gabriel_tam | (no subject)

The room is fairly nice, all things considered. There are several chairs, a porta-cot set up discreetly against one wall for visitors that for one reason or another are reluctant to leave, and it's clear that whoever designed this particular private room in the first place intended to make it seem as warm and welcoming as possible.

Of course, given that it's a hospital, there's really only so much that can be done.

Currently, the hospital bed is tilted upwards at an angle, with the evident intention of making the patient comfortable. It seems to be working, at least a little, because Gabriel Tam is asleep.

Page 1 of 10 << [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] >>

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

wolflord_andain

Galadan, Mary's hand still held in his, opens the door to Gabriel's room after a brief exchange with one of the guards outside.

His tread is noiseless, and he raises a hand to caution Mary as they enter the room.

She, of course, may not be silent enough not to wake the Senator.

Galadan can make no provision for that.

From:

mistressmaryquitecontrary

Mary isn't much concerned with silence at the moment, anyways.

As they enter the room, she pulls her hand out of Galadan's and runs immediately over (boots clattering somewhat on the pristine floor) to stare fiercely down at Gabriel Tam, attempting to ascertain with her eyes alone exactly what's wrong with him. And what the likelihood is that it will get worse.

From:

gabriel_tam

Even asleep, he looks older, somehow, than he has previously, with a little more gray to his hair, a few more lines to his face.

Not to mention the neatly-stitched and bandaged wounds that run along the left side of his cheek and jaw and down his throat before disappearing under the neat line of the hospital gown.

There's a small clear tube -- a cannula -- providing him with oxygen. Even so, Gabriel's breathing is a little harsh, a little strained.

He stirs a little at the sound of her footsteps, mumbling something incoherent.

From:

wolflord_andain

Galadan stays where he is, watching the door, the girl, and the man in turn.

Most especially he watches to see what Mary will do, and how Gabriel will respond.

There is much too be learned in moments such as these.

From:

mistressmaryquitecontrary

She knows enough not to wake him up deliberately if he is sleeping - though it's a strong temptation to do just that, just to make sure that he's still there.

(He looks different. And there's things in him and -

She wants to know he's still there.)

But she stays still, now that she's by the bed, with her hands clasped tightly behind her back, staring still down. Looking perfectly ready to stand there for hours, until he wakes up.

From:

regan_tam

His hand in hers is still warm. Sometimes, if her thumb shifts to the right spot, she can feel his pulse.

She should move to the cot, she knows. She will soon, probably; her neck is still stiff from having dozed off in this armchair earlier. She's old enough for her bones to prefer a soft bed and a real pillow.

But she can feel her husband's pulse, and she's not falling asleep quite yet. So she'll stay a while longer.

And let her eyes drift closed. Just for a bit.

From:

gabriel_tam

It doesn't seem as though it's likely to take hours, as his sleep is more of a restless doze than anything truly restful at the moment.

Gabriel mumbles something else, and then comes awake with a small, reflexive jerk.

It takes a moment for him to truly recognize her -- or perhaps to believe that she's actually there.

"... Mary?"

His voice is rougher, too, harsh and strained, but it's unmistakably his.

"What are you doing here?"

From:

gabriel_tam

He stirs in his sleep, and his fingers tighten reflexively on hers.

Slowly, Gabriel comes awake, and as he does her face is the first thing he sees.

"Regan-- ài rén."

It's quiet, and he's a little hoarse, but there's a great deal of warmth in his voice all the same.

From:

mistressmaryquitecontrary

"Galadan brought me to see you. He said you were hurt."

Mary's face is tightly pinched, and her voice has more than a hint of accusation in it; what right has he got to get himself hurt now? She'd thought he, at least, could take care of himself.

From:

gabriel_tam

"He did, did he?" Gabriel's glance goes past her to the man standing by the door and holds for a long moment before he turns back to Mary.

"Well, maybe a little."

Perhaps incredibly, he's smiling.

From:

mistressmaryquitecontrary

Mary's scowl deepens.

