Just Kidding [Open]

[unrecovered]

Who: Wash and whoever wants to visit him
What: Guess who has another near-death experience to add to the pile!
Where: Medbay
When: The day after this, so also after Time Ripples and Mind Slayer
Warnings/Notes: None yet

Wash wakes up slowly. He's sore, and in an unfamiliar bed, and for a brief moment he thinks of Connie and wonders if he doubled down on that mistake-

Oh. No, he's in medical. Different kind of mistake, then.

It doesn't take long for the staff to notice he's awake and give him the rundown. The bullet caused massive damage to his lung (entry wound was fairly standard; exit wound was a mess); he's only alive because Chief and Dave brought got him to medical in time, and even then he was touch and go for a little bit; yes, that is Dave in the bed next to him, but it's exhaustion from power overuse and he'll be fine once he's had some rest; Wash has healed up fine thanks to his healing factor, but he's still on bed rest until tomorrow at the earliest. The nurse imparting that last piece of information has one of the sternest glares he thinks he's ever seen, and they don't let up until Wash raises his hands in surrender. "Okay. Bed rest. Got it."

That's evidently good enough, and they leave him to his own devices and thoughts he'd rather avoid. Superheroing for months, facing down assassins in his fucking memories and twisted amped-up comic villains and Darth Vader, and he nearly dies because of a sniper that wasn't in the briefing of a mission that should've been a milk run. Christ.

He wonders if the news got out. It's been more than twelve hours, so probably. That probably caused one hell of a ruckus. He can probably look forward to having company, then. Should be fun, for certain what-do-you-mean-you-nearly-died-again flavors of "fun."

Maybe he can catch someone before they come in and get them to bring him fruit from the mess. He can hope, right?

Comments

[isthisapidge]

Does Wash go to the hospital an inordinate amount? It sure feels like it, though Pidge would have to analyze the actual hospital records to say for sure. Either way, it's too often for Pidge's tastes. Every time is a brand new set of odds that he makes it through whatever misadventure it is with his life.

You can't play that many time and not risk snake eyes.

"You're the only guy I know," she says, peering through the door to see if he's awake, "who can go on a mission with a super-solider and a time traveler and still end up the target."

The humor in her voice is ever so slightly strained. She's just...still not used to this.

[unrecovered]

Wash does wind up in medical quite a bit, namely because he's usually first in line to volunteer to take a bullet for someone else.

Not that that's how it played out this time, but nonetheless.

He raises an eyebrow as Pidge peeks in. "In sniper lingo, they call that a sure shot." Go for the one you can actually kill: in this case, the dumbass in front of the open window.

[isthisapidge]

"Never thought you'd be the sure shot..."

It was kind of meant to be a joke, but it has less humor in it than she intended. She's not stupid enough to think that Wash is invincible, but maybe she kind of wants him to be?

None of these are thoughts she knows how to express, so she stays silent. Which makes her feel weird, so she breaks eye-contact and looks at the floor. He's fine, he's recovering, she's just worrying for no reason. That's all.

[unrecovered]

"It happens more often than I like to admit." Of course, for some people Locus there's a blurred line between sure shot and favored target, but that hadn't been the case here.

But the jokes are falling flat, and Pidge doesn't look too good, so Wash abandons the humor and instead pats the bed next to him. "Hey, c'mere." Pidge is a hugger, and a hug helped Dave earlier, so hopefully it'll work for her as well.

[isthisapidge]

She does, wrapping her arms around his waist. It helps but Pidge is prone to overthinking, and she hates the thought that someone as strong as Wash can go on a mission that should by all rights be routine, be easy mode and then come back in a body bag, because then it makes her think how hard it might be for someone else who isn't as strong...

...Which is about where she has to kill that thought or she'll fall apart which she knows won't help Wash. The few tears forming in her eyes, that's fine, but she doesn't want to go any further.

"Sorry," she says, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

[unrecovered]

He pulls her the rest of the way onto the bed and wraps his arms around her. She apologizes and- oh, she's crying. Just because he's come to terms with his own mortality and its likelihood to rear up and bite him at any time doesn't mean that everyone around him has, and right now it's hitting Pidge harder than it ever had him. He holds her tightly, gently stroking her hair. "It's okay. It's okay."