[PRP] Informed in the Infirmary (Before and Ofelia)

[Huni Pi]

Before had been looking forward to spending some quality time with Ofelia now that they weren't in golems. She owed him a hug in person (but then again, he owed a handful of people hugs in person) and by golly he was going to get it! He knocked at her dorm's room, giving her a few minutes to realize someone was there to see her. But when he failed to hear the tell-tale scuffle of flip-flop-clad feet shuffling about, he knocked again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Huh. Must be out, he concluded with a shrug and set off to the other places he knew she frequented. He didn't want to text her, not just yet. Was it so wrong of him to want to surprise tackle-hug her? (Okay he would most likely end up flattened for it but it would be worth it to see the look on her face!) But the kitchen turned up Ofelia-less as did the beach. Now he was starting to feel worried.

He sent her a message. Several messages. Until finally she replied! Only it wasn't her. Apparently it was someone from the infirmary? DDDDDDDDD8!?!?!?

Rown

 

[Rown]

The lab tech had just finished writing down some information in a chart about their most recent casualty when he heard said coma victim's phone go off. A quick glance at the messages gave him a sender and he messaged back, advising them to come in and see her.

Ofelia, for her part, was out cold.  

[Huni Pi]

Before should have never bothered with using the Deus twitter. His timing was always off and it usually meant he wouldn't get any answer until it was too late. In this case, the lab tech had already sent Before a response and he was quick to arrive at the infirmary. His stomach had begun to knot in worry along the way and when he finally found her, it seemed like the very floor gave way beneath his feet. He stood in the doorway for who knows how long, simply staring in dull shock at Ofelia's form.

Rown

 

[Rown]

A lab tech looked up as he heard someone at the door, the chart in his hand lowering. "You 'Clover'? If so, I guess you can come in. She's not really in a state for anything though, be warned." He said, his voice soft as if trying not to disturb the body. In reality he was nursing a hangover and the soft voice was his way of dealing with it.

Ofelia, for her part, looked about as well as a person who was in a coma could be. She was sickly pale, having nearly bled out before she'd been found, but the worst part of it was the bandages on her throat. She had tubes running from them, connected to a machine, and every now and then one of the monitors would beep for a reason or another.

Her entire upper torso was covered, the bandages bloody. "Yeah, sorry. Not liking what you see? Whatever it was that got her nearly tore her throat entirely out, left her to bleed to death." The lab tech said.

Huni Pi

 

[Huni Pi]

Before could only nod dumbly at the lab tech's question, a lump had formed in his throat. He swallowed thickly, suddenly finding his stomach knotting and twisting even tighter. It was hard for him to believe that only a few days ago, Ofelia was healthy and strong and could kick his a** with one hand tied behind her back. Something had reduced her to this state -hooked up to machines that beeped and hummed and tubes that drained bright, crimson fluids from her body- it made Before's blood boil.

At the sight, he was torn between shaking her awake (That would be a very VERY unwise decision, silly Before) and laying his chin on the edge of her bed. Instead, in a voice that was too quiet and too calm, he asked "How long is she gonna be like this?"

Rown

 

[Rown]

The life tech had been looking over what appeared to be a broken pile of something golden - charms and a chain perhaps, and he glanced up at Before's question. Knitting his brows downward the man just shrugged, a hand casually moving to the side in a gesture. "Hell if I know. Like I said, throat nearly ripped out, covered in massive bites all over her shoulders and torso. If it hadn't been for the fact someone else was patrolling whatever it was probably would have eaten her alive." He paused. "Or dead, whatever came first."

The flippant nature of the man was so very apparent, and he looked at the figure still standing before him. "Look, you're welcome to stay here if you want, I got s**t to do. If she wakes up or something press a button and we'll come running." Another pause. ". . . figuratively." With that he left, waving over his shoulder. He wanted to find something for the hangover, dammit.

Meanwhile, from her bed, Ofelia's eyes fluttered ever so faintly. . .

Huni Pi

OwO!

 

[Huni Pi]

In another time, maybe later, maybe much later, after Ofelia woke up (yes, after because she was going to wake up, ******** damn it!) Before would track down that lab tech again. Before was going make sure to he memorized the guy's face, find out the guy's name, and what the guy hated to eat the most or whatever the guy was maybe allergic to. And when Before had all this information, he was going to deliver said food-product for the next ******** six months to that lab tech for what was the most wretched, poor excuse of a bed-side manner ever.

But that would have to wait for later.

Because right now, in his continued observation of the Sunny's unconscious, mangled form, he noticed the faint, brief movement of her eyelids. His heart began to race, his hopes skyrocketing that she would wake soon thanks to this minute movement. His dry mouth kept him from speaking, the lump still lodged in his throat, but his legs found themselves mobile and they were moving him closer to her bed.

He couldn't speak. Didn't want to speak. Afraid he might jinx it if he pointed it out and the Universe at large decided to ******** over Ofelia because of it.

You are of much importance to me, silly Before, but I highly doubt Jack and the Ancients would be interested in your own personal doings. Vanna's attempt to comfort him of his worries went unheeded as the Mist remained silent in his vigil over the young woman.

Rown

OwO!!!!

 

[Rown]

Ofelia's eyes twitched again, this time a bit more violent that the fake flutter from before. Whatever was going on in her mind it seemed to be trouble, perhaps she was having a nightmare. The twitched continued, the tube in her throat moving as if she mouth was trying to say something.

And then she awoke, her eyes suddenly springing open as a sharp scream escaped from within her. It was guttural, primal, a sound of real fear mixed in with life trying to come back. The tube in her throat made it only sound worse, her body gagging against it, and Ofelia started to cough up blood as she kept screaming.

