[Red Dwarf/Rimmer/A Spinning Fan - Part 05]
Title: A Spinning Fan - Part 05
Fandom: Red Dwarf
Characters: Lister/Rimmer eventually
Prompt: 091. Hospital
Word Count: 1,240 words.
Rating: PG
Summary: One day Lister woke up in a psychiatric ward and a doctor told him it was all a dream brought on by excessive drinking.
Author's Notes: This one's weird. It took off on me a bit. Yell if I'm making Rimmer too OOC. (Or Dwayne.) Concrit is very much appreciated!
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
---
Not-Kryten stood aside as not-Holly strode up to Lister. Rimmer backed up and bumped into his bed. He sat down, glanced at the now-awake-again Dwayne, and shrugged. He didn’t know where this was going.
“Ah, Mr. Lister. How are you?” Dr. Holly held out his hand, and after a second, Lister shook it. It was a normal handshake, but Lister shook his hand slightly when it was over. Holly shouldn’t have a body, he thought.
“I’m fine, thank you.” Lister crossed his arms. “Now can I have my clothing back?”
Holly nodded sharply and made a few notes on his clipboard. “No. You get your clothing when you leave this hospital, and you only woke up several days ago. We have no way of knowing if you are well yet. Perhaps in a week or two you can go. We have no way of knowing if this sudden awakening is permanent or not.” Here he actually looked at Lister. “For all we know, you could slip back into your coma at any moment. Until we are assured of your stability, you can not leave. Is that clear?”
“Yes. Very clear.” It was almost too clear. Perhaps this hospital dealt with coma victims frequently? Lister uncrossed his arms and gazed back at Dr. Holly, who immediately looked back at his clipboard. “How soon until you can prove my stability?”
“I don’t know. Yours is a unique case, Mr. Lister. We will have to put you through testing, of course. Also, Dr. Crane will want a look at you. She’s convinced that medicine will help you on the road to recovery.” He chuckled. “She thinks medicine will heal the world of everything, Mr. Lister, and she’s probably right. Take whatever she prescribes, right? Good.” Dr. Holly made a few more notes on his clipboard. “I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you. Dr. Kryten handles this ward, so if you need anything, talk to him. Have a good day, then.”
He left the room in a rush, and not-Kryten smiled at Lister and then he too left. The entire exchange had taken about five minutes.
“Are they usually that fast?” Lister asked Rimmer.
“Sometimes. It depends on the patient.” Rimmer stood back up and brushed off his uniform. “That’s the first time I’ve seen Dr. Holly recommend Crane to anyone, though.” At Lister’s confused look, he elaborated. “Dr. Crane is our resident pharmacist. She handles all prescriptions and medicines. She’s really good. Just because she’s had trouble with me doesn’t mean she can’t handle anything else.”
“Trouble with you?” Lister snorted. He hadn’t met Crane, back during the Holoship adventure, but Rimmer had gone on at length about her. She had actually given up her existence for Rimmer. If this was the same Crane, Rimmer shouldn’t have any problems with her.
“She can’t figure out what kind of meds to give me. By now I’ve been through her entire collection, and I’m still not cured.”
“Of what?”
“There’s the problem.” Rimmer shrugged. “They still don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s sort of a cross between my heart not working properly and a rather long list of physiological disorders. They think it has something to do with stress, but who knows?” He threw up his arms in frustration. “I’m still sick, and they won’t let me out. I’m stuck here, and who knows when I’ll be allowed out again? Crane’s trying, but I don’t think-“ Rimmer glanced at the medicine bottles he had been given. “Anxiety medicines are going to help.”
Lister stared. He’d known Rimmer had lots of neuroses, but an actual physical illness? That wasn’t right. There it was again. He wasn’t in the right reality.
“Rimmer?”
“Yeah?”
“How sick are you, exactly?”
“I’ve been feeling fine! I haven’t fainted for a long time, now, and there hasn’t been any trouble with my heart since that last attack back - Why am I telling you this?”
Lister smiled gently. “It seems that we’ve both had a case of telling each other too much information.”
“Yeah…” Rimmer frowned slightly and sat back down the bed. “I can’t believe I went that far.” He looked back up at Lister. “Do I know you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did we know each other before you fell into the coma?”
Lister frowned. This was unexpected. What was Rimmer thinking? “I don’t think so.” No, he had met Rimmer on Mimas. Not on Earth, and certainly never in Liverpool.
“Odd. I keep thinking I know you from somewhere…else.” Rimmer ran his hands through his hair and sighed.
Lister nodded slowly. He didn’t know what Rimmer meant, but he could understand the frustration. How easy it was to actually talk to this Rimmer! He could almost get through the prickly exterior without trouble. “I know what you mean, man.”
Rimmer smiled at him for a second, then realized what he was doing. He scowled and laid down. “I shouldn’t be talking to you so much.” He complained.
