Bad Day!, for pat_t
Title: Bad Day!
Author: Fruity Candy Cane aka Pennydreadful
Written for: pat_t
Characters/Pairings: Mac/Methos, Joe, Dr. Anne
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Just a bit of Hurt/Comfort for the soul... ;) Quotes in italics are in ancient Sumerian.
Summary: What happens when the oldest immortal is in an accident and taken to the ER? And forgets a few thousand years? Can Duncan and friends help him and keep his cover?
Methos was having a very bad day. Not only that, it was a no good, rotten all around horrible day. It was the last day before finals for the Archaic Languages of the British Isles class he was teaching at the University and he had to remember to grab all the assignments he’d been grading up until the wee hours the night before. Running out to the car in the pouring rain he’d dropped half of them in a puddle. Hopefully his students could decipher wet grades!
After pulling out of the drive way and driving toward the Uni. he tried to enjoy the scenery but it was so gloomy and wet he was finding it hard. Halfway to work he had a long wooded area to drive that he usually enjoyed but as it was fall and the road was slick with rain and wet leaves and the whole area had that bare dead tree and soggy look to it he wasn’t paying as much attention as usual. He was letting his mind wander a little, focusing more on the day’s study plan for his classes and less on the road which was his undoing. As he came a round a blind curve he was startled to see a deer and a late summer fawn in his path.
Reflexes fast as lightening, honed over millenia didn’t have a chance against mother nature. As he swerved to miss the deer, his car’s back end hit a particularly thick patch of wet leaves just as he was pulling back onto the road after almost going over a 30 foot embankment. Fighting the inevitable the old man felt himself loosing the age old battle and gravity won. The last thing he saw and felt was his car rolling like a barrel down the steep incline, bashing into small trees like a demented pinball and finally stopping when a particularly large tree rose up in front of him just as the darkness descended.
***
Dr. Anne Lindsey was tired, bone tired after working a shift in the ER covering for a friend. All she wanted to do was go home, spend some time with her daughter and sleep. But the Fates weren’t allowing that. Fifteen minutes before the end of her shift a car accident victim was rushed in, pulling her back into the crazy world of her ex, Duncan, as she frantically tried to both help and cover up who and what the victim was.
She recognised Duncan’s friend Adam Pierson as soon as she saw his face, even covered in blood. The aquiline nose, the strong jawline. Even limp and grey the man had a presence that was hard to ignore. Anne new she had to think fast and work faster to keep her colleagues unaware of what was going on. She went through the proper motions, barking out medical commands competently while furiously thinking of a solution to her problem. Adam was in a bad way, but Anne knew that was just a case of his immortality caught up with him. He had a bad laceration over his left eye, bleeding sluggishly still and a possible neck injury, as well as two different branches sticking out of his shoulder and abdomen respectively. Using thick gauze pads she covered the injuries she knew would be closing soon and hoped that the blood already there would cover the rapid healing. Then she had to pack and stabilise the implements and seemingly call for an OR. With her back to the trauma room she was able to stall and fake the call, acting frustrated over no open OR. Then she quickly dialed Duncan’s last known contact number.
“Joe Dawson, what can I do for ya?”
“Mr. Dawson, I’m trying to get a hold of Duncan MacLeod, do you know how to get a hold of him?”
“Who is this? And what is this about?” Dawson could hear the worry in the young woman’s voice and started to worry.
“Anne, Dr. Anne Lindsey.... I have a ‘friend’ of Duncan’s in my ER and I need help with some ‘complications’ that have come up!” Anne remembered Joe but wasn’t sure if he was also in on Duncan’s unique nature but needed the help.
“Anne, who is it? I can get a hold of Duncan and have him there within a few hours.” Joe was now worried, who could be in the ER? All of Duncan's friends he knew were immortals...and then the light went on. Joe realised what the complications must be and started to worry even more. “Don’t worry, Anne, I know what Duncan is and what ‘complications’ you’re talking about. I’ll get Duncan on his way but I can also help!” Joe knew time was of the essence on this.
“It’s Dr. Pierson, he was in a car wreck and was just brought in by EMTs. Luckily right now there are circumstances that are keeping him from being too miraculous but there are too many witnesses to this! I’ll stall as long as I can and try to keep him under but please get help here asap!” With that Anne hung up and rushed back to the bed side. Not really knowing if it would help, she surreptitiously gave Adam a large dose of sedative hoping the healing factor didn’t counter it too soon.
For his part Joe was a whirlwind of activity. Grabbing his coat, cane and phone as he quickly made his way to his car he already had Duncan on speed dial before his car door was closed. Fortunately Duncan answered on the 2nd ring.
“Joe, how’s it goi--”
“Duncan, I need your help! Adam’s been in an accident and your friend Dr. Anne just called. She needs help getting him out of the hospital.How soon can you get back to Seacouver?”
“What? I’m already on my way out the door! I’m just in Portland, came down for an auction but can be back up there in a couple of hours, can she wait that long? How bad is it?” Duncan was flying towards his car, luckily he’d parked it himself and didn’t have the valet do it when he’d checked into the fancy hotel the day before.
“I don’t know all the details but she sounded frantic, I’m listed as one of his ‘next of kin’ just in case something like this happened. I’m on my way to the hospital now and will let you know!” Joe was just pulling into the hospital parking lot, blessing his handicap placard when he found a spot close to the ER doors to park.