She's silent for a long moment - and then, although she retains enough self-awareness to hold her voice back from being a shout, she lets loose.

"You have scars all on your face - there is something in your nose - it is not a little! You have been hurt badly. You could have been dead and you are very lucky that Galadan was there so it was not worse - and if it had been and you had not been all right I should not ever have forgiven you!"

From:

regan_tam

She's half asleep at best, and the sound of his voice brings her jolting back to awareness.

"Gabriel?" It comes out hushed, here in this hospital room where the only sounds are breathing and the low whirr of monitoring machines and the occasional mutter of a guard. It'll be another ten or twenty minutes before another nurse comes by.

But, no, he's awake -- drugged, yes, and bandaged and rasping, but awake, and her heart lifts to see it.

"Morning, xin gan," she murmurs with a smile, clasping his hand in both of hers now.

From:

night-hibiscus.livejournal.com

The height of the man, and the hieght of the bed, and last of all the height of Yuna, all factor together to require her to tilt up on the toes of her chunky hiking boots to get a full-body scan of the sleeping man through the lens of her staff.

She tries to be as quiet as she can, as the red and blue lights play on her face once again, but the posture is awkward and she is, perhaps, ill at ease, surrounded by the full might of a machina society, all bent on preserving one life.

There's a bell that hangs by a thin cord from the end of her staff; it jingles, clear and sweet among the beeps and gusts.

From:

simon_doctor

Simon is standing between the bed and the door, watching.

If any of the hospital staff step in, he wants to be able to intercept and explain.

From:

gabriel_tam

It's the clear chiming sound that does it -- Gabriel stirs and opens his eyes, blinking up at Yuna in confusion.

"Wŏ hăo-- I'm-- who are you?"

From:

night-hibiscus.livejournal.com

...whoops.

Yuna stills the bell with her free hand, and drops back on her heels. She darts a glance at Simon before speaking. "I'm Yuna. Simon brought me to check on you."

She speaks clearly and calmly; more self-possessed than a wisp of a seventeen year old girl really ought to be. "I was there, when you were--unconscious. In the bar."

"I'm sorry I woke you."

From:

simon_doctor

Simon's already stepping forward, into his father's line of sight. "Yuna helped us with you in the infirmary, Dad. She's -- she has some experience with healing, in her own world."

From:

gabriel_tam

"Simon."

He's disoriented, and despite that is visibly pulling himself together, trying to clear his head. Gabriel smiles, a little.

"Well, in that case -- gāoxìng jìandào nĭ, Miss Yuna."

From:

gonna_live

Kaylee is smart enough to be quiet.

Means she can sit and occupy herself with the book in her lap.

There's something leafy on the bedside table that wasn't there before; there are two small, colorful paper umbrellas neatly speared into the soil at the base.

From:

night-hibiscus.livejournal.com

She bows, fairly deeply, her hands moving in the curves of the rite of prayer.

He's a maester among his own people, in a sense, and an elder, after all. "I'm very pleased to meet you." She leans her staff against the wall. "And to tell you that there doesn't seem to be any lingering magical harm. Only the physical wounds, and those are healing."

"You were poisoned," she tells him; it's odd coming from her youthful face, but it's the half-reproving informational tone of any nurse or doctor telling you you tore your stitches or broke your leg. Next time be more careful.

From:

gabriel_tam

It's some time before he stirs, coughing a little.

His breathing is ragged, with a small wheezing sound to it.

In his sleep, Gabriel's unconscious grimace of pain is unguarded.

From:

gabriel_tam

Something tightens in Gabriel's face, drawing it into harsh lines that make him look even older than he is.

"Poisoned?"

He lifts one hand, seemingly unaware that he's doing it, and rubs at his chest as he looks to his son.

"Simon?"

From:

gonna_live

Her head immediately turns to the table. The cup of water there is empty.

She closes the book, leaves it on the chair, and goes to the sink off in the corner -- there as discreetly as it can be, but -- it's still a hospital room, isn't it.

The sound of running water is quiet; she tests the stream with her thumb first to make sure it's cold.