[hospital - march 26]

[missthis_ass]

It's been a few days and Chloe still feels like shit.

She'd needed a transfusion, she's been treated for smoke inhalation, she's been stitched and patched and her left ankle is elevated to help treat the sprain. The scrape along her left thigh has been covered and she feels like a rag doll, bits and pieces of other things sewn together to make one whole being. Besides that, she's restless and bored, itching to get out of this hospital bed and, if nothing else, at least recuperate in her own home surrounded by her own things. She's not used to having to rely on others for help. It's not a feeling she enjoys.

Yesterday hadn't been so bad, she'd been able to avoid having to see anyone under the doctor's orders, but she's stabilized now and she's free to have visitors, which isn't something Chloe wants and something she's sure she's not going to be able to avoid.

Nate will be here, she knows that for certain, especially given everything she'd said to him on the cusp of unconsciousness. Now, lying in this hospital bed, she isn't sure whether or not she regrets it, but she also doesn't have any idea what's going to happen from here on. Nate might not even say anything, but she knows if he gives her a hard time about it, she's going to wait until she's feeling better and then she's going to kick his ass.

Coop will be here, too, without a doubt. Knowing he'd gotten out without injury had come as a great relief, but given the state of her, she has a feeling he's going to find some way to be a pain in her ass. A part of her is almost looking forward to that, though, if only because it means he's alive and well and she didn't screw up by getting him seriously injured.

She has no idea who else knows. No idea who else Nate might have told. She hopes, probably pointlessly, that he hasn't told anyone, that she might get a few days of rest before she has to head back out and deal with this failure.

As soon as she closes her eyes and lays her head on the pillow, her door opens, and she sighs softly. Apparently a bit of rest is just not in the cards.

Comments

[hellofarebel]

Now that Poe's gone through the whole panic and losing his mind little episode about Coop, he's let the other news process about Chloe. All that relief in hearing that Coop's fine had pretty much dissipated when he'd heard about her condition. She's only a friend and a new one, at that, but at the same time, Poe wouldn't wish those kinds of injuries on anyone outside the First Order.

He heads to the liquor store for a bottle of whiskey, buys a giant bouquet of flowers, and then heads to the hospital. It takes a little sneaking past nurse's stations and one really intense sob story to an orderly where he lies about his poor sister that's sick before he gets to the room.

Peering past the open door, he eyes the inside, not going in just yet. "Is everyone decent?"

[missthis_ass]

This one is Coop's fault.

"Go away," she answers, although she knows that's not going to actually send Poe anywhere and truthfully, if she lets herself consider it, maybe she'd like the company. Maybe. If there's anyone she can tell about what she'd stupidly said to Nate in the midst of nearly dying, it's probably Poe. Coop wouldn't have any idea what to do with that information and given their own close relationship, she's not sure she wants to tell him at all simply because she doesn't know what it does or doesn't mean.

If Nate tries to talk to her about it, she's going to have to tell him about Coop. It's all just complicated, a mess she's made worse by admitting how she feels.

So Poe is probably one of the least difficult people to face right now and even though she's scowling, she still says, "I'm not naked if that's what you're asking and if you are, I'd say you're a little ahead of yourself. It's going to be at least a day or two before I'm up for anything of the sort."

[hellofarebel]

If she thinks that he's going away, then she definitely hasn't met Poe Dameron when he's being fully hotheaded and stubborn, which roughly usually only happens when it's life or death, but he's happy to make exceptions in these cases. Heading inside with the flowers, he closes the door behind him. "I meant more whether they were putting tubes and testing you for anything, but glad to hear there's decency too," he says.

"I come bearing gifts," Poe also leads with next, because he figures that's the part that Chloe is actually going to care about. Lifting up the alcohol and the flowers, he sets them on the table next to her bed. "How are they treating you?"

