Bitten Who: Micah and Nic Where: The hospital When: late
The ambulance rolled up again and Micah was there to meet it, already directing people in the right way. There were significantly less, which was for the best, but Micah was still busy with those he’d already admitted and the few new patients that were brought in. He stood in the bay for the ambulance, giving out the last of the orders. He was going to follow in, but someone had left charts in the front of the van and instead of them doubling back Micah waved them off. He could get it.
It wasn’t safe. He’d just told Claire as much, but he was out there, in the dark, by himself. He was feet from the door, the lights of the hospital just a few steps away, but as he closed the door behind him he heard the growl. It was close. Right behind him. Slowly Micah turned, seeing the wolf, eying him almost lazily. Like it knew exactly what it was looking at and it knew Micah didn’t stand a chance. He pressed his back against the ambulance, taking one step towards the hospital. Then the wolf leapt. It was embarrassing, but as jaws snapped into his arm, Micah cried out, loudly. Nic had been helping a patient into the ER, another wolf bite, though not as bad as some he’d seen. He hadn’t been looking forward to coming into work today, but was relieved to find that most people took the advice to stay indoors after dark, resulting in far fewer attacks. It also meant the wolves were more adventurous, coming closer to buildings they might have otherwise avoided. Nic was just handing over some paperwork when he heard someone yell in pain. He ran towards the door, shotgun in hand, panic hitting him as he saw who’d been attacked. Of course it would be Micah, and he couldn’t exactly shoot the wolf when it was attached to him.
Panic shot through Micah as well, but he was used to panic. He was used to too much adrenaline in his system and too much fear. That had been what the entire night previous had been about and Micah dug into those reserves and fought back. He would never be much of a fighter, definitely better suited to be a healer, but he managed to slam his free arm down hard enough on the wolf's muzzle to throw off its bite. Teeth tore through skin, but the wolf did let go which was fine with Micah. He could handle stitches if he could get away alive. The gnawed arm was mostly useless and the wolf was pissed as hell, but Micah did manage to scramble back a few steps before stumbling and trying to catch himself with the arm that wasn't working which led to him on his ass, only a few feet away from the now angry wolf.
The space Micah put between himself and the wolf was all Nic needed and he fired off a round into the wolf’s skull. Then he fired again, just to be sure. From this close, he couldn’t miss, but he wasn’t going to risk the monster wolf getting back up and coming after them. The creature fell to the ground and Nic turned to Micah, heart still pounding. It was just a bite, but Nic had always been a bit more concerned when it came to people he cared about. “How bad is it?” he asked, hurrying to Micah and offering him a hand up. “Let’s get you inside.”
That gun was a whole hell of a lot louder than Micah was ready for and a heck of a lot closer to him than he expected. By the second shot he was cowering, good arm over his head, hurt arm pulled against his chest. It wasn't until Nic was there, holding out a hand that he realized he wasn't about to get shot as well. "Bleeding." And it hurt. Instinctively, Micah had his hand up over his heart to slow the bleeding.
Nic hadn’t meant to scare Micah, but his focus had been on protecting him. Most of the time, he was the healer on wheels, the first at the scene who would do whatever was necessary to make sure a person survived until they got to the hospital. But sometimes he was the fireman. Sometimes he would fight, regardless of what was in front of him. “Come on,” Nic said, hurrying him back into the hospital. “Just stitches, or...”
Micah's ears were ringing from the blast, but he let Nic hurry him back inside. The words did filter through once they were inside and he was shaking his head. "I need to see it." It only stung, but Micah had a feeling that would change. "Need to stop the bleeding," he told Nic holding out his good hand for something to press against the gouges in his arm.
Nic hurried to find Micah what he needed as the sight of him bleeding started to garner attention. “Here,” he said, handing it over, though he would have felt better if Micah would let him see the wound. If he’d punctured an artery, they needed to get a doctor immediately.
Micah hissed as he put pressure on the wound, wincing at the pain. He hadn't lost enough blood that he was stumbling even if he was bleeding pretty profusely, but he was mostly steady on his feet as he started walking, nodding for Nic to come with him. He really hoped the EMT was good for putting stitches in his arm or he was going to send him off after a nurse. What he needed was an exam room, where he could sit and look at it. Finding one he pushed his way into it, relieved it was empty. "C'mere, let's look," he told Nic, getting his arm under a light and pulling away the guaze. The gouges were deep, crimson blood filling them, but thankfully around the meatier parts of his forearm. Some cuts were dangerously deep but thankfully the major arteries had been missed.
There was a lot of blood, which was what had Nic so worried, but it didn’t look like any major damage was done. That was a relief, since there were some things he wasn’t qualified to handle, but stitches he most definitely could. “I can stitch you up,” Nic said, looking through the drawers for what he would need. He was starting to fall into a more professional mode, where he could get the work done without worrying about Micah living or not. That was what had scared him the most, the possibility that Micah would be hurt and there would be nothing he could do to help.
Micah sat, resting his arm on the rolling tray so Nic could work. “First on the left,” he said pointing towards the right drawer. His heart rate was slowing, which was a good sign, but it brought the pain back in full force. He flexed his fingers, testing them and wincing more. “God, I hope it’s not broken.” Maybe not snapped, but it could be fractured.
