|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:48 pm
Lawrence was in a mess. He'd woken up several times since being brought back to the island, only to ask for a further chance to sleep. He'd at the very least been afforded some painkillers which meant that his thoughts when they did surface from the dreams (the strange and disturbing dreams) were lighter than they might otherwise have been.
But it couldn't last forever. He was laid in one of the beds in a private room and looked very small in the hospital gown. His hair hadn't been groomed at all, he wasn't wearing his usual foundation and the shadows beneath his eyes were pronounced and dark.
He looked a mess, his arm, now about an inch shorter was wrapped up and his ribs beneath the sheets were scraped and bruised.
Everything hurt.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 2:00 pm
Melvin was haggard, having spent most of his time in the Infirmary watching over Lawr and generally avoiding the room when Rodney was there. He had picked up a new jacket from the Quartermaster, but it felt awkward on himself and far too plain. This only worsened his mood which was then ruined by the constant nightmares and shadows he kept seeing in and out of sleep. A lot of time was spent cleaning up the still broken Infirmary in the meantime or just sitting beside Lawr to hold his hand and rest his head.
As he came in, he smiled weekly at Lawr, glad to see he seemed awake but not sure for how long. Walking over, he took the same chair he had sat in before and reached for his hand. "Hey there. How you feeling?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 2:28 pm
Lawrence exhaled as Melvin spoke, almost afraid to move lest the agony wrack him again.
"Absolutely terrible." he said. "I feel sick, I ache and my hair."
Because his hair was important. He hadn't shaved either and already had quite a lot of stubble, much to his further distress.
"It's terrible. Though I suppose I might well have died, without Cami."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 2:34 pm
Melvin stared back at Lawr and slowly leaned back, removing his hand. "What?" He said flatly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 2:42 pm
Lawrence raised a brow at Melvin. "What? Oh, Cami helped save me when my hand was cut off. She did an excellent job of it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 3:04 pm
"Well she sure as hell wasn't there when you were bleeding out on the sands. Roland and Kingsley were there and didn't know what the hell was going on. I had to carry you the entire mission. Do you think Cami did everything?"
He tried not to grit his teeth, finding himself irritable with almost no sleep. "I found you and used my charge to heal you. I checked your condition. I carried you on my back while there was fire and sandstorms going on. A ******** centipede TITAN shows up and I have to run through that and get you to the only shelter that wasn't on fire. And Rep wants to throw you out when I get there. I lost my coat, Lawr. I lost Rin's coat, just to get you to that shelter. And then I have to get you to the portal when help finally shows up. Who the hell do you think even brought you to the infirmary? CAMI?"
"AND WHY WAS YOUR HAND CUT OFF?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 3:55 pm
Lawrence listened to Melvin's story with the weariness of someone who didn't have the energy for proper emotions at all. "I saw Cami" he said. "That's all I remember, I didn't remember a Titan and I didn't remember you being there. Sorry if you were." His words slurred just a little from the medication he was on and it was obvious he wasn't quite thinking clearly
He sighed at the question about why his hand was cut off. "I think I found something very nice out there. It got my hand back, for just a few brilliant moments." His brows furrowed. "And then Caelius, our dear leader chopped it off again, and a bout an extra inch for good measure. It really hurtss"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 4:45 pm
The apology deflated Melvin quickly, not having the energy to be at a full dial of anger, and soon breathed out as he returned to a less energy-exhausting state. "Well....I was there....for a lot of it. Just not....whatever happened to you for me to stop it."
Rising up from his seat, he gently set himself upon the side of Lawr, sitting slowly took Lawr's one good hand and let his fingers gently touch the shoulder of the injured arm. "If there was a way to take the pain I would. Whatever he chopped off probably would have killed you. Nothing from Famine is good. They just take away."
Taking Lawr's hand in both hands, he leaned down and set his brow against Lawr's chest. "I thought I lost you there. Your pulse was so weak."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 5:46 pm
Lawrence exhaled shallowly. "Yeah.. I don't remember anyyy of it, but I was fairly sure I was going to die out there in the desert on my own, all alone, so lonely." He smiled gently at Melvin and a little dopey.
"One day we will take everything back from famine and it will be wonderful. And I'll be young and whole."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 6:11 pm
"Just don't die until we get to that point."
He leaned back again, disappointed at the lack of any petting, and sat back up, looking over him. While Lawr looked like hell, he knew that wasn't what he wanted to hear. They both knew they looked like raw garbage.
"It's a shame I can't find you a new hand....even if I still think you are beautiful regardless. Let's hope you don't get a rich tan from all that Sahara sun."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:07 pm
"I'll try." he said feebly.
"Hah. I wish, I just miss my music. And being able to hold two things at once."
Melvin's comment did get him a weak smile though. "I don't tan I burn, and I think I got some of those too, my scalp hurts and my ears but it is nothing at all compared to the whole missing hand thing."
"It's good to be alive though."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:13 pm
"You nearly got skewered by the titan's legs when it took my coat off. Sorry about the bruising. I got thrown around a lot." He sighed, and reached out to brush some of his hair.
"Burnt hair? Still looks good to me. Nothing your fancy products can't handle. I'm sure once you are able to get home and soak in a tub, you'll be back to your luscious self."
His hand slowly dropped. "I don't want to hover.....but I can't stop thinking that you might go somewhere and I won't even know. That you'll get hurt somewhere and no one will help. That they will leave you to die to make room for someone else they care about. It wouldn't be too far from what I'd do, and I don't want you to be gone just because you weren't on someone' priority list. I wish....I wish I could just always be there to make sure nothing happens."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:26 pm
Lawrence shook his head. "Not burned." he said. "It'll be fine I'm just...a mess. I can't shave, I get dizzy if I stand and they complain. I'mmm going to get out of here. Soon. I'll be back home."
He was in training as a doctor and understood what he needed but at the same time his pride didn't want to permit it. He hated seeing people he knew here, hated being vulnerable looking and hated more than anything else the lack of independence that came with it.
"Butch will be back soon, along with my shield. I'll be fine. You were there. I'm grateful."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:39 pm
"I'm glad I was there this time. And I'll be there any time I can be......and if you want to go home and they let you, I'll even carry you there just like I carried you here from the Sahara. For once I was glad you were so light."
"If you need to shave, I can do that for you too. That way no one else strange and careless tries anything. I know your looks mean a lot."
Anything. Any excuse of a favor of friendship that would allow him past the bared wires of Lawr's marriage.
"You said you met something nice that gave you your hand. Why did it give it to you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 5:37 am
"Perhaps it was fortunate I am." he said. "I wouldn't have liked to have been left there. It's too hot, too dry." He was a little too diverted with painkillers to think that Melvin's closeness might well have been a little inappropriate given the conversations they'd had. "I might get you to help me shave though." he said. "I can't bear looking...undignified."
He did however look a little uncomfortable about the follow up question. "A centipede thing? It said it could give me it. So it did."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