[missthis_ass]

"I'm fairly certain I was just impaled, not exposed to any particularly deadly viruses, so there's not much they need to test you," she answers, looking at the flowers with an arched eyebrow. They're an odd thing, flowers are. She'd joked with Coop once about how it would be nice to get a bouquet just to feel appreciated and she does like the look of them for as long as they stay alive, but she's not sure anyone has ever given any to her before. Trust Poe to be the first one to do so.

The alcohol is a much more welcome sight, even if she knows she can't drink it at the moment.

"I'm fine," she says. "They're doing their jobs, patching me up, filing me back up with blood and saline. It'll be a few more days before I'm out of here, but in the meantime, it's not the worst place in the world, I suppose." Which isn't to say she likes it, she'd much rather be at home, but the doctors and nurses are kind enough.

[hellofarebel]

"No, but they might be cleaning you up," he points out, dropping down into the visitor's seat once he's settled the flowers and the booze on the little table beside her, trying to mask the worry. He manages it in his expression, even though it still lingers in his eyes. "What happened?" he asks, shaking his head in bewilderment.

He knows the basics, of course, and he's fairly sure he believes them, but he's still not sure how anything could be worth this. Then again, he was nearly tortured to death for a cause, so maybe Poe's not exactly allowed to have those thoughts.

"Did they say when you'd be able to get out of here?"

[a_capella_boy]

Jesse was getting really tired of visiting people he knew in the hospital. Sure it was only two people but that was two people too many. He could only really blame Victra and Chloe so much though. It wasn't like they ever pretended to be anything other than people who took risks or did dangerous things.

That didn't mean he had to like it though. Or be happy that Chloe was in the hospital with a hole in her stomach. Because that was definitely not something he would be happy about.

Jesse waited a few days before he visited Chloe to give her a chance to rest up. That gave him enough time to devise some slightly passive-aggressive ways to show his displeasure with her getting injured. He waited until one of the nurses assured him that Chloe was awake. Knocking on her door he stuck his head in and grinned at her.

"Hey. I heard that there's someone here who could use a little cheering up. But since you're the only one here I guess you'll do," he said before stepping in. He had a bouquet of flowers with a card that had "Get Well Soon" crossed out and "Stop Doing Stupid Shit" written instead. There was also a giant ass bear for what he hoped was maximum mortification. If she looked close enough she might see that the bear had the same injuries she did, including a hole through the stomach.

[missthis_ass]

"What the hell is that?"

She can see what it is. It's the biggest bloody stuffed bear she's ever seen in her entire life and she immediately wants to set fire to it. Given her burns, that's probably not the best idea, especially in a hospital, but she's already considering how long it'll be before she can get away with having a little bonfire out in the country to do away with it. It's horrifying. Which is exactly why Jesse is bringing it.

"It's not enough that I failed to get what I was looking for and fell through a floor, you have to bring me the most frightening stuffed bear that's ever been made?" she asks, throwing him a dirty look, although there's a decided lack of real heat behind her expression or her words. Maybe it's not so terrible to have a visitor after all. At least it's not Nate coming to look for an explanation.

[a_capella_boy]

"Hey, you're lucky I didn't decide to bring my daughter with me instead," Jesse said because he was pretty sure he could have guessed about much she would have enjoyed something like that. He only wanted to mildly annoy her though, not cause her physical pain. So he'd settled on the wounded bear. Plus, it amused him that she had this giant, cuddly thing in here.

"But Mr. Snuggles here is for you to center all your rage and frustration on so that when you're better you can take him into the woods and shoot him, then set fire to him, and dancing amid the flames of his demise," Jesse said, setting the giant bear down in one of the chair before heading over to her bed, hands stuck in his pockets. "I'm glad you survived the fall though."

[missthis_ass]

Jesse's daughter doesn't bother her, really, Chloe likes kids well enough. She doesn't want any of her own, but when they belong to other people, she can appreciate that they're certainly cute in their way. He's right, though, a hospital and her injuries probably aren't going to mesh well with a toddler.

