Chapter Text
Hospital Two Weeks Later
It was hard without Seely up and about. She would be awake every now and then but not long enough for conversation right yet. I was taking to my new arms and legs and other things pretty well. Seely though was close to death when she was brought in. I would come in after training and just watch her sleep. Taylor and his squad were already out and doing what they do best. Besides they had other Ops to do. Seely was my partner and I was technically grounded until she was able to get up and around.
"Uuuggghhh" Seeley groaned.
"Hey there dork" I said leaning over and taking her hand. There was no more flesh there for either of us. Servos circuits and metal. No more warmth, no more blood there.
"Dork? You haven't called me that in, god years" she smiled looking at her other hand. She went from a smile to a frown in .5 seconds. "It was that bad?"
"Yeah. Taylor said you almost died. You would have if his little imaginary watch had been two clicks slower." I explained "And I've always called you dork"
Turning her head she looked at me and smiled again but that beautiful smile didn't quite reach those damned caramel eyes that kept me going over the past couple of weeks. "Did you really volunteer?" she asked looking at my hand that was holding hers.
"Sure did. You and I have been through a lot before this and well, why not? This will be our hell and back how about that?" I said giving her hand a squeeze. It will take awhile to get used there not being flesh in certain places but we could work around that.
"Hell and back?"
"Hell and back..."
"...Hendricks?"
"Yeah?"
"Kind of need my hand"
"Oh! Right, sorry" I said letting go and helping her to sit up.
"So did they give us any kind of instruction manual for these new bells and whistles?" she asked looking me up and down.
"Not really. Taylor said what you learned through your DNI should be good enough. Just have to finish a bit of training before we actually get to go back out into the field. Think you can stand?"
"I think I can" She said swinging her new legs over the edge and testing the floor with new feet. She took a deep breathe and began to stand. I got out of my chair and watched her to make sure her DNI actually made the connection through her new parts and got them working. "This is weird."
"C'mon think of it like one of your old movies where the hero gets a few new upgrades." I said catching her as she wobbled a bit.
"And you call me a dork" she laughed as I helped her over to the lutrine. "Be right back" she disappeared behind the door.
I took the opportunity to try out our new DNI comms that way I wouldn't have to yell through the door. "So you still up for those drinks I promised?"
"Really, Hendricks? I'm on the toilet" she chuckled.
"Just thought I'd ask" I said smiling leaning on the wall next to the door. "So, drinks on me still?"
"They pay you over time, cause you might not be able to handle me" she said. Toilet flushed sink ran, I could smell the soap. Clinical and sterile antibacterial. I sort of wondered if it was some kind of oil soap for all our new wires and gears.
"No but I have some extra cash I think we can make it work" I said as she opened the door and I stood in front of her. She was a little taller than when before this all happened. Her hair had gotten a little longer since she was down though still a little more than fuzz and I finally saw that glint in her eyes that got me hook line and sinker.
"If I'm cleared then we can go, but I also need my civis if that isn't too hard for you?" She said. Her voice did that thing that made me all tingly. That thing that was my down fall from the very beginning.
"I could always sneek the booze in here. That way you don't have to change right away" I said taking a small step closer to her.
"Sure you want to try sneaking about five bottles of booze past the nurse's station."
"Five? Is that really all you can handle?"
"You wanna find out?"
"Sure why not and maybe..."
"Eh-hem!" a nurse cleared their throat from behind us. Seely snorted and began to laugh as I cursed under my breathe.
"Goddamnit!" I hissed stepping to the side so Seely could walk back to her bed. We might have new legs but from what I saw from our charts it only went to about mid thigh. I still had the old parts down stairs and that nurse was not helping matters.
Seely barked out a laugh walking past me and sat on her bed as she talked with the nurse. I stood over to the side in a bit of snit. So close. So damned close. It was ten long minutes before the nurse decided to leave. She looked at me then looked back at Seely and gave her a wink. What the hell?! When the door was closed I finally walked over to Seely and sat next to her on the bed. "So still want those drinks?" Seely asked.
"Not so sure now. Were you cleared?"
"You can spring me out bright and early tomorrow." She said
"That's great because you have training and therapy." I said trying not to sound too hurt about how I just missed out on a big opportunity.
"You'll be fine" she said leaning over and giving me a small kiss on the cheek. "Now go get some sleep. Got a long day tomorrow"
I froze and blinked a few times and looked at her. She smiled and moved under her blankets. "...uh..." I swear my face had turned at least four shades of red.
"Good night Jacob" She said turning over.
"G-good night Seely" I said standing to leave the room. I checked our DNIs she was already out like a light by the time I reached the door. I looked back at her sleeping there. It wasn't like old times. No, we won't be able to get those times back. We would have to make new times. I smiled and closed the door and made my way to the room they had set up for me. I was on cloud nine all the way. As long as we stayed partnered I didn't mind; to hell and back with that woman and all would be fine with the world.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
“Alright who's up for a jailbreak?” I said walking into Seely’s hospital room trying to look normal in my normal clothes. I stopped just inside the door when I saw her. She had just been standing at the window. Up and dressed in the new civis I managed to get while she had been out. My heart dropped a little when she didn't register I was in the room. So I opened our DNI com. “Hey? You still with me” barely a whisper outside but I knew she heard that one as she turned her head slightly.
She smiled before looking back out the window. “Still with you Hendricks” she said crossing her arms over her chest.
I put a hand on her shoulder. She tensed. This really was going to take some getting used to. “I found a place that still serves actual bacon” I said with a smile hoping to get her out of what I knew were bad thoughts. “From real pigs, from a real farm. Good ol fashioned meat!” I put on my best twang. She laughed. It was a start.
“Ok you convinced me. Let's get out of this place” she smiled and grabbed her bag.
“Hey” I grabbed her arm; more metal.
“What?”
“It's just...I dunno Seely. I'm here if you need to talk it out. We are partners, friends after all, I just…” I couldn't finish my thought. Part of me was hoping last night wasn't just a dream. That even though it was a tiny kiss on the cheek that I wasn't dreaming.
“You with me Buck?”
“...geeeeeekk”
“Are you with me, Buck” she tried again doing her best not to bust out laughing.
“Don't make me do it” I said. Another one of her old movie marathons. One that I sat through dazed because she had been so excited when she found them. She tilted her head and gave me a pout. This woman really will be the end of me, I swear she will be. “Sigh....til the end of the line Cap.”
“Good now let's go get some bacon. From real pigs, from a real farm. Good ol fashioned meat” she grinned walking ahead of me. The walk would take getting used to also but damned if I didn't still enjoy her walking away.