Impatient
Rina is a horrible patient and Joshua has the patience of a saint. Thanks, Andy!--Maer.
Saturday, 01 Nov 2521
Plainsboro Hospital
Boros, Georgia (Huang Long) system
Afternoon
"We've strapped you down before, Rina, and I won't hesitate to do it again."
How did she manage to be so stubborn about something that should be basic common sense? Joshua looked at Rina, covered with bandages and an IV tube sticking out of her arm. In fact, it looked like one of her dressings was turning a little red, a sharp contrast against the white bedsheets. She had probably torn open one of her surgical scars, he thought ruefully.
It had not been 2 hours since she had gone through a second major surgery to deal with the aftermath of Meadow and the destruction of the Gift. Yet, here she was, sitting up in bed, insisting on getting out and getting back to work. Staging a "jailbreak" from the sterile hospital confines, for pete's sake.
"I was hoping not to have to ask the hospital staff," and he motioned his head towards a tall but plump nurse in the doorway who was eyeing the situation cautiously. "But if you don't force yourself to stay in that bed for a while, then I won't hesitate to call her over here."
---
I gave the nurse a nod and Joshua a daggered look.
"You want me flat on my back? Then give me something to do while I'm there. Can't stand being trapped with nothing to do." I sketched a wave at the acoustic tiles overhead, the site of countless imaginary drawings executed after I came to from surgery."The ceiling's already full!"
This was not a situation I handled well. It was too strong a reminder of what we’d just gone through, to say nothing of other times in my past I’d rather not revisit. I’d undergone two operations in twenty-four hours, the doctors and staff were decent people and solicitous in their treatment of me but it did little to quell my internal imperative to get the hell out. I flopped back on the pillows with a growl and got a stab in my gut for my trouble. The fact that my injuries wouldn’t let me get twenty yards past my door only made me angrier. For Joshua’s sake I sucked it up and pushed it down. The last thing I wanted or needed was to alarm him into using the straps or worse, having me admitted to the psych ward. No telling what they’d get away with once I’m there, my paranoia whispered, irrational and insistent.
Shut up.
---
"Perhaps sleeping, like you're supposed to be doing?" That was asking for a miracle and Joshua figured he was just about out of them. He sighed and walked over to the nurse and engaged in a brief conversation with her out of Rina's hearing. Then the nurse went off down the hallway and Joshua came back, pulling up one of the non-frills stools over to sit next to her bed. "She'll be back in a few moments with some entertainment. I managed to convince her it would be less trouble and better for the patient to keep you entertained rather than risking you making a run for it. You'd get blood all over the hallway and that's a mess to clean up."
He patted her hand reassuringly. Sometimes he felt like he was dealing with a six year old. But then again, he figured she felt the same way about him every so often. So all was even.
---
"Just pen and paper would be perfect." With enough paper, I could stay occupied for hours. It had saved my sanity many times before. Besides, I doubted they'd have any magazines I could stomach. "I'd be grateful just for that."
I watched Joshua watching me and for the first time saw the crumpled look to him--stubbled chin, wrinkled clothing, lines around his eyes that spoke of fatigue. Contrition swamped me. The last thing the man needed was obstinate obstreperous me.
"I'm an ass. I'm sorry,” I said, meaning it. “When was the last time you slept?"
---
He had to think about it, which probably didn't help him pull off the casual, unconcerned tone he was intending on. "A day and a half ago. I think." He smiled at her reassuringly. Of course, now that she asked, he could feel exhaustion starting to push its way into his system. Or perhaps it had already been there and it was just now revealing itself. Either way, the effect was the same as he barely managed to cover his mouth to hide the huge yawn escaping.
"Don't worry," he said. "Now that Nika is settled and Arden's got her and Kiera is settled into her own hospital bed, I can go get a nap once you go to sleep. Then I'll check myself into the hospital at some point, once I have some hands freed up to help with the ship. Passenger section will need some cleaning. Lots of stains." He didn't much like the passenger section, if he was being honest with himself. Something about it just unsettled him. Too big? Not organized right? More likely the only thing that really bothered him was that it wasn't the Gift. Adjustment was going to take time.
---
"Stains?"
Did he emphasize the word a little too strongly? Alarm bells that had nothing to do with my hatred of being a medical hostage started ringing.
---
He waved his hand dismissively. "I wouldn't worry about it. Probably my tired mind making more of something small than was necessary." It went to show how tired he must be. Practiced observer that he was, he couldn't remember very many details. He'd just get in there and scrub them out tomorrow.
