Visiting Hours

[hasstandards]

Characters: RED Sniper (hasstandards), BLU Sniper (bye_to_yer_head), RED Pyro (notintehkitchen), Chibiterasu (chibibrushheir), and you!*
When: Mid-December
Where: Hospital
Rating: PGish
Summary: RED Sniper awakens in the hospital, having been dragged there after his rescue. His injuries are severe, but he's about to get some visitors.

* Feasibly, he could have several visitors with the span of time he

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[hasstandards]

That bitterness welled in him, bleeding into his voice once more. "I'm stuck in this awful place in the future where I've lost literally everything, trapped in a hospital, can't even get out of bed, and I feel like I've been 'it by a bloody train. How do you think I'm feeling?"

RED lowered his head as he pushed his fingers to his eyes again, pain simultaneously fueling his temper and stifling any reaction he had to it. He groaned, cursing whatever medication they had him on under his breath for its ineffectiveness. Not that it would have done any good for what was the larger problem, one he still wasn't sure how to face. He couldn't admit it to even himself that he was still dealing with the loss of everything he'd known: his job, his lifestyle, and his parents- a remorse over their unknown fate weighed on him. He thrived on those unchanging elements, that at the end of the day, he'd still have what made him comfortable with life.

It wasn't just that he didn't have confidence in Pyro's suggestion that those who had brought them to Paradise- wizards, gods, whichever- could somehow magic them back to their original time and that everything would be as if they never left; it was that everything he'd known and worked for and the only people in the world he genuinely cared about had been suddenly ripped away. He'd never earned their approval, obtained that singular goal he'd deemed nigh unreachable. He couldn't call up Mum and Dad and tell them about his work- he had neither the job nor his parents any longer. It felt like a waste, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

Nothing, save for moving forward. It was never an option he liked, but when the only choice he had was to change and adapt, it was the choice he had to take. He shook his head at some inner conflict, taking a set of deep breaths as he pushed down his feelings once more. He couldn't get his eyes off the bed; they'd locked themselves somewhere in his lap. He mumbled to himself quietly. "I suppose it could always be worse."

[bye_to_yer_head]

"I'm sure you'll foind a way t' make it worse. Seems t' be your hallmark. I only known you for three days an' you've shot at people, pissed off yer teammates, had a tree cut down on ya and then got your arse handed t' you so bad you've been in a coma for a coupla weeks. If anyone can make it worse, it would be you."

He meant every word of that. He had no idea how Pyro could stand being around this guy, especially if they were the same base. He turned to glare at him and let go another cutting remark, but it died in his throat and he struggled to keep his face impassive.

"Sorry mate, it's hard t' talk to you when you're wearin' that. I sorta want t' pet you."

[hasstandards]

A peevish noise escaped RED as he started fiddling with the sleeve of the hooded shirt again, still unable to get it past the cast on his arm with only two fingers. He hadn't the physical strength to tear it, either. His teeth ground themselves together behind his lips- just one more thing he was incapable of doing without help.

Worse was that admittance he had to make to himself: BLU was right. It wasn't as though he hadn't known it before- his life as a whole was a series of him struggling against his natural tendency to make things worse for himself and everyone around him, all the while doing just that- but to have his rival point out every misstep he'd made since his arrival in Paradise was throwing salt on an open wound.

Even worse was the wardrobe. Somehow, that burned his pride more than the tree giving him a concussion or the part where his elbow was smashed into ten pieces. "Don't remind me. This is probably what I get for not puttin' it on in the store. Now I'm stuck in it because I can't get it over these bloody casts."

[bye_to_yer_head]

"Pretty sure that's how Pyro shows she cares." He couldn't help but smirk at RED's discomfort. He'd be mortified to be stuck in that sweater, but this wasn't him, this was his rival who had shot him when he was unarmed and stolen his things.

"I'm honestly not sure how she got it on ya in th' first place." BLU hadn't stuck around once Pyro had shown up and announced her intentions. He wanted no part in undressing his rival. "It's not that bad ... Alroight.. It is."

