#and the fact of the matter is ive had medical professionals tell me that while my symptoms are textbook - how i express them isnt always
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I cannot relate when people talk about being unable to distinguish comorbid symptoms, at least not to the same degree. I have mine fairly parsed, including where they overlap and exacerbate each other, in part because of how aggressively I've pursued treatment while also staggering it in such a way that allowed me and my psychs to identify the separate disorders.
#this isnt anti self diagnosis either#i correctly self diagnosed before getting actually diagnosed#idk i approached my mental health treatment like a virgo enneagram one for lack of a more succinct way of saying#âaggressively and with a hyperfocus on self improvementâ#sometimes i assume what im doing is average and then my mental health team reminds me that no i am Atypical#i will never forget telling my therapist i should stop saying im built different#and her replying with ânormally i would agree but... well....â#also im CONSTANTLY learning new things about myself and my conditions#this isnt to imply i have everything figured out#if im ever not learning anything new about myself then im stagnating#nor is it like implying there's a right or wrong way to go about this sort of thing#it's just an observation and an admission that i often cant relate to a lot of posts and convos even about my specific diagnoses#the amount of times people with my same illnesses have attempted to neurotypical karen me or who have implied i dont really have them#is Many#like more than youd think and in both irl and online spaces#generally over innocuous things but all because they dont think im expressing my illnesses right#and the fact of the matter is ive had medical professionals tell me that while my symptoms are textbook - how i express them isnt always#it's a neutral observation but one that sometimes leaves me like a little out of my depth in more general convos about mental illnesses
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Forget Me Not (iv)
Requested: no
Summary: With the simple stress-induced headache out of the way, you finally get the opportunity to reconnect with Bradley.
Word count: 2.0k
Warnings: hospitals, amnesia, mentions of death, headaches, memory loss, inaccurate medical terms, angst.
Pairings: Jake âHangmanâ Seresin x wife!reader
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��Jake,â No matter how many times Natasha called his name, the head-strong pilot refused to stop. Still, they followed him through the sterile-smelling halls of the hospital until he stopped abruptly. âHangman,â She tried again, more firm this time. Wordlessly, he turned to her and snapped something along the lines of âWhat, Trace?â âLook, you know that weâll be behind you no matter what,â Jake stared at her blankly and willed her to just get to the point. Your doctor was on the other side of the door right in front of him. He could be talking to him right now if Phoenix would just hurry up. âBut you have to tell us whatâs going on.â
The pilot should feel elated. He should be excited at the fact that his wife is feeling better. However, he couldnât shake the overwhelming feeling of dread that was growing stronger and stronger by the second. Jake may not have been a doctor, but he did know that a headache after brain trauma was not a good sign.
He tried to muster up a grateful smile, he really did, but all he could offer her was a barely-there tired grin. âI know, Nix,â Sucking in a sharp breath, he knew that he had to tell his friends why he was in such a rush. âWe were just talking and then she suddenly seemed like she was in pain. She said she was going to sleep.â Instantly, Bradley and Natasha understood what the problem was.
They stood behind him as he knocked on the door and waited for your doctor to answer. When the door was pulled open, the man was just putting his stethoscope around his neck. He greeted Jake with a smile. âWhat can I help you with, Lieutenant?â
âSorry to bother you, sir,â Jake started, attempting to remain professional even though he was worried sick. Once the older man assured him that it wasnât a problem, he continued. âBut I was hoping that you could come check on my wife. She appeared to have a headache earlier.â The man nodded and followed Jake back to your room. When he stepped inside quietly with Jake close on his heels, Bradley and Natasha took that as a sign to return to their seats.
Inside the room, you were peacefully sleeping on the scratchy hospital sheets, breathing softly and eyelids fluttering every few seconds. Jake watched you worriedly, working his lip between his teeth. The doctor was careful as he looked in your eyes, still trying not to wake you up. He checked a few more monitors before offering Jake a reassuring smile. âEverything seems fine. Given all the stress she has endured in the past couple days, a headache isnât out of the norm.â With those words, Jake could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Jake thanked your doctor as he stepped out of the room. He could feel his heart hammering against his ribcage. After everything that had happened over the past few days, all he wanted was for things to be okay. At least for a little while.
When Bradley saw your doctor step out of the room, he patted Phoenixâs hand gently before stepping inside. The first thing he noticed was Jake leaning against the wall, his head tipped back and eyes shut tightly. âYou okay, man?â The usually put-together pilot startled at the sound of his friend's voice.
He cleared his throat and nodded, his eyes only meeting Bradleyâs briefly before looking back to you. Bradshaw stepped forward to comfort his friend, but instantly noticed the dishevelled state of his clothes and hair. He had been wearing the same outfit for almost a week and Bradley was convinced that he hadnât showered for at least two. âJake,â Bradley started cautiously, not wanting to piss the man off. He only hummed, not taking his eyes off your peacefully sleeping form. âWhen was the last time you showered?â That caused his eyes to snap to Bradley.
âIâm not leaving her. Not again.â The words were out of his mouth in mere seconds. Jake squeezed your hand softly, completely disregarding Bradleyâs statement as he looked at your sleeping face.
Bradley shook his head. âThatâs not what I'm saying,â Trying again, Bradley chose his words even more carefully this time. âIâm just saying that sheâs sleeping now. You have time to go and take a shower and take care of yourself,â He knew that there was one statement he could use that was a surefire way to get Jake to agree. âShe wouldnât want to see you like this.â
Silently, Jake stood from that creaky, uncomfortable chair and turned to his wingman. Before he responded, he sucked in a long breath and released it. âYouâre right,â He nodded, silently thanking Rooster for calling him out. Just as he was about to step out the door, he turned back. âWould you stay with her? I donât want her waking up alone.â Bradley could hear the care laced with worry in his friend's voice.
He nodded reassuringly, taking a seat in the creaky plastic chair and pulling his phone out. As Jake closed the door softly, Bradley began swiping through another level of Candy Crush.
âMorning, Sleepyhead,â Bradley grinned as you blinked your eyes open. You smiled at the sound of his voice and twisted your head to face him. You noticed that you could no longer feel your heart beating in your temples. That sent a surge of relief through you. Before you could respond to the mustached man, he spoke again. âWould you mind if I asked you a few questions?â
You nodded with a soft smile, giving Bradley permission to ask whatever he wished. âI know that you probably donât like people asking you this, but can you remember anything else?â His words were quiet as he tried not to scare you. While he was curious to know whether you could remember anything else, he didnât want you to feel pressured.
You nodded before you began speaking. âItâs okay,â Pausing for a few seconds, you tried your hardest to remember anything that you could. âI remember.â Suddenly, memories of a breakfast spent in bed with someone flooded through your mind. You could see the colour of the sheets and feel the cool sea breeze from the open window. There was a man next to you, he had his arm wound around your waist, his thumb drawing delicate patterns into the bare skin of your waist. You were looking at him with pure love. The only problem was that you couldnât see his face. You had no idea who he was.
You gasped, tears welling in your eyes at the knowledge that you had someone to come home to. Someone that you loved more than you could know. And you couldnât even remember him. You sniffled quietly and Bradley watched you through concerned eyes. âI remember a breakfast in bed,â You started and the pilot immediately softened. âI can remember the colour of the sheets and the smell of the food. But thereâs someone beside me that I canât see,â Eyes slipped shut, fat, hot tears rolling down your flushed cheeks in waves. Desperately, your mind chased the man that you couldnât remember, regardless of how hard you tried. âI canât remember him.â It sounded almost like a whimper as you wiped the tears from your eyes.
Suddenly, you remembered the man sitting beside you. âIâm sorry.â You murmured, embarrassment serging through you. The lump in your throat was almost overwhelming as you cleared your throat.
Once you wiped your eyes once more, you turned to Bradley. You couldnât pretend to miss the sympathetic look in his eyes. You hated seeing that look. It felt as if everyone around you had been looking at you like that ever since you woke up. For once, you wished that the people around you could just treat you like they did before the incident. Not that you could remember how that was. You knew that it was because they cared about you, and you really did appreciate it, but you couldnât help but feel as if they were looking down on you in some way.
Bradley watched as you tried your hardest not to let any more tears fall. It reminded him of the scared girl that he had met all those years ago. When Bradley first met you, you had just joined the Navy. You were living in a small apartment on the south side of Baltimore, away from any of your family and friends. It had only been a few weeks since you moved into your tiny apartment when he met you.
The pilot had met you in a bar, spending the entire night trying to befriend you. It was obvious to most that you were the more reserved type, and even though you tried to ignore him, eventually, Bradley was able to crack through your tough exterior. Ever since that moment, he was your best friend. The two of you were inseparable. It almost made you wonder whether there was something else between the two of you that you couldnât remember.
âScoot over.â Bradley tilted his chin forward. You shuffled over slowly, tears still welling in your eyes as you thought back on your memory. Who was the man in the dream? Could it have been Bradley? One of his arms settled around your shoulder after you nodded in approval. Pulling you into his side, one of his thick thighs rested against yours and his foot nudged yours.
Your head dropped down to rest on his shoulder. Bradleyâs thumb brushed slowly over the soft skin on your arm. âYou donât have to remember everything all right now,â He murmured, no louder than a whisper. âThe most important thing is that you're okay,â You could feel his chest rumbling under your ear, his voice being even deeper than it normally was. âYou gave us all a really good scare. All we want is for you to be okay. Okay?â He grinned when you giggled from the tickle of his mustache against your cheek.
All that could be heard in the small hospital rooms was the sound of your soft laughs as Bradley told you tales of the mischief that you and he got into over the past few years. While you enjoyed hearing Jake tell you stories about how the two of you met, there was just something about listening to Rooster talk than had you snuggling further into him.
âOne of my favourite memories of us was in that bar one night in Tulsa. With the piano.â That was all you had to say and Bradley knew what you were talking about. One night, after the two of you had been reunited in Oklahoma, you headed out to the local bar. Bradley decided to teach you how to play Great Balls of Fire on the piano. That night had ended with you and Bradley stumbling drunkenly back to his housing, lying out on the back porch while you stared up at the stars. It was by far one of your favourite moments.
That had Bradley chuckling quietly as he reminisced on that wonderful night. As your head dropped further into his chest, you started to wonder whether or not it could have been Bradley in your memory. Your hand reached up and you fiddled with his dog tags, seeking comfort in the presence of the mustached aviator. After the hell that you had endured over the past few days, you were ecstatic that you could finally feel at peace.
Bradley continued whispering softly to you, not sparing any detail as he recounted moment after moment from your past. Your eyes fluttered shut, soothed by the low timbre of Bradley's voice. It was hard to remember a time when you had ever felt this relaxed. Holding you closely, Bradley was happy that he was able to draw your mind away from the overwhelming stress of the past few days. Little did you know that Jake was standing just outside the door, listening intently to every word whispered between you and his wingman.
a/n: thank you all so much for reading!! Stay tuned for future parts of this series and let me know if you would like to be tagged <3
Tagging: @topguncultleader @soulmates8 @t0kyoreveng3rs @there-goes-thefighter @supercatgirl006 @blueoorchid @dempy @atarmychick007 @alexxavicry @randomfangirl97 @bradleybeachbabe @chaoticassidy @nyx2021 @aviatorobsessed @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @angelbabyange @oliviah-25 @cassiemitchell @classyunknownlover @shelbycillian @khaylin27 @bruher @sunsetsimpsblog @lovelywiseprincess @fandom-life-12 @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @emmza63 @cornishkat @iceman-kazansky @himbos-on-ice @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @wkndwlff @entertainmentgal8 @djs8891 @blackwidownat2814 @dakotakazansky @kmc1989 @shanimallina87 @memoriesat30 @sarahjoestewy-blog @ducks118 @marvelouslyme96 @linkpk88 @missathlete31 @xoxabs88xox @abbymwall @eternallyvenus @keileighr @rey26 @lt-spork
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#top gun#top gun fanfiction#top gun x female reader#top gun x reader#top gun fluff#top gun maverick#hangman imagine#jake seresin fic#jake hangman seresin#jake hangman seresin x reader#jake hangman seresin x you#jake seresin x reader#jake seresin angst#jake seresin x you#jake seresin imagine#jake seresin x female!reader#jake seresin#jake x reader#jake seresin smut#jake series#jake seresin moodboard#hangman top gun#hangman fanfiction#hangman fic#hangman x reader#hangman#hangman smut#hangman x female!reader#top gun hangman#forget me not
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1. The difference is a human baby is a human and thus should have all protections we provide humans.
Also some ara and vegan places will keep animals alive in spite of them suffering, you just can not keep a cow in a wheelchair.
2. Just because modern supplements allow vegan lifestyles that doesnât mean people should ignore the millennia of evolution that went into forming our digestive tracts. That evolution will still impact our modern lives. Its why we cant get b12 from sources other than animal products or supplements. Its just not bioavailable for us.
3. You can tell if a local farm meets your own standards by, going to visit it. Thatâs what i meant there. Also cows literally do not give a shit about ai and dairy cows have kinda accidentally been bred to not care too much about their calves.
4. I have serious doubts about how healthy a vegan baby formula is. Not to mention even if it works for human babies how about all the orphaned animals, some of which are obligate carnivores and may not be able to process whatever vegan replacements are in the formula. Bioavailability is a super important thing to remember. Thereâs reasons cattle and such can survive and thrive off of just grass but humans cant. And itâs bioavailability, which is different for each food and for each species.
5 and 6. Those werenât aimed at you specifically. Those were general things meant for everyone. And it wasnt meant to be condescending. It was meant to be neutral. The simple fact is ive seen people source from documentaries and papers that have been proven to be false. Not everyone knows how to find peer reviewed papers. And the general public often does think documentaries are fact to the point that one made about mermaids was believed.
why is being human the only thing that affords a being the right to be free of torture, cruelty and being killed? what's the reason? what is this based on? does this mean that any being who is not human should not have that right? primates? whales? hypothetical intelligent alien societies? no? only humans. or only homo sapiens? where do you draw the line? and why?
and like...the historical fallacy is just not an argument? it does not matter what humans used to do, or what they had to do.
many people also do not get enough iodine, selenium, vitamin d, folic acid (in pregnancy) without either supplementing themselves, or consuming fortified food (or animals who were fed vitamins). so where does that leave us? there are many things that we didn't evolve to do, or to have. unless you are advocating that everyone live a paleo life, that argument just has no meaning. medical professionals say it is possible to be vegan and healthy. that's all that matters
how many people go visit farms? how many people really only ever eat the meat /animal products that has come from a farm that they know everything about? almost no one. and there are very few farms in most high income countries, where the animals actually have a good life. most people just do not have access to that. and it still doesn't change a thing about the slaughtering process.
honestly, i trust the actual food administrations who approved those vegan formulas more than like...a random anon on tumblr. why should you know more about the topic than them? and again, what do like,,, orphaned baby lions have to do with you eating a cheeseburger? literally nothing. you are not a baby? it does not apply to you.
i appreciate that the source thing was not aimed at me but like...its not like that is just a vegan problem? i still don't get why you would bring it up here specifically. especially on a blog where i pretty much provide sources for almost everything that i say
edit: and cows literally do care to be seperated from their babies. and honestly, if you look at how ai of cows is done....like i think the chances are pretty high that it causes them at least some discomfort? and cows are literally restrained while it is happening. and anyway, cows cannot consent, it is literally a human being sticking their entire arm up their anus and a metal rod up their vagina. that's sexual exploitation. doing the same thing for any other reason would get you charged with bestiality
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GIVE ME A REASON: PART SEVEN -A Rogue One fanfic
Final part to this story! đđđ
Read on AO3
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Title: Give Me A Reason: Part Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Jyn Erso POV, Cassian Andor
Pairing: Cassian/Jyn (mostly pre-ship?)
Spoilers: Rogue One; Episode IV A New Hope
Setting: Post-Rogue One AU (Cassian & Jyn live); Also during/post A New Hope
Warnings: None?
Words: 2,888
Story Summary: Jynâs entire universe has been turned on its head, so maybe sheâs clinging a little too hard to the one thing she feels certain of (strangely enough) as she tries to figure out her place in the galaxy. And maybe sheâs being a little overprotective of a wounded captain.
Also can be found on AO3.
Nervous.
The hardened rebel spy was nervous. So was Jyn, of course, but it was still a surprise to find the tangible expression of Cassianâs jangled nerves. She thought heâd be better at hiding it. At hiding all of his emotions when he wanted.
But maybe he didnât feel the need to hide it from her? Although it was a subconscious tick he probably wasnât aware of⌠Which wasnât helping the butterflies in Jynâs own stomach. In fact, it was really starting to annoy her.
She reached for his hand, wrapping her fingers around his in an attempt to still their drumming against the side of his leg. He was still standing, but with no thanks to the Alliance. The inconsiderate bastards couldâve maybe provided a chair for the wounded captain. Not that Cassian wouldâve accepted, anyway. At least everyone was just milling about until the ceremony started, so they were able to take a position against the wall, allowing Cassian to casually lean against the immense stonework for support.
Heâd been looking around the large hall, watching the crowd of Alliance personnel and council members, observing and evaluating, as the spy habitually did. But when she touched him, his eyes snapped immediately to her hand on his. They widened and then that furrow formed between his brows and he frowned.
So that was how it was going to be?
In his bed, he could hold her so tight their bodies practically fused together, could nuzzle her neck, his lips could ghost over her skin in tantalizing, teasing non-kisses, he could lean into the touch of her palm on his cheek, make salacious pleased noises when she stroked his head and neck, or trailed fingers down his spine. But any sort of affectionate display in public wasnât allowed.
Not that she wouldnât have grabbed his hand to still his annoyingly drumming fingers if they were only just friends. They were only just friends, anyway.
He twisted his hand free, gently, casually, but removed it from her grasp nonetheless.
His dark eyes met hers and she held the gaze. Let him see the hurt, even as she thought it a stupid thing to feel hurt about. And yet⌠Meeting Cassian Andor had redefined her world, her existence, how she felt, how she dealt with those feelings. Her very place in the galaxy seemed to have changed.
