[FIN] Music to My Ears

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel gave his love's fingers another squeeze while his other hand lifted to stroke his hair again. "Hello handsome," he said fondly, his voice gentle still as he leaned forward to kiss his shoulder. "How do you feel?" Probably like s**t, but he felt compelled to ask anyway, both to know and to coax him more towards waking fully.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Like s**t," Zevran replied succinctly, but he smiled wearily as he spoke and squeezed Abel's fingers in return. "Did you wake me up just to ask this? Surely you are not so cruel." No, there had to be something else. Hopefully it was not something he had to think too much about, his mind felt like it was full of treacle. Achy, nauseous treacle.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Ah, progress; he had no trouble speaking or understanding English right away, that was good... even if he felt like s**t. Abel suspected he'd feel like s**t for a while. "Mmh, even if you feel or look like s**t, you're still the most handsome to me." His hand squeezed Zev's a little again before letting go so he could lean closer to gently cup his face, his expression already turning apologetic. "And no, I didn't wake you up just to ask you that. I wanted to tell you that visiting hours will be over in a couple minutes, so we'll have to leave soon."  

[TawnyAngel]

Abel was leaving?

"Hey, now who said anything about looking like s**t?" Zevran demanded, though the jest lacked his usual sparkle. "Whatever I look like is the very height of... of something." Zevran ran his tongue over his lips and reached for Abel's arm; a touch of anxiety had crept into his expression despite his efforts to hide it, he was too tired for much pretence. "When will you come back?" He didn't want Abel to go, if he left then... then.... He didn't want him to go, didn't want to be left in this strange place weak and unable to defend himself. The prickling wrongness he had felt earlier returned tenfold, something was very very wrong and he didn't want to be alone with it.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Sorry," he said on reflex, his heart aching for the apprehension he could already see blooming in his love's eyes -- his face, his demeanor. "I'll be back first thing in the morning," Abel assured him, gently running his thumbs over Zev's cheekbones as he continued to cup his face. He even leaned in close to press their foreheads together. "Visiting hours start again at six, so that's when I'll be back. I know it's a long time but you'll be just fine, I promise. I don't want to leave you as much as you don't want me to go, but I can't stay, they won't let me."  

[TawnyAngel]

Abel really was leaving.

Zevran closed his eyes and reached up to touch Abel's face. "Ah, well... Alright. If there's no choice. I shall be fine." Off to the side of the bed the cardiac monitor started bleeping a faster rhythm, though Zevran didn't notice. What time was it now? How long until six? Why couldn't Abel stay? He needed him to stay, it wasn't safe for either of them, he needed Abel here.

Taavi shifted awkwardly in his chair and looked down at the floor, he hadn't expected Zev to be thrilled about being left alone but he hadn't expected him to be this worried either; and it was obvious from the fact that his heart-rate had just picked up that he was worried no matter what he actually said.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

He was nervous, scared, worried, anxious; of that he had no doubt, even without the heart-rate monitor giving voice to it in the background. "You will be fine, Zev, I promise. You know I wouldn't leave you alone if I didn't know you'd be safe, right?" He asked, reaching one hand up to gently stroke his hair again. "I've met all the doctors and nurses here and I trust them; they're nice, good people here to help you. You'll be just fine -- and I'll be back the minute visiting hours start again, I promise."  

[TawnyAngel]

But what if Abel never came back?

Zevran slid his hand down from Abel's face to his shoulder and squeezed as tightly as he could, which really wasn't very tightly at all. "If you must go then you must go. Be safe." There was something out there, danger obscured by a fog his mind couldn't penetrate. "And you will come back at six? When is it now?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