[hasstandards]

There was about half a second before RED's face lost some of its color, save for a light flush of his cheeks as he thought a little too much about how Pyro had gotten that shirt on him in the first place. He already didn't like to think about the fact that she'd seen him in the nude plenty of times in their base's showers; knowing she'd dressed his bandaged and broken form in the hospital was something he'd hoped he'd never think about.

And now he was. Score another point for BLU.

He shook his head, at least trying knock the hood back. When it didn't budge, he tried to pull it down with his hand, only to bump the splints on his fingers. He pulled his hand to him with a hiss, cradling it against his chest. He retorted in anger: "I don't need her help any more than I need you remindin' me how ridiculous I look!"

[chibibrushheir]

Chibi hadn't done anything but listen up to that point, but as the shirt kept comining up and RED obviously hated it for some reason, the wolf finally sat up and took the hood in his teeth and carefully tugged it back. He'd cut it open next if the fidgeting kept up, but for now he laid back down, the hat slipping forward to cover his eyes.

[bye_to_yer_head]

BLU smirked again. "Well you look a bit more loike yerself now. 'Cept fer th' bandage round yer head. You look a bit loike that outfit Scout wore durin' Halloween."

He picked his knife and bow back up to start carving again. "If you want I can make you a knoife t' keep ya company. You'd 'ave t' hold it in yer teeth but it would be somethin'."

And it would be made out of part of a dragon, but he figured RED wouldn't believe him anyway.

[hasstandards]

RED uttered a word of gratitude as Chibiterasu resettled next to his leg, his fingers still throbbing painfully. There was a moment of silence as he was trying to discern if BLU's offer was genuine. After all he'd done- and had brought upon himself, by everyone's admission but his own- there was absolutely no reason for BLU to make such an offer in seriousness.

Then again, perhaps he'd do it for the same reason RED himself had wanted to fix his gun- a desire for a challenge, laced with a pinch of guilt somewhere.

His initial reaction won out. "Don't patronize me," he scoffed, turning his eyes to the other man's face.

[bye_to_yer_head]

"I wasn't. But if you feel better foightin' off whoever did this with th' power of lookin' like a seven year old in dog pajamas, 'ave a go at it then." BLU shrugged, making a big show of nonchalance, but inwardly he was seething. The guy shoots him, steals from him, makes him deal with his teammate that he injured, BLU pulls him out of an alley and saves his life and somehow it still isn't enough to just be civil to each other.

Behind his glasses his eyes harden and he goes back to work on his bow with far more violence than necessary.

[hasstandards]

RED's eyes narrowed behind his own lenses as BLU hit a chord in him: above all else at that moment, past wanting his weapons and freedom back, beyond desiring a way back to their time and to the life he'd had... he ultimately wanted revenge against the spook who had left him in that sorry state, if for no other reason than for personal satisfaction. He justified it as all tying together: he wouldn't have lost his weapons or been hospitalized without the masked man's beating.

That was a burn in and of itself: the vigilante had let him live by some move of mercy. It was, first and foremost, one of the most crippling blows to his pride. Secondly, it was a mistake, one Sniper was determined would come back to haunt the assailant when he was bleeding on the pavement himself. RED didn't live by the same rules, didn't subscribe to the ways of Paradise; it was kill or be killed. He was not going to return the favor of mercy if given the chance.

It left him puzzled as for what to do in regards to BLU. One man, a stranger, had left him alive, but broken, weaponless, and bleeding to death in an alley; the other, a man whose job was to kill him, had pulled him from that alley, was the reason he'd survived, and was now offering a weapon to fight someone who had almost done his job for him.

His brow furrowed, suspicion coloring his features. "Why?"

[bye_to_yer_head]

The BLU glared back at him. Was he really going to have to spell things out for the RED? He knew REDs were thickheaded but this was a bit much. "Why not? If you'd open yer eyes instead of bein' such a bloody drongo you would 'ave noticed we're not at war here. Much as you seem t' be tryin' t' start one all on your own."

