No rest for the wicked - OTA
Ethan has been in and out of conciousness for the last hour or so, mind and body drifting as his system slowly but surely clears of the drugs that were pumping through him for so long whilst being held hostage. He has caught snippets of conversation between Doctors and nurses; mentions of Dopaminergics, enzyme inhibitors, Methylphenidate,
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...Just, not until she makes sure the Captain's alright. To be honest, the ride back home was all sorts of hazy. She remembered getting Pyro's favorite zippo and then getting the message that the Captain had been retrieved, and snapping at Olivia to help Pyro, not her, and then it all went black.
Taking a quick moment to scan her chart, she noticed that the bullet from Hendley had, in fact, managed to crack her bone. It probably explained the stupid sling holding her arm down and the fifteen stitches in her skin. Nose wrinkling, she got herself halfway dressed (with her old combat clothes, save the med bay shirt, since she used her old shirt on Pyro's wound) and padded down to check on Sykes.
Waiting til he was alone, she entered slowly and leaned against the wall before speaking up - voice raspy. "You're lookin' a little better now. How're you feelin', Captain?"
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If Haylie has only hazy memories of the journey back Ethan's are even more disjointed. Snippets of conversation, people yelling, someone pressing warm hands to his chilled skin and the rest... well he just can't piece it together. Not sure if he ever will.
"Much better thank you, though I'll be happier when I'm no longer restricted to bed rest." He glances up at Collins and gestures towards the chair, noting the arm in a sling which immediately transforms his soft smile into a frown. "I wasn't aware you'd been hurt during the mission, what happened?"
That's yet another team member being added to the injuries list in his head and to Ethan that's not good. He owes the rescue team so much more than he can possibly explain, already in his head he has plans of how to at least show some of his gratitude as well as change a few things around the camp.
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When he asked about her injury, she couldn't help the look of surprise on her face. She'd heard Emma's voice earlier and assumed she'd filled him in on all the details, but apparently not. Haylie didn't give it much more thought, though, because it was easy to forget about her when Pyro had been so much more seriously wounded. Shit-- St John. Reaching into the pocket of her open vest, she felt for the lighter and sighed.
"Huh? Oh. I thought you knew-- it's nothin'." She uncharacteristically breaks eye contact - only briefly - and gives Ethan a dismissive shrug. In an attempt to steer the subject away from her injuries, she tosses out the thing she really has on her mind. "D'you know how St John's doin'? Is he okay?"
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Ethan has gotten the general gist of what is going on but hearing it from the actual person involved or there is always better. Not that Ethan doesn't trust Emma to tell him the truth but he needs to hear this, the details from Haylie. Especially if he intends to kick Hendley's ass from one side of the state to the other. "It wasn't nothing..." But Ethan doesn't pry further. Maybe she'll explain more later.
"I'm afraid I know not much more than you. Apparently I'm not allowed to leave this bed for at least twenty-four hours until they can be certain that drugs have not had any adverse effects." Ethan does look peeved at this fact, but he's not going to grumble. Much. "I gather you are just as much in the dark?"
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Sighing heavily, she scratches at the bandage around her arm and shifts forward in her seat. Breaking eye contact again, she ducks her head to hide behind her hair and look down at her hand. The skin is singed lightly from trying to play with fire - literally - and she's just registering the pain now. "St John-- what happened is my fault. Hendley was trying to take him down with a sniper rifle and one of my explosions happened to knock the trajectory off so he missed. I realized what was goin' on and I warned him to knock it off or I'd make him stop. I took off to get away before he could shoot me and made my way to a watchtower to scout out where they might have been holdin' you and I hear the kid over the radio sayin' he's been shot."
Reaching up with her free hand, she runs a hand through her hair and licks her lips absently. If the guilt wasn't evident in her voice, then the look on her face should give it away. "I'm pretty sure he did it just to spite me. Wraith radios and tells me to check it out because, well, I'm-- I was-- an EMT and I'm the closest one there. I made my way back and he's got a hole in his gut and there's blood everywhere. There's fire out of control all around us and while I'm trying to check for an exit wound, I hear another shot go off. The bastard caught me with a lucky shot. So I threw the kid over my shoulder and took off for cover."
