Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

Doctor Damien Hart. 41. Pediatric surgeon. Bleeding heart. Hopeless romantic. Wannabe optimist. Sir. Master. Daddy. Wolf. Caretaker. Trainer. Owner. Handler. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dae. I see you've managed to find my blog. I work a great deal, am a bit of a music enthusiast, occasional salsa dancer, spend far too much time at Night Owl, enjoy my nightly Rusty Nail or Whiskey Manhattan and for the most part live a rather uneventful life. I've been in this community some 20+ years and I'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

taking care → daevi

[levivalentine-blog]

The reassurance that Arabella was doing at least all right bolstered Levi some. He just wanted her to open her eyes… Just to look at him and laugh and call him a butt-head (her favorite insult at the moment). Dr. Hart pointed out that Levi was far from fine but it barely registered to the boy. Sleep-deprived? Malnourished? Maybe he couldn’t really remember the last time he had gotten a solid meal or slept more than a fitful twenty minutes. But… “That doesn’t matter,” he muttered hoarsely. Tears came to his eyes and he scrubbed them away, hot embarrassment coiling in her stomach. “I can’t leave her here alone,” he reasoned, hoping the older man would understand. “And I’m the only one from the family who can be here.” He couldn’t leave. This was his responsibility — Arabella was his responsibility.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

Damien sighed out heavily and reached up to run a tired hand through his own hair as he shifted on his feet. He had a feeling something like this was going to happen, he was afraid of it. "Listen, Levi..." he started once more quietly, reaching forward to touch the other man's upper arm. "She's stabilized, and I will call you if there is any change, I promise you," he tried to argue, although he knew it wasn't going to work. He didn't know how to get through to him. "I promise it'll be okay..." he said quietly. What, was he going to have to pick the boy up and cart him home himself? It was appearing so.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

taking care → daevi

[levivalentine-blog]

More than anything, Levi wanted to go home. But he wanted to go home because he could — because Arabella had opened her eyes and gotten better. He wanted it all to be over and done with. But it wasn’t. So he couldn’t go home. He couldn’t leave her alone. Everyone else kept visiting on and off, but he was the only one with jobs that listed hourly salaries. So he was the one who could afford to lose those jobs. He was also the one who felt like his lungs were going to collapses every time he so much as thought about leaving her alone. 

The fact that someone else was in the room didn’t even register, not until Damien had started speaking. “I… I’m fine,” he answered, not looking away from Arabella’s pale face. His hands were clasped in front of his mouth, clenched. “Really, Dr. Hart, don’t worry about me.” He tried for a smile but was sure he missed by a long shot. Nodding to the papers in the older man’s hand, he asked, “Is there anything new?”

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

There was the question that he was hoping he wouldn't get asked, but he knew it was coming. He knew it'd be there no matter what. Exhaling, he shook his head softly. "No, her stats are about the same--they aren't awful, though, so that's something to hold onto," he offered. Her stats were great, honestly. A few weeks ago he was about 50/50 on it, but now he was almost positive she would make a good recovery. Perhaps not a full one (they had to wait to see if she could walk again) but definitely some form of recovery. He sighed at the boy's response and shook his head. He knew he wasn't going to get him to leave, honestly, something deep down told him that he shouldn't even try... But well, there went Dae again, trying to help people even when they refused. "And you're not fine," he started, shaking his head. "You're malnourished and sleep deprived..." he tried, maybe he'd understand from a more technical point. 

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

you'd think they'd invest in decent coffee in this place...

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

I just walked two blocks in between operations just to get something semi decent. I’m going to buy this place one of those fancy pod coffee machine things.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

Just buy it and leave it in your office. Knowing this place you leave it in the staff room and it'll be broken in two damn days.

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

you'd think they'd invest in decent coffee in this place...

we’re doctors and nurses, I think we deserve something better than the cheap shit. 

