Rhy'Din General Hospital: January 4, 2016 - 08:22

Ruth collapsed into a chair with a tired sigh, a few grunts escaping her as she rolled and popped her neck at least a half dozen times. Taking a long moment just to bask in the brief pause of nothingness the older woman breathed in and out meditatively which was an impressive feat given the hustle and bustle around her of one of Rhy'Din's premier level one trauma centers. Yet after the third time someone bumped into her while trying to squeeze by the woman finally gave up on that futile effort as she leaned forward with a groan to come face to face once more with that happily smiling face in a folder.

"Asshole..." A colorful name for the man who had been the center of her world for the past four hours since he'd rolled into the ambulance bay little more than cooked meat held together with pretty much tape and pixie dust glue. Looking over to the computer she scrolled and moved her way through the system for a bit....and a bit more....and then one final attempt before she bounced the mouse off the counter. "Does anyone remember how the hell I get to CT images in this stupid system!?"

Only a few of the newer employees or folks not used to such outbursts popped their heads up from their work to prairie dog at the aggravated woman. As for the rest they simply stayed on task, including the male with the pompadour and the teal scrubs taping vitals into an electronic chart. "Diagnostics, Procedures, Non-Invasive, Imaging, LRCT Q Scan Ups....you should take a refresher on the system Doc."

"You should mind your own business on unwanted advice before someone finds themselves the 24 hour urine collection king." A bitter retort even as she followed the instructions.

"Oh you know you love me for my saucy." A snappy return that simply had the haggered woman smirk as she flicked a pen playfully at the young man.

"Shut up and thanks." Turning her attention now to the grayscale cross sections of the hunter on the screen she did a comparison to the spots that had been accurately called as problem areas that required the OR teams intervention and those that had been missed and found the hard way after the effects of the regeneration potion wore off. It wasn't quiet as bad as some of those old cartoons where someone is missed getting shot up, takes a drink of water while bragging, and then starts leaking water like a sprinkler....not quiet, but close. At the very least they'd caught most the worst of them so while he did 'die' a few times on the table trying to get the rest they were able to bring him back and now it was mostly putting him back together for another run through the CT machine, some preparation for amputating the mutilated right hand, some time to infuse a few potions into the man to keep him stable, and some recuperation time since, much to the horror of everyone on the team, the man had been being worked on without anesthesia.

It had been another moment of nearly everyone flipping and openly rebelling against her and she fully expected some serious letters of complaint and a review for such. But regardless she'd pushed them to put aside their code of ethics and to do so which earned each and every one of them her eternal gratitude for as little as that was worth. It may have seemed insane and yet it was a necessary evil....a term she found she used far too many times when talking about hunters....due to how threadbare a connection his psyche and soul had to his body. A forced slip into the Sea of Dreams with how he was and it was more likely than not that he'd never return. It was something she'd learned the hard way doing meatball work on hunters in trenches during the Permiatic War and was one of the many, many reasons why she'd left Tang to work out in Rhy'Din....though even here they still died on her. But not this one, and so they worked on him, without anesthesia, for four hours....likely six by the time they were done. And the sickest part of it all" The man hardly flinched for it which infuriated the doctor more than anything as whatever he'd endured that brought him to this state had to have been worse than that. But at very least now with some recuperation time and the potions that were finally delivered from the Bristle Crios they would be able to put him under some mild anesthetic for the second set of procedures to truly stabilize the man, though not as fully under as would truly be desired from any party involved.

Jotting down a few notes and observations she finally closed that section of the man's chart, her features twitching as it returned to that smiling face of his on the home screen once again. She resisted the urge to curse as she began looking into his demographics to find someone official to call about his condition. This was, of course, in addition to the other two headache cases that had already presented themselves on the man's behalf. The demon woman that had run in dressed in pajamas, with bleeding feet, and threatened her staff was an oddly fitting choice of friend in her mind for one of Mach's....liberal views. But the woman seemed earnest, if not volatile, and was left to process in a grief room until they would finally go home. What was surprising though was the ride along cop that was now occupying one of her ER beds under observation after a run in with a few bits of trouble that her superior officer insisted may have given her a concussion. Mind it wasn't that she didn't think Elitia incapable or the sort to snub friendships with police but more she typically figured his relationship with such earnest folk typically involved handcuffs and a nice cell for him to cool off in. Of course, knowing some hunters appetites, such didn't exactly have to do with being arrested.

Letting go of a stressed sigh the woman pinched at the bridge of her nose as her thoughts went on terrible tangents. "Didn't Mr. Turner used to have an emergency contact listed?" A random question thrown out in a grumble as she took out her glasses to check where she could have sworn she'd seen such last time the man was in.

"Um, he updated that around the beginning of last month when he was in for a broken ulna back to 'no listed contacts' ma'am." The clerk withered a little under the hard, emerald gaze of the tired attending.

"Stupid idiot finds someone he trusts enough to let know and act as agent for him when he finally gets himself screwed up badly and he pisses them off enough to remove them" A bitter exhale left her as she pressed her brow into her hands, trying to push back the desire to go in and hit the schmooze with a clipboard. "Does anyone remember who it was?"

"Umm....ma'am, he removed them from the contact list. That mean-"

"I know what that means! It means he's a stupid idiot that's being dramatic and needs to learn to open up and stay that way with people he trusts. But right now he's a pile of meat on a table and he trusted somebody to know where he was at when this kind of crap hit the fan. So I don't care if he's having a tissy the last time he was in-"

"Actually he's been in twenty-"

"I. DON'T. CARE. If he's having a tissy with this person, whoever they are, should still be notified. Even if just because of who they were to him....believe me, with this lot you hardly see contacts." Rubbing her eyes once more she began the aggravating task of seeing if she could look back in his chart for such information.

"Well, I thought it was an 'F' something. Um..."

"Farron." There was a pause as everyone turned to the mousey clerk. "T-T-The last name was F-Farron."

A moment passed as the gathering thought on that for a moment. "Not, like, Claire Farron, right' Captain of Team Dirty, married to Noctis Caelum and thus a mogul of the enterprise, major player in Rhy'Din....I mean, this is Mach we're talking about!"

There was a bout of nervous laughter at that. Partially because of the craziness of such a suggestion and partially because- "Actually there was a call an hour or so ago from a representative from the Caelum Enterprises, a Mr. Trevisano, that was inquiring whether we'd need anything for his treatment....sort of helped get those potions Ruth was yelling at the professor at the college about earlier here so fast..."

That nervous laugh kind of died at the implications of that. "W-Wait, you don't think..."

"Well, it is Rhy'Din....talking with ones wicks and squish is pretty much the definition of a business lunch around here..."

"Whoa, whoa, we're talking the married head of the Caelum Enterprises!"

"Don't we know it! Machy boy does have that cabana pool boy look ab-"

"Alright hens! Enough with the gossip churning! I'll call her or her office or whoever the hell you call in an enterprise but baring that is there a much more sane choice I should call as well?"

The group fell into thought for a long moment before there was a snap. "Club Ampersand! That hot dive down in New Haven, that's run by a Farron, right?"

