#mediwhumpmayday13

[faofinn]

Day 13 - Surgery

@mediwhumpmay

Harrison was never going to be finished with his surgeries. They'd just about finish one thing, and then another specialty was in the mix. As much as he irritated him, Harrison was glad he had Fao, even if their low moods dragged the other down. It was someone who understood what had happened, who was still going through all the shit he was too. The nurses didn't get it, and neither did the therapists or psychs that they were dragged to see. 

Steve was there, too, and he did the best he could to help Harrison. He'd had some experience when it came to the medical discharge, his own time in the RAF cut short by a crash. That had been some years ago, and he knew he was out of touch with what his son was going through. As much as Harrison pretended he didn’t need his dad, Steve, without a shadow of a doubt, knew better. He'd taken the time off work, moving his clinics to telephone and videocalls to stay with Harrison. 

The latest operation had apparently been scheduled for the end of the week, and Harrison couldn't help but feel it had been dumped on him. Fao wasn’t much help, only serving to wind him up further. That was the worst bit of sharing a room with Fao, they'd wind each other up and neither could leave. Fao didn't have the strength, and Harrison didn't have the leg. He'd spent the day curled up under his blankets, his hood pulled tight and refusing to talk to anyone. 

Fao had not long finished his physio, tired and sore. Harrison had been closed off all day, hadn’t said a word to him since they’d argued after the ward round. He couldn’t blame him, it was overwhelming being told you needed more surgery, but the room was quiet and he was lonely. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke. 

“Hars?”

He waited a moment too long, torn between pretending he was asleep and clearing the air. "What?"

“‘M sorry.”

"Whatever."

He sighed. “It’s weird when it’s quiet in here. I don’t like it.” He said softly. 

"Get a new roommate then."

“I’m sorry I upset you this morning.”

"Yeah, whatever."

“Is Steve coming in today?” He asked, trying again to make conversation.

"I don't know."

Fao knew he wasn’t going to get much further. “Alright.” He murmured, shifting in bed to get comfortable, reaching for his phone to text Finn. No point tiring himself out talking to Harrison if he didn’t want to talk back.

"Why do you care anyway? You made it clear you wanted rid of me this morning."

He made a noise. “I don’t want rid of you.”

Harrison scoffed. "You could've fooled me."

“I was a dick, I know. But I don’t want rid of you.”

"Yeah, whatever. I want rid of me too."

“I know how you feel.”

"Yeah, right."

“You know I do, you know my head’s fucking me over.”

"I know." He softened.

“Sorry for being a dick, but I definitely want you around.”

"I'm being a dick too."

“You’ve earned it, short notice surgery being dumped on you.”

"I don't want more shit done to this leg." He admitted quietly. 

“It’s shit, eh? They’re doing it to give you the best possible long term outcome, though.”

"Why would I care about that, though? I don’t want to be here long term."

Fao sighed. “Because feeling like this apparently doesn’t last forever.”

He scoffed. "Yeah, nice bullshit."

“Say if you are here in six months, a year - and if I am, you better fucking be as well - surely you’ll want a prosthetic, want to be able to walk?”

"There’s no point being here though. I've lost everything."

“Still got me, still got Steve.”

"I didn't get to go to Marcus' funeral."

“When we get out of here we’ll go see him.”

"There’s no point. He's gone." He tried to take a steadying breath. "I was gonna marry him."

“I’d bought a ring for Alex, y’know?” Fao said quietly. “You can still go and see him, talk to him, make your peace. It helps.”

"How the fuck is that supposed to help?"

“It just does, I don’t know. I talk to her like she’s there, have a smoke. Makes me miss her less.”

He scoffed again. "Fao, that's worse than the shit they tell us here."

“Yeah, and it’s fucking true.”

"Sure it is."

“It is, though. You know full well I wouldn’t bullshit you.”

"I couldn't even say goodbye to him. He was right beside me and I couldn’t move to find him. He was all fucking alone."

“You’d been hurt.” Fao said softly. “Of course you weren’t able to move. It’s not your fault, not at all.”

With difficulty, Harrison rolled onto his back, his arms across his chest as he stared at the ceiling. "He was right beside me."

“You were in an explosion.”

"Yeah, I remember that part." He huffed. "I never fucking liked surgery and I got to see more of my leg than I ever wanted."

“It’s fucking shit, isn’t it?”

"At least I don't have to see inside it for this surgery coming up."

“Yeah, you’ll get the luxury treatment.”

"Fucking forced nap. It's the only goddamn sleep I get here."

“God, I know.”

"Steve's meant to be coming in, too. They're on about a fucking intervention because I'm not eating enough. They don't seem to get it fucking hurts."

