[FIN] Deep Breaths

[TawnyAngel]

"Two lots of egg and bacon it is then, why don't you go sit and I'll fetch the food over?" Dith suggested, gesturing to a small table in one corner of the room as he spoke. He thought about asking Abel how he liked his eggs, but then he thought better of it.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Aha, and that saved him the trouble of thinking. Aiming a grateful smile at his friend, Abel nodded. "Thanks. I shouldn't have much trouble saving a table, at least. C'mon guys, let's go sit down, yeah?" So saying he gestured for Isaac and Amigo to follow - probably needlessly, he realized after - before heading over to the table Dith had motioned to. It was a nice table too, nestled in the corner and out of the way as it was, and Abel had no trouble sinking down into one of the chairs with a sigh. Isaac hopped up into the chair beside his friend and made a soft noise in the back of his throat; Abel reached over to stroke his ears and gave him an attempt at a wan smile but smiling was getting more difficult the longer he was away from Zev. Funny how that worked.  

[TawnyAngel]

Amigo fluttered after Abel and alighted on the table looking thoroughly dejected; he didn't want to eat either but the big man had mentioned food earlier so he probably wasn't going to get away with it. Why couldn't he just go back to the room? He could perch in a corner, he wouldn't even be in the way.

After a couple of minutes Dith crossed the room to join the quiet trio, carrying a tray in each hand. "Here." Both trays were set down, one in front of Abel; on the human-sized plate there were two rashers of bacon, an over-easy egg, and a piece of white toast. Also on the tray were two small bowls of fruit, a glass of orange juice, and cutlery. The second tray, Dith's presumably, had a rather more substantial breakfast plated up; four bacon, two eggs, two toast, and a large portion of hashbrowns. "I hope the fruit is okay for you two?" Dith nodded to Isaac and Amigo.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Seeing Amigo looking so upset and sad didn't do much to lighten his own mood. Actually it did the opposite; Abel found his own spirits deflating further. Zevran was okay now, but what about tomorrow? The day after? What about in a couple hours from now? Would he still be stable, or would his condition take a turn for the worse? What if they couldn't wake him up? What if--

"Oh, thanks," he said on reflex once Dith returned and set the trays down. Arceus, where would he be if he didn't have his friends to look after him and make sure he didn't depress himself into a starved ball somewhere? "I know Isaac likes fruit -- don't you, bud?" The blond asked somewhat absently as he picked up each bowl one at a time before setting each in front of the pair of pokemon. The named let out a soft affirmative noise, though he hesitated a few moments. He didn't feel like eating either, but what kind of example would he set if he encouraged his friends to eat but didn't eat himself? Not a very good one, that was for sure. Trying to keep his reluctance from his face, Isaac bent his head down to begin eating some of the fruit.

Abel merely watched his Espeon for a few quiet moments before he picked up his fork and cut into his egg with it. A thought occurred to him before he could eat anything though, and he looked over at Dith with faint curiosity in his tired eyes. "Oh, I could probably use my phone in here, yeah? It's far enough from the ICU, isn't it?" He probably could, but it wasn't something he wanted to assume without knowing for sure, especially since having it on could negatively affect the machinery and things in there. That wouldn't be good, not in the least.  

[TawnyAngel]

Dith wasted no time in starting his own food, he'd only had a bit of fruit himself before leaving the flat and he was more than ready for more. When Abel asked his question Dith had his mouth full but he nodded and made an affirmative noise. "Yes that's fine," he said once he'd swallowed. "Here is fine, there are lounges where it's also fine and in the hallways so long as you're not making loud calls- not that I think you would. Phones, pokegears and the like can interfere with some medical equipment," like ventilators, "which is why they need to be turned off on medical wards."

As Dith went about his explanation Amigo picked up a piece of fruit and started to nibble half-heartedly at it. He would really rather be doing nearly anything except eating. He'd rather be back at Abel's apartment with Zev, or out somewhere doing something with him.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Ah okay," Abel replied, nodding briefly as he fetched his phone out of his pocket with his free hand to turn it on, "I figured it'd be okay here but wanted to make sure. The last thing I want to do is cause anyone problems. And definitely no loud phone conversations, no." Nope, none of that for him. Humm, had Taavi texted him or tried to call him at all since he'd been gone? Hopefully not, or else he'd be waiting a while... Either way he should probably send him an update. As he pondered what to type, he reluctantly began to eat despite the fact he still had absolutely no desire to. Even if he didn't want to he at least knew he had to, so he ate absentmindedly while focusing on his phone instead. At least that way he didn't have to force himself, it just sort of ended up happening without him realizing or paying attention to it.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Mmh," Dith nodded, "Always best to check."

