Rest Easier

Participants:

aman_icon.gif kaylee6_icon.gif

Scene Title Rest Easier
Synopsis Aman drops by with an update about the home front and to see how Kaylee is doing.
Date November 8, 2020

Fournier-Bianco Memorial Hospital


"Knock knock," sounds a voice from the door, smooth and familiar. It's late in the afternoon, or late enough that the sun shines golden outside the window. Aman pushes in the half-closed door to the room they've moved Kaylee into, stepping in gingerly but without hesitation. His head dips around the corner to get a better view on the hospital bed, and he gives her a small smile.

"Wanted to check in… let you know Willy's fed." His smile strengthens to a lopsided grin before fading entirely. "I swear that cat hates me still. But maybe a few more meals and the dislike will quit being mutual." He's joking, mostly, about his own dislike. He's skittish for sure of the weathered old cat, hesitant with animals in general, but every now and then they reach a cautious understanding in passing.

Aman looks like it's been a long day for him, too. Circles are under his eyes, forehead perhaps permanently wrinkled with hints of worry he might not be able to get rid of after all this. "I'd have come up to see you earlier, but for a while there it was family only."

“Thank you. And don’t take it personally, Willy barely tolerates me, but he loves Luther,” Kaylee says groggily with a smile, when she realizes who it is. “The man is a walking heater,” she jokes, “Cats love warmth, especially grizzled old toms like Willy.”

She looks better than when she was brought in at least. It’s clear Kaylee’s managed to get a little sleep around the constant dull ache behind her eyes and brushed her hair. If not for her one eye, she’d look like herself. “Probably for the best you had to wait. They’ve been doing so many tests.” She looks down at the fresh wad of cotton taped to her arm. “But, I think they’ll discharge me soon… I hope,” she adds with a grimace.

Kaylee was not a fan of hospitals.

The way Kaylee's eye looks is a little alarming, but so is everything else about what happened to her. Aman blinks past a stare, looking at her for her and not what she's been through.

"If it's anything like what they're doing for Isaac, they might keep you for the night rather than discharge you right away…" He tries to be as gentle as possible with that observation. "Rather safe than sorry."

He pulls closer one of the chairs and sinks down into it heavily. After his shoulders sag, he reaches out to lay one hand on the bed palm-up for her. "I'd ask you how you're doing, but you're probably tired of that question."

He wasn’t wrong, Kaylee can’t help but give a bitter laugh at the question. “Would ‘everything kinda sucks’ be an acceptable answer?” Reaching out, her hand settles on his and gives it a squeeze despite the IV line. “I’ve survived worse though,” she tries to assure him, though she doesn’t sound thoroughly convinced. This all was still new.

“I heard there are others like me in here for the same thing,” Kaylee grimaces and shakes her head. “I’m starting to really worry, Aman. For all of us. We’re making progress in finding answers, but it feels like it’s not fast enough.”

When Kaylee says she's been through worse, Aman only squints as well-meaning as he can. "There's worse, and then there's this. Apples and oranges, isn't it?" He assumes she means inflicted injuries rather than something her body did to her, naturally. The two were very different, at least in his mind.

"But everything sucks is a perfectly acceptable answer. We can be glad nothing worse happened while still acknowledging the gravity of this. The two are far from mutually exclusive in this case." His smile returns again, a bit weaker this time, but still as honest.

Her worries see an echo in him as he looks down at her hand, squeezing it in return. "My hope is the right people take notice from here, that something— something more urgent happens. You guys shouldn't have had to go vigilante to find answers for yourself in the first place. We're supposed to be able to trust SESA. But maybe they'll listen better now."

At the idea that they were going vigilante for answers, gets a faint smile. “Yeah, we almost did there in Canada, didn’t we.” Kaylee had been ready to steal evidence to figure out what the hell was wrong with them, but the olive branch handed to her by Gates gave her the out she needed.

Kaylee gives a heavy sigh out of her nose, looking a bit guilty, “I’m sorry I dragged you into it, Amanvir. I said I wasn’t going to drag you into all that… then I did.” Fingers tighten slightly, as if seeking a lifeline in her friend.

“I’m just scared,” she admits quietly.

"I'm scared right there with you," Aman admits right back, showing worry in place of any concern about what exactly it is he's been and being exposed to. "And I'd rather be in a position to try to help than let you or Isaac go without answers. What happened to you was fucked up, Kaylee. Beyond belief. You deserve answers."

He lifts his other hand to scratch absently at the side of his nose, gaze wandering. "I'm gonna do everything I can to convince that psychometer woman to let me borrow her ability again, to help investigate. I feel like the chances of her stepping forward herself are slim to none, but if I tell her I'll pay her for the use of it, and keep the number of things I read minimal…"

Looking back to Kaylee, Aman nods once determinedly. "Maybe it'll peel back just a little more of this mystery. I'm praying it will."

