Who: Luke and Quinn What: Hospital visit. Where: An OAH. When: Sunday afternoon (after this). Warnings: None.
It was later in the afternoon after Wren had left and Quinn finally allowed herself to sleep. It was the first time since her last horrific nightmare that she slept and not let herself be lured into a tired, medicated slumber. She floated through darkness in to her own private hell again, the shadow of Night Terror that dragged knives across her flesh and burnt the palms of her hands until she couldn’t use them properly. Even in her dream, she couldn’t fight back and for a minute she wondered if it was really him -- there to finish the job in dreams since he couldn’t in the real world.
She woke up with a start, her rough tired voice cracking over a little shriek. It took her a moment to focus that someone was there with her, hands resting on her and trying to speak to her.
Luke had spent so much time in hospitals during the past couple of weeks that it felt more natural to be in one instead of out somewhere else. This one was different than the one Thomas had been at but he was oblivious to the stares and the whispers; logically the only way he could make sure Quinn was receiving the proper care was if he was physically there, right?
She was asleep when he returned this time, which always worried him even though he told himself that Night Terror couldn’t hurt her anymore. He held her hand as he always did, just in case, and when she jerked awake he half-rose from the chair in an instinctive reaction before settling back down. “It’s okay, Quinn. It’s just me.” Luke squeezed her hand reassuringly and attempted a smile.
It took a few moments of a weak struggle to attempt to sit up before she relaxed against the sheets again. Her face curled into a discontent frown at the pull of stitches from apparently everywhere. With a tired huff, Quinn focused on Luke’s face as if it took her a few seconds to register he was actually there. Her bandaged hand squeezed Luke’s hand back weakly before she requested, “Water? Please?”
He nodded without hesitation. “Of course.” It was with reluctance that he let go of her hand to seek out the pitcher of water, filling a paper cup halfway before returning to the plastic chair and carefully holding it out to her. “Here.” Luke tried to keep the worry out of his expression while he watched her, but a lack of sleep made it hard to maintain the necessary effort. He’d managed to get to her before Night Terror could kill her, but he still hadn’t been able to stop the three days of evident torture that occurred while they were all out searching. “How are you feeling?”
Quinn took the cup from Luke gratefully, giving him a weak ghost of a smile. Her eyes looked still dark and frightened, even in the safety of the hospital. She held the cup in her hands very carefully to lift it to her lips and drank quietly, not paying much attention for the moment on anything else until she could compose herself. Quinn shrugged a little, grimacing a little at the movement.
“Hurts,” she said dully, “Tired of hurting.”
Luke was hesitant about actually discussing what happened to her while she’d been gone, not only because he was sure that Quinn didn’t want to rehash what she’d gone through but also because he wasn’t sure he could handle hearing it. Imagining what it must have been like was bad enough, especially considering how scared she still looked even though the hospital was supposed to mean safety. He’d never seen her like that before. “Are they giving you any painkillers?” He couldn’t make the pain go away any more than he could magically fix her right there on the spot, but he still didn’t like the idea of her having to suffer any more than she already had. “The doctors say you’ll be fine,” he continued after a pause, trying to remain positive. “Everything will heal.”
Of course, she probably already knew that. He was just repeating the obvious. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.” Oh, Luke knew she would tell him not to apologize and that it wasn’t his fault, but he couldn’t help the guilt. It would always be there, a reminder of those he hadn’t been able to save and those he’d only managed to save in the nick of time.
She nodded to his first question and told him, “Do, but make sleepy.” She pulled one of her faces to show her distaste. The smallest flash to show that Quinn was still there beneath the bandages and current wariness and fear. “Know it’s good,” she added, because she heard that spiel from Gwen before too. Luke didn’t need to jump on the lecture train on how she needed to take care of herself while she was laid up in the hospital bed. “But...tired of tired.” She shifted a little as she continued, gesturing down to her legs, “Problems with them. Cut bad, can’t walk good. Feels weird...like trapped.”
Quinn gave his hand a harder squeeze and a reproachful look. “Not your fault. My fault. Stupid. Let guard down. Taunted him. I’m stupid. Not your fault.”
Luke remembered the effect of painkillers all too well, but he also knew that they did help with the pain. Then again sleep hadn’t been such a bad thing when he was in the hospital, whereas dreams were Night Terror’s prime hunting ground. He wouldn’t lecture, not only because he remembered what it was like to be stuck in a hospital bed but also because he knew what it was like to be lectured too, and it hadn’t been a feeling he relished. “I wish there was something I could do.” He hated feeling this helpless, but he didn’t know what to do or what to say. “I know it’s hard. But knowing you, you’ll be back on your feet in no time.” He even managed a weak laugh.