On a deeper level, one that Sniper wasn't even willing to admit to himself, the RED reminded him of home. So did Pyro and Medic and Scout and the Engineer that seemed to have vanished. Sure they were on opposite teams, but they all came from the same way of life which was a comfort in this topsy turvy place that had futuristic technology and bizarre inhabitants. And though BLU basically wanted to be left alone, this place rattled him, and having people around who he could identify with helped to solidify him.

Glancing back down at his bow he made a few passes with his knife before speaking again. "It would give me somethin' t' do. This place is roight boring without anythin' t' shoot."

[hasstandards]

"Hn." His breath was forced out of him in frustration, that shred of pride he held onto so dearly still conflicting with that part of him that knew and accepted that he couldn't do this completely on his own, and that survival was the key factor. If he was to survive, he'd need to curb his pride, even for a moment. "I'm not tryin' to start some bloody war. I just-"

Another breath in cut off his answer, stifling it. There had been an end to that statement somewhere in him, but he wasn't sure what it was. That he was frustrated with the changes forced upon him? That he felt completely helpless for the first time decades? That he clung to whatever he could that was familiar out of desperation? It made him sound so pathetic; he was not willing to face that, not even if he was the only one who knew the reason.

He closed his eyes, his hand returning to scratching behind Chibi's ears in an unconscious effort to regain some sense of self. The simple act took him to a better place.

He swallowed that lump growing in his throat, his voice dropping. "Right. I, um." Another pause. "I'd appreciate it."

[bye_to_yer_head]

BLU managed to bite down another sarcastic response about REDs ability to start wars, or in this case, to ablvoid them. Well he had come here to get some measure of revenge, it just wasn't in him to be downright cruel. RED was already completely incapacitated, unable to walk or move or probably even feed himself. And while BLU was thoroughly enjoying carving a bow he woukd later shoot the man with while in his presence, he had every intent of being perfectly civil to him.

The fact remained that even though BLUs Machina was still in pieces he at least had his knife still and, once modified, the rifle he had taken from the police station. His counterpart on the other hand was totally unarmed, and for a Sniper that just wouldn't do.

"Alroight. Gimmie a week or so."

And with that he turned back to his bow, wood shavings curling around his feet.

[chibibrushheir]

What neither of them knew was that Chibiterasu was perfectly capable of fixing many things and could easily fix BLU's gun. Of course, he didn't know it was broken, so for now that didn't matter.

For now he was just here to be with his friends, and help RED if he needed it, which he seemed to be a bit by just being here to pet.

[hasstandards]

RED's eyes affixed themselves out the window again, watching as a light snow was starting to fall. He tried to mask the bitterness from his face as he was forced to live with his circumstances, another debt toward his rival created. Even more than he hated that indebtedness, than he despised his being brought to Paradise and all the consequences that came with it, he loathed his inability to change what he couldn't accept. He was a disappointment in his own eyes, now.

He pushed a deep breath through him, in and out. He needed some iota of control; it was what kept him focused, what allowed him to keep moving. Helplessness had been a driving force behind his actions for the majority of his life, as he'd sworn he'd never be placed in such a position again; to have that control stripped away completely was maddening. Like something untamed and uncaged, it devoured him from the inside.

He continued to scratch behind Chibi's ears, his hand shaking as he forced it all down. "I s'ppose I ought to keep the fingers I still have busy," he said, his eyes still locked on a spot outside the room. "I could take a look at your gun while I'm here, if you brought it to me. Can't weld it back together, but I can get the rest working. Might take my mind off the pain."

[bye_to_yer_head]

"You sure about that? Probably don't want t' strain yer hands or nothin'. Be hard t' shoot if you go an do some permanent damage to 'em."

But the temptation was there. BLU was loathe to admit it, but he had gotten as far as he could with his gun. He loved that thing, but it was just far too advanced for him, he had no idea what else was wrong with it. He had parts that he didn't know where they went or what they did, but he wasn't going to give up on his baby. That gun had been with him for a while, and he planned on having it with him for a while longer.

The RED had already proven that he knew how to fix guns when he had taken the Machina earlier. He could probably continue from where the BLU had left off. But Sniper wasn't sure if he wanted to put his livelihood in the hands of the enemy, even an enemy whose life he had saved.