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[The scene opens in Short Term Care.]
Clara is out cold in a cot Rhys dragged in, picked her up, and dumped her into.
Duty having called, Elasia did eventually get commed away from Niko's side early in the morning, but she's returned and reclaimed his hand. She's half leaned against the edge of the bed, not quite dozing, but close.
Niko opens his eyes very slowly, taking a deep breath that breaks the slow
rhythm of his breathing as he does so. His eyes focus on Ela, and he mumbles
something in Hellenic, followed after a pause by something else in that same
language.
This is a very snooze-itory lot, unsurprisingly Riley still sleeps, or at least close enough to it that there's no telling the difference.
You whisper "G'morning." That pause, and his hand tightens on yours--though not
so much that it's even remotely uncomfortable. "Is it? Did you sleep?" to
Elasia.
Clara breaks the trends, and actually wakes up. Maybe it's the Hellenic, maybe it's just that she's finally had enough sleep. Only her eyes open for a moment as she reassesses her situation, then she slips out of the cot and does a quick glance at the monitors before letting a fond smile fall on the other couple, then Riley, before she starts to slip around the curtain.
Elasia starts slightly, having gotten used to the mass-snoozing. She offers a
grin to Niko, rubbing at the back of his hand with her thumb. She nods after
a pause, replying to Niko in the same language. She trails off though,
realizing Clara is up and moving. Turning she offers a "Good Morning", in
quiet Standard.
Elasia whispers "Some, yep."
Clara pauses at the edge of the curtain and ventures a quick smile, nodding back at Niko. "Thanks for spending so much time with him. He needed you here," she murmurs in quiet return to Ela. "Need anything?"
Niko returns Ela's smile, then blinks a few times as she greets Clara. "Clara?" he inquires. See, her name's the same in Hellenic and Standard, so he can't mess -that- up. As he wakes, he's looking more coherent.
Elasia looks a bit abashed at Clara's thanks, not really quite sure how to respond to that offhand. She does however nod, and says quietly, "No, thank you. For putting him back together and taking such good care of him." She squeezes Niko's hand a hair tighter, "I'm kind of attached to him and all."
A ghost of dismay flickers through Clara's eyes at the thanks before she shakes
her head with a small smile. "Vryce patched him back up," she replies
honestly. "I couldn't do two at once...I wish I could have, though." She
flickers a look up at Niko, smile broadening. "He's an easy person to get
attached to. Morning, Niko. Whatcha need?"
Niko takes a moment to phrase his request, waiting for that click back to
Standard. Yup, here it comes. "Can I go home soon?" he inquires. "I'm just
sleeping and all, and I can do that just as well at home. Free up the bed for
somebody who really needs it."
Clara comes away from the curtain, very suddenly professional as she comes
around the side of the bed with a faint frown, glancing over various monitors
before tugging down the blanket and unsnapping part of Niko's shirt to check
the abdominal wound. "I don't know, Niko," she replies absently while
working. "Your room's as small as mine. I'd like to see you somewhere with a
little more room for a monitor and someone to keep an eye on you for another
week, at least."
Elasia's smile is a touch hopeful. Her reply is quiet, but without being hesitant. The low volume is in deference to the various other occupants of the room perhaps. "Last night's invitation is still open, Niko. My place is easily twice the size of yours, and I'd be more than willing to keep the requisite eye out. And it'd give me an excuse to cook even."
Niko's face falls just a bit at Clara's words, looking like he's resigning himself to another week in the bed. He makes an attempt to ignore her checking of that abdominal wound. If he ignores it, it's not there. Ela's words elicit a rather hesitant smile. "I... are you sure, Ela?"
Clara tugs the bandaging back into place before resnapping the shirt closed,
glancing up at Ela thoughtfully. "Diplomat's quarters? That'd work. I'd like
to be able to come check on him once a day, but my schedule's flexible. I'm
off duty for a while." She straightens to check the IV. "It's a good idea,
Niko," she adds in support, then glances back at the other woman
thoughtfully. "Could we have a word, though?" she asks, gesturing with her
head towards the other side of the curtain.