Because here she was in a giant hall in a ruined temple, surrounded by hundreds of Alliance soldiers, waiting for a princess to tell her âgood jobâ or some such. But even stranger, she was standing beside a person she truly trusted. She couldnât remember ever trusting anyone before, not wholeheartedly, with no reservations, no reluctance or doubt. Not since she was a child living in that cozy home with her parents that now seemed a dream.
This seemed rather dreamlike, too. Mon Mothma, the head of the Allianceâs council, dressed in regal white, looking like some ethereal being -maybe the ones Cassian had told her about in that intimate, vulnerable moment- had entered the hall and a hush formed as everyone scrambled into neat military rows, coming to attention as the elegant woman approached the dias.
She began to give a speech, but Jyn couldnât focus on it. Cassian had started fidgeting again, shifting his weight and drumming his fingers against his leg. It seemed so entirely unlike him, and yet Jyn could sympathize. She had always tried to maintain an unreadable exterior, too, or rather, she had always tried not to feel things because everything she felt was too painful. She imagined it was similar with Cassian. And she imagined he was likewise nervous now, because being the center of attention felt wrong in every way, and just such a situation was imminent.
Jyn hated the idea of Cassianâs vulnerability being exposed to the world, that he would be required to limp the ridiculous distance up to the dias at the front of the room, in front of everyone, probably with her assistance, if heâd accept it. The man did not deserve anyoneâs pity. They should only respect him for everything heâd done for the rebellion, for everything heâd sacrificed. And from what Jyn could tell, he didnât even want that, it was so ingrained in him to work in the shadows.
She grabbed his hand again, but it was honestly more to calm herself than him. This time, though, his fingers encircled hers and did not pull away. His attention remained on Mon Mothma as she finished up her speech and introduced the princess.
Dank farrik.
Princess Leia was young and pretty, likewise clothed in regal white, but in a dress that hugged her perfect curves and accented the elegant line of her neck. Her brown hair and dark eyes offset her perfect porcelain skin. More enticing, the princess had the bearing of someone like Mon Mothma, but there was something more lively in her, adventurous and passionate maybe. Jyn wouldâve felt justified in her previous unwarranted flash of jealousy when Cassian had described Leia Organa as if he knew the young woman, if Jyn didnât find the princess extremely attractive herself. Force, if it didnât feel like Cassian had been imprinted on her very soul, and if Jynâs libido hadnât already decided it wanted him and no one else would suffice⌠But a princess wouldâve been way out of her league, anyway.
Cassianâs fingers squeezed her hand, and he leaned in, a whisper tickling her ear.
âYouâre staring.â
âIâm just paying attention,â she whispered back.
A very quiet chuckle escaped him.
âSure,â he said and she glared at him but continued to hold his hand, an anchor against the tide of nerves roiling in her stomach. âWhy were you surprised that I might... kiss men sometimes? You like both men and women, too?â
âI rarely like anyone.â She stroked her thumb over the soft flesh at the base of his thumb. âBut when Iâm attracted to someone, it doesnât seem to matter what their gender is.â
If they were pretty, they were pretty. She couldnât really say why or what criteria made someone attractive to her. Although Leia had some gorgeous brown eyes. And so did Cassian for that matter, although his were a little darker, and as much playful as perceptive as they studied her face. And maybe she had become so soft that sheâd gone to actual mush, because she could stare into those eyes forever.
Was that her thing? Is that what did it for her? Was she an âeyesâ girl?
Oh. Maybe she was. Because she found herself utterly captivated by Cassianâs beautiful eyes, finding everything she wanted and more in their dark depths... An if she didnât know better... She could swear that he wanted-
âCaptain Andor. Jyn Erso.â
Jyn nearly jumped out of her skin. Alarm likewise flashed across Cassianâs face before it was promptly hidden by a facade of professional pleasantness as he straightened. His hand slipped out of hers but landed at the small of her back to urge her forward out of the ranks.
And then Jyn found herself face to face with Leia Organa. And felt such gratitude that the princess had come to them and not made Cassian come to her, limping on an unsteady, barely begun to heal leg, that Jyn found herself smiling broadly, genuinely, at the kriffing gorgeous young woman.
âThank you for everything youâve done for the rebellion. I know youâve lost much.â
Jyn bowed her head, although being as small as she was, the even more petite princess still couldâve managed to drape the medal over her head with no problem.
âWe all have lost too much,â Cassian said, after bowing to receive his own medal from the princess.
Leia Organa was good at maintaining her facade but Jyn saw the sadness in the young womanâs eyes. Jyn had cried while Cassian was in deep, medicated sleep, when she heard that Alderaan had been destroyed, feeling like she had failed after all. But what pain that loss was to its princess, Jyn couldnât quite fathom. She had lost much, her parents, her childhood, but she had never loved an entire planet, full of people who she was a leader to. She had sort of led a unit of soldiers. And they all had died. And that was agony.
Except for Cassian. She still had Cassian. And if Jyn was honest, he was more than an entire world to her. He was a kriffing galaxy. She slid her arm around his waist because his hand on her back was not providing enough contact when Jyn felt like she might fall to pieces at any moment.
âIâm truly glad you both survived Scarif,â Princess Leia said, as if the loss of just two more lives wouldâve crushed her, that the knowledge that some had survived, that some could and would survive this fight, was what kept her going. âYour bravery has saved us all.â
âThank you,â Jyn said, unable to think of anything else to say.
The princess inclined her head, a bittersweet smile on her face, before she turned and began walking back to the dias. When Jyn returned her attention to Cassian, he was looking at her again with that expression in his eyes.
âWe should probably get back in line,â she whispered, but was unable to break away from his captivating gaze.
âWhen have you ever been one to stay in line, Jyn Erso?â There was the small flash of his tongue wetting his bottom lip and Jyn nearly forgot how to breathe. No longer fixated by his eyes but his mouth. Was he-
His hand at the small of her back urged her closer, his other hand cupping her face and-
Oh.
Cassian Andorâs kiss was⌠Perfection. It was everything a first kiss, any kiss should be, excited and eager at the start, making it perhaps a little too rough when his mouth crashed against hers, but then suddenly softer, gentle, a tentative question, which she returned, sliding her lips against his, parting them in invitation, which he accepted, deepening the kiss. He tilted his head, angling his mouth against hers, sucking at her top lip then her bottom, submitting to her own explorative press and slide of her lips, the small nips she made with the edge of her teeth. His tongue darted over her lips, swiping into her mouth just the smallest fraction, just enough to tease and tantalize and make her release a groan of pure carnal want.
The room, the world, had faded away entirely but suddenly came crashing back hard. People were hooting and clapping, whistling and chuckling and shouting lewd, encouraging comments. Cassian broke the kiss, breathing heavily as he rested his forehead against hers for a moment.
He had just kissed her. In front of everyone. They might as well have been standing on that dias, in front of the princess, making out for the entire Alliance to see.
âYou kissed me,â she said, still incredulous.
âYes,â Cassian met her gaze with his dark brown eyes, which seemed to be honest-to-goodness twinkling, for Forceâs sake. âAnd you kissed me back.â
âBut, you kissed me. In public. In front of everyone.â
âYes.â Cassian was a good liar, pretending that it wasnât a big deal for him to so openly display an emotion such as affection. He shrugged. âIt was a bit territorial of me. Sorry.â
Jyn hadnât even thought of that. She was so busy fighting her possessive feelings for Cassian, it hadnât occurred to her he might be feeling possessive of her.
âDonât apologize.â Donât take it back. Please.
He smiled at her. And parts of her that she hadnât previously known existed before meeting him, responded, filling her with warmth, as seemed inevitable whenever she was in the glow of that smile of his.
âLetâs get out of here while we can,â he leaned in to whisper, a little closer than necessary so that his mouth was just a couple of teasing inches away from hers.
âYeah,â Jyn whispered back. âYour leg must be bothering you. I think we need to get you back to bed.â
His mouth twitched and he raised his eyebrows at her. Like he was in any condition to follow through on the innuendo that she actually hadnât intended.
âDo you know of⌠er⌠a back way out of here?â Jyn asked as they ducked back into line. Things seemed to be picking up for the next part of the ceremony. And sheâd honestly had enough pomp and circumstance for the day.
âOf course. Iâm a spy,â Cassian said, giving Jyn a wink as he took her hand and somehow began to sidle through the ranks of rebel soldiers, weaving seamlessly between them and towing Jyn along, none the worse for wear for his injured leg.
They managed to reach the wall, slide along it and duck into a shadowy corner that was the entrance to a hidden narrow hallway just as all the troops came to attention and did an about face. Apparently the heroes of the Battle of Yavin were making their grand entrance. Jyn wouldâve been curious about them if she wasnât being towed along by the most compelling person sheâd ever met, the most frustrating, uptight, passionate, tortured, beautiful man in the galaxy.
Halfway back to his quarters, his limp was worsening, so Jyn pulled her hand out of his and slipped her arm around his waist. It was difficult to say whether he maybe just wasnât as much a stubbornly independent sort as she thought, or whether he trusted her like no other. But either way, he accepted her help and being snuggled up against him felt like where she belonged.
When they reached his quarters, Cassian collapsed onto his bed with a sigh. It had been a long day, even for her, and she was only recovering from comparatively minor injuries. So she was actually a little surprised when he didnât immediately pass out. Instead, he gave her that look again.
âCome here.â Sitting up, he reached for her. And Jyn came, more than willingly, practically jumping into his lap, only hesitating when part of her shouted to be careful not to hurt him.
He smiled. Oh, that smile.
âItâs okay.â His hands found her waist. And oh, they fit her curves like they were made to hold her.
âBut your injuries. I donât want-â
âStraddle me.â He tugged gently at her waist. Heat blazed through her, and a wanting sheâd never experienced the likes of before. âYou can keep your weight off me that way, if you want.â
âOh, right.â She put a knee on the bed on either side of his thighs, settled onto his lap without -he was right- placing her full weight on him. Cassian made a pleased noise, his hands never leaving her waist, but beginning to stroke up and down her sides, beneath her vest but separated from her bare skin by the fabric of her shirt, which she was honestly a bit thankful for. Her senses, her kriffing emotions, were already overwhelmed, especially when she looked down to find his face tilted up towards hers, his pretty dark eyes fixed on her, showing her everything he kept locked up so deep inside.
His eyes were all soft and imploring, filled with a desperate need to give and receive affection, to be understood and loved, to connect with another person on a soul deep level, emotionally⌠physically. It made her heart race and her skin prickle with gooseflesh. She had the same longing she had never been able to define before.
Jyn took his face in her hands, leaned down and kissed him. It was as good as the first time. Maybe even better. No less eager for one another, the ambrace was enthusiastic and a bit sloppy. But it slowed to that intense teasing exploration of one another, this time deepened by their tongues eager to taste one another, stroke and caress. The kiss was seeking and answering. It was⌠It was...
Kissing Cassian was a revelation. Not just confirmation that her attraction to him was reciprocated, but a soul-baring epiphany.
Most of her life, all of her adult life, Jyn had had nothing beyond surviving, no reason for living besides that death was the alternative. Cassian had tried to give her one, give her the Cause, his cause, the Rebellion. And for a while, sheâd adopted it. She would still make it hers. But she was too cynical for it to be her reason for living. And if she was truly honest with herself, it was only her Cause because it was his.
Cassian Andor had given her something to live for, something to fight for, but it wasnât what either of them pretended it was.
He was her reason. He was her Cause.
The kiss broke, and Jyn rested her forehead against his, the need to be close persisting despite the biological requirement that they break for want of air. His hands released her waist to cradle her face.
âCassianâŚâ She could barely recognize her own breathy whisper, could not find any words.
His thumbs stroke her cheeks and he sighed, his voice low and husky when he spoke.
âMe, too, Jyn. Me, too.â
END
#fic: give me a reason#rogue one#rebelcaptain#fanfiction#Cassian x Jyn#Cassian Andor#Jyn Erso#my fic
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You Gotta Fend for Yourself
Read here on AO3!
Summary:
Bruce is Tim's emergency contact. He gets a call to meet Tim at the ER.
âIâm looking for a patient.â The woman behind the ER desk looks bored as she eyes Bruce, takes in the pressed suit and diamond cufflinks. The way he fidgets, drumming his fingers on the desk and trying very hard not to look as anxious as he feels. Itâs easier to reign in his worry when heâs wearing the cowl. âName?â âTim Drake.â âGive me a minute.â She types his name into the computer, and Bruce canât help but wonder how she manages to type with such long fingernails. âYour son is in bed eight. Itâs over there, against the far wall.â She points him in the general direction. Bruce considers correcting her on the fact that Tim is certainly not his son, but he doesnât need to tell this complete stranger that. Let her think what she wants. He thanks her and goes where directed. His chest loosens when he finds Tim sitting on a medical cot, neither bleeding out from a gaping wound nor missing any limbs. Instead heâs playing some sort of racing game on his phone, indifferent to the bustling emergency room around him. An oxygen mask sits beside him, forgotten. He and Bruce should really have a conversation about the importance of listening to medical professionals. âHey, kiddo.â
Tim looks up and his eyes go wide. âBruce. You...actually came?â His voice is hoarse, like heâs been gargling sand. âOf course I did. I am your emergency contact, after all.â Tim blushes. âI told them not to call you. You really donât need to be here if youâre busy, I can get a cab home. And Iâm sure I can talk the doctors into letting me check myself out without an adult, soââ âItâs okay, Tim. Really. You actually saved me from a board meeting.â Tim doesnât look at all reassured. Bruce sits on the side of the cot beside Tim, who moves over a few inches. âYour teacher told me you went into anaphylactic shock in the middle of geometry.â Tim rolls his eyes. âI got a candy bar from the vending machine and the wrapper forgot to mention there were walnuts in it. Itâs not that big a deal.â âOh, sure, not that big a deal. You just stopped breathing for two minutes. Totally normal.â âIâm breathing now, arenât I?â Tim takes an exaggerated breath. âSee? Iâm fine. And, for the record, it was the teacherâs fault. I had my hand raised for a whole minute trying to tell her that I couldnât breathe, and she didnât even look at me. Eventually I just passed out.â Bruce blinks. âYou raised your hand? While your life was in danger?â âI didnât want to be rude.â Lord, beer me patience. âIâll get you an EpiPen to carry with you from now on.â âI usually have one, but I used it up a couple months ago and kept forgetting to ask my dad for another one.â A shrug. âDonât you keep one in your utility belt?â âThatâs for civilians.â Bruceâs eyebrows crease. âItâs for keeping people safe, not just civilians. Youâre a person, so I want you to use whatever you need to keep yourself from dying in the middle of class. Got it?â Tim nods, a little sheepishly. âYes, sir.â âGood. Now, how are you feeling?â Tim flicks the IV tube. âCortisone and a shot of epinephrine earlier. Iâll be fine.â Even so, Bruce canât stop himself from checking Tim over anyway, just to be sure. He needs to see that Tim is okay with his own eyes. He feels Timâs throat for any residual swelling, checks his pulse. âCan you breathe okay?â âYep.â âWhat about your mouth, does it feel numb or tingly? Any swelling?â âNo and no.â âAre you dizzy at all, nauseous?â âYou do realize weâre in a hospital, right? Surrounded by actual doctors?â âYes, and I donât trust a single one of them unless their name is Leslie Thompkins, Alfred Pennyworth, or Bruce Wayne.â âYouâre insane.â âGood. Maybe then youâll stay alive long enough to see the new year.â Bruce takes out his cell phone and drafts the beginning of an email in his notes app. âI should call the school and give them hell for not looking after you. Or at least for not being more aware of their vending machine snacks.â He knew Tim never should have been allowed in a public school. Thatâs like locking the most perfect, innocent kitten in the world in a cage with rabid coyotes. Completely irresponsible. âYouâre overreacting, B.â âYou could have died.â Tim scoffs. âStop being so dramatic. This isnât even the worst allergic reaction Iâve had. My parents were terrible at remembering to tell the nannies about my walnut energy, so there were a lot of close calls.â Bruce should be more surprised at that information. After he sues the school for the wrongful almost-death of a student, he should sue Drake Industries just for the hell of it. âWhere are your parents? Are they on their way?â Jack Drake is as disagreeable a man as disagreeable men get, but heâs always revving for conflict. Bruce will definitely be able to sway him to his side of this matter. They can bring it up to the board of education, draw up new regulations for the schoolâs allergy protocols. Tim scratches absently at the rash on his neck. Bruce swats his hand away. âDad brought Dana on a business trip to Philadelphia. It was only supposed to last the weekend, but they decided to stay a few extra days.â âA few?â âEleven, to be exact.â Yikes. Big yikes. âYou at least called them, right? Theyâll want to know youâre safe.â âI called Dad when I first got here, but he didnât pick up so I left him a message. Iâm pretty sure he got it, because Dana keeps texting me to make sure Iâm okay and asking if they should come home early. Dad still hasnât said anything, but Iâm sure heâs worried too.â Even as Tim says the words, itâs clear he doesnât believe them. Never mind, fuck Jack Drake. Bruce can find another parent to start an alliance withâone who actually cares about their kid. Maybe Crystal Brown is free tonight⌠Bruce flags down a passing nurse. âCan I get some discharge papers for my son, here?â Might as well throw that in, give himself some extra authority. Whatever gets them out of here quicker. âThank god,â Tim says. He plucks out the IV and swings his legs off the bed. âIâm sick of this place. You can just drop me off at home and Iâll be all set?â âDrop you off? Youâre coming home with me, Tim.â Was that part not clear? âItâs cool, really. Iâll be fine after some rest. You donât have to look after me.â âI know I donât have to. I want to.â Bruce thanks the nurse who brings over the discharge papers in record time. People really donât appreciate nurses enough; he should donate a few million to boost their salaries. He pushes the clipboard into Timâs hands. âHere, fill these out and we can get going. Iâll call ahead and have Alfred make supper.â âAnd then I can go home?â Bruce shrugs, eyes fixed on his phone screen as his thumbs fly. âYou already have a room made up at the manor, so I donât see why you canât stay over tonight. Besides, Iâd like to keep an eye on you, just in case.â Anaphylaxis can be a tricky thing. âHas anyone ever told you that youâre a mother hen?â âOnce or twice.â âWell, theyâre right.â Bruce snorts. He works more on his email draft to the school, making a mental note to censor out the swear words during revision. Heâs getting flashbacks to years ago when Jason had a close call with some shrimp at a party for a museum opening. Bruce nearly decimated the catering company for not putting out warnings for potential allergens. âTim?â âHm?â âHow come Iâm your emergency contact?â Tim freezes. He doesnât look at Bruce and twiddles the pen, quiet for a moment. âI donât know. I guess I didnât know who else to put? I figured it would never actually be needed, so it wasnât like youâd ever find out about it anyway. But donât worry, Iâll change it tomorrow so you donât need to do this again.â âNo,â Bruce says, a little too quickly. âKeep it. Itâs...more logical for it to be me. And I really donât mind.â âYou sure? You donât have to.â âI want to. Partners look out for each other, right?â Timâs cheeks are flushed under the allergy-induced redness, but he nods. âRight.â
#whumptober 2020#no.29#emergency room#batfamily#batfam#tim drake#red robin#robin#idiot duckboy#bruce wayne#batman#batdad#dc comics#fanfiction#fanfic
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Get Hurt {Dean Winchester x Reader}
Requested by:Â @fandomofyourchoice-89â Wordcount: 3973 Summary: Arguing with Dean is never fun. Getting into an accident after you leave said argument is even worse. But such things can have a silver lining. Notes: Some swearing.
