intervention (closed)

[bloodbathing]

WHO: carolina, drake holloway, ephemera, and maine. later, wash.
WHERE: ye ol' abandoned warehouse
WHEN: 26 may 2512
WHAT: an intervention
NOTES OR WARNINGS: violence, emotional trauma, emeto (labeled)

1. The Gathering
   
2. The Reveal
   
3. The New Target
   
4. The Aftermath
   
5. The Healing Hands

Comments

[leaderboards]

[ she'd desperately needed the shower, the heat helping her muscles relax so she could start identifying what things hurt and what just ached. the matted blood at the back of her head is rinsed away, the spot where she hit the warehouse wall still tender but with skin already starting to scab over. wash will still notice, carolina knows, because his hand winds up in her hair often, but at least now she can point to it being not that bad, she promises. it takes more than a concussion to slow her down.

the injury to her shoulder (the collarbone, she's fairly certain, but a break there likely means not moving her arm and that's not an option) does slow her down. she gets dried off, towels her hair down as best she can, and has an easy enough time getting into a pair of pyjama shorts.

her top, however, one of wash's t-shirts so she knows it should be easier for her to get into, is giving carolina grief. the faint smile she gives him as she hands it over is almost sheepish. ]

I can just sleep without a shirt, right?

[hardwearing]

[ Wash smiles at her softly as he takes the shirt, gathering it up to pull over her head. ]

I wouldn't mind, but we can get this on you. Easy on that side...

[ He guides her arm through very gently, chest glowing from the bond which transmits his concern, his wish that he could've healed her more. ]

Do you want me to grab the icepack again?

[leaderboards]

[ carolina accepts wash's help, lets him guide her arm so she can get the shirt on with minimal discomfort. the bond between them breaks as she pulls the body of the shirt down in place, but she reaches for his hand as she answers, still a little hesitant, a little fuzzy-brained, but very grateful for him. ]

It's fine. It only hurts if I move it, thanks to you.

[ it's just one point of pain, easy to trigger but isolated from the bruising around it that would make the pain so much worse. ]

[hardwearing]

[ Wash lets her catch his hand -- he's a little worried by the sense of fuzziness. ]

Okay. Why don't we switch sides tonight so you're not putting pressure on it? And I think you might have a concussion or something, you feel weird. Sit down?

[leaderboards]

[ the suggestion of switching sides is a good one, carolina giving a little nod as wash continues, only to pull away from him a moment later with a wry smile, moving to sit on the nearest edge of the bed. ]

I feel weird, do I? That's not very nice of you.

[ she's fairly certain she does have a concussion, but teasing wash is easy, comfortable for her. and also a good measure of how upset he still might be from her keeping things from him. she still needs to know that they're okay. ]

[hardwearing]

No, I guess it isn't, but I'm still checking your eyes. Look up at the light?

[ Yeah, she's got a concussion. Wash gently touches her head, searching for the lump, and will find one directly on the back -- pulling her hair back earlier had hidden it. ]

Carolina. You can't go to sleep like this.

[leaderboards]

[ carolina lets him check her eyes, then feel around for that sensitive spot at the back of her head, complacent with letting him identify the issue, at least. ]

I'll be okay. [ she raises a hand, wrapping it lightly around wash's wrist, thumb brushing over his pulse on the inside of it. ] I've had a lot worse.

[ that's reassuring, right? ]

[hardwearing]

That doesn't mean you should sleep like this.

[ He settles his hand on her head over the lump, fingertips brushing her scalp to engage the bond; he feels worried again, maybe a little frustrated, but not angry, if that makes her feel better. He just wants her to be okay -- and the glow starts again. A little weaker than before like he's running out of power maybe, but the throbbing in Carolina's head eases and the little scrape beneath his hand knits itself back together. She's not 100% but it should be safe for her to sleep now. ]

I hope you guys don't make me use this all the time, but I'm glad to have it right now. How does that feel?

