[He brightens at the kiss, reaching out with his other hand to catch Dagny's sleeve. He's not really thinking about the way he's hooked up to things, just trying to keep him close.] Yeah. I think? [He tilts his head a little, considering, before adding almost apologetically:] Everything feels weird.
[Carefully, and gently, he moves Isaac’s hand, taking it off of his sleeve and putting it back on the bed, but staying close, his hand going into Isaac’s hair to brush through it softly.] I know, it’s okay. I’m here, and you’re safe, and the weirdness just means everything is working.
[He tries to keep his voice sounding nice and calm and comforting, so that Isaac will know everything’s fine. He knows it can be stressful for him to not know what is going on, or to feel like he’s not in control, he doesn’t want him to feel any anxiety about the pain medication doing it’s job.] You’re doing great. You’ll be better in no time.
[The good thing about the pain medication is that it also has him a little too out of it to feel stressed about everything. It's just hard to read his own signals. Especially given sometimes that's hard for him when he's fully coherent. There's a weird feeling in his throat and his mouth, he's not sure if it's thirst or something else.]
As long as you're here. [This is the exact thing he was trying to compensate for before, but that doesn't change the fact that he means it absolutely genuinely. Dagny's presence is grounding, it makes him feel more stable. And it makes it harder to forget when and where he is, even when the pain kicks up, which makes it less likely he'll freak out and try to hide.
Besides, it's nice not to be alone again for something like this.]
I’m here. [He repeats it again, still running his hand through Isaac’s hair even though he has to lean forward to do so. He’d rather be able to make Isaac comfortable than worry about his own comfort.
After a few moments, he presses the call button, asking the nurse for some water when she comes in, and an extra blanket, just for good measure, these places always run a little cold, he doesn’t want to risk Isaac needing one later. He doesn’t move from his spot, even when the nurse comes in, not really wanting to get up until absolutely necessary.]
[It's a relief when Dagny doesn't move, because the presence of a stranger makes Isaac tense a little, his heart picking up again. It's not that he really thinks anything's going to happen. But for so long, the best way to stay safe when injured was to avoid everything as much as possible, and it's hard to shake that completely.
It's just a little, and slowly he starts to relax when nothing happens, his hand loosening around Dagny's. But he's still mostly silent, watching until she leaves despite his clear lack of alertness thanks to the drugs.]
Love you. [It's a quiet murmur, once they're alone again.]
[The heart monitor going faster is more noticeable to him than the fact Isaac was squeezing his hand. He just takes care of speaking to the nurse until she leaves, thankfully she seems to notice the anxiety in Isaac as well and doesn’t ask him anything. He knows that won’t always be the case though, hopefully Isaac will recover quick enough that they won’t have to be here long. Getting woken up every hour for vitals is going to be rough considering how nervous he is around the nurses.]
I love you too. [He presses another kiss to Isaac’s cheek, moving a little further up the bed when he sits back down, so that he’s as close as he can be without being in the way of the bed’s mechanics.] You should try to rest. It’s the only way to deal with all of this stuff.
This is resting. [With a vague gesture at the bed, as if to point out that he's lying down and not moving, before he rests his hand on Dagny's leg. It's not the same thing exactly, but despite his weariness he doesn't actually feel tired. Too awake to keep his eye closed for long.]
Okay, smartass, but that’s not exactly the rest I had in mind. [Said with so much affection that it’s basically a term of endearment, and also possibly a little sarcasm, but he’s smiling, because it’s a very Isaac thing to say. He also anticipated a little push back about sleeping considering he can barely get Isaac to sleep under normal circumstances.]
[He didn't necessarily expect to get away with that, but it was worth trying. He wrinkles his nose in response, admitting after a second:] I don't know if I can sleep.
[He's visibly relieved when Dagny doesn't push him more on it. It's not like he's trying not to, he's just... messed up, on these kinds of things. Even if his body did want sleep, he's so used to fighting it that it's not even really a conscious thing anymore.]
Not in the room. Not right now. [His eyes sweep around like he's double-checking before settling on Dagny again, offering him a little smile.] Most of them don't stick around hospitals for long anyway.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2025-03-21 06:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-21 06:44 am (UTC)[He tries to keep his voice sounding nice and calm and comforting, so that Isaac will know everything’s fine. He knows it can be stressful for him to not know what is going on, or to feel like he’s not in control, he doesn’t want him to feel any anxiety about the pain medication doing it’s job.] You’re doing great. You’ll be better in no time.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-21 06:51 am (UTC)[The good thing about the pain medication is that it also has him a little too out of it to feel stressed about everything. It's just hard to read his own signals. Especially given sometimes that's hard for him when he's fully coherent. There's a weird feeling in his throat and his mouth, he's not sure if it's thirst or something else.]
As long as you're here. [This is the exact thing he was trying to compensate for before, but that doesn't change the fact that he means it absolutely genuinely. Dagny's presence is grounding, it makes him feel more stable. And it makes it harder to forget when and where he is, even when the pain kicks up, which makes it less likely he'll freak out and try to hide.
Besides, it's nice not to be alone again for something like this.]
no subject
Date: 2025-03-21 05:20 pm (UTC)After a few moments, he presses the call button, asking the nurse for some water when she comes in, and an extra blanket, just for good measure, these places always run a little cold, he doesn’t want to risk Isaac needing one later. He doesn’t move from his spot, even when the nurse comes in, not really wanting to get up until absolutely necessary.]
no subject
Date: 2025-03-21 05:32 pm (UTC)It's just a little, and slowly he starts to relax when nothing happens, his hand loosening around Dagny's. But he's still mostly silent, watching until she leaves despite his clear lack of alertness thanks to the drugs.]
Love you. [It's a quiet murmur, once they're alone again.]
no subject
Date: 2025-03-21 07:39 pm (UTC)I love you too. [He presses another kiss to Isaac’s cheek, moving a little further up the bed when he sits back down, so that he’s as close as he can be without being in the way of the bed’s mechanics.] You should try to rest. It’s the only way to deal with all of this stuff.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-21 07:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-21 08:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-21 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-25 07:11 am (UTC)Are there ghosts here? [It's a hospital so he figures there must be, right?]
no subject
Date: 2025-03-25 07:27 am (UTC)Not in the room. Not right now. [His eyes sweep around like he's double-checking before settling on Dagny again, offering him a little smile.] Most of them don't stick around hospitals for long anyway.