Valentina inhaled the smoky, thick air in the room and held her breath for a few seconds before she released it and dared to open her eyes. The bar shifted into focus slowly while she held on to the wall, running a hand through her hair. The dim lights blinded her, the low music echoed in her ears. It was just the night for a little too much, it had been a long day, and hell, it would be a long long night, so why not? She was tired, so tired, not only physically but generally, she was sick of being tired and she hated how her hands shook and how chapped her lips were and how she could barely stand up straight. She hated this place and the way the scum of the city came here to escape their own barely bearable lives.
When she spotted the semi-familiar guy leaning on the bar, she steadied herself and walked a few steps to stand right in front of him. âHi. What are you drinking?â Her voice was shaky, quiet - but audible enough. Waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention. A little smirk crept up to the corners of her mouth. âAnything? Pretty hard to spend your night here without booze.â
The soft voice was easily lost in the hubbub and it wasn't until the hand passed before his eyes that Nathan found himself paying attention again. He raised his eyebrows and adopted a casual smile. "A bottle of," He hesitated, eyes skimming the rows of glass and labels before he returned his eyes to the barkeep. "Rum. The cheapest." Nathan's fingers were tapping to nothing in particular, the bar slightly sticky under his fingers.Â
He pulled a  worn, dark brown wallet from his pocket and fished out a bill, twisting it between his fingers as he looked properly at the barkeep. She was quite familiar, although he didn't visit often, she was usually there and although they'd exchanged a few words he doubted she remembered him. "If it's as hard as you say, how do you survive the night?" The rules of being the barkeep here weren't too clear, but they always seemed to have a clear head. "Are you allowed to drink?"Â
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A large crowd filled the place with the dim roar of conversations, laughter and glasses clinking. Nathan maneuvered through the crowd, mentally reciting what everyone at the table had wanted. He recognised most of the people there and although the bar wasn't strictly a Blood Kings' spot, they still frequented it. However, it wasn't territory, so problems sometimes did arise. Tonight, however, the simple black crown tattoo was worn by most and it seemed like it would be a quiet evening at Nathan arrived at the bar.Â
Nathan leaned his elbows on the bar, rubbing his face. He was tired but the nights with the group that was under Cinder's authority came close to sacred and always resulted in stories that would be told later. It was easy to get swept up in the energy that filled the group once they were 'off duty'. As he stood at the bar, waiting to catch a bartender's attention, he zoned out, staring at the multitude of colours and lights, barely noticing when someone did appear before him.Â
An Enormous Waste of Time | Nathaniel & Rachel | AU
It was frustrating to say the least. After looking forward to meeting Felix again after they had barely laid eyes on each other for three months at least, they had had only about five minutes of conversation before his interest wandered in another direction. Sure the barista serving them was cute but Rachel was a little hurt that he still hadnât changed all that much. She had hoped that his attention span would grow with age and separation but apparently sheâd been thinking about him too highly. With a sigh she took in the rest of the coffeeshop, trying to figure out something to do with her time now that sheâd been so apruptly left.
Quite quickly she managed to get her gaze settled on maybe the only other person in the store that wasnât occupied with someone else and driven by her frustration by getting ditched, she approached him with an open smile on her lips.
âHey. I was just wondering if youâd like to join me.â, she waited for a beat to see if the young man was put off by her approach before continuing quickly. âYou see my best friend, who I was meeting here, kind of got enamoured with one of the Baristas and found it more important than spending time with me and I was really looking forward to just talking and drinking some coffee.â How to turn an innocently enough request into embarrasing rambling, she thought to herself but it was too late now to change any of that. Â
Nathan was running on five hours of sleep in the past two days, and he desperately needed another coffee. He needed another coffee because he couldn't concentrate on the words in his textbooks and that was a problem. That was a problem because the finals of AC6CT55 his Cityplanning class for Architecture, were coming up. That was a problem because he had broken his wrist in October and hadn't been able to take notes. That was a problem because none of his classmates took notes the way he did. That was a problem because the last time he hadn't had have notes for a class and watching back the lectures was impossible, he had panicked and had barely passed the class.Â
But the textbooks simply weren't as interesting, not that his â or anyone's â notes were, but they're better than the dry and winding writing that filled his books.