"Y-Yeah! Claires sister, Serah!" The group paused again to look at the mousey clerk that ducked down beneath the cover of a clipboard. "I-I-I like th-their paint nights! A-And I think I saw M-Mr. Turner there a few times several months back."

"Daaayum, Dina's got a wild side!"

"Shut up Carlo!"

"Enough!" Ruth sucked in her breath the moment she realized she was snapping at the staff. Drawing in a breath she held it for a tick before releasing it in a tired sigh. "Alright, you jerks play nice, I'm going to go kill a lung or two, throw some coffee in my face, and make the calls. Caelum Enterprises and Club Ampersand." Rising from her seat with a groan the rest of the staff simply did a terrible impression of a salute.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Ruth shot the collective a sour look as they burst into laughter, having a gay old time even in the midst of such terrible occurrences....but then they were ER staff, that's what they did. It was what she did too usually if this case didn't hit far too close to home for comfort. Without even pulling on her smock she headed outside, her clinical cellphone drawn out in tandem with her personal one so as she could look up those respective numbers and give each a call hoping she wasn't just crank calling two respected members of the community on a lark and a hunch.

Rhy'Din General Hospital - ER: January 4, 2016 " Around 04:00

There was a definitive snap as the door shut behind the wall of muscle and fat that blocked the movement of the officer after the crash team carting the meat of a hunter away, the man with a threadbare smile upon him as hands gestured for the woman to calm down. "I hear you ma'am, and I respect your position, but really, what are you going to do in there" And in the shape you're in" I think you should have a seat and let Ms. Parnel have a look over you."

The man spoke in a soothing tone of one very used to dealing with crazed patients while still sort of standing between the Joint Task Force member and the quickly distancing crash party.

"Don't you patronize me you rent-a-cop. My partner isn't some normal guy. I have to make sure he's taken care of in there!" she said with a tone that was reserved for monsters wanting to tear her face off. "I'm fine." A lie that fell apart given her current lean on her only good leg and an arm wrapped around her ribs.

"You gotta let me in there. Anything happens to him..." She seemed to drop to silence. What if something happened to Mach. Then what? You going to go in there and bring him back" Little miss girl scout that can barely handle cantrip sticks" The human partner that had to rely too much on the big, bad hunter to pull her bacon out of the fire way too often. You've got Jack and Shit and Jack left town an hour ago.

She hated her mind some days as it sided with logic over what she felt was her duty. She took a deep breath to calm herself and that was when her ribs gave up on playing nice, dropping her to the ground with a dizzy spell.

The 'rent-a-cop' didn't seem too terribly impressed with the insults thrown at them as harassment really was pretty much on their job descriptor. So rather than let the mad woman that was barely able to stand rattle him he simply kept up that well practiced stonewall. "I'm sure he's not some normal guy. Don't see many folks that bad off being rolled into the doors of the living, but you gotta trust the system. You, me, him, we're all part of it and we all gotta do our parts ma'am. And we gotta let the other parts do what they do best."

As the man spoke the nurse, Ms. Parnel, slowly flanked the woman, checking on her injuries as she moved while also getting herself out of the mad woman's line of fire. And when Hope's body finally succumbed to the injuries she had sustained" Well, the nurse was there to catch the woman, easing her in a controlled manner rather than the face to pavement route some folks took to the ground!

The security officer moved to take over supporting Hope, taking a kneel so Parnel could move off with a nod to go get a wheelchair. "Hey now hey now, see, you need some rest yourself, alright' We can get you looked at and then I can see about having the doc come and talk to you about your friend, how does that sound for a plan?"

Hope had a scowl on her face at how her body betrayed her. She wanted to fight and push on. Wanted to make sure the last time she saw Mach wasn't the last. Look on the bright side. If he does bite it, you'll get to see him again in the morgue, right' And if he makes it, think you can see him flat on your back"

She just about lost hope herself as her mind sided with her body, leaving her feelings the odd man out. She barely heard the security officer or the saving grace the nurse gave her to get her head from bouncing concrete. She gave herself a moment before speaking, letting the tightness in her throat ease up some, willing those tears to vaporize before touching her freckled cheeks. Damn it, she was not going to cry at a hospital again. Not this time.

Hope finally spoke after a two minute lapse of silence. "Yeah. Might as well find out the damage I racked up on my sorry ass." she said a bit broken.

The security officer offered her a gentle smile, well-practiced and sincere only in the fact that he did feel sorry for her and what she must be going through. But then he didn't have any clue what sort of relationship this one and the meat that had just been wheeled past had. Lovers, friends, frenemies, partners.....all he knew was that she was distraught over seeing the guy so stricken and that had to mean that she cared which was enough for him. Giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder it would soon turn to a stabilizing hand as he worked with the nurse to lift and deposit the woman onto the brought out transport chair, her legs adjusted on the foot rests before the guard set to wheeling her into the ER. "You and you're partner got a name?" Small talk really but it seemed the women could use such as he pushed her along.

Hope didn't protect being helped or moved to the wheelchair. She helped where she could with her own body, hisses of protest when certain bruised and abused portions of her leg and ribs were jostled or brushed with the fabric of her clothing.

She seemed to sink into the chair as the security officer wheeled her into the ER. "Names" Yeah....suppose we have names. The man is Mach, well I call him Mach. The higher ups call him Eli Turner. Rarely use his given name. I'm Hope Jubal. Ironic for a woman that loses hope some days." she said in a haze as the pain and ache would no longer stay shoved into the recesses of her mind.

"What's your name" Didn't quite catch the nurses name either. Gets hard to dig out of that tunnel vision." she said to the man.

Moving along she would soon find herself in the back triage hallway, sort of deposited against a wall while the nurse moved off to grab a robonurse to take some vitals. The guard stayed behind, a faint smile offered to her, something broad and lopsided. "I'm Lenard but most call me Lenny. And the nurse is Ms. Parnel.....best to call her that as she hates her first name. Says it reminds her of a stripper." He winked in a manner that seemed very odd for a man like him, not at all as natural as Mach did but then that one was a total schmooze who probably practiced such in front of a mirror. "Mach' That's an odd name. Why do you call him that....or more, why's he go about with a name like that...?" There was a pause though as she spoke about losing her namesake, another pat given to her left shoulder. "Hey now, I'm sure you partner will pull through. He's already done the hard part, right?" A crooked smile at that attempt of humor which more than likely feel flat though it did make him very happy to see the nurse return as she started moving to hook the dazed officer up to the instrument which beeped and booped innocuously waiting to take a read.

"Why the hell does she look so miserable....I'd sort of figured she'd be thrilled at me being two shakes from baked" The shade spoke with mild wonder in its tone as it watched the woman, hands stuffed into what was likely pockets.

"Perhaps there is more to what she is than you know Elitia Vance Turner."

" Hmm....maybe." Mild words as he considered things. "Still think she shouldn't be so concerned over me. I mean, I've seen some tough as nails folks and she's the real brass tacks."

