Gathering Post

[lcrpg_npc]

The Queen's official birthday celebrations might wait for the better, brighter weather of June, instead of the actual date just passed, but there was no lack of things to do in London this week, even if it was cooler and damper than the week before. St. George's day festivities were scattered throughout the city, competing with celebrations of the four hundredth anniversary of Shakespeare's death. Getting around the city could be even more difficult than usual on Sunday, with multiple streets closed off for the London marathon.

There were exhibits - everything from graphic design to a survey of Sicilian history to the influence of underwear. And the same level of diversity could be found whether you were in the mood for music, theatre, good food, or late night fun. There was something for everyone, and no matter your plans - or lack of plans - you never quite knew what you were going to find, or who might find you.



[Week long gp! Tag in, tag others, and check in daily to see who's joined in.]

Comments

[just_hex]

Hex nodded and got on the phone to Fin to have him call the Phouka and get him back to the hospital. He told Fin he was ready for the debt. Happy for it if it meant Danny would be safe.

"All settled. He'll be back soon. Do you want me to get you something to eat? Or ice to suck?"

[london_spy]

"Can I just have some water?" Danny asked. "And, can you... I don't know how to use this stupid bed," he sighed "I just want to sit up a bit."

[just_hex]

He's was more than a nurse by trade, he was a nurse by nature. Without a word he found a plastic cup and got Danny water, then put it on the bed tray and used the controls to sit him up so he could actually drink it. Once the man was settled Hex helped put pillows around him and pulled the blankets up snug.

"I can't wait to get back to work," he chuckled softly.

[london_spy]

"You must be so bored, trapped at home with me," Danny said, offering an apologetic look. "How much longer until you can come ba- Ahh."

A sharp pain shot through his skull, and Danny held his head as his vision went dark again.

"Shit," he swore softly.

[just_hex]

Hex didn't hesitate even a moment. He hit the nurse-call button and then began to lower the bed.

"Danny? Danny, can you hear me?" he asked as nurses came running in.

[london_spy]

Danny nodded a little, reaching for Hex's hand and squeezing tightly as he tried to ground himself and not let the pain overwhelm him.

"Vision's going funny," he managed to say.

[just_hex]

"And where's it hurt?" he asked, holding onto Danny's hand even as the nurses began to fuss with him, getting blood pressures and checking his catheter output.

[london_spy]

"Back- Back of my head," Danny said. "Where they hit me- It's- God... It's..."

He looked at Hex- Or tried to. Everything was blurred and dark again, and he felt woozy and light headed.

One of the nurses turned his morphine up a little while another coaxed him to lay back down, another said something about swelling.

[just_hex]

"He needs a scan," Hex told a nurse. "Go get the doctor to approve it. He could have intercranial hemmorhaging or a hematoma or god only knows what. Go. Go! Code this!" he barked. The nurses knew him, as a nurse and as a patient, and this was precisely why they'd kept him so doped up.

But they did snap to and it was mere minutes before they were wheeling Danny's bed out of his room.

"I'm right here, Danny. I'm right here with you."

[london_spy]

The oxygen mask went back on before he could say anything, and soon he was being whisked off for a ct and an mri.

By the time he was back in his room, it was practically morning, and he was doped back up to his eyeballs.

There was swelling, and with a respirator and a new IV, it didn't look like he was going anywhere.

Weak, and clearly high, Danny struggled to pull off the mask a bit so he could speak.

"You need to sleep," he scolded Hex, jabbing a finger at the other man. "Your body- You... It needs it. Sleep, you need sleep."

[just_hex]

"It's alright, Danny. I've been home, got me pills and had a bite and then I've slept in the chair until they brought you back. You need to leave that on. Leave it on, mate. You're in bad shape," Hex said, his words sleepy- but drugged as well. He'd taken his pain pills not long ago at all.

[london_spy]

Danny frowned, hating the way the mask felt, but settled back in and went still, watching Hex through half-lidded eyes.

[just_hex]

"That's it. Just rest, love," he said, looking up when a nurse came into the room.

"Are you his legal partner?" she asked. Hex couldn't lie and so he shook his head.

"Boyfriend," he said.

"Then for privacy's sake, Hex, I need to ask you to step out while I talk to Danny."

Hex slowly let go of the man's hand but didn't move quickly.

THe nurse didn't notice the shadow of the Phouka lingering in the dark corner behind the door.

[london_spy]

Danny didn't want Hex to go though, and he sat up as much as he was able, reaching for him as he did.

"He can stay," he insisted, pulling off the mask. "Please, I want him to stay."

[just_hex]

Hex turned back round and returned to his side.

"I'll stay if you leave this bloody mask on," he fussed, getting it back into place.

[london_spy]

Danny scowled, but let Hex fuss him before turning his attention to the nurse- Who didn't seem amused by the pair.

[just_hex]

Hex got him sorted and settled, then sat on the edge of the bed.

"What's the news?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

[london_spy]

The nurse looked at Hex briefly, then turned her attention back to Danny.

"When we were running our tests, the doctor asked we do some blood work as well, given your medical history. ...While doing so, we noticed your CD4 count was lower than it should be. You understand why that would be a concern?" she asked, growing just a bit more gentle now.

Danny nodded, going slightly pale.

"Now your baseline, according to your records, is in the six to seven hundreds. Which is very good- Today you're in the three hundreds. Anything under two hundred would put you in the range of someone being diagnosed as stage three. Do you understand what that means, Danny?" she asked, waiting for him to nod again.

"I don't want you to panic, those numbers can fluctuate, but this is a substantial change..."

Danny wasn't listening though, not any more, tuning her out and nodding when it seemed like she wanted a reply. He couldn't deal with this, not right now.

[just_hex]

"But he takes his medications," Hex protested. "He's done everything right. Why would it progress so fast?"

The nurse gave Hex a sharp look then turned gentle eyes back to Danny.

"It could be a blip. It could be the blood loss itself. Still, we're going to keep you a few days for observation and we're going to give you a course of stronger drugs. Later a doctor will come in to talk to you about clinical trials, but that's entirely your choice," she said.

She waited, looked to Hex, then gave Danny a pat.

"The next nurse will be on shift in an hour. Ring for us if you need anything."

And then she left.

[london_spy]

Danny was still and silent, staring at the wall. His eyes looked red, and he seemed to choke on the air from his mask now and then as his breath caught in his throat.

[just_hex]

"Danny, shh, it's alright. It's alright," Hex said, feeling panic rise up in him. He'd seen this exact thing in hundreds of mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, lovers and friends. The power of denial was strong, he knew, but he'd never felt it like this.

[london_spy]

Nothing was alright, and he looked at Hex as if angry that the other man would try and suggest it was.

"I want to go home," he said, pulling the mask off, not caring that he wasn't supposed to. "Now. I'm going now. I don't care what they want, I'm leaving."

[just_hex]

"Danny, no. No! You can't go. I'll have them restrain you if I have to," he replied, trying to get around him quickly.

The Phouka stepped out of the shadow and gently closed the door to the room.

"Get back in bed, Mister Danny," he said. "You must be helped by doctors."

[london_spy]

Danny glared at Phouka, wondering who the hell he thought he was telling him what to do- Then looked at Hex, feeling betrayed.

"You're supposed to be my mate," he said.

[just_hex]

"I am your mate, Danny. I'm also a medic and I'm telling you that if you leave this hospital you won't have time to die of AIDS. Your head will kill you," Hex said, the gentle edge of his voice vanishing as he became more authoritarian.