“Ok, Joe, I’ll call soon as I get there, let me know sooner if you need anything!” Duncan hung up and was driving north as fast as he could, winding through traffic as quickly and safely as he dared but trying not to get a ticket that would delay his trip. ‘Methos, what the heck have you gotten yourself into now’ he thought, worrying as he drove.
***
Anne was never so happy as when she saw Joe coming down the corridor. He was moving as fast as he could muttering to himself about daft ‘old men’. Seeing Anne he put on a burst of speed and came alongside.
“What’s the situation?”
“I’ve been able to redirect attention and delay surgery for now, but my coworkers are getting suspicious. Any suggestions?”
“Can I see him? I am listed as his next of kin and medical contact.” Joe was unsure how to proceed until he could see for himself what they were working against. As Anne directed him to Methos’ bedside and was ushering nurses and interns out of the room, Joe’s eyes were only for Methos. The old man looked dead, pale and still. And the branches impaling him didn’t help.
Although Joe knew he’d be alright, he still worried for his old friend. “Has he woken up? Can he feel this?” He asked Anne, worry coloring his tone.
“No, so far as I can tell he hasn’t come around and I keep giving him meds to keep him out just in case. There was spinal injury and a skull deformation as well, that may be taking longer to heal. But I can’t keep stalling taking him to surgery.” Anne sighed.
“Can I refuse to let you? Due to religious or personal reasons?” asked Joe.
“Yes... but I assume he has a life here and may want to continue it..”
“Yeah, yeah he does.” Joe was at a loss. “Okay, can you do the surgery? And keep pumping him full of drugs just in case? With dressings and bandages maybe we can fool them. I can sign him out once Duncan gets here we can make him lie low for a while? “
“I can try,” was all Anne could say. Letting her colleagues in, she once again became the model of Doctor efficiency.
“Okay, folks, lets get him upstairs! Keep the morphine drip going just in case and don’t allow him to wake up, his Uncle Joe here says he has an unusually high tolerance for sedation!” And with that, Methos was whisked away with Dr. Anne in the lead.
Joe found himself being led to a waiting room by a kindly nurse. “Please, a friend is on his way, can you let Duncan MacLeod know where I am soon as he gets here?”
“Certainly, sir, and don’t worry, Dr. Anne is the best!” With a wink the nurse left promising to send coffee and Duncan as soon as he arrived.
***
The operation went smoothly, Anne did it herself and quickly closed and wrapped Adam in as many bandages as she could, also surreptitiously increasing the amount of morphine in his drip. By the time she was out Duncan was with Joe in the waiting room, pacing feverishly. Never to his knowledge had this happened before to a known immortal. ‘At least Anne knew and was here,’ thought Duncan gratefully.
“Duncan! Glad you made it. Adam will be out of post-op in a few minutes!” She hugged Duncan hard and whispered, “So glad you’re here!”
“Anne, I’m sorry this happened, but so glad you were to here to help! I’d hate to see what would happen if anyone found out! Can we take him now?” Duncan was anxious to get Methos to safety.
“Let me get the paperwork to discharge him AMA and Joe’ll have to put up a good fight to make it look real!” she whispered back. “In the mean time you can go in and see him. But you have to be quick!”
Once back in the room with Duncan and Joe, Dr. Lindsey loudly made her ‘opinions’ known on how unsafe it was to let a patient out of the hospital so soon after surgery but Joe did a good job being the disgruntled ‘Uncle’ and demanding his ‘Nephew’. With a few signatures and more heated words and a few winks, Duncan and Joe were able to bundle Methos up in blankets and a wheelchair and out to Duncan’s Jeep.
Amazed at the events and a bit breathless on how quickly it had resolved, Anne was finally able to clock out and go home to her daughter. She resolving to sleep for at least 12 hours before stepping foot in the hospital again.
Duncan and Joe, also amazed at how smoothly it went, drove to Duncan’s dojo and quickly had Methos upstairs and bundled in Duncan’s bed sans bandages to wait his return to wakefulness.
***
Twelve hours later, Joe gave into fatigue and drove away towards his home after getting Duncan to promise him he’d call as soon as the oldest pain in the ass woke up. For his part, Duncan got as comfortable as he could in chair next to the bed and hunkered down for the long haul.
When Joe came the next morning bringing coffee and food, both Duncan and he were starting to get worried. Twenty-four hours after the crash and Methos hadn’t voluntarily moved a muscle, not so much as a twitch or a moan. Duncan was even more worried at the relatively slow healing. His friend still showed signs of trauma, redness and bruising. Still healing faster than any mortal but by now he should have been up and complaining and stealing his beers.
Finally around noon, they started to see signs of life from the old guy. At first twitches, then some mumbling and groans. Finally after an hour or so, much to Duncan’s delight, there was the glimpse of hazel as the old man’s eyes opened briefly.
“Methos, you in there buddy! Wakey wakey!” As Duncan leaned over Methos with Joe watching from the side lines, he tried to coax the old man further awake. Neither of them expected what happened then. Between one breath and the next, Methos was not only upright but had Duncan in a head lock and was backed into a corner.
***
Pain, confusion...these were the first things he was aware of. Then there were the voices, mumbling in an unknown yet familiar language. At first it seemed far off, but soon got louder and clearer. Definitely people in the same room as him. As he lay there, he tried to think of where he was but through slitted eyes nothing seemed right and yet...everything was? He was too addled to think. And as he tried to remember, all he could think of were ways to escape. Every instinct told him to flee as fast and far as he could. Seeing an opportunity when the dark man by his bed leaned over him, he burst into action. Two to one was never great odds, but with one in a headlock it should give him an fighting chance.
