Burn Notice folks

[covert_bandage]

Arcade doesn't normally work in the Milliways infirmary, but he's reasonably sure they're not going to deny him the right to admit someone in an emergency. He'll present them with his NCR papers if he has to. For now he's more concerned with getting Sam in and safely into one of the beds so he can start proper treatment of those cracked ribs and his dehydration.

And possibly Michael, as well, considering how the more conscious man currently looks.

Comments

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael is a lot less worried about himself, he's been through far worse, but very worried about Sam. At least the bleeding is from minimal cuts and leftovers from the beatings.

But those ribs and the blow to the head the other man took are worrying.

"What do you need me to do?" He asks readily, already getting a good lay of the infirmary.

[covert_bandage]

"Tell me everything you can about what happened to this man before you got him here," Arcade says. "I'm going to make sure his head's elevated and stabilized and get to work on the rest of him, and I want to know what I'm going to be seeing. If he has any kind of medical history you're aware of that I ought to be aware of, fill me in on that too. Don't worry if he drops off to sleep at the moment- I'll be waking him up regularly for reassessment."

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael swallows hard, letting one hand rest beside Sam's head to feel his body heat remaining as steady as his shallow breaths. It's a medical emergency... he guesses it's worth the risk of disclosing information.

"He's been being held hostage for almost a week. They beat him and I'm guessing only gave him minimal food and water - just enough to keep him alive." His fingers curl against Sam's cheek and then he pulls them away - looking up at Clementine with a somewhat sheepish shame.

"I set the charge to go off after I got him off the boat and to a reasonable distance with some cover. Unfortunately, while I was in the hold looking for him I had to spend a good deal of time fighting the guy that was holding him and we just... we..."

He looks back down, he can't look at Clementine while he admits it's his fault. "We ran out of time. We were just barely hitting the dock when it exploded - if we hadn't been blown through that door... we probably both would have died."

[hey35andholding]

Every fiber of Clementine's body tenses at Michael's little reveal, but she doesn't reach out to strike Michael - even though she wants to. "Great. Just..." She hits the mattress beside Sam as Gannon works. "One more time - why the hell were you chasing heroin dealers?"

Then, to Gannon, and without waiting for Michael's answer, she asks, "are you sure he going to wake up?"

[covert_bandage]

"Pretty sure," says Arcade without looking up. "Head trauma is excessively common in New Vegas patients. I spend most of my time in the lab instead of out front treating people, but when I do treat people, I see enough concussions from people who've crossed the Omertas or just run afoul of your standard Freeside thugs to know what I'm looking at. We'll get him set."

[hey35andholding]

All right. She can handle this, knowing Sam should wake up. "Sam?" she tries to get down by his other ear. "Sam? It's Babydoll - I'm here."

And in an attempt to do something important, she takes the bloody gauze and bottle of disinfectant. "And you need to get stitched up." And Clementine will do it for you Michael, don't even try to second guess her.

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael lowers his head, nearly wincing away from the threat of stitching.

"He was helping a friend," it's only a little lie, Sam's brought in enough jobs helping a friend or a friend of a friend... it doesn't matter this one started out about the money; "he didn't know how bad it was when he got caught."

[covert_bandage]

"You might want to talk to him about that later," says Arcade. "Once he's recovered, anyway. Until he's awake enough to do his own swallowing, I'm going to start him on intravenous fluids. I'd prefer oral rehydration solution, but that requires patient cooperation. Either way it's fluids and electrolytes and the patient usually responds quickly once the flow is under way. We've seen it often enough back home."

[luvs_yogurt]

"He responds well to fluids," Michael sighs and shakes his head, closing his eyes against the dizziness.

"Christ... Sam..."

Gritting his teeth, he curls his fingers tight on the edge of the table, not sure if he was holding on to push back his emotions or stay upright.

"This was his job. It was his idea and I... I wasn't there for him."