"He's very creepy. I'll enjoy setting him on fire very much, thank you," she answers with a laugh. The laughter hurts a little, but she'll take the pain if it means she's alive. Chloe has been in danger before, but she's never come this close to death before. It's not an experience she wishes she keep.

"You and me both, love," she agrees. "It wasn't much fun, let me tell you."

[a_capella_boy]

"Hey, what can I say? I'm just a thoughtful guy," Jesse said with a grin. It was good to hear her laugh, glad that she can still find the humor in stuff. Not that he didn't think she'd bounce back, she was tough, but she still ended up with some pretty serious wounds and there was no telling how that sort of thing was going to affect you. It was still pretty crappy to see her in the hospital like this.

"So how long do they have you in here for and how long are you actually going to stay?" he asked. Because Chloe was the sort that if she decided she wasn't going to stay in the hospital anymore he doubted they would be able to keep her.

[rancho_weirdo]

"You're an asshole."

Coop doesn't know if she's asleep and he also doesn't care. He's going to wake her asshole self up to bother her because he can't remember the last time he'd been freaked out like he had been. Seeing her come out of that building with Nate, looking like death itself tended to frighten a guy. He was grateful that she was alive but he was going to make her pay the price for freaking him out.

There was a bag slung over his shoulder with supplies he'd need to make sure she knew she was an asshole but there was also a look of relief on his face.

"Wake up," he said as he came into the room. "No sleep allowed while I'm here. I need you to entertain me."

[missthis_ass]

"How can I be an asshole when I got you a present?" Chloe asks in return and she has to admit she's glad to see him. When she'd been in that basement, even in the state she'd been in, Coop had been one of her primary concerns. Getting out of there had been a much bigger concern, of course, and making sure Nate didn't die while trying to save her had been a priority, but she'd worried about Coop. It was her fault all three of them had been there, after all, and she would have never been able to forgive herself if he hadn't gotten out of that building.

Admittedly, the necklace she'd grabbed hadn't originally been for him, but Chloe definitely owes him after everything he'd done. The locket is solid gold and beautifully carved and she's sure he'll be able to sell it for a fairly hefty price, given the right buyer.

"All my things are in that little cupboard over there," she says, nodding to the door by the chair. "Check in my jacket pocket."

[rancho_weirdo]

"While that's a good start to not being an asshole, you're still an asshole because you've got a hole in your body," Coop told her, shaking his head. He tugged a chair closer to her bed and dropped his bag carefully on it before he went over to the indicated cupboard.

After fishing around in the pocket for a second, he held up the necklace, eyes wide. It looked like real gold and even he was able to appreciate the craftsmanship of the piece.

Coop whistled and let the necklace hang loosely from his fingers. "You sure you want to give this to me? You might need to use it to pay your hospital pills since you fell on a fucking pole and lost about eighty tons of blood."

It had been pretty fucking terrifying to see Nate carrying her out, coated in her own blood. Worse, he'd been able to do nothing to help.

Sighing, Coop came back over to the chair and took a seat, settling the necklace on his knee. "You don't need to give me presents, you know."

[missthis_ass]

"Well, I sort of feel like I owe you, after almost getting you killed and all," she answers, rolling the shoulder on the uninjured side of her body in a shrug. She tries to make it seem as if it isn't a big deal at all, as if she hasn't spent the last day and a half talking herself out of her guilt. They'd all gone into the situation willingly enough and they're all thieves, they all know the risks posed in the situations they're prone to finding themselves in.

Chloe's scores never tend to do this wrong, though. She'd used to burning buildings and bone crunching falls when working with Nate, but that's when Nate is in charge. When she's in charge, no one else gets hurt. She might, but that's a risk she's willing to take. Others, though? They're not supposed to be in any sort of danger.

"And it was only a few pints of blood," she says with a wave of her hand. "Barely enough to need a transfusion."

