fandom_clinic | FTEC, Monday Night

Walter had slept most of the day, other than waking to eat.

Now? He was bored and wondering if Pippi would help him with another wheelchair escape.

And if Nadia would sit on him if he tried it.

Nadia had actually stepped off for a bit to run a few ~~completely handwaved~~ errands. She grinned when she got back and saw Walter awake.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

Like someone had shoved something up his nose and drilled a hole to his brain, actually.

He smiled, though, not at all unhappy for her company. "Bored. But better now that you're here."

"Hmmm. I knew it would have to happen sooner or later. You made it almost two whole days after waking up. Not bad." Nadia set her bag down on the chair and went to lean against his bed. "What would you say to a low key Halloween adventure tomorrow? Give us both a change of scenery?"

"I'd say that sounds like a brilliant idea." He raised the head of his bed and reached out to touch her arm.

Amazing what a few days of unconsciousness could do. It was going to take forever for him to get back to full health. Or at least it felt that way.

"What shall we do tonight?"

"What are you feeling up to? I've got some cards and stuff in my bag, and I've had my guitar here for the last few days. Or you could help me figure out a Halloween costume."

"It's too bad you're so sensitive to the cold," Walter mused, giving her a sidelong smile. "That ruins many of my first choices."

"Oh? And what would those be?" Nadia grinned. "Maybe we can get Bridge to make you a wheelchair with a space heater attached. . . ."

"Are you going to help me escape in a wheelchair this time? You're the one who tells me that you grew up with different ideas of modesty. Not that I mind."

"Brief escape for a low key adventure. I was thinking maybe something with a nurse theme. . . ." And she'd found some very, very revealing nurse outfits listed online.

A nurse theme? "I suppose the nurse theme would go with the wheelchair. Will you bring me a hideous plaid wool blanket to put across my legs? I'll play the dirty old man who keeps promising to leave you my vast estate in my will."

"~~We should get you a bald cap~~ Of course. We can put some powder in your hair at the temples to make you look all dignified."

"It sounds as though we've selected our costumes. That was easy. Now what shall we do?" He leaned his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes then opened them again. "Where's Pup? Is Al taking care of him?"

"Yeah. He's doing fine. Pippi or Al would have let me know, otherwise. And Pippi has your rings for you."

"She's probably one of the best people to hold on to them for a couple more days." Even he was surprised by how reasonable he was being about that.

"Are you planning to stay here again tonight?"

"Of course I am. I'm not going to leave you alone here."

"I don't mind." He was rather pleasantly surprised to be around to have her keep him company.

His lips twitched into a smirk. "Do you remember when we were here after the thing with the robots in the Danger Shop? Was that the first time you saw me without a shirt?"

Nadia smiled, though the memory was very fuzzy. "I . . . think so. I thought I was hallucinating."

He remembered. "I think we've spent enough time here this year, don't you? And you can see me without a shirt in better venues."

Well, maybe if he hadn't been so damned stubborn about not telling people. . . . Nadia shut that thought off as quickly as it came. "Definitely. But you still need to heal."

"I know." He put a hand over hers. "I'm sorry. I don't know what Dr. Wilson did, but it definitely seems to be working. I should have known there'd be a doctor here who could make some progress."

Nadia bit her lip for a fraction of a moment. "This is Fandom. Pretty much anything is possible."

Walter assumed that her reaction was because it had been such a near thing. "If I have any more problems, I'll know to see him again."

"You'd damned well better. Pippi's pretty mad at you, too, for not telling her what was going on."

"I'd be mad if things were reversed. I'll apologize."

"She'll be glad." Nadia's eyes started to tear. For the first time all week, it finally started to hit her, just how close he'd come. "But for now, I think she's just happy you're okay."

Walter saw her expression and felt a pang. He tugged gently on her shirt to draw her closer. "Hey... come here."

Nadia held onto him as tightly as she dared to while trying to hold the tears back. "Don't do that again. I told you not to be alone. I told you. . . ."

Walter stroked her hair and sighed. It wasn't as though having someone there would have made much difference, but he wasn't going to argue.

"I'll be good. I promise."

Nadia sobbed, once, into his shoulder before pulling back and taking a deep breath, trying to get a handle on herself. She nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak without describing how he was when she found him.

He didn't need to hear that.

Walter hated feeling helpless. He also wasn't happy that he was the reason Nadia looked so hurt.

"Should I make you mad now? Or tell you something nice that might make you cry on me?"

Nadia laughed and shook her head, giving him a more gentle hug. "I'm sorry. I kept it together for so long. . . . I guess it had to come out. Eventually."

"You don't have to apologize." Not for something that was his fault, not hers. He snuck a kiss in with the hug. "I'm just happy to have you here. I think I would have missed you."

"I'm not going anywhere. Don't even have to worry about classes this week." And if or when the mad doctor decided to call in her debt to him . . . she'd find a way to stop whatever that was, too. "Pippi even brought me toothbrushes."

FTEC, Monday Night

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