The coffeeshop was particularly busy, Nathan noticed as he lifted his gaze and stared at the other people without really taking them in, RJD2 playing in his ears. He thumbed his sunglasses case open and shut, open and shut, before shaking himself awake and returning his attention to the textbook. Open and shut. The passage was about how to make it appealing for people to go out in a time that entertainment came to you before you even got out of bed and it was the only the start of an amazingly long chapter and Nathan couldn't help but tune out halfway the second sentence. Open and shut. The snap of his glasses case was a reprimand and he forced himself to keep reading, pushing the case open again he noticed someone standing at his table.Â
Blinking twice, Nathan watched her with a bland expression, her words not really permeating him in any way. The word coffee stuck with him, but the rest of her words trudged behind it and his eyes flick to the huge clock in the coffeeshop. He could take a break. "Uhm," He starts, eloquently, before nodding and piling his things in an orderly fashion. "Of course, but I'm studying so I can't really take a long break. I hope you don't mind?" He asks, knowing that even if she did, he really wouldn't care.Â
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Valentina had shuffled back to lying on her side when Amanda was gone, on her right one, and even though her leg hurt more in this position, she needed to be able to pull her legs closer, making a little warmth for herself, and as she closed her eyes, she pretended she was in her bed in the apartment, that none of this had happened. But that didn't work. Thoughts still flooded her brain like the cool water had flooded the east wing of Division and she just couldn't banish the worry, the memories, the pain that had made a home inside her head. A cough errupted from her lips yet again, shaking her, and she opened her eyes. It was hopeless. Valentina's half-open eyes scanned her surroundings until she stopped and focused on the frame in the 'bed' next to her. Was that ... "Nathan?" She half whispered, not sure if he was awake or not.
Nathan lay wrapped in a comfortable darkness, his mind dormant as he slept. It didn't last, however, as he awoke from the thought that he wasin Chicago to find that he was in the Mensa, the sound of other breathing bodies around and another kind darkness around them as it was obviously during curfew. The middle of the night then. He tried to sleep on, but thoughts plagued him and he was reliving the Elm Shooting and the flood simultaneously. He eventually fell asleep again, but soon enough woke up again and this time there was light. He kept his eyes shut, not wanting to wake up, not wanting to deal with everything. What day was it? Wasn't it his birthday? He cracked open an eyelid and tried to find a way to discover the date. None found. But his eyes did come across Valentina, who looked at him with wide eyes. He groaned his presence, not finding the will to talk.
Valentina wished for a Valium - or any painkillers or numbing medication, really - more than she had in a long time, always telling herself that it wasn't worth it to get hooked on that stuff again, but right about now it sounded like heaven. Blocking out these thoughts, the painful ones, the worry about Maya and the frustration about not being able to get up, the wish to go lie in her apartment instead of the bunker that hel all that incarnated fear for the agent, with a little pill... The aching bodies around her, the pained groans that cut through the air... it all didn't really add to her wellbeing. And neither did it add to Nathan's, by the looks. Gasping for air, the brunette pushed herself up to see him better. "Oh, god. I didn't want to wake you." Now she saw the bandage on his head and bit her lip. No one had been spared, had they? She wanted to ask what had happened, if he was okay, but she wasn't sure if she should talk any more or not.
Nathan cracked open his other eye and studied the brunette as she gasped to push herself upright. The better part of his face was buried in a cushion and he was lying on a table, if he was lying on the same as the other agent. He gave another negatory grunt that meant that she hadn't woken him. He wasn't in the mood to talk and he wondered if he would at all in the next coming hour. He probably would. "Are you okay, Mystery Girl?" He used her old nickname, trying to let a grin creep on his face as he lay there, limbs heavy and head throbbing. He felt like throwing up, but he knew it wouldn't help.