He shook his head immediately. “You’re not stupid. People like him... they don’t need reasons. It wasn’t your fault. We were all there, Quinn, and we... should have known or seen. We should have taken care of Night Terror earlier.” Luke couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge the fact that there was nothing he could have done; better to know there had been possibilities than admit to being powerless. “But you’re okay. That’s what matters now.”
“Being here is good,” she told Luke in a quiet voice, barely above a whisper. All she wanted from everyone was to be here for her. If Night Terror was really gone, though she doubted it, she still wanted someone close by. Maybe she would never be able to handle being alone again, but she wouldn’t think about it now. Protection was the best thing she could have right now. That somehow he wouldn’t come back for her and if he did, someone would be there to intervene. She shook her head a little when he tried to laugh, trying to match him with a small smile. “Soon, yeah. Back up.”
She went quiet as he spoke before she interjected, “My fault. Went in woods. Thought...be sneaky. Was...supposed to be a game.” She pointed up to her neck, “Needle. Never had chance. Then...” She faltered and didn’t continue, rather looked down at her lap.
“I’ll stay as long as I can.” Luke gave her hand a gentle squeeze, but his words were firm. He probably would have stayed all day and night if he could have, and as it was he almost did, if it hadn't been for the need to eat, sleep and check in on Thomas. Any inclination to go to class had gone out the window once Thomas went missing, and it certainly didn’t return now. “I don’t know how I’ll manage without you around to watch my back,” he teased, although beneath that there was a genuine concern about the lack of active vigilantes that he knew of. Rorschach was still out because of his arm, and Thomas... he’d be out for a while at best.
His gaze went to her neck for a moment before he looked away, the movement sharp and quick. “Don’t, Quinn. It wasn’t your fault. It was a paintball game - how were you supposed to know?” He could worry about being hypocritical later. “You did all you could do, and you beat him. He didn’t win and he won’t have the chance to try again.”
“Need backup,” her voice was quickly turning to concern again. The thought was planted of something happening to Luke again without her being there and she clung to his hand with a surprising strength. “Take someone. Don’t go alone. Take Wren. Anyone. Please?” Her words were coming rapid fire, enough of a worry that caused the machines she was hooked up in to start beeping insistently. Quinn faltered and took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. “Don’t know, Luke,” she sounded defeated, “Think he won. In end.”
Now she sounded a lot like Max. Luke understood their worry, or at least where they were coming from, but considering what had happened to both Quinn and Thomas in the past couple of weeks he was even more cautious than usual. He looked at her in surprise, but she seemed so concerned that he had to reassure her somehow. “I won’t go alone. It’s okay. I’ll stick with Corbinian, okay? Just relax, Quinn. I’ll be fine. Promise.” He watched the machines for a long moment before turning his attention back on her. “Why do you think that?” He honestly didn’t understand it. She was alive, he was taken care of - how could he have won?
Quinn looked at him for a moment longer to make sure he wasn’t lying to her. If she had some assurance that Luke would be fine when he walked out those hospital doors, she would take it. She faltered at his question before she whispered to him, as if she was afraid to speak it too loudly that someone else would hear. “In end, he wanted dead. But he wanted...other things. Me hopeless. Scared,” she pressed her fingers to her temple. “Never going away.”
He leaned closer instinctively when she dropped her voice to a whisper, but his expression quickly changed from confusion to dismay. “Oh, Quinn.” Luke couldn’t think of anything to do so he gave her hand another squeeze, this time with a little more firmness. “It’ll get better. You can’t... he only has power over you if you let him. Don’t let him.”
Her throat tightened painfully when he spoke. She hated the feeling of being so close to tears at everything. Everything made her feel so weak and overwhelmed. Without thinking about it, she leaned her head to rest her forehead against Luke’s temple. “What if...doesn’t?”
Luke almost wished he would have been the one to go after Night Terror, if only for the satisfaction of knowing he’d reached the end and giving him a taste of his own medicine himself. “It will,” he said quietly. “I promise, Quinn. It will.” He shifted so he was sitting on the edge of the bed instead of the chair, though he was careful to avoid any movements that might cause her pain.