It helped that Micah knew his way around the exam room. Nic would have been more comfortable in the back of the ambulance, but this was far better once he got his bearings. “Your wrist?” Nic asked, returning with the supplies he needed and setting them aside. He began to dab up the blood, cleaning it as best he could before he started with the stitches.
“Any of it?” Micah offered. He rolled his wrist, which mostly worked, but the impact to the forearm made him wince, small pained noise slipping out. Micah swore softly, trying to stay patient and not try and do Nic’s job for him. He couldn’t stitch himself back up.
“We can look at it once you’re stitched up,” Nic offered. They had to prioritize a little and stopping the bleeding was at the top of that list. Once Micah stopped moving, Nic began the process of stitching him up. It wasn’t something he’d done a lot of, but the stitches looked good, his work performed with care. When he was done, he began to carefully wipe up the rest of the blood. “How’s that look?”
Micah was impatient through the whole thing, a terrible patient, but what doctor wasn’t? It didn’t help that it hurt and despite putting on a good face, he was definitely in pain. “Looks good,” he said, nodding, running his good hand through his hair and only then realizing he was shaking.
The one thing Nic was used to was patients who were shaken up. He usually got them in full panic mode, so he knew the signs to watch for and easily saw them in Micah. “Hey,” Nic said, one hand brushing over Micah’s arm. “You’re okay.” And he was there with him.
Micah forced himself to take a breath, trying not to jolt at the touch as gentle was it was. “It’s shock. I know.” He let out another breath, still shaking and ran his good hand over his face. He’d been sure he was going to die out there. Sure of it. Yes, he’d fought back, but the moment he’d wound up on the ground he was sure it was over.
“Why don’t we call it a night?” Nic said. “If you want, we can stay at the hospital. Or I can drive us home.” He didn’t want to leave Micah, not after this, though there was a possibility he’d be called out again. There was always that possibility, though, and he was pretty sure Micah was in no condition to go back to work.
“I can’t,” Micah said shaking his head and looking back towards the doorway. “I have...patients.” And his arm hurt. He’d be no good in pain or on pain medication. “I don’t want to go out there again.”
“Doctor Blood is here, too,” Nic reminded him. “You’d be a patient yourself, if I had my say, so go lay down for a little bit. I’ll help out in the ER until I get another call.” And he’d be close enough that he could check on Micah. With the wolves on the loose, Nic wasn’t eager to go out again either.
Micah shook his head. “I can help. I think I can.” He moved to get up, but his feet failed him, leaving him shaking again. Blood loss. Not significant, but enough. That plus shock and he was useless on his feet. “God I’m stupid.”
“You can have some orange juice and you can lay down,” Nic said with a hint of a smile. It didn’t surprise him that Micah was stubborn, especially when it came to his job, but he really was useless right now. “You’re not stupid. Lots of people have been attacked. You were lucky, actually.”
There was a clear struggle in Micah’s features. “They need me and I went and got hurt.” He frowned, looking at his arm. “Not long. Just until I get my feet under me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Nic told him. “No one’s going to blame you for resting when you were attacked. I promise.” And if they did, Nic would have words with them.
Micah sighed, looking over at Nic. “I know they won’t, but I will.” He looked down at his arm then went to a cabinet for bandages, just to keep it clean.
“Please don’t beat yourself up over this,” Nic said, coming to help him with the bandages. It would be easier for him to do it, having both hands to work with. He began to wrap up Micah’s arm as his eyes scanned Micah for any other injuries he might have missed. “What would you tell a patient in your position?”
“I’m a terrible patient,” Micah pointed out, fighting giving up the bandages, but having to. Nic would be better for it. “Rest. Check in every so often to ensure they’re alright.” Which had him stuck. He knew what he would say to do, but part of him wanted to go to work, to not step away.
“You are,” Nic said, little smile returning. “You should listen to your own advice. You’ll be able to return to the job sooner if you let yourself recover, you know. If you go back to work now, you’ll just get in your own way.” Like it or not, Micah only had one of his hands to work with, at least not without being in pain. And he wasn’t even steady on his feet. Going to work would be a hazard that none of them needed.
Micah made a face. “Why are you always right?” he asked, giving Nic a look with the question. Sighing and leaned against the wall and nodded. “Fine. A few hours. See where I am. I’ll even take something for the pain.”
“I’m not,” Nic smiled. “I’m just telling you what you would tell anyone else.” And he was motivated to keep Micah safe, if he could. He had Micah’s best interests in mind, as well as everyone else’s. “Let’s go. I’ll come check on you and I’ll get you if things really blow up, okay?”
Micah hesitated for a step more before nodding and letting himself give in to what he knew was right and what Nic was saying. “Fine. But if you need me, you come get me.”
“Of course,” Nic said, opening the exam room door for Micah. There were some things they might need Micah for, and if those came up then Nic would go and get him. Otherwise, he was going to let him rest.
For the moment that soothed Micah’s issues and he left the exam room, headed towards the lounge he usually slept in, fingers skimming the wall for balance. “Fine then. Not long,” he reminded Nic again before letting it drop. For now.