“Who are you people? Where am I and how do I get out of here?” he started talking, trying to gather information. Using his new upright vantage point he immediately found a corner as well and started scoping out the room. Two men--the dark and dangerous one he had in a head lock-- and one elderly man with a cane, an unknown commodity. He also saw one window that seemed to indicate a second floor and a door behind the old man. “Why am I here? What do you want with me?”
The elderly man immediately started talking, holding up his hands in a placating and ages old sign of non-aggression. “Methos! It’s me, Joe. Let Duncan go, we’re only trying to help you. Please, let him go! Methos, you’re safe here!” As the old man talked, the language started to get a little clearer, like he knew it in another life, and that name he kept saying....Was that his name? Did he know this old man? Try as he might, the memories wouldn’t come. It was like everything before he woke was shrouded in a fog of pain. Pain that suddenly got worse. Desperate to make it stop he let go of Dark and Dangerous and clutched his head, crying out. As his knees buckled he was vaguely amazed that the dark man he had been shielding himself with turned and caught him before he could fall instead of using the diversion to attack him or to run. As the fog closed in on his mind again he thought maybe he’d been mistaken, maybe they did want to help?
***
With Methos’ arm locked around his neck, Duncan was amazed at Methos’ speed. It had been decades since anyone had had the drop on him like that. Struggling to breath he still couldn’t bring himself to be afraid, somehow he knew Methos would never hurt him. As Joe tried to talk Methos down, Duncan could feel the tell tale tremors of stress and confusion in the lithe body behind him. Luckily this gave him a warning as Methos suddenly let him go and grabbed his head like it was on fire. He’d never heard the ‘Old Man’ groan in pain quiet like that before. Utilising his own quick reflexes, he turned and caught Methos as he collapsed. Cradling him in his arms, he looked down in those crystal eyes, but instead of finding his friend there, he found a stranger full of fear and pain and…remorse? With one lasting look and a heavy moan, Methos went completely boneless. Grabbing him, Duncan swept him up like a heroine of old and laid him back in the bed.
“Something is not right. I’ve never seen this before. He should be completely healed by now, and I don’t think he knew us, Joe!”
“Knew us? I don’t think he knew English, Mac!” Joe’s voice was strained and Duncan could see that he was very unnerved by what had just happened. “This isn’t the old pain in the ass that we both know, and that language he was spouting was definitely not one I’m familiar with, either. Can an immortal have brain damage? Anne did say he had pretty serious head trauma.”
“I’ve never ken such a thing but....” Duncan shrugged. “I’ll call Amanda, maybe she knows?”
As Duncan went off in search of his cellphone, Joe sat down beside Methos on the bed. He looked so normal and young that he just had to brush his hair off his forehead. Leaning down he started to talk to him a low voice. “Come on, Methos. Come back to us, I know it’s hard but I don’t think we can live without you. I’ll even forgive your bar-tab, just come back!” With a sigh , he moved back to the easy chair by the bed and sat in for another bedside vigil.
***
The phone call to Amanda had been useless, she hadn’t heard of anything like this happening to an immortal either. Snapping his phone shut he sat thinking, there had to be some reason why this was happening...first the slower than normal healing and then what looked like a regression, complete with severe head pain.If he didn’t know any better it would seem like brain damage. But Methos’ quickening should have healed that by now unless...there had to be an unless. He decided to call Anne and ask her.
“Hi Anne, I am so sorry for calling but we have a problem.” He quickly outlined the symptoms to Anne and explained what had happened. She agreed with his diagnoses but was also at a loss.
“You’re the expert, Duncan, I don’t know what could be causing it. We could take a few x-rays and see if anything shows up but until then I can’t help. I have a friend that has a private doctor’s office and he owes me one, I’ll call him and see if we can use his equipment.”
“Thanks, Anne, I’ll owe you more than one if you can help him.” The desperation in Duncan’s voice told Anne all she needed to know.
“Don’t worry about it, we’ll figure it out. I’ll call you back soon as I know when and where we can take those x-rays. Bye, Duncan!”
“Bye, and thanks again!”
Fifteen minutes later Anne called back and gave him a time and place, now they just had to worry about getting Adam there. Just in case, they re-bandaged him up where he had been and Duncan carried him back out to his jeep. At this rate Methos was going to sooo owe him a million favors.
***
Luckily for all of them Methos stayed unconscious the whole trip to the office of Anne’s friend. There, they discovered the problem. Where the skull deformation had been, there was a foreign object, now healed within the Oldest Immortal’s skull.
Quickly deciding they could do it there, since there was no risk of infection, Anne quickly prepped Adam and started in. She grimaced when Duncan solved the anesthesia quandary by keeping a knife in Adam’s chest so he wouldn’t wake up. Working quickly and efficiently, they were able to find and remove what seemed to be a jagged piece of his car from his head.
After removing the ‘anesthesia’ and cleaning up both the patient and the doctor’s office, Anne bid the trio adieu and left to go seek her daughter and some more much needed rest.
Duncan and Joe bundled the still healing Methos back into the jeep and back to the dojo.
“Joe, thank you for all your help and quick thinking when Anne called. I know Methos will also thank you when he’s back to his old self. Go home, I’ll call you first thing in the morning with an update.”
“Mac, if I wasn’t so tired I’d argue about leaving you here to deal with the fall out alone but I am too old for this shit! I’m going to go crawl into a bottle of the good stuff and sleep.Just don’t make the call too early unless there is another emergency. Between you and Methos I’m aging way too fast to keep up with you both!” Waving, Joe left.
