xp_logs | Angelo and Nathan (Reply)

A medlab visit. Takes place after Amanda's first visit when Nate's actually conscious.

As soon as Amanda came out of Nathan's cubicle, looking tired still but relieved and considerably happier, Angelo was on his feet and heading for the door. She hadn't said anything about Nathan being asleep, but all the same, he pushed the door open tentatively and looked into the room to make sure the older man hadn't drifted off before he went in.

Nathan wasn't quite asleep. Nor was he quite awake. He was just kind of... drifting. He could feel the bed under him, but it didn't seem to be quite staying put in the room. And the ceiling was swimming. Not such a bad thing, though. The pain was there, but off at a nice little distance, where he didn't have to pay too much attention to it.

Angelo, seeing that Nathan's eyes were open and assuming that meant it was okay, walked the rest of the way into the room. "Hey", he said quietly.

Nathan turned his head a little on the pillow, or rather, let it fall sideways - it felt so heavy that he didn't think he could have sat up if he'd tried - and blinked at Angelo for a moment. "Hey," he said finally, his voice hoarse, sounding distant even to his own ears. "Why... why're you on Muir?"

Angelo raised an eyebrow - Nathan was obviously more out of it than he'd thought. "...Because I'm not? You're back at the mansion..."

"Oh..." That was funny. "Thought this was Muir." Nathan blinked around at the room, a bit bewildered. "You sure?" Because he very distinctly remembered being on Muir, and... well, actually, he didn't remember much beyond that.

Angelo nodded, eyeing him with some concern. "Yeah, I'm sure. You were on Muir... somethin'... happened, an' they brought you back."

"Wait... I do remember." Moira, telling him they were going back and that she was going to make sure he slept through the flight. Amanda, bending over him and calling him a pillock... or a plonker? Both, maybe. "Sorry," Nathan said, trying to make himself smile at Angelo. The muscles in his face didn't seem to want to respond particularly well to the command from his brain. Maybe his brain wasn't talking loud enough? "Kind of... high as a kite here."

Angelo nodded. "Yeah, I got that idea. No bad thing, either."

"Except when I forgot... where I am," Nathan said, trying to make a joke out of it. "Or what day it is." He stopped, pondering that question for a moment. "Sunday?" he guessed.

Angelo blinked, studying him with renewed concern. "Uh. No. Tuesday..." He figured it was probably the drugs having that effect. At least, he hoped it was...

"Hate losing time," Nathan said with a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. "So... Tuesday. Mansion. Medlab again..." Another sigh escaped him. "Getting tired of this..."

Angelo nodded sympathetically. "Anyone would." He hesitated, before asking tentatively, "...What did happen?"

Nathan was silent for a moment, trying to think about it. It was more than hazy - head injury, he thought - and he wasn't precisely sure what he should be telling Angelo. "Don't know who they were," he said finally. "Hidden... they were hidden by another telepath. Came upstairs in the middle of the night."

"On Muir?" Angelo asked, paying close attention. "In the complex?" His fists clenched before he made them relax. "Are the kids okay, do you know?"

"In the castle," Nathan said, frowning as he tried to remember. Something... Rory had said something about there being no damage in the clinic. "Nothing happened in the clinic... I think."

Angelo nodded, relieved. "So what did they want?"

"Didn't... stop to ask them," Nathan murmured, but flinched as he suddenly remembered the one throwing the grenade in after Moira.

Angelo frowned, but didn't push that particular question. "So d'you remember what happened then?" he asked.

"No," Nathan muttered, raising his good hand and rubbing at his eyes. "Don't remember anything until later..."

Angelo nodded. "Right." He cast about for another topic of conversation, and came up with, "Anyone else been down yet?"

"I'm not sure..." Nathan managed another wan smile. "Don't think I've been alone much."

"Well, no, I can see how some people wouldn't want to let you out of their sight right now", Angelo deadpanned. "I'm startin' to think Amanda's plastic bubble isn't such a bad idea."

"Ganging up on me," Nathan sighed, trying for a martyred tone. "Bullies, the lot of you..."

"Well, if you will keep goin' off an' comin' back stabbed or shot..."

"Never actually my fault..."

Angelo chuckled. "Maybe not. But you're comin' close to beatin' mine an' Amanda's medlab record. Put together."

"I'm an overachiever." Nathan let his head roll back on the pillow, regarding the ceiling again. "Guess the sparring's going to have to wait a bit," he murmured apologetically.

Angelo raised an eyebrow. "Oh, surely not. Thought you'd be happy to spar when you've just had bullets taken out of you. Duh."

"Always seems to be something," Nathan muttered. "Not being real good at holding up my end of the bargain..."

Angelo frowned. "Hey - like you said, not your fault. There'll be time for sparrin' when you're on your feet again."

"Still," Nathan whispered, his eyes drifting shut again. "Feel bad... keep winding up flat on my back when there's so much to do..."

Angelo watched him carefully, unsure whether or not he was falling asleep. "You let Amanda do her thing, you'll be up an' around in no time."

"That'd be good..."

Realizing that Nathan was, in fact, drifting off, Angelo got up quietly and padded towards the door. "Yeah, it would. Be well soon."