Quinn was surprised to see Luke get out of the chair and shift to sit on the side of her bed. There was a hesitant, shy pause in her movements before she reached out for Luke to be close to her. A part of her wanted to push him away while another wanted to cling so hard and never let go. She wished she didn’t feel so weak that she needed comfort like this. She rest her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, for the time being she didn’t want to say anything. All she wanted was this.
He was a bit surprised, since Quinn had never struck him as the most affectionate sort even once he’d gotten to know her better, but at least he could offer comfort in closeness to make up for what he couldn’t put into words. Luke didn’t know what to say to make things better, not that there was anything that could accomplish that. Not without time, at least. If anyone was strong enough to get through something like this, it was Quinn. Keeping one hand around hers, he gently wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, the touch light enough for her to feel without pressing down too hard. He’d stay with her for as long as she wanted him to.
She pressed her lips together in a firm line, keeping her eyes closed still. For a moment, she just breathed and took in the amount of comfort she was given. She finally spoke, keeping her voice down to keep it between them. “Police want ask questions,” she began before she faltered a little. “Don’t want to answer.”
“You don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to, Quinn.” He said it firmly, almost reactively, even though he knew from experience that giving a statement would be guaranteed to put Night Terror away for good. “Giving a statement would help, but it’s up to you when you want to do it or how much you want to say. Night Terror’s going away for a long time no matter what.” Luke was absolutely certain of that. No one was going to let him hurt anyone else no matter what precautions they had to take. There had to be a way to keep him from hunting in both the real world and dreams, and if they pooled their resources they were bound to find it.
Suddenly he remembered that they’d never had a chance to do presents before the disastrous paintball game, and it was a slightly more cheerful topic than Night Terror or talking to the cops. “You still have your presents to look forward to when you get home.” He brushed back a lock of her hair without thinking. “Actually, there’s one I can give you now. The other... well, I don’t think it’s allowed in hospitals.”
Quinn couldn’t help but to smile as she heard Luke speak. It was nice, for the brief moment, to hear someone be protective over her. She usually was on the other end, doing the protecting. Quinn agreed quietly, “Know that. Oracle said Kyle would take statement. Only cop I like.” Then again, she didn’t know any cops but Kyle. Still, the statement stands.
She grinned a little at the thought of presents, finally looking up at Luke again. “Oracle told me about the puppy. Said he drives her crazy already,” that statement earned a bit of amusement. She did look curiously that he had second one for her. “What’s one now?”
“Kyle. He’s the new police chief, right?” Luke still hadn’t met him for himself but Quinn only had good things to say about him, and clearly Oracle trusted him too. “That’s good. It’ll be better to talk to someone you know.”
He looked surprised for a moment before his expression fell into a smile. At least it was evident that she liked the idea of having a puppy. “Puppies tend to be like that. I’m sure you’ll like him.” He paused, all the initial doubt he’d had about the codename he picked flooding back. What if she thought it was really stupid? “Well, I was thinking... you need a new codename. You’re not a Nobody, and you deserve one that belongs to just you.” Luke offered a sheepish smile. “What do you think of Nyx? In Greek mythology she was... the goddess of the night. I thought it was kind of fitting.”
Quinn nodded in reply to Luke’s question, “Mmm. He is.” She added in with a little smile, “Oracle likes him. So, have to like him.” There was a hint of humor to it, taking about how Oracle wasn’t just the computer and voice over the comm lines. She stared at him, listening intently as he talked and her face was unreadable for the entire time. As he finished talking, Quinn’s lips quirked up in a tiny smile. “Came up with? For me?” She sounded incredulous that he would have taken the time to think of something for her. Honestly, she would’ve loved any of his choices, but the fact he tried to find something that fit her. There was an abrupt, awkward lean in for a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Luke. Like it. A lot.”
He watched her reaction apprehensively, but it was quickly replaced by relief once he saw her smile. “Yeah. So now you have your own codename to use on the comms. No more of this ‘Nobody’ thing.” Luke could feel himself growing hot when she kissed his cheek, but with any luck he wasn’t actually turning red. As long as she was happy with it that was all he cared about. “Good. I’m glad you like it.” He made a mental note to let Wren know later. “Hey, maybe the puppy can be your sidekick. He’d match your suit pretty well.”
She reached up with a bandaged finger to poke his cheek, making a little delighted noise. Who knew she could have such an effect on a boy? “You’re pink,” she told him matter-of-factly, not even hiding the pleased look on her face. Quinn changed the subject for Luke’s sake as she said, “Be good guard dog. Very tough.”
