ways_infirmary | (no subject)

There's a pile of blankets on one of the beds and one sleeping medic. Well..sleeping for the most part. Gene constantly turns and grumbles to himself in what little bit of sleep he's managed to catch since he got the play to stay there. Harsh coughs also echo from the pile before the man sits up, sleepy eyed and still feeling the cold of Bastogne in his bones.

Reaching for the bottle of cough medicine he reads over the bottle with a frown. Being sick was not fun at all especially when one coughed so hard they actually squeeked at the end.

Distractions were always welcomed.

The door opens and Neric pokes his head in, hesitantly, glancing around. He's dressed in warm woolens at least, instead of his former green silk robes, so he's not quite as strange a sight.

Which is good because the way Gene's head feels right now seeing something odd might just break it. A little..at least. Looking up from the bottle he coughed again. "Lookin for someone?" he asked hoarsly. So far he was the only person there but staff was always on call.

"I was--" He stops, remembering his manners. "Greetings, friend. I was looking for Guppy--he left a book for me, and I had some questions. Are you all right?"

"Haven't seen him since I got back," the Cajun may says between coughs. Opening the bottle and measuring out the required amount. One gulp and the nasty stuff is down leaving the medic making a sour face. "Sick..cold..'s what happens when yous with th' Army." Oh there's an attempt at humor!

But his hands still shake and are a serious shade of red from being cold. "There's ah call button if you needs t' get ahold of him.."

"Have you had some tea?" he asks, stepping into the room. "Or some soup. Those seem to be very popular here when people aren't feeling well--I'd never had any until I came here, but I do like them. They're especially good when the weather is cold."

He smiles, content with his knowledge. Sure, it's things that normal people have known all their lives, but it's still recent, for him.

Gene's eyes narrowed a little, studying the man for a brief moment before more coughs set in. Harder this time nearly making him choak. With a little shake of his head once it's settled down he looks back to the new guy. "No..not been hungry."

Shruging deeper into the blankets wraped about him he reaches over to put the bottle back down. "Haven' had any real food 'n a while..Jus' frozen rations."

"...well, would you like any? I could go get some for you. Or there's--there was hot apple cake the other day, it was like being a child and happy again."

He watches him, curious. People in his world don't really get sick, but he's seen many people here in that condition, and he's not sure what to do.

"No thanks.." quietly for a moment Gene watches Neric for a moment before hugging the blanket closer. "'s nice of you t' offer. Jus' wanna get warm first 'fore thinkin 'bout food 's all." His stomach? Hurt..the idea of actually eating was about to even make him sick though with as pale as he still was noone would have noticed.

"You new t' Milliways? Don't think I've seen yous 'round before.."

"I first came here a couple months ago, but I haven't stayed here all that time." He closes the door most of the way behind him, in the hopes of keeping a draft out, if there is any.

"I'm Neric, by the way. Would you like more blankets? I could get some of those too."

"Ahh. 's why I haven't seen yous 'bout. Been outta here for to damn long." Coughing against the blankets Roe shook his head a little. "Would be nice if yous don' mind?"

Looking down at his hands Gene rubed at them slighty trying to get a more natural color into them. They were still dirty- blood and grime from being on the line for way to long. "Nice t' meet yoy, Neric. Name's Gene- Eugene Roe. Earth 1945 in Belgium."

"It's very nice to meet you, Gene. I'll be right back--"

He disappears through the door again for a moment, returning shortly with two bulky, folded blankets. He has to concentrate much more on his movements when he's carrying something and walking at the same time, even more so when he can't see his feet. He sets the blankets down on the next bed so he can unfold one and drape it over Gene.

"I can put the other one on too if you like."

"Thanks.."

Don't think the odd way of moving and the thinking isn't noticed. Gene may be sick but he's a medic. He's trained to notice these things. "You okay yourself?" the man asks slowly not wanting to step over any lines.

When the blanket is draped over him Roe raises twitching fingers up to grab the edges. Being in temps below 0 was not good for any person. Especially over a long period of time.

"I'm feeling much better, yes," he says, taking a step back and having a seat on the edge of the next bed. "I'm not used to this weather, or a lot of other things I've encountered here, that's all."

Like shoes, or higher gravity.

That perked Gene's interest slightly. Once the cough medicine kicks in he reaches for the next bottle and opens it up, swallowing a pill with the help of his now unfrozen canteen. "Don't ge' snow where your' from?"

"Just rain," he says. "But it's warm rain, and very comfortable. It rains every night, in fact--the days are warm and sunny, the nights are warm and rainy. I didn't know there were seasons until I came here."

"Huh..tha's gotta be interestin then." Shruging deeper into the blankets Gene frowns a little before coughing again. "I've learned t' hate th' snow. Used t' love it when I was a'kid.."

Snow was something evil in his mind now. It caused death, sickness, the type of cold that stayed in your bones long after it had passed...Of course that had been the snow the 101st had encountered at Bastogne. Gene hated it.

"Well, there's no snow in here. There's hot food, there are drinks, and there are more blankets if you need them--when you feel better, you might want to go sit by the fire. Fire is still strange to me, but it's enjoyable, after time out in the cold."

He watches him carefully. He's never actually been around someone with this sort of sickness before, and he has no idea what to do.

There's a hesitant tap at the infirmary door.

Then there's a curly head leaning cautiously around it.