Valentina: A nervous little chuckle escaped Valentina at the use of the nickname Nathan had for her. It sounded like she would start to cry the next second, but even though she did feel like it, her eyes were dry, and she was fumbling at the sheet she laid on, shuffling to get into a bette rposition even though she kneww there was none. Then she nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Yeah." It was like she had to reassure herself There was no energy left in her to keep up her facade. "What about you? Haven't lost your snark, I see." She could see that he wasn't okay, it was the way he laid there, te way that grin made it up to his lips. Maybe they just needed to tell themselves that.
Nathan let out a short snort, closing his eyes again. The darkness his eyelids offered him was so much more preferable than the lights that shone above them. Mensa was full of wounded people, Medical probably overflowing and the sound that accompanied broken people wasn't a nice one. At least most of them were still sleeping or silent, and a few conversations like the one Valentina and he were having created a low mumble that filled the room. That was a little comforting as well. Shifting, he groaned and closed his eyes forcibly, breathing out slowly. It hurt like hell to move his head, the wound on the back of his head unrelenting in doling out painful jabs. "That's good." She didn't look so good, but he didn't comment, instead moving on. "Nah, that'll stay with me forever." He said as he studied his companion. "So. That was one hell of a thing to strike, Division, right?"
Valentina seemed to remember more and more of what happened and it was like the memories of the recent events swarmed her brain. She didn't want to remember this. She didn't want to remember anything, any of it. These thoughts were scaring her; they felt like a dream, but she knew they happened. She saw prove of them all around her in the Mensa, in Nathan and when she looked down at herself. Again, with a gasp, she shifted in her position - probably not for the last time as everything hurt. Slowly, she nodded. Yeah, she was fine. Completely fine. "You couldn't pull off Mr Curious without that, I guess." Valentina closed her eyes for a second. She guessed they needed to talk about the flooding sooner or later. "Looks like it." She coughed, unsure of what to say. "I just ... I want to get out of here."
Nathan eyed her a little doubtfully as she gasped when shifting, but if she wanted to tell herself she was doing well, then he wasn't going to get in the way of that. "Correct." He said with the ghost of a grin, slowly dragging a hand through his hair and trying to avoid the wound on the back of his head. It hurt, to pat his hair and to basically mess with it, but he would deal with it. "Hey." He said, trying to lock eyes with Valentina. "We'll get out. Don't worry. This is all temporary and we'll be out soon." The words sounded a little breathless as he fought the pain behind his eyes. "And when we do, I'll treat you do dinner, alright?" It having been his birthday and all, it should probably be the other way around but it seemed like she needed. It was then that Nathan realised how bad it might sound to Division that he was taking her out to dinner, but they wouldn't be able to find something that wasn't there. "Just, try to get better now."
Valentina found it extremely hard to hold Nathan's gaze; when she tried locking eyes with him, hers would drift off and avoid the feeling of revealing too much. She was showing a lot more emotion than usual, and she didn't choose that - she just could not help it. Another saddening little chuckle escaped her as she listened to his words, and somehow, she believed him for a second, desperately, closing her eyes, nodding even though the fear to be locked away in the bunker forever lingered in her again like she was a recruit again. "I know. We'll ... we can go up soon." The agent felt her fingers fumbling at the 'bed' again when she suddenly turned her head, examining his face, a small smirk creeping up on her face. Already knowing his intentions, she spoke, her voice too quiet still, too weak to sound sassy. "Are you flirting with me, Nathan? Because I don't know if I can handle it..." She cocked her head to the side, ignoring the dizzying feeling it created. "Seems like you need to, aswell, first."
Nathan studied her eyes and noticed it was second nature for her to avoid looking people in the eye when they really wanted to. Well, he didn't reallywant to, but it felt like he needed to at least see for himself how deep the damage had run. "Well, I'm not so sure about when they'll release me, but a week, tops." He paused for a moment. "I think." It was possible they might take him into questioning about who beat him up and other events in relation to the flood, but he didn't count on it. He hadn't killed two guards this time, and other than try (and fail) to restore order and beating up recruits in the process, he hadn't done too many incriminating things. "Are you going to faint because I promised I'd pay your dinner?" Nathan breathed loudly through his nose, not wanting to really laugh. "Seems like we both need to."
