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 Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:49 am
They could probably see her through the glass long before she had fumbled to open the door. Sliding it open ever so gracefully as she balanced a bouquet and many plastic bags hanging off of her arms, she sent a shy smile to Valeriu, before looking hesitantly to the contents of the hospital bed.
While she said nothing, her brows furrowed and lips pursed in response to Seamus’ condition. He really did look as if he had been through a meat grinder. Hopefully… Hopefully he wasn’t too angry over the fiasco, even though he really deserved to be.
“Good morning,” She bid them both, inching her way over to the bedside table while neglecting to close the door, “I got you some things.”
Her eyes darted from one boy to the next, unsure of how to get the contents of her arms into the correct locations.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:06 am
The most curious of blushes overtook Valeriu's face at Tepin's entrance.
"Here, I'll help v'ith that," and he hurried to relieve her of her burdens like a gentleman, placing the bouquet on the bedside table. Taking most of the bags from her, he gave into temptation and brushed a kiss across her cheek. "V'as the trip alright?" he prompted, as if it was a dangerous and long endeavor to get from their house to the hospital a whole sector over.
The barricades could be a handful, but he didn't really doubt her ability to sneak by them.
"Mornin'," the man in the bed chimed groggily. It was obvious to any who saw that Seamus was more than a bit dosed up on drugs, but somewhat lucid for now. Just being awake was a spectacular change for him. "Is all that for me?" He gestured in amazement at all the bags with a flick of his fingers - anything that moved the shoulder moved his chest, and then he was in for a world of pain. "Ya shouldn't've, darlin'."
"Prince was," he started with a slur, grinning wider, "Prince was jus' tellin' me. Waxin' poetic 'bout last night. Did'ja know yer hair shines like silvah in the moonlight?"
Valeriu turned red, red, red at Seamus' comments, pulling a chair over closer to the bed for her.
"Don't listen to him, he's high," he muttered in embarrassment. He blushed further when Seamus gave into temptation and hoarsely laughed, quick to groan in pain when the tremors jerked at his stitches. He still grinned though, even as Valeriu hovered like a mother over him, chastising him for moving so much.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:34 am
“Yea-- they’re still harsh as ever out there… But its nothing too bad.”
She turned to Seamus, smiling at his answer. Well-- at least he seemed to be in good spirits. Nothing could get those twins down. Not for any amount of time, at least.
“Well, no, not all of it.” Rustling through her bag and then rummaging through the ones in Valeriu’s arms, she held out his cell phone for the cat to collect. “You forgot this. There’s not much point if you don’t bring it, you know.”
“But yea,” She continued to rummage, pulling out a carton of baby wipes, some more thread, and various bottles of cleaning supplies, “Most of this is yours. Things to keep you sane. Magazines, crosswords, there’s some snacks and soda too just in case.”
That looked to be about everything. She dropped the good she had collected into her own bag, resting it gently against her chair.
“Ah-- oh… Well…” How was she supposed to respond to that! Stupid Vale, stupid! Going and talking like that to friends! “Uhm… Haha.”
Boy, did that make things awkward fast.
But the tone quickly changed as Nurse Valeriu tended to his patient and the girl took a seat, herexpression one of mild concern.
“I wish that there was more that we could do.” It was true, too. This entire mess was their fault. “Just let us know if you need anything.” Her gaze became far more intent, “Anything, and we’ll take care of it.”
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:48 am
Valeriu frowned at the cell phone as if it was a strange and enchanted artifact, taking it from her before tucking it into his pocket.
Valeriu wasn't much of a technology-man.
"But it is so tiny," he muttered, even though he could remember things such as his keys just fine. Seamus was far more interested in the proffered goods rather than Valeriu complaining about electronics, peering over with curiosity at all the goodies he'd been brought.
"Soda?" He perked up right fast at that, his previous tirade (where he intended on having either one or both of them die of embarrassment) forgotten. "I could go for some'a that." Unfortunately, the medicine made him a bit nauseous; but drinks were still good.