You might have offered a lot of things to Dean Winchester, but your freedom was not one of those things. A bit of flesh here, a bit of blood there was one thing, but letting him dictate who you am allowed to talk to - and when? That was asking too much of you. When you woke up to a good morning text from the bartender you were chatting with the night before, you had been feeling pretty on top of the world. It was nice to have a little bit of positive attention, even if it wasnât exactly from the person you were hoping to have it from. Dean may know monsters, but he couldnât pick up on your feelings, even from a foot away. He snatched the phone out of your hand to see who the text was from, joking that it was probably from your mom, but when he saw the unfamiliar number, he went from teasing to overprotective. That was not the Dean that you liked to see. He was treating you like you were his car, when someone else was trying to get in the driverâs seat.
âI donât need to justify myself to you of all people!â You said, wrinkling your nose as you pulled on your sweater for the day. The weather outside wasnât at the point of frightful, but it was still chilly for the early fall. It helped you to feel less exposed to Deanâs eyes as well, which was good with how sharp they were being today.
âWhat the hell is that supposed to mean?â Dean shot back. You looked over at Sam, hoping for some sort of aid, but there was nothing there. The tall moose of a man just disappeared into the small bathroom, closing the door behind him. On one hand, that was a smart move. Your fights with Dean were known to be explosive, though they didnât happen very often. It was usually just sarcastic comments. But no amount of sass was enough to express your anger today. You were not in the mood to deal with this shit. Not today, and not ever. On the other, it was annoying. You could really use the back up.
âIt means that you donât get to lecture me about a single text message, when youâre the one who always goes home with the bartenders, the single moms, who even knows anymore. Any woman gives you a pretty smile and you swoon off into the sunset, leaving Sam and I behind. And youâre giving me hell over a single text? Really?â
âI donât sleep with every girl, and it shouldnât matter! I work hard, I deserve to have a little fun.â
âThe fact that you donât think I work hard enough to exchange numbers with one guy is insulting, Winchester. Downright insulting. You threw your coat on over your sweater, given the weather - and you just wanted to have as much of your clothes on as possible. And there was good reason for that. âYou know that vacation that Iâve been talking about taking? Iâm leaving today. Right now, actually. Goodbye to your storm cloud, hello sunny California.â
âYou donât get to walk away like this,â Dean said, going to the door that lead to the outside world, and folded his arms. âWe have a lot of work to do in this area, Bobby said-â
âThen you better get to it then, shouldnât you? No time to waste. Not for Dean, the hard working man! And since I hardly do anything, according to you, I should leave. I wouldnât want to be a hindrance to your greatness!â
In response to this, all that you got was silence. You threw your bag over your shoulder, and put your helmet under your arm, ready to leave. Your bike was calling you, and you were looking forward to the dust blowing under your tires back out on the open road. The problem was that Dean still wasnât moving.
âGet out of my way, Winchester,â You said, reverting to last names. That tended to be how you reacted when angry at him.
âNo,â He said, his biceps flexing beneath the flannel shirt that was keeping him warm. âYou know that we need you-â
âAnd I need away from you!â You shouted, exasperated. âEither you are going to move from that door, or so help me, Iâm going to call the police on your credit card scams.â
It was one of the few threats that you had under your belt. Sure, he and Sam would get booked and it would take a couple of hours for Bobby to talk them out of it, but that was a couple of hours horribly wasted.
âFine, leave, just walk away,â Deanâs deep voice seemed to go even deeper as he moved away from the door.
âFuck you,â You said, giving him the finger as you walked out of the motel room. It felt good to leave that negativity behind. That overbearing feeling that made you feel as if Dean only saw you as a little sister, rather than as the capable woman that you knew you were. Actually, it was like he didnât see you as a woman at all, which was hurtful. Youâve loved him so long and-
And you were going to leave that behind, just for a little while. You would come back eventually. The Winchester charm always got to you, the same way that it did for every other woman that Dean talked to. It was the shy, stoic nature behind those green eyes. The way that he quietly seemed to look into your soul, and never had a complaint about what was found.
Think of the palm trees that you were going to see. Think of the beaches, the waves rolling on the sand. Think of being able to lay out and feel the sun on your skin. You could order fruity alcohol drinks from hot waiters wearing only their bathing suits. Maybe youâll even spot a Kardashian, which you could rub into Deanâs face. You could roll over and say, âHa, Dean, I spotted her first!â
Except for the fact that Dean wouldnât be there. It was just as much a break from him as it was a break from the hunt.
You got onto your bike, put the helmet atop your head, and backed away from the black impala as quickly as you could. You refused to look back. That would just be giving Dean satisfaction that you were having second thoughts.
You turned out of the motel and ended up on a long stretch of road that lead west. That was exactly the way that you wanted to go. There werenât many people about, considering this wasnât one of the big highways though that would be coming soon.
You slowed down as you saw a shadow dart out across the road, coming from one of the patches of trees. It startled you enough that you lost your balance on the bike, and it started to wobble beneath you. You braced yourself for the crash as the bike finally decided which side it was going to fall on, and you skidded off of the concrete onto the brush by the side of the road. All you can remember is trying to make sure the bike didnât land too hard on your leg, for it could easily break it.
-
When you came to, you were hearing arguing. The familiar sound of Deanâs voice. âLeave Sammy alone,â You groaned, before opening your eyes. Instead of the expected scene of a motel room, you were surprised to see that you were in a hospital bed. And instead of Dean arguing with his brother, it was a small woman in scrubs that was giving Dean hell.
You remembered everything in that instant, and reached up to touch your head, expecting the worst case scenario. You were anticipating blood or bruises or waking up with a huge bulging eye like Quasimodo in the Disney film. Your chin was a bit tender, since that part hadnât been entirely covered by the helmet, but the rest of your face felt fine. Dean was watching over you with those stern eyes of his, and suddenly you wished that you were ugly. Then he wouldnât give you shit for leaving because you already suffered the consequences.
âDonât start,â You said, looking at him before turning your attention to the Doctor. Or nurse, you couldnât quite tell. âI definitely feel the effects of the painkillers so I donât really know whatâs wrong.â
The doctor went into professional mode, coming to your side and checking the IV bag that was giving you fluids. âIâm Dr. Williams, youâre in the Kansas Medical Center, and youâre going to be just fine, first and foremost. You did break two of your ribs, but neither ended up piercing any organs. You did fracture your femur and patella, though with some physiotherapy once the cast is off, you should be back to normal, unless you were running marathons.â
âNot quite,â You said, breathing out in relief. Though that did make you well aware of the odd feeling in your chest. Those pesky broken ribs, no doubt.
The doctor left the room after giving you another sweep, and an idea of how long you may have to be in the hospital for. Another night of observation, then she wanted to have you come in for physiotherapy. You said you would, though no doubt you would be back on the road before then, and doing your own exercises. This wasnât the first time that youâve broken a bone, though it was the first time it happened outside of a hunt. You figured you knew enough to take care of it on your own.
âWhat, because I left you had to argue with the Doctor too? Your temper knows no bounds, Winchester,â You said to Dean once Sam stepped out to get some coffee. Dean looked far from amused at that. âDid our insurance scam not go through?â
âThis isnât a joke,â Dean said, closing the door to your private room. That alone told you that the insurance went through. Thereâs no way that they would put you in a room like this unless they were getting the big bucks. American Medical Care at itâs finest. âYou were an inch away from puncturing a lung. If the farmer didnât see you wipe out-â
âYeah, well, Iâm sure that being friends with angels had a hand in that,â You leaned back against the pillow rather than attempted to sit up. Dean came to stand at the end of the bed, and clenched his fists around the bars at the end of it. âLook, I donât know how they got a hold of you, or what you think youâre doing, but Iâm still taking off to California. Just ... bring my bike to Bobbyâs and Iâll fix it when I get back. Iâll just fly, or bus as soon as I can sit up properly.â
âThe hell you are,â He raised his voice at you. He hadnât straight up yelled at you like that in quite some time, even while he was angry. It was startling. âWe are all sticking around here, and you are going to listen to the Doctorâs orders.â
âThatâs rich, coming from you,â You muttered. No Winchester was good at following orders, not even from a well-meaning Doctor. And because of how much time youâve spent around them, you might as well have been one.
âExcuse me?â He asked, quick to hear your words.
âYouâre not well known for following anyoneâs orders, Winchester. You just like giving them out, even when completely unwarranted. Like right now,â You glared at him. âDid you just come here to tell me more about what I should and shouldnât do? To gloat? Just tell me what you want from me, so that we can move on, honestly. This is getting old.â
âI want you to be safe!â He said, his hands tightening around the rails, the knuckles turning white. âI donât want you off with some random guy, and I donât want you alone in California and I donât want you to crash your stupid damn bike on a country road!â
âWhy do you think that I canât take care of myself? Weâve been hunting together for years now!â
The look in his eye after I said this made me sink a little into myself. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And the hurt that he was feeling made me understand that he was leaving no bit of road unpaved.
âYou ended up in the hospital because you ran away,â Dean said, leaning down low, hanging his head so that you could no longer see his expression. That didnât mean that the pain was invisible, though. âAnd Iâm the one that made you do that.â
âAnd if I died, you would blame yourself,â You sighed, catching his line of thinking. âBut Iâm okay. Iâm always okay.â You would have gone to the other end of the bed and touched his hand if you could. You could feel the anger and the guilt radiating off of him, like black lines in an anime show. But the discomfort, and pain which was starting to come through despite the meds, was making you stay where you were. âAlright, I have an idea.â
He lifted his head slightly at that, his eyes wide and glistening like a Disney princess. The great Dean Winchester, crying?
âBuy me a burger, bring it back here and weâll have a dinner and talk - actually talk, not yell at each other this time, okay?â
-
After you were released from the hospital, limping on a cast that was a huge hindrance, things began to change. You couldnât tell if it was from guilt or because Dean actually wanted to take care of you. But you let him do whatever it was that he wanted to do, because it was the only way for him to cope with what had happened. You and Sam had talked about it late one night when Dean was out to get you your favorite burger, and both agreed that it was best to let this run itâs course, unless he got entirely overbearing again. It was bound to happen sooner or later though. He had already offered to carry you to Baby on more than one occasion rather than let you hobble.
âDean,â You groaned for the second time that day, though you were definitely blushing more this time. It was a good thing that he couldnât see through the bathroom door. He was just on the other side of it, so he could hear you, though. âI can bathe by myself. Youâre just getting perverted now.â
âI just want to help,â He said, being able to hear that stupid damn smirk on his face. God, he was irresistible. Even you had to admit that it had  been nice to have him pamper you. But now he was wanting to help you wash in the bath while your cast had to be raised up on the edge of the tub. It had been a little difficult to get in and out of lately.
You wrapped the robe tighter around your body. âIf I agree...â You said, coyly, biting on your lip, fingers against the lock. âDo you promise that you wonât look.â
âDepends,â He said, and you saw the door physically move, like he was leaning against it. âAre there going to be bubbles to help cover you up?â
You looked behind you at the bathtub that was about half full. You had a small pile of bathbombs that you bought online to at least try to make the experience a little better. It took a lot longer to get in and out of the bath, so you might as well make it as pretty as possible. âThere might be a few bubbles, but the water will be colored,â You admitted. It would hide some parts of your body pretty well. But others would be sticking out. Â
âI promise Iâll try my best,â was all that Dean had to offer.
âOkay just umm - just give me a second, alright?â You unlocked the door to the bathroom, then attempted to take a step backwards, but pushed a little too roughly on your casted foot. A sharp pain went through your leg and you cursed yourself for being so stupid.
âAre you alright?â Dean asked, his ears catching onto that.
âYeah, Iâm fine, just a minute, alright?â Â You called out. You took off the robe, and grabbed the towel instead. You wrapped it around your body in a way that it would be easy to take off once you were ready to sink down into the water. What you really needed help with was keeping your balance as you went down, since you had to keep one leg up. Even then, you had it wrapped in cellophane so it wasnât as likely to get wet. You definitely regretted taking off the way that you did.
You put your good foot into the water, then crouched down, attempting to go on your own as far as you could, but you felt yourself wobbling. You had to put your casted leg on the ground outside of the tub again. You didnât trust yourself not to fall. Holding the towel tightly against your chest, you finally said, âOkay, I need help. But donât look, okay?â
The door slowly opened and Dean came inside, one hand covering his eyes and the other reaching out to try to grab a hold of something. He himself nearly tripped on the small carpet and you had to hold your hand out to steady him. You sighed, wondering if he was being this bad on purpose. âAlright, just hold my hand and help me get down, yeah?â
Dean could at least do this. As you got closer to the water, you slid your towel off with the hand that Dean wasnât holding, and tossed it outside of the tub.
âWhat was that?â He questioned right away.
âMy towel,â You admitted to him. âSo keep your damn eyes closed.â
âEyes closed. Scoutâs honor.â
âAs if you were a scout.â
You balanced your bad leg on top of the lip of the bathtub so it was jutting out. It was a bit awkward but once you were sitting in the tub, and leaned back, it was a lot better. You sighed contently, then realized that Dean was still holding onto your hand. You quickly snatched it out of his grip then closed the shower curtain on him so he couldnât see anything anyway. âIâm all sorted, thanks.â
âNo problem,â He said from the other side of the curtain. You waited for him to leave but you didnât hear any footsteps, nor the bathroom door open and close. But what you did see was one side of the curtain moving slightly, as if it were being pulled ever so slowly.
âWhat do you think youâre doing?â
âCanât blame a man for trying,â He chuckled, the curtain falling back into position. âI never ... really apologized for making you run away. And causing all of this.â
âYou could never make me do anything. And you didnât cause this. The stupid farmer who didnât mind his chickens did,â You wrinkled your nose, thinking about how tempted you were to sue that guy. âThough I will accept your apology about being a jerk. And a bitch.â
âHey,â He said. You heard the toilet cover flip down, and Dean had the audacity to sit on it. The nerve! Although ... it was actually really sweet that he was in here, making sure that you didnât have to bathe alone. âI might have been being stubborn, but I had a point. That bartender was a jerk. He was giving his number to everyone with a pulse.â
âSo what if he was? Itâs not your job to tell me who I can and canât see. And if I do end up getting hurt, then itâs on him, and it shouldnât be me that you get mad at.âa
âI wasnât mad at you,â He said, and you could hear him tensing. The water was moving in small ripples around your body, and it was the only thing causing sound. âI was mad at myself for not telling you sooner.â
âTelling me what?â
âThat I care about you.â
This was getting to be a  bit too much for you handle. You put your hands on either side of the tub, took in a deep breath, then lowered yourself into the purple-colored water. It smelled strongly of lavender with jasmine, and the scent had filled your nose just as you slipped under the water. You didnât open your eyes, you just went under to cool the feeling of your cheeks burning. Even the warm water was cooler than that. When  you rose yourself up, you saw to your dismay that Dean was peeking around the side of the curtain. But at least his eyes were on yours, rather than on any part of your body. And that everything you didnât want him to see was covered by the colored water and the bubbles that came with it.
âWhat are you doing?â You said, moving your hands to cover yourself up further.
âYou didnât reply.â
âDid I have to? I would think that my actions over the last few months in particular spoke enough for me.â
Dean stepped back, the curtain moving into itâs usual position, but you still didnât relax. âItâs really hard to have this conversation when youâre naked.â
âShouldnât have started it then,â You grumbled, but you couldnât even find yourself getting mad. Dean cared about you. That was something that he didnât say to many people. If he did express that - holy shit, were you ever in. Neither of you spoke for the next ten minutes. Instead, you just focused on yourself, washing your body and your hair. As far as you could tell, Dean didnât peek again, but remained on his seat on the porcelain throne. âIâm going to need some help up, if thatâs alright,â You said, once youâve finished.
âYeah,â He said. âEyes are covered.â
You pulled the plug on the bath, and watched as Deanâs strong arm came through the curtain, holding his hand down low to grasp yours. You took it, and slowly, with the help of his sturdiness, got back onto your good foot, the other still being supported by the side of the bathtub. âDo you think you could...â You were about to ask him for your towel but he took  his hand away from you before you could finish your sentence. Instead of getting handed a towel, the curtain opened and revealed Dean holding open your robe. He no longer had his hand over his eyes like a child, but he was facing the opposite way, eyes closed. You smiled, thinking about how sweet he was being.
And hoping it would last after you healed up properly.
