FIC: AVALON [White Collar] = Pt. 5
Author: MarissaAngell [BlueDiamondStar]
Title: AVALON
Rating: K+/T
Characters: Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke, other random mentions of team. Nathaniel Holler (OC), Commander Noel ''Narcho'' Alisson (OC)
Summary: "We'll be kings forever, ooh
Holding on together, ooh
Feeling so much better, ooh
When everything was wrong, and everything was gone, we ran to Avalon
We ran to Avalon..."
Chapter 5: Maybe You're Made Of Glass?
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Noel wasn't expecting to find himself on the examination table when he woke up slowly. Indeed he was more like expecting Nate or one of the nurses making nuisance from themselves.
Least he expected himself laying on the table under the scanner lamp and waiting for the MRI tube to stop spinning.
Noel hated being the one on the receiving end for any medical procedures. And yet here he was with all the bells and whistles.
And when finally brought back to Nate's(!) room he got even more confused.
"Relax, luv, they just felt worried and decided to check you out. Nothing bad in that. I made all the necessary consents." Nate didn't hesitate to announce the second Noel was wheeled info the room. "And no going out on a revengeful payback raid, I was quite worried too." he added.
The whole forewarning presented something he'd have to re-think later on. "So you two just like that decided to put me in a tube so somebody could see I'm still intact?"
"Listen, bro, you know just as well as I do what it meant to you, but I'd at least once consider if you understand what that means to me." Nate reasoned and Noel gave up. He knew exactly what he meant. That annoying piece of fluff always tried to repay all the care Noel had shown all those years ago. He sighed and shook his head.
"Tell me at least what happened."
"We just couldn't get you wake up. I know," he held up a hand before Noel even opened his mouth to take a breath, "but please, at least this time let them do all the tests. I know how you hate hospitals and all that jazz. But, please, just this once let them find out what's wrong with you. It worried me and the nurse just as well. Why didn't you tell me it's so long already?" Nathaniel may be silly sometimes, but he was definitely carrying a fair amount of good heart and truly worried about his best friend. He was truly worried.
Old snippets of faint memories about his own head trauma and all he heard doctors and nurses talking about was floating around his head.
Nate was aware, fully and truly, about his closest friend's discomfort. And despite his own considerable amount of nervousness he still tried to be for his friend.
And that included playing endless rounds of poker and entertaining 'magic' tricks for all the duration of the dreadful wait.
At least this task had slightly eased Nate's mind from his own possible health issues, so taken over by entertaining Noel he was, as the older man decided. And luckily the test results came in relatively soon.
And they weren't anything bright. In fact, it was nothing hopeful.
All that time Noel had been on the edge. Literally.
"Is it cureable?" was the man's first words after the terrible news. Nate had lost his voice from shock.
"We'll see after few more scans and initial physical tests. But I'm cautiously positive you'll be given a chance to have a life. However, you'll seriously have to reconsider your choice of career." the all-politely-concerned doctor told. "But that doesn't mean you should give up all what you like and enjoy. Especially in case your condition is reacting to treatment excellent. It will give you some limitations but won't stop you from doing great things." she finished with a friendly pat on Noel's shoulder and with an encouraging smile and nod of her head at Nate left them alone.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. Just a minor glitch. We used to have these all the time and, look, we made through that with flying colors." Nate tried to be cheerful, as he always was no matter the situation. But it fell flat to Noel's current mood.
"Yeah, like we are back in time." came the grumpy reply and Nathan became desperate about cheering up his brother.
"Yo, Narcho, look at the bright side. Extra vacation days plus a massage from a hot nurse, come on, it's not that bad."
"Oh really? Are you serious?" explosion of emotions saddened Nathan. He only wanted some optimistic point about this.
"What? You better get arranged your funeral? Sit there and wallow in grief?" Nathan finally broke out in one of his hysterical rants. "What you rather sit down and write your sodden will than enjoy the life while you're at it? Then I don't know you anymore. Who are you? Where's my beloved Commander Narcho? The adventurous guy I met all those years ago? The same guy who went fearlessly through air vents and cracked the safes? Where's my best buddy in the whole universe who helped me through rough times with stories so brave and optimistic? Where is that bastard, huh?" Echoing silence reverberated through the hospital room.
"You have no idea what that guy went through. And you would find out the sorry fact that he's now all grown up. Unlike his best buddy in the whole universe. He's changed, a lot." and with that it was it. Nate turned away, hurt by the almost muffled answer to his rant.
That night he left.
It was the only other thing he could do. Obviously failed at cheering Noel up he was left with either falling back into darkness or run.
He chose latter because choosing former would put him into something he was willing to never live through again.
Years ago it ended with him landing in mental facility and two-month long suicide watch with accompanying psych sessions that left him drained and achy.
It had saved him but left a promise to never fall this hard again.
That's where it came to dressing up in some of clothes Noel had brought. And once he was all dressed up and ready he cast one last glance at his sleeping friend and with a heavy heart stepped into shadows to disappear once again.
He knew that Noel had exhausted himself soon after their little fall out. But in the morning he'll be up again.
Only to find a note next to his pillow that said it was obviously too much for one of them and for the best it would be if they went separate ways.
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