xp_logs | Angelo, Domino and Nathan, Sunday evening

Nathan wakes up. Angelo and Domino are gleeful.

Domino's text message had been far from reassuring. 'INFIRMARY NOW' it had read, and brought Angelo racing in from the boathouse at close to top speed. It was probably safe to say that there were certain things he had half-expected to find, reaching the infirmary sublevel. Domino pacing back and forth in the hall outside Nathan's room fit many of them, but the sparkling violet eyes that met his, and the way she all but bounced as she saw him did not.

That was, indeed, unexpected, and he stopped dead in the corridor to take it in for a second. The next moment, he'd closed the gap between them and scooped her up off the floor to spin her round, laughing with the knowledge there was only one thing it could mean.

It provoked what could only be described as a fit of giggles from her, too, as she hugged him back fiercely. "...I wish I could take credit," Dom said as he set her back down, "but I was sitting there reading, minding my own business. Looked up from my book and there he was, blinking at me." As Angelo released her, she took his hand and drew him over to the door to Nathan's room. Through the window, Amelia could be seen, bending over the bed and shining a light into Nathan's eyes. Moira was on the other side of the bed, holding his hand.

Nathan looked groggy, and thoroughly disgusted at whatever else Amelia was saying or doing, but he was moving, and most definitely awake.

"He's awake", Angelo said almost exultantly, just for the sake of hearing it out loud, then turned to her with a sudden concern. "An' he's okay? I mean, he looks it from that look he's givin' Amelia, but..." He had been unconscious for a very long time.

"Apparently he's responsive in all the good ways." Domino's smile was half-teasing, half-relieved. "I picked up on that much before they shooed me out. Although he's really not with it." Her smile faded briefly. "I guess that's normal. I heard Amelia say he might be in and out for a couple of days yet."

"Well, I guess you need recovery time even after you wake up. Better than still waitin'", he answered, determinedly cheerful. "Rachel's probably dancin' now."

Domino grinned, peering through the door again. "Now we can get on with never letting him live this down!"

His own grin grew to match hers, wickedly. "That we can. Think I'll leave the office closed for today, celebration like... an' how much mileage d'you think we can get out of Rachel's little bed incident?"

"Oh, loads."

--

A few minutes, they'd been told, and even if they'd been inclined to push their luck, neither of them would have under the circumstances. When they were finally let into the room, Nathan appeared to be asleep again, although he was wearing a nasal cannula instead of the full oxygen mask, and his head turned towards them as they entered, unfocused gray eyes opening halfway and following their movement.

Domino hesitated, then went over and bent over the bed, her lips brushing his forehead for an instant. "Happy August, old man. I thought you were actually shooting for September at this rate."

"We've been waitin' for you", Angelo added from his place at her shoulder. "An' keepin' the office runnin'. You owe us big time, Dad." That last word was half-unconscious, half-ironic and teasing after he caught himself starting to say it.

Nathan arched an eyebrow, swallowing visibly before he managed to speak, his voice rusty-sounding. "No raises."

"Tatiana might have somethin' to say about that. 'Cept I'm not tellin' you why an' she promised she wouldn't either, so maybe she wouldn't."

Nathan's expression turned perplexed, in a hazy sort of way, but his eyelids were drooping, as if focusing on the conversation was taking energy he didn't have. Domino's expression was watchful as she gazed down at him.

"I see why they said only a couple of minutes," she said, glancing back at Angelo.

"We could probably stay", he said almost hopefully. "Long as we let him sleep, we wouldn't be doin' any harm, right?

Domino shrugged cheerfully. "I'm up for seeing how long we can hold out until they drag us out by our hair if you are," she said.