“I know it hurts, and the food isn’t exactly good either. But you’re losing weight.”

He scoffed. "Be easier to weightbear when it comes to it."

“So you admit you do want to be walking again.”

"Hey!" Harrison protested, a slight smile on his face. "You arsehole!"

“Yeah, I know.”

"I swear you definitely did that on purpose."

“You’re the one who slipped up.”

"It was your fault." He smirked, a tiny bit of Harrison coming back into it. "You laid the trap and I fell into it."

Fao laughed to himself. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

"You're an arsehole." He grinned, pushing himself to sit up. 

“Takes one to know one.”

"You're so mean to me." He teased. "I should go find another roommate."

“Good luck finding someone who’ll put up with your shit.”

"Steve would."

“You gonna hospitalise him so he can be your roommate?”

"He's just gonna stay with me."

“He would as well.” 

"I miss him."

“He’ll be in soon, won’t he?”

"He doesn't know I'm going for another op."

“Gonna tell him tonight?”

"He said he'd be in this afternoon."

“Want me to get out of your hair when you tell him?”

Harrison frowned. "Why?"

“Give you some privacy. I can probably convince one of the HCAs to take me out for a smoke if I bat my eyelids.”

"You've practically watched them change my catheter. I'm not bothered."

“Well, just say the word.”

"Not like you've listened to fuck off before."

“I’m serious, though.” 

"Appreciate it." He said softly. "What are you up to, anyway?"

“Mm, recovering from Physio.”

"I think they're the devil itself." Harrison huffed. "They're actually the worst."

Harrison knew he was going to end up with a feeding tube; they'd warned him plenty. Steve knew too, slightly more than he'd let on, and decided to come in while they gave Harrison the forms to sign in the hopes he'd be able to convince his son. 

As always, Harrison was more agreeable with Steve around, but things quickly went sideways. The initial talk of just a feeding tube with some sedation had somehow changed into a full operation for his leg. As much as Harrison refused and complained and almost kicked off, Steve stayed calm, letting him get it out of his system before taking to him properly. It had ben scheduled for the morning after, and Harrison had never felt so out of his depth. Once the operation was completed, and provided he'd been stable, he'd be allowed back to the ward with Fao, but there was still a possibility he might end up in ICU. Of course that didn't go down well with him, so deals were made. Steve could stay the night so he'd be there first thing, and if any complications arose that made Harrison need ICU or HDU, then Fao would be allowed to visit him for an hour a day until he was back to his room.

Fao hadn’t been happy about the arrangement either, but knew there was nothing that could be done about it. If Hars needed HDU or ICU, he needed them, and he’d be in the right place. They’d shuffled things around, changed scheduling from the end of the week until the next morning, and Fao knew how that just pulled the rug out from under you. 

It was nice, having Steve there that night. Sheila and Fred hadn’t been able to get in to visit, so the company was nice. It was a little strange, Fao had to admit, seeing Steve asleep on the little camp bed across from him when he woke in the night. As per usual, he slept like shit, especially that night, worried about Harrison. It was a significant surgery, after all. Early the next morning, the nurses were in, fussing to get him ready. 

Harrison, of course, was being an ass. "I'm not having it done. I've changed my mind."

Steve frowned, squeezing his son’s hand. “It’s alright, it’ll be over before you know it.”

He didn’t get much more time protest before the porters came to collect him. They’d agreed to let Steve come with him, only until anaesthetics, but it was enough to keep him vaguely settled. Of course, Fao couldn’t go, and so he had to say his goodbye quickly. It was awkward, reaching over the bed to pull him in for a hug, but he did, telling his friend everything was going to be okay, that he’d see him soon. He didn’t want to let go, but he had to, and they wheeled him away to theatres. It was going to be a long, long day.

[autobot2001]

The Right Place at the Right Time

@mediwhumpmay: surgery @themerrywhumpofmay: safe place

(Snipped from HIdden Killer) Rating: T TW: Gun, shooting

"Yes, I hope I'll be recruited," a man says to the person on the other end of the call, "I doubt it works like that. Ok, I'll be home soon, bye." The man walks down the street in the city's industrial area, heading to a bus stop. Austin watches his victim, feeling like he's slacking with his killings. Soon, the city will think I disappeared again. He believes. Killing is fun, but I must plan carefully not to blow my cover and get caught. This should be quick.

The man stops, hearing a soda can roll across the sidewalk. It's just the wind, and you're being ridiculous. He tells himself and continues walking. He walks a hundred feet down the sidewalk before hearing footsteps behind him. Even in a quiet area, the man questions how loud the person behind him is. He turns around to see who's behind him. Realizing he made a mistake, he questions if he'd be safe if he kept walking or ran down the sidewalk? "Yes, you made a mistake," the person taunts, "I love playing cat and mouse." Austin wants to torture his target, but seeing an ambulance and police car approach ruins his plan.