[rancho_weirdo]

"Oh, you owe me for more than that and I tend to take payment a little later," Coop said before he unzipped his bag and pulled something out. He hid it behind his hand and then behind his back.

"Close your eyes, I have a present of my own to give you," Coop told her, waiting patiently. He'd thought about how to tell her that he'd grabbed the compass right before Nate had shoved him out of that building but with her injured and Nate distraught, he'd held onto the knowledge until now.

"Close 'em or this present stays with me and you're really going to like it," he told her, eyebrows going up. "And you're just going to adore me."

[sicparvasmagna]

They haven't let him see her, no matter how much arguing he'd done. They'd stuck an oxygen mask on him and wheeled her away the second they got to the hospital, and he hasn't seen her since. For his own part, after the oxygen and dressing the burn to his shoulder they'd let him go, but he's spent most of the time since pacing the hospital waiting room.

He knows the staff are about as sick of him as he is of them, but eventually they tell him that Chloe is ready for visitors, and suddenly that's when he falters. He's spent the last twenty-four hours demanding to be allowed to see her, to make sure she's okay, but when faced with the possibility of actually seeing her, he can't bring himself to walk in the room. He remembers the things she'd said to him, clear as day, only Nate doesn't know why she said them. Part of him is convinced that it's just because she'd been delirious, because she thought she was going to die. He doesn't know how much truth there is to it and the idea of having that conversation with that pressure lifted is somewhat terrifying. They've never done this, never talked openly about what they are to each other and he hardly knows where to start.

He's only ever been in this position once before, and somehow it's harder this time around. This time he has no idea how things are going to turn out, what she might say to him now that she's clear-headed. He wishes Sully were here, wishes he could give him some kind of guidance, but he's not and Nate's not a kid anymore, either. He knows this is something he and Chloe have to work out like adults, he just doesn't know how.

He waits about as long as he can, watching various people come and go, but eventually he knows he can't put it off anymore. First, he runs down the block to get her a box of take-out, knowing from personal experience exactly how shitty the hospital food is. He forgoes flowers or chocolates or any sappy get well cards, knowing she's just as likely to throw them back in his face. Then he knocks on her door, opens it a little and pokes his head inside. "Room service," he calls, and it's probably not the time for jokes, but he doesn't know what else to say, not yet.

[missthis_ass]

The sound of his voice does a strange thing to her, something it's never done before. The closest it's ever come is the first time he'd called her after she'd walked away from him and Elena, leaving them together to be whatever it was they wanted to be. Hearing his voice come over the line, asking her to come with him on another job, something inside of her had tightened and clenched before it had suddenly relaxed, because it was Nate. And none of that happened between them before would change that.

Besides, at the time of that call, there had been Charlie and Charlie had been a hell of a distraction.

This is similar to that. Her chest tightens painfully and she lifts her hand to lightly touch her breastbone, as if she'll be able to rub away the pain. And at the same time, she's flooded with relief. He's here, he's fine, she hadn't accidentally killed him trying to find this compass and he doesn't hate her enough to avoid her. More than that, she hadn't scared him off with what she'd said to him just before losing consciousness.

Whether or not that's a good thing, she's not sure yet.

"Oh, god, thank you for not bringing flowers," she says when he comes into the room with what looks like take-out instead of another bouquet. She appreciates that Poe and Jesse had come to visit, but now there are two bouquets in her room, along with the world's largest stuffed bear, which is sitting facing the corner, as she'd requested, because the damn thing is too creepy for her to look at for very long.

[sicparvasmagna]

He'd watched people come and go so he's not surprised to see the bouquets already littering the room. The stuffed bear gives him pause for a moment, faced towards the wall as though she's put it there on purpose, and he almost laughs. It dies in his throat at the sight of her though, stitched and bandaged and in a hospital bed. On some level, he knows that this was always a possibility. They've worked in this business long enough to know that things don't always go according to plan, that sometimes things get more dangerous more quickly than they expected, but somehow he'd thought things would be different in Darrow.

