Christmas Morning

[patrick_koster]

Follows this.He woke up feeling a bit disorientated, vaguely remembering regaining consciousness some time during the night and after a few words from the doctor, falling into a restless sleep again. The pain was still there, but nowhere near as bad as it had been when he firs woke up last night. Grateful for small favors, Patrick allowed the nurse

Comments

[stormybrendan]

As Tess poured Patrick some water Brendan felt his phone start to vibrate, being on silent as it was. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out, seeing it was the bar's number on the caller ID.

He answered, the call being from Sam telling him the young kitchen hand was on his way with their dinner.

"Looks like dinner is on its way," he announced to the other two after he'd thanked Sam and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

Christmas Afternoon

[naughty_tess]

"Hooray!" Tess would have clapped if she'd had her hands free. She almost put the glass to Patrick's lips for him, thinking of her mother, but then she didn't want to make him feel self conscious. Hmmm, better to use a straw. She put it in the glass and held that to his lips.

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[patrick_koster]

On any other day he'd have balked at this from anyone other than Brendan, but today he was tired, didn't have the energy left to protest or to attempt doing it himself instead. Wryly thinking that swallowing his pride had become as simple as swallowing water, Patrick emptied the glass and, after swallowing just one more time, he even managed to thank Tess, knowing she was merely trying to be nice and help him out.

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[stormybrendan]

Brendan watched Tess give Patrick the water and was secretly relieved he'd managed to accept it. He understood Patrick's discomfort at accepting any assistance from anyone, except maybe himself, but was worried others wouldn't understand. He really didn't want Patrick to alienate himself, and hoped Tess would understand how much that simple acceptance of her help meant.

"Might just duck down to the foyer, save him trying to find somewhere to park so he can bring it up here."

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[naughty_tess]

Tess wasn't sure, but she thought she had an inkling, not because she knew Patrick very well, but because she knew from her experience with her mother that, if you were an independent person, it was sometimes very hard to let someone help you even when you needed it. She figured she'd probably be the same way if anything every happened to her.

When Patrick was finished she set the glass down. "Does he need any help carrying things?"

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[stormybrendan]

"He won't, but I might," Brendan replied with a grin. He looked over and gave Patrick a quick wink. "Reckon you can behave y'self long enough for us t' get down there and back again? No more 'wheelchair races' along the corridor?"

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[patrick_koster]

Patrick snorted. "I'll try not to, mate," he said obediently, a small smile on his face as he watched the two of them leave the room. And only when they'd actually left the room did he allow his eyes to fall closed for a brief moment.

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[naughty_tess]

Tess smirked at Brendan once they were in the hall. "Somehow I really can't imagine him having wheelchair races. Unless you're a worse influence on him than I thought."

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[stormybrendan]

"Who me? A bad influence? Well I never!" he exclaimed in complete innocence as they made their way to the lifts and into the car that came immediately.

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[naughty_tess]

"I know, I know. You're way too good and angelic to do anything like that. Same here."

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[stormybrendan]

The mock muffled snort startled the elderly woman who was in the car when the two stepped in. He apologised to her and they all wished each other a merry Christmas on the way down to the ground level. When they arrived they only had a few minutes to wait till the food arrived and Brendan slipped the young man some money, telling him to make sure he thanked Sam from them when he went back to the bar.

Brendan inhaled the aroma wafting up from the box he was carrying and sighed happily. "That smells so damned good! Didn't realise how hungry I was till now." Tess had a basket, one of the large ones usually used to serve bread from at the bar, but now covered in a red and white check cloth. "You look like you really should have that little red hooded cloak on now!" he chuckled as they made their way back up in the lift.

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[naughty_tess]

"And I should have put my hair in braids too. I did this routine once, at work, where I was Little Red Riding Hood. Only I didn't say, 'Grandma, what big eyes you have.' I said... hmm, well, maybe you don't want to hear that." She put a completely angelic look on her face and stared straight ahead.

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[stormybrendan]

Brendan laughed and shook his head as the car door opened. "I don't think I need to, my imagination isn't dead, y' know."

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[naughty_tess]

"Good. Once I go back to work and all and Patrick's better, feel free to bring him by the club some time."

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[stormybrendan]

"Sure, when he feels like a night out of that sort, you can rest assured we'll be making the club the first port of call!" He pushed the door open to Patrick's room and looked over to the bed, seeing the man's eyes closed again and wondering if he'd dozed off again.

Re: Christmas Afternoon

[patrick_koster]

He'd intended to merely let his eyes rest for a moment, hadn't planned on dozing off but mere seconds after the door had closed behind Tess and Brendan he'd drifted off into a light slumber, the previous night clearly still taking its toll.