[Thread;Closed]

[waitedinwinhill]

Characters: Raine, Laguna and Squall
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Raine insists on making sure Squall gets better.
Location: Galbadia Garden
Date: March 19th, 1804 (before the party and airship race)
Warnings: Awkward?

Comments

[brewing_storm]

Hate? Hate whom? Someone he'd never met? Someone who died bringing him into the world? It's a little difficult to hate someone you'd killed just by existing. It's a little difficult to hate someone you didn't know, or even let alone wouldn't have even be able to remember.

This is... ridiculous. That was a lone fact that kept repeating itself. Over and over and over and over. A broken record, and yet, somehow, that was all the had Squall hanging for a moment. He himself... couldn't explain it. No. He could. He could explain all of this logically. He was in the infirmary because of an injury. Blood loss, more so. Bed rest, vitamin B 12, iron supplement to get him on his feet faster. Simple. Logical. Boring.

Half-drifting off somewhere, trying to make himself sleep to pass the time, the young man blinked, brows dipping when he focused on the source of the noise intruding on his solitude.

The only thought that could run through his mind: What now?

Possibly someone else to check on him. Fine. Let's get it over with, he mentally grouched, sitting up more properly. The face in the door seemed... almost familiar. In so far as the faintest of all memories-- just an instinct. He could place the voice, vaguely.

"Yes," he replied simply, fingers tangling into bed covers ever the slightest bit.

[waitedinwinhill]

Taking that as an invitation, Raine entered the room, struggling not to overwhelm him with the intensity of just how worried she was. How much more awkward could the whole situation become, anyway? In some ways, it felt like meeting an adult child given away for adoption, or so she assumed. As it was, she still struggled with how to relate to Ellone now and what was acceptable, and she at least remembered their shared history.

Hovering near the bed, but not too close, she folded her hands in front of her, choosing to speak first, before tending. He really had no choice on that front, as she was determined to get him better, objections or not. "How are you feeling?"

At least, he hadn't thrown her out. Given the last time they'd spoken, it was less than ideal, and then he had vanished, she'd been concerned he might. And with no real reason to think he wouldn't recognize her, the little that he had before, she took it as a step in the right direction.

[brewing_storm]

A woman and an unfamiliar man... Not that Squall knew either of them. Which was more than a little unnerving. There was still great deal to absorb. He wasn't without some power of observation; whoever these people were, the woman at least knew him...

To what extent he couldn't help but wonder.

Squall frowned at Raine and Laguna, studying their faces in turn, trying to match them to any he might have seen before. No. Nothing. The urge to ask them what they wanted cropped up a little strongly. More than was probably necessary. Now wasn't the time for it-- he could afford, at least, right now, to be a little polite...

Mouth still a hard set line, the SeeD moved his gaze back to Raine. "Fine," he stated. Not entirely far from the truth. Squall still ached, perhaps still a little on the bandaged side. Just how badly it remained, Squall didn't know.

Largely, he was just confused as to who these people were, when he really just... would have liked some space, to be left alone for the time being.

[waitedinwinhill]

Even knowing it was rude, Raine couldn't stop herself from staring, at least a little. Not really staring, but more studying, just like she had a few weeks ago when he was still brand new to her. For that matter, Squall was brand new to her all over again. Armed with the realization this was a second chance for her, she had every intention of making the most of it.

She stepped closer and stated the reason she came. "I'm here to take care of you." No-nonsense, and not about to take no for an answer either. "I'll check your bandages first, change them if they need it, and then we'll see about the rest. You'll need to eat too, if you haven't already."

While she reached out with one hand to start checking over Squall's shoulder, she glanced at the nearby cabinet. "Laguna, open that up and see what's in there. I need to know what I've got to work with."

[brewing_storm]

The scrutiny made Squall uncomfortable. It always did. He could take it with a straight face. Always could. That wasn't the problem. The problem?

Who are these people?

And more importantly: "Doesn't need anymore tending." An all too-familiar no-nonsense tone. That's just what this all was. Nonsense! It was just a wound. A bad one, sure. He was alive, though. Alive. Wasn't that what mattered?

Blue-grey eyes narrowed down at both Laguna and Raine. Sharp. Distinct. For one thing, who did they think they were, trouncing in here, invading-- invading... space-- her hand. Squall couldn't help some of the automatic reactions. Reflexes. It wasn't Raine's fault. It was his. Just how Squall tended to be.

He brushed her hand away with his good arm, albeit more gently than he would have most.

"...it's just a wound," he added, a moment later, averting his eyes, but Squall couldn't place why. Why does everyone need to over-react to this?

[waitedinwinhill]

The brushing off didn't annoy Raine, too much. She had expected that Squall wouldn't recognize her or at the very least wouldn't be comfortable with her presence. Yet this was one time where she would not allow those issues to take precedence. Her child, her son, was injured and she was going to take care of him. Manners and social conventions be damned.

She took on a stern expression. "Just like your father. Stop being stubborn." Honestly, Laguna was a lousy patient and drove Raine crazy. Although he'd cried like a baby. At least Squall was better in that regard.

[prez_leg_cramp]

Laguna was in the medicine cabinet that he was told to look into, but he was quick to frown and looking over at his wife, crossing his arms and huffing slightly. "Hey! I was not that bad! At least I didn't refuse you and all that! I mean, c'mon. Besides, Squall didn't break every bone in his body like I did! That counts for somethin' too, y'know!"

[brewing_storm]

He'd been hurt before. Plenty of times. Squall didn't usually think too much about wounds. They healed. But for that moment? He couldn't help the confusion. Just like my father? Did she just have someone else in mind, and-- strange, his stomach was doing a strange not-quite-bottoming-out thing.

No, they couldn't mean someone else, since... well, that was his name.

"Excuse me, but..." Squall's mouth twisted for a moment, trying to fish for some grasp on the proper words as he glanced between them. "What are you going on about?"

Why were they there? And why was it giving him such an uneasy feeling?

[waitedinwinhill]

"I wouldn't be proud of all those bones you broke, Laguna. Honestly." Raine sighed in exasperation and shook her head. "Are there any bandages in there?" Just like that she went from nagging the man to being all business about the healing task at hand.

Turning her attention back to Squall, she nudged his hand out of the way. "We're going to get you better. That's what." Now that she was up close though, Raine couldn't help but study his face some more. Then she glanced up at Laguna, noting that they both had the same eyes. Same mouth too. That made her own lips twitch into a faint smile.

"Not really how I wanted to break the news to you. I'm sorry, son. You... knew who I was before." A single deep breath and a glance to the side, then she continued. "My name's Raine. Raine Loire. I think you know Laguna." With that, she spared a fond glance in her husband's direction.