[He allows himself to be pulled along, the proceedings a blur and when Kotetsu opens his eyes next, he's being eased onto the cushions of their apartment couch. His body is slowly going numb from exhaustion, and his mind cannot comprehend where he is or how much time he's lost between the elevator and the trip until several long and sluggish moments later.
Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. He can hardly move, and yet he tries his hand at shifting on the couch (for no real reason), he can't see straight, things are spinning, and everything sounds muffled. He makes out what Barnaby says, though, just barely.
Keep awake.
He's trying his hardest, but he's fading quickly.
Blood... won't forgive you...
He chuckles breathlessly at that before he can even understand why. He looks at his arm, the cut not too deep, but long and still ugly. It, too, weeps red in a sluggish manner. He's already rubbed against the cushions in his shifting, blood streaked thinly against parts of the fabric.]
Does the couch... count as furniture...?
[He struggles to lift the hand, and the appendage quivers and shakes heavily. He manages to lift it onto his leg, and he sighs out in relief once it's rested on his knee. His head falls back and he smiles lazily. His actions are taxing, and his eyelids begin to flutter...]
[He's absurdly relieved to hear Kotetsu answer, even if the answer is so utterly stupid. He doesn't have time to boggle over the old man's old-man-ness, however.]
Yes, [He replies, emphatically, but when he looks at Kotetsu he sees the flutter of his eyelids, the way his body sags where he's sitting. Quickly, he moves to him, hands curling on his shoulders.] Old man! Where's your usual stubbornness?
[He checks his pulse, too, just incase - and again, it's fine. Nothing to worry about. But what he sees before him is worrisome, and he leans closer to examine that wound.]
[He misses the answer, the next thing he can clearly distinguish from the blur that has become his consciousness being the rough shake of his shoulders. It works, and it brings him back, much like a defibrillator would, the results shocking to his system and above all else, exhaustingly temporary.
He watches the analysis of his pulse and his wound with a detached, clinical interest, but he's quick to take from his dwindling energy reserve once more to withdraw his wounded limb in a jerky, weak fashion, shake his head and lightly gesture to their sleeping colleague next to him.
He draws further to try his hand at speaking clearly, voice still tiny in comparison to his usual and words slightly slurred by a tongue long since gone numb.]
Take care of him, first... [And by that he means tuck him into bed, make him comfortable. It's almost a knee-jerk reaction for Kotetsu to think of others first at this point in his life, near delirious exhaustion isn't about to damper that.
Despite muddled brain function, he quietly tacks on, if only to silence any protests, cease any worries:]
Won't sleep. [He takes a breath, offers a lazy blink.] Promise.
I don't believe you, [Barnaby says, bluntly.] He's fine where he is. [He'll move him soon, that is, but right now, just incase - he doesn't want to let either of them out of his sight. He has to, however, to go and unearth the first aid kit - that he'd bought shortly after his arrival, in all his caution - and bring it over to where Kotetsu is sitting.
Checking once more that Ivan is stable, even if the signs stating so aren't very reassuring, he moves to Kotetsu's side to take a look at the injury on his arm. His grip is strong - he doesn't want the old man protesting further, especially not when he needs to get a good look at the wound. It's deep, but not anything terribly worrisome - not compared to the drowsiness, that is.
With antiseptic, clean cotton, and tweezers, he sets about cleaning it - not bothering to warn Kotetsu about the sting.]
[He loses more time, as Barnaby stands and leaves. He's entered a state of semi-conciousness at this point, his eyes are open but he's not really attentive to his surroundings. He remembers promising not to sleep, though, and he keeps his promises.
He remains in this state, his breathing calm and deep, as if his body's up and gone to sleep without his permission. It's not restful or relaxing, it's just a natural reaction to such a startling lack of energy. A near complete shut down, as all of it is directed currently on keeping his eyelids from darkening his hazy vision completely, and to frowning deeply at not having his request followed.
Awareness practically strangles him as his arm is grasped in a powerful, controlled hold and stung, poked and swabbed mercilessly. He doesn't protest or pull away, merely tenses, draws a deep, shuttering breath and squeezes his eyes shut against the headache and the encroaching nausea.