And then there's a pilot stepping rather uncertainly inside, dark eyes wavering between the floor and the beds nearby. She doesn't look particularly sure of herself, though whether it's the welcome she expects or something else that's making her tread carefully is anyone's guess.

After a second, "... Gene? Are you awake?" Her voice sounds small even to her own ears.

The blankets shift slightly before the sounds of coughing can be heard. He had been asleep..well..dozing. Finding one comfy spot usually became ruined by either not being able to breath or coughing. Either way the medic finds himself sitting up rubbing at his eyes with dirty hands.

It takes him a while to locate the voice of who is speaking as he pulls the blanket about him closer. "Sariel," Gene says with a cracked voice before trying to smile for her. It's hard though and soon slips away. "Guess I am now..Never was 'sleep.."

Edited 2007-12-31 04:19 (UTC)

The look on Sariel's face when she realizes he was asleep, or close to it, until she walked in can best be translated as 'damn! Screwed up again!' None of this gets spoken aloud, however.

That shaky smile of his isn't helping her confidence much either. She does look his way, but her own smile is equally brief, if for a different reason. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you, I just--" and she dares a step closer. Just one. "I can leave, if you'd rather?"

Gene shook his head, moving to dangle his legs over the edge of the bed slightly (still wraped up tight). "You didn' wake me. I haven' been able t' sleep since we were in Mourmelon.." December the 16th was when they had got the orders to move out. It was now sometime in January. Sleep was hard to come by in the hard cold ground.

"And no I don' want yous t' leave," glancing up at her again he pulled the blankets tighter. "'s been to long since I've seen any of yous guys. No' lettin you leave now. 'right?"

Right, that? Gets the big eyes. "My God, that long?" For a general idea of long; she isn't entirely clear on the passage of time for him as compared to the bar. That's what she gets for bar time psynching up with her universe's own. "If you need to rest, tell me and I'll go away. Really." Someone still feels a bit guilty for barging in, it seems.

As for the not getting to leave - same sentiment, different day and different source. Sariel's moving closer, if slowly; she'll take his answer as a lack of rejection, if nothing else. "We've all missed you. Will and I, and everyone."

The medic chuckles a little, weakly, but it's there along with the hint of a bashful smile. "Doubt that," Gene says as he looks up at Sariel offering to her a clumsy little smile. Forced but it's there and a little bigger this time. "Nothin t' be a'missin in my book."

Gene was a quiet man who generally kept to himself within the bar. Why make to many friends if you may die the next time you go out the door? It was like making friends with the replacements. "Since I can' be goin back there's time t' rest...but as soon as it's back I'm gone."

Maybe so. But Sariel's still here, still worried. Still willing to light candles for him.

She's done her fair share of keeping to herself too, mainly because that's just part of who she is--nothing wild, nothing flashy. And yet they're still friends. Even the quiet ones are bound to get to know *someone*. they're both living proof of that fact.

"Really. Will has, and I have, and I'm sure we aren't alone." Pause. Uncomfortable pause. "Gene? The other day, when you had just come in..."

she seems reluctant to continue, suddenly.

And he watches her with those sunken eyes of his. He remains silent willing her to go on if she wishes to have the conversation. Eyebrows shoot up a little in a questioning form but he says nothing.

Odd as it may be the quieter ones are always the closest of friends or have the stronger bonds. They know by a look, by a shrug of the shoulders when aid is needed or space is required. People readers is what they are. Sariel would make a good medic in that sense.

Sariel's no medic; not by any stretch of the imagination. For her, keeping everyone in one piece is a matter of keeping thrusters powered and course set. and of not breaking anyone, if she can avoid it. Sonya is the loud one, Selar is the doctor. Sariel keeps her head down and her eyes on the viewscreen, and in her own way, she gets everyone home.

No wonder she and Gene connect.

"Did I say something that I shouldn't have?" It comes out small and a little shaky, but nonetheless it's said. "I mean... if I upset you, I didn't intend to." Beat. "About--about needing a minute."

That...that makes Gene have to stop and think. He doesn't remember her saying anything that upset him. By far it would be hard for her to do! So he keeps a confused expression upon his face before he shakes his head.

"No..no yous didn'.." Everything so far was a blurr from the battle to finding Milliways again. Gene wasn't sure what it could have been.

Oh.

Wait just a second. Say again?

Sariel blinks. Once, twice. Clearly, somebody wasn't expecting that answer. "Oh. Uh... oh." Excuse the stumbling over words. "Because I just meant... time to heal. Because it helped when I was--" There's a pause as thoughts are gathered. "I thought I'd upset you. *Really* upset you."

Yes, that's a relieved tone of voice you're hearing.

"Jus' a lot goin on 's all.." Gene says softly. In truth he isn't lieing. There was a lot that happened within a short amount of time then finding Milliways again when they needed him..

It was tough. Real tough.

Then turning his face back up to Sariel he gives another shake of his head. "You didn'."

"I can imagine." That's a little less flustered, a little more like what's normal; she can imagine, in the context of her own world and it's history, and it sobers her.

She's been out of commission when she's been needed after all, and even though that was an entirely different set of circumstances from his... she gets it. As much as she can.

that's not to say there isn't still relief showing on her face. she's close to counting this whole conversation as half an answered prayer by this point. "I'm glad to know that. All I meant was--and are you?" Beat. "doing better?" Healing, she means.