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xp_logs2009-06-13 09:57 pm
x-penance.livejournal.com) wrote in xp_logs2009-06-13 09:57 pm
Face the Blood: Yvette and Fred
Yvette wakes up, to discover Fred by her bedside. It's not the only surprise.
Everything hurt and she felt parched, her throat like sandpaper. With a small noise, Yvette opened eyes that felt crusted together and realised that she had to be in a hospital room. Nowhere else had walls so white or beds with metal railings on the side. For a moment she worried about shredding the bedding, the same as she had in the medlab all those years ago, and lifted her hand to check the glove was there... and then she almost stopped breathing. The hand was small and soft, the skin normal, if a bit pale, the fingers the ordinary length... and there was a strange heavy bracelet around her wrist, lights flashing briefly.
An inhibitor? She went to lift herself up and realised her other arm was strapped to the railing, the better to prevent her jostling the tubes that came out of it. Blood going out and then back in again, it seemed. Scrunching up her face, she tried to remember the medical shows Laurie liked to watch - something was wrong with her insides, was the best she could do.
Fred stared from his seat next to Yvette with muted surprise as she moved, almost sure he'd fallen asleep and was dreaming this. He'd come back in as soon as he convinced the others to let him (which was surprisingly quick; a six foot seven, nigh-four hundred pound man could often get what he wanted) and had been sitting next to Yvette since she'd been inhibited.
It was odd, seeing this girl who'd been his best friend, but having to actually look to see her. He, with more care then he'd ever mustered in his life, delicately touched Yvette's free hand.
"Hey...Yvette." His voice was haggard and worn, and his eyes sunken. He plucked a cup of half-melted ice chips from a nearby plate and offered it to the newly awakened girl.
"Fred." Her voice was a cracked whisper, but there was the faintest hint of a smile on her face as she fumbled for the ice - she had gotten used to using her long fingers like chopsticks and for a moment she was groping in the air above the cup. She managed to get the ice to her mouth, however, blessed liquid slipping down her throat. "You are looking tired," she continued, voice stronger. "Have you been sleeping?"
"I've..." Fred let out a long breath that sounded like he had been holding it for hours. He closed his sunken, dark rimmed eyes and when he opened them again, he was offering the biggest smile he could muster, "I'm fine, 'Vette. How are you? How are ya feeling?" his eyes scanned over Yvette, and his hand still held onto hers softly. He'd actually forgotten he was holding it at all, at this point.
"I hurt," she replied honestly, but with another faint, comforting smile. "Like I was being hit by the truck. But I am awake now, so that is the good thing, yes?" She moved her hand slightly within his, marvelling at how small hers was now, without her powers. Her whole body felt strangely light without the habitual stiffness of her armoured skin. "My powers... they are turning them off?"
Fred nodded slowly. He seemed to have a stiffness in him, and appeared to have to fight his body for every small movement, "They, uh...you were hurt pretty bad. They had to get inside ya, and...heh," he gave a weak smile, "They had to turn your powers off tah help yah out. You're..." Fred's small semblance of a smile died, "...they're looking for a donor. I, uh, I tried, but...I'm not the right type..."
"It is all right. They will be finding someone." Yvette said it with more hope than certainty, but she was sure the doctors could help. "The children, Inez, Dori... they are all right, yes? The landmine did not hurt them?"
Fred coughed, and shook his head, "They're...they're just fine, Vette. All of em. You...you did good out there. Me an' Monet finished clearing out the rest earlier when you...you were outta it. Most all of the little bastards, far as we can tell...." He'd caught the lack of certainty in her voice, and squeezed Yvette's hand very very slightly, "You'll be fine, Vette. Forge, and...everyone's out there doin...doin everything they can. They'll find it."
His hand was warm. Yvette could feel it against her skin, just as she could feel the airconditioned air against her face, the texture of the blanket beneath her bare arms and the crisp sheets against her legs and feet, the bows holding the back of the hospital gown together, the dull ache of the needle in her elbow. The bruises from top to toe, it felt like. So much sensation - it was almost too much, but she wouldn't trade it for the world. "Thank you, for making the things safe," she said, then paused. "Fred... would it be the silly thing to ask for..." She bit her lip, and made herself blurt it out. "A mirror? So I can be seeing how I look without the powers?" A blush stained her pale cheeks. tinted her ears.