She shakes her head and fishes for Pyro's zippo, turning it in her hand and focusing her gaze on that. "I should've stayed and protected him. I knew Hendley would look for another chance. Deep down, I knew. But I left and he-- he could've died. There was so much blood. First Spencer, then St John... I failed to protect them both."
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For Ethan it's easy to read that unease in Haylie's posture, her gaze dropping, the fidgetting and the pauses but he doesn't push. Doesn't pry or goad or even force her to talk until she is ready. Instead he waits, impassive and neutral as Haylie eventually explains. Ethan is surprised to see that Haylie blames herself but he knows, all to well, what it can be like in the heat of the moment. Having to make decisions and then second guessing yourself when all the adrenaline has gone.
"You didn't fail Collins so, please, don't allow yourself to believe that. You did more than was asked of you and without your efforts I do not doubt we would be minus a team member or two. So at least take some comfort in that. I will however be dealing with Hendley as soon as I am well enough, his actions will not go unpunished." Even if the General doesn't support Ethan and Emma in their actions, sure as hell is hot Ethan will be taking a fist to the mutant hunters face first chance he gets.
No-one threatens his team.
"And thank you. For signing yourself up along with the others. The gesture is appreciated, I know that all of you who went did it out of your own choice."
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Turning the zippo over in her hand once more, she decides to tuck it away again in the pocket of her vest. What she wouldn't give for her own clothes and a treadmill right about now.
"In the spirit of honesty? Hendley wouldn't have made it back if I had it my way. I would've blown up his guns and left him to fend for himself." With that comment she finally makes eye contact again, gaze weary with the weight of guilt, pain, and fear weighing on her soul. "I'm not a violent person, Captain, and I refuse to kill anyone. But for what he did? I wanted t'leave him t'die."
His appreciation doesn't go unnoticed, however, because Haylie stops for a moment to give him a genuine, but tired, smile. And the gesture almost feels foreign to a woman who rarely smiles anymore. "It was my pleasure. I'm just happy to see that you're okay, Sir."
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Ethan nods, a small but genuine smile given in return. The team will soon see just how thankful Ethan really is once he is able to put his plans into motion. Barely concealing a yawn Ethan waves a hand in apology as he covers his mouth. "I will truly be thankful when they unplug me from this machine and I'm able to get out of this bed. I envy you being able to wander around Collins."
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The apology gets shrugged off casually as she runs a hand through her hair and shifts in the chair, unable to get comfortable with the damn sling on her arm. Eventually she gives up and just stands - swaying slightly - and rests her hand on the wall to keep her steady until she remembers how to stand up. "Even if I couldn't wander around, I would. It's not safe in here."
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"I guess I'm not really in a position to comment on the safety of this facility at the moment Collins. That is something that I and Emma need to address quickly, but I am saddened to hear that you feel that way." Ethan intends to overhaul all the security around camp and the entire base for that matter. Clearly things have gotten slack and lax with the military side, perhaps they have assumed too much in the fact that the mutants will defend themselves? Well whatever it is Ethan intends to investigate and no doubt Barq will pull her weight too to make sure everyone is safe.
"How is your arm? Is it serious?"
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With an awkward pause, her smile fades and she shifts, taking a moment to wait for the sudden flux of dizziness to cease. Once it's gone, she takes a seat in her chair again, pulling it as close to the bed as she can. "I wasn't exactly talkin' about the camp as a whole, 'cause it seemed safe enough to me until the asshole brigade shot up the place. I was talkin' about the Med Bay itself."
Breaking eye contact once more, she looks down at her hands. She feels like a tattletale for this, but she reminds herself that she has a right to feel safe as well. "Last time I was in here, you promised me I was safe when I was at my most vulnerable. And I wanted to believe you. But-- some time after you left, I was trying to get my barriers back up and I woke up to some animal with a mohawk and tattoos on top of me, pressin' these claws into my neck and tryin' to get freaky with me." Shuddering at the memory and repressing the anger that bubbled up, she shook her head and scratched at the bandages on her arm.
