by CB Conwy
"You should just relax. Stay with me, like this." Matt felt how Pietr gently cradled his mind, keeping him still and safe without demanding anything of him. He relaxed a little; this he could do.
"Yes, like that." Pietr held on to his hand.
"Still hurts." It did; now that he could breathe again, his collarbone hurt like hell, and there was something not right about his face.
"It probably does. I'll get you something for the pain in a second," the nurse responded.
Matt could feel this nurse very clearly; she was scared because of the presence of Himika, but she stubbornly refused to show it.
"How's your breathing?"
"Fine. But my shoulder hurts, and my face..." Matt reached up to get the tube out of his nose.
"No, don't remove it, your oxygen levels are..." Her voice faded as she looked at one of the monitors surrounding his gurney. She looked back at him, confused. "I thought you had broken ribs? Your oxygen levels were very low when you came in. I don't understand..."
"He's got a broken cheekbone and collarbone, the EMT said. But his ribs are just sore from the beating." Pietr warned him to keep quiet, and Matt did as he was told. It was easier, anyway.
The confusion was clear in the nurse's mind, but she shook her head. "I must have misheard him. Now, we'll get you something for the pain right after we've looked at you. Dr. Wilson, if you could come over here?"
The doctor reluctantly got closer, eyes filled with unease as he looked from Matt to Pietr. His professionalism got the better of him, though, and he started carefully examining Matt.
It hurt when the doctor touched his chest, and Matt couldn't keep back his groan when the pain tore through his shoulder. Pietr growled when his mate sensed Matt's pain. The doctor pulled back, hands up as if to defend himself.
"I will have to ask you to step outside if you behave threateningly." Matt could hardly hear the fear in the nurse's voice.
Matt could feel Pietr making an effort not to shout. Then he nodded abruptly. "I'm sorry. It's not easy to see him in pain."
"He won't be for much longer. Especially not if you let us do our work. Dr. Wilson?" The doctor reluctantly lowered his arms and stepped closer again. The nurse had never moved.
Matt squeezed Pietr's hand as the doctor finished his examination. It hurt when he touched Matt's stomach, but it didn't feel as wrong as it had before.
"I want to have a CT scan of your face, your shoulder, and your abdomen. Your left clavicle is probably broken, and I have a strong suspicion that your cheekbone might be, too. We'll get the scan and see if you need surgery."
"No! You can't knock me out." The memory of Pietr crying after Matt had passed out during his training at the clinic was still much too clear in Matt's mind, even in his current state.
"Don't worry, baby." Pietr wasn't concerned, and it calmed Matt a little. "If you need surgery, we'll figure it out. We can go to the clinic if we have to." I'll need enough Valium to sedate an elephant, but we'll make it.
Matt would have laughed if his face hadn't been feeling so wrong. His attention was diverted, though, when Aki stormed into the room.
"Where is he? You stupid little..." Aki rushed through the alarmed-looking people surrounding Robbie to get to his mate. The other Himiko was dozing in the chair, mind a blank haze of fatigue. In spite of his words, Aki's mind was filled with worry for his mate as he gently picked Robbie up. Robbie didn't stir except to cuddle closer to Aki. Aki sat down in the chair with Robbie on his lap, lost to the world around him.
"I would just let him be, if I were you." Matt hadn't noticed another Himiko coming into the room. It was the administrator from the clinic, and he held the concerned medical staff back from Aki and Robbie.
"I'm John Smith, medical advisor for the Himika. Please do not start any treatment without consulting me first; Matt has had complicated brain surgery and might react negatively to certain procedures."
Matt could feel the relief in Pietr's mind as the other Himiko took over the job of communicating with the doctors.
How is he? Smith included Matt in his question to Pietr.
Robbie healed his worst injury, a broken rib that punctured his lung. He's still got a fractured cheekbone and collarbone, and he's beat up and concussed and scared, but I've got him.
Matt didn't try to communicate; he just lay still and let Pietr take care of him. Smith didn't seem to find it strange.
