What if I bleed, What if I break; [Open to anyone in Medbay]

[letmelive]

Claire had somehow managed to sleep through quite a lot in the last day and a half. Maybe she would've woken up sooner if she'd had any idea of what was going on around her, but whether it was the drugs or overall fatigue from blood loss and the energy it had taken to keep awake until shed been put under, she slept through the night and most of the day. She came close to waking up a few times, stirring in her sleep or voices pulling her up from her dreams, but she'd slip under again before fully waking.

After a while, she just couldn't sleep anymore, however. She wasn't particularly quick in the waking aspect, of course. She was aware first that she wasn't in her "bed" in the precinct almost immediately. Her stomach felt oddly numb, and slowly she blinked her eyes open, staring up at the ceiling above her, a look of slightly disoriented confusion passing over her face. One hand moved to her stomach, and she felt the bandage there, remembering.

I got shot. The thought was a little disturbingly calm. She briefly considered sitting up to get a better look around her, but there was a dull ache underneath the numbness, and she decided she was pretty good in the position she was currently in, for the moment. She did turn her head, though, when she caught movement in her peripheral vision.

Comments

[governmentninja]

"Hey."

She would recognize the voice, and despite some added bruising, she should recognize the face too.

Leon, who still looked like hell, had gotten up from the chair he was sitting in. He was standing at her bedside now, leaning over her.

[letmelive]

Yes, she did recognize that face and that voice. And despite the fact that she was the one lying in a hospital bed with a bullet wound, she was ridiculously relieved to see that while he was looking a little worse for wear, he was otherwise fine.

"Hi," she replied, giving him a sleepy smile while her eyes scanned his face, taking his injuries in more thoroughly. "You look like crap."

[governmentninja]

"Rough couple of days," he explained, smiling a little now that she was awake and insulting him. She really was going to be fine.

"How do you feel?" Stupid question, but he had to ask anyway.

[letmelive]

"Oh, great," she replied to his question, lifting her head up a little so she could look down at the spot her hand was covering. "Can't even tell I've got a hole in my stomach right now."

[governmentninja]

He nudged her shoulder lightly with his hand.

"Yeah, you're fine.

"I'm glad. You had me worried there for a little while."

[letmelive]

"Sorry," she replied automatically, dropping her head back against the pillow and looking back up at him. "It wasn't really on my list of things to do today...or yesterday." She frowned a little, not really able to visualize a clear time table of unconscious for obvious reasons.

"How long have I been out?"

[governmentninja]

"It's all right," he told her. It's like it was her fault she was there.

"You've been out for about a day and a half." Which felt like forever to him at times.

[letmelive]

"A day and a half?" she echoed, screwing up her face briefly before shaking her head.

"So what happened? With the... thing?"

[governmentninja]

Leon rubbed his forehead a little. That was something he did not want to think about right now. Or ever again, for that matter.

"It got delivered, it's locked up safely in stasis. And all but one of Sam's group is locked up in the brig."

And, yes, there's a lot in there he is not telling you right now, Claire.

[craaazyisland]

"Slinking" was the only way to describe how Steve came back into the medical bay. He looked around carefully for any sign of Leon or Sherry and when he found none, only then did he dare to venture any further in.

It was stupid for him to be avoiding Claire's daughter and her... friend and he knew it. She'd probably scold him if she found out he wasn't getting along with Leon even if, if you asked him, it was more like Leon wasn't getting along with him. He had as much right to be here as anybody and Leon didn't get to dictate when he could visit Claire or for how long. Only Claire herself could do that.

Speaking of, she was awake. Now caring very little, he rushed up alongside her bed, but still kept his distance and looked noticeably edgy about it. "Claire! Hey, about time you woke up!"

[letmelive]

After her earlier visitors had to clear out, Claire had fallen very quickly into boredom. There really wasn't much to do when you were supposed to be 'healing.' So, when she heard another familiar voice she was only too happy to be occupied from the boredom.

She smiled at Steve, pulling herself into a somewhat sitting position, having to be careful of the stitches in her stomach.

"Well, I thought about sleeping the rest of the week but I don't think I've got that kind of time to commit."

[craaazyisland]

Steve grinned and sat down in the chair nearby the bed. "Yeah, seriously. People are gonna think you do nothing but lie around all day."