#Dean Winchester#dean winchester x reader#Dean Winchester oneshot#Supernatural#Supernatural oneshot#request#oneshot#one shot#deanw
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Matter Of The Heart (Tom Holland X Reader) - Chapter One
Summary: (y/n) doesnât expect much more out of her life, mostly because itâs ending. However, she definitely didnât expect to catch the eye of a famous actor who likes to visit the kids on her floor.
Warnings: diseases and medical issues are talked about, mentions of death, curse words
I woke up to the shining sun beaming in from the windows to the right of me, illuminating the entire room in a golden light. I could hear birds chirping as they welcomed the new day with gratitude and grace. Ugh, what show offs.
I grumpily pulled my personal duvet over my head, trying to block out the streams of light long enough to fall back to sleep.Â
I knew I was supposed to be awake and that I would probably get shit about this from my doctor, but I really wanted to sleep. I mean, come on, who else doesnât want to sleep in a few hours more than theyâre supposed to.
I sighed in contentment when I was finally able to make it dark enough for me to drift back into sleep. Unfortunately, I was stirred again by a persistent knocking at my door. Damn it, Jade.
âGo away,â I gracefully responded with hair stuck in my mouth.
âYou need to be up, (y/n). You have scheduled equipment today,â Jade replied, opening the door as she spoke.
Jade is one of my favorite nurses that works at the hospital. I, of course, would never tell her that, but it doesnât make it any less true.
âBut, itâs so early. Why canât I ever just rest peacefully and undisturbed. You know medical professionals say to get eight hours of sleep, yet itâs the medical professionals that wake me up before I can get that.â
Jade rolled her eyes at me, âFirst of all, itâs 10:30 in the morning, so you should have gotten well past eight hours of sleep if you werenât binge watching an entire season of Supernatural. Second of all, if we left you undisturbed, you would sleep till 5:00 at night and then the night crew would be very upset about having to take care of you on top of their patients who need 24/7 surveillance. So, stop being dramatic and get out of bed.â
I couldnât help the small grimace that grew on my face as she spoke. We both knew she was right and I had no choice but to get up for the day.
âFine, but only if I get at least an hour to myself today. I want the promise of not being watched every 10 minutes.â
Jade gave me a look of understanding while she set up her cart. Every morning, she would take my vitals to make sure everything was working right.
âI know itâs difficult, sweetie. Youâre an 18 year old girl who doesnât even get to step outside of the hospital without a nurse with you. Itâs tough, but you have to understand that weâre only here to make sure you can live as long as you can. We need to watch you every 10 minutes to make sure that the world can have itâs beautiful (y/n) for as long as it can.â
Jade stopped prepping her needles and came to give me a hug. I sat up and held her back tightly, knowing that she spoke from her heart. Thatâs one of the things I loved about her and all of the other staff members at the hospital, they genuinely cared about the patients here.
She pulled back from me, giving me a smile as she went back to her cart. âNow then, letâs get you checked up so you can get dressed.â
I nodded at her and crawled to the end of the bed, putting out my arm for her to take my blood pressure.Â
I knew by now what the routine was for the mornings. Blood pressure, temperature, heart beat, and blood samples.Â
Every morning a nurse would come in and do these tests without fail. At night itâs similar, but I donât get any blood work done. Itâs then that they reconnect me to the heart monitor and put the IV back in me. The doctors want me to be hydrated as much as I can be, so they slowly have me receive saline when Iâm sleeping.
Once Jade was done, she left me on my own to get changed, promising that she would be back in 10 minutes to make sure I got some food in me.
I looked through my suitcase, trying to find something comfortable for the day. I was very limited in what I could wear because of testing and the fact that I only can wear what fits in the suitcase. Thatâs why Aunt Avery exchanges my clothes every two weeks, so I can have different styles.
I grabbed a cute pair of black sweatpants and a white top to go along with it. I didnât feel like having shoes on today, so I just put on a pair of socks.
Once I was done, I grabbed my phone from the bedside table.Â
âGuys, please. I canât answer all zero of my notifications at once.â
âThatâs kinda sad, you realize that.â
I jumped at the sound of Jadeâs voice from behind me. I turned around to face her only to see her silently laughing at me.
âHey, I need to keep myself entertained. The best way to do that is to always keep up my amazing sense of humor, even when Iâm alone. Besides, are you surprised I donât have any texts? I live in the pediatric ward of a hospital.â
She only shook her head at me before placing a tray of food on the table.
âItâs still sad. Anyway, you need to eat before your echocardiogram.â
I sighed before complying. Iâm so tired of laying down while doctors poke and prod me for answers. I mean come on, is it really that bad if I go outside just for a walk?
Jade left me to eat my eggs alone as she went to see another patient.Â
âWell then, I guess itâs just you and me Mr. Goldberg,â I pitifully said while putting on You.
Every day at the hospital is just like the last. I do testing, then eat, do more testing, take a walk, maybe go to the day room, do even more testing, sleep, and repeat. I swear one day theyâll transfer me to the mental ward if they keep this up.Â
I had just finished my eggs and episode six of season two when Jade came back in to see me.
âSo, how was your breakfast? Are you still hungry?â
âIâm always hungry, you should know that by now. Iâm satiated for now, but give it an hour or so. The food was good though.â
Jade gave me a smile and a small laugh before putting the food tray in a bin in the hallway for the janitors to take back to the cafeteria.Â
âI know, I know, Iâm such a comedian. Maybe I can do that for a living. You think the hospital would employ me?â
She laughed louder this time, putting her hands on my shoulder, prompting me to stand up.
âCome on, sweetie. Itâs time for your echocardiogram. Maybe you can come up with new material while they do it.â
I put my hands over my heart in mock defense. âThat hurts. That truly wounded me, Jade. I may need to request a new nurse.â
We continued to joke around as we made our way to the fourth floor where they have a cardiologist office.
âAh, Miss (y/l/n), youâre here, finally,â Mrs. Denver told me as I walked through the door. I gave her a fake smile and rolled my eyes as she turned her back. Sheâs a very condescending woman.
Jade gave me a pointed look before squeezing my shoulder and leaving me to fend for myself. By now I know the routine. I do whatever tests Doctor Hasting wants me to do and then Iâm free to roam the hospital until 1:30 when a nurse meets me in the cafeteria.
âOkay, hereâs the dressing gown I need you to change into. You can wait in the last room on your left. The Doctor will meet you there in a minute, but you know that with all the times youâve come here.â
I gave her another fake smile, âThank you, Mrs. Denver.â
I made my way to the room she told me to go to and changed quickly. Ugh, this hospital gown does nothing for my figure.Â
I sat down on the examining table and waited for about five minutes before Doctor Hasting arrived.Â
âHello, (y/n), are you ready for your echocardiogram?â
I nodded in response to her words, just wanting to get this over with quickly.
âThatâs great and I have some good news for you. We only need to do one other test today, youâll be done here in about an hour. So let's get started then.â
I sighed in relief before laying on my back as she started to prepare the machines.Â
True to her word, I was able to leave after about an hour went by. She told me that she would give the information she gathered from my results to one of my nurses once all of the charts are printed.Â
Smiling, I changed back into my sweatpants and t-shirt and said goodbye to the staff in the clinic.Â
I made my way to the first level of the building, planning on walking in the garden. I was just about to reach the garden doors when I heard my name being called behind me. Shit.
â(y/n)! (y/n)! I know you can hear me.â
I turned around to face Jade. âBro, this is some of my only alone time. Iâm supposed to meet you in the cafeteria at 1:30.â
She gave me a pointed look, âWell, Iâm sorry that I thought you might want to know that youâve been cleared to visit other patients.â
My eyes widened at her news, âI can go see the kids? Are you being serious?â
She smiled brightly back at me while nodding her head, âYou sure can, sweetheart. I know thereâs some little patients that have been wanting to see you for the last three weeks.â
For the past month, Iâve been quarantined from the other patients. The doctors have had me pumped with medication that lowers my white blood count and makes it hard for my immune system to fight back any diseases. They figured that the best course of action would be to keep me away from other sick patients.Â
I know itâs not cool to be excited to hang out with a bunch of kids in a pediatric ward, but I can't help it. Theyâre amazing kids who are insanely strong considering everything what they are being put through.
I also know that they absolutely love to see me. I mean, who can blame them though. They think itâs cool to be around an older girl and I get some hope back being around them.
âWhen can I see them?â
âRight now is preferred. Thereâs actually a very special guest arriving today, so you may not want to miss that.â
I kind of stopped paying attention after Jade told me that I could see the kids right now.Â
I started walking towards the activity room, âCome on, what are you waiting for?â
Jade laughed at me before meeting me at my side, âYou really love those kids donât you?â
I scoffed, trying to act cool, âTheyâre okay. I mean okay for a bunch of snot ridden children.â
She rolled her eyes at me, bumping my shoulder. âI donât blame you for caring about them. Theyâre good kids. Theyâre also very brave for facing their illnesses like they do. Kind of reminds me of a certain someone when they were younger.â
I lightly smile while looking away. I donât remember much of my first hospital visit, but I was told I was unaffected by everything. I didnât really understand my condition when I was 6, I only knew that I had lost my mom and brother. I do remember my second visit though. I was diagnosed then. It was hard for me to deal with, but I never let anyone know that.Â
Itâs still scary sometimes, knowing that I can die at any time.Â
We had finally reached the activity room after a couple of minutes.Â
The room was arranged strangely. All of the chairs and the couches were facing a huge open space at the front. I barely remember Jade mentioning a guest, but even when people do visit, they donât usually rearrange the room. It takes too much time out of the faculties day.Â
â(y/n)! Youâre here!â
I quickly changed my focus to a little girl in a pink long-sleeved shirt, tutu, and crown.
âLuna! Oh, Iâm so sorry. I didnât realize I was in the presence of royalty. Hello, youâre majesty,â I finished with a curtsy and a wide smile on my face.
âYou may stand,â Luna told me while I chuckled under my breath. She really is something else.
âHow are you, princess?â
âIâm great. The doctor told me that the bad thing in my brain is going to go away soon.â
I couldnât help the tears that began to pool in my eyes as I hugged her. âThatâs amazing, Luna. That means youâre going to be all better,â I said, truly happy for her.
âWhy were you gone so long?âÂ
She pulled away from my hug as she looked up at me. âI had to do a lot of tests and procedures for the doctors. The medicine they gave me made me really weak and made my monster protection kind of low. Thatâs why I couldnât come see any of you.â
Luna jumped up and down, âThat means youâre going to be all better too. My mommy always tells me when I have to meet with my doctors that the more I do it, the more I get better. You were gone a long time, so that must mean youâre close to being better too.â
I really didnât know what to tell her. I know I wasnât going to get better, but I couldnât tell her that. She needs to have hope in all aspects of her life.Â
I turned my head up to meet Jadeâs eyes. She held so much sadness in them knowing that the only way I was getting out of the hospital was in a hearse.Â
I quickly turned back to Luna, âThatâs right, honey. But that doesnât really matter right now. Whatâs important is that youâre going to be all better really soon.â
She smiled back at me, âYouâre going to be healed soon too. James, Elena, William, Quinton! Did you hear (y/n)? Sheâs going to be better soon.â
I didnât notice that some of the other kids gathered around Luna and I during our conversation.
I looked back at Jade, not knowing what to do.
Luckily, she saved me, âCome one kids. Our special guest is almost here. Lets get some seats in the front row, yeah?â
I nodded at her in gratitude as she lead the small group to some chairs.
â(y/n), are you coming?â Luna asked me.
âIâm actually going to stand in the back, okay? That way I donât block any of your guyâs views.â
âOkay!â
I watched as Luna skipped to the front to meet with the rest of her friends. I really do love those kids.
I made my way to the back of the room as some more patients from the pediatric ward came in.
Iâve never seen this big of a turn out for one of these things. Itâs kind of weird to be in a room of this many people.
I watched as the last of the kids arrived and took their seats.
Jade surveyed the room before standing in the open space at the front of the room.Â
âHello everybody. So, today we have a very special guest. Now, heâs going to be here any second so I want to say a few things. He came all the way from Queens to see all of you so I expect you all to be very nice and pay attention to our guest. Can you all do that?â
A chorus of âyesâs rang through the room.
I zoned out after Jade started to talk again. I knew I should probably listen to her, but I honestly didnât care enough.
The guest speaker was probably some clown or mime coming to cheer up the kids. Then again, she did say the guest came all the way from queens. Maybe, it was some inspirational speaker.
A round of applause and the sound of excited cheers drew me out of my thoughts. I looked back at the front of the room to see what all of the commotion was about.
Is that ⌠Spider-Man?
#tom holland#tom imagine#tom holland imagine#tom x reader#tom x you#tom#tom holland x reader#tom holland x you#marvel#tom x y/n#tom holland x y/n#peter parker#peter parker x reader#peter parker imagine#peter parker x you#peter parker x y/n#peter x reader#peter imagine#peter x you#peter x y/n#spiderman#spiderman imagine#spiderman x reader#spiderman x y/n#spiderman x you#hospital#angst
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Just thought Iâd put this here. My first go. A bit of McKirk fluff.
The Other Side of Midnight
It was coming up on midnight and Bones was happily ensconced in his corner, a glass of Scottyâs Laphroaig clutched in his hand (where did that man find this stuff? He was probably distilling it and just putting it in the bottles - still, tasted damn good), watching as Captain Kirk moved from group to group of these terrible, boring delegates, charming them and appearing interested in the rubbish they were spouting. If anybody had cared to glance over to him where he stood in the shadows, they would have seen his heart in his eyes.
Itâs the alcohol, he said to himself. Iâm better than this at hiding it.
He took another mouthful of the spirit and rolled it slowly around his mouth. It really was incredibly smooth. It couldnât be the real stuff, it just couldnât, but by Christ⌠He raised the glass again and then stopped, startled, as a hand covered the top of the glass.
âDesigned to be savoured, Dr McCoy,â said Sulu with a smile. âItâs not water, you knowâ.
âTechnically I could argue that,â Bones growled. âBut I take your pointâ. He raised the glass in a toast but didnât drink it. âJust got a bit distractedâ.
Sulu followed his gaze and nodded. âSo I see. He does a good job, doesnât he? I donât know how he keeps that expression on his faceâ.
Bones watched as Jim turned to yet another group, his eyes passing apparently unseeingly over the little group of his crew, but Bones saw the softness appear fleetingly in his eyes and the slightest quirk of his lips. He raised the glass again and felt his eyes soften in response. He loathed these receptions with the passion of a thousand burning suns, but he would follow Jim into the bowels of hell if he was asked to (in fact, he thought he had on a couple of occasions), and Jim had asked, looked at him with those stupid eyes, his legs all tangled around Bonesâ own, his bed hair pointing in every direction, and had said, âCome with me, Bones. Youâre not specifically invited, but I want you thereâ.
âWell of course I wasnât invitedâ. Bones did the whole âgruff and angryâ thing (he was beginning to suspect it was his default setting), and he employed it now. âAfter all, why would they invite the Chief Medical Officer?â He had raised his hand, unable to resist Jimâs gravitational pull, the allure of the long, lean back, the skin that still held the hint of a tan (after a fantastically filthy couple of days spent on Atraxia IV â who knew this old body could get into that kind of position?). âIf you want me there, then Iâll be thereâ.
Jim had smiled at him and flumped onto his back, trapping Bonesâ hand beneath him. âGood,â he said. âThanks, Bones. I need you thereâŚâ He turned his head and smiled again, forcing Bones to really glower so that he didnât give himself away by doing something ridiculous like smiling in return. âAfter all, what if I eat something weird and have a reaction to it? Need you to save meâ.
âIs that all?â Bones pulled his hand out from beneath Jimâs back and reached up, making a half-hearted attempt at smoothing down the mad hair before running his hand down JImâs face, cupping his cheek, smiling as Jim tilted his head to rest against Bonesâ warm palm. And yes, of course he smiled, he wasnât some unfeeling zombie (oh, that had been a laugh, when they had met the unfeeling zombies. Jimâs remark afterwards about feeling as if he was in a holovid? Yup). And with a warm and enticing handful of Jim Kirk, who could possibly pretend to be anything other than happy?
âYouâre my saviour,â Jim had replied, nipping softly at Bonesâ throat. âYou know that, you know you are, so donât pretendâ.
Yes, he was Jimâs saviour, and yes he did know that. He had saved this angry, angry young man who insisted on lashing out in all directions with no real idea what it was he hated, and who did not believe that there was anything in him that was worth anybodyâs time. But what Jim still â still â refused to accept or acknowledge was that it had been mutual. They had saved each other. It may have had all the subtlety of a wreck on the highway, but these two had recognised each other and realised what was needed. Bones would forever be grateful for that. He would forever be grateful for the fact that he, and only he, got to see this part of Jim â this ridiculous, boneless creature wrapped around him, open and vulnerable and showing Bones every part of his soul. Nobody had ever seen that before, and sometimes it made Bones want to weep for the sheer joy, responsibility and heartbreak of it all.
Bones shook his head, coming back to the present. He held up the heavy crystal tumbler, letting the light play through the peaty colour of the liquor. This was really good shit if it could send him off down that kind of avenue. He glanced around, but nobody seemed to have noticed, so perhaps he hadnât been staring at Jim with his tongue hanging out (it had happened. He had been semi-conscious, but stillâŚ)
âDr McCoyâ. Spock materialised in that creepy way of his, annoyingly blocking his view. Bones pushed himself upright, refusing to slouch in front of such a very â upright â person.
âWhat can I do for you?â He nodded at Uhura who stood beside Spock, one arm resting lightly on his forearm in a display of possessiveness that was the human equivalent of a tongue down the throat. Living on the edge, you two. He stopped himself from going any further down that route.
âIt is a pleasant surprise to see you here tonight.â Spock turned slightly to acknowledge Sulu, who was by now standing in the corner, glassy eyed. âMr Sulu seems to be somewhat unwellâ.
