bound_by_honor (bound_by_honor) wrote in doorslogs, @ 2012-04-03 03:20:00 |
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Entry tags: | door: a song of ice and fire, eddard stark, jon snow |
Who: Jon -> Raegan & Theo
What: Taking care of Raegan
When: The day-ish after the masquerade
Where: ASOIAF Door -> Hospital
Warnings: None!
Jon’s twenty-four hours weren’t yet up when he decided it was time to return to Las Vegas. Maester Aemon was capable despite his blindness, and he had done all he could, but medical knowledge in Westeros was extremely limited compared to what existed in Raegan’s world and his wounds would not heal in the time he was given. It made more sense to return when he could, rather than stay while little progress was made. He managed to rise from his bed with Ghost’s help, the direwolf having remained close to his side ever since he’d awakened, and bid his farewells to the men, though he still felt the sharp absence of his closest friend. Sam had not yet arrived, and he was beginning to lose hope that he ever would.
Ghost was reluctant to part with him, and while Jon would have liked to bring him over as well, he knew the wolf was too large and too wild to exist in such a place. His gloved fingers tensed around warm white fur, and he nudged Ghost out of his way with a gentle yet firm hand after telling him that he would see him again soon.
When the door opened it was Raegan who staggered out, using the frame for support as she fought to keep her balance. On the bright side, she wasn’t dead or bleeding all over the place anymore, but Jon’s--now hers--stitches hurt like hell and the bandages Maester Aemon had used were rough and coarse against her skin, beneath the fabric of her t-shirt. Most of her injuries weren’t visible, since they were covered by her clothes, but one cheek did bear a particularly ugly claw mark. She groaned and moved to the side, back against the wall, which prompted Jon to apologize for the thousandth time, and she silently ordered him to shut up just before blinking in hazy realization that she wasn’t alone in the hallway. “Hey,” she said in greeting, offering a weak smile. She hated being in such a vulnerable position, but she wouldn’t be able to make it more than a few steps on her own, and at least Theo was family despite how Maren claimed he’d treated Ezra.
Theodore was glad that Raegan and Jon were both alive, but he wasn’t happy that she was hurt. Quite frankly, he hadn’t been able to quantify just how important Raegan was to him until that moment that Jon contacted him through the journals. Maren was safe, Kit was safe, and Kate was quiet, but safe. He hadn’t heard from Robb or Ezra and that worried him, but Raegan was his flesh and blood in both worlds and, although he’d never admit it, her safety would always be the priority.
Jon let him know the general time when he’d cross through and Theo was there, as promised. He had a wheelchair with him, as well as one of the volunteers from the triage center from the lobby. As soon as the door opened, he was at the ready. She moved to the wall first, clearly not realizing that he was there. He sighed in relief just at the sight of her. The claw mark on her cheek broke his heart, but the main priority was to get her checked out. “Come here,” he said softly, pushing the wheelchair forward. He moved to her side and helped her into the chair. As important as it was to get her to safety, Theo just needed a moment. He leaned over her and pressed his lips to her forehead, his hands braced on the handles. “I’m glad you’re safe,” he murmured softly.
He didn’t want to waste anymore time though, because it was clear that she was weak. He moved to the side to let the volunteer check her over. He didn’t bat an eye as the woman lifted Raegan’s shirt to get a better look at the coarse bandages. She carefully lifted them to get a better view of the stitches and frowned. “You’re going to need better stitches and probably antibiotics just in case,” the volunteer informed Raegan, though she glanced at Theodore. He remained passive, nodding at the diagnosis. “I’ll take her to the hospital then, thank you,” Theodore replied.
He wheeled her to the staircase and then lifted her up, careful of her stitches, and carried her down the stairs. The volunteer carried the wheelchair down the steps and Raegan was situated back into it at the foot of the stairs. The woman stayed with them, helping to get Raegan into the car that Theo had waiting for them at the hotel. Getting her into the car was a bit trickier, but they managed and he held her close once the door was shut. “Hanging in there, sweetheart?” he asked as his driver took them to the hospital.
Oh, God, not a wheelchair. Raegan would have protested the necessity of it, had she not just spent the last twelve or so hours mentally berating Jon for being stubborn enough to keep fighting the stupid panther even after the creature had ripped him open. She had no desire to be stuck in a hospital longer than she had to be, and since she wasn’t too good at keeping still, the shorter the recovery time, the better. “I’m fine,” she tried to say, despite evidence proving otherwise, but the amount of concern in a simple press of lips to her forehand was something she had so little experience with that she sank into the wheelchair without protest afterward. Admittedly, it was a relief to just sit back and allow herself to be taken care of. “Jon may be an idiot, but he wouldn’t let us die,” she said with certainty, despite the fact that she sounded like she might fall asleep at any moment.