[hey35andholding]

Clementine doesn't even bother to turn to Michael before telling Gannon, "do whatever you have to do. Anything to keep him alive." She knows that Michael should be Sam's next of kin in a situation like this, but she feels the need to take charge. Then to Michael, "did you just make a booze joke?" Michael doesn't joke. They must be in serious trouble now, mustn't they be? "Sit your ass down. Now." Arcade doesn't need a second body to worry over for the moment. "That's not new. You're never there for him," she mumbles under her breath bitterly, an untrue statement, but in light of the intense focus Michael's put on his burn one that Clementine believes is true.

Now she touches Sam's stubbly cheek, very carefully, somewhat afraid that he'll break. Sam feels warm against her skin, the huff of his breathing a comfort. "Come back."

And I finally pick it back up, sorry for the delay!

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael's eyes narrow as he looks back at Clementine, he wants to tell her she has no idea what they're all going through - but there's no time for that now. There are much more important things at hand. Instead, he just quietly says; "I've saved his life in worse shape. Maybe you should think about that."

It's bitter and frustrated, but looking at the way Sam's eyelids twitch in response to her touch is enough to let him know he's going to be okay. With a slight frown, he turns his back to all of them and shakes his head, taking a couple steps away from everyone, he slumps down in a chair and rests his elbows on his knees with his head in his hands.

Clementine's dig doesn't exactly help matters. It was his fault. He didn't anticipate Sam getting kidnapped and when he was, he spent too much time focusing on Cowan and whoever he was working for. It could have been avoided.

[covert_bandage]

"Can I make a suggestion?" Arcade says; he's made himself busy getting appropriate bags of hydration supplies and so on and so forth and hooking them up. "Stop arguing in front of the patient? It might be therapeutic for you, but it's not the kind of thing that gives him much motivation to wake up any sooner, assuming he can hear you. There are quiet places to have it out with each other if you absolutely insist, but this isn't ideal."

Annd a bit late! Sorry!

[hey35andholding]

All right.

Okay.

Sam's the important one here. She stifles herself with a final comment.

"Michael," she hisses, "sit still. You look like you're going to pass out." Then she comes up behind him with fresh, alcohol-soaked bandages.

"I'll help out," she tells Arcade. "I'll do anything....I could probably stitch his head, if I had to."

Re: Annd a bit late! Sorry!

[hoochedseal]

Sam moves as he then looks at them as he starts to wake up a little and feels that pain as he takes a deep breath and then groans out moving before letting the pain take over again.

[covert_bandage]

"Won't be necessary. This place has stimpaks that can-"

Arcade's head whips around at the groaning sound.

"Okay, that's a better sign than I thought. Sir, can you hear me?"

[hoochedseal]

Sam groans out a bit as he then shifts tries to turns his head to the person talking to him opening his eyes as he then closes them against the light.

"Yes."

Annd picking up! Michael mun is MIA, might have to do some NPC magic

[hey35andholding]

The sound Clementine makes is high-pitched for someone with such as smokey voice.

She might be deliberately shoving Michael away to get to Sam, and her hand automatically reaches for his face. All of the the love she feels for him rises up and rises and envelopes her.

"Sam," she whispers.

Gotcha.

[covert_bandage]

Arcade glances from Sam to Clemmy and back again, then puts a hand on Michael's shoulder. "You know," he says, "I think this might be a moment where you and I should go and wait in the hallway. Safer that way. C'mon."

Back sort of, will finish out thread.

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael's head snaps up from his hands, creating a not so great blur and making his stomach lurch as he pushes up on his feet only to be pushed away.

Sam's okay. He's going to be fine, he's Sam Axe - no mere explosion can take him down. Still, it's nice to know that he can manage a few words.

"Sam..." he mutters, catching his eyes as the doctor touches him. Turning toward him with a wince, his eyes go wide and steely - but he agrees, it's pretty clear that Clementine needs a moment.

"Yeah... yeah, you should probably check me over anyway."

Two more and we're to visiting thread.

[hey35andholding]

Clementine doesn't even notice when they both leave. Her eyes are for Sam.

She just takes his hand.

There's no need for language now.

[covert_bandage]

"That won't be a problem. I've conducted basic examinations under much worse conditions than standing in the hallway," says Arcade. "Come on, let's deal with this."