Milli ~ recovery - Day 5

[i_vanquish_evil]

Van Helsing - room - doing stuff.

Pikachu's candy dish is still on the table.

His weapons are tucked neatly away in the leather bag in the corner. Beowulf is sitting next to the bag. He was a bit upset that someone else had been in it.

VH, himself, is sitting in the chair, reading a newspaper - from some time near when he's from.

Comments

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

Nick wanders in, looking a little shaken and tired. But he smiles at seeing Van Helsing.

"She's taking good care of you then..."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"Nick." He folds the newspaper. "Hi." Then he winces a little, he knows Nick was a major player in the 'stop the big bad werewolf from eating the nice people' bit the other night. "I didn't hurt you too bad did I? Seems I dislocated Faith's shoulder."

Which is the very round-about way of VH saying - 'was wondering when you'd get up to see me' - but he'd never say that.

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head, not meeting Van Helsing's eyes.

"No, I was fine. I'm a...tough old bastard, Gabriel. I'm fine. How're you? Sorry I haven't been up..."

He sits on the bed, hand through his hair a moment later.

"Things...you know."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"I'm good. Had to promise a couple kids I'd show 'em some more weapons to get the ones they'd stolen back."

He's a little torn - he wants to ask about Nick's things, but he wants to know what happened. Nick doesn't look so much like he wants to talk about himself, so, he asks the other.

"Can you tell me what happened the other night? The werewolf? I don't remember any of it."

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

"Well, you burst in...and Gil fainted. Then there was...well, mass chaos, but I knew it was you, so I...made sure no one used lethal force. You...threw me around a little bit, among others, but eventually we got you on the ground and held you down so...Natalie could inject you."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"Thank you for the abbreviated children's version. Do you have any more details than that? Faith told me... someone was bitten." This seems to bother him more than much of anything else, really.

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He nods.

"From what I saw...Richard."

He then explains the entirity of the events which VH mun knows so let's not waste words and finishes with a deep sigh.

"But everyone's been taken care of, so don't worry. And I'm sure Natalie will ambush Richard soon enough with the antidote."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"Richard... the guy at the bar for breakfast?" He sighs and shakes his head. There might be a muffled curse in there too.

"I've sent Faith with some of the antidote to find him, but if she doesn't, there's more."

"Nick," he's quiet a moment, "how do I fix this?"

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

Nick looks to Gabriel, brushing aside his own concerns the second he hears the note in his quiet voice.

"I don't know, Gabriel. I think...it's just down to apologizing and...moving on. Everyone...has bad times. You're not the only one who's burst into the bar and nearly killed someone. In fact...I'm very good friends with one who did just that and attacked me on site."

He reaches out and puts a hand on Van Helsing's shoulder.

"Don't worry so much about it, for one."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"That's how Anna died," he says cryptically w/o further explanation.

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He winces before shaking his head.

"And you're cured...and no one died this time."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"I killed her, Nick."

Yes - b/c we should angst about this more.


"There's no guarantee it won't happen again."

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

And he growls, because that hit a little too close to his own worries for the moment.

"Nothing is guaranteed, Gabriel, nothing. Not tomorrow, not the next week, not the next year. So stop, all right? Just...stop."

[i_vanquish_evil]

He frowns.

"What's got you all worked up?"

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

His hands are back through his hair again.

'Some things Faith and Meg...some things Meg said last night. And some talking with Alex. Just...things."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"Talk, Nick. I'm not going anywhere. I can hardly walk to the bathroom and the door."

He's stern-faced.

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

"You're sick."

Which relays more than it sounds. Including the fact that Nat would kill him for harrassing a patient.

[i_vanquish_evil]

"No. I'm tired. A little sore. There's a difference."

He sighs and leans back into the chair, reaching out to grab a piece of candy from the dish Pikachu left with him and tossing it to Nick.

"I'm also your friend. TALK. TO. ME," he says. "Not because I'm stuck here. Because I want you to."

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

"Faith...has been dreaming my past. And Meg...observed a piece of it last night."

[i_vanquish_evil]

He nods. "Faith told me about the dreams. She didn't mention you though. Dare I ask what piece?"

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

"The part where I killed a young girl she knows. And Faith...saw my victims once, and this time...was one of my victims. 'She' died in my arms."

[i_vanquish_evil]

His eyes widen, then he blinks.

"Nightmares?" he asks with a good deal of sympathy.

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head, haunted.

"They don't wait till I sleep. The memories...are always there. Always. We don't...forget. We never...ever...forget."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"Not you, Faith. I know yours are memories," he says gently.

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He nods.

"Yes. Nightmares."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"She has my sympathies."

He takes a breath.

"Does she know what they mean?"

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head.

"No...but...it might have something to do with what's been happening lately."

He looks to Van Helsing.

"Gabriel...should you meet me in dress that looks...out of my time...or if I appear to be acting strangely...stay away. Recently..."

Hands through his hair again.

"Recently, I've been coming in...from different times. While I was here. One from...1890 and another from...1874."

[i_vanquish_evil]

He blinks - concerned and maybe confused.

"How? Why?"

He'll heed the warning - he's not stupid - but - that's just odd.

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

"I don't know."

He looks almost as if he's going to cry. Or hit something.

"Gabriel, I don't know. But...I feel as if something's slipping. As if...I'm fraying at the edges."

[i_vanquish_evil]

Van Helsing gets to his feet and moves to sit next to Nick on the bed, an arm around his shoulders, gently.

"Nick, what's been going on here lately?"

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He looks at him.

"Since when are you immortal?"

But he tells him what he knows of events in his own life since Gabriel had left.

[i_vanquish_evil]

He titls his head and gives a questioning look. "Immortal?"

He listens... he can do that, since he doesn't really talk much.

"Anything else?"

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He shrugs.

"Not much..."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"Nick, are you all right?"

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

"No."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"Anything I can do to help?"

As long as it doesn't involve doing a lot of moving, he might be able to do some helping.

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He sighs.

"No, I'm...I'm just going to have to run my way through it. But...I'd appreciate a friend there to...talk to."

He smiles.

"I did miss you, you know."

[i_vanquish_evil]

"You know you can talk to me. I won't be up for much in the way of sparring or fighting, but, the listening I can probably handle."

He ducks his head and maybe even blushes a little - he doesn't really have all that many friends. It's nice to be missed.

"Missed you too, Nick." Hey - it's better than he's done in a long time.

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He smiles. It's nice to be missed.

Then he puts a hand to Van Helsing's knee with a pat.

"Thanks, Gabriel. But...I have to go find dinner downstairs. And Alex. I'll...be seeing you?"

[i_vanquish_evil]

He nods.

"Yeah. I should be down in the bar tomorrow."

He looks up as Nick starts to leave.

"Who's Alex?"

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He smiles.

"The man I love. Come now, Gabriel...let's be a little more attentive...even if I am boring."

A kiss to the top of Gabriel's head and he's gone.

[i_vanquish_evil]

He knows Nick can hear him - he's not that far away.

"I know who Alex is Nick and you're not boring. See you tomorrow."

He smiles and shifts himself to be laying on the bed. Natalie's probably coming back soon and she'll yell at him if he's not 'resting'.