Waiting For the Light To Change Who: Hal and Joseph (NPC) When: Noonish Where: UofM Medical Center
Hal had managed to keep some toast down, although the water he'd drank with it was threatening to come back up. He felt like utter shite. He ached all over, especially his back. And the spot where they'd given him the tetanus shot. That was an experience he'd never want to repeat. The bastard injection had hurt worse than his back had. His stomach was still threatening to divorce him and take the rest of his innards with it when it left him. And he was bloody freezing. He'd gone home to get a proper change of clothes, which included one of his heavier jumpers that Emmy had sent him from home.
And he was still bloody freezing.
Settling into a chair in the waiting room after being told he still couldn't see Fiona, Hal heaved out a long breath. Waiting was the worst part of it. Really.
Joseph was back, too. He hurt, but not as much as he could have-- it'd been a long time since he'd done an actual rescue, but his body remembered how to do it. What was actually making him uncomfortable was his elemental connection. If he had ever felt singed in his life, this would probably be what it felt like. He could tell Fire wasn't terribly pleased with him for his meddling, and the part of him that connected to it felt burned out.
Nothing big for him, for a while.
But he had the day off, understandably, and after a nap, a shower, and some comfortable clothes of his own, he had the same thought as Hal: check on Fiona. He'd have his press conference the next day to lay the rumors to rest, but first he needed to make sure she and her man were all right. He wound up in the same waiting room as Hal, thankfully, and he waved to the guy as he walked in, before he checked with the nurse, himself.
He waited until the fire chief returned from talking to the nurse before questioning him himself. Perhaps they told him more, considering. "They actually tell you anything or did you get the whole 'We'll tell if her condition changes' bit as well?" he asked. dryly. That was when he realized he didn't know the man's name. If he'd told him, he'd forgotten it in the chaos.
Forcing himself to his feet, he held out one hand. "Hal Killborne," he said. "I didn't catch your name and we really hadn't had time for proper introductions."
"Joseph Kenton," Joseph introduced himself, taking Hal's hand for a brief shake. "You can call me Joe if you like. Fire chief and, as I expect you guessed, McKellen's boss." He shot the nurse's desk a glance before motioning for Hal to have a seat again, and sitting down, himself. He was a bit worn out, too, even if he wasn't as sore as Hal. His shoes especially had lasted better than Hal's had.
"Not much more, no," he admitted. "She's stable. She's alive. Can't see her yet." He shrugged, impatient but also used to it, by now. "She was pretty beat up, so I wouldn't expect her until this afternoon, at least. If she were anyone else, and we were anyone else, she'd be dead." And probably so would Hal be, for going in after her.
"Nice to meet you," he said. "Wish it were under better circumstances, mind. I'm the owner of Bargain Books, if we're discussing professions." He settled back down into the chair, shaking his head. "I think she keeps turning up the bloody cooling to see if she can freeze me out of here."
Hal nodded. "That's pretty much what they've told me the last few times I've asked," he admitted. "By rights, we should all be dead if we weren't who we were. Which means people are going to be asking awkward questions and generally putting us on the spot." So much for hiding what he was. Honestly, the alternative was completely unacceptable. In the end, he'd do nothing differently and he knew it.
Joseph glanced Hal over curiously at the comment about being cold, wondering. It didn't feel cold in here to him.... "I'm having a presser tomorrow about it, to quiet the questions," he answered, dragging his attention back.
He looked back up at Hal's face, catching his eye seriously. "If you like, Hal, I can explain away you and Fiona. I am a high level fire elemental, and I can share my immunity with others temporarily." Not to the extent needed to save the two of them from that fire, but he didn't mind exaggerating a bit. "If you two want your secrets kept, I will take the burden of questions for you." His own men might know differently, but they'd be quiet. He'd won a lot of loyalty over the years since he'd moved here-- and some of those men were transplants from his old department, so they had history.
Hal shrugged listlessly. "I'm more worried about Fiona than myself," he admitted. "People have always thought I was a bit off, considering how much I like my privacy and such. My problem is I don't want to drag anyone else out with me." That was the biggest problem. With him being so well connected in the witch community, not to mention Lux and Annie, anyone who was close to him could be suspected by the anti-supernatural loons.
"Blind me, this is a mess."
"Wanting privacy doesn't suggest supernatural anything," Joseph pointed out. "Not to anyone who isn't paranoid about it, to begin with. I can take the fallout for this, to keep your people safe." He grinned a bit, wryly. "I don't have people, I just have my men and women of the department, and I doubt they'll be suspect just because I am."
"What with all the paranoia since the Light of May?" he pointed out. "We've not seen the worst of it, mate. People don't like what they can't understand. It scares them. I'm waiting for the first lynching myself. And sadly, it won't be the only one. I just don't want the poor bastard to be one of mine."
He shook his head. "Don't worry about me," he said. "I'm more than willing to deal with them. Especially to protect Fiona. I've already called a white witch I know to heal her up as best she can. There's too many questions, too many witnesses, to hide everything. I cast a spell in the middle of public. One canny reporter and I'm outed anyway. Best to just face up to it now and deflect suspicion away from others."
"Whatever preconceptions people have about a person aren't going to change unless they've reason to," Joseph shrugged. "People who just think you're weird or like your privacy aren't going to assume anything supernatural just because that option came available. But if you want, I won't mention you and your witchery and let people decide for themselves." Though the whole spell-casting thing wasn't really all that obvious. He could just have been standing there frustrated, since he hadn't exactly been chanting or drawing diagrams in the air or anything.