For his part, Duncan locked up and then sat down in the easy chair Joe had been in. Kicking his feet up onto the bed, he put his head back and tried to forget the last twenty-four hours in the arms of Morpheus.
***
Waking up with the sun just peeking in the blinds, Duncan immediately went to check on Methos. He could finally see no traces of the accident or surgery but the old man was still not awake. Tugging the comforter up he decided he would give him a few more hours before panicking. The old man was never known to rise early if he didn’t need to, after all.
After finishing his morning ablutions, he decided to make breakfast. First he started the coffee and then rummaged in the fridge for omelet fixings. Humming to himself as he chopped veggies and left over ham, he didn’t hear the soft steps coming up behind him until a hand came within his sight, snatching a mushroom slice.
“Hey, sleeping beauty, you’re finally awake!”
“Obviously, oh wise one...but why am I here? And how pray tell did I end up in your bed?” Methos asked, his sleep roughened voice sounding amused.
Concerned Duncan looked at Methos. “What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked as he searched his eyes for clarity.
“Um... I was driving to work in a hellish storm... and Bambi tried to pull a suicide by car... don’t tell me, I wrecked my jag!”
“And then some. That was Monday, it is now Thursday and you were ‘rescued’ and taken, luckily, to Anne’s ER. She called Joe, Joe called me and here you are. “ Duncan finished up cutting and was onto cooking the concoction. “Just so you know, you are going to have to remain incommunicado for at least a few weeks as Anne was able to keep our little secret a secret without you ‘dying’. Everyone is going to expect you to take a while to heal.”
At the sound of silence, Duncan glanced up to see Methos at a loss for words. “What happened to Tuesday, and Wednesday and the for that matter the rest of freaking Monday!” Methos was on the start of a full on rant.
“Hey, Hey! Just calm down. There were ...complications. You had a head injury that didn’t heal right, but you’re okay now. Anne fixed you up.” Duncan put his hands on Methos’ shoulders, rubbing and trying to calm him. Unfortunately he then had to calm himself down a bit, he was amazed to realize. Just the heat of Methos through his borrowed t-shirt was making parts of his anatomy remember his infrequent dalliances with the same sex.
Methos breathed deep and let out a big sigh, in the grand scheme of his life he decided that missing a couple of days wasn’t so bad. He knew he needed to ask more questions and figure out just went wrong and how to avoid it next time, but for now he’d just sit back and play it up. He’d wanted Duncan since the first day he barged into his loft in Paris. And seeing him this close and worried made him want to mess with his head a little. Zoning a little on all the plans racing around his head, he vaguely heard Duncan’s platitudes and, slightly crazed now, comforting nothings as he felt himself being led over to the sofa. With a start, he realised Duncan had not only moved him but had him almost in his lap, rocking him and rubbing his back. Amazed and confused, Methos had to take a few more minutes arguing with himself on just when did this upstart Highland brat become so trusted, so a part of him that his psyche has let himself check out.
“Hey, Methos, you okay? Come on talk to me, you’re really worrying me here. Should I call Anne back?” Duncan’s voice had an edge of fear to it, and Methos was sure that he was probably wondering if everything had actually healed the way it was supposed to.
“What! Oh no, sorry, just...just thinking....” Methos knew it sounded lame but he didn’t have any idea how to explain his epiphany that after countless millenia, Duncan had thoroughly and completely gotten inside his heretofore un-breachable defenses. Blinking owlishly at Duncan he was still a little shook-up and shivered at what this meant for his future safety.
Duncan was still worried, and feeling the fearless man in his arms shiver as if chilled didn’t calm his anxiety any. Unconsciously he pulled Methos closer, wrapping his arms around him like he could protect him from the world, which in hindsight was a bit ridiculous as this was the oldest and most tenacious survivor of all time. But not today, today for the first time, Duncan got what Methos meant when he said he’s ‘just a guy’. He realised that it’s true, an old guy for sure, but still a guy. One who still needed a helping hand now and then from a friend, and Duncan wanted to be that go-to friend, more than he’d wanted anything else in his life.
Methos leaned into the heat that was Duncan, relishing the contact he’d denied himself for so long. Not since Alexa had he felt this loved, cherished. He knew he trusted the Highlander with his life, but now he wanted to trust him with his heart as well. Reaching a decision, he went for broke.
“Duncan....” He was going for sultry but what came out was verging on desperate and needy. “Please...I ….” He couldn’t do it, he was just a big fat coward. He closed his eyes as he just slumped a little further away from the warmth he craved and sighed again.
“What, what do you want, what do you need, old man?” Duncan wasn’t letting him get away and just pulled him in tighter. Methos never wanted Duncan to let him go again, and that was more than a bit scary, but a lot more wonderful. “Come on, you can talk to me, please!”
It was that ‘please’ whispered in his ear that did it, finally broke some last barrier in Methos’ mind and he was flooded with the certainty that he was going to be unable to walk away from this man again. Before Duncan’s warm breath could cool in his ear he was kissing Duncan as if his life depended on it, fierce and needy and oh so good. But again Duncan proved he was up to the challenge and was able to take it over and turn it into so much more. Less teeth, more tongue and a lot of love. Finally catching their breath, Methos decided he owed Bambi some treats.
“Hey, do you know where the accident happened?”
“No, why?”
“Because I need to drop off some grain for Bambi!”
Confused but willing to go with it, Duncan just shook his head and leaned back in for another kiss....