While Abel did whatever it whatever he needed to on his phone Dith got on with eating and quietly wondered what the hell had happened, and what was going to happen next. Phrases like 'police involvement' kept floating through his mind; Zevran had been facing whoever had shot him, had he retaliated? And what about Abel? The fact that Abel hadn't mentioned there being people out there to catch said quite clearly to Dith that he didn't want it looked into. He happened to know that their clothing had been kept, analysis on that would certainly say if they had been near a weapon when it had been discharged and clever forensics might even be able to say for sure if either of them had pulled a trigger. If neither of them wanted it investigated and no other victims came in however that was that. That didn't mean he could so easily forget about it, if his friend - and his boyfriend - might still be in danger.... Perhaps he could find out a little more if Abel wanted to come to his office to wait out the two hours.

"When we're done here I thought perhaps we could go to my office," Dith suggested, setting his fork down and picking up his mug instead. "It's quiet there, there's a sofa you can collapse on, and more coffee." If Abel didn't seem inclined to rest at all he'd give him a proper one when they got there.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Hm, nothing from Taavi yet. In all likelihood he was fast asleep - not that Abel could blame him - so after a bit more thought and a couple more bites of food, the blond tapped out a quick text to his best friend.

//No changes yet. Kicked out for a while so they can do stuff. Getting food with Dith//

Once satisfied with the brief, informative text, he sent it off before pocketing his phone again and taking a few more bites of his breakfast. That... he still didn't want. When he actually stopped to think about it, he could feel his stomach churning in protest at what felt like rocks he'd dropped in there. Well... Ah, Dith was talking.

Abel's brows rose a bit. "Oh, really? That sounds nice, thanks. I didn't know you had an office," he said, mimicking his friend and picking up his cup of coffee to polish it off. "And more coffee would be good, I think." A pause. He tapped the empty disposable cup on the table lightly a few times, studying its simple design for a few moments. He'd had a whole cup of coffee at this point and he didn't feel any more awake after it. In fact, he actually could swear he felt more tired. So either he was so exhausted that coffee wasn't helping even a little, or... "This was decaf, wasn't it?"  

[TawnyAngel]

Ah, busted.

Dith smiled wryly and nodded. "Guilty as charged, I didn't know how much you might have already had this morning. If you want proper coffee I can make some when we get to my office, I could do with another myself before I start work." Abel had eaten, well, some of his breakfast and the pokemon had eaten some too; Dith finished his own in another quick couple of bites. "If you've had as much as you can manage we can head off, it's not too comfortable to sit around here."

As Dith was speaking Abel would receive a reply to his text; //Thanks for letting me know. All ok here. Take care.//  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Aha, that made sense then. Abel waved his empty cup at him vaguely before setting it down and picking up his fork again. "Nah, that's fair. I had a cup before I left this morning, and a little bit to eat," he said with a small shrug. Had he mentioned that earlier? He might've, but it was a bit difficult to remember now; oh well. The blond took another bite or two of his food before deeming himself full - or at least done, since that was about as much as he could stomach - then pulled out his phone to check once more since it had buzzed, presumably from Taavi...

...yep, from Taavi. //Will do. You too// he sent off before pocketing it again, then glanced over at the pair of pokemon. "Alright, I think I'm about done for now. What about you guys? If you're done we can go head up to Dith's office to wait, I'm sure it's more comfortable there than out in a hall or lobby somewhere around here."

Isaac polished off another berry - he'd eaten a few, at least - before carefully nudging his bowl away with his nose. "Eon," he chirped softly. Staying in Dith's office for a while sounded much nicer and more comfortable than the floor or a hard plastic chair somewhere. Or a desk.  

[TawnyAngel]

Amigo too had eaten a few berries, enough that he felt like he had the energy to fly again which was good even if he hadn't really wanted to eat; he nodded agreement and added a soft, "Fwee."

"Right!" Dith nodded back, and then promptly finished up the last of Abel's food in a couple of bites, and then the pokemon's berries as he stood up. "No point in waste!" he said with a brief flash of a smile, once he'd swallowed of course. He hated letting food go to waste, he'd never quite lost the feeling that if you didn't make use of everything you could you'd find yourself short another day and regret it.

