babybuck (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} babybuck) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} spinningcompass,@ 2022-03-13 06:06:00 |
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What: Checking in
Where: Medbay
When: Backdated, Wednesday March 9
Closed/Ongoing/Warnings for general medical setting, talk of death
Bucky had stopped by the medical wing to drop off some extra coffee and sandwiches on his way home from the cafe. He knew the people who were around had a tendency not to think much about meals whenever something happened so he liked to keep them stocked in case. While there he realized Hamilton was still in one of the beds and figured he might check in. He knocked against the frame of the open ‘door’ of the curtains set up around his bed. “Got your head back yet?”
—
The more time that passed in medbay, the more periods of relatively pain free lucidity Hamilton was experiencing. For the first couple of days, he’d raved and panicked and no doubt caused the medical staff no end of hassles. They quickly gathered that he was extremely frightened, not deliberately provocative. He had a sneaking suspicion that they had opted for some mild sedation to keep him calm, and stop him from continually pulling out the IV and monitors in his feverish anxiety.
By now, he was able to sit up in bed for short periods of time, and he was even occasionally able to read the books that Liberty had brought by on his request. And that was what he was doing when Bucky came by: propped up, flicking through a book, and being very good to leave all the wires and tubes well enough alone. He looked up at the knock, and gave a warm smile when he realised who it was.
“Hey. Yeah, just about,” he responded, closing the book over to give the other man his attention. “How’s it going?”
—-
"Much less excitement without medical emergencies in the dining room, but otherwise it's been alright." Bucky commented, his smile tilted up a bit on one side. He wouldn't directly tell Hamilton he was an idiot for not getting checked after Cuddy recommended it at the meetings, but he'd imply it.
"I'm glad you're doing better."
-----
Hamilton gave a soft laugh, and looked at the cover of the book as he spoke. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’d say I should’ve stayed home, but I’d probably have just choked on my own vomit and died by now, so…” he shrugged. It was ridiculous that that would have been his alternative, and not calling the doctor himself, but he was self-aware at least.
“Thanks. I am. Things have come a heck of a long way.”
—
“Something tells me someone would have gone looking before too long.” Bucky stepped into the makeshift room a little bit, not encroaching too much but just so it didn’t feel like there was the barrier of the doorway between them.
“You haven’t been here long but you’ve made it pretty obvious that you’re not one to lay around all day and just go radio silence.” Bucky figured he might be a little more aware than some, of the comings and goings of a good portion of the station. His cafe was a pretty frequent stop for a lot of them, and he had the time to keep an eye on things in between, since Stephanie had gone. “We’re all a bit sectioned off into our little groups but we do try to look out for each other.”
“That they have.” Metal fingers curled into his palm and then relaxed again as he spoke, almost without thought.
—--
“Yeah, maybe,” Hamilton agreed with a small smile. The flowers, books, cards, and the seat positioned where Liberty had left it not long before, easily showed that it was more than just a maybe. He hadn’t been there long, but he’d certainly made an impact quickly.
“I know, I have a tendency to talk too much, but… I guess maybe my loud mouth would’ve saved me, so,” he shrugged. He’d never taken Burr’s advice about talking less, but he wasn’t sure he was capable of it even if he tried. Keeping it inside just wasn’t his style. “I noticed. You’re good people.”
Hamilton did notice the movement of his arm, and he glanced curiously for a moment. He’d seen it already, but it hadn’t been top of his concerns earlier. “Did they… the arm, did you get fixed up here?”
____
Bucky shrugged a shoulder, "I don't think anyone's accusing you of talking too much. This place tends to be pretty loud anyway." At least in Bucky's mind, the people who seemed to end up here usually had a tendency to be the type to have a lot to say. But maybe that was because he wasn't as much one of them these days and it made them stand out.
"No, this is from.." He hesitated a moment, holding the hand up a little and looking at it. It hadn't felt like home. But these days he wasn't sure the station did either. "It's from where I came from. But they could have made it here too. Or something close enough."
—--
“Sure, I noticed. That town hall meeting was like nothing else, man,” he said with a soft chuckle. Things never got quite that level of exciting back home. Certainly no one ever turned into a ghost mid-speech.
Hamilton gave him a short nod, hoping that he hadn’t been prying too much or prodding at old wounds. It was just a curious sight to him, as was nearly everything around the medbay. “When were you from? Sorry if you told me already, my head is…” he made a gesture at his temple that implied it was a scrambled mess.
—-
"And they weren't even that angry anymore." Considering the circumstances, it had been as calm as any of them could have hoped really. And he hadn't heard of any fights breaking out after so overall a win in terms of town hall meetings he figured.
"Back there? It was 2024. We had some allies in Africa, their tech almost makes this place look old fashioned. One of them made it for me." If Hamilton had been in good shape and listening hard enough he probably could have heard some sadness there. Longing maybe. He missed Wakanda. "Here though, I'm from 2041. But I've been in this time for a few years now so I might not be going back."