New Orleans Is Sinking - Leavetaking
Sep. 29th, 2007 10:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xp_daytripper posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsAt the hospital, certain goodbyes are said.
OOC: Posted early due to impending offlineness.
The seats in the waiting room just didn't get any more comfortable. Amanda perched uncomfortably on the edge of one, trying not to chew on her nails. The waiting before a mission was always the worst, but she wasn't really in a hurry to speed this one up. Not with the implications that had been laid out before them. And she was tired, too - between the work researching things, and visiting the hospital to sit by Angie's bedside, she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. Still, she could always nap on the plane, even if she had to ask Remy or Pete to knock her out to achieve unconsciousness.
Angelo would have had issues with that particular solution, if he'd known it was under consideration. He slipped quietly into the room and came to sit next to her. "Hey. How's she doin'?"
"The same. 'Serious, but stable', which is doctor speak for 'the same'." Amanda sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Still, it's better than getting worse. And she's a fighter - she'll hang on, long as it takes." She gave him a wan smile. "It'll help, knowing she's got mates watching her."
"Stable's good", Angelo said firmly. "Means they're not too worried about her. An' I'll be here... since you have to go." There was an implicit question there.
"We got an angle on who did this, and why, so it's time to go Happen to someone." She paused, biting her lip a little as she took his hand. Hers was a little cold from the sitting around in the air conditioned chill of the hospital. "Ange... it's bad. Real bad."
He squeezed her hand, looking down at her. "Tell me?"
"It's Belladonna." She knew what effect the name would have on him, but she wouldn't lie to him. There were some things she couldn't tell him right now, but she wouldn't lie to him. "Tante called, summoned me and Remy down there. And everything we've dug up points to something big happening in New Orleans." Another pause, before she forced the words out. "If we can't manage this, we..." She had to look away to finish. "We might not make it back."
His face was pale, and lines of strain were visible that hadn't been there a moment before. "You've... we've all been in things before where we might not make it back, right? An' we're still here."
Her back itched in memory. "And I hope it's the same again. I just... after last time, I didn't want to go and not tell you. From what Remy and Pete say, it's going to be close." Maybe too close. Her grip tightened on his hand and she met his eyes again. "I'm sorry, love."
"Some things you have to do", he said quietly, eyes drifting to the door and Angie's room outside. "An' I know you'll do all you can to come back safe. So go get 'em."
"'Yana's staying. To keep an eye on things here, do comms and the like. Protect Angie, if someone decides they need her out of things." She swallowed, glad he wasn't asking her not to go. That he understood. It was her team and her place was with them. "We're leaving from here. Soon as Doug's done saying..." No, not goodbye, that was too final for any of them. "Soon as Doug's done."
"No one's goin' to touch Angie", he said grimly. "I won't leave this buildin' until you get back or until she walks out with me. Except maybe on Illyana's shifts."
"Thanks." She'd known he would, which was why she hadn't asked.
The door to Marie-Ange's room opened, and Doug came out. Amanda's hand tightened on Angelo's. "Looks like it's time," she said reluctantly.
Seeing Amanda and Angelo took the edge off of the vague worry settling in Doug's heart at going to New Orleans while Marie-Ange was still in a hospital bed in New York. It wasn't that he didn't trust Illyana to keep watch, but he wasn't nearly as close to her as some of the other members of the Snow Valley team. The determined look on Angelo's face told him all he needed to know, though. Nothing would happen on his watch. He walked to the pair, stepping in close and wrapping an arm around each in a three-way hug, drawing comfort and support from their presence.
Angelo returned it, silently, not wanting to let either of them go off to New Orleans, but knowing they wouldn't thank him for trying to stop them.
When the hug ended, Amanda's eyes were wet, but she gave Angelo a wan smile nonetheless. "See you in a bit, love," she told him, before leaning up to kiss his cheek.
"Yeah", he said, quiet but firm. "You will."
Doug's hand lingered for a moment on Angelo's shoulder, squeezing firmly as his eyes flicked to Amanda. Some things didn't always need to be said, and the unspoken promise that Doug would do his best to watch out for Amanda while Angelo watched out for Marie-Ange was understood between the two men. As he turned to follow Amanda out, he rolled his shoulders. It was time to go to work.