He looked immensely more at ease all of a sudden. "How do you feel? I hope it doesn't hurt too much."

[letmelive]

"Nah," Claire replied, settling back against her pillow and folding her hands over her stomach. "I'm pretty numb right now." She imagined she'd be sore in a little while, but right now it wasn't too bad. She looked over at him, tilting her head slightly before speaking again.

"Thanks for your help down there, by the way."

[craaazyisland]

"Oh, nah. Of course," Steve brushed off the thanks, though couldn't wipe the grin off his face. He felt like he had more to say to that but saying it would only make him look stupid, so he left it at that.

He folded his arms up behind his head and leaned against the wall. "You really outdid me this time. I only got shot in the arm before. Let's call it a truce from now on, okay?"

[letmelive]

Claire laughed a little at that, wincing as the movement caused the dull ache she could feel coming back as the numbness started to wear off.

"Okay, sounds good to me. I'm really not in a hurry to get shot again."

[craaazyisland]

"Well, good," he said, faking a tone of authority.

And then awkward silence. Steve's apparent favorite conversational tool. "So," he said after a moment. "They made me leave earlier but now that you're up, is there anything I can get you?"

[letmelive]

She shook her head, reaching her arms behind her and arbitrarily straightening out her pillow.

"Unless you can smuggle me a book or something, not really."

[in-venting.livejournal.com]

Sherry's shy little smile greeted Claire next, though the rest of her looked tired. She was fairly lucky in that regard. She hadn't been at the scene, and hadn't been hurt, but worry had made her stay awake in the medbay until she no longer couldn't.

"Hi, Mom," she murmured carefully.

[letmelive]

Claire was starting to feel a little tired again, but when Sherry spoke up she brushed it away, smiling warmly at her daughter.

"Hi sweetie," she answered, reaching out her hand towards her to invite the little girl closer.

[in-venting.livejournal.com]

Sherry drew closer and smiled at Claire a little more fully. "I'm glad to see you're awake," she said and looked Claire over to make sure she was really okay. "Were you sleeping? I can go..." As much as she was excited to make sure Claire was okay, Sherry knew her mother would need rest.

Even if none of the parties concerned over Claire's health liked the idea of sleeping more. "You can sleep for Dad. I don't think I've seen him sleep at all."

Yes, Leon, she is telling on you.

[letmelive]

Claire smiled at that, reaching out to smooth her hand over Sherry's hair.

"I've slept enough for the both of us already, I think." She felt a slight twinge of guilt that she'd been cross with Leon earlier, but brushed it away, smiling a little wider. "His turn to get some rest anyway. You make sure he does, all right? I don't think they're gonna let me out of here for another day or so."

[in-venting.livejournal.com]

Sherry nodded in acknowledgment and rested her head in Claire's hand for a second.

"I'll do my best, but he's stubborn." In fact, he'd probably tell her to go play, or read, or go sit with Claire, or something of that sort. Anything that kept her from the chaos and people that came in and out of the precinct. "Is it really going to be another day?" You mean all this technology and they don't have an instant-get-better button somewhere? she thought a with a little almost-frown. "I'll come and keep you company, then. I don't mind." Yuri and the others would understand, too. Besides, she was still technically on restriction.

[letmelive]

"You're sure you wouldn't rather go play with your friends?" She knew the med bay wasn't the most entertaining place in the world. Honestly she'd split if she didn't think they'd restrain her of she tried.

"Or maybe catch up on some sleep? You don't look like you've been sleeping much either," she frowned at Sherry, taking the little girl's appearance in. Granted she was always a little on the pale side, but the circles under her eyes were new.

[in-venting.livejournal.com]

Sherry shook her head. "I don't mind keeping you company. Besides..." she trailed off and laughed a little nervously. "I... sort of... got into trouble. Sort of." And it was a lucky thing that Leon hadn't had the five minutes of clear-consciousness to deal with Sherry.

Not when he was cleaning up the mess of a half-civil war, and prisoners and coming up here to watch over Claire. No, the two of them had been... mostly silent. "I did sleep, though. A little. More than Dad has."

[letmelive]

Claire wasn't going to let Sherry change the subject on the whole getting in trouble thing. She arched an eyebrow at her daughter, tilting her head to the side.

"What'd you do to get in trouble?"