She scowled a little when the volunteer approached, but did manage to resist the urge to shove her hands away when the woman lifted her shirt. Jon had been awake when his wounds were stitched, since anesthesia didn’t exist in Westeros, and Raegan winced just thinking about it. Without better medical care, he would’ve had life-long scars for sure. “I should bring some antibiotics with me the next time I cross,” she commented, trying to keep her sense of humor in light of a hospital trip. “They’d love me then-- well, him, I guess.” She slumped back against the chair, energy spent, and couldn’t manage to do more than cling weakly to the front of Theo’s shirt as he carried her down the stairs. She hated being like this, and for a moment she wondered what sort of condition the panther was in. If the stupid thing hadn’t been so set on eating things, Jon never would’ve engaged it in the first place. It was a relief to finally be in the car, and on her way to someplace with a warm bed, and she fought to keep her eyes open during the ride.
“Yeah,” she muttered, rousing herself enough to look upward. “M’fine. How long do you think I’ll be in the hospital for?”
Theodore had been more consumed by worry than anger when he found out about Raegan, but he had half a mind to say something to Jon about being particularly careful. Ned quickly reassured him that Jon was a good man and a good fighter, having been trained by a swordmaster. Theo was slightly mollified and his attention was focused solely on his niece. He didn’t want her to fall asleep, afraid that it might indicate further damage that would require observation. He kept his arm around her and held her close, not wanting to be separated too much from her, even with her sitting there in the car.
“Not a minute more than you need to,” he promised her. He didn’t relish the idea of seeing her in the hospital for very much longer than necessary and he also didn’t want to deal with a lot of questions. He fished out his phone from his pocket and called ahead to a doctor who also happened to be a patron at the Wynn. The conversation was short, but its purpose had been to ensure that he would be waiting for them when they arrived. He tucked the phone back in his breast pocket and he pressed another kiss to her forehead. “Try and stay awake, okay? I know you’re tired but we’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Sure enough, the car slowed to a stop. The door opened a moment later and a young man in his mid-thirties appeared, clean shaven and looking calm. “Ben,” Theo acknowledged with a short nod. “Raegan, this is Ben. He’s going to take care of you, alright?” A nurse was there as well and between them, they transferred her to another wheelchair to take her into the hospital. They had a private room and no one bothered them as Ben worked. The nurse hooked her up to an IV to give her fluids while Ben gave her a local anesthetic and removed the existing stitches. He cleaned the wounds before restitching and bandaging her up again. Next, he cleaned the claw mark on her face and put a sealant of sorts over it to help it heal with minimal scarring.
Ben pulled Theodore off to the side as the nurse made sure that Raegan was comfortable. “She’ll heal up alright, though I’m worried about potential scarring. Her face should heal the most cleanly. I’m prescribing an antibiotic that I want her to take for ten days and her stitches will need to be cleaned once a day. She needs to take it easy, Mr. Winters. I’ll need to check the stitches in seven to ten days, and then hopefully, depending on her progress, we can take them out.” He paused for a moment, glancing at Raegan, before turning back to Theodore. “I’d like to keep her for a few hours just to observe her,” he explained slowly, almost a bit afraid to suggest it given how little time that Theo wanted to stay there.
“Two, maybe three hours, please? I can move her to the Wynn until she feels better,” Theo reasoned. Ben was quite pleased with three hours of observation, fearing he might not have any, but Theodore wanted the very best for Raegan and he’d keep an eye on her as well. “Thanks, Ben. I really appreciate this.” Ben nodded and left after the nurse, to give the two of them some privacy. Theo went right to Raegan’s side, pulling one of the chairs up right next to her. “How’re you feeling, sweetheart?” he asked softly.
Raegan didn’t even think of the potentially unwanted questions that might be asked at a hospital, too wrapped up in being stuck in a bed and surrounded by unfamiliar doctors for her thoughts to extend any further. Jon, for his part, had never even been in one, and he was both wary and intrigued by the prospect. “Good,” she murmured drowsily. “I have to take care of Ghost, and Maren told Jon to tell me to let her know when I was out, and I haven’t heard from Ezra.” It was all a jumble of words, barely comprehensible, and she barely managed to resist the urge to scratch at the bandages beneath her shirt. God, all she wanted to do was close her eyes, but Theo’s voice was somewhere above her, a reminder that she couldn’t. Not yet. She nodded against his shoulder, making a real effort to keep her eyes open, but once the car slowed to a stop everything that came afterward was a blur. Part of her was aware of being introduced to a guy named Ben, and then being moved, and fortunately the IVs and stitches were lost in a haze of numbness and vague discomfort. Jon’s voice was there, in her foggy-like state, mostly observations about the hospital and what Ben was doing; at some point she might have giggled at his awe of modern medicine, but she couldn’t be sure.
It was a slow process, coming back to herself, and she was almost surprised to find herself in a comfortable hospital bed with an IV and the feel of new, tight stitches and something on her cheek. She blinked at the nurse before turning her attention to the two men who spoke in hushed tones off to the side, but she wasn’t able to overhear their conversation. With a sigh Raegan leaned back against the pillows, already wishing for a speedy recovery. She didn’t look up when Ben and the nurse left, only turning her head when Theo sat next to her bedside. “Tired,” she admitted, with more honesty than she’d normally show. “And a little sore, but I could be a lot worse. What did--” She paused. “Ben. What did Ben say?”
