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 Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:19 pm
Harrison's mouth felt dry. There was something stopping up his nose, and when he lifted his hand, it was heavy. He touched his nose, momentarily horrified at the crinkly surface-
Tape. It was just tape. And there was something-
He tugged lightly at the tubes there, felt the movement deep in his nose and throat, and decided to leave it alone.
Nasogastric feeding tube, he remembered.
He was in the infirmary. There was an IV bag...what had happened? How long had he been out? His eyes rolled to the side. The room was empty, and he felt another disorienting clench of fear before recognizing the jacket hung on the plastic chair at his bedside. There were other signs that the room had been used. Toothbrushes, deoderant, shaving s**t. They'd been fighting in the fog...
He didn't remember getting hit.
He looked at the ceiling and tried. He was coming up blank.
We didn't, B0nez said, although he sounded just as foggy about it. I'm...pretty sure you- that we-
Yeah. You don't know either.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:29 pm
When Candace finally woke up she sat up and just stared ahead for a minute, finally looking around at the techs and other hunters waking from their own sleeps around her. This...was this home? The pillar...that..it had said she could go home.
Their king was waiting for them.
"Harrison!" She gasped and scrambled to get her helmet off, climbing off the table and hurrying out to see him. Atropos sighed with relief in Candace's head, further comforting the woman that this was all real.
She stopped when she found Harrison's room. He'd moved.. "Harrison? Are you awake?" Please oh please! She stepped into the room, moving aside with the knowledge Jordan, Rep and Jerry most likely weren't far behind her. She'd let them have their reunion just...she needed to know. She needed to see him. Candace needed to know they hadn't just ******** up by listening to mark give bogus instructions.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:33 pm
It had taken some time to get unhooked from the various equipment that had accompanied their trip into the subconscious, or the simulation, or wherever they had gone that didn't require their bodies to come along for the ride. Reality was a little disorienting. That didn't really matter, though. What mattered was that Harrison should be waking up.
Jordan pushed the door to Harrison's room open and slipped inside. He held the door for Rep, but his eyes went straight to Harrison's face, and when he saw that Harrison's eyes were open, he couldn't help a huge sigh of relief. "You're awake," he said.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:41 pm
Jerry felt numb.
With a gasp, he came to, focusing on the inside of the helmet before slowly taking it off.
We're back in Kansas, Roar murmured in a gentle growl. Everything back in place. Everything status-quot. Hopefully. Mission accomplished.
His head was still spinning, and it took him a moment to realize the room and shifting shapes of lab techs were so blurry because he wasn't wearing his glasses.
A quick scramble found them on the small table beside his cot.
Sound of footsteps- Candace's voice? They were back, but... had it worked?
Would it have worked if Jerry hadn't... killed him?
Would Harrison remember?
Would he be mad?
He rose slower that Candace, but followed the sound of her voice to where they were keeping the Moon Hunter, hovering meekly by the door with bated breath.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:43 pm
Waking up from the machines was like being decanted from a ferrari onto a rickety bike. The other Rep had been a healthy well groomed individual. This Rep was barely keeping it together. He felt grubby and half starved, remembering even as he sat up all the food he'd declined or merely picked at. His co-ordination was shot to hell and even undoing the equipment was a task.
As he stood he realised he didn't have b0nez any longer either. There was a grim twist of fear. Let it be because he was awake.
He struggled to keep up with Jordan, irritated that his body was being so ******** uncooperative when before all of this he'd been fit as it was possible to be. Candace was already there, and Jerry. His anxieties only heightened further.
Jordan spoke. He was awake. Thank ********, he thought.
He could still hardly believe it, entering the room - he could rhyme off how many ceiling tiles it had, how many steps it took from one side to the other - and leaning against the wall unsteadily.
In an accidental echo of that other Rep, he gave him a wave.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:52 pm
"You all-" Speaking was a struggle, and the words were a dry whisper, "...go to the bathroom at the same time?"
He smiled slightly, at the joke.
"Need some water. And to...call a damn nurse."
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 3:58 pm
"I'll.. I'll get some water!" Jerry murmured in a tight, weak voice before vanishing to do so.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 4:40 pm
Rep shook his head. It didn't look like he remembered. He wasn't even sure how he felt about that. At least he was well enough to be joking, for some reason that was a tremendous relief.
There was an urge to tell Tracey to go get help.
"I'll go get a nurse." he said. He wanted to hug him, wanted to cling to him and never ever let go. But there were people around, people he'd stabbed in the back, and he wasn't sure how he felt about lowering his walls.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 7:57 pm
He's awake!
Candace visibly sagged with relief when Harrison spoke. She grinned at his joke. "You know us girls, we can only go in groups." Candace walked around the bed to give Harrison a hug, nuzzling her cheek against her friend's while Jerry and Rep went off to get water and a nurse. "You sound like s**t~." She teased, releasing Harrison and stepping back so Jordan could go to him if he wanted. "How do you feel?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:33 am
Harrison didn't remember. Jordan wasn't sure how he felt about that. They would have to explain, but maybe some things were better left unrecalled. As Candace stepped back, Jordan stumbled over to the side of the bed to take Harrison's hand, folding his hands around it.
"You've been asleep for a while." His voice came out shaky. It didn't matter.
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 10:01 am
"Thirsty," Harrison said, registering the a while with both Rep and Jordan's haggard appearance. The contact from both Candace and Jordan was comforting, although every time he tried to return the favor he just felt weak. He let Jordan hold his hand, curling his fingers and looking at Jordan's face. "I'm...okay, right? Like, I'm not gonna lift these sheets and be sawed off at the waist."
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 10:26 am
Rep came back, a nurse in tow. He'd been asked why he hadn't used the damn call button when he'd been so happy to use it before when he thought Harrison might have stirred in his coma and he hadn't had an answer. He just hadn't wanted to be in the room with all the people currently there.
He stood quietly by the door, still reluctant to just go over. The other him would have given no ********, he'd have been up in Harrison's face like a cat purring for attention. He didn't really have the guts.
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 11:26 am
"You're all still there," Jordan said. "It's ... it's a long story. I'm just glad you're awake now." He leaned over to brush a light kiss across Harrison's lips. "You're home."
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 11:45 am
Jerry returned, white-faced and his hands shaking as he offered the plastic cup of ice water, setting it down on Harrison's bed side before backing away again.
It was hard to look him in the face. It was hard to meet the eyes of anyone in the room, all people who cherished the young man in the bed, called him their dearest friend or lover, and who was he? An annoying tag along who didn't seem to hesitate to stab him.
He remembered the fall as though it had really happened. It had hurt. Almost as much as Rep's insane betrayal.
He wasn't sure what to say.
"Do... do you remember what happened?" He ventured, just barely over a whisper.
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 2:10 pm
"Haha, good," he returned a weak peck.
When Jerry handed him the drink, Harrison sucked on the straw greedily as the nurse checked him over and left to consult one of the infirmary heads.
The rasp was noticeably improved by the liquid.
"We were in Russia," Harrison said, "I don't remember getting hit. B0nez doesn't either. ...Rep, what are you hanging around the door for?"
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