Valentina took a deep breath. She really hoped Amanda could arrange for her to return to her apartment sooner than in a week. She needed her own bed to recover. She needed Maya next to her, she needed to get away from all the people and be alone with her. Still, the question about what happened to Nathan lingered on her tongue, but she didn't dare to speak it out. Yet. She could see that he was struggling with his injuries even more than she was and she knew how painful it was to even think about the flooding. Another smirk graced Valentina's lips. "Dude, I feel like I'll faint just breathing in." But then, she nodded and place her head back down, sinking into her thoughts.
âItâs the only distraction I have, so I can deal with it.â, she mimicked his shrug and shifted in her seat to stretch out her leg beneath the table. This wasnât the right place to get deeper into the matter anyway and even though Nathanâs official job description included dissolving people in acid, it didnât mean that he enjoyed that. Rachel couldnât afford to lose him just because she enjoyed her work a little too much at times. That of course didnât include killing people but the blonde hadnât been activated for such an operation ever since she had to kill the woman in Abu Dhabi. She rarely thought about it, that chapter had been closed when she stepped onto the plane back to America. She had come to terms with what she had done and should she have to do it again, then thatâs just how it had to be. It was the amount of destruction that a single well-placed explosive could cause, that secretly worried her. She was glad to change the topic.
âIâm flattered, Nathan.â, she teased him but the smile on her lips told the truth about the little leap in her stomach that she had felt. âYouâre looking sharp as well.â He always did to her anyway. She let out a little sigh that their conversation had turned back to the common topic of work but that was what people talked about a lot anyway. âYou should go soon then. You know how itchy they get when you miss a check-in.â, she smiled, âItâs hard to think about anything else most of the time.â Division simply didnât offer much for their agents when they werenât on active duty. The downtime was eating her up and made her want to do something stupid.Â
It was nice to have a distraction, Nathan mused inside his head. It was nice to be able to do things that weren't Division related, he guessed, and it was a little sad that Rachel's distraction was one that involved constructing exploding devices that would maim or kill people in the future. It was a grim thought. However, he nodded and let a small smile creep onto his face. Not because of what she was doing or because of her, but because she had found something that was a distraction to her.Â
The smile widened a little and he studied his hands a iittle, happy when the food came over and they dug in. "Thanks, I guess." He said and took a good look at what he was wearing. A simple dark green sweater and some dark jeans. It wasn't anything special but it suited his dark golden curls, he thought. He wasn't too fashion sensitive but he liked to think that he wore something that at least suited him.Â
"I know, I know." He muttered but tried to keep it light. "I'll go in soon. Maybe we should do it together sometime, keep each other company." The idea had just come to him, and it might be a good one. "Yeah, it's hard." He agreed and for a moment silence fell, their food between them and their drinks as well. He took out his phone to check if he had any messages and was relieved to find he had none. He could spend some more time here, then. "So, anything else that's new?"Â
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The recruit did not seem to realise how close he had been to Nathan when on an emotionally vulnerable point. That was good, but then he asked himself why the recruit had helped in the first place. Had Emma put him up to it? But he had fallen over when Emma was already gone, so that couldnât be it.Â
And a part of Nico showed himself in the recruit and he took the recruitâs face in, absorbing as much of it as he could before he slumped back again. Nico was like that. He would help those in pain and those who needed it, stitching his brotherâs wound and joining the Blood Kings so he could help the family. The lump in Nathanâs throat didnât go away as he focused on breathing and staying in the land of the living.Â
The water was still rising, but the agent didnât fear for his life. He was close to death anyway, and he was in the hands of others. It was nigh impossible to get out of the situation on his own, so he had to rely on Division. He hated relying, and knew that if he died now, it wouldnât be his mistake. He could deal with that, he decided, no matter how flawed it actually was. They would probably want him to stay awake but that was not going to happen, he realised. It was easier to fall unconscious, he realised. Very dangerous, but still easy.Â
Yes. A medal. That was what he wanted. Of course he was joking, he was even grinning as the doctor made him a nurse and asked so many things all at once. Deep inside though a medal wouldnât be so bad after all. It wasnât all the time Daniel felt at home somewhere - where people actually cared for him, or seen him more than just a daddyâs boy or a special case in the Military bunker, he wanted to prove he was someone unique in his own way, so probably this was one of the ways.