"Like I said. I don't feel safe in here."
And yes, Captain, she's purposely ignoring your question about her arm.
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He won't tell anyone at all but Daken came to him, before anyone else had dropped by when Ethan was still suffering the from the medical sedation he'd been administered. The conversation that they had was private but now Ethan can't help but wonder if maybe Daken was trying to tell him something more than just a hint that he's got potential.
"I was unaware that a situation had arisen, I wish you had told me about it sooner Collins as I could have dealt with the matter at the time and in a swift manner." Not that Ethan doubts Haylie's word but too much time has passed for him to be able to effectively punish Daken, but that doesn't mean he won't be hauling the feral into his office for a talk.
"If such an incident occurs again or if he should make you feel uneasy at any other time you must inform me of barq immediately. I will however speak with Daken and see about dealing with him. I can't apologise enough Collins, the cameras should have picked him up or the soldiers in the building should have done something about him."
The IV drips in his arms are getting low and Ethan wonders if this might be the last of having needles jabbed into him. No doubt the nurses will arrive soon to fill in their chart with his latest vitals and do their usual routine of poking and prodding that Ethan has begun to loathe.
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But that was beside the point. Glancing back up at Sykes, she wrinkled her nose. "Honestly? I'm not surprised he got through undetected. He's like a freakin' ninja. I didn't even hear him or feel him climbing onto my bed. I only woke up when I felt his claws on my neck. As much as I hate the bastard, I have t'give him that much."
Noticing the state of his IV drips, Haylie gets to her feet once more and places a hand above Ethan's shoulder against the bed as she leans over him to get a better look at what they've got him on. Call it curiosity, but she didn't exactly know what they had him on back there and she was hoping to gain some insight from the meds the doctors had him on now. And of course, she forgets about a certain thing known as personal space and the fact that she's pretty much right there. Not only that, but she stilled smelled like smoke and blood. Not a very enticing scent for anyone but maybe Daken.
"Hmm. Interestin'."
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The fact that Haylie is suddenly incredibly close doesn't go unnoticed by Ethan and he refrains from barking at her about personal space and the fact that he is her superior and getting that close was over stepping a boundary. Instead he calmly waits a moment before pointedly clearing his throat, steele blue gaze levelled on Haylie's face and no where else. Though he has noticed that the linger scent of blood and smoke is on her, he wonders just what the hell went on when it came to rescuing from the Operatives.
When Haylie has moved away Ethan will ask what it was that Haylie found so interesting about his drip. He's well aware that he's got a lower dose of drugs and more fluids but that's because the Doctors have his medical file and are away from over use of his mutations Ethan's body needs more liquid.
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As she started to move back, a sudden flash of pain shot through her free arm and she froze, face inches from the Captain's -- eyes screwing shut tightly. Her fingers curled in his pillow and a pained groan managed to escape her lips before she could silence it. "Damn--"
Breathing heavily through gritted teeth, she waited for the pain to subside because moving right now would just hurt too much. After about a minute, she loosened her grip and opened her eyes, gaze focusing on the wall and trying like hell not to let the Captain see the pained expression on her face until she could lock it down as she was want to do.
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Haylie was a little too close for comfort, had he been a different man (like Daken or Victor) he probably would have taken advantage of the close proximity but not Ethan. He had long ago learnt to detatch himself from that instinct and instead, Ethan was trying to think of a polite but firm way to ask her to shift back. But at her curse Ethan is sitting up more and moving back so he can settle a hand on her good arm, creating distance so he can try to see where it is that she is hurting.
She might well be trying to hide the look of pain on her face but he's witnessed more people suffering from wounds and injuries than he dares to remember. When you've seen it up close you don't need to read facial expressions when the body is betraying the persons true emotions.
"Collins, sit yourself down now before I call the nurse in and have her frog march you back to your bed." His voice is calm, neutral but firm. It's his job to ensure that any member of his team is safe and sound, and if they aren't then at least he can ensure that they are in the right place to heal.
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