Blanket warning: Happy, happy, joy, joy and a sore throat.
Characters: ___? :)
Whumptober - TaG’verse
Previous posts can be found HERE
20. Trembling
Enjoy…
oOo
“Hey, Kiddo,” her voice wavered as she brushed dark, messy hair back from a pale forehead. “Welcome back, we missed you.”
There were tears in her eyes and a smile ghosted across her quivering lips but she was beyond ecstatic to once again see that warm brown gaze. Foggy as it was, it sure beat the alternative.
His hand lifted trembling from the bed and drunkenly reached for her. She took it gratefully and brushed a kiss across his knuckles. “You really had us worried there.”
His brows dropped low, a pinched expression on his face as he tried to swallow past what she assumed was sandpaper in his throat. Reaching out she grabbed a small paper cup and brought it to his lips, one hand helping to raise his head. “Here now, little sips. It will help.”
He complied with her directions taking tentative, small sips of the soothing water but by the expression on his face, Sally could tell it was sore.
The quiet groan and the weak swat at the cup was her confirmation. “I know, Sweetheart. It’s sore. That’s from the intubation. I’ll see if there is something they can give you for that to make it easier.” She set the cup aside and caught his hand up his again, taking note of his flagging strength.
“Shhhh,” She hushed, combing her fingers through thick hair. “Its okay, get some rest. We’ll be here when you wake up again.”
His eyes sunk closed, breathing evening out, deep and steady and she allowed her tears to fall.
Blanket warning: Emotional whumping with a side of Grandma….
Characters: Virgil, Grandma with a glimpse of Squidy and Kayo.
Whumptober - TaG’verse
Previous parts can be found ->
Part 1 Unconscious | Part 2 Shaky Hands | Part 3 Stitches
12. “Don’t move.” (Part IV of Unconscious a.k.a The Void of Oblivion on ff.net... I know.. its a dramatic title but I was in a mood.. )
Enjoy…
oOo
“Don’t move.” A mature voice that was stern but full of matriarchal love said at his back.
Being stationary didn’t seem to be Virgil’s issue at the moment but he wasn’t going to point out that correction. His issue was that he just couldn’t move in all sense of the word. Physically and emotionally he was stuck.
Strong, weathered hands came down on his shoulders and expertly started to knead the tight, knotted muscles. “Wow, Kiddo. Any tighter and we could use you as a launch pad.”
Virgil let he head sag on his neck as the surprisingly strong fingers of his Grandmother dug into the concrete that was currently calling itself his back. Arms draped over the railing he kept one eye to the technicolour display working its magic across the sky and the other down on the pool deck below.
“Well with the way I feel at the moment, being the launch pad for Two would be preferable.”
His Grandmother tutted at the remark and drew a hand down the leading edge of his spine that eliciting a low moan out of him that he would rather not have his Granny hear.
“You had another migraine.” Not a question and he didn’t need to confirm it. His haggard appearance, five o’clock shadow and stiff posture was evidence enough to support her comment.
A soft puff of air ruffled up over the nap of his neck in a sigh. Part frustrations and part worry. “I’m fine, Grandma. Give me another twenty-four hours and I will be back to firing all boosters. “
“I’m sure you will be.” She remarked and her hands dropped away.
She stepped up the railing beside him, her keen eyes looking over the tableau below.
Kayo was stretching out in an intricate series of movements that though in slow motion at present, they all knew could be used to maximum, deadly force with barely an uptick in her heart rate.
It was her little end of the day ritual and one that she preferred to do in private. Virgil just had the added insight at the moment that she required a little extra space to recenter herself after the events of earlier so he obliged her need from a comfortable distance.
Not far from her, the steady sound of Gordon going through his paces in the pool resounded off the villa walls. Virgil had lost track of how many laps his younger sibling had completed thus far but by the speed in which he was accomplishing them, the prankster was trying to work some sort of problem out as well and wasn’t any closer to his own solutions.
