[FIN] To Make Them Smile

[Tori Honoo]

A few hours after the others had taken their leave toward Sagestone, Dove found herself in the hallway outside of Yuri's room, her head set back against the wall, her eyes closed as she tried to relax and piece everything together. Ray and Tymiko were missing, and the others, after an understood, but dishearteningly brief drop in, had gone off to look for one of them. Flynn and Henrietta had gone out to search for Tymiko. She had contacted the proper authorities... including Jace's parents. The boy, still shellshocked but hopeful as ever, was now down the hall speaking with a specialist, just for his own peace of mind, a wish from both his parents and the woman watching over him.

Still feeling absolutely worn thin, the woman pushed herself from her seat, anxiety creeping across her skin and through her chest. She had told herself multiple times she didn't have to be right there at his side, especially as so many people had just been inside his room. She didn't want to disturb him further, and she had taken her leave--a short distance-- when the nurses had asked to check on him in privacy. When they had finished, she lingered in the hall, but now she found herself slowly walking toward her chair at his side once more. The others were preoccupied for now. Jace would return at any moment and she would return to him when needed. The others knew where to find her.

Sinking slowly into her chair, she waited for what felt like hours, listening to the hum of the machines and beep of the monitors and watching the lights in the room change as day turned to early evening.  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

Time continued to tick by and he had absolutely no concept of it. Until the darkness started to part and the world came back to him. It was all a blue, but clearly remembered the pain, the suffocating chill that had surrounded him.

There was a twitch of his hand and the heart monitor started beeping quicker as his heart rate increased.

Dark eyes opened and he gasped, eyes trying to focus on the ceiling above him in his confusion.

Yuri was awake.  

[Tori Honoo]

While she had been curled up again in her chair, dozing, the moment he moved, she jumped a little, her eyes flying to the heart monitor as his heart rate rose.

Shifting her legs to sit up properly and lean forward, she moved closer to him, her eyes widening. He was awake!

A shaky hand reached out toward his, and she spoke softly, worried that if she was too loud she would break this. "Yuri?"  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

Hearing something, he looked over to see Dove. He blinked once... Twice, but didn't say anything.

Instead his fingers gripped her hand weakly. His world was still and unfocused mess but he recognized her and his heart rate slowly calmed once more.  

[Tori Honoo]

The instant his fingers tightened on her hand, her vision grew blurry. "Oh my god, Yuri..." she whispered, tears escaping as she allowed a soft and shaky laugh of relief.

Refusing to let go of his hand, she looked around the room, blinking away the offending haze in her eyes, searching for a way to contact a nurse. Thankfully, the call button wasn't far away, and she pressed it, before retuning her gaze to him. "You're safe; You're going to be okay... Oh, Yuri..."  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

He just blinked at Dove, wanting to speak but unable to do so just yet. He also looked up as a nurse entered and began checking his vitals and IVs. She smiled at him and said a few kind words, but his gaze went back to Dove.

His fuzzy mind was ever slowly starting to clear and he understood her words of relief. Clearly she had been worried about him. Thus he tried to squeeze her hand but only had the strength to make it barely felt.  

[Tori Honoo]

Though weak, he was alive and that was far more than she believed she had any right to ask for, given the condition she had found him in. She watched the nurse go about her task, still refusing to release his hand. When he attempted to squeeze hers, the smile returned and she shook her head a little. "Just relax now... You've been through...Something awful and Arceus knows how many surgeries in the past few hours..." she whispered, hoping to explain even a little and willing to do it all again if need be. "Jace is down the hall and Henrietta and Flynn should be back any time now...You'll be okay though... You'll be okay..."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Listening to Dove's words, Yuri nodded slowly to let her know he understood. There was something comforting about the fact the people he knew and cared about were there.

He then looked around the room, his eyes then falling upon a nearby vase of roses. Huh.  

[Tori Honoo]

She stroked the side of his hand with her thumb, watching h as he looked around. When his eyes fell to the vase of flowers, she smiled a little wider, still teary but happier than she had been in days. "Flynn and the kids brought you the flowers to make you feel better..." she explained, looking them over as well. Beside them sat a small, stuffed wailord keychain and a tin containing the best hot chocolate mix the region had to offer.  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

As she explained, Yuri's lips tugged in a small smile. He quietly gazed at the pastels of the green, yellow, and pink roses with the single red one. He then looked at the little Wailord and the hot chocolate.

He then turned his gaze back to Dove, his lips moving as he tried to speak. "Repede?" He then asked in a weak raspy voice.  

[Tori Honoo]

The smile, though subtle, made her heart skip a beat. He really would be okay...

She squeezed his hand as he tried to speak, shaking her head the smallest bit. "He's okay; I think he might have gone with Flynn and Lambert..." she explained. A smile crept up to her face again, and a soft, happy laugh. "He actually let me pet him, Yuri."  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

Yuri seemed to relax at that then nodded. The he blinked in surprise when she told him that Repede let her pet him.

She really must have been terribly worried if he had done that.  

[Tori Honoo]

She shrugged a little at his surprise, quieting again. "Link and Astal are okay, and Jace made sure to get your bag... We found your sword, too. " She paused a moment, then continued, shifting in her seat and offering another encouraging smile. "Astal evolved, but he's still grumpy as ever. He misses you, though."  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

The corner of Yuri's mouth turned up slightly in amusement due to Astal's typical grumpiness. But evolved? How did that happen. There was an inquisitiveness in his eyes.  

[Tori Honoo]

The questioning look gave her pause, but she quickly pieced it together. "I guess he took a stone out of Repede's bag." A soft grin. "Congratulations, Mr. Lowell. You have a shiny vaporeon." She tucked her hair back from her face with her free hand. "He went after you, I guess. He was pulling you up to the banks by the time Link got me to you."