OOC: Posted early due to impending offlineness.
The seats in the waiting room just didn't get any more comfortable. Amanda perched uncomfortably on the edge of one, trying not to chew on her nails. The waiting before a mission was always the worst, but she wasn't really in a hurry to speed this one up. Not with the implications that had been laid out before them. And she was tired, too - between the work researching things, and visiting the hospital to sit by Angie's bedside, she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. Still, she could always nap on the plane, even if she had to ask Remy or Pete to knock her out to achieve unconsciousness.
Angelo would have had issues with that particular solution, if he'd known it was under consideration. He slipped quietly into the room and came to sit next to her. "Hey. How's she doin'?"
"The same. 'Serious, but stable', which is doctor speak for 'the same'." Amanda sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Still, it's better than getting worse. And she's a fighter - she'll hang on, long as it takes." She gave him a wan smile. "It'll help, knowing she's got mates watching her."
"Stable's good", Angelo said firmly. "Means they're not too worried about her. An' I'll be here... since you have to go." There was an implicit question there.
"We got an angle on who did this, and why, so it's time to go Happen to someone." She paused, biting her lip a little as she took his hand. Hers was a little cold from the sitting around in the air conditioned chill of the hospital. "Ange... it's bad. Real bad."
He squeezed her hand, looking down at her. "Tell me?"
"It's Belladonna." She knew what effect the name would have on him, but she wouldn't lie to him. There were some things she couldn't tell him right now, but she wouldn't lie to him. "Tante called, summoned me and Remy down there. And everything we've dug up points to something big happening in New Orleans." Another pause, before she forced the words out. "If we can't manage this, we..." She had to look away to finish. "We might not make it back."
His face was pale, and lines of strain were visible that hadn't been there a moment before. "You've... we've all been in things before where we might not make it back, right? An' we're still here."
Her back itched in memory. "And I hope it's the same again. I just... after last time, I didn't want to go and not tell you. From what Remy and Pete say, it's going to be close." Maybe too close. Her grip tightened on his hand and she met his eyes again. "I'm sorry, love."
"Some things you have to do", he said quietly, eyes drifting to the door and Angie's room outside. "An' I know you'll do all you can to come back safe. So go get 'em."
"'Yana's staying. To keep an eye on things here, do comms and the like. Protect Angie, if someone decides they need her out of things." She swallowed, glad he wasn't asking her not to go. That he understood. It was her team and her place was with them. "We're leaving from here. Soon as Doug's done saying..." No, not goodbye, that was too final for any of them. "Soon as Doug's done."
"No one's goin' to touch Angie", he said grimly. "I won't leave this buildin' until you get back or until she walks out with me. Except maybe on Illyana's shifts."
"Thanks." She'd known he would, which was why she hadn't asked.
The door to Marie-Ange's room opened, and Doug came out. Amanda's hand tightened on Angelo's. "Looks like it's time," she said reluctantly.
Seeing Amanda and Angelo took the edge off of the vague worry settling in Doug's heart at going to New Orleans while Marie-Ange was still in a hospital bed in New York. It wasn't that he didn't trust Illyana to keep watch, but he wasn't nearly as close to her as some of the other members of the Snow Valley team. The determined look on Angelo's face told him all he needed to know, though. Nothing would happen on his watch. He walked to the pair, stepping in close and wrapping an arm around each in a three-way hug, drawing comfort and support from their presence.
Angelo returned it, silently, not wanting to let either of them go off to New Orleans, but knowing they wouldn't thank him for trying to stop them.
When the hug ended, Amanda's eyes were wet, but she gave Angelo a wan smile nonetheless. "See you in a bit, love," she told him, before leaning up to kiss his cheek.
"Yeah", he said, quiet but firm. "You will."
Doug's hand lingered for a moment on Angelo's shoulder, squeezing firmly as his eyes flicked to Amanda. Some things didn't always need to be said, and the unspoken promise that Doug would do his best to watch out for Amanda while Angelo watched out for Marie-Ange was understood between the two men. As he turned to follow Amanda out, he rolled his shoulders. It was time to go to work.