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

Preaching to the choir, honestly.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

taking care → daevi

Damien sighed heavily as he rounded the corner of the hall, ready to start his rounds for the night. He'd just gotten out of a five and a half hour long surgery and while that wasn't the worst he'd been in, he was just exhausted. It had been a crazy few weeks, to say the least. After having to put the little girl that was related to Levi in a medically induced coma because she was in too much pain to try and recover from it normally... well, the boy didn't want to leave. And Damien honestly didn't blame him. So he indulged him in the beginning. He brought him coffee and meals and even found a cot that he could put in the room with her and he had sat with him and they had talked for a few hours, but it had been so long... he needed to rest. He could just see it in the boy's face that he was ready to collapse any minute. 

Stepping into the little girl's room and pulling his surgical cap off of his head, he stuffed it into his pocket before clearing his throat, resting her file on his hip. "Levi..." he started softly. "You need to go home, shower, rest..." he tried, and deep down he knew it wouldn't work but he had to try.

[letmeseeyourdick]

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

God, I'm exhausted.

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

Well we can’t always have what we wish for now, can we?

All seriousness though, do you need someone to bring you coffee and decent food?

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

Ass.

Julius, offering to come to the hospital on his day off? Has hell frozen over? Is the apocalypse coming? Shall I get an old priest and a young priest? If possible, yes. I don't think I even remember what my apartment looks like. 

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

God, I'm exhausted.

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

Don’t act like you don’t love me.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

I wish I didn't.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

God, I'm exhausted.

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

I’d ask why but I have a feeling that’d be the stupidest question in the world.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

You're an idiot. 

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

God, I'm exhausted.

[jcjoeyfreak]

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

You know you've been at work too long...

when an orderly needs to ask if you’re okay because you’re talking to a vending machine trying to get it to either give you your giant cookie or your money back.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

Sounds about right.

[levivalentine-blog]

waiting game | levi & damien

[levivalentine-blog]

Levi rubbed over his face as Damien confirmed what he had feared. They wouldn’t know anything more until the surgery was over with and that was likely to be on the longer side. They wouldn’t know for a long time. Arabella was stuck in there, alone and possibly going to end up dead. And they weren’t even going to be able to see her for so long… Something close to a sob tore at Levi’s throat and he shook it off. “Okay,” he murmured out. He could get Sydney or someone to take the others home while he waited. And, fuck, he’d have to call out of work or something. “Thank you.” His eyes canted up to meet the doctor’s but it was only a second before a nurse was calling his attention away. He looked down at the hand at his knee and before he could stop himself, Levi was reaching out to hold at the other man’s wrist. He lasted only a moment before realizing and pulling away. “Thank you,” he said again, eyes tipped down once more.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

Damien gave the boy a soft smile and a nod of his head, squeezing his knee once more before moving to stand up. "I promise, I'll let you know as soon as I have anything substantial," he wasn't supposed to promise, but it wasn't like he was promising him that she would live. No, that was a big no no. He was just promising to keep him updated. And that was the right thing to do, right? He had to... Although, well, if she ended up not making it he would be the one to have to do it and god, that... He didn't want to think about that. He couldn't. After another short nod, he turned to walk away, situating his scrub cap a little bit more on his head. It was going to be a long night. 

[levivalentine-blog]

waiting game | levi & damien

[levivalentine-blog]

It doesn’t look good. God, that sentence should be cut out of the English language. Levi was about to snap at him that the best surgeons didn’t matter but stopped himself. Hearing that Damien himself would be working on Arabella calmed him a little. Someone he knew and trusted would be there. He nodded instead, hands still twisting over each other. “When… When will we know?” he asked in a hushed, pained voice. “I mean, how long’ll it take?” Surgeries could go over ten hours sometimes, he knew. Or, at least, he thought. He didn’t want all their cousins there that long… He would stay, of course, couldn’t imagine leaving. And even still, just sitting through, hour and hour, waiting… It seemed like torture.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

Damien exhaled and cleared his throat when he asked the question, shaking his head. "We'll know at the end of surgery, and..." he was just about to say he didn't know how long it was going to take when the boy asked the question and he found himself sighing, biting the inside of his cheek as he looked at him. "We don't know how long it's going to take. It could be hours before we've even cracked the surface. I'm not... I'm not going to get into the medical lingo but there is a lot that we have to do. The damage..." He didn't want to go on. He didn't want to freak the boy out anymore than he already was. Truth be told, he didn't even know if the girl would walk again. But that part was up to Julius. He had other things on the girl to worry about. "Dr. Hart?" he heard his name called and turned in his seat to look up at one of the nurses. They needed him. He found himself reaching forward and touching Levi's knee before he could stop himself. "I will keep you posted to the best of my ability, alright?" He knew he wasn't going anywhere. They never did. 