"I'm sure he'll pull out of it." She said to Lenny. She watched Parnel hook her up to what sound liked a pinball machine on Mary Jane.

"I've just always called him Mach. Never gave it much thought. He's a prick on his best days but I wouldn't want anyone else backing me. That man has taken me through the rabbit hole and back again through the year. I've had partners back on Earth, even in the Watch, but none really....felt right around me. Get used to working with someone day and night. You know. Just, feel like the world slams you down a flight of stairs seeing them missing or, or, like that." She closed her eyes a bit and bit down hard on her lower lip.

"I've lost too many people in my life in hospitals..." she whispered, afraid to give power to those words. Words ready to rip apart the hard front she worked on for years to be the tough girl that could hang with the boys in blue.

"..."

"Still think she is 'brass tacks' as you would say?"

The shade cast a rueful look over at the cloaked figure with the smoking figures that was, at the same time, a skeleton. Always hard to wrap his head about that one. "Well, I mean, sure....I always knew that she was a woman underneath it all. Always saw that....sort of why I gave her such grief you know....er, no, you wouldn't....but yeah. Try to open her up. I mean.....even I need to confide in someone when..." The shade fell silent, biting back something before words finally left it softly in the ether. "Damn....I'm sorry."

Lenny couldn't help but chuckle at her description. "So he's an ass but you like him anyways is what you're saying. Yeah, it takes a lot to find a person like that....especially in your line of work I imagine. But....yeah.....sorry you've had to see him like.....like that." The man shuffled about uncomfortably, even more so at those last words from the woman that barely broke audible and quivered with the struggle to hold herself together.

As for the nurse she gave Hope a gentle smile. "It'll be okay hon, Dr. Ibanez is one of the best docs around, and she specializes in....'hunters' I think she's called them. He's in the best of hands here."

Hope stared at Parnel a moment. "Did you say the doctor specializes in hunters?" What was a woman on the verge of breaking down found that silver lining in chaos, reached for it and put a death grip on that hope. "I'll cooperate more if Mach has someone like her working on him."

Moving now she started pushing and turning Hopes arm and leg, checking the seriousness of the injuries sustained with a soft frown. "Lenny, think you can wheel her to 33 and get her a gown to change into' We're going to need to take a few x-rays of that leg and her chest as well as do some wrapping at least."

The nurse gave her a look as the officer suddenly perked from that slump at hearing that news. "Y-Yes. She apparently was a military doctor from wherever he comes from....knows about their particularities. When she has some time I can have her come talk to you, give you an update on his condition." This was offered with a small smile before she left the woman.

The security guard nodded before he'd move to wheel Hope off for that room, a hospital gown and belongings bag snagged along the way as he'd stop her before a rather uncomfortable looking bed. "Alright, if you can empty your pockets on the bed for me to check and then I'll give you some privacy to change."

A few winces and muttered curses when Parnel did a physical exam on her limbs had her huffing a bit in pain. Seemed she got to wear a hospital gown, again. She leaned into the chair as she was wheeled away. When they reached the bed, she nodded to Lenny. "I....know the drill. Just hope I am not stuck here for a month like last time." she said and with care emptied her pockets and removed her gun belt, the gun spent. On the bed was a cell phone, keys to her apartment, gum, that mistletoe and half pack of cigarettes from Mach.

"So what kept you from walking the line of beat cop, Lenny?" shift of subject to let her emotions have a cool down, give her space to pull that shattered tough woman act back together and smother the vulnerable woman inside.

In that small room the large security guard looked over all that was placed on the bed. The gun belt and 9 mm, spent as it was, was instantly set aside to be locked in a safe though the rest was quickly went over and dropped into that belongings bag, the pack of cigarettes inspected carefully for any sort of contraband. "Cute..." A smirk as he seemed to read something written on the bottom of the pack. A simple message from Mach - 'Smoke all these without me and you owe me ramen! ~M' Dropping the cigarettes into the bag last he'd leave it on the bed for her so as she could put her cloths in it.

There was a pause as grabbed that gun and belt. "I wasn't terribly interested in getting my ass cooked off ma'am. So when I got dropped here by the Nexus I didn't re-enlist in the cops. Took my time as a sheriff and use it here. Pays decent, less donuts but I can handle that." Another awkward wink as he smiled at her. "I'll be back in a bit. Did you want some food or water?" Offered kindly. He'd a wait a moment to catch anything she said before he'd step out to give her some privacy.

"Always ask others about themselves when you want to hide your own agenda....I think I went over that with her during 'don't get your ass cooked' training for that club raid we did."

"Seems she's taken your lessons to heart."

"Yeah.....the dickey ones." A mild snort escaped the shadow as it reached out to.....phase a hand through that mess of blonde. "Where the hell is Mallen" She could use a friend right now."

"Guessing a stiff drink is out, I'll take a Coke and some trail mix." She told Lenny. "Sherriff you say' I was a deputy sheriff back in Washington, on Earth. Guess I was too stubborn to not think about my safety in career choices." She said glumly.

The guard simply chuckled at that initial request. "If there was alcohol being vended here we'd be out before the end of the first hour every shift. But sure, I can get you that....I'll be back in a bit." There was a pause at the door at her one comment. "Ah....well, I was a county sheriff out in Ohio....until what someone later identified as a mountain troll landed on my patrol car and went ape shit on it and me. I was lucky to be alive and when I heard that those were an occasional problem the Watch faced" Yeah....count me out." And with that he was gone from the room.

Once he left her to disrobe she did her level best to do so with her leg and ribs not cooperating. The cantrip sticks and mandala she shoved under the bed. "Backups. Always have backups or some mage is going to have a field day when he toasts your gun." she murmured to herself.

"Should you be watching her do such?"

The shade shot the reaper a mild look. "Why not' Not like I'll get to see this again so easily....besides, won't remember it if they do save me..."

Into the bag though was placed a small silver locket. Sight of it drew bitter and pleasant memories. Bitter for what the locket held inside, pleasant for how much Mach tried to ask what was in it. That was the only time she gave him a true cold shoulder. She shrugged into her gown, browns avoiding her growing collection of near death scars of her own. She tied it and sat back in the wheel chair. She hated these gowns with a passion.

"Do you doubt your survival now" What happened to your vigor at the warehouse?"

The shade shrugged as it ran a hand along a few of those scars, frowning a touch before touching at that silver locket. "I got out, finished the goal....good to die now. Not really, of course, but when I'm like this well....sort of not my choice if I'm okay with such or not." Looking back at the woman it smiled tiredly.

She could have sworn she felt something whisper in her hair. She put her face in her hand as she waited for someone to return. Dreams. Those damn dreams coming back to her, each one with Mach in her place. Shot, stabbed, mutilated, and left to die on a street after a response call gone bad. She hadn't realized she slipped into slumber until she watched the black dragon break from the deep waters of the harbor, blot out Mach trying to hold his own on a buoy all to vivid. She watched as the man was snapped into, buoy and all, metal, concrete and blood dribbling from that maw as the dragon turned to look at her in the wheelchair.