Fred stared at her for a moment, confused, before he smiled broadly, "Onna' the nurses thought you'd want one," he said with a soft chuckle, and picked up a small mirror from one of the myriad trays laying around and placed it in Yvette's hand.
Her hand trembled a little as she lifted it and she went silent for a long moment, examining the features reflected in the small rectangular piece of glass. Her hair was limp and heavy from time in the hospital, her skin was pale and her eyes shadowed, but she was entranced, nonetheless. Large brown eyes filling with tears, she lay the mirror down on the blanket, taking a shuddering breath. "It is strange," she managed at last, wiping her eyes with the back of her free hand. "That it should take such an accident as this, for me to get my wish." She didn't say it, but if her health was to be the cost for that wish coming true, she was almost happy to pay it.
Fred put his hand on one of the unbruised portions of the arm holding the mirror, and looked sad as Yvette gazed at herself. He knew all too well what it was like to wish to look different than one did, but...to see it happen, to hear someone say that even though it cost them their health to be different...
Fred was at a loss for words, for the moment. He didn't know how Yvette felt. Not really. It wasn't only how she looked, but how she interacted with the world as well. He didn't really know how to respond, so he sat quietly, and let Yvette look at her 'self'...
Collecting herself, she gave Fred another smile, although this one was a little brittle, too much going on underneath, and reached up to touch Fred's cheek. Warm skin and the slight roughness of beard stubble under her fingertips. "I will be well again," she said softly. "And one day, I will not need the inhibitor. But it is good to know what I am working to, yes?"
Fred leaned into Yvette's hand, and placed his large, warm palm almost entirely over the smaller girl's hand, "You ask me, and...Vette, you're beautiful either way. Honestly. But...yea, you work hard, and one day, this'll be what you look like." Fred considered his next words carefully, all to aware of how much eloquence he lacked, "...but it's only part of ya. Remember that. What you look like ain't...it ain't the sum of what ya are..."
Her reply was to smile softly at him, and nod, just once. "Thank you," she murmured. "I will be remembering that, when I am well." Her eyelids were drooping and if it hadn't been for Fred's hand over hers, she would have let it fall tiredly to the bed. "I think it is the time for the nap now, I am afraid. I am so very tired..."
Fred nodded and placed her hand down on the bed, "Yea, of course, Yvette. Get some rest. I'll be right here if ya need anything..." Fred said, and yawned slightly after he'd finished speaking...
Everything hurt and she felt parched, her throat like sandpaper. With a small noise, Yvette opened eyes that felt crusted together and realised that she had to be in a hospital room. Nowhere else had walls so white or beds with metal railings on the side. For a moment she worried about shredding the bedding, the same as she had in the medlab all those years ago, and lifted her hand to check the glove was there... and then she almost stopped breathing. The hand was small and soft, the skin normal, if a bit pale, the fingers the ordinary length... and there was a strange heavy bracelet around her wrist, lights flashing briefly.
An inhibitor? She went to lift herself up and realised her other arm was strapped to the railing, the better to prevent her jostling the tubes that came out of it. Blood going out and then back in again, it seemed. Scrunching up her face, she tried to remember the medical shows Laurie liked to watch - something was wrong with her insides, was the best she could do.
Fred stared from his seat next to Yvette with muted surprise as she moved, almost sure he'd fallen asleep and was dreaming this. He'd come back in as soon as he convinced the others to let him (which was surprisingly quick; a six foot seven, nigh-four hundred pound man could often get what he wanted) and had been sitting next to Yvette since she'd been inhibited.
It was odd, seeing this girl who'd been his best friend, but having to actually look to see her. He, with more care then he'd ever mustered in his life, delicately touched Yvette's free hand.
"Hey...Yvette." His voice was haggard and worn, and his eyes sunken. He plucked a cup of half-melted ice chips from a nearby plate and offered it to the newly awakened girl.
"Fred." Her voice was a cracked whisper, but there was the faintest hint of a smile on her face as she fumbled for the ice - she had gotten used to using her long fingers like chopsticks and for a moment she was groping in the air above the cup. She managed to get the ice to her mouth, however, blessed liquid slipping down her throat. "You are looking tired," she continued, voice stronger. "Have you been sleeping?"
"I've..." Fred let out a long breath that sounded like he had been holding it for hours. He closed his sunken, dark rimmed eyes and when he opened them again, he was offering the biggest smile he could muster, "I'm fine, 'Vette. How are you? How are ya feeling?" his eyes scanned over Yvette, and his hand still held onto hers softly. He'd actually forgotten he was holding it at all, at this point.