Theo didn’t bother to tell her that he hadn’t heard from Ezra either. Worrying her wouldn’t do either of them any good. “You can talk to Maren after you’re all fixed up, okay?” He didn’t want to have to face something like this ever again in his life, but he knew he’d have to with Jon in her head. He’d make arrangements, add an on-call doctor to the Wynn staff and a room somewhere for them to be treated if necessary. However much money it took, Theo didn’t care. It just needed to get done so that he didn’t have to worry about questions and calling in more favors, though he’d happily put up with both if it meant she was okay.
Once they were alone and he was seated next to her, Theo took her hand in both of his. He needed a physical reminder that she was there, that she was okay. “You could be,” he agreed. “I’m glad you’re not.” He squeezed her hand gently and gave her a half smile. “You need to take it easy. The stitches are in for a week or so, but he says you’ll be right as rain in no time.” He smiled a bit wider, trying to convince himself that he wasn’t worried as much as he was. “The sealant he used on your cheek is to prevent scarring. It’ll dissolve away once you’re healed,” he promised. His left hand lifted up then, moving to push some of her hair out of her face and then to caress her unmarked cheek just slightly. “He wants to keep you for observation for a few hours, okay? And then we can go to the Wynn. You’ll be more comfortable there,” he said, his tone slightly pleading. He didn’t want to argue with her about it.
In all honesty, Raegan wasn’t particularly looking forward to her conversation with Maren. Jon insisted that it was necessary, and maybe he had a point, but part of her wished that her stepsister wasn’t so dead-set against Theo. She wasn’t so good at playing mediator; usually she was the one who needed mediation, all fiery anger that needed to burn itself out, and she wasn’t used to being the calm, rational one. “Okay,” she agreed, offering no argument. Even if she’d wanted to, it would have taken too much energy. The possibility of something like this happening again was too far off in the future for her to think about just then, but she had a lot more faith in Jon when he was himself, with a sword and Ghost at his side, rather than when he thought he was some sort of boy pretending to be a wolf. Next time, Jon would kick some ass. She was sure of it.
While taking it easy sounded boring as well, she figured it wouldn’t be too difficult. Aside from letting Jon do his thing at the Wall and going to work, she didn’t have many things to do. Wandering around the Strip was usually her idea of entertaining herself, and with Theo around using her fake I.D. to get into clubs wasn’t an option anymore; not unless she was careful, at least. “I think I can manage to take it easy for a week or so,” she said with a small smile. For Raegan, it was easier to make light of her situation rather than dwell on it, and she appreciate the fact that Theo was making an effort to do the same. Secretly she thought it might be kind of cool if the cut on her cheek did scar, but she kept that particular thought to herself. If it healed, it healed. She looked up when he brushed her hair back, even now attempting to familiarize herself with the sort of affection that was common between family members. Her stepmother had largely ignored her, and her father’s touches were only ever meant to bruise and mar. It was why she couldn’t understand how Maren could think Theo was a bully. She knew bullies-- hell, she’d grown up with one. Theo was nothing like her father. “Alright. There’s nowhere else I’d rather go,” she admitted.
While he wanted to ask what Maren might have said to Raegan, he knew that now wasn’t the time and that the hospital wasn’t the place. Whatever it was, it clearly hadn’t been enough for an argument to occur and he was grateful for that. He wasn’t going to lose his niece over his meeting with her step-sister. Ezra could hate him all he wanted, as could Maren, but Raegan? He didn’t know what he’d do if she ever decided that she didn’t want him in her life. Now that he had her, he wanted to do everything he could for her. That included taking her to the hospital and making sure she had a place to stay to recover. He was glad that she agreed talking to Maren could wait. “I can let her know, if you’d like,” he offered gently.
The relief he felt was obvious in his expression when she agreed to come back to the Wynn and take it easy for a week. “I’m glad to hear you say that, sweetheart,” Theo replied, gently massaging her temple where his hand was with his thumb. He was quiet for a few minutes, just glad that he wouldn’t have to argue with her or have to worry about securing wherever it was that she decided she wanted to stay. “Why don’t you try and get some rest, alright? I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go,” he promised her. He needed to make the arrangements for a suite for her as well, but he’d wait until she fell asleep. She was his number one priority.
“No,” she said, too quickly, and tried to sit up before wincing in pain and falling back against the bed. Maren had made her feelings towards Theo quite clear, and she thought it best if the two interacted as little as possible for the time being. Besides, the last thing Raegan wanted was the two of them discussing her. “It’s fine. I’ll get in touch with her once I’m feeling up to it. Jon told her i would.” She knew that she would eventually have to talk to Theo about what Maren had said, but not now.
Rest sounded nice. Raegan yawned suddenly, no time to fight back the urge, and gave an almost sheepish nod. “Yeah, okay. I feel like I could sleep for days.” It didn’t sound like such a bad idea right then. At first she was reluctant to close her eyes, but Theo was right there, and Jon’s voice was a reassuring presence in her head. Bit by bit her eyelids lowered, until she yawned again and closed her eyes completely, letting sleep overtake her.