"She is broken, wounded, and paranoid."

A chuckle escaped the shade. "Yeah, sort of reminds me of someone I know..." A gentle caress of her cheek as the woman muttered and shifted in her restless sleep, the sleep that had tears coming to her eyes. There was an attempt to wipe those away and yet such was to no avail. "Pisser?"

Hope woke with a scream that hurt like hell as her ribs protested the demand on air from her lungs. She leaned her head back in the chair. "Fucking hells. I signed on for the crazy tour and got bumped up to insanity class." She wiped at her eyes the tears that fear had brought out. She felt cold. "Damn you dad....you had to get yourself killed."

At the sound of screams and muttered curses the door would slid back open, Lenny on the other side with a bag of trail mix and a bottle of coke in hand. He'd obviously been waiting on the other side for some sound of her being finished in her task. "You alright?" Asked with a thread of concern as he approached, those goodies offered over.

Hope looked up and wiped the last of the tears away. "Yeah. Fine. PTSD. It's like going to the movies for free." she'd accept the Coke and Trail mix. "Troll on the car" Yeah. That can be bad. I answered a response call for a bar fight. Opened the door and walked into the Red Dragon Inn through a closet. Hello to all the fairy tale creatures everyone tells you are fictional. Hell of a wakeup call for two weeks."

"PTSD will get you, I still scream like a little girl sometimes when I'm making popcorn." A soft chuckle as he folded his large hands before him, a lean taken against the door frame. "Wow....that must have been a surprise!" The large man chuckled softly at the thought. "Good to see you haven't succumbed to the terrible of it all though it looks like it's taken its toll on you." His smile was gentle and warm.

She slugged some coke back and mouthful of trail mix. A soft rap on the door jamb preceded a gruff, tired voice. "Bout time I found you Jubal." Mallen said, covered in soot, grime and blood not his. He'd look like he'd been in a war zone and the Lieutenant wouldn't argue if someone told him that. "You know how many hospitals are in the city' Next time call me before you jump into a random ambulance." He was gruff, but his tone held the notes of care of a partner backing up their buddy in need. "Got a call that Mr. Lenny here had to put up with an unruly blonde in a 27th Div Uniform. Figured I found my lost sergeant."

Mallen would take a seat in a chair. "Thanks for watching her Lenny. How's the wife doing?" He'd been around enough to see the security officer often during his own heart checkups. He looked to Hope and tsked. "Banged up good I see and lost your bike. Remind me to call you out on response calls after 8am." He chuckled to Hope.

At that question about his family the guard simply chortled. "No problem Greg. And she's doing well, we got some chilli made from the last hunt me and the guys went on. Got a tub with your name on it in my freezer at home. If I'd known that you'd be coming well..." And he just chuckled with a shrug leaving things be so the two could speak.

Mallen smiled to Lenny. "I'll drop by to get that tub from you Lenny. You're chilli is worth eating."

The sight of the gruff old Lieutenant pulled color back into Hopes face. "Greg.....Lieutenant..." Mallen waved a hand. "Call me Greg, Hope. No ceremony or pomp here. You're in the hospital. Rank doesn't mean crap here. You're wellbeing does. How's your other partner, Mach?"

Hope's budding smile shrank. "Hard call. Looks like burnt hamburger and went to OR before they drug me here. Could be alive. Could be dead." She said, barely putting her emotions in a full nelson. "About what I said earlier. In the alley, about..." Mallen held up his hand.

"I get it Hope. He's your partner in most things not in the Watch. Just like I have your back in the Watch. No harm. No foul. You been checked out yet' Or do I need to give Parnel a waggle of my bushy moustache?" Hope couldn't help by laugh and it hurt.

"Gregory Mallen....you do not approve of him?"

The shade gave the reaper a sidelong look. "I don't approve of authority figures to begin with. Sort of against my punk upbringing, yeah' Mallen here....he's a good cop, man of the community, real upstanding sort."

"Sounds like someone you should like then."

"I do....to a point. Hope is absolutely heels for him though....which is worrisome."

"Because he is making her into a figure of authority as you tend to avoid?"

"No....because he's flesh and blood like me. See how loosing me is hitting her....I can't imagine how things would go were she to loose a father figure like Mallen."

"You do not think she sees you as a father figure?"

The shade shot the reaper a dim look. "No one should ever see me as a fatherly figure that doesn't need a lot of psych work."

"You best keep that mustache to yourself Greg." A wry tone came from the doorway as Parnel returned along with another dressed in scrubs. "We're actually going to go take her for x-ray to look at her ribs and the leg she had the motor vehicle accident on." This was stated simply as she moved to one side of the woman, the tech moving behind the wheelchair. All was set though to go before one more figure stepped into the room. An older woman with peppered mahogany hair in green scrubs and a white doctors smock. She gave a look to the gathering, a threadbare smile offered towards Mallen.

"Mallen, so nice to see it's not you in the gown." She looked like she may have wanted to laugh at that but was a little too tired or stressed to work such humor up.Turning emerald green gaze to the injured officer she'd offer a hand out. "Hope Jubal" I'm Dr. Ruth Ibanez."

Hearing Parnel, Mallen chuckled more. "I've learned my lessons not to tick off the lady holding all of the needles. You won't give Parnel any trouble, right Hope?"

Hope smirked and sighed. "Already have but I'll be nice. Just, this place is taking me back some to that case out at the docks, with the dragon..." she stopped more and sipped her Coke.

Mallen seeing Dr. Ibanez coming in smiled and bowed to her out of respect. "I think it's your show now Hope. Go and be nice. We'll chat in a while when you're done. I'll keep your trail mix safe."

Hope stared at Mallen. "You eat so much as one M&M and I will cut you." she gave false bravado and settled down for the tech. She looked to Dr. Ibanez. "Doc. How....How is Mach?"

The doctor watched as the others filed out of the room, she herself kneeling down so as she was even with the watch officer. She tried to smile reassuringly but....it was simply thin and tired. "He's gotten himself into some trouble this time." Started out with a mild smirk of words. "I'm sure you've seen what the ambulance crew was doing. Right now we're trying to repair the worst of the damage while his regeneration potion is still working. It is....it is literally a race against the clock at the moment."

She'd pause to give Hope some time for that to sink in before continuing. "With that said I'm sure you know that Eli is a fighter. He's fought hard to get to this point and I'm sure he's still fighting to hang on as we work on him. As for whether.....whether he'll live or not, well....I don't know yet. He's very unstable." She fell silent. "Hope for the best.....but be prepared for the worst."

"I try to hope for the best Doc. It is my first name." she looked tired again. "I understand. He's in another fight to live. Do what you can Doc. I want him healthy so I can kick his ass for scaring me this badly. If he dies..." she trailed off. Her mind refused that option right now.

"I"ll deal with that option when I have to. Thank you for working on him. Wished I'd had been with him. Had his back. Maybe this wouldn't have happened." she started down the self-blame game. It was never pretty. She stopped herself hearing what she said. "Think I'm just rattled, Doc. This just hits to close to..." She bit her lip and looked to her. "My father was a cop and died on the table. All I can think of is him with this going on. What I thought would happen to me when that dragon snacked on me."