[levivalentine-blog]

waiting game | levi & damien

[levivalentine-blog]

Levi barely registered that he knew the man in scrubs coming toward him. All he saw was a doctor who could give him some answers. It was only once he had sat next to him, called him by first name, that Levi realized who he was. Swallowing, he shrugged and gently moved Philip off to one of his older brothers. Free to face Damien completely then, he asked, “Is she gonna be okay? Do you… I mean, you were in there with her right? They said it doesn’t look good, is she gonna be all right?” Damien had asked a question but Levi couldn’t think straight enough to answer it properly. Which probably answered it enough in that case — he wasn’t holding up, frankly. His hands twisted in his lap as he watched the older man closely.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

Damien hadn't really expected the boy to answer his question, really. He'd expected him to attack him with questions in return and well... that was how it typically was, as sad as it was for him to say. He'd always start the family with inquiring how they were and they'd bombard him with questions. He didn't blame them, though. He supposed he would be the same if it were his family... maybe. "It doesn't look good, no," he said solemnly, not breaking eye contact. One of the rules of bedside manner. Breaking eye contact made the other person lose hope. He couldn't have that, because hope could do wonders sometimes. He gave him a soft smile instead. "But I can promise you that some of the best surgeons I know are in that room working on her, myself included, and we're going to do everything we possibly can."

[levivalentine-blog]

waiting game | levi & damien

Levi sat with his head hanging low, hands caught between his knees. He was desperately trying not to let his cousins see how badly they were shaking. It doesn’t look good. That’s what the ER doctor had said before slamming the door in Levi’s face. It doesn’t look good. Arabella was ten and it doesn’t look good. Ten. His hands started to shake worse. Nearby, Sydney whined a little and rose, complaining that it had been over an hour and why hadn’t they heard anything. Levi swallowed thickly and looked to his side where Philip, the youngest of Arabella’s older brothers, was clinging to his arm. “Sydney, sit down, will you?” he called. He wished one of his sister would get there. Or just anyone older than him, so he wouldn’t have to the de facto adult any longer.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

It had been a long day to say the least. A very, very long day. He'd run from surgery to surgery, all over the place. It was a Monday, after all. Emergencies here and there, car crash after car crash. It was exhausting. And then he'd gotten the page. It seemed like any other ER page until he'd gotten there. 10 year old girl. Pole through the middle of her. He didn't even have time to ask what happened before he was rushing forward toward her, checking simple signs that would help him know how her respiratory system was doing while the nurses ushered out a panicked man--whom he at that time assumed to be her older brother or father or something. Two hours later of deciding what to do, they'd finally rushed her into surgery. And Dae had gotten a look through the window as to just who that man had been. Levi. He'd recognized him from online, and well, he almost felt obligated to be the one to update him. So when the nurse said she would, he found himself placing a hand on her shoulder and telling her he would instead. Walking out into the waiting room, he smiled at the children around him before taking a seat next to the other man. "Hey, Levi, how're you holding up?" he asked softly, not wanting to get into the heavy stuff quite yet. 

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

God knows...

[brains-and-ballgags-blog]

I think you’re mistaking sleep deprived for eagerness. Like that one time I was ‘eager’ to cook toast with a defib, or that time I was ‘eager’ to take home the girl that looked like Martin Lawrence in Big Momma’s House just to shut her up.

[convolutedcontrol-blog]

You're such a jackass; no wonder you're single. Hey, the toast with the defib was a good idea at the time.... it's a good thing and orderly caught us before we caught the on call room on fire.