[FIN] Equivalent Exchange

[Blood_Goddess]

Rosie was at the front counter of the hospital on the hour that visitors were being permitted into the ward, she knew there was a chance that she would be turned away, maybe complications, or if he wasn't seeing anyone. but she showed up none the less.

The night before she had not been able to fall asleep easy, her mind rushing with the events of the day, and most prominently, on Luke, worry about his condition and just in shock at the reality of the situation.
So worried that she would sleep past her alarm she had set to get her up and get her to the hospital, she found herself being waken up every hour just to double check the time.

It all seemed to be worth it though, since they said that he was taking visitors, and even better, that he had woken up that night.
With a flower stem held nervously in her fingers, over a light blue dress and matching flats, Rosie made her way through the halls, counting down the doors till she reached the one that Luke was staying in.
a glance down to Kiss Kiss who was trotting along beside her, Rosie let go of the flower with one of her hands, lifting it to knock on the door.  

[Suudonym]

The previous night had not been a pleasant one for Luke either, having awoken at some odd hour to an amalgamation of pain and distress and fear and having had hours since to consider the brutality of his situation. He had calmed gradually, more out of necessity to his physical well-being than out of any kind of acceptance, dozing insubstantially in a fugue of burning agony that was only barely dulled by the medication he was given. The knock on the door garnered his attention easily - he remembered being told something about testing that would take place some time that day and assumed it to be a nurse come to offer more information on that - and he responded with a dry-mouthed "yes?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

The reply from the other side of the door was in Luke's voice, it was weak, and tired, and didn't quite sound himself, but it was like music to her ears.
placing her hand on the door handle to push it open, Kiss Kiss squeezing through the door to pounce into the room, followed by the blond, who's blue eyes found the occupant of the room before she gave a small smile. "Feeling up for visitors?" she asked.  

[Suudonym]

The expression with which Rosie was greeted was one of a relief so immense it nearly became pain in his features. Clenching his hands loosely, he looked to his lap and nodded. "Yeah."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Kiss Kiss hopped up onto the end of the bed, balancing herself easily over the foot of the bed. eyes wide as she looked from Luke to Rosie. The blond blinked a little at the look on his face, her breath caught in her chest a little, her fingers frightening with the flower stem nervously. A smile was returned to her face though when he replied, giving her more reason to enter the room.
Closing the door quietly behind her, the blond made her way over to his bedside.
"I know its probably a little silly to ask, but how are you feeling?"  

[Suudonym]

Finding an answer for that question was more difficult than it usually was, and it took some time and several failed attempts before he could put together words that he deemed suitable, "I've been worse." Vague as it was, it was true. He spared a sidelong glance. "You're okay?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

Her smile turned a little amused at his reply "You know, Yuri said something like that."
tilting her head at his question, Rosie reached out to pull a seat closer to her, "I am." she said as she sat down, folding her fingers over her knees as she leaned forward to be able to talk to him. "... Thanks to you."  

[Suudonym]

"Yuri's all right?" he said, failing to remember much of anything that had happened after he'd grabbed Rosie. "And everyone else?"

The knowledge that Rosie was fine, that his actions had allowed that, that his efforts hadn't been in vain, was rewarding - but still. "That's good." But still. "I'm glad." But still.  

[Blood_Goddess]

She nodded, "He's alright,"
Kiss Kiss had hopped off of the bed, and pounced over next to Rosie's chair.
glancing down at her Raichu, Rosie reached her hand out to put the pink rose down on the bedside table, opening her hands to let the Raichu hop up, and curl against the girl, dark blue eyes moving back to Luke once she was content.
"Dove was hurt, from what I hear pretty bad, Sera had to get glass out of her arms, and Dith got scratched up, but no one else was seriously injured." She explained.

She let her eyes fall, inexplicably nervous all of a sudden, nervously tucking one side of her hair behind her ear, as much as she could since much of it was tied back in ribbons. "I... uh."
Was that all she could say? Thank you? after spending a while night going over and over the things she could say to him, and now of all times she found herself struggling with words. "What you did... I."  

[Suudonym]

He nodded slightly as she explained, brow furrowed slightly. It wasn't surprising to hear that there were so many wounded, but that didn't make it any less awful. He hoped the other teams that had gone into the desert hadn't confronted similar disasters.

The situation suddenly felt starkly familiar despite so many differences, and through Rosie's hesitation, Luke stole the opportunity to speak, "I'm glad I could make up for what happened at the convention." It wasn't the quite the same as correcting a failure in essence, but it felt close enough for him to count it as such.  

[Blood_Goddess]

She looked up when her disconnected thoughts were interrupted by Luke's word, arching her eyebrows, lips parting slightly as she lingered for a few seconds, looking like she didn't know what to say.
closing her mouth Rosie sat up a little in her seat, crossing her ancle and sliding them under the chair as she did.
"I... I never blamed you for what happened at the convention, that wasn't anything you had to make up for..." She tilted her head, glancing over at the bed side where the flower was.
"I wasn't even thinking about the convention... not even a little, but what you did for me yesterday... After I saw what hit you, and what it did to you-" and what it could have done to her "I can't... even express-..."
she stopped talking again, not looking up at him as her voice began to shiver a little. "I'm pretty convinced that you saved my life," the blond finally concluded "You're back in the hospital, dealing with all of this again, and even if I hate seeing you like this, I wish more than anything that you had never been hurt... How could I ever even begin to repay what you've done?"
It didn't seem like a direct question, more of an expression of the impact his actions seemed to have made.  

[Suudonym]

"I know," he said, clasping his hands in his lap, "but you know I blamed myself. And I understand… as much as I don't want to see you get hurt, for you it's the same… I don't know how to reconcile it. I'm happy that you're safe, but I wish you wouldn't worry. Or, I wish I didn't have to make you worry." He raised his hands to his face momentarily, wearing an expression as if he were withstanding something. When he lowered them again, it was with a slightly paler complexion. "If you say that I saved your life, then it was worth it. It was worth anything."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Looking back up to him, with a conflicted expression her eyebrows more tense then they usually were with an ebbing concern. she leaned forward, reaching out to take one of his hands into hers.
"Thank you."
She spoke in a quiet tone. When it all came down to it, that's all she really felt mattered, at least right now.
bringing her other hand to his as well and bringing it to her forehead when she leaned down a little. "Just... Thank you."
She could not promise that she wouldn't worry, and she knew she would always hate when he got hurt. But she couldn't look past the fact that he had done this for her... "Just, get better soon."  

[Suudonym]

He couldn't respond to her encouragement, the frightening uncertainty of his situation returning to his thoughts - and, with it, a natural sense of pessimism. He couldn't look at her, or even in her direction, and as he stared stubbornly into empty space, his expression fraught and his hand tensing in hers, he offered his dismal words, "I don't know if I'll be able to protect you anymore."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Lifting her head after she spoke, taken by surprise by what he said, not so much that it was something she was at all thinking about, she certainly never expected anyone to protect her. It was more of the fact that she wasn't sure why he was saying that.
"Is something wrong?"
It was easy to figure out he was implying as much, and a sudden dread clenched in her chest. what had that impact done to him?