Daniel could feel the water rising on his legs⌠weird, he thought, didnât the exits close already? Was there still one more? Whatever it was and wherever it was, it had to close soon because the water will rise no matter what happens and then⌠if that really did happen, nothing would save them but oblivion.
The doctor finally seemed to be able to finish whatever he was doing with the other guy, he was murmuring something about cutting the hair to place a bandage, but without scissors and clean equipment he didnât want to take a chance. Satisfied with his own handiwork, the doctor left the now unconscious, hopefully asleep Nathan, and went to another person in need.
Daniel stayed for a while and watched Nathan⌠wondering who he was and what he was doing in Division.. agent probably. With that in mind, he yawned, he had been tired⌠and for a moment, he too felt the exhaustion⌠âprobably just a napâ he murmured before falling asleep as he sat on the mensa chair, his head beside Nathanâs body set on the table.
"No shit sherlock." Daniel finally said when Nathan seemed to actually get the part of his head straight where reality and past memories collided. True in times of these moments there was only a thin thread that separated the two worlds but still the price was high to have let yourself be sucked into your own brain.
"You have to get used with this for the meantime Nathan," of course there wasnât any reason to call him Nate anymore. "I cleaned the wound, and placed pressure, thereâs some water here if you want to drink." he said much more cleary and at ease now that he was sure the guy was seemingly awake. "Thereâs only one doctor because everyone else in Divisionâs rosters in terms of medical personnel and leader had already left the bunker and is god knows where fucking in hawaii." Hawaii was of course and exaggeration, but he was pretty sure Nathan was smart enough to get the point.
"The only doctorâs gonna come here soon, just give him a second or two, I swear Iâve been trying to call him since I first saw you fall down." It was the only explanation Daniel could give. The doctor was gonna come, he had to. What else was he going to do anyway? Daniel wondered if Division really just left one doctor down there with them to treat possible injuries, if he was too late in escaping, or he really stayed for this kind of reason? Whatever it was, at least he was doing his job.
After a ten beat count, the doctor finally arrived and threw his soggy bag towards Daniel, âGive me a syringe and antiseptic recruit-â the doctor said tired- and clipped. âSTAT, Iâve got dozens more to patch up.â
The recruit did not seem to realise how close he had been to Nathan when on an emotionally vulnerable point. That was good, but then he asked himself why the recruit had helped in the first place. Had Emma put him up to it? But he had fallen over when Emma was already gone, so that couldn't be it.Â
And a part of Nico showed himself in the recruit and he took the recruit's face in, absorbing as much of it as he could before he slumped back again. Nico was like that. He would help those in pain and those who needed it, stitching his brother's wound and joining the Blood Kings so he could help the family. The lump in Nathan's throat didn't go away as he focused on breathing and staying in the land of the living.Â
The water was still rising, but the agent didn't fear for his life. He was close to death anyway, and he was in the hands of others. It was nigh impossible to get out of the situation on his own, so he had to rely on Division. He hated relying, and knew that if he died now, it wouldn't be his mistake. He could deal with that, he decided, no matter how flawed it actually was. They would probably want him to stay awake but that was not going to happen, he realised. It was easier to fall unconscious, he realised. Very dangerous, but still easy.Â
Well, the conversation was going, at least there was that, Daniel really wanted a medal of some sort of honor for this when he got out, or rather if he gets out - alive preferably. âYou bumped your head Nate, hurts doesnât it? Iâm here trying to help as much as I can, I need you to stay calm and keep talking to me okay?â he said pressing the ice again before dabbing lightly. The bleeding was still there but it didnât seem as much as it was, or maybe it was just wishful thinking.