END
Author: Fruity Candy Cane aka Pennydreadful
Written for: pat_t
Characters/Pairings: Mac/Methos, Joe, Dr. Anne
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Just a bit of Hurt/Comfort for the soul... ;) Quotes in italics are in ancient Sumerian.
Summary: What happens when the oldest immortal is in an accident and taken to the ER? And forgets a few thousand years? Can Duncan and friends help him and keep his cover?
Methos was having a very bad day. Not only that, it was a no good, rotten all around horrible day. It was the last day before finals for the Archaic Languages of the British Isles class he was teaching at the University and he had to remember to grab all the assignments he’d been grading up until the wee hours the night before. Running out to the car in the pouring rain he’d dropped half of them in a puddle. Hopefully his students could decipher wet grades!
After pulling out of the drive way and driving toward the Uni. he tried to enjoy the scenery but it was so gloomy and wet he was finding it hard. Halfway to work he had a long wooded area to drive that he usually enjoyed but as it was fall and the road was slick with rain and wet leaves and the whole area had that bare dead tree and soggy look to it he wasn’t paying as much attention as usual. He was letting his mind wander a little, focusing more on the day’s study plan for his classes and less on the road which was his undoing. As he came a round a blind curve he was startled to see a deer and a late summer fawn in his path.
Reflexes fast as lightening, honed over millenia didn’t have a chance against mother nature. As he swerved to miss the deer, his car’s back end hit a particularly thick patch of wet leaves just as he was pulling back onto the road after almost going over a 30 foot embankment. Fighting the inevitable the old man felt himself loosing the age old battle and gravity won. The last thing he saw and felt was his car rolling like a barrel down the steep incline, bashing into small trees like a demented pinball and finally stopping when a particularly large tree rose up in front of him just as the darkness descended.
***
Dr. Anne Lindsey was tired, bone tired after working a shift in the ER covering for a friend. All she wanted to do was go home, spend some time with her daughter and sleep. But the Fates weren’t allowing that. Fifteen minutes before the end of her shift a car accident victim was rushed in, pulling her back into the crazy world of her ex, Duncan, as she frantically tried to both help and cover up who and what the victim was.
She recognised Duncan’s friend Adam Pierson as soon as she saw his face, even covered in blood. The aquiline nose, the strong jawline. Even limp and grey the man had a presence that was hard to ignore. Anne new she had to think fast and work faster to keep her colleagues unaware of what was going on. She went through the proper motions, barking out medical commands competently while furiously thinking of a solution to her problem. Adam was in a bad way, but Anne knew that was just a case of his immortality caught up with him. He had a bad laceration over his left eye, bleeding sluggishly still and a possible neck injury, as well as two different branches sticking out of his shoulder and abdomen respectively. Using thick gauze pads she covered the injuries she knew would be closing soon and hoped that the blood already there would cover the rapid healing. Then she had to pack and stabilise the implements and seemingly call for an OR. With her back to the trauma room she was able to stall and fake the call, acting frustrated over no open OR. Then she quickly dialed Duncan’s last known contact number.
“Joe Dawson, what can I do for ya?”
“Mr. Dawson, I’m trying to get a hold of Duncan MacLeod, do you know how to get a hold of him?”
“Who is this? And what is this about?” Dawson could hear the worry in the young woman’s voice and started to worry.
“Anne, Dr. Anne Lindsey.... I have a ‘friend’ of Duncan’s in my ER and I need help with some ‘complications’ that have come up!” Anne remembered Joe but wasn’t sure if he was also in on Duncan’s unique nature but needed the help.
“Anne, who is it? I can get a hold of Duncan and have him there within a few hours.” Joe was now worried, who could be in the ER? All of Duncan's friends he knew were immortals...and then the light went on. Joe realised what the complications must be and started to worry even more. “Don’t worry, Anne, I know what Duncan is and what ‘complications’ you’re talking about. I’ll get Duncan on his way but I can also help!” Joe knew time was of the essence on this.
“It’s Dr. Pierson, he was in a car wreck and was just brought in by EMTs. Luckily right now there are circumstances that are keeping him from being too miraculous but there are too many witnesses to this! I’ll stall as long as I can and try to keep him under but please get help here asap!” With that Anne hung up and rushed back to the bed side. Not really knowing if it would help, she surreptitiously gave Adam a large dose of sedative hoping the healing factor didn’t counter it too soon.
For his part Joe was a whirlwind of activity. Grabbing his coat, cane and phone as he quickly made his way to his car he already had Duncan on speed dial before his car door was closed. Fortunately Duncan answered on the 2nd ring.
“Joe, how’s it goi--”
“Duncan, I need your help! Adam’s been in an accident and your friend Dr. Anne just called. She needs help getting him out of the hospital.How soon can you get back to Seacouver?”
“What? I’m already on my way out the door! I’m just in Portland, came down for an auction but can be back up there in a couple of hours, can she wait that long? How bad is it?” Duncan was flying towards his car, luckily he’d parked it himself and didn’t have the valet do it when he’d checked into the fancy hotel the day before.
“I don’t know all the details but she sounded frantic, I’m listed as one of his ‘next of kin’ just in case something like this happened. I’m on my way to the hospital now and will let you know!” Joe was just pulling into the hospital parking lot, blessing his handicap placard when he found a spot close to the ER doors to park.
