Scott didnât hesitate to gather the child into his arms making sure to be extra cautious not to hurt her. He knew it wasnât his place to reprimand Rush for picking a fight with someone as low as Simeon. Now, his job was to get El to TJ and make sure she was alright. He had never seen the child do more than lift the occasional cup or pen, nothing like this. It was like she had used all her energy.Â
He nodded getting to his feet and moving to sick bay as quickly as he could while not injuring Eleven. He would have normally stayed back to make sure Rush made it alright, but he trusted the man to make it there despite a few broken ribs.Â
TJ was organizing supplies when she saw Scott running to her with Eleven in his arms. âOh my god. Matt? What happened?â she ran meeting him half way. Together they set her on the cot which only made her look smaller. TJ grabbed her stethoscope placing it on Elâs chest.Â
âUh-I-I donât really know. Um, Rush said he and Simeon got into a fight. He attacked Rush then she attacked Simeon.â Scott tried to explain quickly just as the soldiers brought Simeonâs still limp body and roughly tossed it on a cot across the room. They strapped his wrists down and stood guard in case he woke back up. âRush should be right behind us.â Scott looked over his shoulder.Â
âWell her heart rate is a little fast, but I wonât be able to tell more without running more tests.â Tj wrapped the stethoscope around her neck with a sigh of relief. âWe should get a blood test while sheâs out cold. If youâll recall it didnât go well the last time I tried.âÂ
Rush felt terrible, but he tried to force himself to go as fast as possible. El was hurt and it was all his fault. He never should have punched Simeon. Now El was hurt and he didnât know what was happening to her or if sheâd be okay. And it had all started from wanting to protect her. How ironic.
He turned a corner and bumped into Young, crying out in surprise and pain. âRush?â the other man asked before taking in the way he was holding his ribs. He had heard Rush was hurt of course, but heâd assumed Scott would take care of him. Apparently not.
âLetâs get you to sick bay,â he stated, wrapping an arm around Rush. The scientist huffed a sigh.
âThaâs where ah was headed,â he argued.
âYeah, well slow down a bit, huh?â Young stated, using his grip on Rushâs shoulder to force the man to go slower. Because yes, the man was already trying to walk off as fast as he could manage. âYouâre going to hurt yourself if you keep that up.â
âBetter me than El,â Rush replied instantly. Oh. Rush blamed himself for her getting hurt. That make some sense.
âNo, sorry but she will be devastated if youâre hurt, you know that? And getting to sick bay a few minutes sooner will not help her recover faster.â He was right of course, even if he didnât like it. So he let Young slow him down.
âFine,â he mumbled. It seemed to take forever but eventually they did make it there. âHow is she?â Rush asked the minute they were in the room.
Scott heard Rushâs voice and turned to the man. âI was just on my way.â He told the him before turning to his commanding officer. âSir,â He nodded helping him assist with Rush. âTJ says she is stable, just try and take it easy..â Scott answered Rushâs question finally. âWe should really get you to a cot or something though. Elâs already being looked after, right now you look more bruised up than either of them.â He half joked nodding at Simeon.Â
TJ had just finished applying a bandaid on Elevenâs arm, thankful she stayed asleep long enough to get a sample. âFrom the looks of it she fainted from exhaustion. Other than that there is nothing physically wrong with her.â She explained covering the child with a warm blanket and placing a pillow under her head to make her more comfortable. Once she was sure Eleven would be alright she stepped away to examine Rush. âOkay Iâm going to need you to explain to me what happened so I can fully understand how youâve been injured. Itâll be difficult to tell without an x-ray, so every detail matters.âÂ
At that moment there was a soft sigh where Eleven laid. The child began to stir, gradually beginning to wake. âMm?â Her face twitched a few times before her lids began to blink open. It took her a few moments to remember what had happened in the moments before it all went dark. When it all fell into place she shot up instantly with a gasp not quite sure where she was or who was with her. âPapaâRush!? Rush!? â It took less than an instant for her to correct herself the second she realized what she was saying in the half second it took to see TJ, Scott and Young in the room. The familiar green and black caught her eye making her attempt to get up before TJ scurried to stop her.Â
âEasy, easy, there honey.â She spoke in a tender voice. âDonât try to move just yet. Rush is okay, I promise, but both of you need to stay in bed until youâre better.â She tried to explain hoping that the idea of helping herself would also help Rush. Tears started to form in the childâs eyes when she found herself too overwhelmed with emotion to be able to confess with her limited speech. She ached head to toe, her head felt like it had been bashed in with something heavy, and yet she was still too concerned Simeon had done too much damage to Rush. Only to feel herself filled with guilt over letting herself go too far with attacking Simeon.Â
She sat back on the cot covering her eyes to hide the tears as she cried. âSo sorry.â Muffled words passed between her hands. âSo sorryâŠ.so sorryâŠâ Already she could feel the weight of her body held up by her weak and shaky legs. TJ was right about her getting up too quickly, El knew it, but she just leaned against the cot crying. âThis is⊠my faultâŠ.â She confessed with a gasp between her sobs. If she hadnât been messing with Simeon earlier this never would have happened. He had been so rude, El didnât see any harm in having some fun at his expense. At first it was subtle things like making him trip over his own feet while walking down the hall or his drink spilling when he ate, but the more she understood what kind of person he was, larger things started happening, like the power in his bedroom suddenly being rerouted to hydroponics.