Lister sighed and watched Rimmer sulk. Well. Moments would come, and then they would go. He had one more thing to say before he could let Rimmer fly off. “Rimmer?”
“What do you want?” By now Rimmer’s tone was acid.
“I promise not to tell anyone else about what you told me.”
Rimmer looked at him, weighed his options, and relaxed a bit. “Good.”
And that was the closest thing to a ‘thank you’ Lister would get from Rimmer.
“You’re welcome.”
“Sure, sure. Whatever. Leave me alone.”
Dwayne sat up. “Hey! What did you do to him?”
Lister started, surprised by the unexpected company. “Nothing?”
“That’s not true!” Dwayne smoothly leapt over to Lister’s bunk. “What did you do to him? He never sulks like this!”
“He doesn’t?”
“He’ll get quiet sometimes, but he doesn’t sulk! What did you say to him?”
Rimmer scowled again. “I’m not sulking!”
Lister sniggered. “Rimmer, give it up.”
Dwayne glared. “Stop it.”
“What?”
“You’re provoking him. That’s how he got sick! Don’t do it!”
Whoa. Cat protecting Rimmer? Lister mentally shook himself. Just because Rimmer wasn’t quite Rimmer didn’t mean Cat was Cat. “Sorry.” He offered.
“Don’t do it again.” Dwayne grinned, and this time, even without the teeth, Lister shivered. This grin was not a friendly one. “He’s under my protection. I don’t want him sick again.”
Then Dwayne’s grin became friendly and he dashed back to his own bed and curled up. He didn’t sleep, though.
Lister could only stare and wonder. How on Earth had Cat grown to like Rimmer?
“Lister?”
Rimmer was talking again. “Yeah?”
“He doesn’t really like me.”
Well. That was news to him. “What was that about?”
“We handle each other. He has his own problems, and I have mine. If we don’t help each other somewhat, the problems get worse. I want out of here. If I can’t fix myself, I can’t leave.”
It felt like Rimmer was talking to the ceiling.
“Don’t mess this up, Lister. I’ll help you along, but if you screw my chances, I won’t even try to help you.”
Lister nodded. “I won’t screw your chances, okay?”
“Good.” Rimmer sighed and relaxed again. “Dinner’s in a couple hours. There should be some books in the cabinet, as long as you don’t touch the medicine, you can read them. I’m going to nap now.” He closed his eyes.
Even as Lister sat down on the bed slowly, Dwayne wouldn’t stop watching him.
---
Fandom: Red Dwarf
Characters: Lister/Rimmer eventually
Prompt: 091. Hospital
Word Count: 1,240 words.
Rating: PG
Summary: One day Lister woke up in a psychiatric ward and a doctor told him it was all a dream brought on by excessive drinking.
Author's Notes: This one's weird. It took off on me a bit. Yell if I'm making Rimmer too OOC. (Or Dwayne.) Concrit is very much appreciated!
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
---
Not-Kryten stood aside as not-Holly strode up to Lister. Rimmer backed up and bumped into his bed. He sat down, glanced at the now-awake-again Dwayne, and shrugged. He didn’t know where this was going.
“Ah, Mr. Lister. How are you?” Dr. Holly held out his hand, and after a second, Lister shook it. It was a normal handshake, but Lister shook his hand slightly when it was over. Holly shouldn’t have a body, he thought.
“I’m fine, thank you.” Lister crossed his arms. “Now can I have my clothing back?”
Holly nodded sharply and made a few notes on his clipboard. “No. You get your clothing when you leave this hospital, and you only woke up several days ago. We have no way of knowing if you are well yet. Perhaps in a week or two you can go. We have no way of knowing if this sudden awakening is permanent or not.” Here he actually looked at Lister. “For all we know, you could slip back into your coma at any moment. Until we are assured of your stability, you can not leave. Is that clear?”
“Yes. Very clear.” It was almost too clear. Perhaps this hospital dealt with coma victims frequently? Lister uncrossed his arms and gazed back at Dr. Holly, who immediately looked back at his clipboard. “How soon until you can prove my stability?”
“I don’t know. Yours is a unique case, Mr. Lister. We will have to put you through testing, of course. Also, Dr. Crane will want a look at you. She’s convinced that medicine will help you on the road to recovery.” He chuckled. “She thinks medicine will heal the world of everything, Mr. Lister, and she’s probably right. Take whatever she prescribes, right? Good.” Dr. Holly made a few more notes on his clipboard. “I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you. Dr. Kryten handles this ward, so if you need anything, talk to him. Have a good day, then.”
He left the room in a rush, and not-Kryten smiled at Lister and then he too left. The entire exchange had taken about five minutes.
“Are they usually that fast?” Lister asked Rimmer.
