Already bored.

[evillurks]

Once the chest tube is out, and various tests have revealed extensive damage to his shoulder that his continued activity has prevented from healing, The Shadow is returned to his bed in a private room. He is very clearly not happy about any of this, but never once does he complain, which would only invite criticism for his not seeking medical

Comments

[metody_green]

Metody had devoted a great deal of thought to what the Shadow would read. He couldn't see him going for mysteries, or anything along the lines of James Bond. Beyond that, he came up blank.

Metody arrived with four books. One was his current and enduring favorite, a compilation of the first three books of the Miles Vorkosigan saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Just in case the Shadow didn't like sci-fi, he also had a book on the discovery and science of Lucy, the Australopithecus, and another discussing the anthropology of the South Seas. The last was a book on how to knit, and came with a pair of needles, a crochet hook, a stitch counter, some folding scissors, a darning needle and a ball of very soft black yarn, all in a little pouch.

He also brought flowers. Orange and yellow roses, with daisies. Cheerful things. He leaned into the room, giving the Shadow a tight, nervous smile.

"Hey."

[evillurks]

It is just possible that The Shadow, as a boy, absolutely devoured mysteries. They do tend to pale, however, in comparison to his current work. Works on science and research are always interesting, and he just may appreciate science fiction for the technology, but the day The Shadow sits around knitting sweaters, even with black yarn, will likely be an extremely frigid day in the realm of Lucifer.

He is sitting up in bed, looking somewhat old and too thin in a hospital shift, as well as slightly cross. He seems to have been at his PINpoint again, keeping Burbank busy with possibly unecessary details. Any kind of distraction is a welcome one.

"I thought you might be around. Your work has confounded the nurses." There is a hint of a wheeze in his voice yet, but apart from that he seems sound enough.

[metody_green]

You never know. Metody has more experience than he cares to speak of with long, boring nights and hovering nurses. When you can't sleep, you can knit and find a certain oblivion of the mind in the repetitive motions.

"Oh. Oh, dear. I never really thought about that being a problem." But of course it would be. Flesh always failed before bone. He sets the books down beside the bed, and makes an anxious, abortive motion towards the Shadow. "Do you need me to undo some of it?"

[evillurks]

Oblivion in the mind is certainly something The Shadow struggles to find, although thus far only meditation has helped him find it. He regards the ball of yarn and needles doubtfully, though, as they roll off the top book.

"No, thank you. I simply meant the lack of an exit wound when I was shot, and that my collarbone is whole, confused them." He sets his PINpoint aside on the bedside tray. "You said you didn't mind speaking of your abilities in the Nexus, so I told them to seek you if there were any questions I couldn't answer sufficiently."
His bones are quite well, at the moment, and it is indeed the flesh that is failing. The lack of seeking medical attention is a very large part of the problem, of course.

[metody_green]

"Ha, y- " He grabbed the ball of yarn from the air, then knelt to find the clanging needles. "I guess that would confuse them a bit." One has rolled under the bed. He sticks his arm under there, then, since the needle is past his reach and no one can see, debones his hand. The bones click into a little spider shape and go tapping after the needle.

"No, I don't mind people here knowing. If anyone from my world wanders by, they'll probably stay darned quiet about this whole place. Or if they do report it, I suspect the way in will be walled off and slagged, or the explorers would be dealt with in the usual Nexus manner."

[evillurks]

The Shadow tilts his head slightly, hearing the faint tapping below his bed. After an unusually long night's rest he is feeling quite alert.

"You ought to consider offering your services here." He reaches for the books, and gives a quiet wheeze with the effort. His health is not quite back to normal, as evidenced by the fact that he is still in a hospital bed.

[metody_green]

"I think I did once, a long time ago. But most wounds are in flesh, not in the bones." The bones close on the needle and pull it back, sinking into Metody's flesh. He stands with a triumphant smile, and shoves both needles through the ball of yarn. There. Now the yarn won't roll, and the needles won't scatter themselves.

"...are you going to be okay?"