Huni Pi

bring it on > ____________ >

 

[Huni Pi]

The flutter intensified into a twitch. Well, that was good, wasn't it? But the twitch turned into a string of seizures that had Before immediately slamming his fist onto the button again and again and again until the screaming started. He spun on his heels, nearly summoning his weapon in terror that some... thing had managed to piggyback in Ofelia and had decided to come out and finish the job.

But when he saw it was actually Ofelia herself making those nigh inhuman sounds, the Mist finally found his voice to call out to her, "Dinah!" He was at her side before he even finished the second syllable. "Dinah! Call down! You'll open up your wounds!" He's afraid to touch her, he's certain he'll only make things worse, but his hands hover over her shoulders barely centimeters away because. Because. Because, oh ******** he doesn't know why!

Rown

 

[Rown]

To his credit the lab tech came flying back in, his steps an actual jogging run instead of the leisurely pace he seemed to suggest he'd do. The look on his face was unhappy, he'd almost be at the door and off his shift and out of here and dammit she just had to go and wake up. b***h.

And start screaming, apparently. The life tech looked at Before, looked at Ofelia, and snapped at the young man with his words. "Don't just stand there like a useless a*****e, gently take her shoulders and calm her down. I'm going to give her some morphine to ease the pain, but you've got to calm her down."

For her own part Ofelia wasn't screaming as loudly as she was, instead just gagging intensely on the tube that was running down her throat and into her airways. She was able to breathe on her own, the lab tech noticing this, and as soon as the morphine was into her IV he motioned to Before.

"I'm going to take the tube out, keep talking to her to calm her down. And you, Sun Trainee, hold the ******** still and calm the ******** down. You're gonna choke if I can't get this tube out properly."

Ofelia seemed to understand, or at least grasp some of it, as the screaming stopped and her breathing became less rapid. It was hard to breathe, it hurt to breathe, but she could still do it.

She was awake, she was alive.

Huni Pi

 

[Huni Pi]

Alright, Before may rethink that plan regarding the lab tech's bedside manner (this is the same guy, yeah?) but right now he had more important things to do. Which was to calm Ofelia down before she makes her condition worse. Gloved hands rest firmly on the teen's shoulders, teal eyes staring pointedly into gray ones, "Dinah, Dinah, it's me! Clover! Relax, it's okay. You're at Deus," he tried to keep the fear out of his voice, tried to attribute the trembling of his own hands to Ofelia's struggling, "Shhhhh, it's okay, it's okay."

Concern and worry were written all over his face as he tried his best to reassure Ofelia of her safety. And to reassure himself that she was going to be alright.

Rown

 

[Rown]

And then the tube was out, and then the morphine started to take effect. Ofelia's body visible calmed, her stormy grey eye staring back into Before's with clear determination, and the teen merely kept looking at him as the tech checked everything over. She'd coughed up mostly dried blood, or anything that had accumulated thanks to the tube, and from the looks of it nothing had been torn open in her struggle. For the time being she'd be okay, there was someone here with her who knew how to use a panic button properly, and the tech placed a hand on Before's shoulder.

"Okay, I'm going to go for real now. Keep her calm, talk to her or something. She knows your face, she's breathing on her own. Tell her a story or something and if s**t gets real again you know the drill." A pause. "Only wait until my a** is actually out of here."

Oh, the kindness he showed could only last for so long. His hand removed itself from Before's shoulder, he took one more looked at Ofelia's vitals, and he headed out of her room. The pair were alone, Ofelia still staring up at Before, and her body faintly trembled beneath his hands.

"Before. Before." She wasn't actually speaking, her mouth instead moving to say the words. His nickname was dropped, reasons unknown, and the teen just simply kept mouthing his name again and again. "Before, Before."

And then came something else, something she probably didn't mean to say even without using her words.

"I love you."

Huni Pi

TAKE THAT >________ >

 

[Huni Pi]

Before had leaned in as close as he could to Ofelia, nodding at each time she spoke his name, reassuring her that yes, yes, she was correct. And yes, yes, he was here right beside her to make sure she was okay, and that he was there to talk to her, and there to hear her say...

I love you.

He froze. Not quite believing that she'd just said that. It was several long, quiet moments until Before remembered to breathe. And then he remembered to ask, "Dinah? Ofie? H-how many fingers am I holding up?" He raised a gloved hand with his fingers doing that Spock-gesture he'd seen some people do. Or did he learn it from his bro?

Rown

 

[Rown]

Ofelia looked at Before, uncertain of what he was asking. Fingers, what? Her vision was blurry, she had no idea what was going on, what all was happening. But she was going to answer because dammit Ofelia answered questions.

"Six?" She apparently answered them really, really badly. "Five. Ten?" super, super badly.

Then came the sign, of all signs, that she really was out of it. "Who are you again?"

Her confession obviously wasn't a confession at all, or maybe it was just the morphine talking. Or maybe she'd meant to say something else.

All three options were correct.

Huni Pi

 

[Huni Pi]

There was a sense of relief that Ofelia didn't get his question right. So. She was just loopy from the meds the lab tech put her on. Okay. Good. He can deal with that. Totes. "Good enough for me!" A goofy, reassuring smile pulled at his lips as he gently gave the teen a pat on her head, maybe even stroked her hair a bit. Before always did like playing with a girl's hair. It was... comforting to him. "You scared the ******** outta, me Dinah," he continued, not expecting her to remember a thing thanks to the medication.

Rown