If Virgil didn’t have so much on his own plate, he would have probed the younger man but not today. His plate was already overflowing and added to it would just break the crockery beyond repair and he feared what would happen to those left in the blast radius.
“You’re brooding.” She noted, her knowing eyes once more turning their steely gaze back on him.
He gave a nonchalant shrug not wanted to put to voice to the conflict being waged in his head. The one where he either broke a promise to a sibling and caused irreparable harm to a relationship or he potentially lost another to some nefarious act of violence. Either way, he was screwed.
Damned if he did and damned if he didn’t.
His Grandmother sighed again and gave his hand a supporting squeeze. “Honey,” Her tone had that inquisitive quality to it, “do you want to talk about it?”
Virgil frowned and he gave his head a shake. “Not particularly.” Considering he was contemplating betraying his best friend’s probationary trust in him, it wasn’t something he wanted advertise to her of all people.
His elder turned to him, cupped a hand to his cheek to bring his troubled gaze to hers. A comforting thumb brushed the stubble in the hollow found there and he knew that she could see everything. Right through him to the crux of the issue.
“Honey,” She started, looking into his tired face, “I know you tend to play things close to the chest but you know with us..with me.. It’s not necessary. I’ve helped raise all of you and nothing you say or do is going to change the fact that your one of my first Grandbabies and I will always love you no matter what.”
A smile touched the corner of his lips and he turned to kiss her palm. “I know, Grandma.. I just… “ He stalled out.
“You're taking on way too much.”
His warm, brown eyes turned away.
“Virgil, look at me.” She insisted and waited patiently for him to do just that. Once he acquiesced her continued. “I’m not going to act like I haven’t noticed what you’ve been doing.”
Shock had him stiffening. “...Grandma..”
“Hush now.” She commanded and he did. “I may be old but I see more than you think I do. You’ve been burning the oil at both ends and there is no use denying it.”
He had nothing to say to contest the observation and he just looked back to the pool deck.
It was true, he had been but he had his reasons. His eyes shifted to the form sliding through the water with the ease of a fish and guilt sprung up in his chest again. If he could keep one of his own from getting hurt again he would do anything in his power to do just that. No matter the cost to himself.
Grandma put a knowing hand on his shoulder. “Ever since he was declared fit to return to duty you’ve been doing everything you can to keep him from it. Why Scott hasn’t picked up on this is another matter altogether but the fact remains… you can’t do it all by yourself Virgil.”
“I don’t want to see you run yourself into the ground and frankly I’ve sat back too long and watched you do just that.”
“Virgil,” She took hold of his shoulders and turned him towards her. “I almost lost one of my babies, and I sure as Hell am not going to lose another if there is something I can do about it”
She leaned up and placed a motherly kiss on his downcast forehead. “Whatever else is going on, I trust you to make the right decision as hard as you might find it to do so. “ She tipped up his chin, brushed as an exhausted, stray tear that had brimmed over his usually calm and controlled manner.
“Thanks, Grandma.” His voice was hoarse and it was unusual for him to feel so vulnerable.So bare and raw with his emotions completely out of check.
Her arms wrapped around him and pulled him into a hug. “You’re beyond exhausted right now, Sweety and I am sure that whatever all this is, it will work itself out. I am always here for you if you need to bend an ear, I hope you know that.
He nodded against her smaller frame and replied softly in her ear. “I know Grandma, I just need some time…”
A squeeze and she stepped back. “Okay, I won’t push. I promise though it will get better, look better once you’ve had a good rest and a few thousand calories in your belly. After that when you ready and you can think clearly again, come find me. We’ll talk.”
She paused, looked down at her other babies a level down. A small smile played on her pale lips, “Or if you won’t talk to me, talk to them.” Her head inclined to indicate the pair lost in their own little worlds not so far away. “I’m sure either one of them would welcome you coming to them.”
She turned to head back inside and over her shoulder her loving words tried to reach into his conflict and shine a light to salvation. “You are not alone, please try to remember that.”