"Stop fluffin' my pillow," he commanded sulkily, as Valeriu tended to all his little needs. "It's fluffier than your damn tail by now." Valeriu hmm'd acknowledgment, and tucked the blankets back in. "Dammit, boy--"
But it was too much effort to get spun up, so he just sank back into his fluffy pillows obediently, grimacing once in a while when an errant breath or movement caused discomfort. His face, as gouged as it was, was the least of his concerns; so swollen around the cuts that as long as no one touched them, he didn't feel a thing.
"That's sweet of you, Tepin," he smiled, although the smile quickly turned to an all-too-serious look. "Actually, ya need to tell Murphy to stop stealing my nurses," he asked her, grumpily. "He takes all the pretty girls, and leaves me the mean ones. He's doing it on purpose."
Valeriu snorted.
"No, I know Prince-- that jerk's swipin' them from under my nose, 'cause every nurse so far has been super-mean to me."
"Murphy's at home," Valeriu reminded Seamus, patiently, "making room for your entire family to stay and smother you v'hen you're released."
"Stealin' 'em."
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:54 am
She pulled herself up once more, scrounging through the bags before removing a bottle of ginger ale.
“I tried to get clear soda-- I don’t think Vale would let you drink any of the other kind, and these at least pretend to be healthy.”
She carefully unscrewed the bottle, holding it close to Seamus’ hand in order to allow him to take it. The man needed the dignity to at least drink his own drinks-- or so she figured.
“I dunno, Seamus. I think the nurse you have right now is pretty cute. Something about those ears…”
Yes, it was mean. And yes, it was embarrassing. But Tepin needed some form of revenge for her silver locks.
“In fact, I might have to steal this one from you.”
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:03 am
"Oh, sweet baby jeezus, yer a lifesaver hon'," he praised, curling his fingers around the soda like it was the Holy Grail. It took him some care (moving your arms is a b***h when you've got chest wounds), but soon enough he was sipping at it with gusto.
Well, as much gusto as a weakened and drugged up man can have. It probably resembled all the energy of a newborn kitten.
He grinned around the top of the bottle, peering speculatively at Valeriu's ears as if seriously considering it. Valeriu was a mix of outraged, offended, and embarrassed, and his ears flattened at just the mention of them.
"Dunno 'bout those," he finally declared, "too close to his face. But dat a**--"
"Seamus!" Valeriu had quickly sat down.
"You can have him," Seamus allowed, quite graciously. "Too tall for my tastes. And too naggy," he tacked on. "Nag, nag, nag. Just like Mum. You should've seen her in here last night," he lamented, "I told her about the red moon, an' she said both me and Murphy were fools, and she just went on an' on an' on."
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:19 am
Her eyes darted to his back end as soon as Seamus had let the words fly from his mouth, but Varu was much too quick. A blur-- That was all that Vale allowed her to see before stubbornly planting his butt onto the chair.
Oh, but she would be prepared for next time. If he had a nice butt, she definitely wanted to catch a glimpse.
Plopping back down into her own chair, she listened with a tainted interest. As much as she would like to know the exact details of the night… It was gruesome, and morbid to hear. Even from what Vale had finally croaked out to her over the night, it felt more as if she were listening to a scary story, rather than something that had happened that day.
“Well, you are.” Her face still held a grin, despite her words, “And you always have been. But it’s part of your charm. Just…”
Be more careful?
Don’t go near Vale again?
“Listen to your instincts more.” He had a good set on him. Even if he might be wrong sometimes, even if it was just paranoia… It was better to be safer than sorry.
“And do what Vale says--” She tsk’ed him, leaning more casually back, “And you’ll be better in no time. He’s the master of getting himself hurt, so he knows how to take care of these things.”
The wounds to Seamus's chest probably weren’t much different from the scars of Vale’s back.
He truly had been a beast, at that time.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:40 am
He scrunched his nose in a definitely pouty gesture - he couldn't do the full on facial pout because that did hurt like hell, but he let her know he did not like being called a fool.
"I'm smarter than Murphy," he reminded her, loftily. "Got all the brains, I did."
At the pause, Valeriu fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, even as Seamus gave a shrug.
"I listen to 'em well enough." He frowned at the ceiling, and sipped his ginger ale as if contemplating the universe. "Just gotta get me a tranq gun."