Praying. Him? He really must be worried for her. With a self-conscious chuckle, he lifts the clasp of their hands, pressing his lips to the backs of her knuckles.

There is a mild flush to Kaylee’s cheeks when she feels his lips brush her knuckles and a small shy smile, though she’s suddenly unable to look at him so that she can collect her thoughts again.

Clearing her throat and trying to keep focused, she gives a small nod, “Every little thing we discover helps, it may be a small piece, but when we finally fit them together, eventually the picture will become clearer.” Kaylee finally looks at him, her appreciation clearly written in her expression. “And I’ll gladly fund her co-operation, but just… don’t tell her who you’re doing it for. I find people tend to ask more when they know it’s me… or Richard,” Kaylee says with an amused smile touching her lips.

“I just hope we find the answers before it’s too late,” Kaylee comments. “I know I started this wanting to just… die,” which is a hard admission from her, “but… but I’m starting to realize I still want to live even if I’m just normal now.”

With Kaylee's warning, the only thing Aman feels he's able to do is smile his reassurance. "Hey, confidentiality is paramount in my line of work." He lifts his hand away from hers to hold it up a solemn vow, even if accompanied by that grin. "Mum's the word."

He has to smile, because what's the alternative? He can't— won't give in to the fear the progress she makes now may be too little too late.

"You're extraordinary, Kaylee. Superpower be damned." His hands settle in his lap in a loose clasp. It's hard to know how to address the fog she went through without it somehow sounding somehow like a guilt trip, so he settles on, "You're worthy of all that living. Just as worthy as you were before. And you've got people to help you work your way through the rough spots. That still hasn't changed."

Aman flashes another, smaller smile. "You've got this, Kaylee."

Kaylee’s own hands fold in her own lap as well, though she doesn’t say anything to his vote of confidence, though her sad expression says she might feel the same.

“Speaking of your line of work,” Kaylee says, seeming to shift the topic. “Could you keep your ear to the ground for a telepath? My stroke may have shaken free a… memory of my father and I realized, I can have someone actually look at my mind.” He can hear a hint of hope. “Maybe they can see why I don’t remember most of my childhood.” Her shoulders lift a little in uncertainty.

“I did ask the DoE agents, but all they know of is a ‘memory guy’” Kaylee even lifts her hands long enough to make quotes, before they fall the lightly clasp in her lap again and play with the edge of her blanket. “I’m sure it will be enough, but I’d like to keep options open, just in case.”

Brows lifting in surprise at her request as much as the unexpected why of it, Aman nods once firmly. Less firm, he assures, "Yeah, sure. I can do that. No problem. I, uh—" It's clear even without her ability that he's rushing back through memory, trying to see if there's any numbers in his rolodex that might hit the spot. After all, there was telepathy, and then there was telepathy. Somehow, he doubts the thought radar he's helped previously will be able to do just what she's hoping.

"Yeah. I'll keep my ears open." He sounds better sure of himself this time. His eyes fall to her hands and then look back up to her directly. Despite putting herself back together… he can tell she's had a long day. "Want me to get out of here for now so you can get some rest?" he asks softly.

A beat passes before he offers, "Or stay, so you can rest easier?" After everything she's been through, maybe alone is the last thing she wants to be.

There is a start of a shake to Kaylee’s head, but it stops short. He can see her struggle with the decision and she is, she knows what she wants, but… finally, Kaylee gives Aman a small tired smile, “I’ll rest fine either way, but… I can always use a friend to keep me company.”

Stifling a yawn, with the back of the one hand, Kaylee shifts to lay on her side facing him. Pillowing her cheek on the one hand that isn’t occupied by an IV, she studies him. “Then you can tell me how your family is doing, how much chaos my showing up caused, and how you’ve been; especially, since we’ve not really had time to just talk.”

Kaylee might not make it through all of it, but she’ll fight the drugs until she can’t anymore or he’s kicked out by staff.

With a small smile, Aman settles back into his seat, making sure he's comfortably visible without Kaylee needing to move from where she's resting. "Well, I'll save talking about the chaos for another time, but…"

"My mom called the other day, said my dad got in a huff about Christmas lights of all things. He just all of a sudden got hyper-aware they'd be the only house on the street without them in a few weeks, and decided no more, they'd have some lights up, too." As amused as he is, it's hard to miss the fondness in his voice. "Of course he doesn't want any advice until he suddenly does, standing in the middle of the store conferencing him and my cousin in so he could figure out if colored or icicle lights are better, without actually … you know, showing them what he's talking about by sending them a picture or…"


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