the sea doesn't like to be restrained

Marissa hated hospitals. She loathed them more than anything else she could think of. She had been on the inside of too many, too many times. The hatred for them only got worse when she was admitted to one she couldn’t leave until she recovered from something that had no real recovery timeframe. Reminding herself mentally of that place had been enough to force her to try and stay grounded for the first few days. Even when she was sat opposite Delilah, an encounter she had kept to herself for reasons she didn’t fully understand. But, now Shane was here too? She felt like she was unfolding, unravelling and she was trying hard not to sink in the deep end but the lifeline was fraying. 

She wanted to help Cleo more, she wanted to be there for Dela more. She wanted, more than anything, to be able to find the right words to comfort them. She wished that she could find the right words to snap Nicola out of this slumber. Wished that those fairytales about true loves kiss were real… Riss eventually stopped pacing as sat at the bottom of the bed in the space between the backboard and Nic’s feet. She brought her legs up into her chest, her chin onto her knees and took the younger blonde’s hand. “I think she just needed a little bit of quiet…” Riss sighed softly as her eyes drifted from Cleo’s to their hands. She shook her head, knowing that the other would see right through a white lie anyway, and that that would concern her more. “I tried to I just… It doesn’t feel right when she has to get everything through a fucking tube…” She swallowed quickly, brows furrowing as she sniffed. God, she was exhausted. They all were. 

“She said the Police think it’s a mugging gone wrong but… I don’t know, something just doesn’t feel right about any of this. And I constantly– feel like I’m being watched… I mean, at first I just, I thought it might be those people from… You know, her past but– with Shane? I don’t know…” Her eyes glanced to Cleo’s and then gazed off into nothing at the wall behind Nic’s head. She had her gut instinct. Delilah hadn’t left her mind since that talk, and she was swimming in the conspiracy that she knew more than she was letting on. But, she wouldn’t say that. She couldn’t. Even if everyone else was thinking it too. Was anyone else thinking it? No one else really knew her… Not like Riss did. Her eyes flicked down to Nic as she sighed. “She’s crying again…” Riss muttered with a broken voice.

“Baby, I got you,” she whispered. Their fingers intertwined as she looked at her. It was difficult to try to remain hopeful. Every day with little to no progress and the show of the brunette slowly unravelling was heartbreaking. Cleo did everything she could to not think about the negative. Of any possible negative outcome. She brought their hands to her lips to kiss hers, resting her cheek against it. “The longer this takes, the more I promise to stay by the both of you. It’s... I-It’s going to be okay. She’s going to wake up. We’re going to get our girl back.” She knows that her words could potentially be an empty promise. But she wanted to at least try to give Marissa some hope. Even if she was struggling herself as well.

Her sigh was shaky as she spoke of Cordelia. Nicola came into her life when she was five, almost six, years old. She has become a huge part of her life. While Dela was skeptical of everyone else around her, she eventually was able to trust Nic. She eventually allowed her to become her mother. So as difficult as this was for her and Riss, she couldn’t imagine how this was for their daughter. “I-I have an idea,” she announced. “When she wakes up and is able to come back home, I’m going to cook us a three course meal. Nic’s, Dela’s, and your favourites, the whole ordeal. A proper feast for our family.” She tried to put that out there in the universe. To manifest this dream to become true. For Nic to wake up. For Riss to breathe. For Dela to have her family. For the four of them to return home as a family. This is going to happen. She is sure of it.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had been as happy as she was before this. There was really nothing wrong, she had been sleeping, eating, exercising… She’d even not really been drinking all that much; at least, not compared to how she used to be. Still was defintely a problem, but it… It had been good, great even. She had felt like she was on top of the world and now… Now, there didn’t feel like there was anything beneath her feet. She should have known, should have seen how Nic needed someone. She should have felt her get out of bed. All this guilt weighed down on her shoulder and the worst part of it all was she just… Had no idea how to support Dela or Cleo. She didn’t know what to say, how to be, what to do. She was trying, trying not to let her thoughts spiral into madness but… As the days past it was getting harder and harder to keep her grip on everything. Dela hadn’t really said anything to Marissa in the few hours they spent together, nothing aside from finally admitting she was hungry and wanted some food. She’d ordered some takeout, and there was a relief watching the little one finally eat a proper meal even if she herself just picked at her own food before throwing it all away. She managed to get a hug out of the little one before Laurel and Sofia took them in, and there was some comfort in seeing her best friend but… Right now she just felt empty. Angry. Scared.