Elasia nods to Niko, offering a rather amused grin, "Of course I'm sure, I
wouldn't offer if I wouldn't, it'll be wonderful to have you about." She nods
to Ela's question, then the explanation about daily visitation, and then at
the last she reluctantly disentangles her fingers from Niko's and cli,bs to
her feet to follow the other woman, "Certainly."
Clara gives Niko's free hand a companionable squeeze, then heads around the
other side of the curtain. Her voice is soft, so only a few words filter
back, low and utterly professional in tone. Otherwise she'd be stammering and
blushing. She mutters to Elasia, "I... little... good for... request,...
at... another two..."
Niko glances between the two women as they speak, expression pensive. As Ela
abandons his hand, he makes use of it to adjust his covers a bit, peering
rather curiously after her.
Elasia just nods, see now she's just unawake enough to be taking that dead on
at face value. Not to mention Niko's excessive Galahadary makes it a moot
issue anyhow, and hence one she doesn't consider. She mutters to Clara, "...
If I can keep him... wanting to... did after..."
Clara blinks for a moment at the misunderstanding, but then simply nod solemnly
before smiling warmly up at the other woman. "Exactly. We can each keep a
baseball bat around in case he tries," she agrees as she starts to head back
around the curtain. "Niko, your fate's decided. How'd you like to stay where
a pretty lady can spoil you rotten?"
Niko catches enough of Clara's words to look decidedly worried. "Baseball bat?"
he inquires. "Could you at least make it a wooden one? The metal ones can
really do a lot more damage." Odd that he knows this. "Spoiling? Yeah, that
sounds good. Long's I don't drive her crazy." He offers a sweet smile to Ela.
"I really do appreciate this."
Elasia pads back over to Niko's bed, mumuring to Clara. "He's -already-
rotten." This is said in a teasing tone loud enough that Niko's bound to
hear. She adds directly to Niko, "And I'm already crazy, so I think we're set
on all counts."
"Nerf," Clara replies as she starts to shut down several of the monitors surrounding the bed. "Yeah, I suppose he is, and you are for offering. You'll both have a good time, then," she decides, grinning as she leans down to start unhooking electrodes. "Mind pushing him up in a wheelchair? He can walk, but I'd rather he didn't for more than a dozen steps at a time or so."
Niko looks decided confused by Clara's first word, and he visibly attempts to
figure out what language she's speaking. "Must be Edreeni," he decides to
himself, waggling one finger in Ela's general direction. "Rotten. That's me."
He wrinkles his nose at the mention of a wheelchair, then, as he raps his
cast lightly against the side of the bed, remembers to ask, "How long am I
stuck with this thing?"
Elasia shakes her head, reaching up to brush back her hair. "Not at all. My very own Niko on wheels, I'll have to write home, folks'll be so jealous." She offers Niko an innocent look before she nods again to Clara, more seriously. "Just let me know what all he needs, and I'm there."
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Niko on wheels. Sounds like he should have his own ad jingle.
Clara can't help but snicker, offering no translation of the mysterious 'Nerf'. Hey, Earth girls -gotta- have some secrets. "I'll help you get him set up this first time and show you how to read the vitals monitor. Other than that, it's just normal taking care of an invalid." She vanishes around the curtain to return with said wheelchair, smirking at Niko. "Just like a normal, Niko. Another four and a half weeks unless you want the regenerator."
Elasia nods to Clara, looking a bit relieved at the offer to help get Niko set
up. (Does he have one of those seven quick steps posters like my computer
came with?) "I'd appreciate that, ma'am."
Niko grimaces at that, lifting his wrist so that he may peer at it. "Can I wait
a little longer to decide? It's not like I'm going to be back at work for a
bit anyway, after all." A flickered glance to Elasia might suggest another
reason for waiting; Niko knows exactly what he looks like when he gets a bone
regenerated, and this isn't quite the thing he wants Ela to see. At the
appearance of the wheelchair, he starts to assemble his various body parts
for movement.