Good. And Robbie? The administrator was effective and professional.
He's just tired. If you can keep Aki from losing it, they'll both be fine.
Yes, there is that. The administrator turned to Aki, who was cradling Robbie protectively.
Status, Aki. Smith's order was brusque, and Aki looked up in surprise.
He... He's used too much of his power. I'll help him. There was almost a questioning note to Aki's words.
Good. Do it now. And don't burn yourself out; I'll be watching you.
Matt could feel the bewilderment in Aki's mind, but the Himiko did as he was told. Matt had a clear feeling that the curt order was the only way of getting him to do anything but cling to his mate. Aki sat up a bit and began pouring his energy into Robbie's mind.
Careful. I need you afterward. Without showing any fear, Smith stepped into the process, adjusting the flow of energy from Aki to Robbie. It was an action which could probably have cost him his life in another situation, but Aki complied with his demands, slowing the flow until it was a controlled trickle.
Robbie stirred, his mind slowly coming back to life. Are you okay, Matt?
With a start, Matt realized that he had been eavesdropping on everything that had happened. It wasn't very polite, but he didn't seem able to reel himself in.
He'll be fine. He's confused and in pain, but he's hanging on. Pietr squeezed Matt's hand comfortingly as his mate answered for him. And don't worry, Pietr continued to Matt, your shields aren't that strong at the moment. You can't help it. Just rely on me.
I will. Matt had been shielding from the hostility surrounding him and trying to hide that from Pietr for so long now, and it was a relief to just give in without trying to protect himself or Pietr anymore.
"Are CT scans and X-rays against your medical recommendations? Because if not, we would like to have a look at Matt's injuries," the nurse said to the administrator.
Matt had a clear feeling that the nurse wasn't usually the one in charge of the trauma team, but she was apparently the only one with the guts to speak up.
"Go ahead, but keep Pietr close to him for as much of the procedure as possible. It will keep Matt calm, and we don't want him to panic."
I can mend his collarbone, too. Robbie's mental voice was weak.
No! Aki's voice was fervent.
The administrator's answer was almost as determined. No, you will not heal him any more, Robbie. Thank you for offering, but you have already used all the power you can spare in one day.
Robbie slumped, but he didn't protest. Aki hugged him protectively, glaring at Matt.
I'll be fine, Robbie. Don't worry. Matt managed to get that out in a reasonably coherent sentence, but that was as much as he could do. Just uttering those few words exhausted him, and he lay back, closing his eyes.
"We'll give you some painkillers first, Matt, and then we'll get you into the scanner. Don't worry, it's not going to hurt, and your partner will stay with you most of the time." The nurse did something to Matt's IV, and the pain slowly started fading to a tolerable level.
"Am I concussed?" He thought he'd heard somebody saying that earlier on.
"Yes. You hit your head when you were assaulted. Do you remember the attack, Matt?" The nurse's voice was calm and professional.
Matt opened his eyes, less sensitive to the light now that the pain had gone down, and saw the nurse working with the things around him, moving an IV stand and adjusting a machine.
"Yeah. They beat me up." Some of the things that had happe
ned were a blur, but not Jones' words. Or his kicks.
"They? There was more than one?"
Matt had a feeling that the nurse was talking to him more to assess if he was able to answer than from a need to know what really happened.
"Four." The world started moving around him, and he quickly closed his eyes again.
"The police will be here later on; you should tell them that. First, we'll get some images of your injuries. Let me know if you need more painkiller, okay?"
Matt didn't right then, but he definitely did when they lifted him onto the bed that went into the scanner. He cried out, the pain in his shoulder almost making him sick, and he could hear Pietr yelling something. There was some commotion around him, and then he drifted away. Maybe they had given him more drugs. He could still hear the scanner and sense Pietr leaving him to go into the next room, but it was all a bit distant, and he dozed off.
***
He didn't wake up for real until later. He was lying in a bed in a hospital room, the lights low.
