Take it easy, old man [OPEN]

[chief_mendacity]

Who: Veld and whoever wants to bother him in the hospital
When: after this and a plane ride to Junon
Location: Hospital in Junon
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veld's been ordered to rest. At least a week is what the doctor's say. He may allow them to keep him three days. Maybe. If you come in, he could even be asleep. Rare, this.

Comments

[turkinabox]

Vincent had been in and out of Veld's hospital room significantly more than the man knew, he was certain--mostly because he was careful to duck in while Veld was asleep, and leave before he woke up. This time, of course, was no different

pain pills to blame

[chief_mendacity]

Drugged and in pain though he was, the man on the bed was still Veld Dragoon. This man was the chief of the Turks for over thirty years. He knew when things were being hidden. He would know Vincent Valentine. He frowned. "Are you alright, Vince?"

There was so much left unsaid. The fight that sent Vincent to the Project was viciously worded and bitter, it had brought in family histories, cultures and didn't address the real issue. Veld was scared. The last thing that Veld expected was a phone call from a woman he'd had a fling with over a year before. He was shocked to hear he had a daughter. There was no way for Veld to explain that without sounding weak.

He had never apologized.

Veld had read all of the reports. He had watched all the videos. This was the first time that he'd seen it in person. After all of that what good would an apology do? It wasn't even fair, not to Vincent at the very least.

[turkinabox]

Vincent gave a very slight, nigh-imperceptible shake of his head, then looked at Veld properly, straightening in his chair and shifting the subject before the other ex-Turk could ask.

"Is your arm all right?" There was an edge of concern to his expression and tone, but it didn't completely overwhelm the desperate, broken glint in his eyes.

It had been a long time since Vincent felt this overwhelmed by what Hojo and Lucrecia had done to him--he wondered if this was something like how he'd felt when he first woke up in the research facility so many years ago, and looked down to find Galian's hands in place of his own. Not as powerful, perhaps, not quite as utterly lost, but it was definitely a similar mess of emotions.

"That's not a good sound it's making."

[chief_mendacity]

Veld looked down at his arm and shook his head. "I popped the gear when the kid stabbed me." The sound would mimic the noise a rib made when breaking, but Veld didn't need to explain that diversion tactic to Vincent. Vincent would know exactly why he did that. He would be upset, perhaps, that Veld hand gambled so much so quickly, but there was little else that Veld could do. "Reeve can fix it."

He watched his old partner for a long set of silent moments. "Vince... I'm-" Veld cleared his throat. "Are you alright?" He asked once more.

[turkinabox]

"You're the one in the hospital," Vincent replied, voice low. "Worry about yourself."

Under normal circumstances he would just tell Veld he was fine--Vincent wasn't exactly a novice liar, after all--but after what happened at the Capital he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead he avoided the question, changed the subject, and generally made it very obvious that he was anything but all right. And he knew it.

If Veld was coherent enough through the pain--and the repeated doses of medication to soothe it--to notice, Vincent would just have to keep the subject steered away from himself. Or maybe just leave. Leaving was his usual modus operandi in situations like this.

"...I need to contact Reeve myself. I'll let him know your arm needs servicing."

[chief_mendacity]

"I'm fine, I've had worse." Veld snapped. His partner was being evasive, he could tell that much. Vincent's body language alone could tell Veld that.

"Its operable enough for a few days." He commented in passing. "You look..." spooked was a word that Veld would use, but it wasn't exactly fitting with the stoic man at his bedside. "upset."

Yes, that was better.