"I hurt," she replied honestly, but with another faint, comforting smile. "Like I was being hit by the truck. But I am awake now, so that is the good thing, yes?" She moved her hand slightly within his, marvelling at how small hers was now, without her powers. Her whole body felt strangely light without the habitual stiffness of her armoured skin. "My powers... they are turning them off?"
Fred nodded slowly. He seemed to have a stiffness in him, and appeared to have to fight his body for every small movement, "They, uh...you were hurt pretty bad. They had to get inside ya, and...heh," he gave a weak smile, "They had to turn your powers off tah help yah out. You're..." Fred's small semblance of a smile died, "...they're looking for a donor. I, uh, I tried, but...I'm not the right type..."
"It is all right. They will be finding someone." Yvette said it with more hope than certainty, but she was sure the doctors could help. "The children, Inez, Dori... they are all right, yes? The landmine did not hurt them?"
Fred coughed, and shook his head, "They're...they're just fine, Vette. All of em. You...you did good out there. Me an' Monet finished clearing out the rest earlier when you...you were outta it. Most all of the little bastards, far as we can tell...." He'd caught the lack of certainty in her voice, and squeezed Yvette's hand very very slightly, "You'll be fine, Vette. Forge, and...everyone's out there doin...doin everything they can. They'll find it."
His hand was warm. Yvette could feel it against her skin, just as she could feel the airconditioned air against her face, the texture of the blanket beneath her bare arms and the crisp sheets against her legs and feet, the bows holding the back of the hospital gown together, the dull ache of the needle in her elbow. The bruises from top to toe, it felt like. So much sensation - it was almost too much, but she wouldn't trade it for the world. "Thank you, for making the things safe," she said, then paused. "Fred... would it be the silly thing to ask for..." She bit her lip, and made herself blurt it out. "A mirror? So I can be seeing how I look without the powers?" A blush stained her pale cheeks. tinted her ears.
Fred stared at her for a moment, confused, before he smiled broadly, "Onna' the nurses thought you'd want one," he said with a soft chuckle, and picked up a small mirror from one of the myriad trays laying around and placed it in Yvette's hand.
Her hand trembled a little as she lifted it and she went silent for a long moment, examining the features reflected in the small rectangular piece of glass. Her hair was limp and heavy from time in the hospital, her skin was pale and her eyes shadowed, but she was entranced, nonetheless. Large brown eyes filling with tears, she lay the mirror down on the blanket, taking a shuddering breath. "It is strange," she managed at last, wiping her eyes with the back of her free hand. "That it should take such an accident as this, for me to get my wish." She didn't say it, but if her health was to be the cost for that wish coming true, she was almost happy to pay it.
Fred put his hand on one of the unbruised portions of the arm holding the mirror, and looked sad as Yvette gazed at herself. He knew all too well what it was like to wish to look different than one did, but...to see it happen, to hear someone say that even though it cost them their health to be different...
Fred was at a loss for words, for the moment. He didn't know how Yvette felt. Not really. It wasn't only how she looked, but how she interacted with the world as well. He didn't really know how to respond, so he sat quietly, and let Yvette look at her 'self'...
Collecting herself, she gave Fred another smile, although this one was a little brittle, too much going on underneath, and reached up to touch Fred's cheek. Warm skin and the slight roughness of beard stubble under her fingertips. "I will be well again," she said softly. "And one day, I will not need the inhibitor. But it is good to know what I am working to, yes?"
Fred leaned into Yvette's hand, and placed his large, warm palm almost entirely over the smaller girl's hand, "You ask me, and...Vette, you're beautiful either way. Honestly. But...yea, you work hard, and one day, this'll be what you look like." Fred considered his next words carefully, all to aware of how much eloquence he lacked, "...but it's only part of ya. Remember that. What you look like ain't...it ain't the sum of what ya are..."
Her reply was to smile softly at him, and nod, just once. "Thank you," she murmured. "I will be remembering that, when I am well." Her eyelids were drooping and if it hadn't been for Fred's hand over hers, she would have let it fall tiredly to the bed. "I think it is the time for the nap now, I am afraid. I am so very tired..."
Fred nodded and placed her hand down on the bed, "Yea, of course, Yvette. Get some rest. I'll be right here if ya need anything..." Fred said, and yawned slightly after he'd finished speaking...