Darrow has never held the same level of danger for him, maybe because he's trapped within these four walls. He can't go gallivanting off to some long forgotten city and have it collapse around him, no longer has to worry about armed goons chasing him halfway across the world with guns. There isn't any of that here, but Chloe still ended up in hospital, because everything he touches really does turn to shit.

Nate edges his way into the room, puts the box of food on her bedside table and then just looks at her for a moment, not sure what to say. It's not often that he's at a loss like this, but the combination of seeing her injured and knowing the things she'd said to him before she passed out has left him rattled. It seems wrong to joke around like nothing happened, but he's not sure how much she remembers or even if she was properly aware she was saying anything.

"How are you feeling?" he settles on eventually, because that's the sort of thing you're supposed to ask someone who's in hospital. He does want to hear that she's doing okay besides. "I thought you might be hungry, for starters, but now I'm worried that bear might've killed your appetite."

[missthis_ass]

"Awful, isn't it? I plan on burning it once I'm out of here." And once she's capable of carrying the thing out to some safe place to set fire to it. She hadn't actually thought of that yet and she realizes she's going to be expected to take it home first, then wonders if she can pawn it off on some poor, sick child instead. They'd probably love it and she'd be praised for being selfless when all she really wants to do is make sure the damn thing never gets through the front door of her flat.

She realizes she's putting too much thought into the bear, but it's just that the thing is easier to consider than Nate. The moments after she'd fallen through the floor aren't all clear, some of the memories hazy from the trauma of her injuries, the shock, but she knows well enough to know what she'd said to him. And she doesn't regret it exactly, she just doesn't have the slightest idea what it might mean or where they go from here.

They're not traditional. She's not traditional. Hell, she doesn't even know if that's what he would want from her. He hadn't said he loved her in return, after all, because while she'd slipped into unconsciousness not long after, she thinks she would have remembered it had he returned the sentiment. A part of her wants to just forget she'd said it at all. Another, much larger part of her wants to bring it up again. She doesn't think she minds that he knows.

"I feel like hell," she answers honestly, her voice softening a little. "I'm sore and I'm tired and they insisted I'm not bleeding internally, but everything feels a little... off. Suppose that's what happens when one gets impaled through the torso with a rebar, though."

[sicparvasmagna]

He's not surprised to hear she hates the bear and he's glad he'd gone the food route instead of buying her more cheesy get well souvenirs. It's never really been their style, though it's noteworthy, he thinks, just how many people in this place care about her. She's let more people get near her in Darrow than he's ever seen before, and he knows that part of that is that they can't go anywhere else, but it's still interesting. He's never seen her let anyone in but Charlie before, but here she is, in a hospital room full of flowers and get well cards and stuffed bears.

He pulls a chair over to the side of her bed and sits down, his eyes checking her over as she speaks. She doesn't lie to him, which is good, but he would have been able to call her on any bullshit pretty easily. She looks like shit, in as much as Chloe can, and he knows he'd come close to losing her. Uncomfortably close, and the reminder of the rebar makes him wince.

Pulling that thing out of her, hands slippery with blood, is not a memory he's going to forget in a hurry. He wishes he could. He'd been half hoping that after they were done patching him up the details would be a little fuzzy, but he remembers it clear as day, remembers the sound of her screaming. He has to push that away, focus on the fact that she's here, alive and recovering and apparently well enough to joke about it now.

"I thought I was gonna lose you, for a minute there," he admits, the words escaping before he can really think about stopping them. At the time he'd been so intent on reassuring her that they were going to be fine, but when they'd wheeled her away into the ambulance there was a part of him that was terrified he wouldn't see her again.

[outofspace]

Therese doesn't have the first idea what she's supposed to do.