Valeriu shuffled awkwardly more, and Seamus finally broke into a half grin with the unscarred side of his face. "Awh, ya big idjit. C'mere." Valeriu looked at him as if he'd gone insane. "C'mon, right here." Seamus switched the bottle in his hands, and patted the side of the bed, and Valeriu warily scooted closer.
And then Seamus struck - for a guy chained to a bed and hopped up on drugs and blood loss, he still managed to yank Valeriu's head down into the mattress, quite contentedly scratching his ears and listening to the sounds of purring filling the room.
"S'okay. Ya see this?" he nodded to Valeriu, who more than happily had his face planted against the mattress if it meant pets, grinning wryly, "Therapeutic, it is. I'm feelin' better already. Jus' a big kitty cat. Had one jus' like him when I was a kid; sweet thing, but got kinda scared at times, and scratched me to hell when she did. Name was Mittens. Always came back and purred fer me and licked my bandages all sorry-like."
Somewhere in between the mindless purring, Valeriu managed a small mrr at being compared to a girlcat named Mittens.
And then Seamus grinned quite gleefully, and kept scratching, "Plus, when I do this, he shuts up and stops yowling. But'cha see," he paused, and thought, and tried to remember exactly what point he was making in his drug-induced haze. "Hmm. Dunno. But you see, though, right?"
That it was okay. That he forgave Valeriu, because cats would be cats sometimes - just part of their nature. Maybe that he wasn't scared, but then again, the Carnegies truly feared very little.
"I'll listen to him if and when he regains human speech," he finished, matter-of-fact. "Until then, get me some scotch. God, I could use a pint or two."
Because mixing alcohol with drugs and blood loss was the best idea in the world.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 8:51 pm
Her eyes scanned down Vale’s back-- only to be disappointed when the chair obscured her view. The war was not over yet.
“You can try, but you can’t do that forever.” No, the scratching would have to end, “You’ll rub your fingers raw before he’d let you stop.”
Leaning back in her chair, she let out a small sigh of contentment. It looked like everything was okay, after all.
“No scotch. I can’t even buy it. I’m nine and got no papers.” It was impossible to imagine trying to buy alcohol when she couldn’t even cross borders legally. “You got soda! Be glad that Vale even lets you have that!”
No, if it were up to Vale, he’d be on pedialyte, or some other healthy drink for kids. Tepin was the kind Angel of Mercy for bringing him what she did. Vale would have him eating veggies and reading literature instead of candy and magazines.
“What are you even supposed to do in here without people to help you out? They’ll kill you of boredom!”
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:57 pm
"Hah, I'll be a rottin' skeleton with before he'd let me stop," Seamus correctly wryly. As if to demonstrate he paused his hand, pulling his fingers away - and Valeriu followed determinedly. Seamus finally had to plant his palm against the godling's face and push him back towards the chair before Valeriu snapped out of it.
The look on his face as he sat back down was priceless; shamed and red and half-glaring and half-looking-like-he-wanted-more-scratches.
"You're a jerk, Seamus," he haughtily declared from his curled up stance, looking away sulkily.
"Hey, hey," Seamus winked in exaggeration, another grin pulling at his lips. "I know a guy who knows a guy who can hook ya up. Then ya can go buy me scotch."
"No," Valeriu interjected, quite firmly.
"Don't listen to him--"
"You're high, who v'ould listen to you?"
Seamus ignored Valeriu's point. "No, no, see? See that little box up there?" He nodded vaguely towards a six by six inch black screen, and wiggled a remote in his hand. "I get to watch cable. In black and white. Of the same show, over and over again. How fun is that?"
He feigned excitement and glee, although it quickly turned into a look of desperation.
"Ya gotta get me outta here. Two days an' I can feel my soul dyin', and they said it's at least another week!"
Valeriu was just glad it was that short; he hadn't done much internal damage, or else Seamus would be filled with staples holding his stomach together.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:25 pm
She couldn’t help but laugh at Vale’s face, before patting his leg reassuringly.
“I’ll pet you when we get home. And maybe we can pick up some kitty treats on the way back!”