“Ok, Joe, I’ll call soon as I get there, let me know sooner if you need anything!” Duncan hung up and was driving north as fast as he could, winding through traffic as quickly and safely as he dared but trying not to get a ticket that would delay his trip. ‘Methos, what the heck have you gotten yourself into now’ he thought, worrying as he drove.
***
Anne was never so happy as when she saw Joe coming down the corridor. He was moving as fast as he could muttering to himself about daft ‘old men’. Seeing Anne he put on a burst of speed and came alongside.
“What’s the situation?”
“I’ve been able to redirect attention and delay surgery for now, but my coworkers are getting suspicious. Any suggestions?”
“Can I see him? I am listed as his next of kin and medical contact.” Joe was unsure how to proceed until he could see for himself what they were working against. As Anne directed him to Methos’ bedside and was ushering nurses and interns out of the room, Joe’s eyes were only for Methos. The old man looked dead, pale and still. And the branches impaling him didn’t help.
Although Joe knew he’d be alright, he still worried for his old friend. “Has he woken up? Can he feel this?” He asked Anne, worry coloring his tone.
“No, so far as I can tell he hasn’t come around and I keep giving him meds to keep him out just in case. There was spinal injury and a skull deformation as well, that may be taking longer to heal. But I can’t keep stalling taking him to surgery.” Anne sighed.
“Can I refuse to let you? Due to religious or personal reasons?” asked Joe.
“Yes... but I assume he has a life here and may want to continue it..”
“Yeah, yeah he does.” Joe was at a loss. “Okay, can you do the surgery? And keep pumping him full of drugs just in case? With dressings and bandages maybe we can fool them. I can sign him out once Duncan gets here we can make him lie low for a while? “
“I can try,” was all Anne could say. Letting her colleagues in, she once again became the model of Doctor efficiency.
“Okay, folks, lets get him upstairs! Keep the morphine drip going just in case and don’t allow him to wake up, his Uncle Joe here says he has an unusually high tolerance for sedation!” And with that, Methos was whisked away with Dr. Anne in the lead.
Joe found himself being led to a waiting room by a kindly nurse. “Please, a friend is on his way, can you let Duncan MacLeod know where I am soon as he gets here?”
“Certainly, sir, and don’t worry, Dr. Anne is the best!” With a wink the nurse left promising to send coffee and Duncan as soon as he arrived.
***
The operation went smoothly, Anne did it herself and quickly closed and wrapped Adam in as many bandages as she could, also surreptitiously increasing the amount of morphine in his drip. By the time she was out Duncan was with Joe in the waiting room, pacing feverishly. Never to his knowledge had this happened before to a known immortal. ‘At least Anne knew and was here,’ thought Duncan gratefully.
“Duncan! Glad you made it. Adam will be out of post-op in a few minutes!” She hugged Duncan hard and whispered, “So glad you’re here!”
“Anne, I’m sorry this happened, but so glad you were to here to help! I’d hate to see what would happen if anyone found out! Can we take him now?” Duncan was anxious to get Methos to safety.
“Let me get the paperwork to discharge him AMA and Joe’ll have to put up a good fight to make it look real!” she whispered back. “In the mean time you can go in and see him. But you have to be quick!”
Once back in the room with Duncan and Joe, Dr. Lindsey loudly made her ‘opinions’ known on how unsafe it was to let a patient out of the hospital so soon after surgery but Joe did a good job being the disgruntled ‘Uncle’ and demanding his ‘Nephew’. With a few signatures and more heated words and a few winks, Duncan and Joe were able to bundle Methos up in blankets and a wheelchair and out to Duncan’s Jeep.
Amazed at the events and a bit breathless on how quickly it had resolved, Anne was finally able to clock out and go home to her daughter. She resolving to sleep for at least 12 hours before stepping foot in the hospital again.
Duncan and Joe, also amazed at how smoothly it went, drove to Duncan’s dojo and quickly had Methos upstairs and bundled in Duncan’s bed sans bandages to wait his return to wakefulness.
***
Twelve hours later, Joe gave into fatigue and drove away towards his home after getting Duncan to promise him he’d call as soon as the oldest pain in the ass woke up. For his part, Duncan got as comfortable as he could in chair next to the bed and hunkered down for the long haul.
When Joe came the next morning bringing coffee and food, both Duncan and he were starting to get worried. Twenty-four hours after the crash and Methos hadn’t voluntarily moved a muscle, not so much as a twitch or a moan. Duncan was even more worried at the relatively slow healing. His friend still showed signs of trauma, redness and bruising. Still healing faster than any mortal but by now he should have been up and complaining and stealing his beers.
Finally around noon, they started to see signs of life from the old guy. At first twitches, then some mumbling and groans. Finally after an hour or so, much to Duncan’s delight, there was the glimpse of hazel as the old man’s eyes opened briefly.
“Methos, you in there buddy! Wakey wakey!” As Duncan leaned over Methos with Joe watching from the side lines, he tried to coax the old man further awake. Neither of them expected what happened then. Between one breath and the next, Methos was not only upright but had Duncan in a head lock and was backed into a corner.
***
Pain, confusion...these were the first things he was aware of. Then there were the voices, mumbling in an unknown yet familiar language. At first it seemed far off, but soon got louder and clearer. Definitely people in the same room as him. As he lay there, he tried to think of where he was but through slitted eyes nothing seemed right and yet...everything was? He was too addled to think. And as he tried to remember, all he could think of were ways to escape. Every instinct told him to flee as fast and far as he could. Seeing an opportunity when the dark man by his bed leaned over him, he burst into action. Two to one was never great odds, but with one in a headlock it should give him an fighting chance.