More and more he found himself wishing he didn't have to go, because he didn't want to anyway but Zevran just... It made his heart hurt. Abel reached up to cover Zev's hand with his own and gave it a squeeze. "You're too sweet, you know that? I'll be just fine, I promise. It's just about nine right now; visiting hours start at six in the morning and end at nine in the evening, so I'll be gone about nine hours. There's a clock on the wall so you can check the time," he moved a bit so he could gesture over at it, "but if you can't see it that well, you can always ask one of the nurses or doctors what time it is when they come in to check on you. They come fairly often too, every half hour or hour or so... but try to get some sleep for me, okay?" He needed all the rest he could get; hopefully he wouldn't be up all night waiting for him to get back.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Ah?" Zevran looked across the room; there was a clock on the wall just as Abel said. Focusing on it was a little difficult - focusing on anything was a little difficult, he was so tired - but he could see it well enough to read it. "Yes, I see," he said reluctantly, and he released his grip on Abel's shoulder as he spoke. "You should probably go then, before they come to throw you out. Like closing time at the bar, yes? Ah-ha." He was going to be in here alone, except when people came to check on him perhaps every half hour. Nine hours. About a third of a day. Alone. He felt very, very alone already and somehow empty. What had happened? How had they been shot? There was a memory there somewhere but his mind shied away from it, it was looming and huge and yet somehow nebulous. Probably because he'd been shot.

"Um, yeah, and Abel recorded some songs for you so you'll have something to listen to," Taavi said cautiously as he got to his feet. "Right Abel? Um. We can put the CD on for you before we go if you like."

"Oh, is that why I have a song stuck in my head?" Zevran asked with a strained-looking smile.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

For some reason Zev telling them they should probably go now felt like a spear through his heart, but he merely inhaled softly and leaned up to press a kiss to Zev's forehead. "Everything will be fine, I promise," he said again, though he wasn't sure how much his reassurances were doing for his obviously worried, upset boyfriend. Why couldn't he just stay? ...no, nevermind, he knew why. That didn't make him feel any better about it though.

And then Taavi brought up the CD; Abel gave him a grateful smile as he straightened up a little again, though one hand remained touching Zev's cheek. "That's right, I made it for you last night... so that's probably why; sorry," he added, suddenly a bit sheepish. "I was hoping it'd help you feel better or.. something, I don't know. But we'll put it on for you before we go, and I can ask them to make sure it keeps playing while you sleep, if you want?"  

[TawnyAngel]

Abel had gone to a lot of trouble for him, and had already sat with him for hours today and who knew how many hours before? He didn't yet know how long he'd been unconscious. There was a lot he didn't know, wanted to ask, but Abel was leaving. He should be grateful for the time Abel had already devoted to him, not wish for more.

Zevran's smile remained and he shook his head. "Don't be sorry, it's a good song. I... yes, I would like to have something to listen to. Perhaps I will get a different one into my head by tomorrow? I will let you know in the morning." Perhaps the music would make him feel a little less alone. At least having it playing would remind him that somebody cared, cared very much, cared far more than he deserved. He just wished Abel didn't have to go.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Alright," he said easily, planting another fond kiss to Zevran's forehead before glancing over at the clock: well, they hadn't been kicked out yet but they would within the next minute or two. Abel stood and took a couple steps over to the radio to turn it on again. "I'll ask them to check occasionally and make sure it's still playing for you," he said as the soft music began to fill the room, then stepped over to cup his boyfriend's face - his precious face - in his hands and bent down again to press one more kiss to his forehead. "I'll be back first thing in the morning, okay sweetheart? I promise."  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran smiled wanly and closed his eyes as Abel kissed his brow. He would come back. Why would he not come back? Yes they had been shot but if there was still something wrong out there Abel would be dealing with it not sitting around... So why could he not shake this sense of dread?

"Si cariño, in the morning," he agreed softly. It was going to be a long nine hours but at least he had Abel's voice here with him, it was only a small comfort but he had always been one to take what he could get.

"Yeah, um, I'll drop in with Abel first thing but then I'll be off to work," Taavi said, stooping to pick up his file and hugging it to his chest as he waited for the couple to part. "No rest for the wicked right?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"See? Even better, Taavi will come too. I'm staying out of work for the next few days so I can spend as much time with you as I can, though I'll have to go back eventually. Not yet though, I'll be here with you all day tomorrow. Amigo will too," he added with a smile. The Butterfree was just as adamant about being with Zev as much as possible as he was.

Ahh... they really should go, even though he... absolutely didn't want to. Damn... With a soft sigh and an apologetic, fond smile he gently ran his thumbs over Zev's cheeks as he leant his forehead against his boyfriend's. "I'll see you in the morning then, yeah? Good night sweetheart."