The doctor nodded gently, a hand moving to rest upon her good shoulder and give it a squeeze. "Hope, let me tell you this right now.....hunters are not people you should try to follow. They....lead dangerous lives that can....bring them to situations like this. I don't know how much you know about Mach but....for him to be this bad off would have killed ordinary people several times over, do you understand?"

She gave that shoulder another squeeze. "So don't beat yourself up on this, okay' What you need to do is work on getting better yourself so you can have a smile for....for when he comes back to you." Her expression thinned some at hearing Hopes tale of her father that died in a similar fashion, or at least died in the line of duty in a hospital somewhere. "I'm.....sorry for your loss Ms. Jubal. I....know how hard it can be. But....you just have to have faith that Eli....that Mach will kick this like everything else.....and will smile at you in that overly annoying fashion of his when he does, yeah?" And with that the woman rose to her feet. "So stay strong and have faith."

The shade rested a hand on the woman's other shoulder before it turned to a full on drape of its shadowy self upon the siting woman, it's form phasing through all the people and objects in the way of that gentle hug. "Damn....didn't know that about her.....not exactly something they put in her file."

"And your own file?"

A soft snort escaped the hugging figure. "My file says I'm an idiot. Pretty much open and close what you need to take away from that..." It fell silent for a long moment. "Or so I thought. Damn....sort of wish.....wished we got a chance to talk again.....frank like that one night after the Yule and she opened up some to me. Maybe I should have dug harder on my own..." He fell silent to his thoughts as he gave the siting figure a squeeze in that ethereal form.

Hope nodded to Dr. Ibanez. "I'll work on getting better. I've worked enough with Mach on the lead up to this....disaster. I've seen what he does. Hell....his training has saved my life several times. I'll be strong. And yeah. Hospitals. The memories will leave me alone soon enough. May I ask a favor doc" If...he pulls through and makes it out of surgery. Will...you let me sit by him' He deserves my support."

The doctor smiled at those words as she nodded."I'm sure he would appreciate that Ms. Jubal. A man like Mach doesn't fight for his country or for what?s good and decent. He fights for his friends and those he cares for....to make the world a better place for them to live in. Having you at his side during recovery.....I'm sure that will do wonders for him. That said you best get your rest, he'll be....in and out of surgery for quite some time. If he's doing well enough after his first surgery we can wheel you in so you can spend a little time with him while he recuperates and readies for the next surgery." Moving, she'd draw a card out from one of her pockets and would hand it over. "You can call me at that second number if you need to, I'll.....probably be around for as long as Eli's in surgery."

"Thank you Doc. I'm rooting for you all." she said. Yeah. Wall the feelings up. Cement those cracks. Pull on the tough girl. Everything will be right as rain. Be the Hope they know. Don't let your parent's memories drive you nuts. Then again, the 9mm you had was looking good, right"

Hope sunk her inner voice deep into the void. Some things were best kept in the dark. She laid the card in the belongings bag. "Well, better start this pain train rolling to recovery. I'm ready Nurse Parnel."

"Jackass....hiding your pain." The shadow gave the woman one last squeeze, a movement butt it's head against hers before it rose away.

"Funny, usually it is you who is being called names in these sort of exchanges."

The shadow snorted. "Yeah, sometimes it's good to reverse rolls, especially when someone else is being the idiot for the change." Leaning forward the shadows pressed a kiss to that crown of gold atop the woman's head before it slid back, looking to the reaper beside it. "Come on Sunshine; let's see if we can find some ether sensitive we can scare the crap out of!"

"I'm sure she would insult you if she knew what you were doing at this time."

It shrugged. "Probably. One of the perks of being basically dead." And with that the apparition moved off.

Dr. Ibanez nodded softly before stepping on back out of the room leaving the nurse and the nurse to return. "Alright Ms. Jubal, let's get you to x-ray." A warm smile was cast to the officer as the tech began to roll her out into the hall and down the hall off to get her own treatment for her injuries.

(Adapted from play with the fantabulous Hope Jubal!)

Rhy'Din General Hospital: ICU 42 " January 7, 2016

Sergeant Todd Garwyn was bored. Like....really bored. But then today he'd been pulled from the crap assignment of detailing the warehouse and tunnels beneath that the principle Rhy'Din hunter had gotten himself cooked in to guarding the door to the room the principle hunters was comatose in in the hospital. Pairs of armed guards in tactical assault gear had been being posted twenty four hours since the man had gotten himself shake and baked and the posting was proving to be about as thrilling as watching paint dry on a humid day. And the one perk a posting like this may have had was ruined by the reputation Mach had, even forcibly unconscious as he was, for schmoozing. That meant that it was hardly ever the cute, young nurses that came to tend to the man but rather the older, gruff ones as the ginger in red scrubs that had entered just a while ago.

Stifling a yawn the young man checked his watch, calculating out just how many more hours of this torture he was in store for when a commotion rose from the room. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" AGH, YOU NUTJOB!!!" An enraged yell bellowed from the corner door jarring the two men to action. Popping the safety on his assault rifle, Todd gave a somber look to his buddy Lindo before he threw open the door, filing in quickly before fanning out a firing arch with that bullpup rifle covering two corners of the room in a swift, practiced motion.

"HANDS IN THE AIR!" A demanding, authoritative yell echoed by Lindo as the two soldiers worked to confuse any combatants, multiply their force advantage, and assess the threat of....was that a pale, naked beauty!" Todd couldn't help but stare at the lithesome, milk pale figure with choppy black hair that shot a verdant green look at the two men, an alluringly pleasing angular face shifting from apathy to a pearly white bearing hiss in an instant. Turning without regard for the two men the woman simply bound for the wall....and vanished in a puff of inky smoke which evaporated in the air suddenly breaking that charm as the man's heckles raised. It was a mage....a mage had penetrated Mach's room with no one none the wiser! The simplicity of going over a warehouse with a toothpick was sounding very, very appealing right now as the man grabbed swept his gaze and the train of that rifle back and forth as he reached for his shoulder mounted radio.

That was until he felt a smack to the shoulder, a panicked sweep of tunnel vision finding a very angry ginger glowering up at him. "For Christ's sakes put that down, the both of you idiots!" The nurse issued another set of smacks for both soldiers that sort of looked stunned between each other and the woman. "E-Excuse me!?"

"I said put those down! Or are you stupid and deaf. This is a hospital, a place for the sick and injured, not a place to make more!"

"M-Ma'am, we were responding to-"

"I know damn well what you were responding to!" The older woman huffed angrily as she scowled at the hand she cradled, evident red welts of a scratch tracing down along her forearm. "I was just startled is all. I swear, if that asshole wakes up I'm going to beat him to death for the kind of company he keeps!" She sneered angrily at the unconscious Mach hooked up to every sort of medical device imaginable.

Todd shook his head, trying to wrap his head around everything that had just transpired. "Okay, okay, why don't you tell me what happened?"