“Who are you people? Where am I and how do I get out of here?” he started talking, trying to gather information. Using his new upright vantage point he immediately found a corner as well and started scoping out the room. Two men--the dark and dangerous one he had in a head lock-- and one elderly man with a cane, an unknown commodity. He also saw one window that seemed to indicate a second floor and a door behind the old man. “Why am I here? What do you want with me?”
The elderly man immediately started talking, holding up his hands in a placating and ages old sign of non-aggression. “Methos! It’s me, Joe. Let Duncan go, we’re only trying to help you. Please, let him go! Methos, you’re safe here!” As the old man talked, the language started to get a little clearer, like he knew it in another life, and that name he kept saying....Was that his name? Did he know this old man? Try as he might, the memories wouldn’t come. It was like everything before he woke was shrouded in a fog of pain. Pain that suddenly got worse. Desperate to make it stop he let go of Dark and Dangerous and clutched his head, crying out. As his knees buckled he was vaguely amazed that the dark man he had been shielding himself with turned and caught him before he could fall instead of using the diversion to attack him or to run. As the fog closed in on his mind again he thought maybe he’d been mistaken, maybe they did want to help?
***
With Methos’ arm locked around his neck, Duncan was amazed at Methos’ speed. It had been decades since anyone had had the drop on him like that. Struggling to breath he still couldn’t bring himself to be afraid, somehow he knew Methos would never hurt him. As Joe tried to talk Methos down, Duncan could feel the tell tale tremors of stress and confusion in the lithe body behind him. Luckily this gave him a warning as Methos suddenly let him go and grabbed his head like it was on fire. He’d never heard the ‘Old Man’ groan in pain quiet like that before. Utilising his own quick reflexes, he turned and caught Methos as he collapsed. Cradling him in his arms, he looked down in those crystal eyes, but instead of finding his friend there, he found a stranger full of fear and pain and…remorse? With one lasting look and a heavy moan, Methos went completely boneless. Grabbing him, Duncan swept him up like a heroine of old and laid him back in the bed.
“Something is not right. I’ve never seen this before. He should be completely healed by now, and I don’t think he knew us, Joe!”
“Knew us? I don’t think he knew English, Mac!” Joe’s voice was strained and Duncan could see that he was very unnerved by what had just happened. “This isn’t the old pain in the ass that we both know, and that language he was spouting was definitely not one I’m familiar with, either. Can an immortal have brain damage? Anne did say he had pretty serious head trauma.”
“I’ve never ken such a thing but....” Duncan shrugged. “I’ll call Amanda, maybe she knows?”
As Duncan went off in search of his cellphone, Joe sat down beside Methos on the bed. He looked so normal and young that he just had to brush his hair off his forehead. Leaning down he started to talk to him a low voice. “Come on, Methos. Come back to us, I know it’s hard but I don’t think we can live without you. I’ll even forgive your bar-tab, just come back!” With a sigh , he moved back to the easy chair by the bed and sat in for another bedside vigil.
***
The phone call to Amanda had been useless, she hadn’t heard of anything like this happening to an immortal either. Snapping his phone shut he sat thinking, there had to be some reason why this was happening...first the slower than normal healing and then what looked like a regression, complete with severe head pain.If he didn’t know any better it would seem like brain damage. But Methos’ quickening should have healed that by now unless...there had to be an unless. He decided to call Anne and ask her.
“Hi Anne, I am so sorry for calling but we have a problem.” He quickly outlined the symptoms to Anne and explained what had happened. She agreed with his diagnoses but was also at a loss.
“You’re the expert, Duncan, I don’t know what could be causing it. We could take a few x-rays and see if anything shows up but until then I can’t help. I have a friend that has a private doctor’s office and he owes me one, I’ll call him and see if we can use his equipment.”
“Thanks, Anne, I’ll owe you more than one if you can help him.” The desperation in Duncan’s voice told Anne all she needed to know.
“Don’t worry about it, we’ll figure it out. I’ll call you back soon as I know when and where we can take those x-rays. Bye, Duncan!”
“Bye, and thanks again!”
Fifteen minutes later Anne called back and gave him a time and place, now they just had to worry about getting Adam there. Just in case, they re-bandaged him up where he had been and Duncan carried him back out to his jeep. At this rate Methos was going to sooo owe him a million favors.
***
Luckily for all of them Methos stayed unconscious the whole trip to the office of Anne’s friend. There, they discovered the problem. Where the skull deformation had been, there was a foreign object, now healed within the Oldest Immortal’s skull.
Quickly deciding they could do it there, since there was no risk of infection, Anne quickly prepped Adam and started in. She grimaced when Duncan solved the anesthesia quandary by keeping a knife in Adam’s chest so he wouldn’t wake up. Working quickly and efficiently, they were able to find and remove what seemed to be a jagged piece of his car from his head.
After removing the ‘anesthesia’ and cleaning up both the patient and the doctor’s office, Anne bid the trio adieu and left to go seek her daughter and some more much needed rest.
Duncan and Joe bundled the still healing Methos back into the jeep and back to the dojo.
“Joe, thank you for all your help and quick thinking when Anne called. I know Methos will also thank you when he’s back to his old self. Go home, I’ll call you first thing in the morning with an update.”
“Mac, if I wasn’t so tired I’d argue about leaving you here to deal with the fall out alone but I am too old for this shit! I’m going to go crawl into a bottle of the good stuff and sleep.Just don’t make the call too early unless there is another emergency. Between you and Methos I’m aging way too fast to keep up with you both!” Waving, Joe left.
