xp_logs | Nathan and Angelo, Saturday afternoon

A very pleased Angelo visits Nathan, who's not pleased that he's pleased.

When Angelo walked through the door of Nathan's infirmary room, his boss and mentor was growling at Amelia as she helped him into bed. "-don't mind pushing it," he groused, "but don't lie about it. I don't need to be coddled. If you wanted me to make a circuit of this whole level, you should have just said so."

"I wasn't sure you were up to it," the red-haired doctor said briskly.

Nathan all but bared his teeth at her. "I'm not a cripple, woman. I can handle a five-minute walk." He was an unhealthy shade of pale, however, sweat standing out visibly on his forehead and lines of pain carved deeply into his face.

"Mmm. Do you want some painkillers?"

"No."

"I'll be back in ten minutes when you've changed your mind," Amelia said, adjusting his sheets and then giving Angelo a raised-eyebrow on her way out of the room.

Angelo grinned at her shamelessly. "I'll see if I can talk him into it. Nate, you really should take her up on that, you don't look so good."

"And why are you smiling?" Nathan demanded, wheezing as he shifted position on the bed. God, his ribs hurt. Insanely so, really.

"I've been readin' the journals", Angelo informed him cheerfully, settling in his usual chair. "You finally saw sense."

"If you gloat, I may throw you out. There's nothing wrong with my brain."

"I let you gloat at me after the whole thing in Budapest", he pointed out. "An' you know I've wanted you to do this for at least a year."

"This is different." Nathan finally found a position that was at least less uncomfortable, unable to help a sigh. "'Hah, hah, you can never tease me about breaking my brain again' is not 'Hah, hah, you have to stop fighting the good fight and let your friends go out and risk their lives without you'."

"You're not givin' up the good fight", Angelo said more quietly. "You're still helpin' the team with trainin', you said so. An' there's Elpis."

"I know all the logical reasons." And he'd made the decision, one way or the other, and wasn't going to unmake it. "That doesn't mean this is going to be easy." His faint smile didn't have much in the way of humor about it. "You don't really understand. That's not your fault -you're still young, and still partially convinced that you're immortal. Your body hasn't let you down like mine has."

"Still can't not be happy you did it. Accepted you had to, whatever."

"I'm not asking you to. Just don't make light of it."

"Not really light of it. Promise."

"Right." Nathan tried to take a deep breath, wincing at the hitch in his breathing. "This is going to suck if I can't climb anymore," he mumbled.

Angelo nodded, knowing full well that was true. "Take it slow, maybe? Start with the easy climbs... when Moira says you can, anyway."

"That's way down the line anyway," Nathan muttered, trying to relax. "For now I get to sit here and mope."

"Oh no you don't. Well, for right now you do, I guess, Amelia'd do somethin' nasty if I tried anythin' to help with that yet, but later you get to come back to work. With me an' Dom." He offered a slightly devilish grin.

"Oh, yes," Nathan said dryly. "Looking forward to that." He closed his eyes, trying to suppress another wince. Only pure stubbornness kept him from asking Angelo to go get Amelia.

Well, that and knowing she'd be in here in a few minutes, just like she said. She was terribly predictable.