(no subject)

[princeinexile]

Hours tick by.

He's slept a great deal; deeply and peacefully; there is a still-blooming peony on his nightstand. A gentle scent lingers there, and it softens the harshness of the infirmary. It's something nice, maybe.

There's a table with a couple of books . Blankets are heaped in a couple of oft-filled chairs; they are sometimes filled with people-- Wells left a note to detail his absence over the full moon. Zuko has not been up to reading it, but he can guess at the man's sometimes absence. This is hard on him, after all, when the wolf is near the surface.

He opens his eyes, and stares at the ceiling, before he starts to look around, bleary eyed.

"...hey?"

Anyone there?

Comments

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph's been skimming sleep again, on and off; this is an off time. She looks over quickly at the sound of his voice, and beams.

"You're awake!"

[princeinexile]

Zuko glances over, obviously surprised. "So are you."

This is new.

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph grins at him. "I've been up for a while. I don't think I ... got hit as bad as you."

Yeah, she lost the smile at that bit.

"...how're you feeling?"

[princeinexile]

"Nngh," Zuko exhales.

That's a 'I'm not fine but i'm not illustrating my ills to you.'

[alwaysroomforhope]

She looks at him, and then, determined, shoves herself up to a sitting position and swings her legs over the edge of the bed. The burns across her chest and arms are healing; it still hurts to stretch skin, but not as much as yesterday. It's more the deep third-degree burns where he actually hit that hurt - on the surface, and there's an ache deep inside.

Not that she's telling Zuko that; all he gets is the way she's clamping her jaw as she tries to get up. Look out, you're getting HUGGED. Or at least sat by.

[princeinexile]

That has him moving--there's more attatched to him, monitors and tubes and -- yes, it's one of those horrible things that goes up his NOSE and down his gut...

"Y--you shouldn't be up!" he protests weakly. He can't hold her, or touch her easily, but he starts to stir in his bed, shifting as he presses the button thata'll prop him up without HIM moving, bed shifting beneath him.

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph hasn't found that button yet. She goes "Oooh," when he does that. There's a button? Awesome.

She's okay; there's an IV and a monitor, wires attached to little pads on her chest and inner arms, but they're all on the same side as Zuko, so she can drag them around, a little clumsily, and when the dizziness of sitting up has faded, she can stumble across the gap and sit on his bed without putting too much strain on the tube and wires.

"We'll have to not get tangled," she says, flushed and triumphant. She moved!

[kurosakiboy.livejournal.com]

"You talking to me?"

Ichigo comes into view with a very neutral look on his face, not betraying any emotion. Not yet. How long he's been sitting there isn't clear, but this being Ichigo, it's not likely he was worrying over the poor Prince for too long.

"I didn't think so, really."

And besides Ichigo, examining Zuko with a much less guarded look, a smile even, is...

Another Ichigo. This one in more casual clothes, and without a sword.

[princeinexile]

"There are two of you?" Said somewhere between horror and worry, with a dash of repulsion.

As if the world needs more Ichigo's.

[kurosakiboy.livejournal.com]

IT DOES!

Ichigo gives a Hmph sort of noise, as if offended. "Ignore this idiot. I couldn't leave him alone in the bar, had to bring him along. Plus I think he wanted to meet you."

Kon (the other Ichigo) is leaning in dangerously close to Zuko, apparently having no concept of personal space. "This is the loser you told me about? THIS GUY is the one telling you what to do? He'd better have more balls than he looks to, or else you're really falling hard strawberry."

[princeinexile]

THere is a rude person looking at him very closely. This does not please Zuko at all.

"Get out of my face."

[kurosakiboy.livejournal.com]

"You're not in any condition to make me, are y-AH!"

Ichigo decides to cut this mighty battle of wits short by yanking Kon back by his collar and plopping him down in a seat. With a withering glare at the other...him, he looks back to Zuko.

"Sorry 'bout that. I'd feel bad for the other bar patrons if I left him alone there."

[princeinexile]

"... pair of dueces," Zuko mutters darkly.

[asphodelusalbus.livejournal.com]

Lily's in a chair nearby, reading - looks like the manual for some of Hank's machines.

"Hey," she says, smiling over at him. "How are you feeling today?"

[princeinexile]

"...eh."

JUST GREAT FINE PEACHY HOW ARE YOU?

... wait no.

[asphodelusalbus.livejournal.com]

"Well, you're looking better," she says brightly, folding the book closed and putting it aside. "You heal remarkably fast."

Bright and cheerful Healer face!

[princeinexile]

"Firebenders are stonger then most," Zuko says airily.

He does not know the cost of such power, just that it is there.

[asphodelusalbus.livejournal.com]

"You're Prince Zuko, I'm told? I'm Lily Evans. I'm a Healer, I've been looking after you and Stephanie."

[princeinexile]

"Oh."

Great. Some strange woman. (AND JUST WAIT TILL HE SEES HANK.)

"...how am I progressing, then? Nobody's told me anything."

[sansa-stark.livejournal.com]

A young girl has been folding blankets. She stops when Zuko speaks and whirls to face him.

"Hello," she says simply. A tiny smile finds its way onto her face. It does little to off-set the concern in her eyes.

[princeinexile]

"...Sansa?" He has to think on that name for a minute; he almost says Alayne. "Hey."

[sansa-stark.livejournal.com]

She finishes folding the blanket and sets it down in the chair, gaze not leaving him. She completely forgets to curtsy.

"Is there anything I can get you? Anything at all?"

[princeinexile]

Zuko doesn't mind anyway; men and women in his country both bow. "Know where to find a glass of water?" he asks, though it's a slow coming request.

[sansa-stark.livejournal.com]

"I do! I'll go get it." As she walks away, fetches a glass and turns on a tap, she's still talking. "I've seen the healers work this before. Water comes out of it - probably through pipes. Winterfell was kept warm by water from the hotsprings that ran through the pipes."

By the time Sansa adds, "Winterfell is my home," she's back with a glass of water.

It's lukewarm water. Sansa doesn't quite get this complicated 'cold/hot' tap system.

[princeinexile]

Lukewarm. Yum.

Zuko honestly doesn't care; his throat is dry and he drinks gratefully. But he smirks, and then ... doesn't say anything about the pipes because he knows while HIS people had hot and cold running water, the rest of the world didn't where he's from...

...so best to just leave it alone.

"Winterfell? Sounds... cold."