For his part, Duncan locked up and then sat down in the easy chair Joe had been in. Kicking his feet up onto the bed, he put his head back and tried to forget the last twenty-four hours in the arms of Morpheus.
***
Waking up with the sun just peeking in the blinds, Duncan immediately went to check on Methos. He could finally see no traces of the accident or surgery but the old man was still not awake. Tugging the comforter up he decided he would give him a few more hours before panicking. The old man was never known to rise early if he didn’t need to, after all.
After finishing his morning ablutions, he decided to make breakfast. First he started the coffee and then rummaged in the fridge for omelet fixings. Humming to himself as he chopped veggies and left over ham, he didn’t hear the soft steps coming up behind him until a hand came within his sight, snatching a mushroom slice.
“Hey, sleeping beauty, you’re finally awake!”
“Obviously, oh wise one...but why am I here? And how pray tell did I end up in your bed?” Methos asked, his sleep roughened voice sounding amused.
Concerned Duncan looked at Methos. “What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked as he searched his eyes for clarity.
“Um... I was driving to work in a hellish storm... and Bambi tried to pull a suicide by car... don’t tell me, I wrecked my jag!”
“And then some. That was Monday, it is now Thursday and you were ‘rescued’ and taken, luckily, to Anne’s ER. She called Joe, Joe called me and here you are. “ Duncan finished up cutting and was onto cooking the concoction. “Just so you know, you are going to have to remain incommunicado for at least a few weeks as Anne was able to keep our little secret a secret without you ‘dying’. Everyone is going to expect you to take a while to heal.”
At the sound of silence, Duncan glanced up to see Methos at a loss for words. “What happened to Tuesday, and Wednesday and the for that matter the rest of freaking Monday!” Methos was on the start of a full on rant.
“Hey, Hey! Just calm down. There were ...complications. You had a head injury that didn’t heal right, but you’re okay now. Anne fixed you up.” Duncan put his hands on Methos’ shoulders, rubbing and trying to calm him. Unfortunately he then had to calm himself down a bit, he was amazed to realize. Just the heat of Methos through his borrowed t-shirt was making parts of his anatomy remember his infrequent dalliances with the same sex.
Methos breathed deep and let out a big sigh, in the grand scheme of his life he decided that missing a couple of days wasn’t so bad. He knew he needed to ask more questions and figure out just went wrong and how to avoid it next time, but for now he’d just sit back and play it up. He’d wanted Duncan since the first day he barged into his loft in Paris. And seeing him this close and worried made him want to mess with his head a little. Zoning a little on all the plans racing around his head, he vaguely heard Duncan’s platitudes and, slightly crazed now, comforting nothings as he felt himself being led over to the sofa. With a start, he realised Duncan had not only moved him but had him almost in his lap, rocking him and rubbing his back. Amazed and confused, Methos had to take a few more minutes arguing with himself on just when did this upstart Highland brat become so trusted, so a part of him that his psyche has let himself check out.
“Hey, Methos, you okay? Come on talk to me, you’re really worrying me here. Should I call Anne back?” Duncan’s voice had an edge of fear to it, and Methos was sure that he was probably wondering if everything had actually healed the way it was supposed to.
“What! Oh no, sorry, just...just thinking....” Methos knew it sounded lame but he didn’t have any idea how to explain his epiphany that after countless millenia, Duncan had thoroughly and completely gotten inside his heretofore un-breachable defenses. Blinking owlishly at Duncan he was still a little shook-up and shivered at what this meant for his future safety.
Duncan was still worried, and feeling the fearless man in his arms shiver as if chilled didn’t calm his anxiety any. Unconsciously he pulled Methos closer, wrapping his arms around him like he could protect him from the world, which in hindsight was a bit ridiculous as this was the oldest and most tenacious survivor of all time. But not today, today for the first time, Duncan got what Methos meant when he said he’s ‘just a guy’. He realised that it’s true, an old guy for sure, but still a guy. One who still needed a helping hand now and then from a friend, and Duncan wanted to be that go-to friend, more than he’d wanted anything else in his life.
Methos leaned into the heat that was Duncan, relishing the contact he’d denied himself for so long. Not since Alexa had he felt this loved, cherished. He knew he trusted the Highlander with his life, but now he wanted to trust him with his heart as well. Reaching a decision, he went for broke.
“Duncan....” He was going for sultry but what came out was verging on desperate and needy. “Please...I ….” He couldn’t do it, he was just a big fat coward. He closed his eyes as he just slumped a little further away from the warmth he craved and sighed again.
“What, what do you want, what do you need, old man?” Duncan wasn’t letting him get away and just pulled him in tighter. Methos never wanted Duncan to let him go again, and that was more than a bit scary, but a lot more wonderful. “Come on, you can talk to me, please!”
It was that ‘please’ whispered in his ear that did it, finally broke some last barrier in Methos’ mind and he was flooded with the certainty that he was going to be unable to walk away from this man again. Before Duncan’s warm breath could cool in his ear he was kissing Duncan as if his life depended on it, fierce and needy and oh so good. But again Duncan proved he was up to the challenge and was able to take it over and turn it into so much more. Less teeth, more tongue and a lot of love. Finally catching their breath, Methos decided he owed Bambi some treats.
“Hey, do you know where the accident happened?”
“No, why?”
“Because I need to drop off some grain for Bambi!”
Confused but willing to go with it, Duncan just shook his head and leaned back in for another kiss....
END