xp_logs | Angelo and Amanda (Reply)

He goes to visit her, finally, and they talk about various pressing issues. And Frank and Alison.

Some things never changed. Medlab was still slightly chilly, smelled funny, and was as boring as all fuck. Amanda yawned, and poked at the laptop on the hospital table over the bed in front of her, hoping for some kind of distraction. Nothing was forthcoming.

Angelo provided a timely distraction, knocking tentatively on the door of her room and hovering in the doorway. "Hey. How's it goin'?"

"Ange!" Amanda pushed the table away, a smile lighting up her too-pale face. "What was all that shite 'bout only comin' down if I wanted yer to, yer pillock?"

Angelo shrugged uncomfortably, ignoring the slight twinge from his still-sore shoulder. "Just wanted to make sure."

"Yer a dope. 'Course it's okay." She nodded at the chair. "Come 'n sit down an' talk. Keeps me mind off things."

Angelo nodded, reassured, and moved further into the room to sit down. "How's it goin'?"

"Fine. Well, mostly fine. 'M still really tired an' it takes a lot out of me t' do anythin' much. An' I ain't even tryin' any magic for a bit - still rechargin'." Her hand moved to the crystal, which was glowing slightly. "They reckon I'll be as good as new in a couple of weeks. Just wish they'd let me do all this sleepin' in me own bed. I hate it down here." She looked at him searchingly. "You?"

He glanced down with a shrug, but knew she'd call him on a lie. "Been better. But I'm gettin' by."

"'M sorry." Amanda bit her lip. "I shouldn't have let you be there. Should've known Rack would fuck you over."

Angelo looked at her steadily. "Hey. It was my choice, remember? Or have you forgotten what I said?"

"No. But I still should've done more t' protect you. I knew what a bastard Rack is... was. An' he went straight for the stuff that would hurt the most." Amanda winced slightly as the link throbbed emptily in the back of her head, reminding her just how much Rack had taken advantage of the situation, of Angelo.

He shook his head. "You told me the score. Not your fault I forgot."

"If it hadn't been that, it would've been somethin' else. He was a sneaky cunt," Amanda pointed out, trying to ignore the link, but finding it was like trying not to think about the elephant, and it was proving difficult. "Like Rom, only he used the magic t' hurt people." She rubbed her head. "Ange, do you know what's happened t' Manny? Rack opened the link, an' he should be there on the other end of it, but he's not. There's nothin', or worse 'n nothin'."

Angelo shrugged, hiding his reaction to Manuel's name. "Haven't seen him, so you probably know as much as I do."

"Fuck it!" Amanda pounded one fist into the bed, ignoring the frantic 'pinging' of the brainwave monitoring machine she was still hooked up to. "Somethin's happened, an' no-one will fuckin' tell me a thing!" With effort, she calmed herself, the outburst leaving her shaking slightly with fatigue. "'M sorry, just there's this feelin' in me head an' I don't know how t' fix it. An' I'm worried the link did somethin' to him, that Rack did something to it."

Angelo blinked. "Stop it, or I'm leavin'. An' tellin' the docs to sedate you. I'd tell you if I knew." He paused, remembering something. "John was goin' on about naked Spaniards in the kitchen yesterday, whatever that means. Thought he was just exaggeratin', or somethin'..."

"I know yer'd tell me. Just... fuck." She rubbed her temples irritably. "Mood's all over the fuckin' place as well." Taking another deep breath, she nodded. "I saw that. Somethin's definitely wrong. I'll just have t' pester the docs til they tell me. What a fuckin' mess this all is. Trust Rack t' find a way to screw me over, even dead." She looked at Angelo, a thought occurring to her. "This ain't yer fault, neither, so don't start blamin' yerself for it."

"Who else's fault is it?" Angelo asked flatly. "Well, Rack, obviously, but he didn't have what he needed 'til I went an' opened my mouth."

"He would've found a way t' get in me head eventually. You might have made it a bit quicker, is all. But he wouldn't've had an in at all if I hadn't made the fuckin' link in the first place. Bloody thing's done nothin' but cause trouble." Amanda leaned forward, her tone earnest. "You stopped me from killin' him. An' that's more important than anythin' else that happened."

Angelo nodded, accepting it, mindful of what Nathan had said about not turning his anger on himself. "Yeah, you're probably right, even if some wouldn't see it that way. They weren't there, so what do they know, right?" he said would-be lightly.

"Exactly. An' since they weren't there, it ain't none of their business any way. Far as I'm concerned, 's a family matter, an' I ain't about t' share the details with no-one." Amanda's tone was firm.

Angelo looked up at her. "Family?" he asked softly, something like hope in his tone. "An'... no-one at all?"

"'S what I said. Both parts," she replied. "I ain't even told Pete exactly what happened, an' it's gunna stay that way. Won't help nothin', an' like I said, it ain't anyone's business."

Angelo nodded. "An'... Manuel?" he asked hesitantly. "What if he asks, when he's got through whatever's up with him?"

"I'll tell him Rack broke Rom's spell. An' that's it. Ain't like I'm lyin', an' he don't need t' know anythin' else." Amanda leaned back on the pillows , suddenly exhausted again, the mention of Manuel's name tugging at the link. "He won't hear 'bout it from me."

Angelo nodded - that was all he'd wanted to hear. "Thanks. Don't need him gettin' another reason t'hate me." He eyed her in sudden concern, not missing her obvious exhaustion. "You okay? I can go whenever you're too tired."

"Stay, please? I don't... I don't wanna be alone. I keep havin' these dreams, 'bout what happened, that Pete an' Emma didn't turn up in time." She shuddered a little.

Angelo nodded, reaching for her hand to reassure her. "I'll stay as long as you want. God knows I know what that's like."

"Thought you might." She noticed his slight wince as he reached for her hand. "What happened t' yer shoulder?"

Angelo froze for a moment before consciously relaxing. "Oh, nothin' much. Nathan decided to try somethin' different in the way of therapy, is all. Worked, too."

Amanda rolled her eyes a little at that. "'S a bloke thing, ain't it?" she asked, the tiredness in her voice overlaid with amusement. "Male bondin' rituals involvin' tossin' each other around or somethin', right?"

"Somethin' like that", Angelo answered lightly. "He was tryin' to make me angry, I think. An' he's pretty good at it."

"He's sort of like Pete. Irritatin', in a whole sneaky 's good for you way." Amanda decided not to press why Nate would think Angelo would need to get angry, although she had her guesses. Something to chase up later, when she wasn't so bloody tired all the time. Instead she settled for squeezing Angelo's hand slightly and changing the subject. "So, were you about for this whole thing with Alison an' me lizard?"

Angelo laughed. "Only what I saw on the journal after, that post with hundreds of comments. Who knew she was lizard-phobic?"

With a grin, Amanda nodded. "Somethin' t' remember, I think. Could be handy, knowin' the Devil Woman has a weak spot..."