Clara has a printer we can hook him up to? She attaches the IV to the back of
the chair, nodding without looking up. "You can wait, Niko. We can do it
anytime you want. And just Clara, please," she adds up at Ela. She moves to
pulls back Niko's blanket and offer assistance. "Okay, nice and slow now.
We're not running races. Or roller skating."
Elasia moves to the side opposite, to lend a hand should it prove necessary.
Mostly however she stays out of the nice doctor lady's way. It's probably
best. She adds, "Roller skating is right out."
Niko does not want to know which port would be used. He moves slowly and carefully, easing himself to a full, upright, and locked position. "No roller skating," he agrees, though a brief expression of frustration crosses his face. Sitting up fully seems to be adventure enough, at least for now.
Clara helps get Niko settled into the chair, then stoops to adjust the leg
rests before reaching out for a blanket and shaking it out before tucking it
over him. "Okay, I think we're ready to go," she notes, straightening and
casting a quick glance at Riley before murmuring into her comm.
"Giani...spell me?" Which of course results in the little blonde nurse
showing up at double time.
Niko leans against the back of the chair, offering a quick smile to Giani as
she appears. He pauses a beat at Clara's glance to Riley, echoing it with one
of his own. "Ready, yeah," he murmurs.
Elasia stoops to snag her knapsack, having come directly from work to be here
this time, not even bothering to change clothes or drop off gear. Tugging it
over her shoulders she moves to the back of the chair, "Engines engaged,
chair control to Niko, do we have ignition?" Yes, this woman has an odd sense
of humor.
Niko's voice is tired, but holds a note of amusement. "We have a go for
ignition--no, wait, are the little lock things off? Pushing with 'em on would
be kinda counterproductive."
Clara snickers and moves around to snag the monitor in the crook of her elbow
while pushing the chair. "Airlocks disengaged, Lieutenant. We have lift off,"
she notes, and starts on the way.
Elasia follows along afterwards, looking a bit bewildered as Clara abducts the
chair. She gets over it quickly however and just looks pleased that she's
getting to abduct Niko.
[Travelspam deleted. The scene resumes in Elasia's room.]
Clara pauses inside the doorway, a faint smile appearing. "Maybe if I resigned
my commission," she murmurs, then grins over at Elasia. "Lead the way to
where we should stash him. I'm thinking the bathtub or soemthing. Low
maintenance."
Elasia moves across the room, ahead of the chair to tug back the screen so the
sleeping area can be accessed. The bed's a pretty good size, and has a number
of massive fluffy pillows and folded quilts and all. She snickers back at
Clara, "The bed okay instead?"
Niko casts a look of amusement over his shoulder at Clara. "Grand idea," he
murmurs. At Ela's words, however, he looks a bit concerned. "I can't put you
out of your -bed-..." Yes, he was actually planning on crashing on the couch,
and gestures in its general direction.
Clara rolls her eyes and taps Niko on the head, leaning down to whisper in his
ear for a moment before she rolls him towards the bed. "I'll guarantee that
he's clean at least. We decontammed him after he finally fell asleep the
first time."
Clara whispers "Hello? You can both sleep there, y'know. It's more than big
enough, and you might enjoy the extra comfort. And you can still be Galahad,
don't worry. I guarantee it's possible."
Niko looks just a little uncertain at whatever it is Clara's whispering, but
doesn't say anything, instead looking to Ela.
Elasia shakes her head to Niko, tugging back blankets. "It's okay Niko." What
she'd really prefer would be that he'd be in said bed and she not get put out
of it all at the same time, but the way Niko is, what's the likelihood of
that? "Besides, the couch is more comfortable than my place back on Hellas.
For me at least, for you it'd be a bit cramped as tall as you are. Nope,
love, you get the bed." She nods to Clara, "Hey, he's welcome even if he
wasn't."
Clara comes around to pull the blanket off Niko before holding out her hands to him. "Up we go again, nice and slow," she repeats, shaking her head with a faint smile. "Think about what I said," she mutters at Niko firmly. "I'm serious. Doctor's orders if she'll agree to it," she adds.