She had snuck into the Lucianâs quarters earlier that day to find a new way to mess with him but he had returned too fast and El had to run out of the room, dropping her doll behind. She had seen it in the hall during the fight and had put it together for herself that they were fighting because of what she had done.Â
Scott heard Rushâs voice and turned to the man. âI was just on my way.â He told the him before turning to his commanding officer. âSir,â He nodded helping him assist with Rush. âTJ says she is stable, just try and take it easy..â Scott answered Rushâs question finally. âWe should really get you to a cot or something though. Elâs already being looked after, right now you look more bruised up than either of them.â He half joked nodding at Simeon.Â
TJ had just finished applying a bandaid on Elevenâs arm, thankful she stayed asleep long enough to get a sample. âFrom the looks of it she fainted from exhaustion. Other than that there is nothing physically wrong with her.â She explained covering the child with a warm blanket and placing a pillow under her head to make her more comfortable. Once she was sure Eleven would be alright she stepped away to examine Rush. âOkay Iâm going to need you to explain to me what happened so I can fully understand how youâve been injured. Itâll be difficult to tell without an x-ray, so every detail matters.âÂ
At that moment there was a soft sigh where Eleven laid. The child began to stir, gradually beginning to wake. âMm?â Her face twitched a few times before her lids began to blink open. It took her a few moments to remember what had happened in the moments before it all went dark. When it all fell into place she shot up instantly with a gasp not quite sure where she was or who was with her. âPapaâRush!? Rush!? â It took less than an instant for her to correct herself the second she realized what she was saying in the half second it took to see TJ, Scott and Young in the room. The familiar green and black caught her eye making her attempt to get up before TJ scurried to stop her.Â
âEasy, easy, there honey.â She spoke in a tender voice. âDonât try to move just yet. Rush is okay, I promise, but both of you need to stay in bed until youâre better.â She tried to explain hoping that the idea of helping herself would also help Rush. Tears started to form in the childâs eyes when she found herself too overwhelmed with emotion to be able to confess with her limited speech. She ached head to toe, her head felt like it had been bashed in with something heavy, and yet she was still too concerned Simeon had done too much damage to Rush. Only to feel herself filled with guilt over letting herself go too far with attacking Simeon.Â
She sat back on the cot covering her eyes to hide the tears as she cried. âSo sorry.â Muffled words passed between her hands. âSo sorryâŠ.so sorryâŠâ Already she could feel the weight of her body held up by her weak and shaky legs. TJ was right about her getting up too quickly, El knew it, but she just leaned against the cot crying. âThis is⊠my faultâŠ.â She confessed with a gasp between her sobs. If she hadnât been messing with Simeon earlier this never would have happened. He had been so rude, El didnât see any harm in having some fun at his expense. At first it was subtle things like making him trip over his own feet while walking down the hall or his drink spilling when he ate, but the more she understood what kind of person he was, larger things started happening, like the power in his bedroom suddenly being rerouted to hydroponics.
She had snuck into the Lucianâs quarters earlier that day to find a new way to mess with him but he had returned too fast and El had to run out of the room, dropping her doll behind. She had seen it in the hall during the fight and had put it together for herself that they were fighting because of what she had done.Â
Rush let Scott come over and start helping him to the cop, even if he didnât like it. He always hated being looked after, ore more correctly needing to be looked after. Still, he had to admit that Simeon had done a number on him, and he probably needed all the help he could get. At least El was stable. He was fine so long as she was.
But then she woke, obviously distressed. She was even standing up now. Damn it. She blamed herself. And⊠and sheâd called him Papa? That send waves of emotions through him that he didnât want to try and decipher at the moment. Instead he moved to her side, Young coming with him so as to keep supporting him. And probably to make sure he didnât do anything stupid and hurt himself more on accident. As if he couldnât take care of himself.
âEl, hey itâs okay,â he promised, reaching out an arm to place on her shoulder. âIâm alright and you are alright. Simeonâs restrained. Nothing else is going to happen.â
âAnd as for it being your fault,â Young jumped in, âI very much doubt that. For one thing Simeon was goading Rush. And Rush knows better than to get into fights he canât win.â There was a subtle jab there, Rush thought. Since Young had beat him up on more than one occasion. But⊠well it didnât seem like the statement was malicious. An attempt at a joke, perhaps? He didnât dwell on that now. El was his focus for the moment.
âHeâs right. Itâs not your fault. Itâs Simeonâs for punching me, and mine for not getting help.â He wanted to teach El how to act after all. Especially if she saw him as her papa. He was messing that up already, wasnât he? He tried not to think on that though. âI should have never fought him like that.â