"We'll go out the other door," Dith nodded to it as he stacked the trays and then put the plates and things onto the top on. "My office is down that way a little more, on the second floor."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel found himself smiling a tad despite himself as Dith polished off the rest of their food. "That's fair," he said again. This time last year he would've felt the same - he would've eaten as much as he could manage to and wouldn't want to waste a single thing - but now he just... couldn't convince himself to eat very much. It was kind of funny how things changed.

As he stood he found himself grateful that Dith gathered the trays and things; normally he did that but his friend was faster and less sluggish and exhausted, clearly, so Abel merely pushed in his chair before hooking his thumbs into his pockets and looking the way Dith nodded to. That didn't sound very far at all, thankfully. "Alright," he said with a small nod. "That's nice and close to the canteen, yeah?" Probably pretty convenient for when he got hungry while in his office, he could just come downstairs and grab something to eat then go back up.

Isaac chirped and hopped down off his chair, ready to follow the pair of humans up to the comfortable office. Not that he minded the canteen, of course, but it would be a welcome reprieve from being around so many unfamiliar and at times uncomfortable sterile environments and machines.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Very convenient," Dith agreed with a soft chuckle, "I was quite pleased when I was assigned it." As they passed a rack by the door Dith dropped off the stacked trays and then headed on out into the hallway and turned left. Just a few yards ahead the hallway branched in a T shape where a pair of signs indicated stairs and elevator. "Stairs, or elevator?" Dith asked, and gestured along with his query. When Abel indicated the latter he pressed the button to call it and then stepped inside as the doors opened.

From there it only took about a minute to reach the office; Dith pressed his staff card to the sensor by the door and pushed it open when the light flashed green.

"Here we are," he said, flipping the switch on as they stepped inside, "Go sit down, I'll make you a coffee."

It wasn't a huge office but it wasn't a little box of a place either. The walls were stark white but cheered up on one side by several pale wooden bookcases; these and of themselves were not that cheery but the adorable pokemon plushies that sat ranked along their tops certainly were.

The other three walls held large print photographs of pokemon, largely Dith's: there was Zla pulling a face, there sat Viktor on a sunbathed patio with a peaceful look in his golden eyes, Luna looking up at a brilliant sky of stars and Dolly prancing through a grassy field. A rather more formal photograph displayed an elegant Ninetails (missing its left eye) beside a shiny Gardevoir set against the backdrop of a rather grand fireplace.

In the way of other furniture there was a glass desk set facing the door; it was made of glass and held a laptop an in tray, an out tray, some photographs, and an impressive collection of Transformons figures. A set of locked cabinets behind the desk were covered in stickers, either witty or fandom related.

And finally, against the last wall, was a large comfortable looking couch of a serviceable dark grey. It had a couple of cushions on it in the shape of Wailmer, and a huggable looking Raichu plush sitting on it.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel was content to shut his brain off as he followed after Dith, and grateful for the elevator. Usually it was his lungs that prevented him from using the stairs, but this time was different; he would've preferred his lungs being the culprit if it meant Zevran would be back home safe and sound and awake - alive - and ready to drape over him on the couch. But it wasn't, and he wasn't, and not for the first time that day Abel found himself struggling with quiet misery in the wake of his boyfriend's nearly fatal injuries.

The blond seemed to have grown three times more weary by the time they entered the office, and when told to sit he moved to sink down gratefully on the sofa. "Thanks again," he said with a soft sigh, feeling a tiny bit better on the more comfortable seating compared to the hard plastic things downstairs. He took a moment to look around the office as Isaac hopped up and did the same, and much as he wanted to smile at the variety of plushies around and just how much Dith had gone to make the office his own, he couldn't summon the energy to do so. He was so tired. Tired and absolutely exhausted from so many things; exertion, stress, worry, anxiety, fear... "I like your office." He could think about all the reasons why he was exhausted later. "And coffee'd be nice, thank you."  

[TawnyAngel]

"You're welcome, and thank you." Dith smiled as he headed over to a little table in the corner behind the desk that held various drink-making paraphernalia, including a small kettle which he filled from a jug of water. "Just lie down and relax if you want, I have plenty to be getting on with." Social interaction was probably difficult to cope with for him right now, and much though Dith wanted to know what had happened he definitely didn't want to put Abel under any more strain than he was already.

Amigo alighted on the back of the couch and fanned his wings slowly a few times; getting some rest sounded good, he didn't think he'd ever been this tired... But how could he just relax and go to sleep knowing how ill his trainer was? It didn't feel right.