“I am?” He pulled a face and tried to return his color back to normal, but he couldn’t tell if it was a useless effort or if he was actually accomplishing something. Pink was even worse than red. Fortunately Quinn changed the subject, although he didn’t know what to make of that pleased look on her face. Did all girls like seeing guys embarrassed? “Uh... yeah. I bet he is. At least he’ll be able to protect you and Oracle.” Luke was mostly kidding, but he knew that he couldn’t always be there. The same went for everyone, not just Quinn, but it was frustrating nonetheless.
Quinn still hid a little smile that threatened to cross her face at the way Luke pulled a face. “Good protecting,” she agreed, still tiredly leaning in to his side. There was a brief hesitation before she quietly asked, “If...I wanted. To talk about...it. Would you listen?”
That was a tricky question. On the one hand Luke wasn’t sure how well he’d handle hearing about what happened to her, but on the other... he couldn’t say no. He had to be there for her, because he knew what it was like to keep things bottled up instead of talking about them. That wasn’t what he wanted for her. “Of course I’d listen.”
“Not now though,” she said quickly, as if to calm them both down. She fiddled with the edge of her blanket, folding it over between her fingers. It was mostly there to assure her that someone would listen if she ever wanted the option. Though, if she ever would was another issue all together. “Thank you.”
“Whenever you want to,” he reassured her, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’ll always be here.” Luke figured she’d be in the hospital for a while, but he had planned on asking Oracle if she’d be okay with letting Quinn go to the Valentine’s Day carnival. If she even wanted to, that is. He realized that she might not anymore. Damn. “Quinn... you know that Valentine’s Day thing? The carnival? Do you... still want to go? Because we don’t have to,” he said quickly. “I can just come by here. Bring you chocolate and see if I can get a TV wheeled in or something.”
Quinn looked relieved at Luke that he didn’t press the subject. She looked a little confused at the conversation shift before she realized what he was asking of her. “I can’t go,” she told him, gesturing down to herself, “Stuck here. Would want to, but...can’t.”
He thought for a moment, but the solution was fairly simple. “If you can’t walk, we can get you a wheelchair. Would you be okay with that?” Luke knew some people might find it frustrating but he thought it’d be good for Quinn to get out instead of being stuck in the hospital, especially on Valentine’s Day. As long as Oracle and the doctors said it was okay there was nothing stopping them.
Quinn gave a little shrug of her shoulders and a small accompanying smile. “If you wanna push, yeah,” she replied. She would love to not be in the hospital, but at the cost of Luke having a good day or having fun at this carnival wasn’t really worth it. She always had her tv shows and daytime soaps to keep her company. “Like to, but we don’t have to.”
“I don’t mind pushing.” He leaned his head against hers and grinned. “It’ll be fun. Besides, either way I’ll be spending the day with you, whether it’s at the carnival or here.” Wren had already taken Quinn’s date, but even if she hadn’t Luke wouldn’t have felt right going off to the carnival while Quinn was stuck in a hospital bed. “I can win you a bunch of stuffed animals to fill the room with.” In his mind it was already decided. He wanted to go, she wanted to go; so they’d go.
Quinn felt that strange, fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach as he leaned his head against hers. She nudged him a little and tried to hide how pleased she was that he actually wanted to. “Okay,” she agreed finally. “If Oracle says so. And doctors.” But mostly Oracle, since she wasn’t sure Oracle would want her anywhere she couldn’t keep an eye on her in some way for a very long time. Not that she could blame her.
Luke didn’t see why the doctors would say no, but he understood that Oracle might want to keep her close by for the next little while. “I’ll ask and see what they say.” He gaze her shoulders a light squeeze, a sort of replacement for a hug, and slipped off the edge of the bed. “You should try to get some more sleep. I’ll still stay for a bit, if you want.”
With a moment of hesitation, Quinn settled back in her bed. “Thank you,” she said with a little nod. Quinn reached out to take Luke’s hand and told him, “Could you...stay? Just until I sleep?”
He squeezed her hand firmly and nodded. “Okay. Until you fall asleep.” Luke would probably stay a little longer than that, but he kept that part to himself.
Quinn gave his hand a squeeze back. She finally was able to settle back, closing her eyes and her hand went to nudge the button for her morphine drip. The medicated haze to sleep was what she needed, breathing out slowly. It was comforting, at least, to know that Luke’s hand was still in hers as she fell asleep. The last thing she thought of, as she drifted off, was how she wouldn’t mind him being with her every time she fell asleep.