodded slowly, leaning forward with his arms folded on the edge of her bed. "And how are you feeling otherwise." She was allowed to put on a front, of course, he wouldn't push, but he'd seen her restless sleep.

"We could do that..." she said, tempted. "But not until I'm home. I don't want to risk anyone finding out here and people keep coming and going. Ochoa's brought me a latte every day, though the nurses just take them away when he leaves. It's sweet of him, though, you know?"

"I'm...fine," she lied. It sounded weak to her ears. The shrink came every day and she had yet to tell him anything of substance.

"I've been dreaming, but I wake up here and I know I'm safe. It'll be okay."

"It will be okay," he said with a firm nod, "but that doesn't mean it has to be okay right now." Dick dropped his head to the side. "I don't have to be the person you talk to, Kate, but don't keep it all to yourself, all right?"

"You'll be drinking latte before you know it." He stood and leaned against her bed so he could be closer to her. It was hard to tell how far he could push any intimacy and it really wasn't the time to discuss it.

Or maybe it was. He really had no idea. So he prodded at the edges.

"When will they release you?" While the nurses liked him, they, of course, did not discuss her with him, other than the stuff they could mention.

It made her eyes sting and she looked up toward the ceiling.

"Okay," she promised. She'd seen Dick's body in the chair at Mickey's. She knew he understood getting hurt. Really, if there was anyone who would understand...it would be him. Her breath hitched and it made her wince.

"Every time it hurts...I remember," she admitted quietly.

"Yeah," he said quietly, "but it's more than remembering, Kate, isn't it." That was the danger of trauma, wasn't it. "Every time it hurts, you re-experience it."

"A few more days, I think. And then strict rest at home. No heavy lifting. No driving. Take my pills. I guess I'll be getting a lot of delivery." She smiled and rolled her head closer, inches away from him.

"Not like I don't do that already."

"I can't believe it happened. Any of it. Getting taken. What he did to me. What he did to Aayla. And I watched her kill him, Dick. I watched and nothing had ever been so...good."

"I know." His fingers curled in the blankets, but he kept his eyes on her, expression neutral. "This stuff...it gets stuck in your head like a gear that needs oil, Kate, and it's not going to stop feeling like that unless you get real help, okay?" He spoke from experience. He was a hypocrite, but he spoke from experience.

Aayla hasn't been back to the hospital since she was released. It's not that she's avoiding Kate exactly, it's more that she needed a little time. Just some time to meditate and try and heal herself in ways the doctors couldn't. She needed privacy and space to find a way to deal with the hurt enough that she could go out again. To not want to hide herself away from the prying eyes of strangers.

She's still a mess of vivid bruises, and her lekku will take the longest to heal, so she keeps her cape on. The hood raised to hide the worst of the damage. And it's a simple enough thing to use the Force to make it so people don't want to look directly at her. So that their eyes slide off and away without ever truly registering her presence.

In truth, Aayla wishes she could stay locked away in the safety of her home for a few more days at least, but she owes Kate more than that. She owes herself more than that because she needs to see her. To lay eyes on her and know that she's truly going to be alright.

"I'm sorry I didn't come earlier," she says once she's closed the door to the private room behind her. "But I trust you've been well taken care of."

"Dick and I can handle the heavy lifting and driving. There are those little boxes to help sort your pills. I hope you have cable because I think broadcast television is going to get old quick. And we should probably stock up on take-out menus for a larger variety."

He couldn't help himself. Unfolding his arms from his chest, he lightly fingered through her hair, letting his fingers touch lightly on her face not swollen or covered in bruises. "I can even take some time off if you need me to."

"Yeah. I know." She managed a small laugh and pulled herself back together. "That's what the shrink keeps telling me when he comes and sits in that chair."

"No...just come over after your shift. The team needs you- you shouldn't take time off to babysit me. I'll be okay on my own for a few hours a day," she insisted.

"But you can stay. If you want. You can stay with me."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 4

Visitors

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject