It needs but one foe to breed a war [OPEN]

[endthiscycle]

Characters: OPEN
Location: Horrorspital
Rating: PG?
Time: Starting October 2 lasting various days.
Description: A place for all those injured from the attack on the city.
Note: It's up to you how long you want your character to stay in the clinic, remember their recovery will take a wee bit longer than usual because of how short on staff the

Comments

October 2nd and onwards from there~! [ Open | Action/Prose ]

[wings_of_hope]

Details of the past few hours were still fuzzy in the redhead's mind. But she knew the important thing, which stuck like a permanently easing thought within her: they had been rescued. Everyone was surely recovering and being taken care of and... yes, everything would be fine.

She owed a lot to Germany, Prussia, and Fakir. As it was, she felt bad that she had all but passed out on them when they came for her. She needed to thank them properly and find out how everyone else was doing and--!

Where was she now, even...? Back in the Heights?

Slowly, her eyes blinked open into the light, taking her surroundings in little by little. This was... the clinic? Carefully, she tried to sit up a bit, but found quickly that her limbs weren't responding so well, and flopped back down onto the bed with a soft "oof". She felt kind of dizzy and lightheaded.

Maybe moving wasn't such a good idea just yet...

October 2nd

[would_be_knight]

Fakir had been quick to snatch Ahiru up into his arms and carry her out after they'd found her. There had been a lot of running after that, but they'd made it out relatively unscathed, and now they were back in Death City.

For the first time in weeks, Fakir felt like he could breathe.

He'd been telling himself constantly, like a silent mantra, that Ahiru would be found alive. It had been what kept him going.

And he had been right. Here she was among them again, hurt but bandaged and safe now. He'd waited just long enough for the people at the clinic to take care of her injuries, and then he had been at her side again, though she wasn't conscious enough to notice him.

He was sitting next to her bed now, on a chair he'd stolen from the entrance room, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, watching her.

When she started to wake up, he stiffened, watching even more closely. How much pain was she in?

Seeing her fall back after trying to sit up, he exhaled slowly. "Idiot," he said softly. "Don't strain yourself."

[wings_of_hope]

He had been so quiet and unmoving that she had failed to even notice his silent presence at first. But when he spoke, that quickly changed, and her head instantly turned in his direction.

Even as much as she disliked when he called her an idiot or a moron, Ahiru couldn't have been more happy to hear his voice than she was now. Her body was sore and her face felt hot, but none of that mattered when Fakir was right there beside her.

Struggling, she formed a weak smile on her lips. "Fakir..." she breathed his name out softly. As much as he would probably be against it, she really wanted to... hug him right now. But fortunately for him and his personal space, she didn't think she could move that far.

Not yet, anyway.

Her eyes roved over him for any sign of injury. She didn't know what happened to the three of them after they came for her. Hopefully none of them got hurt...

"...Are you okay? And--and Mister Germany? And Prussia?"

[would_be_knight]

It was just like Ahiru to worry about others even from a hospital bed. Fakir reached over to ruffle her bangs, answering with mild admonishment, "Don't worry yourself, moron. We're all fine."

Well, Ahiru wasn't fine. But she was alive and awake and talking to him, and she would get better. That would have to be enough.

[wings_of_hope]

That was... relieving. Intensely so. Sighing deeply as his fingers rustled through her red locks, her breathing smoothed out a little more again. Knowing they were all okay... definitely put her more at ease. She didn't know what she would do if any of them had gotten hurt.

The hint of a smile returned to her lips. "Mm, I'm gla--" She cut off there on a small coughing fit, quickly moving her hands to cover her face. She blinked, brows drawing together in confusion. "A--Ah... did I catch something?" Her face did feel warm.

[would_be_knight]

That little smile was like a balm, soothing over all the wound-up tension of the past few weeks and the weariness in Fakir's bones now that it was over. He didn't know exactly what had happened, though they'd been told about what the kidnappers might have been trying to do, but Ahiru was able to smile now. She would be all right.

He frowned when she started coughing, though. His hand left her bangs to rest over her forehead, testing the warmth there. "Possibly. You seem feverish."

He straightened up in his seat, starting to get up. "Wait a minute. I'll get you some water."

[wings_of_hope]

It was at least a little easier for the duck-girl to smile now, at least compared to the ones she was always forcing in the cell in attempt to keep others' spirits up. But she didn't want to make Fakir worry, either. And the smiling would help with that a little, wouldn't it?

And she felt oddly... calm in this room, anyway, as if something wasn't even allowing her to consider showing the wear on her features from those weeks of imprisonment. She didn't think on it any further, though. If she had this opportunity to rest and recover, she'd best take it.