âMr Sulu seems to be somewhat hammered out of his skullâ. Bones shifted as if he was going to move away, but Uhura shook her head. âIâll see to him,â she said. âI think heâs missing his family. We need a long chatâ. She squeezed Spockâs arm (calm down, Uhura!) and made her way over to Sulu, just stopping him from sliding down the wall. She put her arm around his waist and without any visible effort led him from the room. That woman had the core strength of a â thing with a hell of a lot of core strength. Again, Bonesâ mind began to wander and he recalled himself with difficulty. Really, Bones, waaaay too much to drink.
So there he was, left with Mr Talkative. He thought about taking another sip of the good stuff, but managed to stop himself. Not for a while. Youâre heading into Sulu territory. And Mr Talkative was looking at him in that way he did when he was about to ask something really personal. Oh god.
âDr McCoy, I am glad that we met.â As if they had just run into each other in the street. âI was hoping that I could discuss something with youâ.
âYes?â Bones said warily. This could really go in any direction.
âIt is about the Captainâ.
Oh thank all the gods! I donât want to think about their sex life. Shit! Now Iâm thinking about their sex life.
Bones put the glass down. âWhat about him?â
âAlthough I know it is none of my business on a personal level, on a professional one, I have to say that I think the Captain is looking over-tired. Do you think he has been taking on too much recently?â
âHe always takes on too much, we all take on too much,â replied Bones. âHis problem is that he broke his ribs when he fell into the pit on Qâoth, and got his foot half ripped off at the same time, and then refused to stay in bed to recover, as usual. Oh, and then he got that fever about 10 days later. Heâs been through a lot in a short time, and weâre none of us as young as we once wereâ.
âI was going to suggest that perhaps a medical leave of absence for perhaps 48 hours would help?â
âYes it would, and donât think I havenât thought about itâ. Bones shrugged. âBut you know what heâs likeâ.
âIndeed.â The one word said it all. May as well try and catch the rain as tell that man what to do when he donât want to.
âShort of tripping him up and dislocating his knee, thereâs no way I can persuade him,â said Bones. âAnd tempting as it sometimes is to do that, it wouldnât go down wellâ.
âI have a proposition that does not involve bodily harmâ.
âWell, whereâs the fun in that?â Bones grinned, a little manically, he suspected. As expected, there was no reaction. What goes on in that head of yours? When you die, can I dissect you?
***
It was the other side of midnight and the reception was slowly winding down, people taking their leave, heading either planet side or to their cabins. As always, the space that had been so glamorous-seeming during the reception began to take on a slightly sordid, seedy air.
âMakes you want to throw open the windows and let the night air in,â Jim said, now leaning comfortably against the wall next to Bones, their shoulders touching.
âDonât do that,â Bones said. âDonât even say that. You know what youâre like for saying something and then doing itâ.
âBones,â Jim laughed softly. âThe windows donât actually openâ. He reached over and picked up the long-abandoned glass that was still on the table near Bonesâ hand. He took a quick sniff at it and blinked. âThatâs good, good stuffâ. He took a tentative sip and Bones fought down his immediate response to knock it away from him just in case he turned out to be allergic to it. He wasnât allergic to whiskey, Bones knew that perfectly well; it didnât like him, but that was an entirely different matter involving vomiting, headaches and self-pity.
âIâd like that,â he said. âIâd like to be somewhere with night air and stars and â usâ. He may have started blushing halfway through the statement. It was awful personal and romantic for a public space.
Jim smiled, settling back against the wall, slightly closer, his fingers touching the back of Bonesâ hand. He didnât speak, but Bones, sneaking a look at his face, saw the tiredness there, the sheer bone-deep exhaustion. It wasnât so long ago that Jim had been through a bout of depression that had been horrible to witness; it had left Bones weeping in frustration at his inability to help the man he loved to come back, and it was something he never wanted to experience again. Sometimes it felt as if all he wanted to do was pull Jim close and keep the world at bay. And he knew what Jimâs response to that would be.
âCome on, Bones.â Jim pushed himself away from the wall, moving in that abrupt way he had sometimes, usually when he had made a decision that would in some way cause Bones to roll his eyes. He rolled his eyes.
âWhat?â he said suspiciously. âItâs too late and Iâm too old for it, whatever it isâ.
Jim held out his hand, cocked his head in that way that he knew was guaranteed to make Bones melt and gave a half smile. âDance with meâ.
There was a nanosecondâs silence. âWhat?â
Jim waggled his fingers. âDance with meâ.
And just like that, as usual and forever, Bones submitted. He went for a token snort and eye roll, but nothing more than a token, and pushed himself away from the wall in his turn, reaching out and taking Jimâs hand. Jim smiled, but not in triumph, just in satisfaction and pleasure, and turned, the hand holding Bonesâ behind his back as he led the way to the open space, now almost empty as the last of the crew and delegates left.
Reaching the centre of the room, Jim turned again and rested his free hand on Bonesâ shoulder, then rested his head on that hand. Bones felt the tension leave him in a wave and pulled him closer, his cheek resting against Jimâs hair. He smelled of sweat and alcohol and the undefinable smell that was Jim. The smell of home, Bones supposed, without surprise. Jim had been his home since that first day on the shuttle.
Once, Bones would have been embarrassed to do this, to be seen behaving like this in public. He loved Jim, but had no wish to put it on public display. He wanted to keep it between them. Private. Impossible. But that was impossible. Jim swept aside any inhibitions he may have had, and now Bones was happy just to be there; there with his Jim. He tightened his grip. Christ above, he loved this man. Jim grunted an acknowledgement and shifted an impossible micron closer.
âJimâ. Bones whispered the name, no more than a hint of sound. âJim, listen. Iâm done for a while, Iâm tired, Iâm cranky and Iâm middle-aged. I havenât had leave since â donât rememberâ. He turned his head as much as he could trying to see if there had been a reaction. âI plan to sign myself out for 48 hours starting tomorrow. The mission is done, we have to stay here for another three days to unload the cargo before heading back. Iâm just asking you plain and simple to come with meâ. He pressed his lips against Jimâs hair to still any complaint. âI know youâre real busy, but Iâm tired, and any leave without you wouldnât be leave, you know? I donât want to go anyplace without youâ. He stopped, realising he was rambling, and felt Jim sigh against him, leaning on him a little more heavily, angling his head so that Bones felt soft lips against his neck.
âYou know something, Bones? All you had to do was ask. Youâre right, and I know youâre right, and I know youâre right. You know me, I just need to be told sometimesâ. Bones felt Jim smile against his neck. âSpock can look after anything that happens, I guess. Itâs only unloading whilst in stationary orbitâ.
âLet go sometimes, darlinâ. Just let go. Trust your crewâ.
âI do. Of course I doâ.
âYou have nothing left to prove. So listen to me; let me the one who tells you that you need to restâ.
âMmm. You do it really wellâ.
âYou were ready to be told, donât try and fool me. You can blame me for anything that goes wrong nowâ.
There was no response. Bones smiled and moved his hand, resting it against the back of Jimâs neck. There are no words. There will never be words big enough for this. Thank you, Spock, for the suggestion. (âDr McCoy, you are an intelligent man. Surely you understand that all you have to do is ask him to join you. Do not demand; simply focus on yourself, on your own need. He will not deny youâ. A big âfuck you, dimwitâ wrapped up in so-called logic. Enjoy the rest of your life, Uhura.
On the other side of midnight, Bones and Jim danced to music only they could hear.
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*SPOILERS* for TGD 3x12 âMutationsâ aka this is me typing from the dead because this episode gave me more then one heart attack đđđź
Also Iâm sorry this post got so long Iâm just so excited/happy Jesus Christ like wow just wow
So I wasnât initially going to watch this live because I have work at 5 in the morning đ and because I wouldnât be able to pause it while my hands try to keep up with my thoughts but itâs been so long since Iâve been able to do it and I missed it despite my hatred of commercials lol so wish me luck!
Also Iâm very very excited for the melendaire content weâre getting tonight since theyâre working together again and Iâm freakin hoping at this prom they throw Melendez either does a double take at how nice Claire looks OOOOR we get him asking her dance đ just SOMETHING PLZZZ
I havenât even started the ep yet and already canât wait to see some of the moments in hd tomorrow once it comes on Hulu đ
I canât believe shaun is really gonna move out like I get where Carly is coming from but shaun is allowed to have female friends and after some theories from the last ep Iâm worried shaun only told Carly he loved her so she wouldnât leave him like âeveryone elseâ
Aww adorable these two are so cute and Claire thinks theyâre adorable as well and imma sue abc if one half of that couple dies or even worse BOTH
Melendaire group chat finally popping again đ although I donât text back until break I love yâall tho đđ
So secret checkups with glassy and Morgan đ when are ppl gonna find out about her arthritis for the drama~~
Oh my god since when does Melendez go in there for MRIs itâs so just to see Claire oh my god Melendez being in love with Claire and her usual compassion
Omg cuties joking about Claire going to therapy and it working well and talking about love and being happy
Like why else have them interact like that omfgggg I canât not even five minutes in and we were already getting melendaire content đ THEYRE SOULMATES
God damn it I knew it something was gonna happen to the girl since the guy is a okay
Well damn that medication Morgan is on for her arthritis is FUCKING her up smh đ¤Śđťââď¸
Aww all she wanted was one prom but we know Claire will make it happen for her
Aww them talking about prom and Melendez wanting Claireâs answer and her talking about her mom so freely and then going to see glassy together THE MELENDAIRE MOMENTS KEEP COMING đđź
The fact the writers were just like fuck park lmao he doesnât even need to be in this scene with Melendez & Claire or instead of Claire đ
Iâm surprised Carly didnât say anything about lea knowing their business again
Lmaoo Andrews calling Morgan out about sucking up and her owning it
Claire you are not sorry for overstepping donât lie lol
Sharly working together professionally how adorable
Park is so annoying Iâm v done with him he has no soul IM TIRED OF IT
I have missed Claire being pushy to help her patients
Iâm glad Carlyâs smarts and her being badass scenes are being extended past the lab
Oof Melendez being supportive of his boo and unsurprised of Claire wanting to make their patient happy (BECAUSE HE LOVES HER FOR IT AND IS GRATEFUL HE GETS TO WORK WITH HER REMEMBER) and wanting her to find a way around the mom đđ
God I love these two
Oof trouble with sharly has risen
Awww Carly and shaun getting each other and their ideas and finishing each otherâs sentences l*mlendez could NEVER but melendaire could đ sorry cheap shot I know ÂŻ\_(ă)_/ÂŻ
Glassy is gonna out Morgan on her arthritis soon I feel it
Wow a shaire moment when was the last time they shared a fucking scene like theyâre supposed to be besties wtf happened writers?!!? Aaaand itâs over in like a minute
đđ Claire is such an angel sheâs the freakin BEST
Carly using science to explain how she feels to shaun cute
Oh my god no you canât use an Ed sheeran song with cancer patients đđ that makes it 20x sadder
Melendez and Claire are totally staring at each other in awe omg
Omg Claire Melendez are chaperones park no where to be found yâall know what that MEANS and theyâre the only other people there they better fucking dance together omg I canât he just said Claire looked to be feeling idiotic happiness đ
AND HOLY FUCKING SHIT I WAS RIGHT I FROZE AND COULDNT BREATHE BUT MELENDEZ REALLY DID ASK CLAIRE TO DANCE AND THEY DID HOLY SHIT I CANNOT BELIEVE WE GOT THAT MELENDAIRE MOMENT IâVE BEEN DYING AND WAITING FOR SINCE I SAW THE BTS SCENE OF CLAIRE IN THAT OUTFIT AND FOUND OUT THIS EP WAS GONNA BE A PROM EP I had to type all that after the moment ended so I could really experience it since I canât pause OR rewind but I was yelling oh my god so much my sister had to ask if I was okay đđ I had a heart attack when he asked her if she wanted to dance ngl
Claire being inspirational and giving good speeches again I love her so much and am so glad sheâs doing better
Carly you better not have changed your MEDICAL opinion because you wanted it to align with Shaunâs đ
Wow glassy you really had no other ideas nor could you jump in I hate him
The melendaire exchanging looks scenes are back in action
Wow that Carly and shaun moment was super adorable him calling her idea perfect and brilliant and her being brilliant and almost perfect đ
Man they really said fuck park this ep huh he isnât with Claire and Melendez again
But boy shit no she died đŠđŠ
Wtf why canât Claire and her patients ever catch a BREAK like leave Claire ALONE and omg does Claire being heartbroken again mean we get another Melendez comforting Claire scene?! Becaus the way he stared after her after she ran off đđ oof is NOT platonic lol
Aww sharly held hands to comfort and support each other
Holy shit I was right suck it katie @pinkobsessedfreak (Iâm just kidding I love you đđđ) for bringing the group chat down and shutting my theory down
BECAUSE GUESS WHAT WE SERIOUSLY GOT MELENDEZ GOING AFER CLAIRE WITH ANOTHER STAIRS AND BALCONY SCENE AND HIM COMFORTING HER AND MAKING HER FACE HER FEELINGS AND TELLING HER ITS OKAY TO BE ANGRY AT HER MOM (I was robbed of a hug but itâs okay I got everything else I fucking needed tonight) and now he has an idea for with something that makes him feel better
That fake out đđ
Wow oh wow this ep really was chock full of melendaire moments NOW THEYRE BONDING BY MELENDEZ AND CLAIRE RUNNING TOGTHER AND HIM HELPING WITH HER GRIEF AND AND EMOTIONS AND TEASING EACH OTHER OH MY GOOOOOD IVE DIED AND COME BACK TO LIFE SO MANY TIMES THIS EP SO IM SORRY IF THIS POST IS SO LONG
donât yâall love how lim was in this epcand yet we didnât get a SINGLE l*âmlendez ep because I sure af do!!! Also park who?? Lmao he was hardly in this ep even tho he working the same patient with Melendez and Claire they really shoved him out to make these endless melendaire moments happen
SLOW BURN BABY WE BACK IN FUCKING BUSINESS
Also in other news shaun lost his v card and it looks like weâll get some more Morgan angst with her mom possibly dying or some shit like that like man these writers really donât want any of the residents and doctors to have good parents or alive ones for that matter lmao
Also some breznick moments which will be cute
YALL IM STILL SO EXCITED FROM TONIGHT LIKE OMG THIS SHOW THIS SHIP GETS ME EVERY TIME I CANT WAIT TO GIF IT TOMORROW đđ like I canât get over it Iâm in SHOCK still
Weâve really gotten Melendez comforting Claire not once not twice BUT THREE TIMES this season. This really is our season and people try to say Melendez treats all his residents like he does Claire or that he has done the same for others before YEAH FUCKING RIGHT
Okay Iâm done I think freaking out at least on this post freak out about it in the comments with me tho or my ask or by reblogging just be happy with me okay đ
P.S. check out my melendaire gifset thatâs not showing up in the tags đ
#claire browne#the good doctor#neil melendez#tgd#melendaire#shaun murphy#sharly#morgan reznick#alex park#who
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i have always been lucky, growing up asian in a predominantly white country. when we were poor, at least i spoke english fluently enough that we werenât cheated out of money because of language barriers. in primary and high school, i wore glasses and was stereotypically âasianâ but at least i was sent to a school in the nicer districts where blatant racism was discouraged. At least I was sociable enough, or sociable in the right ways, to make friends. At least i was top of my school so that i had something to hold over everyone else. when i went to uni, at least i was in a degree that was full of other immigrant asian kids. now that ive graduated, at least iâve got a decent job and title that makes people think twice about making jabs at me for my race. Iâve been lucky. Iâve been so, so, inordinately lucky.Â
BUTÂ
when i was in primary school they made me sit through three years of ESL, two years more than I actually needed it because by the end of the first year I spoke english better than all the white kids in my normal class and yet they kept me there for two more years because ????? and
when i was in high school they gypped me out of the valedictorian spot two years in a row to some white girl even though iâd run the numbers in my head (like all good asian girls do) and there was no possible way she could have scored higher than me except, of course, in the gray areas of the syllabus called things like âattitude in classâ or âparticipationâ or â????????â and mother sat me down and had the âtwice as good as them for half the recognitionâ talk which is a talk i never thought iâd get because i was leagues above everybody else in my year and yet, and
my brother who was small and quiet and apparently not sociable enough or in the right ways was bullied all the way through primary school even though his english is perfectly fine, and in fact english is his first language andÂ
in uni in physics class which is literally 75% east asian kids the coordinator employed by the actual uni said to the exchange student waiting in line in front of me that we speak english here, you know that, right? just because he fumbled a word or two in their exchange, andÂ
at work where i am a medical professional old white men lean towards me conspiratorially and wink and say âwell, with the kind of stuff they eat over there, itâs no wonderâ in a scornful tone of voice like I, too, am not part of the continent they just damned and
none of this matters none of me matters i am a daughter and older sister and valedictorian and a masters degree and a medical title but somehow all that i am is asian when strangers who pass me on the street tell me to go back to where i came from and call me a pig. i pay more taxes than you, i have contributed to this country more than you ever will, i will contribute to this country more than you can ever dream of and if i win a nobel prize, if i publish a book, if i get called overseas to present at symposiums ten, twenty, fifty years from now i will do it with australian tagged behind my title and i will wish it wasnât there, because of people like you. back in korea looking up at the sky my mother grew up looking at, i will get homesick for australia and i will feel awful because of people like you. i have been as lucky as it is possible to be while growing up asian in a white country and still i can eke out stories of discrimination like finding halloween lollies scattered on the lawn after trick-or-treat. every asian who grows up in white countries has these stories. every asian. even the lucky ones. even ones like me.Â
i am tired that in the wake of an international emergency the first worry that all immigrant asians have is not the virus itself but the fear of discrimination i am tired of having to smile at people who make racist jokes and think itâs a conversation starter i am tired of feeling guilty that i do not have the energy or the emotional space to correct these people every time i am tired that every time someone asks me where im from i have to wonder how i should answer. i crave the privilege of existing without being questionedÂ
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Phoenix by Fallout Boy
Ok, last chapter was labled in text as chapter three, it is in fact chapter four. I only had one brain cell left when I was sorting that. anyway, chapter five. trigger warnings for abuse.
