xp_logs | Rahne and Nathan, medlab, Thursday morning (Reply)

Backdated to Thursday morning. Rahne stops by the medlab and finds Nathan awake this time. They talk briefly about That Damned Button, and Nathan asks her to keep a discreet eye on Moira for him.

There was a light knock on the door, and Nathan opened his eyes, blinking around, a little surprised when he realized he was alone. "Come in?" he called a bit hoarsely, then couldn't help a weary smile when the door opened to reveal Rahne. "Hey," he said softly, glad to see her. Here was someone who wasn't going to bully him or drug him.

"Good mornin'." Rahne matched her volume to his and came over to the bed. "How're ye feeling?" She'd wanted to come down and visit him earlier, but until now her timing had been atrocious: every time she'd got to the medlab, he was unconscious.

"Not too bad," he said, and it wasn't entirely a lie. There was something about her that just made him feel better when she was around. "Little clearer-headed this morning..."

"I'm nane too sure that's hard," Rahne said wryly. "I'm glad, though."

"I'm.. perfectly clear-headed most of the time," Nathan protested a bit feebly.

"Well, I'm sure 'tis harder to be when ye've been shot in it." Or when you're dealing with determined dimwits, she tried not to think too loudly.

Nathan heard the thought, but let it go. He really didn't want to think about Manuel today. Despite Askani's reassurances, he was still worried about what the boy might come up with. "Sort of shot... across it," he corrected, helpfully. "Bullet just grazed my skull..."

Rahne turned her eyes to the ceiling for a moment. "Aye, well, it still can't help."

"Well, no..." He laid there, smiling a little tiredly up at her. "How're exams?"

"Not bad. I've had the worst timing trying to get down here since ye got back, though. I always came when ye were asleep."

Nathan made a face. "People keep... drugging me." He eyed the IV button with a frown.

Rahne glanced at it. "I thought that was the kind ye're supposed to control yuirself."

"You'd think so."

"Not going quite that way?"

"Let's just put it... this way," Nathan grumbled. "It's everyone's... new favorite toy."

Rahne gently patted an uninjured section of arm. "Well, I'll be letting it alone... I suppose ye've been worrying them."

"Just because I don't... like drugs," he muttered, a bit more petulantly than he'd intended. He tried to smile again, telling himself not to take his frustration out on Rahne. "Sorry."

"Well, I wouldna call that the *only* reason."

"I know..." Smiling got a little easier at the look she was giving him. "Guess... I'm making a bad habit of this, huh?"

Rahne smiled back a bit. "I doona think we'd mind if ye ever saw yuir way clear to stop."

"Going to do my best. Promise." He turned his head on the pillow, raising his good hand to rub at his eyes. "Apparently... might even get a shower today. Though I guess the leg has to go in a garbage bag or something..."

"I expect that'll be a relief."

"You... have no idea." Nathan studied her for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. It took more effort than it should have. "Rahne... can I ask you something?"

She blinked. "Aye. What is it?"

"Have you... seen much of Moira since we got back?" Nathan hesitated, then went on a bit ruefully. If it got back to Moira that he'd been quizzing students about her, they were liable to have words. "It just... seems like she spends too much time down here with me. I know she's not sleeping well. Worrying that she's not eating well, either..."

Rahne frowned. "I've no seen her that much, but I doona, always." She favored him with a small, wry smile. "Somehow I'm thinking what the two of ye call her spending 'too much' time down here with ye might be different things, though. I canna do anything about her sleeping, but I can bring food and hover."

"I think they call this a conspiracy," Nathan said lightly. "Don't... need to hover, Rahne. But if you could check up on her from time to time... make sure she's not skipping meals entirely..." He gave her a tired smile. "Hard to... bully her properly when I'm like this..."

"I do like talking to her, ye ken. And I like watching people eat what I've cooked."

"Then... I think we've got a conspiracy," Nathan said, chuckling wearily. "Appreciate it, Rahne... I worry so much about her..." He cut himself off, blinking at how easily that had slipped out.

"I'd got that idea." She looked mischievous. "I can feed ye too, if ye're up to it."

Nathan gave her his best puppy-dog eyes. "Non-hospital-type food?"

Rahne countered with her best miffed expression. "Have ye ever seen me cook hospital-type food?"

"Not once," Nathan said, giving her a penitent look. "Forgive me... for even suggesting it?"

"That's better." The miffedness slipped as a smile got through after all.