Well, if he wanted his secret out, he wanted his secret out. Joseph wasn't going to argue. Not right now, anyway. "What about McKellen?" The sticky part. She was actually harder to explain away, unless the whole falling part was just very, very lucky-- the staircase had fallen and she simply hadn't had the fire close enough to her... not enough to burn, perhaps. That could work.
"You've more faith in humanity than I do," Hal told him bluntly. "But then, I grew up with constant reminders of every inquisition in history. Old witching line. Both sides of my family." He leaned back in the chair, wincing at the pressure on his back. "I'd prefer not mentioning it, but if people figure it out for whatever reason, there's nothing to be done for it."
He was having a hard time concentrating on such things really. Between the chill and nausea and concern for Fiona and the pain, he was lucky to be carrying on a half coherent conversation really.
"If I have my way, nobody'll find out she's an elemental," he said. "But I don't know how she feels and it's not either of our places to decide for her. I know she doesn't go about telling people herself."
And Joseph had no supernaturals in his family at all, that he knew of, and he did try to be optimistic when he had the luxury to be. If he got shot at for this, well, he'd live with it, or he wouldn't. "Then we'll just have to ask her before the presser," Joseph nodded, eying Hal again. He looked uncomfortable. He was shivering. And yet it was perfectly warm in here. The winces were expected, but the shivering? "Are you all right?" he asked finally, after a long pause.
Hal nodded. "That'd likely be best," he agreed. "If she's in any condition for it. If not, I say we err on the side of caution. The last thing she needs is some bloody hunter coming after her when she's laid up." Joseph's question surprised him. "No, not really," he admitted. "The bastard tetanus shot they've given me has set my stomach to threatening to divorce me and the chills and generally making everything ache more. I'm told it'll pass, eventually."
"Hmm. Well, I hope so. You look uncomfortable over there." There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him... his body wasn't over-warm or over-cold. But Joseph, despite the vague "singed" feeling, he was always one to stretch his metaphysical muscles a little. Might as well try. He started warming up the air around him, increasing the heat carefully-- and slowly, so he didn't strain himself.
Hal waved one hand. "It'll pass, I'm sure," he dismissed. He knew he'd pushed himself far too far in almost every way yesterday. He relaxed a bit as the air starting warming. He let out a long breath even.
"You needn't do that," he told Joseph. "Although thanks. That's better."
"Didn't need to, but wanted to," Joseph said with a shrug and almost a smile. "I'm just glad it helps. I'm not sure what your problem is-- it's not really all that cold in here. It's not really cold in here, at all."
"Probably was the shot," he said. "They said it'd likely make me feel horrid." He wasn't all that concerned about it now. Leaning back, he glanced at over at the doors leading to the ICU proper. "I wish they'd tell us something."
"She's probably sleeping off the surgery," Joseph said, not nearly as concerned as Hal about Fiona. If she were in any danger, he'd have figured it out by now, from the way the nurse replied. He was more interested in Hal, because he didn't think shots gave people chills. Not any of the shots they might've given him after a run through a burning building, anyway. "If she's stable, she's stable, and just not able to be disturbed yet."
Hal was fine. He wasn't perfect, but he was mobile and had all of his bits and was mostly coherent. He was far too of the 'stiff upper lip' bent to let how he felt physically stop him. And he would worry about Fiona until he saw her for himself. It was just the way he was.
"Right," he agreed gruffly. He shook his head and looked at Joseph. "I'm just the sort who worries. I'm sure she'll be fine, she's a tough girl."
"I can tell," Joseph agreed dryly. "And yes, she is. If the fall and the building didn't do her in, a little surgery and lie-in at a hospital certainly isn't going to." He left the air at what he hoped was a comfortably warm temperature, and let it go, feeling a bit more drained than before. "There. If you don't move around too much, that should keep for a few hours, anyway."
Hal snorted. "I know, I know," he agreed. But tell his heart that. He was almost certain he'd lost her for a bit there. It was going to take awhile for that dreadful feeling to go away, he was certain. "Thanks, mate," he added about the heat. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on going anywhere. No matter how long this takes."
"Then you're a more patient person than I am." Joseph pushed himself back up to his feet with a sigh. "I'll check back again in a few hours, I think. Just sitting around here waiting is going to drive me insane." The negative drain of a hospital on people's spirits... it wasn't something he liked to spend a lot of time in, especially ever since he'd become consciously aware of the phenomenon through his elemental connection.
Hal shrugged. "Hardly," he admitted. "Just a firm believer in Sod's Law. The second I walk out of the building, she'll take a bad turn." Being a gray witch from a line of gray witches, he was all too familiar with how much of a fickle bitch Fate was. "I'll just you a ring if anything change. I've still got your number in my cellular."
"I appreciate that," Joseph said, nodding and offering him a hand. "Thanks, Hal. It was good to meet you-- more formally, that is." And he did, indeed, find it interesting getting to know the man Fiona had hooked up with.
Hal shook the proffered hand. "Thanks for everything yourself, Joseph," he replied. "Let's hope the next time we meet, it's under more pleasant circumstances." He was rather glad to meet the captain Fiona'd talked so much about. "Remind Fiona to remind me to send you some proper tea. My sister's due to have shipped me some Earl Grey from the shop she buys hers from."
Surprisingly, even to Joseph, that made him laugh. "Well, thank you. I'll try to do that." Earl Grey tea, and Fiona talked about him enough that Hal knew he liked it. Well, wasn't that interesting. "I hope you feel better soon," he finished, pulling back his hand and then starting for the door. Maybe he'd make a quick run down to the station to get the paperwork for the warehouse fire and his general stupidity out of the way before going home for a nap.... Unless, of course, Fiona woke up.