Chapter Five: Light âem Up By Fallout Boy
        This was it. It was time. D-day, final boss, no not final boss. This was just the beginning. Today was the day they brought Virgil home. This was absolute next level stuff.
        Patton frantically washed the dishes from breakfast. And having run out a long time ago was now just washing the same plate over and over.
        âLogan! What do we do?â Patton looked over to his husband in desperation. âWhat if he doesnât like it here? What if he doesnât like us? We only met him a couple of times! I want him to like us! What if Iâm a bad parent?â
        âIâm sure youâre worrying over nothing.â Logan was installing outlet plugs. âYouâll be an excellent dad. And Virgil has already taken to you quite a bit.â
        âAre you sure?â
        âOf course.â Logan looked up at him. Patton could see the terror in his eyes.
        Duh! Patton cursed himself. How could he not see how scared Logan was of all this. Logan was the one who everyone accused of not being empathetic. And he was the one who everyone called a robot. Of course, heâd be afraid of parenting. And of course, he wouldnât say that.        Â
        âHon,â Patton knelt to eye level with Logan. âI know youâre gonna be a fantastic dad. You already have been. Every time I started freaking out you grounded me back to reality. And not just this past week with Virgil either. Always. And you listened to the doctor without going all out of sorts, you got Virgil to talk about himself and you knew when we were overwhelming him.â
        Logan sighed and stared at the outlet. All that energy now inaccessible just because of a piece of plastic. Stopped up. Ineffective. No good.
        âI-â Logan started and was instantly cut off.
        âYouâre not bad at emotions.â Patton embraced him. âYouâre better at them than anyone I know. The Logan right here is the best Logan there is. And I would know. I married him, on purpose.â
        âI love you.â Logan sighed, tensely hugging Patton back. âI want you to know that.â
        âI know. Iâve always known. And I love you too. With all my heart.â
        âI never had to wonder that.â
        âAnd I never once had to wonder if you loved me.â
        Logan pulled away and smiled.
        âWell, then.â He rubbed his neck nervously. âLetâs go get our son.â
        âThat sounds nice.â Patton sighed. âOur son.â
                                        #       #       #
        âYou ok now sweetie?â Patton asked dabbing Virgilâs mouth with a wetted down paper towel. âDo you need to throw up again?â
        Both of them were sitting on the floor of Virgilâs hospital room. Virgil was doubled over holding his stomach and breathing heavily. The transition was not helping his anxiety.
        âNo, I think Iâm empty now.â He said shakily, shooting Patton a suspicious glance. âLetâs just go.â
        Patton stood up and pulled Virgil off the floor. He guided him to the bed and sat him down carefully.
        âWe brought you these.â Patton handed him a grocery bag. âOne of our friends gave us some old clothes that might fit you. Since, well you know, the fire.â
        Virgil fell backwards onto the bed and groaned.
        âWhat is it? Are you gonna throw up again?â Patton darted over to him.
        âIâm not gonna be able to dress myself for another couple of days.â He hissed, completely red. âNot without help. I didnât think of that.â
        âI guess this is a pretty bad week for you.â Patton said blankly, but the awkwardness wasnât lost on him.
                                        #       #       #
        Virgil limped into the lobby with one crutch to support him and Patton hovering over him like a linebacker to stabilize him if anything happened. Patton isnât exactly doctor supported medical equipment, but if you can get one it helps. Virgilâs free hand occasionally fluttered up to check on a bulge in his hoodie, where he had stashed the bear. He was more or less constantly making sure it was still zipped up in there.
        Logan and Roman stood anxiously in the lobby with Virgilâs medication in hand. The four met in silence and turned towards the door. Everything was working out without a hitch. But the hitch was waiting for them outside.
        A title wave of reporters came crashing down on them and they were consumed by camera flashes while being beaten with microphones, tape recorders and video cameras. Working like predators the press worked between the four of them and forced them apart. Patton looked frantically for Virgil, thinking that the reporters must have trampled him like Black Friday shoppers. He saw Logan, who was also on the brink of panic. He caught a glimpse of Roman, who was shoving people back like a bouncer. And lastly, he saw Virgil, looking panicked as one reported bounced around him like a birthday clown on crack.
        He started wading towards him to get rid of the goon when he saw said goon knock Virgilâs crutch out of his hand. Virgil stumbled back and fell to the ground, and the bear fell out of his jacket. The goon stepped back a bit while Virgil started having a panic attack. Most of the press backed off when they saw him, but some of them got even closer. Oh, hell no. They would not hurt his baby.
        âEVERYBODY BACK OFF!!!â Patton screamed in a voice that would defeat Goliath.
        They all looked to him, utterly stunned.
        âI AM GOING TO COUNT TO THREE AND THEN I AM CALLING THE POLICE! ANYONE STILL HERE WHEN I GET TO THREE IS GETTING ARRESTED! GOT THAT!? ONE!... TWO...â
        They all scattered as professionally as they could.
        âAND IF I SEE ANY OF THIS ON THE NEWS TONIGHT EVERY STATION IS GETTING SLAPPED WITH A LAWSUITE!â He shouted after them.
        He rushed over to Virgil, who was still on the concrete, Logan and Roman at his side.
        âItâs ok sweetie.â Patton soothed. âTheyâre gone now. Itâs ok.â
        âDid that freak hurt you in any way?â Roman asked softly.
        âN-No.â Virgil wheezed. âI-I- Iâm o-o-kay.â
        âVirgil,â Logan said gently, âThis is going to sound strange, but I want you to list all the prime numbers you can.â
        âW-why?â Virgil gasped, face wet with tears and going very pale.
        âJust trust me.â Logan squeezed his shoulder. âCan you do that?â
        âO-k-k-ay.â He coughed. âT-two, three, f-ive, se-seven, eleven, thirt-thirteen.â His tone became steadier. âSeventeen⌠nineteen, twenty-three,â He took a deep breath. âtwenty-nine.â He stopped abruptly. âThat-that worked!â He smiled slightly. âWhat kind of black magic was that?â
        âItâs just left brain/right brain science.â Logan explained. âFear and anxiety are controlled by the right brain, so those feelings can be reduced by doing left brain activities.â
        âCool.â Virgil whispered. âIâll have to remember that one.â
        Patton stood up and pulled Virgil to his feet, foot.
        âLogan knows all kinds of things.â He beamed. âHeâs the smart one.â
        âSay padre,â Roman said picking Virgilâs crutch up off the ground. âI havenât heard your Zeus voice since senior prom. Are you alright?â
        âIâm fine.â He gently stroked Virgilâs hair. âI just got upset when that guy knocked Virgil over.â
        âWell, we shouldnât have to worry about any of them again.â Logan smiled, handing the stuffed animal back to Virgil, who immediately socked it away back into his hoodie.
        âYeah, I about peed myself and you werenât even mad at me.â Virgil added. âThat was some intense stuff, Uncle Patton.â
        Patton felt the excitement tinglies ripple through him. He was Uncle Patton! And Virgil called him it! What a rollercoaster of a day.
        âYou should have seen him at prom.â Roman added teasingly before lapsing into a tense voice. âHave any of you ever thought about how it feels to be treated like dirt just because you think differently?! Have you!? Have you ever considered that?! No, and why should you?! You donât actually think at all! You want to talk about incapable of empathy? How about a room full of monsters who torture somebody and laugh while they are screaming for help!?! Have you ever considered how horrible it is to be the outlier who has the misfortune to cross your socio-paths? No! of course not! You only see things from your point of view! And everyone else must be broken! Well fuck every last one of you! And if you donât all descend to hell when everything is over then Iâm going to petition god to send you there himself!â Roman finished. âIt was glorious.â
        âI didnât say the âf-wordâ did I?â Patton slumped his shoulders.
        âYou donât remember?â Roman laughed. âI almost made that my yearbook quote. It was a soliloquy to rival âto be or not to be,â someone put it on a poster in the library.â
        âI seriously considered making it my valedictorian speech.â Logan added. âAnd if I had been in a better state of mind during your speech, I would have gotten down on one knee and proposed to you then and there.â
        Patton blushed and looked at the ground.
        âWe should go.â He whispered.
        âI call bullshit!â Virgil objected. âNo way Uncle Patton said that.â
        âWeâll tell you all about it on the ride home.â Roman said gleefully.
        âNo, we wonât.â Patton mumbled. Â
        âLetâs be on our way.â Roman ignored him. âIâll drive.â
        Roman did tell the story on the ride home. And no matter how many times Patton tried to change the subject, Roman went back to his story unfazed.
        âAnd so, we finally arrived, an hour late and very tired.â Roman continued his retelling. âEn route I stepped in a puddle that was about knee deep and ruined my pants.â
        âVirgil, whatâs your favorite color?â Patton interrupted.
        âPurple.â He answered, gazing into the front seat. âThen what happened?â
        âWell, we missed the photographer because we were late. Which worked out, because we werenât exactly looking our best. During the slow dance my date was asked by a girl to dance, and he danced with her the entire night. He later told me it was because he wasnât out yet. But he went as my date to prom, not my friend, my date. And everyone knew.â
        âWhat a bitch.â Virgil agreed. âDid you get back at him?â
        âLater.â Roman smiled. âNow Logan was actually not out yet, so he and Patton did just go as friends, as far as everyone else knew. Neither of them really danced, they just kind of hung out.â
        âAnd some idiots crept up behind us and emptied the entire punch bowl over our heads.â Logan added.
        âWhy?â
        âThey didnât like me.â Logan shrugged. âAnd the feeling was mutual.â
        âVirge, do you have a girlfriend?â Patton tried again.
        âNo. Then what happened?â
        This kid liked gossip.
        âWell the idiots harassed Logan for a longer while, then Patton had his glorious monologue. And the shame that filled the room was tangible. A few girls ran out crying. And one dude just left.â
        âHow come the teachers didnât step in for any of this?â Virgil asked.
        âVirgil, youâre in school, right?â Roman countered.
        âI mean, itâs summer but yeah.â
        âDo your teachers do much to stop harassment?â
        âThat answers that question,â Virgil looked out the window. âThen what happened?â
        âPatton and Logan went outside. Leaving everyone to sit in their guilt.â
        âOur first kiss.â Patton mumbled dreamily. Something good came from all that.
        âAnd I was elected prom queen.â Roman finished.
        âDonât you mean king?â Virgil asked, looking back at Roman. âI mean sounds like youâre a dude and that you were a dude then too.â
        âYes, but they thought it would be a great joke to vote for me as queen. You know because gay. But since they all voted for me, I won.â
        âWhat did you do?â Virgil looked mortified at the idea.
        âI marched myself up to that stage, blowing kisses to everyone. And when I got up there, I kissed the prom king right on the lips. It was one of those romantic kisses where you dip the other one back. Then I hammed it up like it was the Oscars. I gave a speech about how proud I was of their acceptance and how humbled I was by their kindness. And how they were so beautiful that they all deserved crowns. Then, I danced out while singing âIâm still standingâ by Elton John.â
        âNo!â Virgil objected eagerly.
        âI did.â
        âDid he?â Virgil beamed at Patton.
        âHe did, everyone was talking about it when we got back to school.â Patton answered. âThat and me yelling at everyone.â
        âI think you did the right thing.â Virgil said, turning back to the window. âI donât get why youâre embarrassed; all you did was call them out for being dicks.â
        âThere are a lot of feelings about that night.â Patton looked away. âItâs complicated.â
        âNo, itâs not.â Logan looked back at him. âWhatâs complicated?â
        âI donât wanna have this talk in front of Virgil, ok hon?â
        âAre you still upset aboutâŚâ
        âYes. Please. Not now.â Patton cut him off.
        âOk. We will discuss it later.â Logan held up his hands in a peace-making gesture.
        Virgil looked back and forth between them then went back to the window.
        âVirgil,â Logan changed the subject. âI forgot to ask what grade youâre in now.â
        âI- eighth grade.â He said quickly. âJust like all the other kids my age.â
        âSo, youâre starting high school in the fall?â Logan continued.
        âYes?â Virgil squeaked, now turning red.
        âNo one wants to talk about school in May.â Roman interrupted, sounding flustered. âHe just got out a couple of weeks ago, donât remind him he needs to go back.â Roman changed the subject. âTell us more about the inferno, I may want to do a showing of it at the college. Or adapt a version of it. I think it would be nifty to set it during the civil war.â
        âIt takes place in hell,â Virgil interrupted. âThe time period doesnât really matter.â
        âYou, my dear whoâs who of the damned, have a lot to learn about theater.â
        Logan gave them the footnotes of the inferno until they arrived home.
        âRight, first things first.â Patton said, helping Virgil out of the car. âItâs lunch time. I hope youâre hungry kiddo. People have been sending us food like we were planning on bringing home an entire orphanage.â
        âOk.â Virgil responded blankly.
        âAnd once youâre settled in, weâll introduce to the miracle that is the life work of Walt Disney.â Roman added with his usual flare.
        After both lunch and a tour of the house Virgil sat on the couch curled up in a little ball and holding his stomach. Oddly enough, he hadnât even eaten that much. He kind of picked a bit at some solid food and ate a bowl of soup. Nothing that would normally upset someoneâs stomach. Patton sat down next to him and rubbed his back gently. Virgil loosened up and tensed again.
        âIs your belly giving you trouble again kiddo?â Patton asked softly.
        âNo, Iâm ok.â Virgil was quick to answer. âI just ate too fast I guess.â
        âOk then.â Patton continued to pet him.
        Logan walked over and sat down on Pattonâs other side. They both shared a parental look.
        âAs promised.â Roman strutted in holding a DVD case. âGlorious entertainment. And fair warning, I will sing along with every musical interlude.â
        âHow do you manage to remember every Disney song in existence, yet still forget your keys at least twice a week?â Logan teased.
        âSome memories are more important than others.â Roman sat down dramatically.
        âIs that why youâre so good at breaking windows?â Virgil said suddenly. âLots of practice?â
        They all looked at him stunned, and he mirrored their expressions exactly. Maybe even better. Virgilâs eyes darted back and forth, never settling on any one of them for too long. His breathing got visibly quicker and he tried to shrink into himself.
        Instinctively Patton pulled the boy closer and held him as if he were using his own body as a shield. Virgil sank into him, tense enough to turn into a diamond.
        âWell, then itâs a good thing I forgot my keys all those times.â Roman broke the tension and laughed. âThings work out!â
        âYouâre not mad?â Virgilâs voice was muffled by Pattonâs hoodie.
        âNo, it was a brilliantly timed joke.â
        âAnd the implications that Roman would have to damage property to get into his own house were amusing.â Logan added, reaching over to pet Virgil as well.
        Virgil jerked back away from Patton and gagged a few times. He clamped his hands over his mouth and slowly took them away. He paused for a solid minute, and they could see him mouthing out numbers. He stopped and looked at the three of them. Then silently leaned back onto Pattonâs shoulder.
        âOK.â He said still sounding stunned. âLetâs just watch the movie.â
        Roman did indeed sing along the entire time, and Virgil seemed to enjoy both the movie and Romanâs one man show. Virgil got all quiet during Sallyâs song and Patton could have sworn that he heard him sniffle a few times. Naturally, he gently ran a hand through the younger manâs hair to console him.
        During Oogie Boogieâs song Roman jumped up to dance with it, and gingerly pulled Virgil up to join him. Patton and Logan stared in shock as the scene unfolded. There was their son, happily being spun and dipped as Roman did the motions along with the soundtrack. Roman did a great job making sure to keep weight off Virgilâs cast, and when the song ended, gently set him back in his place.
        âRemind me to teach you how to dance when your foot heals.â Roman said joyously.
        âBut donât feet heel all the time?â Patton added.
        Virgil smiled; Logan groaned. And they went back to the movie. Virgil became intensely interested when Sally came in to rescue Santa. He leaned forwards, almost off the couch and chewed his bandages eagerly. Patton saw him mouthing out the words âcome on, come onâ. Then it happened, Oogie Boogie caught on to the rouse.
        âNo!â Virgil yelped, this time falling off the couch.
        Virgil sat on the floor looking more embarrassed than hurt. His face slowly shaded itself in a pink glow as he gaped up at them mortified. He cleared his throat and stared at the floor.
        âIâŚâ He started but gave up.
        âSheâs gonna be ok.â Patton ruffled his hair. âJackâs gonna rescue them.â
        âHeâd better, he started this whole mess.â Virgil sniped. Â
        âSee, it isnât just me!â Logan suddenly shouted. âHe sees it too!â
        âTwo of them! Now thereâs two!â Roman threw his hands in the air.
        âSanta wouldnât be in this mess if Jack hadnât kidnapped him and stole his holiday!â Logan protested.
        âThey do this a lot.â Patton smiled down at Virgil.
        âHe told those three not to involve the boogie man!â
        âWhich wouldnât have even been an option if he hadnât kidnapped Santa in the first place.â
        âAnd he really shouldnât have trusted those three morons.â Virgil added. âI think we can all agree to that.â
        âYay, common ground!â Patton interrupted. âLetâs just finish the movie.â
        âPatton,â Roman stated. âYouâre the tie breaker, what do you think?â
        âI donât care whoâs fault it is! I just want everyone to get along!â
        Virgil disinterestedly slid his upper body into Pattonâs lap.
        âWell, youâre definitely a parent.â Roman sighed. âWeâll stop.â
        They finished the movie in silence. As the credits rolled Roman slid off the couch to retrieve another movie from the collection. That brought up a new crop of problems.
        Where to find a Disney movie without abusive parents? He analyzed the collection slowly and picked out all the contenders. Lilo and Stich, perfect. Aladdin? Canât have abusive parents if youâre an orphan. Mulan, that works. He drummed his finger on Beauty and the Beast, no. better not.
        He pulled out his first three options and strolled back to the others. This was a good enough start.
        âNow for our viewing pleasure, we have options.â He declared. âFirst contenderâŚâ
        He was cut off by a knock on the door.
        âShoot me.â He finished.
        âIâll get it.â Patton offered. âIt might be Thomas doing another inspection, or here to see Virgil.â
        Virgil slid his head off Pattonâs lap and draped himself onto the couch instead.