Scowling a little more at the broken hunter the woman finally turned back to the man, her arm lifted abruptly for inspection. "What happened was I came in to check the assholes ports, opened the window to let in a little fresh air since it smells like death in here. A few minutes later I closed it after some purple smoke, probably some screw up of those students at the Bristle Crios, started wafting in. Guess I must have missed that crack pot as she slipped in because then I heard a rattle from the foot of the gurney and there she was, buck ass nude save for some gaudy choker."

Moving over to one of the medical carts at the schmoozes bedside the nurse opened up a drawer with phlebotomy supplies in it so as to grab a prep scrub which she snapped and began scrubbing at those welts. "When I asked her what she was doing and how she got in here you know what the loon said" She meowed at me like some damn cat before scratching me! Freaking nutjob....I'm going to have to call over to 7 West and see if they've had an escape because it is much to cold to be traipsing about like that for long!"

The explanation....did little to clear anything up for the sergeant as he just shook his head. "So you came in, opened the window, saw purple, not black, smoke roll in, closed the window, and then there was that woman at the foot of his bed?"

The nurse just rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she threw that used up scrub pad into a nearby trash bin. "Yeah, that's what I just said."

"And they were non-verbal except for....cat noises..."

"And here I thought you might not have had a grasp of the common tongue but color me surprised..." She cast a dim look between the two soldier before moving to step between them. "I don't have time for this. I'm going to report this to hospital security and then head over to occupational health, make sure I haven't caught any of the stupid." A huff as she began moving.

"M-Ma'am wait a moment, are you sure there was nothing we could use to identify the woman' Nothing at all that came up that you might have missed or overlooked or...it's important for the security of this patient."

The nurse stopped, a sour look cast back at Todd before she fished into the front pocket of her scrub top, something snagged and tossed to the sergeant. "That came off when she decided to get all bitch on me, her ugly choker and only bit of decency she had on her. There's a tag on it, maybe it has the number that man whore used to get to know a crazy like that. Anyway, I'm going to occupational." And without even waiting for a response she continued off in a huff.

Sgt. Garwyn caught the odd collar from the air, a look over it reminding the man of some sort of pet leash. And the tag that the nurse was speaking of? "Sir Lemon?" The man wasn't sure if he should radio this in or if such a stretch of bizarre would only have gotten him and Lindo laughed at. Such was the thought that occupied the young man for the rest of that, thankfully, boring guard shift.

http://img.allw.mn/content/hair/2011/12/001_Tapered-bob.jpg

(A little bit of fun in regards to this playable!)

January 4th, 2016. Mid-morning - 9 am

The warlock, after several restless nights in her greenhouse, and several days running on nothing but caffeine and take-out, along with some more coaxing from Gothrak that she was no good to anyone dead on her feet, had come back to her apartment for the night. The same night, unbeknownst to her, that Mach kept pushing his shenanigans and blew up two warehouses and nearly himself in the process" in fact she did not even know about that, until around nine am, when she stumbled out of her bed, warm with sleep and demon kisses, and out into her living room. It was there that she learned of the man's ending up in the hospital, only because Terry was sprawled on the couch, watching the morning news. She stared. She processed, then she had denied. Certainly there was another Elitia Turner in Rhy'din, right' It wasn't the Mach that taught her potions on wednesdays, and let her hot-box Sir Lemon...which had ended strangely enough. Certainly not".

She denied it the whole time she watched the broadcast a second time". By the third, she was certain it was the very same Mach that taught her potions and the alchemy behind them. That let her hot-box Sir Lemon' and she stared numbly at the TV. She was definitely certain it was that same Mach that was in the hospital at this moment, in critical condition. Worry and anxiety both, had quickly consumed her thoughts.

By the time it played a fourth time, she had dressed, and informed Gothrak and Terry both where she was going. Then she left, and made her way there on auto pilot, her mind remembering the way, from when she escaped the hospital so many months ago after she had lost her memory.

Which left her where she stood now, just inside the door at the emergency room, cat's eyes wide, and the look on her face a little lost, as" she hadn't been on this side of things...as far as she could remember, apart from the recent holiday she spent in the hospital with her brother. Finally, after consideration, she made her way towards the nurse's station, nervous fiddly fingers plucked at the edge of her hoodie as she did so. Once she reached the station, she simply waited until she could catch the attention of one of them. And between her nerves, and the emotions that were rolling around inside her, the air in her immediate vicinity seems to have a static charge to it.

It would be a few minutes before one of the clerks finally took note long enough of the lost looking woman standing at the desk to realize that, indeed, they were lost. Setting aside the chart they carried in hand the young man walked up with a friendly enough smile. "Visiting or are you here to be seen?" A simple enough question as they were already grabbing paperwork for her to fill out if was it needed.

"I'm ah. Here for visiting I guess. My friend. Mach. Uh. Elitia Turner. The news said he was brought here early morning, and I-" She paused for a moment, and rocked on her heels. "I just want an update on him. But if I can see him that be. Uh good too." She had floundered for words, unsure of what to say.

"Visitation' Okay. But you don't know where he is?" Spoken simply as the young man tapped into the terminal before them, a few things tapped in before he smacked the monitor. "Huh' seems to be acting up" must be the static because it's so dry in winters, huh?" Friendly little banter to try and ease the mood while he worked. Tapping out a few more things they'd finally squint at the computer, reading over notes typed in. "It looks like he's in OR recovery but is being prepped for another surgery so...hmm"." There was a pause as he looked over another few lines. "If you want I can page his attending and see if she can come talk to you. Maybe she could swing you getting a look in on him?" Offered friendly like.

"No I don't' Just that he was brought here." She blinked when he smacked the monitor and spoke of the static that came with winter. It took a moment for her to realize that it was probably her. She rocked from foot to foot again, before she took a step back from him and the electronics. She figured it would would be bad if she were to fry the whole system. She gave the man a nervous little laugh. "Mmhm. One of those downsides to winter, yeah?" She laced her fingers together and absently pressed them against her stomach.

When he spoke on contacting a doctor and that he was scheduled for another surgery the thrum of static increased with the worried thoughts that rolled over her mind. A second surgery meant that things were not the brightest. "Yes please. And ah. Thank you."

The young man nodded with a smile, a motion toward the lobby. "Alright, if you'll take a seat and the doctor will be with you shortly?"

Was a hell of a lie as it took the doctor nearly forty minutes to finally appear from some hallway or another dressed in worn green scrubs, a doctor's smock, and a hell of a tired scowl upon aged features. The woman looked beat and angry as she moved over towards where Zynn sat, a hand thrust out almost snappily towards the warlock. "Hello, I'm Dr. Ibanez and you are?"

She'd wait till just after she got that name before she bull rushed on ahead. "Pleasure" sorry if it doesn't seem that way, I've been up on Turner's case for the past 6 hours. You were wanting an update on how he is I take it?" She'd wait another tick or two of second, perhaps not even concerned about an answer before she pushed on in a harried manner. "His condition is critical but mostly stable. We've worked through the most life threatening of his injuries but he's still bleeding and has" other issues" that are requiring immediate attention. He's being prepped for a new OR team now to take over the work of the last." The doctor fell silent as she studied the woman before her now, seeming to wait for a response in a very tired and not really caring manner.