Niko pauses a beat at Clara's words, a hint of humor crossing his face. "Now those kind of orders, I could really get to like." He makes a gesture that's almost a shrug, using Clara's help as little as possible to get to his feet. And once he gets there, any hint of protest at taking the bed disappears.
Elasia looks a bit confused as she arranges pillows and quiltage to provide as comfortable a nest for Niko as possible. "If she'll agree to it?"
Clara steps back to let Elasia get Niko settled more effectively, instead adjusting the monitor by the head of the bed and attaching the IV to its side. "Oh, I think I'll let Galahad here explain that after I've left," she offers airily. "Okay, now this is the heartrate. He's at a steady sixty to seventy, which is right. I -don't- want it over 85. Blood pressure at 110 over 70. Also good. This is glucose level. And this is the panic button, which'll grab me or Vryce if there's an emergency. Okay?"
Niko is clearly relieved to be back in the bed, settling against a pillow with a barely-aspirated sigh. "Gee, thanks, Clara," he mumbles. He knows Ela, and thus knows that she'll want an explanation. He lets his eyes close for a moment, then adds, more to himself than anybody else, "Preferably not Vryce."
Elasia tugs the quilts over Niko, tucking him in carefully. The vaguely curious expression on her face implies that Niko has it spot on, she will ask. Clara's explanation however distracts her and she nods, mentally filing away each point. "Check, thank you. And you'll swing by every day and all to make sure I'm getting it right?" She questions with a hopeful smile.
Clara taps at the IV bottle, all but snickering. "This is a cortrazime and
nutrient drip, the former helping to control the pain. You shouldn't need to
do anything to it, since I'll check it daily." She reaches down to ruffle
Niko's hair affably. "Okay, my friend. I'll link the panic button to me, if
it'll make you feel better." She nods at Ela reassuringly. "I will indeed.
But don't let that keep you from calling at -any- time if you need me.
Anytime. Okay?"
Niko is tucked in for the second time in a short span of days, and looking vaguely amused about that fact. Clara's hair-ruffling response earns her a grin of gratitude. "He rubs me the wrong way," he explains sheepishly.
Elasia nods with rueful emphasis, "Thank you, I appreciate that. I'll most
assuredly call if I have a question. As has been previously stated, I'm
rather attached to him and all."
Clara peers down at Niko with a vast amount of amusement and notes, "He's a
grumpy old man," she explains, then turns a warm smile to Ela. "I can tell.
Thank you," she adds quietly, then brusquely tugs at her sweater and
straightens. "Okay, I'll leave you two to set up house. Comm me if I'm
needed," she repeats, then hurries from the room.
Niko peers after Clara with a hint of curiosity, then shakes his head, turning
his attention fully to you. "Thank you, Ela. I really -do- appreciate being
able to get out of there." He pauses, then adds, a little more quietly,
"Especially to be with you."
Elasia fidgets with the edge of the quilt briefly, smoothing it. "I'm just glad to have you here. And here there's a little more peace and quiet if you want it, or I can beat you at board games or something if you like and there's nobody to disturb." There's a pause, "If she'll agree to it?"
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Niko shakes his head very slowly. "Board games," he murmurs. "Uh, yeah. Uh. Clara." He takes a moment to regroup. "Clara suggested that you stay in the bed, too." He pauses a beat, then adds, "I don't want to push, though."
Elasia looks decidedly hopeful at that, "Um, you wouldn't object?" She -tries- to sound nonchalant, but there's too much wistfulness in it.
Niko shakes his head slowly, with a quick smile. "With you? Of course not. Just have to watch the whole heartrate thing, that's all."
Elasia kicks off her shoes carefully, and shrugs off the jacket, sliding carefully into the bed next to you. She's quite tired, having gotten little sleep since the shooting and curls up alongside you. "Think we can manage."
Niko nods his agreement to that. "This," he murmurs, his tone decidedly tired,
"Is good. I think I could get used to this." He muffles a yawn, then adds a
vague apology. "Tired. I'm sorry. I'm really bad company. Maybe if I get a
nap..."
Elasia is somewhat unresponsive sadly, as comforted by your presence, and very
tired indeed, she's already out like a light.
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