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[gonna_live]

As recovery progresses, life gets a little more exciting.

No cannula for the oxygen, and no IV. Walking a very little bit. Sitting up in a chair. Wearing actual clothes. Being hungry again. Doesn't mean Kaylee can go home yet, but there's improvement.

When people come in, she's sitting on the bed, and looking longingly at the small bottle of nail polish on the nightstand.

The question: can she convince Simon to paint her toenails?

It's a plot that's going to take a great deal of contemplation to put into effect.

Comments

[e_delmar]

Ain't much stays secret in small groups. Especially when Sallie Reynolds is part of the group. Could be Ennis'd poked his head in a time or two, but if that's so, seems he'd retreated back to the relative warmth and safety of his room, and what he finds there. But there he is again, hat in hand over his chest, and coughing so's to try and get her attention.

[gonna_live]

She looks up -- and her face immediately lights up. "Hey, you."

[e_delmar]

He approaches slowly, settles in a chair nearby.

"Hey."

His fingers work their way around the brim of his hat.

[gonna_live]

"How you doin'?"

There is probably no hope of getting Ennis to paint her toenails. Kaylee is well aware of this.

[e_delmar]

Almost none.


Less'n Kaylee's been talking to Junior of late.


"Seems I should be askin' you."

[gonna_live]

"Well, I asked you first." Her grin's easy.

[e_delmar]

He shifts in his chair, embarrassed (and mostly not uncomfortable anymore), and looks up at Kaylee with something like the biggest grin she may've seen. That could answer her question.



"Worried 'bout you."

[gonna_live]

For somebody who's worried, he's grinning pretty big.

"No call to be." Smile a little crooked. "Seem like you're doin' pretty good, though."

[e_delmar]

Funny that.


He glances around at all the fancy machines, and raises one eyebrow at her.

"Ain't nothing, all this?"

He coughs, one hand covering his mouth, but that smile ain't gone nowhere.

[prydeful]

Well, if she can convince him, Kitty might have a bag of goodies that would help Kaylee out, and knocks on the wall as she walks in.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee looks up -- and grins. "Hey, Kitty."

[prydeful]

"Hey, you."

See, the thing about Kitty is she's just grinning back, and not doing much concerned acting, as she sits down and starts pulling things out of the bag.

First is nailpolish.

(Which isn't to say there wasn't worry when she heard. It's to say...that she's an X-Man, and if there isn't a reason to worry any more, you stop. Because in the end, you'll spend your entire life worrying if you do it any other way.)

[gonna_live]

Kaylee's gotten enough of concerned to last her a while. Mostly she just wants to not be in the infirmary. To switch to a different infirmary. One that may not be equipped as well, but it's a hell of a lot closer to her own bed.

She eyes the bag.

And the nail polish.

And very slowly, that grin gets a little wider.

[prydeful]

Next is a book.

Julie of the Wolves.

Why?

Because Kitty likes it.

"I got shot a year ago. Worst fucking thing ever. You know how long they keep you in a bed after that, in my 'verse? Too damned long. And everyone hovers."

And now there are what looks like a mixbag of parts to play with, and some tools, set out.

"And it's boring as all hell."

[gonna_live]

"Keep you in a bed too damned long in ours, too." But she's too busy looking at the shiny to bother sounding overly put out about it. "And looks like I'm not gonna be bored for a real long time."

There are eyes.

There is a distinct gleam in them.

[prydeful]

"You'd think they'd figure out a magical way."

She pauses.

"Well. They did. But Josh was out of town at the time. Anyway. I thought you might want some things to play with."

One of the nail polish bottles is waves.

It's made of sparkly. Think the silver slippers, from Wizard of Oz.

"And I thought I could bring 'em."

[gonna_live]

"...Kitty, you're a lifesaver." If there is a band that is fit to beat, Kaylee is grinning widely enough to do it. "You don't got -- "

Pause.

"Well. You do got an idea of how boring it is, otherwise you wouldn't've done it. But you're still my favorite. Ever."

[regan_tam]

Mal waved the Tams, yesterday morning, to tell them what happened. And to reassure them that Simon said Kaylee was going to be just fine, that he was asleep at the moment and likely to be for a while (and with an undertone that said he was likely to be if the captain had anything to say about it, anyway.) And to say that Kaylee was okay for visitors, but still feeling pretty weak.

They gave her a day for recovery, because too many visitors are more stress than joy, sometimes, when you're seriously ill. And Kaylee is well-loved.

But, now, there's a knock on the infirmary door, and two familiar figures in the doorway.

[gonna_live]

For a moment she's almost startled.

And then vaguely (and visibly) sheepish.

"Ni hao." Sitting up on the bed, crosslegged.

[gabriel_tam]

"Nĭ hăo," he says, immediately followed by, "Don't strain yourself, Kaylee--"

Gabriel looks visibly worried.

[regan_tam]

"Nĭ hăo," Regan echoes, with a small and slightly rueful smile.

She nearly echoes the rest of it, too, but Gabriel gets there first. So she moves towards Kaylee's bed, instead, and the chairs nearby.

She's carrying a small vase of flowers -- millefiori glass, in shades of pink and white, and a bright multicolored bouquet.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee blinks -- and says, a little gently, "It ain't -- "

(And she almost -- almost -- corrects herself, except that Crowley told her that she can pull off the bad grammar.)

" -- as bad as it might look." And she sees the flowers, and her expression is promptly surprised...and a little touched. "And -- xiexie ni."

[gabriel_tam]

"Still," he says. Gabriel waits for Regan to take a seat before he takes his own, adding,

"And you're certainly welcome."

[gonna_live]

Her hands are in her lap. Somehow visits are always a little awkward, at least at first -- she doesn't want to be here, her visitors don't want her to be here (and very likely don't want to be there themselves, in the sense that infirmaries are, well, depressing), and with her parents-in-law things have always been a little...slow to get off the ground anyhow.

"I guess you got a wave?"

[regan_tam]

Regan nods.

"The captain, yes."

Another small smile: rueful, and sympathetic. "We'd have come sooner, except we thought you'd have had enough visitors yesterday to tire you out already."