[evillurks]

In the meantime he has drawn the books into his lap, and closes his eyes for just a moment as he forces his breathing back into a regular pattern. "Yes." The word comes out as a sigh.
Then his eyes open, and he seems himself again. "Evidently the bullet I took the night we fought Khan nicked my lung. It hasn't... healed well, and last night I put too much strain on it." The explanation glosses over the fact that until mid-morning there was an external tube hooked up to his lung. He also has chosen to continue referring to the man they went to fight as Khan, despite any giveaway similarities in bone Metody may have noticed. The chipping damage to the right zygomatic arch and the nasal bone are fairly distinctive, of course.

[metody_green]

Something in Metody relaxes. "Good. Good. I'm glad."

He doesn't object to the Shadow referring to the man as Khan - for all he knows, that's the guy's real name. Or was. Nexus twinning can make strange permutations of people. "Oh. Gosh. I'm glad they can fix it."

[evillurks]

"...Only time will do that." He sounds slightly tired, aware that he will likely never be quite the same again. His body is sluggish and reluctant about healing, and he fears this may put a crimp on his ability to chase after fleeing criminals in the future. "I meant to have someone here take a look at it before my lung collapsed..." He frowns, murmuring, over the books.
The two anthropological works certainly hold his attention, then he prods at the yarn and needles as the knitting book is uncovered. "You don't intend for me to take up...?" The Shadow looks up from the books with an expression that vaguely resembles his usual appraisal of the Hawaiian shirts.

[metody_green]

"Oh, you'd be amazed at what they can do here. When my belly was ripped, they put it all back together. There's just the tiniest jog in my tattoos where I think the skin shifted a little while it was healing."

He breaks into a smile at that familiar expression, glad to have done his bit to make the Shadow's day just a little more surreal. "It's a good way to pass the time. A place like this - time piles up. Sometimes they won't let you walk or play, but they'll let you work with string and sticks, provided they don't think you're at risk of stabbing yourself in the face."

[evillurks]

The Shadow opens the knitting book at random to a page near the center, where his gaze falls upon something worked in pink and white. He closes it again while the faintest of smirks tugs at one corner of his mouth. "If Myra visits only to find me making little socks for my automatics..."

His expression fades back into the usual impassivity, quickly. "It does. That's why I asked for books. It's worse than being retired. I'm... glad to hear they patched you up, but I suspect I may be here longer than I'd like." He does wonder precisely what Metody means in the description of his injury.

[metody_green]

He giggles. There's no other word for the noise. "You know, I'm sure if you gave her a long, level look, she'd drop the matter entirely. Or you could just make one for her. There's a simple lace pattern at the back of the book that'd make a lovely embellishment."

[evillurks]

Despite the extra sleep, he is very tired, and this strikes him as more amusing than perhaps it should be. His mouth twitches again, just once, and he begins a whispery chuckle. It very quickly turns to a wheeze and a gasp, while one hand goes to his left side just under his arm. Where the tube was only this morning is very well stitched up and bandaged, but the attempt at laughter reminds him he has a new additional wound. With a scowl he presses back against the pillows, concentrating on breathing steadily.
"I've had... enough embarrassing moments in... front of her in the past... twenty-four hours. Thank you." He only hopes the brief lapse hasn't attracted any attention from the nurses. He'd prefer not to have the tube stuck back in.

[metody_green]

"Don't worry, it's only a matter of time before I do something much more personally humiliating in front of her. I have a terrible track record with things like that." It had been months since he'd accidentally spilled spaghetti down a pretty woman's shirt, but he had the nasty feeling that just meant he was overdue.

The pained look and scowl make him twist with guilt inside, and he glances back, worried that nurses are about to descend. "Are there any other books you might like? I live close to a library."

[evillurks]

A little focus to slow his breathing, on the shallow side until the pain subsists, and he can speak properly again. The spell seems to have been too brief to attract attention, but it's unpleasant to note that the injury prevents his usual trademark laugh. "By all means, take your turn next." He manages another smile, albeit a weary one.
"Almost anything, as long as I haven't read it before. The anthropology ones look very interesting." He'll certainly be reading those before he even touches something about knitting. "I think the technology in your world is more... advanced than mine. Anything technological would be interesting." He has been devouring what the Nexus has on computers in whatever spare time he can find. Unfortunately those books are scattered in apartments on his world.