        âVirgil, donât sit on the floor.â Logan said stiffly.
        âLetâs see what news stations want to make us mad while heâs gone.â Roman said chipperly, grabbing the remote.
        âItâs just gonna be an artist rendering of me flat on my ass sobbing like a two-year-old.â Virgil hissed, pulling himself onto the couch.
           Patton glared through the peephole. Barbra had brought them a pie as an excuse to see if this newcomer was weird. Wishing for a garage that they could park in so no one could tell if they were home or not, Patton opened the door.
        âHeyya,â He greeted cheerfully. âWhat brings you to our neck of the âhoods?â
        âWell, I saw you arrive this afternoon with a guest.â She laid it on thick. âSo, I thought Iâd bring over a pie. Sort of as a welcome to the neighborhood gift.â
        She was moving from side and standing on her toes trying to see past him. Patton sighed, he wanted to like her, but she was so insinuating. And one time he saw her in a restaurant, and she was rude to the waiter. If you want to be mean to minimum wage employees, then you shouldnât get to benefit off them.
        âThatâs so sweet.â Patton continued he didnât have the heart to be mean to her. âIt looks⌠unique!â
        âItâs a new recipe,â Oh no, now she was into it. âItâs sugar free, gluten free, vegan and non-GMO.â
        âWow. What flavor?â
        âItâs Brussel sprout pie. You wouldnât believe how many plants are made with those mutated poisons.â
Ok, well that makes it a casserole. And not a pie.
âThank you so much.â Patton took the pie.
She didnât go away. He looked from side to side. He looked at her, she looked at him. Was she really going to do this?
âIs it true about your brother?â She finally asked, she looked annoyed. Did she just expect him to tell her?
âWhich part?â
âThat he tried to murder his son! Is there any other part?â
âI donât know about any murder.â Patton said slowly. âBut my nephew is staying with us for a while, while everything gets sorted out.â
âOk, but just be careful, we donât know who started that fire, it might have been the boy. You know what teenagers are like.â
âThanks for being on the lookout.â He smiled. âNow if you donât mind, I need to be going.â
She was about to say something else, but he stepped back quickly and closed the door. He walked past the other three and straight into the kitchen. He then dumped the casserole into the garbage disposal and disintegrated it. Pleased, he strolled back into the living room.
âIt was Barbra.â He explained, sitting back on the couch. âShe brought us a thing.â
âI see, did you give it a merciful death?â
âYep.â
âWhat did I miss?â Virgil looked up at them, hanging upside down on the couch.
âOne of our neighbors is quite annoying and nosey. And opinionated.â Roman explained. âWe put up with it at first, but then she told us she wished Logan was dead.â
âThatâs a blatant lie.â Logan objected.
âIt is not, itâs a different point of view.â
âShe told you she wanted Uncle Logan dead?â Virgil squeaked, scrambling back to normal sitting position. âWhy?â
âShe didnât say that.â Patton rolled his eyes. âShe just adamantly believes that vaccines cause autism.â
âAnd canât use google.â Virgil agreed. âWhatâs this got to do with Uncle Logan?â Â
âI have Aspergerâs syndrome, which puts me on the autistic spectrum.â Logan explained. âBarbra did not tell me she wanted me dead.â
âLetâs pretend that sheâs right though,â Roman interrupted. âSheâs not, but if she was that would mean that she hates autistic people so much that she would rather have people die of curable illnesses than be that way. In conclusion, she wishes Logan was dead.â
âShe doesnât like Logan though; she acts weird around him.â Patton wrapped himself around Logan like a blanket. âAnd if you have a problem with my soul mate then you have a problem with me.â
âI hate her already.â Virgil nodded. âAre all your neighbors like that?â
âNo, everyone else is cool.â Patton sighed contentedly. âYouâll probably meet them later. But weâll wait until youâre feeling better.â
âWe also need to get you a new wardrobe.â Roman slapped him on the shoulder. âJoanâs donations, while generous, can only do so much for you.â
âAnd you need underwear, weâre not getting that used.â Patton added.
Virgil turned bright red in response and just gawked at him in utter shame.
âDonât look like that.â Patton teased. âWe all have undies on. Itâd be embarrassing if you didnât.â
Virgil silently cocooned himself into his hoodie.
âWhat?â Patton, genuinely confused, asked.
âJust stop.â Logan put a hand on his shoulder.
âRight,â Roman added. âWeâre watching Lilo and Stich. Virgil needs to understand what we mean when we call Thomas Cobra Bubbles.â Â
#logan sanders#patton sanders#roman sanders#virgil sanders#logan x patton#logicallity#parental anological#parental moxiety#platonic lamp#famILY#sanders sides fic
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I am Dean.
I am Dean. Iâve identified with the character essentially since the show aired. Weâre about the same age, both oldest siblings, and weâve both had a lot of responsibility thrust on us that we just had to learn to handle. Weâve learned to stuff down what we feel because itâs our job to get shit done, and most of the time, feelings just get in the way. We love deeply, but most people think weâre unfeeling because after 30 odd years of boxing shit up, weâre damned professionals at it.
Right about the time the show started, Iâd dropped out of graduate school and was living back at home while I worked up enough cash to find a place of my own. There was very little about my life that I felt was my own, and it was very much like being back in high school. All of the things that Iâd learned about myself in the years I was away were erased, and I was very much trying to act like the person everyone thought I still was. I think Dean was the same, that each time he was out on his own, he learned a little more about who he actually was, and that each time they came back together, he had to act like nothing had changed, like he was still the perfect little soldier his dad had raised. I had to act like the quiet book-smart girl my family knew. But we knew, Dean and I, what we were hiding from the world in those moments. For Dean, I think it was a recognition of grey areas, an understanding of what love really could mean, how different his life could be.
I was a lot less successful at hiding it in the long run. I didnât come out to my family intentionally. My dad happened to come home from work early one day, and found me napping with my then girlfriend. Shit hit the fan, I was essentially kicked out of the house, and wound up living with my girlfriend. Iâm really lucky. It was a pretty smooth transition, and my brothers were incredibly supportive. It took nearly a year, but my parents eventually realized that having a queer daughter was not the end of the world, and theyâd rather have me in their lives than not. It wasnât perfect, but Iâll give them every bit of credit for learning to not only accept me, but to show that they had never stopped loving me. My mom even tried to explain that they just didnât know how to talk to me about it at first. That relationship ended, not well really, but that didnât matter, life went on.
I met my husband-to-be the same year Dean met Cas. I wonât pretend we danced around starting a relationship like they did, but I think Dean and I had a pretty similar approach. I performed my role as a new girlfriend the way I figured people thought I should. I held hands and we kissed in public. Honestly, thatâs not how Iâd ever been in a relationship before. Iâm not huge on touching in general, less so in public, but nobody had ever seen me in a relationship with a guy, and, after everything, I just didnât feel like trying to explain myself again.
Performing is exhausting. When I realized that this guy was important, that I really might want him around long term, it felt even more so. Again, Iâm lucky because when i started to let my mask slip, this guy fell in love with the real me too. Our relationship settled into a comfortable safe space, and I was happy. Our relationship wasnât perfect, but at the end of the day, he was always there for me.
Dean, I think, had that with Cas. Regardless of their ârelationshipâ status, whether they were best friends or something more, Cas was Deanâs safe place. He was the person that knew all of his weaknesses and flaws and still chose to stand by his side.
Fast forward to season 12. A lot happened in those years, both for Dean and for me. Honestly though, this is where Dean and I found our next huge plot of common ground. In 2017, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. I watched Dean wrap Cas for his funeral pyre while I was sitting in a hospital room next to my husband who was hooked up to IVâs in his arm and a central port in his chest. I completely understood the stoicism of the act. Our practicality and sense of duty serves us well when our world is going to shit. Dean turned to drinking, I learned exactly how to be responsible for my husbandâs at home care. Iâll never be able to explain how well I understood exactly what Dean was feeling when he met Billie. I didnât want to die, but honestly if it was my time, then so be it. Iâm not suicidal, never have been, but I didnât have a lot of fight left in me after I lost my husband.
Now, to the end of Season 15. I think Deanâs characterization after Cas was taken was spot on, but I can say that primarily because nearly all of what we saw was him with others. Remember, weâve had years of practice stuffing our feelings down, doing what needs to be done, and acting fine.
I held my husbandâs hand while he died. I did exactly what I promised him I would and told him I loved him and that everything would be okay. (Weâll get back to how much that part of the finale kicked the shit out of me in a bit.) Â
When he was gone, in the living room of our house mind you, because thatâs what he wanted, I got shit done. I called his nursing service to report his death, called the funeral home to retrieve his body, and started notifying our friends and family. I smoked a pack of cigarettes and kept my shit together because I knew that if i started to cry, I might never stop. I watched the home nurse and the funeral director prep his body and roll it away, sent his mom home, and when I was finally alone, more alone than Iâd been in years, I sat next to his bed and cried until I couldnât breathe.
By the time my brother showed up a couple hours after Iâd called to tell him my husband had passed, I was doing the dishes. It was well after midnight at this point. Iâd told him I was good, but...heâs my brother, and he knows me. He came with a bottle of whiskey (another thing Dean and I have in common), and sent me to bed after weâd shared a few shots.
The thing that you donât know, unless youâve been through it, is that there is a TON of shit that needs to be done after someone dies. I planned a cremation, a memorial, dealt with insurance companies and our mortgage and all of our joint accounts, and by the time all of that was underway, it was time to go back to work.
When someone you love dies, there is an expectation that youâre going to grieve publically. For me, for Dean, that is unacceptable. If weâre weak, if we lean on someone while weâre dealing with our grief, then weâre letting down the people that depend on us to be strong. Yes, thatâs a completely acceptable and normal thing for a good chunk of the population, but thatâs not who we are. I can honestly say that moving forward with my life was literally the only thing that kept me going.
So, the final two episodes.
I didnât question for a second that Dean didnât talk about Casâ declaration or his sacrifice. I sure as hell didnât. I didnât doubt that heâd make a seamless transition back to casework in the same way I went back to my own job. Having a role to perform that I understood and knowing how to act in specific situations made it so much easier for me to push things down. He had to prove to Sam that he was fine for the same reason that I did, so that the people who love us wouldnât be watching our every move waiting for us to run screaming off the next cliff. My brother, the same one who showed up with whiskey, did essentially the same thing that Sam did. He didnât push me to talk. He helped me clean all the medical supplies out of the house, made sure my house and car werenât going to kill me, and texted me weird random memes daily just so I would text him back.
I also didnât question the empties in his bedroom or the coat in the trunk. In private moments, when no one is around to see, itâs ok to loosen the relief valve on all of the shit thatâs been tightly contained. I slept in my husbandâs hoodies and emptied my bar. I understood those things. No one knew about the nightmares, and I ignored the fact that I was drowning in a million memories of my husband every day I spent at home.
To me, those things go hand in hand with losing the person you love most. Regardless of whether or not you think that Dean loves Cas romantically, you canât argue that Cas was his life partner in a way completely different from Sam. Sam is his responsibility, Cas was his choice. He loves them both, just differently.
Disregarding the revival of an old character for no apparent reason and the fact that it was one of Johnâs old cases, I didnât struggle with the handling of the vampire scene in the barn either. I donât believe that Dean would have ever killed himself intentionally. He would have seen it as his responsibility not only to survive, but to live. Cas just died to save him, again, and thereâs no way that Dean is going to let that be for nothing. For me, it was finally going to a Supernatural convention and taking a trip to Paris. For Dean, it was Pie Fest in Akron. They drove fifteen hours for pie. Live, donât just survive.
He didnât intentionally throw himself at that hunk of rebar. It was a byproduct of doing his job. But, I think, his reaction to it was the most real thing that could have happened. He didnât want Sam to call an ambulance or try to save him. He didnât want Sam to do anything but give him permission to stop fighting. He needed to hear that it was ok.
Iâve never been close to my own death. I donât have that perspective, but in the year and a half that my husband fought cancer, I was taught to understand this moment as well. When we moved to the palliative stage of my husbandâs treatment, the part where medical care is no longer about treating the disease but is now focused on providing comfort, we talked about everything. The thing that scared my husband the most was leaving me behind. He worried about how I would deal with my grief, he worried about me being alone, he worried about how I would manage a sixty hour work week and four pets and a four bedroom house and a two hour round trip commute. He didnât worry about being dead, he worried about me being alive.
The night my husband died, we all knew it was coming. There are a variety of medical indicators, blood pressure changes, muscle changes, and most critically, at the very end, the fucking death rattle. I cannot explain this sound, I hope you never hear it, but youâll know if you do. So, at the very end, when my husband was fighting for every breath, I held his hand, and I told him I loved him and I told him that everything would be ok. It was my way of telling him that he didnât have to fight for me anymore, that I would be ok without him. It didnât have to be true, but he had to hear it. I couldnât let him die with all of that worry and guilt swirling around in his head.
Hearing Dean ask Sam to tell him it was ok hit me so fucking hard. For me, it was the clearest declaration of his love for Cas that he could have given. He literally looked at his brother, who he has sacrificed his life for in a myriad of ways, and asked for permission not to fight anymore.
Sam did the same thing for Dean that I did for my husband. He recognized that Dean would hold on as long as he could just to make sure that his little brother would be ok once he was gone. He knew Dean was miserable and suffering, so he held Deanâs hand, told him he loved him, and that it was ok. It didnât have to be true, he just had to say it.
To be honest, I didnât have a problem with Bobby being the one to welcome Dean to heaven. In fact, I think he was a great choice, regardless of whether or not it was a Covid related decision on the writerâs part. Bobby was his dad, someone he trusted, and was the logical person to let Dean know that Jack had revamped heaven before sending Dean out to do what he had to do to find his peace. I didnât expect an emotional scene, it would have been out of character for both of them.
I didnât have a problem with Dean climbing into Baby and just driving. Two years after losing my husband and I still do the same thing when the shit in my brain is moving too fast for me to deal. Baby is home to him, a place he feels comfortable and in control, and driving is the best way he knows to find some perspective.
I didnât have a problem with the montage of Samâs life. I thought it was terribly constructed, but the content of it was predictable. Sam stayed true to character and did what he asked of Dean before hopping into the pit. He went out and made himself an apple pie life. I would have been surprised and disappointed if it was anything different.
The thing that made me hate the finale was the end. When Dean turned around on that bridge, what we should have heard was âHello Dean.â That hug should have been Dean and Cas. Regardless of whether or not you think they shared romantic love, Cas was family, name on the table and all. I didnât need a love confession, I didnât need a kiss, I didnât need some grand romantic moment. I just needed that thank-Jack-youâre-not-stuck-in-uber-hell hug like the one Benny watched in purgatory or that Mary saw after the soul bomb. Deanâs been in heaven for a bit, long enough that Sam could have witnessed this one from the passenger seat with a grin.
Thereâs no way Dean would have found peace without seeing for himself that Cas was safe, and youâll never convince me otherwise.
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I was laying in bed trying to not think about the rejection when the crying fit started, normally it goes away after a bit but this welled up and I felt an emotion like onto a rage induced tornado surging through me and I pounded the floor screaming like I lost a limb to a bear trap and started to pray to God, keep in mind I am a Satanist, to either help me find a way to get the love of my life back or to give me the means to end my life. Satan was very understanding but reminded me to call them first next time since Satan never told me I was damned for being born pansexual and they did turn me on to better fashion and literature, sorry Satan.
It had been going on like this for the better part of July and there were several things going on in my life at the time one of those was a firm belief that I had grown too old, too fat, too broken to be any use to anyone other than to make others feel better and be target practice for the Russian Cupidi who seems very intent on making others fall in love with me on the other side of the continent, little fuckers have surprisingly deep laughs I found out . There was a person I was convinced was the love of my life because they seemed to understand me, never made unreasonable demands of me ( I thought) and to put it simply we could not be in a room alone ever. We worked well together in fact each time we would meet it ended in us kissing and tearfully saying I love you to each other  while holding each other head to head crying. Everytime I heard a slight Russian tinged laugh. We were for a short time had an almost family, an almost family is where things are just off and need adjustments. I wanted tp make us a full family badly I wanted this family to happen because these kids were at one time treated like mine own, I am a  simple and boring man except for the Cupidi and a stalker with cat ears who keeps leaving dead birds on my front stoop. Â
So yes I was that fool everyone has laughed at in a heart break fueled misery that pop songs and movies lie to us and say â AH but tis only the third act! The two distant lovers will be reunited and the love song with start after the creditsâ. I want to start rounding up the con artist that make a living by filling empty headed children with these notions of true love or that love conquers all and sodomize them with live lobsters. I donât want to violate ethically challenged people with shellfish everyday, just on those days when I have to deal with the doll eyed masses, ok so basically every day I was trying to give myself the benefit of the doubt.  The Ex had asked me if the reason I wanted to get back together was because they were a âsure thingâ I told her that they were really a long shot but if I didnât try then I couldnât live with myself. Fast forward a few weeks and several insulting explanations later and I am now turning over all the reasons I am broken goods and that I should not rise above my station because I deserve to be alone, iâm scum, Iâm why baby jesus cries and milk spoils when I walk into the room. I started taking pot shots at the local Cupidi with my compound bow but it was hard to aim with eyes full of tears and the edible kicking in finally. I donât know how to say fuck you in Russian but I think I know the sound of the word.Â
Next we find me red eyed muttering some gibberish thatâs been fueled by what I would find out later to be a suspected mental illness that is only half way being treated with medication and therapy. To give you a funny and disturbing visual. After not eating or sleeping for several days I looked like what could be described as a  cross between a fat Reinfeld and a goth George Costanza , or Meatloaf on a bad day. I give you options for your visuals, am I not merciful?