One hell of a lie, yes, but she occupied herself with her phone, as there were none of her books of study that she could lose herself in so she could forget everything else. As the time passed she glanced up occasionally, from time to time in hopes that she would see a doctor coming her way. When she finally did spot one, she made note that the woman looked angry...and exhausted to the point that even the strongest cup of coffee could do nothing to improve on that.

"Zynnara Badaloni" a mixed creature with magical powers. A warlock, the natural enemy of a mage hunter"

The shade watched the woman from behind. "Yeah, something like that...one of my better friends though sort of a clueless wrecking ball in my life."

The snappy thrust of her hand, and her rushed words were met with a stare for a second, before she reached up to shake the hand. "Zynn." Her name was offered simply enough, and it was good she hadn't planned on saying anything else, as the woman rushed right into the heart of the matter. She fell silent again. Listened as she spoke of how long she had been tending to Mach, and asked if she wanted an update. There was a tiny nod of her head to encourage her, though it didn't seem to matter much.

As the doctor spoke of his condition, she shifted uneasily, and chewed at at her lower lip. At some point, there was a glance tossed over her shoulder, as she thought she heard whispers. Initial glance, she saw nothing, so her attention shifted back towards the doctor. As she processed, there were no tears, no sobbing, just a quiet empty' perhaps somewhat numb look on her face. She folded in, hunched her shoulders, drew her knees up onto the chair with her. Static hummed around her once again. Finally her cat's eyes moved to come up and find the doctor's. "Thank you. For everything you do, yeah?" Then she fell quiet again, and stayed that way for a few moments longer.

"She seems most concerned about you."

"Yeah' we were pretty tight. I think" well, that is" I see a lot of Sid in her" a lot of myself."

More whispers pulled another look over her shoulder, but yet again there was nothing to be seen. She shifted, unsettled.

"Is he going to die?" The voice that asked that was small. Uncertain. "You said critical, but mostly stable. But that he was still bleeding and there are issues needing immediate care and-" She paused. "I'm not keeping you from taking care of him, am I?" The worry spilled out of her mouth before she truly processed it. But it had been voiced, so she let it be, and stayed quiet as she awaited a response.

The doctor watched the warlock as she curled in on herself, sought to comfort herself in the smallest ball she could form. She thought to reach out and give her a reassuring pat to the shoulder but it did not seem many of the hunters friends liked that sort of physical consoling" which was frankly odd to the woman given what she figured of Mach's relations with everyone that had come asking about him. And so she would just stand there, a comforting presence while the young woman processed everything.

"Sid" that is a name you do not invoke lightly."

The shadow shrugged. "You don't make a lot of fast friends as a hunter outside the corp. Folks who trust us, who come to us knowing what we are, what we do. Just' doesn't happen." A hand rose to brush softly through dark locks.

And when the warlock had settled, well". here came the questions! "Yes, he's in critical condition and mostly stable. He won't be fully stable until we can take care of the bleeding we missed the first time in. And he won't be less than critical until he can start breathing on his own rather than with the aid of a mechanical respirator." The woman's hand moved to fold over her chest in thought.

"But no, you're not keeping me from his care. He's really being looked over by the surgeons and I'm sort of keeping a watch over his case, making sure nothing happens that would inadvertently harm him. I've also been meeting with those who have come so as to give them updates on his condition. But yes, he is still bleeding but it's not nearly as bad as it could have been. We are also' also prepping him for an amputation of his right hand that was damaged too severely." She'd wait a moment, watching the woman for her response before pushing ahead.

"As for whether he'll live...I hope" know so. Elitia is a fighter" he's fought this long, I'm sure he'll fight to the end." It wasn't exactly an answer but it wasn't not one either! "I" can take you to see him if you think you'd be okay with that. It wouldn't be for long and I warn you he" he is in very bad shape. But if you think it might alleviate some fears?" There was a gentle smile upon her as she spoke.

There was a chill at the back of her head that had the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. That and more soft whisperings that had her attention shifting over her shoulder, and this time" Well this time she saw something, there was a shadow, a dark form, that had the feel and impression of someone familiar, and a clearer feminine form, with a face painted in swirls of color, intricate in their make. She stared for a moment, cat's eyes wide. She would have kept staring, had the doctor not started talking. But she figured the woman would not be able to see what she could, and didn't wish to alarm her.

He was in Critical condition that was mostly stable. He wouldn't be completely stable"until the bleeding stopped, and he wouldn't be in critical condition once he could breathe on his own. The words circled around and around as she processed and chewed them. "Jesus." The word was breathed, a mix of awe at how bad Mach had ended himself up, and of some mild expletive that expressed simply, what she thought and felt. She drew in a deep breath when the doctor eased her worries about keeping her from Mach, and that she was mostly supervising everything. It pulled a small smile to her lips, that thinned, as quickly as her already pale face paled, when the doctor spoke of need for amputation of his hand. Well" she guessed that she wasn't going to be the reason he lost a hand, as they had so playfully joked during some of the potion making sessions. Mostly the days something had almost gone sour.

"She is a friend" It seems she is just as likely to kill you than not given the aura of magic about her. To partake of her flesh would truly be a-"

"I never have?" Mildly spoken, interrupting the reaper as it regarded the woman with canted head.

"Really"

The words from the other caught the shadow's attention once more, drawing a mild scoff. "Yeah, really' I mean, helluva lot of interest, sure, and we did play about but' yeah. Just not a thing that happened. Something me and her just never did."

The whispered seemed to be a little clearer, but still distant, as if she were listening through a cup pressed to a door, she still could not make out the gist of it. She did not turn around this time.

"Well s***." The words were muttered as she peered over her knees and up at the doctor as she continued speaking, and extended the offer of seeing him before surgery. She was quiet as she tossed the idea around in her head, before tentatively, she gave a nod, and slowly began to unfold herself. "Please. I gotta tell "em how stupid he is in person." It was said lovingly. That's what counted. "And he is a fighter. And stubborn to add."

Dr. Ibanez nodded at the words used, and the request made, or maybe all of it in one go. But at that desire to see the man and to speak such sweet nothings to him, well, that had a touch of concern crossing the older woman. "Just so you know, he's in a bad shape. It' may be difficult to see him as he is" he won't be the man that you know him as. Are you sure you want to see him?"

"Yes." The answer came softly. The warlock had already decided the first time she agreed.

"She insults you."

"Not many who don't?"

"And you have not bed this one."

"No, I have not."

"Why not?"

"Just never felt right I guess," a mild shrug offered "for either of us. Don't really know how to describe it' we'd play around, sure, but neither of us were keen to push things past that. And then there's Goth and causing strain, even in an open relationship like that' just isn't my thing."

"Then why do you help her so?"

The shadow grew sullen. "Because she's my friend."