Ahiru doubted that Fakir or the helpers at the clinic would approve of her trying to get up and do things, anyway. So as hard as it was to stay put, she did so, nodding to dark-haired boy and waiting patiently for him to return.

[would_be_knight]

Fakir was aware of the calming wavelength in the clinic in the same way he'd been aware of the madness wavelength in that Michigan place--though the calming wavelength might feel stronger, if he stopped to think about it. He wasn't stopping to think about it, though. He was less inclined to worry in general, though he definitely wasn't about to stop altogether.

In any case, it was doing him good, though he undoubtedly didn't need it nearly as much as Ahiru and the other rescued patients did. This was the best place for her right now, and he was going to make sure she stayed here and rested for as long as she needed to.

It didn't take Fakir long to return to Ahiru's bed, a plastic cup of water in hand. Someone would likely come see to her for her illness soon enough, but in the meantime water would probably help her cough and fever.

[wings_of_hope]

When Fakir returned with the liquid, Ahiru once again tried to shuffle herself back in order to sit up a little. She winced slightly from the cut on her back, but nonetheless managed to prop the pillows up behind her enough that she was in a semi-seated position.

Normally, she wouldn't like being bed-ridden and doted on like this at all, but anything was better than the cells in Michigan. And just to have Fakir near her was more comforting than she could say. The least she could do was save him and the clinic workers the trouble of complaining about resting and recuperating.

Gingerly, she held her hands out to accept the water with a grateful nod. "Thanks, Fakir."

[would_be_knight]

Fakir did notice Ahiru's wince, and it made him frown again. He hadn't taken the time to check her for injuries himself when they'd found her; the most important thing right then had been to get out. So he didn't have a very good idea about where she was hurt, though it was apparent that she was battered.

Taking his chair again, he handed the cup over. "Is it all right for you to be sitting up?"

[wings_of_hope]

Ahiru blinked at his words and then looked around, as if expecting someone to pop out of nowhere and reprimand her. Thankfully, no one did. "I... dunno," she started, slowly, her lips curving down into a frown as she turned her gaze back on him. "But I can't really drink water laying down. I'll spill it all over..."

Well, she might spill it anyway, but that was besides the point. Taking the cup, she took a measured sip. The cool liquid felt good on her parched throat.

[would_be_knight]

That was true enough, though if Fakir helped her and they were careful enough, he thought it would be possible to do it with her just raising her head a bit. But she seemed all right sitting up for the moment, and it would only be for a little bit. "Just don't do anything to strain yourself."

He eased down, resting his elbows on his knees again, quietly watching her.

[wings_of_hope]

Truth be told, she already was straining herself a little, but she paid it no mind. Something was making her feel very mellow at the moment and she couldn't focus on the slight pain and discomfort from the movement.

"I'll be fine," she spoke softly, taking another long sip of the soothing water. After a moment, she glanced over at him, eyebrows raising slightly. "...You look like I'm gonna take off or something."

She tried to force a weak laugh, but it came out rather awkward.

[would_be_knight]

Fakir started, suddenly conscious of how he'd been ... well, staring. "I know that. You're not going anywhere." If only because he wasn't going to let her.

It was just that seeing her again, after all this time of looking for her and thinking about her and not being able to find her and hoping she was--

Well, truth be told, it was a bit overwhelming. He couldn't look away from her for long without needing to look again, as though he really were afraid she would vanish on him. Again.

He could tell the laugh was forced, and it made him frown. "Don't do that."

[wings_of_hope]

The redhead gave a silent nod in response to his statement. She wasn't going to try to take off or anything like that. In this case, at least, she knew better. It wasn't just a little sprang of her ankle like her last injury. Fakir and the others had been searching for them for weeks and--well, she wasn't going to take this lightly. For once, she knew that Fakir was right.

And Ahiru nearly winced - not from any pain, but from how easily he was able to call her out on her forced laughter. He really was observant, wasn't he?

"Sorry," she mumbled sheepishly, looking down at the half-drunk plastic up of water. She just wanted to be reassuring to him, in regards of her condition. The last thing she wanted was to make Fakir worry any more than he surely already had. She gave a heavy sigh. "I just thought it would lighten things up a little..."

[would_be_knight]

Lighten things up? She really was an idiot.

"Don't worry about things like that, moron. I don't need you to pretend anything." That was the last thing he wanted, really. Seeing Ahiru smile was good, but it wasn't worth anything if it wasn't real. And he didn't want her wearing herself out trying to be cheerful when she was in pain.

"You're all right now. All you need to think about is healing."