“Sometimes. It depends on the patient.” Rimmer stood back up and brushed off his uniform. “That’s the first time I’ve seen Dr. Holly recommend Crane to anyone, though.” At Lister’s confused look, he elaborated. “Dr. Crane is our resident pharmacist. She handles all prescriptions and medicines. She’s really good. Just because she’s had trouble with me doesn’t mean she can’t handle anything else.”
“Trouble with you?” Lister snorted. He hadn’t met Crane, back during the Holoship adventure, but Rimmer had gone on at length about her. She had actually given up her existence for Rimmer. If this was the same Crane, Rimmer shouldn’t have any problems with her.
“She can’t figure out what kind of meds to give me. By now I’ve been through her entire collection, and I’m still not cured.”
“Of what?”
“There’s the problem.” Rimmer shrugged. “They still don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s sort of a cross between my heart not working properly and a rather long list of physiological disorders. They think it has something to do with stress, but who knows?” He threw up his arms in frustration. “I’m still sick, and they won’t let me out. I’m stuck here, and who knows when I’ll be allowed out again? Crane’s trying, but I don’t think-“ Rimmer glanced at the medicine bottles he had been given. “Anxiety medicines are going to help.”
Lister stared. He’d known Rimmer had lots of neuroses, but an actual physical illness? That wasn’t right. There it was again. He wasn’t in the right reality.
“Rimmer?”
“Yeah?”
“How sick are you, exactly?”
“I’ve been feeling fine! I haven’t fainted for a long time, now, and there hasn’t been any trouble with my heart since that last attack back - Why am I telling you this?”
Lister smiled gently. “It seems that we’ve both had a case of telling each other too much information.”
“Yeah…” Rimmer frowned slightly and sat back down the bed. “I can’t believe I went that far.” He looked back up at Lister. “Do I know you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did we know each other before you fell into the coma?”
Lister frowned. This was unexpected. What was Rimmer thinking? “I don’t think so.” No, he had met Rimmer on Mimas. Not on Earth, and certainly never in Liverpool.
“Odd. I keep thinking I know you from somewhere…else.” Rimmer ran his hands through his hair and sighed.
Lister nodded slowly. He didn’t know what Rimmer meant, but he could understand the frustration. How easy it was to actually talk to this Rimmer! He could almost get through the prickly exterior without trouble. “I know what you mean, man.”
Rimmer smiled at him for a second, then realized what he was doing. He scowled and laid down. “I shouldn’t be talking to you so much.” He complained.
Lister sighed and watched Rimmer sulk. Well. Moments would come, and then they would go. He had one more thing to say before he could let Rimmer fly off. “Rimmer?”
“What do you want?” By now Rimmer’s tone was acid.
“I promise not to tell anyone else about what you told me.”
Rimmer looked at him, weighed his options, and relaxed a bit. “Good.”
And that was the closest thing to a ‘thank you’ Lister would get from Rimmer.
“You’re welcome.”
“Sure, sure. Whatever. Leave me alone.”
Dwayne sat up. “Hey! What did you do to him?”
Lister started, surprised by the unexpected company. “Nothing?”
“That’s not true!” Dwayne smoothly leapt over to Lister’s bunk. “What did you do to him? He never sulks like this!”
“He doesn’t?”
“He’ll get quiet sometimes, but he doesn’t sulk! What did you say to him?”
Rimmer scowled again. “I’m not sulking!”
Lister sniggered. “Rimmer, give it up.”
Dwayne glared. “Stop it.”
“What?”
“You’re provoking him. That’s how he got sick! Don’t do it!”
Whoa. Cat protecting Rimmer? Lister mentally shook himself. Just because Rimmer wasn’t quite Rimmer didn’t mean Cat was Cat. “Sorry.” He offered.
“Don’t do it again.” Dwayne grinned, and this time, even without the teeth, Lister shivered. This grin was not a friendly one. “He’s under my protection. I don’t want him sick again.”
Then Dwayne’s grin became friendly and he dashed back to his own bed and curled up. He didn’t sleep, though.
Lister could only stare and wonder. How on Earth had Cat grown to like Rimmer?
“Lister?”
Rimmer was talking again. “Yeah?”
“He doesn’t really like me.”
Well. That was news to him. “What was that about?”
“We handle each other. He has his own problems, and I have mine. If we don’t help each other somewhat, the problems get worse. I want out of here. If I can’t fix myself, I can’t leave.”
It felt like Rimmer was talking to the ceiling.
“Don’t mess this up, Lister. I’ll help you along, but if you screw my chances, I won’t even try to help you.”
Lister nodded. “I won’t screw your chances, okay?”
“Good.” Rimmer sighed and relaxed again. “Dinner’s in a couple hours. There should be some books in the cabinet, as long as you don’t touch the medicine, you can read them. I’m going to nap now.” He closed his eyes.
Even as Lister sat down on the bed slowly, Dwayne wouldn’t stop watching him.
---