It was one final chance to escape, to walk away without having to see Mach stricken as he was. A moment was spent awaiting her answer before the doctor turned, motioning for the warlock to follow as she stepped off for that back hallway once more. It was like a twisty labyrinth in their, turning left and right as they worked their way through until finally they arrived at a set of double doors labeled "OR Recovery 2" Pushing into the ward style space she would lead the woman over to a curtained off corner which she opened for Zynn to enter. And inside"

Inside was Mach' or some pale imitation of the schmooze. The man looked emaciated, weak, and with an unpleasant gray tone to his cool flesh. From what could be seen of his injuries they were many and great, particularly bandaging that wholly covered his right eye plus the scar of ripped flesh that ran along the side of his head from that glancing shot, his hair shaven so as to get a cleaner go of that wound for repair. And last but not least was that chard and roasted limb, black and pink, that sat at his side, the hand in particular looking nothing more but crisp. Around the man were a number of devices that helped him breath or fed him a drip line of various IV fluids or blood products.

She followed after Dr. Ibanez quietly, the only effort she made was to keep up. She didn't bother memorizing the turns she took, the hallways she went down. Instead, she prepared herself as best as she could. And when they finally slipped through the doors of the OR recovery, her fingers started plucking at the hem of her hoodie. And when the doctor pulled the curtains aside for her, she hesitated for the briefest of moments before she slid through. Then bottle green cat's eyes moved to fall on the form in the bed. The man that was Mach.

"But as I understand your relation to her only brings you strife. Was it not your intervention with this one that unraveled your relationship with Serah Farron?"

The shadowed chuckled softly. "There apparently was a lot wrong that me and Serah didn't really realize or admit' but yeah, my relationship with Zynn was sorta the straw that broke the camel's back."

"Then why did you help her" Why did you break the camel's proverbial back?""

"Because I was ignorant." A dirty smirk from the shade as it reached up to lay a hand upon the warlocks shoulder. "But more because that's just who I am' I" I don't turn away friends just because of what folks might think. I mean' I'm a hunter yeah' A freak" a monster" I know how it is when folks turn you away just because of how you're perceived. I" I refuse to do that' especially not to a friend. So I'm screwed in the end" story of my life."

Her steps faltered as she neared the side of his bed, and for a long moment she stared. And as she stared, she took him in, processed the fact that his hand was charred and the rest of his arm burnt. The grey pallor of his skin, the bandages covering his eye, and the scar from the glancing bullet, and the lack of hair on his head. All the tubes and machines that he was connected to.

She had been right. The man that laid in the bed before her was not the Elitia Turner that she knew. It wasn't her Mach. Not the Mach that guided her as she added measurements of varying components to the vials and tubes used for potion making. Not the Mach that she shared Chinese take out with after a lesson had been completed, or the Mach that she had gotten drunk with. The one that had freaked out on her when she discovered her Pyrokinetic abilities. It wasn't the Mach that she had fled to in the middle of the night when thoughts and terrors swallowed her mind whole and drowned it. It wasn't the Mach that had comforted her as she sobbed her sorrows and shortcomings and failures to him. The one that had helped her in the attempt to seal Beleth in her brother's body.

It wasn't the same Mach, but it was. He was just so much more worn down, broken, beat to pieces.

"Aw hell, Mach....W-What did....you d-do?" Her voice wavered, cracked, and stumbled. She felt tears burn the backs of her eyes as she reached to rest her hands on the guardrail of his bed, her movements cautious of the machines nearby. "Shouldn't be like t-this. You-" what ever else she was going to say was swallowed with a sob. Her grasp on the railing tightened.

"Mach you...you can't d-die on me, yeah' My brewing classes aren't f-finished. And we" we still gotta" gotta lot to do. And my brother...And?" She trailed off, silent, and painfully aware of the fact that tears rolled down her cheeks, stained her hoodie darker, and plipped when they hit the floor. The thrum of static that surrounded her was heavy, alive.

"You shouldn't be like this?"

A tired smirk escaped the shade. "Not many really get what I do' or how this is a common end or state for folks like me."

"From you're own omission."

"Because folks don't like to see such. Much nicer to see the schmooze or the romantic" but not the thug or the hunter. Burdening folks with such just....seems cruel."

"Crueler than finding you like this?"

The shade snorted. "Well, usually the aim is not to end up in the news" or in enough pieces to identify."

The doctor had been right. It was hard to see him like this. To see him so broken up and hurt. And somewhere in the back of her mind, it clicked as to why Gothrak worried over her. Constantly like a mother hen. She wanted to reach out, to touch some part of him. To remind herself that her friend was solid, still there. Not some kind of cruel illusion, but she didn't. "I love you, yeah' So you gotta get b-better. Cuz I don't love many people, and T-The number doesn't need to' to get smaller, yeah?" She muttered this softly. The love she spoke of, was not like the love she shared between Gothrak, or even the love she had in her heart for her mother or brother. It was a different kind of love that had been built on experiences and shenanigans. On late night talks of worries and fears. On getting into trouble and diving for the floor every time a potion of hers bubbled at the wrong moment, the laughing in relief when it didn't blow them sky high. It was the love for someone that had become like family, in every way but blood. Finally, she drew a shaky breath in and glanced up at the machines. She paused when she realized some of the screens were dancing with the static that rolled off her.

The shade wrapped the woman in a hug, a kiss pressed to cheek. "Love you too darling, love you too' so get on outta this creepfest, yeah' Enjoy yourself and your life."

"You think she would do such with you in such a state?"

"She should" they all should" why I need to' need to push, yeah?"

"That never seems to work out for you though."

The shadow just clung to Zynn, holding her until she'd step off. "Doesn't have to work for me" just' just so long as it works for others" cause I'm too tired for me."

She paused when cold seemed to wrap her in its embrace, left a tickle across her cheek. And for a moment she felt at peace. She knew exactly who the source of the cold was, heard his murmur about how he loved her too. She wanted to stay there, soak it all up.

"Mach?" The hunter's name was breathed softly, a faint smile turning up the corners of her mouth. Slowly her eyes fluttered open, and focused on the man in the bed.

"I'll stop b-by your apartment and f-feed Sir Lemon. I'm certain she's h-hungry. I'm making your machines do funny t-things. So I'll gonna leave" before they can malfunction. Keep strong, yeah' I'll see ya on the other side when ya pull t-through." With that murmured, and a glance tossed over her shoulder at the curtains where she came in, she leaned forward quickly, and pressed a light fluttery kiss to a part of his face that was clear of bandages, and cuts. The only evidence that spoke of her even doing so were the couple of tears that found themselves on his cheek when she pulled away.

She started stepping towards the open part in the curtains surrounding the man's bed. When she reached it, she paused, and turned around one last time. Her eyes drifted to settle on the shade, and the lady with the elaborate swirls of color on her face. "He's a good guy. I don't know how it works" but he should come back.? Somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she knew who the woman was. But that seemed to be the only thing she wanted to say, as she turned and slid out past the curtains before she could get a response.

The whole way back to her apartment she hoped for it to be a long time before she had another brush with Death.