:: It's him! :: Ratchet comms Prowl. The two hope to get the killer but watch him shoot his target before running down the street. Prowl can't continue with the chase knowing a human is injured, even if he can do nothing until the human is more stable. The two mechs' holoforms rush to the human. The human passes out from the pain, and Prowl finds himself having to help Ratchet get the human prepped for transport. "No time to get him to the hospital or wait for air ambulance," Ratchet tells Prowl, "he needs surgery now."

"What?!" The woman on the other end cries, "I talked to him ten minutes ago!" Oh boy, no way she's going to the police station without seeing if her son is ok. Prowl realizes, happy he already talked to Lennox and Optimus.

Lennox, Optimus, and Prowl hate telling the worried woman what happened to her son. The woman knew about the Holiday Killer and hoped her son wouldn't cross paths with the guy. The three mechs take the worried mother to the medbay to wait to hear word about her son.

The three medics meet the worried mother, Emily, and learn their patient's name is Cayden Young. "...the good news is we only had to remove parts of organs that will repair themselves partially. I have Cayden on the ventilator for twenty-four hours," Ratchet explains. This doesn't help the worried mother. The four mechs with her silently agree to talk about Cayden's recovery and possibly the secret tomorrow. Happy Jasmine can support Emily. The only issue until tomorrow is getting Emily to go home. Emily is allowed to see her son. Lennox calls his wife, Sarah.  

Anyone would be distraught seeing someone they know on a ventilator and getting a blood transfusion. For Emily, it's like she's having a nightmare even though she's awake. She sits by the bed, wishing Cayden would wake up, hating he won't until tomorrow. Jasmine and Sarah do their best to support Emily. Sarah decides Emily needs to come home with her. Hoping she can help the worried mother get some sleep.

Emily is distracted with the Lennox's twin daughters until they go to bed. Ratchet did tell Emily to take sleep aid to help her sleep. Knowing she's not sleeping without it.

"I can't believe she's being put through this," Sarah sighs, "or that someone else was the Holiday Killer's target, even if Cayden will recover." "I think we're beyond arresting him. Kill that Fragger! Let Sunstreaker deal with him!"

Ratchet is at the medbay at six in the morning, stopping the infusion keeping Cayden sedated. Hoping to take his patient off the ventilator before Emily gets to the base. By now, word has spread around the base that another victim of the Holiday Killer ended up in the medbay. The Autobot psychiatrist has a full schedule today.

By ten, Cayden is getting oxygen via a nasal cannula. "Your mom knows," Ratchet tells him. "Oh boy. She's been worried about the killer more than Dad. The one day I didn't take my gun with me either," Cayden sighs. "I saw what happened, and I doubt you would have had time to get your gun out and shoot."

Before Emily gets to the base with Sarah, Lennox, Optimus, Prowl, and Ratchet talk to Cayden. Hoping to get more answers as to why he was shot. He puts them on the spot when he asks why he was taken to a military base rather than the hospital. Cayden is trying to figure out what to think of the four men's expressions. He takes the chance and asks if this is the N.E.S.T. base. Feeling relieved, he doesn't sound insane to them and can explain how he knows N.E.S.T. was re-established.   "My dad was a soldier. He suspected since Autobots are once again legally allowed to stay on Earth, N.E.S.T. would have been re-established. I don't know how I would have found out otherwise while enlisting, but I hope to enlist in the special unit." "Cayden!" Emily rushes in. "Sorry, she wasn't going to wait any longer," Jasmine apologizes. The four mechs walk out of the room to talk. "I'm ok, Mom," Cayden tells his mom. She's probably going to tell me to forget the military. I'm amazed she has been ok with me joining since she worried about Dad while he was in N.E.S.T., Cayden believes.

The four mechs agree to let Emily know the secret, wondering if she has any idea since her husband was a soldier with them. "It's been eleven years, and this isn't public knowledge," Prowl reminds the others.

Emily is pleased to hear her husband was right about suspecting N.E.S.T. was re-established. While his mom is smiling, Cayden still worries she's no longer supporting his goal to enlist in the military. "Mom, you likely think I need to forget about the military, but I'll be safe." "He's out there, but I know this will be a safe place for you," Emily smiles, "and you got what you wanted." Emily knows the attack had nothing to do with her son wanting to join the military or the special unit. "Not yet, but I can attempt to get Cayden enlisted in N.E.S.T.," Lennox tells the two, "I can allow you to stay at the base for now while you recover." Emily knows home would be a safe place for her son but believes the base is better. It's a safe place and where her son wants to be.