"Pietr?" He reached out mentally for his mate and found Pietr asleep. He turned his head and saw the Himiko in a chair in the corner of the room.
"He's sleeping; we gave him something to calm him down when you were drugged. He didn't take it well, even though you didn't go under completely." The administrator had been sitting in a chair at the end of Matt's bed. Now he stood up and came closer. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm tired. Sore." Matt really wished that Pietr would wake up; he needed the comfort he found in his mate's mind.
"You seem a bit more lucid." The administrator kept out of Matt's mind. Matt didn't think it would take much to penetrate his shields at the moment, so it could only be out of some kind of politeness.
"I want to go to the clinic." Matt kept his voice as firm as he could.
The administrator raised his eyebrows. "My clinic? There aren't any patients there at the moment, but..."
"There or the house in the woods. I don't want to live in the city anymore. Can we wake him up?" He really needed Pietr.
"I... Yes, of course. We'll talk about this later." The administrator turned to Pietr.
"No. I will go. I'll find somewhere else if you don't want me there. Can you shake him? I can't use my mind right now." His mental powers didn't work properly. It had been all right when Pietr was there to shield him, but without his mate, Matt was freaking out.
What? What's wrong? Pietr woke up with a start as Smith shook him. He looked around, confused, thoughts muddled with sleep and drugs.
"Sleep with me?" Matt reached out an arm for Pietr, and his mate got up right away.
"I'll just hurt you, baby." Pietr bent over his bed, kissing Matt's forehead.
"You won't. We'll just sleep."
Pietr was tired enough to comply, taking off his shoes and carefully edging into bed next to Matt. It hurt when Matt had to move to make room for him, but it was worth it when Pietr was lying close, the warmth from his body soothing. Matt relaxed, showing Pietr how much better he made Matt feel.
You're welcome. Sorry for being so tired. Pietr was almost asleep again.
"It's okay. I need to sleep, too." The last thing Matt heard before he fell asleep was the door closing as the administrator left the room.
***
"I want to go back." Matt didn't know how many times he had said that by now, and he was getting a headache again.
He knew that he played an important role to the Himika, that the Himika had a reason for harvesting humans and giving them the operation. He even thought it was a good reason; humans and Himika desperately needed to gain a better understanding of one another. Giving humans the operation that taught them how the Himika interacted was the best way of doing that. The only way.
That was why Matt had accepted the operation -- well, he might not have been able to avoid it even if he had said no, but he had accepted it. For that very reason.
Then came his unexpected bonding with Pietr, which put Matt in the unique situation of being a potential link between humans and Himika. Because of that, he had been suffering for months, trying to live a normal life and showing his fellow humans that the Himika weren't monsters.
But he hadn't succeeded, and he was done suffering. That was why he refused to change his mind.
"It won't happen again, Matt. You tell the police who did it, and they will arrest the assailants." The administrator had been trying to convince him to stay in the city for more than twenty minutes now. The Himiko seemed very determined, but Matt was adamant. He turned his head and looked calmly at Smith.
"I'm not staying here. It might not happen like this again, but then something else will. I am going away. The only question is if you'll help me or if I'll have to find somewhere for us to stay on my own."
Pietr had kept in the background, staying neutral. Matt knew that Pietr didn't necessarily agree with him, but the Himiko's mind was filled with compassion and understanding when he spoke.
"Listen, he's getting tired, and that's not good for him right now. Let us go back to the clinic or to the cabin until he's recovered. Then we can talk about it again." Pietr sat down on the edge of the bed, letting Matt curl up close to him. The physical contact felt good.
The administrator made a resigned gesture with his hand. "All right. I'll talk to the doctors to find out if he has to be monitored at the clinic or if you can have the cabin. I'm not sure I'll ever get Robbie out of Aki's arms again, anyway." He shook his head, muttering something to himself as he left.
I know you think it's a bad idea. Matt could communicate mentally now, although it took a lot of effort.
