xp_logs | Angelo and Amanda; Angelo and Rachel, yesterday

Amanda comes down to find Angelo, and guilts him into getting some food and a shower and spending some time with Rachel.

Nathan was sleeping again, fitfully, and true to his word, Angelo was sitting curled up in one of the chairs - not on the floor for once - watching over him.

Steps rang on the metal corridor outside and stopped at the door. There was a slight creak as it was opened and Amanda peered around, noting Nathan was asleep before meeting Angelo's eyes. "Hey," she said softly. "How's he doing?"

"Sleepin'", he said tiredly, looking up at her. "An' I think the fever's down some. Not really sure, though."

"He probably needs it," she asked, nodding at Nathan. "Come outside for a second? I don't want to wake him up."

He glanced again at Nathan, but then nodded and levered himself up, stretching his legs out. "Sure."

"I talked to Moira, she said he's doing as best as can be expected," she told him as he joined her in the hall and half-closed the door behind him. "But he's going through a rough time. How're you holding up?"

Angelo shrugged slightly, leaning against the wall. "I'm... managin'. Stayin' with him when I can, even if Dr. Voght keeps takin' me back upstairs when I fall asleep."

"You look like shite," she told him plainly, moving to stand next to him, leaning one shoulder against the wall and looking up at him with concern. She'd obviously come straight from work, wearing a pair of charcoal grey slacks and a white cotton blouse, her hair braided back out of her face. "When was the last time you ate or took a shower?"

"I ate this mornin'", he said defensively. "Shower... yesterday? I think?" It hadn't been today, he knew that...

"Ange, you need to look after yourself too... What use are you going to be for him if you drive yourself into the ground?" Amanda cut herself off, realising her tone was getting hectoring. "Take a short break, get yourself cleaned up, eat something that isn't sandwiches and soup. Voight'll tell us if anything happens and you can come right back. Please?"

"Amanda..." He glanced back at the door, automatically. "Anythin' could happen. An' it could happen fast. You know that."

"And d'you think they'll let you stay in there if it does? The doctors need room to work and they'll ask you to wait outside if anything happens. We've both been down here often enough to know that." Worry made her vehement and she reached out to touch his shoulder. "If not for yourself, then for Rachel? She's up there fretting herself to death because her dad's sick and her mum's busy taking care of him and the people she knows best are all off in San Diego or flat on their backs with overload or insane busy... She needs someone she loves, Ange, and that's not me. It's you."

That, of all things, was what got his attention, and he turned to look at her in sudden worry. "Rachel's upset? Rahne's not been with her?"

"Sure she has. But Rahne's only one person, Ange, and she's trying to work down here as well, help out the docs, seeing how she's the only one left of the old medlab crew and Jennie's got her own worries." It was probably a low blow, but she was worried about him. "She needs help and I know Rachel needs her Uncle Angelo."

"That's just cheatin'", he told her, but there was no heat to it. "But... okay. Where is she?"

"I never fight fair, you know that." She smiled a little at him. "She's in the nursery down here, you know the one Moira made for her and Billy? Rahne's there with her but she's dead on her feet. And I'd take her but... well, I'm not good with babies." Especially not telepathic ones linked to a feverish man. "Xavier's checking the link she's got with Nathan, but yeah, she's not a happy camper."

"Okay" he said again, defeated. "I'll go in an' sit with her. Not like it's far away anyway."

Amanda sighed a little under her breath and let her hand fall away from his shoulder, pushing herself upright. "I'd suggest maybe some fresh air would be good, but I think I've pushed things too far already," she said with a faintly wry tone. "I'll go get you something a bit more substantial to eat, maybe a change of clothes, before I go."

"Not goin' that far from the medlab", he said with a quiet nod. "But... I promise to eat an' change, yeah. Thanks."

Gone were the days when she could have bullied him around, it seemed. "You're welcome," she said, evenly. "Tell you what - I'll go sort that now and then when I get back you can go to Rachel. I'll sit with him while you're gone and let you know the second if anything changes."

That got more of a smile, though still tired. "Appreciate it. All of it - I know you're just tryin' to keep everybody okay."

"Just trying to do what I can," she replied, returning the smile, although not touching him as she might have done before. Pushy. You're too damn pushy, Sefton. You never learn. "I'll be back down in a bit."

Later, he goes to see Rachel, who proceeds to be sulky and precocious and very slightly Creepy Telepathic Baby. But still cute!

He'd eaten, he'd showered, now it was time for Rachel. She was sitting in her playpen when Angelo pushed open the door to the nursery, grizzling and looking decidedly unhappy with the world.

"Mah!" she said immediately, holding out her arms to him. "Mahmahmahmah!" It was close to an imperious demand to be picked up. Why she wasn't just floating up out of the playpen was unclear.

Possibly because if she did that, she didn't get cuddled at the same time. "You want up, huh?" he said with a crooked grin, leaning down to oblige. "C'mere, then."

Rachel flung her arms around his neck in what was very nearly a chokehold, babbling a series of indignant consonants as she snuggled against him. The playpen behind them rattled just a little.

Fortunately, she was too little for it to be a very strong chokehold just yet, so he didn't try to prise her off. "Hey there, chiquita", he said soothingly. "It's okay."

She hid her face against his neck and made a sound that was half-distressed, half-angry. She released the chokehold, but only to grab his shirt. The playpen rattled again.

"I mean it", he told her, freeing a hand to try and get her to look at him. "He's gonna be okay."

Rachel looked up at him with a furious, stubborn expression on her little face - and then tried to punch him in the nose.

"Hey!" he protested, avoiding the tiny flailing fist. "What... he's sleepin', Ray. He can't talk to you right now."

"AAAAAAH!" Rachel screamed at him, and then blinked when he didn't visibly react. "Mah?"

"No, throwin' a tantrum isn't goin' to make... well, it might make him wake up, but that's not good."

"Mmph!" Rachel pushed at his chest, making terrible faces. There was not, however, even the slightest sign of a single tear.

"Tell you what", he conceded. "We can go stand in the door an' you can see he's okay. But you need to be quiet, okay?"

Rachel proceeded to shock him by nodding. Maybe it was in response to the familiar word 'okay', or maybe it wasn't. But it certainly looked like agreement.

He blinked at her for a few seconds, then shook it off and proceeded to keep his promise, carrying her to the doorway of Nathan's room.