[leaderboards]

[ worried and frustrated, carolina expects, distinctly understanding of those emotions coming off of him. she knows when she deserves that.

her eyes close as she feels that same soothing relief that had gotten rid of so much of the bruising on her chest. it's still an odd sensation, but it helps and carolina catches wash's hand to kiss his palm in a fit of grateful affection as an answer to how she feels. the fuzziness feels more like exhaustion now and even if she's undoubtedly going to still be feeling it in the morning, this is worlds better than she was when she got home. ]

Just don't push yourself too much. You'll wear yourself out and we'll both be struggling if things go bad.

[hardwearing]

Uh huh. I'll recharge, it was worth you not going into a coma.

[ He climbs into bed, poised to take the outside instead of the wall tonight so Carolina can lie on her good side and still cuddle. ]

It would be just our luck if you two got yourselves wrecked right before shit went down.

[leaderboards]

[ carolina follows his lead and takes his usual side of the bed, giving him a faint smile before she uses her neural implant to turn their bedroom light off and then lay down beside him. she's still moving a little carefully, not wanting to jostle whatever's out of place that he wasn't able to help her with, but her movements aren't nearly as ginger as they were. ]

It would. That's all the more reason to make sure you stay at your best.

[hardwearing]

And make sure you're as patched up as I can get you.

[ Wash stretches an arm out over Carolina, scooting close on the pillow. He still feels worried -- it wasn't just the head trauma, apparently. She was attacked by Maine again, and he knows how disturbing that must have been even if it was planned and there was a safeguard in place. His brow furrows a little as he studies her. ]

You sure you're okay?

[leaderboards]

[ even though wash closes the space between them, carolina presses a little closer still, hooking her leg over his, keeping her tender shoulder still as she reaches out to settle her hand on his side. they won't fall asleep like this, tangled up together, but she wants a little more time with him before that. ]

I'll be fine. [ it's soft, genuine. ] It wasn't as bad as the first time.

[ her injuries are worse, but she's not afraid of maine, doesn't feel sick from seeing her friend like that. she'll probably still have nightmares about the meta, but those aren't uncommon anyway. ]

[hardwearing]

I guess you were prepared for it.

[ He sighs, still hating that she had to experience it alone, or... no, she wasn't alone, she just. Kept it from him. They're fine, but he wishes she'd have discussed it. ]

Now we just have to figure out how to convince him it's okay to stay here.

[leaderboards]

[ there's a surge of guilt at his first statement, still laced with some concern over wash's reaction to her plan. he isn't upset with her now, carolina knows, but she should have told him. ]

That'll be easier said than done. If he was ready to avoid us completely...

[hardwearing]

Maybe, but it's not impossible. You might have proved to him at leaast a little that we can handle it.

[leaderboards]

I hope so. I don't like not knowing where he is.

[hardwearing]

It makes me worry for him, especially now that Alpha's gone.

[leaderboards]

[ carolina gives a little hum at that, agreeing. ]

But we'll talk to him about it again. You... might get through to him better, after today.

[hardwearing]

I got a hug.

[ He sounds ridiculously pleased with that -- Maine was practically skittering away from him before. ]

[leaderboards]

Well, you did earn it.

[ she's teasing because she knows what it meant to wash, knows what a relief it was when maine hugged her back at the warehouse. ]

[hardwearing]

I guess I kind of did.

[ He would have healed what he could for Maine anyway, of course, but the hug made it all the more worth it. ]

I saw you encouraging it, thank you.

[leaderboards]

It wasn't fair that I got a hug from Maine earlier if you weren't going to get one for actually helping him. I think it was good for both of you.

[hardwearing]

[ Wash bumps their foreheads together gently. ]


You helped him too. If nothing else he knows we're not going to give up on him just because he has a problem.

[leaderboards]

[ the bump gets a little smile out of carolina before she tips her face up to nudge her nose affectionately against his. ]

Maybe. But you helped without tricking him and picking a fight, which I think is a better display of friendship.