She popped in to make sure Shane and Donnie were okay, having seen Shane on her way out of the hospital earlier in the afternoon, and then went back to the room. Riss slid inside quietly and tried to give the smile back but it was about as bad as Cleo’s. “Hey…” Her eyes went to Nicola, still sleeping, the machine beeping still ringing in her ears. Everytime she left, she hoped she would come back to a surprise, that the nightmare would be over. It needed to be over soon; she couldn’t do this for all that much longer. Not without breaking. “Mmhmm,” Riss nodded. “I finally got her to eat something, it was crappy takeout food but– I… Figured it would be better for her than my cooking,” she tried a light humor attempt but her tone made it fall flat. She swallowed as she paced around a little, nippling nervously at her fingernails before finally stopping. “I– Shane… Shane is here too, er– downstairs by the ER? She… Apparently she got attacked this morning, she doesn’t remember what happened but I mean… That’s weird, right? I’m not– this is all weird, right? Nic– Then Shane… It can’t just be a coicidence… Can it?” 

She wasn’t just scared of losing Nicola; She was scared of losing Marissa, too. Of how this was affecting her right now and how it’ll affect her in the long run. When Nicola was attacked in her apartment, Marissa blamed herself for days. She did everything she could to get new bodyguards, ones who would do a better job at protecting them. How she didn’t sleep until she knew for certain that they could be safe and sound, all the while trying to find solace in a bottle. It terrified her the first time; She was scared how things were going to be this time around. Marissa was fiercely protective over her family, wanting to provide for them all. And when she feels like she was failing, like she hasn’t done enough, then she’ll work herself to the bone to make sure to get things perfectly right. Only this time, it was more challenging: Nicola was asleep, they had no idea when she’d wake up, and all they really can do is sit back and wait. Cleo hated it. She hated seeing how this was affecting everyone. There was so much at stake here and not knowing what could happen next was torture. She couldn’t watch Marissa fall back into such a dark state of mind while also having to watch Nicola be a sleeping beauty. It hurt so much.

It hurt. Seeing the people she loves more than anything hurting. Nicola was asleep and her waking up is unpredictable; Marissa was blaming herself and Cleo was terrified that this could cause her to go bad again; Cordelia was devastated and wouldn’t eat or talk to anyone, just wanting her mother. Cleo has truly never felt more useless. She kept on praying and giving offerings to the gods, especially to Asclepius while also giving thanks to Poseidon and Amphitrite for not taking Nic’s life. But it didn’t feel enough. She just wished that she could find some way for Nicola to wake up and to be okay, for her family to be together again. Sitting in the chair next to her girlfriend’s bed, holding her hand and softly talking to her, she barely looked up once she felt another’s presence in the room. However, part of her pain was relieved once she saw Riss. “H-Hey,” she croaked out, trying to muster a smile to the best of her abilities. “Minnow’s okay with Sof and Laur?” She couldn’t describe how grateful she was to the Thatchers for helping with their daughter. It meant so much to her to know that she was safe.

WHERE: Nicola’s room at the hospital in Greece

WHEN: A few days after Nicola’s “accident”

TIME: The afternoon.

WARNINGS: Comatose, nightmares mention

CHARACTER FEATURES: Cleo Lopez

CHARACTER MENTIONS: Nicola Sloane ( @thenickorium ), Marissa Harrison ( @queenmarissa ), Cordelia Lopez (NPC)

PROMPT: Cleo spends some time with a sleeping Nicola and misses her, reminiscing their past.

  Sighing a bit, she didn’t want to be a bother but the annoyance built up till she finally told her mother to chill out. Giving an apologetic smile to the other woman. “Oh no-no it’s okay.” Reassuring with a nervous laugh, she didn’t need to seem crazy in a smoke shop. Everyone else seemed to be in their own little world. “Just trying to have an actual day off, even was encouraged too and here I have adult child bothering me.” Nodding slowly, her lips pressed into a thin line but it curved slightly at the corners. “Sorry again, about being noisy.”

–

Had Genevieve been paying more attention, she’d notice that the woman she’s asked would be one of Nicola’s girls as per the intel she’s kept over the years. As it is, she’s too busy overthinking if getting Bear something as simple as a tie would disrupt the dynamic they have. “I don’t really know what I’m going for,” she says honestly. “What do you give someone that says ‘Thank you for saving my life and also making me happier than I’ve ever been in a long time?’”

“no, i will battle him with my words, cleo. i will not get my freshly-painted nails into war tonight–a man’s not worth my while. though…i made him go away, i think i deserve a free round of shots?” genesis playfully pouts at the other woman this time. ever since she’s left ellis holdings and moved to santa ysabel after the death of her girlfriend, cleo lopez welcomed her with open arms and had her work for the cove as their director of operations. the two not only got along in business, but also became great friends. “damn, lopez. that’s a big offer to make for me to beat up a man with a tiny dick.” she jokes, shaking her head at the other. 

MONROE: i just want to be away from everything for a while, with my family, yours and mom's....just a little break, you know? i want to take care of my wife and my family with everything i can. cleo--how's riss and nic? i know riss has had a rough time, and how nic can get overprotective, have they been resting well? you?

NICOLA: is this how selfies should be? [https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/725332683747754057/772816477635608596/7444042a14f29007adbe8daf7560760a.png?width=482&height=482]

CLEO: save- and i saved that😍

CLEO: *yes, not the first save lmao