Visiting people in the hospital isn't exactly one of her strong suits, bringing back old, faded childhood memories of her father before he died, hooked up to machines to enable him to breathe. Neither is talking about her own feelings, no matter how overwhelming they might be, and the fact remains that she's become close to Chloe in a way she never really lets herself get with anyone. That they've also slept together is, in this instance, irrelevant. She's not used to having such good friends, and she doesn't quite know what to do now, or how to pretend like she isn't more than a little frightened. Chloe is supposed to be stable now, which is the only reason she's able to visit at all, but that doesn't make the thought of what happened to her and the injuries she sustained any easier to stomach.

Though she's fairly certain that she's supposed to bring a gift or at least a card or something of the sort, she can't find or think of anything suitable. Maybe next time, she thinks, taking advantage of holding nothing and wringing her hands as she stands by the doorway, hesitant as ever. "Chloe?" she asks. "Is it alright to come in?"

[missthis_ass]

Therese is one of the few people whose very presence doesn't immediately make Chloe wants to bury her head under her pillow. When she has to see Nate, she knows it isn't going to be easy and while she's not usually one to stress about her personal relationships, this is all new territory for her. For the both of them.

And while her friendship with Therese has been as physical as the one she's had with Coop, when it comes to Therese, it's felt like they've always had an understanding. With Coop their feelings had gotten involved and he had, in essence, just dumped her.

Somehow, when it comes to Therese, she feels like she doesn't have to worry about the complications.

"Please," she says. "I need a woman in this room after the sausage party of a day I've had."

[outofspace]

Even in spite of the circumstances, Therese can't help but smile at that, letting her hands drop back to her sides as she walks into the room and towards the chair at Chloe's bedside. It's strange, unsettlingly so, to see her like this, but the fact of that is slightly overridden by the relief of seeing her at least somewhat alright. If she isn't yet, she will be, anyway, and that seems like the most important thing. It isn't her place to question or judge Chloe's line of work or admonish her for getting herself hurt, no matter how worried she might be.

"In that case," she says, a mild attempt at levity. "How are you feeling? I would have come sooner, if they'd let me." Sometimes she wonders if a relationship like theirs — nothing at all like any she's had before — should be too complex, too easily muddled. Instead, it feels remarkably simple. She can say things like that without worrying too much that it will come across the wrong way; she can care for Chloe in a way that's entirely separate from anything physical. After the all-encompassing intensity of what she'd felt for Carol, it's a bit like a breath of fresh air.

[missthis_ass]

"I more or less feel like shit," she admits, figuring there's no sense in pretending she's otherwise, not when she knows she looks like shit, too. Her hair has been washed, but it's uncombed, pulled back in a hasty ponytail and while she's not usually prone to wearing much makeup, she'd seen herself in the bathroom mirror earlier, had caught sight of her wan complexion and the dark circles under her eyes.

"I know they wouldn't let anyone in until just a little while ago. I've seen a few people." Not Nate, not yet. She's not sure what to think about that yet. Whether he's hiding or just trying to give her space.

"But thanks for coming," she says and then gives a small smile. "This is the first time I've had to stay in a hospital and I'm absolutely certain I'm going to hate everything about it for the next few days."

[outofspace]

"I can't imagine there's anything fun about being stuck in here," Therese says, fingers drumming absently against the arm of the little chair. "I'd probably be losing my mind, too." Chloe seems far less inclined to stay still than she is herself, too, which could only make this all the more maddening. She might be uncomfortably reminded of childhood, but at least she's never been laid up in a place like this, left to grow restless and with strangers coming in and out to check on her. If by being here she can make this a little easier, just for a little while, then it will be worth it.

Granted, she doesn't actually think of herself as being particularly good company, but Chloe has seemed to like having her around thus far, and she must at least be better than impersonal and too cheery medical staff with their noses buried in the charts they carry around.

"Is there anything I can bring you while you're still here? Something better to eat than hospital food, maybe?"