Daniel grunted internally when Nathan asked for a phone, why couldnât he ask for something else that he could give? Something easy, like.. like a piece of plate or something? Why did it have to be a phone⌠âI donât know where it is Nate, do you want me to find it? I can try to find it.â he continued to say, if Daniel was any more weaker or invested in whoever this guy was, he would probably have cracked a tear or two at how hard it was to manage someone who was already getting delirious.
"Butâ" he started, he didnât know what it is about Nico and Nathan, but Daniel felt like it wasnât the same Nikola that he had met⌠was it some sort of gang? Probably⌠it was usually like that, so who was Nico? Friend? Brother? Someone? Either way he tried to talk again. "But youâre there, I want to be with you -if⌠if I promise not to join, will you promise me youâll get through this?" he asked. Daniel was getting tired and drowsy, more emotional-wise because of panic and instictual planning. This was the first time in his life he had to do so many things.
Taking a chance to look up, he saw the only doctor finally walking-hopefully towards them, maybe there was still some kind of anesthesia or something to dull the pain, make Nathan sleep⌠âCome on doc, get in hereâŚâ
Then things started to get messy inside Nathan's head. Nico's body lay next to him, bloody and broken, normally shining brown curls matted with blood and dirt and the face under them pale and smeared with blood. Nathan almost vomited as he lay there, the pain, the memories all becoming too much. He had never properly grieved for Nicholas Eissink, always putting the sorrow deep inside him and carrying it around with him. Now he couldn't stop it, the memory of his death so fresh in his mind, even though it had been nearly a year.Â
A few teas leaked out from under his eyelids as he lay there, and thought of all the things he wanted to say. How much had he actually said here, just now? Frustration welled up in him as he tried to stay awake and keep his mouth shut. This wasn't supposed to happen. Would Nico still be alive if he hadn't joined?Â
The thought was a painful one and Nathan wanted to curl up but his body simply refused. "Recruit." He said, throat dry and the lump still there. "I have a head wound and I've lost a lot of blood. Tell the medic that I simply need water and rest. Apply more pressure to the wound. Clean it with something." He wasn't Nico but Nathan remembered vaguely thinking that he had been. God, he was such an idiot. He had revealed more about his past to this random recruit than he had to anyone.Â
Okay this time, Daniel was entirely freaking out, at least he was internally so. Where the fuck was the doctor and why wasnât he here? Should he punch the guy out of his mind just so that he would shut up and Daniel could put pressure in peace? Probably that wasnât a good thing to do. With an audible gulp he looked around and finally an ice tube was shoved towards his hand, and wrapping the ice once in a ripped thin shirt, the recruit placed the ice on the agents head. That was going to sting a bit because of the sudden coldness, but he would dab it properly so that it wouldnât freeze-fry his brain somehow. He was never going to be a medic, not even to try.
When Nathan suddenly got mad, Daniel felt like he was really in the shoes of a medical officer, two recruits held Nathan down, whoever they were Daniel had to thank them soon. âShhh,â he offered as he placed the cool shirtwrapped ice on Nathanâs head to cool him off. Cinder, Cinder was a person then. âHeâs just busy, heâs doing things, I donât know, donât get mad at me⌠I, I donât know everything.â he said his voice tinged with a bit of desperation and fear. Daniel literally didnât know what to do anymore. Or how long he could hold Nathan off.
At least it seemed as if the agent, for all worse for wear and bloody head seemed to be fit and alive, altering between different emotions and thoughts, but still fighting. That was a good sign, at least.
Something cold struck his head and Nathan cracked open another eye despite the pain and saw that Nico was sticking something against his head. "What are you doing?" Then he realised that the pain wasn't in his leg, like it should be, but in his head. Still, he didn't care. He was in so much pain. It hurt. Why hadn't Cinder texted him yet that he was safe? What was going on? Had everyone made it out?