He gives it a moment or, at least, it's a moment to him, before he tightly speaks:]
Can I lay down now?
[Lay down, not sleep. He'll fight that as long as he physically can.]
[Even as he cleans out the wound, his eyes keep flicking to Kotetsu's own. Were he more aware, he might see the worry beginning to show there - as it is, Barnaby manages to keep it to himself, something he's almost grateful for.
Like Kotetsu's wakefulness, admittedly. Sleep might be benign, but this is too strange, too sudden, too alien to be trusted. And that's why, when Kotetsu speaks up, he's absurdly grateful - but it doesn't stop the answer sounding harsh, clipped.]
No.
[He wraps his arm in gauze, leaning closer.]
Talk to me. Tell me what's happening. How do you feel? Are you hurt?
[He might not have the energy to move, speak coherently or even think, but he seems to have enough to whine. He sighs, frustrated, since he knows that he won't be moving on his own. He wants to lay down, rest his head on something comfortable, relax his tense, exhausted and cramped muscles, feel the warmth of a blanket seep into his numb body.
He's completely at his partner's mercy, though. At his discretion. All he can do right now is keep his eyes open, retain even just a small shred of awareness.
He stubbornly attempts to shake his head, but it flops limply on his neck. He opens his now bloodshot eyes, and manages to lock them with Barnaby's. Were Kotetsu more in tune with his surroundings, he'd tease the blond for worrying.]
Just tired. Keep... getting m-more sleepy. [He's short of breath, and he pauses to regain and steady it.] Head hurts...
[He's having trouble focusing his eyes. They're hazy with repressed exhaustion. For a moment, he almost loses, and his eyes start to roll to the back of his head, but he blinks rapidly to correct them.
Come on. [He mutters it under his breath like a mantra, as if hoping to override the crippling drowsiness that claimed their young coworker and is now claiming his partner. He wonders about ways to keep him awake - food, a drink, coffee? But he doesn't want to leave him alone for that long, and he really doesn't think it'll help.
Leaning closer, he looks into Kotetsu's eyes. The lack of focus there is alarming, to say the least, but he keeps it from his voice. Mostly.] I assure you, there's only one of me.
[Normally, he'd keep his ailments to himself, as to avoid worrying others around him, but his normal brain to mouth filter has practically crumbled under the weight of the exhaustion that's threatening to overtake him.
He grins weakly, not as bright as he wants to, and tries his hand at chuckling. He fails spectacularly, as it sounds more like gasping for air than anything else, and only serves to drain his energy further.]
Yeah... [He pauses, and his eyes slide shut against his will, unable to keep them open any further.] Dunno what I'd do... with two of you.
[His voice trails off, but he manages to slide a hand off his knee to grasp onto one of Barnaby's, and he channels what's left of his focus into squeezing it.]
Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. He can hardly move, and yet he tries his hand at shifting on the couch (for no real reason), he can't see straight, things are spinning, and everything sounds muffled. He makes out what Barnaby says, though, just barely.
Keep awake.
He's trying his hardest, but he's fading quickly.
Blood... won't forgive you...
He chuckles breathlessly at that before he can even understand why. He looks at his arm, the cut not too deep, but long and still ugly. It, too, weeps red in a sluggish manner. He's already rubbed against the cushions in his shifting, blood streaked thinly against parts of the fabric.]
Does the couch... count as furniture...?
[He struggles to lift the hand, and the appendage quivers and shakes heavily. He manages to lift it onto his leg, and he sighs out in relief once it's rested on his knee. His head falls back and he smiles lazily. His actions are taxing, and his eyelids begin to flutter...]
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Yes, [He replies, emphatically, but when he looks at Kotetsu he sees the flutter of his eyelids, the way his body sags where he's sitting. Quickly, he moves to him, hands curling on his shoulders.] Old man! Where's your usual stubbornness?
[He checks his pulse, too, just incase - and again, it's fine. Nothing to worry about. But what he sees before him is worrisome, and he leans closer to examine that wound.]