Though when Seamus diverted her attention, she gave it to him one-hundred percent. A television? How long had it been since she had watched one?
“Hey, hey-- Shut up! That’s better than we have at home!”
Home. It was nice and warm to call it that. Heck, Tepin even missed Sydni (Even if she would regret the decision once the tantrums started up again). Even without a t.v., the house was still someplace warm, comforting, inviting, and all together a wonderful place to be.
She was very excited to be able to go home and call it her place.
“I’ll come by every day--” She reassured him, “And I’ll bring books and stuff for you, so you can make it through. If you’re really bored, I’ll bring Syd. She’d be good at easing boredom.”
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:45 pm
Valeriu gave her an even sulkier look, curled in on his chair, and turned his back to the both of them.
Ignoring you. I am ignoring you both. Jerks.
Seamus snorted at the position his personal catboy had twisted himself into on that tiny chair just to show his disdain for both of them, and shook his head solemnly at Tepin.
"No, no - it plays golf," he groaned. "The same game, over and over, where all the rich folks huddle around their fake grass in their enclosed little section of the city and show off how rich they are."
He gave her a grateful look. "Sydni would be great. I can even get Sis to bring in Bobby, an' they can pull on all the cords stuck into me and have a blast unplugging things, an' all the doctors will run around in a panic. It'll be great."
Valeriu's ears pricked up, puzzled.
Bobby. Bobby - wait. Bobby was that kid Sydni liked to play with. Bobby had a mother.
Mother was Sis.
Sis was--
"V'hat?" He twisted back around in the chair, a horrified look on his face. "You mean Bobby is--"
"Our nephew," the bed-ridden twin chimed cheerily, and thoroughly enjoyed the look on Valeriu's face.
Seamus was superstitious, but god he loved fate sometimes.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:56 pm
While Tepin wasn’t aware of the family relations, she really wasn’t surprised. Valeriu should have known, what with how freakishly large the Carnegie family was, after all.
“Aha, so that explains why the little demon gets along with him. Mischief is in his blood.”
Then again… It was usually Bobby who was calm and polite when compared to Sydni… Maybe Valeriu’s parents had more to them than he might have thought. But, it was a little comforting to think that not all of the Carnegies were the little hell raisers that their favorite twins were.
“I’d be happy to bring her, though. It’d be a load off my chest to let her harass you for a while.” And she was sure that Vale could appreciate some time without tantrums as well.
“Heck, while we’re on the subject, if you get really, really bored, I can bring laundry for you to fold and dishes for you to scrub, while I’m at it.”
While her face held a playful grin, hidden behind it was the secret desire that he would accept.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:03 pm
"Mayhem, too," Seamus added informatively. "Mischief and mayhem."
Valeriu was still trying to digest this new epiphany.
Seamus settled back in his bed, amused. "I'd love to have her. She's good for me," he bragged proudly. "Because I'm her other brother."
They'd pretty much adopted Valeriu as a younger brother anyway; being the oldest, of course Sydni would love them more.
"Ack, no," he declined, nose scrunching at the thought (and causing his eyes to water as the bloody chunk that intersected the cartilage protested vehemently at the movement), "we Carnegies don't do laundry and dishes."
Well. That wasn't exactly true. Now that he and his brother lived on their own, Seamus did end up taking on most of the chores, and as a result had turned quite strict about messes and the like.
But still.
Cleaning he most certainly did not enjoy.
"Find another suckah."
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:10 pm
She turned to Vale, stars in her eyes as her expression made it all too clear who the ‘suckah’ in the relationship was.
Oh, how he would tease him. If for no other reason, it just felt natural. Maybe knowing that he loved her no matter what made her a tad more comfortable, or maybe simply seeing him in such a light-hearted mood did it… Regardless, seeing him so flustered was the epitome of adorable. (And, she had to admit, she had a bit of a mean streak in her from it.)
“Hey, well, I know it sucks living with golf and this smell… But think of it another way, you still got a whole week without Murphy.”
A pause as she turned to look through the door glass, eyeing all the nurses.
“That is, assuming he spends all his time stealing the cute nurses from you.”
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