"Ni-" The words died in his throat and he tried again. "Nico, where is my phone." He needed it. He needed to reach someone and make sure they weren't dead. Fear clung onto him like a drowning man onto a rock and he forced himself to remain calm. They weren't dead. Cinder could. not. be dead. It simply wasn't possible.Â
Nico answered him and Nathan almost snarled again, but he realised it wasn't his brother's fault. He was only helping, having brought the girls to the neighbour when the oldest Eissink had stumbled back home, covered in blood and scrapes. At least he hadn't been maimed in the face area, and he had been able to assure them that he was okay. Their parents were working and he and Nico occupied the living room, A few towels hastily stuffed under Nathan's tall figure. "Don't join us, Nico." His idiot brother had gotten it in his head that he needed to join the Blood Kings as well. "Just, stayâ" He coughed a little. "Stay safe. Do it the good way."Â
'Whoa boy' Daniel said in his head at the yelp, well that answered the questions he was asking, he made the pressure less, but still there so the blood would stop, hopefully. He couldn't do anything but stay there until the doctor would decide Nathan could go next. The brunette boy didn't know what else to do but he knew he had to keep the other boy talking, make it seem like a sign he was alive⌠he didn't want Nathan to suddenly just realize things and then die on him.
"Yeah, I can see the blood loss, donât worry- Iâm here, Iâll help you, we can get through this." he continued saying. Those were the words, well not the exact words, but the same sentiments he had heard back in the Military bunker, people who got injured together and escaped together, where the ties were real and the camaraderie was solid. "Can you like, find me ice in the kitchen or something?" he asked one of the recruits standing beside him.
"Cinder or Alec?" he murmured with a tilt of his head as he asked another recruit to remove his jacket and if thereâ a scissors to cut it up to proper pieces to stop the blood loss. Wasnât Cinder some type of ingredient? He doubted it would help⌠"Nate, itâs just you and me now, I donât know where to find themâŚjust relax okay?" he said thinking of some kind of story that could work. "Hey, did you know- uh, weâre holding a suprise, tell me about stuff you know? How are you?" Daniel doubted it was anything right, but the best he could do was keep the boy talking. Now where was that ice?
The support was offered, but the voice tore him back to present and Nathan saw the ceiling of Mensa again, heard the rushing of water. Things were bad and he was soaking wet and cold, his muscles clenching and unclenching every few second. "I know I'll get through this." He said through clenched teeth and scrunched up his face as he shut his eyes and bit on his lower lip. His head hurt, his sides hurt and he was tired and cold.Â
The words around him faded in and out of sound, and he tried to make himself relax. He knew that stressing in this situation wasn't good. He let himself float away and it suddenly he was warm again. This isn't good. The instinctual side of him kept muttering is as he lay there, and as much as he wanted to open his eyes again, he couldn't. It was too heavy. Everything was so heavy...
"Cinder." It came with determination. His mentor would know what to do if a bullet didn't make it through. "How do you mean you can't find Cinder?" The words came out in a snarl and Nathan tried to reach for his phone which he always kept in his pocket. It wasn't there, he realised and he cracked open his eyes. The smooth ceiling from back in Chicago stared back and Nico was kneeling at his side, blood on his hands. Nathan's blood. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Nathan cursed, groaning as he moved his head.Â
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No other big wounds, just some bruises, Daniel let out a big sigh at least that wasnât going to be a big problem. Finished with pouring the clean water into the other guyâs hair he pressed the jacket to add pressure towards the wound. It had to close or at least he wouldnât lose too much⌠that would be really bad. Daniel didnât know how much he could do with that after all⌠why the hell would Division not have enough people for this? Where were the handlerâs? Were there really just two? Or have they run with the captain? Wherever they were, Daniel hoped there was still going to be a chance for them in this godforsaken place.
'Nico'âŚ. Nico? Daniel thought, who was Nico? He wasn't a Nico, was that the other kid, Nikola? Was this person trying to find him? Daniel didn't think he would be able to find Nikola in the crowd. âWho's this?â he mouthed the words towards a passing recruit, making sure that the bleeding boy didn't hear him. âNa-than.â the recruits said then ran off again. With a nod at that he went back into pressing the head wound.