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He watches the analysis of his pulse and his wound with a detached, clinical interest, but he's quick to take from his dwindling energy reserve once more to withdraw his wounded limb in a jerky, weak fashion, shake his head and lightly gesture to their sleeping colleague next to him.
He draws further to try his hand at speaking clearly, voice still tiny in comparison to his usual and words slightly slurred by a tongue long since gone numb.]
Take care of him, first... [And by that he means tuck him into bed, make him comfortable. It's almost a knee-jerk reaction for Kotetsu to think of others first at this point in his life, near delirious exhaustion isn't about to damper that.
Despite muddled brain function, he quietly tacks on, if only to silence any protests, cease any worries:]
Won't sleep. [He takes a breath, offers a lazy blink.] Promise.
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Checking once more that Ivan is stable, even if the signs stating so aren't very reassuring, he moves to Kotetsu's side to take a look at the injury on his arm. His grip is strong - he doesn't want the old man protesting further, especially not when he needs to get a good look at the wound. It's deep, but not anything terribly worrisome - not compared to the drowsiness, that is.
With antiseptic, clean cotton, and tweezers, he sets about cleaning it - not bothering to warn Kotetsu about the sting.]
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He remains in this state, his breathing calm and deep, as if his body's up and gone to sleep without his permission. It's not restful or relaxing, it's just a natural reaction to such a startling lack of energy. A near complete shut down, as all of it is directed currently on keeping his eyelids from darkening his hazy vision completely, and to frowning deeply at not having his request followed.
Awareness practically strangles him as his arm is grasped in a powerful, controlled hold and stung, poked and swabbed mercilessly. He doesn't protest or pull away, merely tenses, draws a deep, shuttering breath and squeezes his eyes shut against the headache and the encroaching nausea.
He gives it a moment or, at least, it's a moment to him, before he tightly speaks:]
Can I lay down now?
[Lay down, not sleep. He'll fight that as long as he physically can.]
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Like Kotetsu's wakefulness, admittedly. Sleep might be benign, but this is too strange, too sudden, too alien to be trusted. And that's why, when Kotetsu speaks up, he's absurdly grateful - but it doesn't stop the answer sounding harsh, clipped.]
No.
[He wraps his arm in gauze, leaning closer.]
Talk to me. Tell me what's happening. How do you feel? Are you hurt?
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[He might not have the energy to move, speak coherently or even think, but he seems to have enough to whine. He sighs, frustrated, since he knows that he won't be moving on his own. He wants to lay down, rest his head on something comfortable, relax his tense, exhausted and cramped muscles, feel the warmth of a blanket seep into his numb body.
He's completely at his partner's mercy, though. At his discretion. All he can do right now is keep his eyes open, retain even just a small shred of awareness.
He stubbornly attempts to shake his head, but it flops limply on his neck. He opens his now bloodshot eyes, and manages to lock them with Barnaby's. Were Kotetsu more in tune with his surroundings, he'd tease the blond for worrying.]
Just tired. Keep... getting m-more sleepy. [He's short of breath, and he pauses to regain and steady it.] Head hurts...
[He's having trouble focusing his eyes. They're hazy with repressed exhaustion. For a moment, he almost loses, and his eyes start to roll to the back of his head, but he blinks rapidly to correct them.
They begin to water, and he can't control it.]
Everything's blurry, 'n I s-see two of you...
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Leaning closer, he looks into Kotetsu's eyes. The lack of focus there is alarming, to say the least, but he keeps it from his voice. Mostly.] I assure you, there's only one of me.
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He grins weakly, not as bright as he wants to, and tries his hand at chuckling. He fails spectacularly, as it sounds more like gasping for air than anything else, and only serves to drain his energy further.]
Yeah... [He pauses, and his eyes slide shut against his will, unable to keep them open any further.] Dunno what I'd do... with two of you.
[His voice trails off, but he manages to slide a hand off his knee to grasp onto one of Barnaby's, and he channels what's left of his focus into squeezing it.]
M'sorry...
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