I don't, actually. Pietr hugged him. I think you should have peace and quiet to recover, and the cabin is a nice place for that. But stop using your mind; you're getting tired.
"Yeah. Can I sleep a little?" Matt had already closed his eyes.
Yes. It'll be good for you. Pietr did something that made the head of the bed lower, and Matt stretched out, sighing and closing his eyes. He felt a gentle kiss on his forehead and let himself doze off.
***
Matt was awakened again by the nurse from yesterday entering the room. Pietr was gone; Matt reached out for him and found him in a room down the hall, talking about something concerning the cabin. Matt let him know that everything was all right and turned to look at the nurse.
"How are you feeling?" She checked a machine next to him.
"Okay, I guess. It hurts, and I'm tired, but it's okay."
"Good. I'll remove this." She started disconnecting the tube leading to a bag on the IV stand next to his bed.
When she had gotten the needle out of Matt's hand, she lowered her voice. "Is there anything else I can do for you? Do you need help?" She looked imploringly at him, and Matt knew what she meant.
"I'm fine, but thank you."
The nurse eyed Matt doubtfully, and he got the uncomfortable feeling that she didn't believe a word he said.
"They're good people, okay? And he's mine; I don't want to change that."
The nurse didn't looked convinced. "Take this." She gave him a card. "If you need help, or just need to talk, then call this number. You can ask for me; I'm Carla."
"Thanks." It would have been ungrateful not to take it, even though Matt didn't need a number for any kind of shelter. "Listen, how bad are my injuries?" He had been kind of out of it yesterday.
Carla narrowed her eyes. She didn't seem too happy with his change of subject. Matt suddenly realized that he wasn't reading her as clearly as he had yesterday. It was a relief that his brain was recovering; it had been scary to be that open.
"You'll be sore for a while, but both fractures are uncomplicated. The collarbone may take some time to heal, but it will eventually. Just don't overexert yourself. The same goes for your head. Your concussion isn't severe; if you take it easy, you'll be fine." She hesitated.
"I wonder about your rib, though. I saw the images from the
scan. You have some hemorrhage just under one rib. The one that the EMT said was broken." Carla looked questioningly at Matt.
"I got kicked." He didn't know how to explain it. He hadn't even known that Robbie could do that. Claiming that aliens with healing powers had cured him probably wasn't going to get him out of the hospital any faster. Or at all. Besides, that wasn't his secret to tell.
"Yes, but the bleeding is under the rib, as if the rib had punctured the lung. Only there was no puncture when we scanned you."
Matt shrugged, and immediately found out that that was a very bad idea. He groaned from the pain, and felt Pietr reaching out for him.
Are you all right?
At the same time, the nurse asked the same question.
"Tried to move my shoulder. Fuck, it hurts." He gasped, trying to cope with the pain.
"Don't you think that was a stupid thing to do with a broken shoulder?" Pietr was in the doorway, a little out of breath as he took in the scene. Then he came over, helping Matt sit up to take the pressure off the broken shoulder.
"Fuck you." It was good to lean on Pietr, the pain going down a bit.
"I have a strong suspicion that's against hospital policy, baby."
Mate with a big mouth. In a weird way, it made Matt feel better. He didn't like being coddled.
"I'll get you a sling to support your arm. Hold on." The nurse left the room.
"I'm not letting go." Pietr's words were quiet.
"Good." Matt could do this if only Pietr was there.
You feel better, baby. Pietr held him still, hugging him as tightly as he could with Matt's bruises.
I think I am. I just need to rest, then I'll be fine.
Pietr's mind was filled with tenderness as he held Matt, and Matt took in his care. It was almost a disappointment when Carla returned with the sling and Pietr had to pull back.
Pietr didn't let go entirely, though, and it got quite awkward when Carla and Pietr competed to hold Matt's arm and back to get the sling around him and secure it. The nurse lost, and Pietr was very satisfied with that. Matt shook his head indulgently.