"Yeah, itâs me." he said with a smile, he doubted Nathan would believe it somehow, hopefully what he was doing would be right⌠if Nathan was calling Nikola, (or at least that was what Daniel thought) maybe Nathan was called Nate? Those kinds of nicknames. "Nate- hey you okay? Does your head hurt? You tell me if iâm pressing too hard okay?" he said encouragingly, hoping the pressure wasnât too hard.
Suddenly pressure was applied to Nathan's head and he yelped, the pain flooding his senses and his vision going black even though his eyes were open. It was terrifying, and instinct kicked in, his body lifting from the table. He tried to sit upright, but soon enough hands forced his body down while he gasped for breath. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. There were a few times when he had felt like this, the Elm Shooting he was reliving one of them, only there had been a bullet lodged in his thigh at the time. It hadn't been nice.Â
Mensa mixed with living room and it felt as if he was dreaming. Maybe he was, since Nico was standing next to him and in a moment of clarity, he realised that he was hallucinating due to blood loss, but part of him didn't care. If Nico was there, he didn't care. Nothing mattered then.
Nothing.Â
He closed his eyes and Nico answered, and although his voice was slightly off, it was easy to imagine that it was really him. That things were really still okay. Months before everything got bloody and messed up. And he really believed it. This was real. Nico was real. Chicago was real. "Blood loss. Get Cinder or Alec." Cinder would know what to do and he was good with wounds. Nathan knew his fair share but not enough in a situation like that.Â
"Fuck, fuck fuck!" he was screaming "Fucking bitch, iâm no medic!" he was more irritated in himself, all he knew was first aid- first aid? That was possible, why not? "Goddamn how will Iâ" he continued saying, his voice rising higher around the crowd before someone shushed him, and then he realized that was the key, he silenced then as he heard the other boy, the one that fell into the water and was brought to a mensa table, a table he will never look at the same again- "head wound.. head wound, oh my god.. okay, okay me, donât panic." he walked around, the body from then looked at the recruits, he couldnât have his own clothes, that was too drenched⌠"Hey you! Give me your jacket come on! And you give me water-  clean water, whatever, stat!" he felt like Jam, the Command Medical Officer back in the Military Bunker, he didnât know what to do "and donât fucking raid the kitchen!" They were in the mensa, the kitchen was near, there were enough food there and supplied, and he hoped the others didnât think about raiding itâŚ
Taking the jacket from the other boy, he placed it on his shoulder as he looked at the older boyâs head. âHead wound, head wound..â he kept muttering. The other boyâs dirty blonde hair was not drenched in dark brown and bright red streaks of blood. âIâve got you, okay, hang on-â  and there it was beside him the clean water bottle, snapping the cap open, he poured some into the head. to make sure it was clean of small particles. âYouâll be alright okay? Iâm just here, keep it steady⌠breath. Is there anywhere else bad?â Daniel had no idea if the other boy could still talk or what, but he had to ask, after all, he was investing his time with him.
The recruit â assuming that it was a recruit â seemed to have no medical experience whatsoever, and somewhere within Nathan, discomfort stirred at having been left in his hands. Why had Emma left him there, why had she gone without him? Frustration cropped up and the agent opened his eyes again, looking around. For a moment he wondered why no-one else was tending to him and he wondered if this might really be Nico who was looking over him.Â
The voice came through as if he was underwater and he blinked rapidly a few times, and then tried to push himself off of the table which might not have been such a good idea as he fell back and the air whooshed out of him. Other wounds? The thought came probably a minute after the question had been asked, and Nathan shook his head. "Not really. Some bruises." The fight with the recruits had certainly taken its toll on his body, and he was sure to feel their fists a week after this was over.
If this ended with them being alive, that was.Â
Nathan gently reached out for the young man. "Nico." The word came out steadier than anything had. He was back at home, lying on the couch after the Elm Shooting. Division didn't exist yet and Nico was alive and standing next to the cough. He was still safe.Â