At that point, the nurse showed back up, 3 pens of different colors in one hand and a spiral-bound ledger pad in the other. "Sorry we didn't have anything better, Mr. Drake," she said as she handed them directly to Rina.
Joshua shook his head. "You're a miracle worker finding these, Lucille. I'll buzz you if I need the straps." And he gave Rina the eye as the nurse giggled and wandered out of the room, presumably to check on the other patients that had been put on hold.
---
"Thank you," I whispered to Lucille. I clutched the pens and paper to my chest. I waited until she left before I asked in a more pointed tone, "Stains?"
I hadn't noticed anything the one time I scavved the passenger deck for cleaner sheets en route to Boros. I hadn’t missed the cold storage lockers one deck down, however, or the force field generators containing the aft cargo section. Nor had I missed the lab or the equipment in the main cargo area and it didn’t take much imagination to comprehend the horrors that had taken place there. Shepherd’s Hope was only six months ago and it still had the ability to make me pause. God only knew how it affected Joshua.
---
"It's a dirty ship in places," he replied. "Potemkin was not exactly a model for cleanliness. Although the way you're questioning me, I guess they weren't as noticeable as I remember, but like I said, I'm tired. I'll go in tomorrow and clean them up. You're not allowed to worry." He ran his eyes across all the medical equipment set up at her bedside.
---
"Too late," I sighed, putting the pens and paper aside. "Stains and you in the same sentence have a different meaning than for everyone else. Did you pick up anything when you were down there?"
God knows, residues came in more flavors for a Reader than they did for most people.
---
"I didn't even pick up the dirt, Rina." He rolled his eyes at her. "I appreciate your concern, love, but not let's not go borrowing trouble. Just because you, with enough injuries to bring down a man twice your size, didn't see some minor amounts of dirt on a casual pass through a new ship doesn't mean I'm experiencing residual backlash. Sometimes dirt is just dirt, Rina." He was getting a little snappish, but as he had said several times, he was tired. And when he was tired, he got irritable. Especially when his well-meaning lover figured she knew his abilities better than he did.
---
"Just ... I ...," I faltered and fisted my hands in the sheets. I'd crossed the line. Pissed him off. Was smothering him. "Sorry. Go on. I'll be fine. I'll behave." I hated saying it but he had me dead to rights. I should have known better. I'd read too much into it. "Come back when you can, okay? I'll probably need more paper by then."
After all, Joshua was acting-Captain. That commitment had to come first before me.
---
"I'm going to stay for a while, if you'll have me. Although I may end up taking a nap in that chair over there." In the corner of the room was a large plush chair, obviously intended for family members and friends. By the wear patterns, it was also pretty clear the chair had more than its share of people falling asleep on its comfy cushions.
---
I looked at the chair and then at the room. Nika was with Arden getting her eyes checked by yet another doctor. Kiera had been installed in her own room. Joshua and I were alone, at least for the moment.
"Or you could take your nap over here." I released the sheets and smoothed them down. “I'm not due a temp check for another two hours."
One thing about hospital routine, they rarely varied and every four hours like clockwork Lucille or one of the other nurses on duty would take my vitals and write them down. Annoying as hell for the patient, but necessary.
"There's plenty of room."
---
"Okay, sure," he said, not putting up any real protest. He'd sleep better with her, and maybe she would too, and that'd be good for both of them. He crawled into the bed with her, being careful to climb in on the left side where there was no IV. "Don't let me sleep forever," he ordered as he leaned over her and kissed her on the cheek before putting his head down on the pillow beside her.
---
"I won't." It took us a minute to get everything sorted out, arms, legs, blankets, tubes. I got my left arm around him and put his head on my shoulder.
"Much better."
---
"Yeah. Much better than the chair. You're plushier in the right places." He closed his eyes and let himself drift away from his concerns, at least for a little while.
---
"Sleep," I whispered, his weight against me comforting despite my injuries. My left hand found his hair and stroked it. He was asleep in minutes. When I was sure he wouldn't wake, I pulled the paper and pens into my lap and started working on my to-do list. Passenger deck: clean it. Joshua slept on and I made about twenty sheets of notes and sketches by the time Lucille came back to check my vitals.
---
To read more on Joshua, go to Joshua's Crew Page
Go back to: Timeline Season Four, April 2521 to Dec 2521
Go to Peripatetica - Rina's Journal entry and RP log
Go to Rina's Russian Glossary
Go to Rina's Crew Page
Go to EPISODES or TIMELINE