Itâs now sometime between one and five A.M and I am looking up the price of the least expensive .45 handgun because Iâm poor and Iâll be getting some extra money soon because I turn thirty nine in a week I do not want to be thirty nine so I start looking for american style solutions, happy fucking birthday. I chose this caliber because having some medical training and studying the wonderful world of trauma I got to see in full detail what a self inflicted head wound looks like and what a person's life is when the bullet doesnât take enough grey matter. I didnât want to be alive then I sure as hell didnât want to live as a joke character from a Garth Ennis story so I was going to get a bigger bullet .  America, fuck yeah.
so I started to make my final birthday plan and feel at peace with having my last ride of Cloveâs, bourbon and a good pub hamburger then, TchĂźess. BANG! Obviously I didnât buy the gun to end my misery and embarrassment as my brain was telling me I needed, because instead my brain going into OH FUCK mode was throwing everything it had at me to save the ship. Then it hit pay dirt. I rediscovered a natural emotional energy that put my mind into a laser focus clearing the fog and lies away just enough to stop my self destruction and restart the rebuilding I began in the winter. The emotional energy that saved me from turning my head into goo goes by the name of pure fucking spite.
I realized that my idiocy levels had reached a critical mass when the Cupidi in hazmat suits who seem to be , in Russian , bitching about extracting me to go get recharged . They came down to take me back to a containment unit that will refill my cynicism back to optimal and lethal fuck off capacity. After my IV of coffee and Monster⢠grape was removed I was set loose again into the wilds of Southeast Portland to reconnect my brain with seething hatred that I somehow misplaced my hatred during the heartache attack between Southeast Division and Southeast Clinton street where I was bludgeoned with a baseball bat by the woman who was wearing cat ears. I was on a time limit because I had to do this quickly and retract my steps before my appointment with a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at two P.M later that day. I managed to find my hatred , my senses and a new found desire to attack any human with those fucking anime cat ears on their head and entered the office and was treated like a human being not a Cro Magnon sociopath who might try to kill people on the train, it was a nice change of pace honestly.
We talked about my past trauma and some of the diagnosis that where off base and some that came close to the mark but the main thing we talked about was the depression, the depression that had me looking for a gun as a treatment plan. This Nurse Practitioner pinpointed everything that I had to hide from others or train myself not to do in less than thirty minutes, Let me give you a bit of perspective.Â
Most of the mental health professionals I worked with in the past used a method I call flow chart counseling, example:
Therapist sees me walk into the door, therapist will ask if I drink if yes how many drinks in a week, if no move on to the next question. Therapist: Mister Cromag do you drink?
Me: yeah, I like a good beer, or wine I take a shinning to good bourbons as well.
âTherapist now flows to follow up questionsâ
Therapist: How many drinks per week?
Me: Well, I like to have a drink that pairs with my dinner and some weekends Iâll have a bit more during games or socialization depending on whoâs around.
âTherapist now moves down to alcoholismâ
Therapist: how long have you been an alcoholic?
Me: Iâm sorry what?
Therapist: You binge drink Mister Cromag, more than four drinks per week means substance abuse.
Me: No it means I like the taste of a stout. âMoves down the chart to denialâ
Therapist: We need to find you an addiction specialist.
Me: You think my drinking is bad, wait until I tell you about my porn collection.
After that exchange I was referred to a physical therapist to help with carpal tunnel and after a traumatized therapist had to call security all while frantically trying to find a flowchart for the psychotically horny they made a suggestion about me having an Oedipus complex.
So you now see what I mean, a lot of professionals never got to the heart of it and there are other stories where Iâve had the professionals all but sneer at me when my symptoms are presented. So this Nurse Practitioner was a nice change of pace and with the discussion about my issues, what I thought I might have been dealing with (sometimes people see that I do have some form of intelligence and not just hit thing with club real hard unga bunga) we then worked out what medication I needed to treat  the thing I was dreading, being diagnosed with  Bipolar 1.
Bipolar and ADHD share many of the same characteristics and as Iâve learned if you have one the other is more than likely there it just needs to be screened for. Bipolar is also a hereditary form of mental illness which makes it a bit unique where others are mostly trauma induced but Bipolar just kinda waits for something to happen and when nothing does it creates its own fun. To add to this good time Bipolar is classified as a âmood disorderâ  your highs are hyperactive boarderlining and often going into a full true manic state of mind and body, not nearly as fun as it sounds. Then the lows are soul crushing affairs that amplify the depression and then takes the lies you brain tells you and creates a story based on people around you, your fears, past trauma and then makes you this poisoned lullaby cake that tastes like candy feels like medicine until you fall to your knees paralyzed and the fangs sink into your back and you see too late what is having you for dinner tonight.
So thatâs a quick and blurry on Bipolar 2, I have Bipolar 1 which means I get all of that plus the added fun of hallucinations, and not the type Terrence Mckenna taught us about. These are things that just manifest as if they are real life like if you were in a film and it was edited without  warning and in this new situation  you now have to improvise a reality, any  reality, this is why I take *drugs prescribed and other. The other issue is that it feels like my memories get remixed and things that happened now have a new twist, a paranoid hurtful twist. Good example of this is when I was making a terminal wishlist and believed that there were people who truly wanted me to die because I interpreted their actions as malicious. Another example is I was walking home to the apartments  around ten or twelve years ago, I was walking home at the time with groceries and when I got through the front door there was construction going on at the apartment above me. I sleep days and at best iâll get four hours due to shit employer, new born child, a girlfriend that was Sybil the next generation who completely refused to get treatment because she was a psych major and thought she was the heroin to overcome all odds in a lifetime movie.  So on top of this my mental illness is not in check, no insurance and if I mention medication at work I could get fired.Â
 I wish this was a part I made up but I mentioned I was on antidepressants at one time and they removed me from two positions back to entry level until I got clean off celexa, Not allowed to do the fun drugs and then punished for using the boring ones no idea why I stayed there for eight and a half years.Â
Back to the construction, I get home try to put my groceries away and one of the workers says he needs to do something in the bedroom I tell him to get bent , he calls me a fat fuck and I proceed to beat him bloody! Except it never happened, I woke up beating my fist bloody onto the tiled floor of the kitchen where I had started to put away my groceries until I jumped into this other reality, Iâm just happy the kid wasnât home because it might have scared her and made her cry and knowing I made her cry hurts the worst, I would have attempted that second suicide earlier. This freaked me out Iâve never had an hallucination like this I was scared, when I told then girlfriend hoping to get support or at least pointed in the direction on where to look she labeled me a schitzophrentic started talking to me as if I was going to flip out and that I was even more dangerous.  I let that turn around in my head for years thinking that this was the linchpin to me being broken and with the way she talked to me I believed I didnât deserve help. This was one of the main reasons I had to kill myself after she took my daughter away.
Like a few million other miserable , confused people out there I didnât know a blessed thing about what was happening, I remembered the mental abuse and emotional abuse from the church, and some had argued physical and neglectful abuse I recieved at the hands of my family or my motherâs husbands who told my mother to no provide for me but instead buy him a new toy car. My step sister who somehow hates the knot headed reprobate more than I do stole his precious camaro and rear ended a Semi. After learning she was ok I fell on the floor laughing because all I could think about was this NASCAR addicted stunted man child calling his mommy to whine about a broken toy, to add to this mental image he was wearing a blue jean diaper and clutching a plush Richard Petty teddy bear.
Thereâs more but I donât feel the need to talk about school bus drivers and me losing memory of one full year of my life, bullying at the hands of adults and children alike. I feel like that would be redundant and unfortunately all too common a story Iâve heard from so many people in my life, friends, lovers , coworkers the fucking homeless people who talk with me after I give them beer money. Leaving some of the genetic issues aside you bastards need to understand how wide spread some of these traumas are for fuck sake my motley of misfits are all walking trauma case studies and instead of getting help YOU people ridiculed them, or gave them the greatest useless sentence in the english language which is :
 âJust get over it.â
Do you know what I would like to see? I want to see all of us survivors roaming the streets like that piss poor movie they claimed was a horror movie the Purge and with a list not unlike the list owned by the man that comes around Johnny Cash sang about during his song of the rapture, and I see men, women, and nonbinary people going to the address of those passive aggressive twits and beating them within an inch of their life, then carving into their chest (backwards) âget over itâ then we move on to the homes of the rapists and tell them âyou asked for thisâ before destroying their cocks with battery acid. The screams in the night would be glorious with the bats acting like percussion and the screams keyboard swells it would be like Front 242 unplugged. Maybe then the sniveling pretentious nra members out there will learn a bit. At best, it would be fair warning not to be passive aggressive asshole and learn a bit of compassion and mindfulness or to just get their heads out of their ass about battles they know nothing about if they want to avoid severe head trauma that one can not just simply get over.Â
Living with mental illness is not easy at any level whether a small bit of depression after a breakup or full blown PTSD after a brutal rape that leaves one unable to leave their house. Whomever has these afflictions are the ones suffering and your feelings of inconvenience or fear of those sufferers need to be thrown into the Willamette river, I would say you need to follow suit  but thereâs enough garbage in this river you can fuck off into a trash compactor.
Living is the hardest thing I do but I keep finding ways to stop the thoughts from taking over and I will and have done whatever it took to not die and sometimes the only way I was able to beat the mental illness was being bat shit insane. Some people think Iâm a drug addict, others just think I need to talk to my old invisible friend, a few well meaning souls have suggested psychedelics and these people are pure and I will castrate any who try and stop them from their holy work from the almighty Bob. what I do need is to find that bitch with the **baseball bat and introduce them to a proper bonfire that Iâm going to roast one of those little commie Cupidi on, oh yes I want my revenge for St Louis.Â
*the drugs in question are cannabis for the most part, when Iâm spinning hard it helps tune me down and when the depression hits it shuts up the thoughts that plague me. Not a cure all nor is it a replacement for proper medication and therapy. I like to think of it a supplemental medicine that has the added effect of making Tool sound even more epic and letting me sleep peacefully.Â
** all wildy violent, funny and or cartoonish descriptions written about are there to be funny and entertaining no Cupidi do not exist and the Cat ear person does but the assault was less bloody and didnât involve a bat but it was far more traumatizing.
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Powerfist. Hospital Au :D
Night ER shifts were the worst. It was either incredibly boring (though Danny kind of enjoyed the opportunity to chat with patients and brighten up their night a little bit), or it was very exciting, but not in the good way.
Tonight was one of the exciting nights: multiple car accidents, a couple of overdoses, a gang clash that ended with six people injured. Danny was grabbing a moment to have a cup of coffee and a sandwich when Claire stuck her head into the break room. âHey, we just got word on inbound casualties from a shootout in Hellâs Kitchen.â
Danny blew out his breath and put the mostly-uneaten sandwich back in the employee fridge. âSome nights, huh?â
âMust be a full moon,â Claire agreed. Danny looked baffled. âOh, you know, full moon? Superstition that lots of crazy things â you know what, never mind. Sometimes I think you must have been raised in a monastery.â
Private tutors, college at 16, he could have said â but didnât, because he hated the feeling he got (the looks he got) when people found out what his upbringing had been like. He knew that heâd had a lot of advantages in life; he knew how lucky he was to have graduated from medical school with no debt in his early 20s, moving on to a residency at a metro hospital he had carefully selected so his mother wasnât on the board of directors.
But it also meant heâd missed out on a lot. His social life hadnât been exactly ⌠normal. His parents had been politely supportive of his life choices (at least he didnât have to deal with the kind of crushing parental expectations that both Joy and Ward did) but he also knew that they hoped he would change his mind and come back to run the company eventually. Neither of them could understand why he would rather spend his days dealing with sick people, covered in blood and much more unpleasant bodily fluids, when he could have been sitting in a corner office at Rand.
Danny tossed down the last gulp of stale coffee and went back out to the ER.
The influx of casualties had just come in, blood turning police uniforms and casual clothes the same dark red; a reminder that when they came through those doors on those gurneys, it didnât matter who they were or what theyâd done five minutes ago â the struggle to save lives was what mattered.
Danny wasnât even sure if the guy on the gurney in front of him was cop or con. In a bad way, was what he was; barely breathing, and Danny couldnât even tell how he was still breathing with the clear evidence of his blood-sodden, bullet-holed clothing that heâd taken a couple of rounds point blank to the chest. The nurses were all busy, so Danny reached for the kit himself, preparing to get the IV catheter in place, when the manâs eyes came open and his hand shot out and grabbed Dannyâs arm.
âKid,â he whispered. âHey, kid. Can you push this gurney around the corner?â
âCalm down,â Danny told him, pushing up his sleeve to find a puncture site, and added, âIâm a doctor,â because heâd realized that he had probably been mistaken for an intern or a nurse â it happened a lot; he was not only young for a resident, but baby-faced on top of it. âJust settle down; youâre going to be okay. Whatâs your name?â
âItâs Luke, and listen, I really need you to push me around the corner.â
Danny tried unsuccessfully to free himself from the grip on his arm; this guy had a grip like iron. âNo, I really donât need to do that. Youâve been shot.â
âListen, I need privacy for a minute. Please.â
âI donât care what you need to do, trust me, weâve seen it all here ââ He was having trouble finding a vein. He should probably have just gotten Claire.
Lukeâs dark eyes searched his face. âKid. Please.â
The thing about Danny â the thing that made him the most popular doctor in the entire hospital with the patients, and put him in a sort of ongoing love-hate relationship with the nurses â was that heâd always had trouble saying no to anyone who genuinely needed something. It was the whole reason heâd wanted to be a doctor in the first place. âOkay, Iâll do it, if youâll hold still and let me get an IV in you.â
He shoved the gurney around the corner, into a hallway out of sight of the main ER. A harried nurse hurried past pushing a crash cart, but no one was paying attention to either of them.
âThanks,â Luke said, heartfelt, and he sat up and started pulling off the monitoring electrodes stuck on him.
âHey! No! Wait!â Danny tried ineffectually to push him back down. âYouâve been shot ââ
But he was starting to realize that something was clearly not right here. The guy had been shot. The evidence of the bullet holes in his hoodie said so. The hoodie which he was currently stripping off, smoothly and efficiently and not at all like someone whoâd just taken several rounds to the chest.
His chest was â amazing. For several reasons, but one reason was that it didnât have a scratch on it despite the fact that Danny could see light through the bullet holes in the hoodie as Luke stripped it off over his head.
âWhat the hell,â Danny said in spite of himself, and he reached out to touch Lukeâs chest, only jerking his hand back when Luke gave him a look. âIâm a doctor,â he defended himself, blushing. âIâm only trying to â listen â what the hell, man? Whereâd all the blood come from?â
âThe bloodâs not mine,â Luke said, and Danny looked at him in disbelief. âOkay, just listen. Iâm an undercover cop. I know this all looks weird, but I need something clean to change into. You donât have to help; I know youâre busy. Just point me at a supply closet.â
He swung his legs off the gurney and then sat there for a minute, breathing hard.
âOkay, you are hurt,â Danny said, moving quickly to support him. âLook, there could be internal trauma, concussion injuries â you need to ââ
âWhat I need,â Luke said, taking a deep breath, âis to change into something I can walk out of this hospital in, without looking like a gunshot victim.â
âYou are a gunshot victim!â But it was clear Danny wasnât going to win this argument. âOkay, look, I can get you clean scrubs, or â no, weâve got a bunch of stuff in the Lost & Found, I bet you can find something thatâll fit you there. C'mon this way.â
A few minutes later, Danny was swiping his card to unlock an employee side entrance. Luke was moving better, looking better, and Danny was starting to think he was just misreading the whole situation ⌠except, while Luke was digging through clothes in the Lost & Found, Danny had looked at the tip of the insertion needle for the IV and found that it was bent, like someone had slammed it into a steel plate.
And maybe it was a defective one, but âŚ
Something was weird here. He wanted to know what.
âSo youâre a cop?â he said. âA bulletproof cop? That sounds awesome.â
âItâs complicated.â Luke grimaced. âI shouldnât even have told you that much, uh ââ He glanced at Dannyâs name tag. âDanny. Trust me, you donât want to be mixed up in what Iâm mixed up in.â
But maybe I want to be. Nobody had ever accused Danny of taking the easy, reasonable path through life. âLook, if I wanted to get in touch with you, how would I do that? To follow up,â he added quickly. âOn your injuries.â
âI donât have any ââ
âListen, Iâm a medical professional, and your breathing didnât sound great for awhile there. Even if you can survive being shot, you can still get internal concussion trauma. Just put my mind at ease and give me a way to make sure you donât go home tonight and suffocate.â
Luke huffed out a sigh, then rolled his eyes and grinned. Apparently Danny wasnât the only one who had trouble saying no to people. âLook me up at the 29th Precinct,â he said, and was gone out the door, into the night.
#iron fist#luke cage#danny rand#powerfist#doctor!Danny is actually kind of an amazing idea#he would be so good at it#I also really want still!a!cop!Luke#ironwingedhawk
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Then It Got Better
I wrote up a bit of an emotional piece going over the timeline of my last couple of weeks involving my top surgery. Itâs long, and I donât expect most to read it, but I thought I would share all the same.
Tuesday, we drove down to Dallas. It was a half day affair. Mom went to work until just after noon so she could try and get them into a better place before leaving for just over a week. It gave me a chance to finish up anything I needed to do at the house before we left. We gassed up the car and then stopped for lunch before heading out of town. We accidentally ordered grilled chicken when we wanted breaded, and apologized as soon as we realized the mistake and asked if there was any way they could swap them out. They just gave us new breaded chicken. We both felt a bit bad but I did actually pay more for the grilled stuff. We drove through small towns, talking some and listening to a podcast mostly. The weather was nice. Our hotel was experiencing a problem with its keymaker, which meant that we were stood outside our door with half of our bags trying to get in, or waiting for a new key. The front desk person finally just let us in with her master key and promised she would have one working when we got back from dinner. We told her it was no problem, that it wasn't her fault, and went to dinner at the Magic Time Machine. We were served by a guy dressed up and acting like Nacho Libre, a movie I've never seen but do know a little about. Mom discovered she was allergic to Mahi Mahi, but otherwise, the meal was great and we did have a working key when we got back to the hotel, which was good because we also decided to stop by Walmart and pick things up before going back to the hotel.
Wednesday was the pre-op appointment. As uncomfortable as I was about things, and they were all things I knew was coming, they made it as nice and painless as possible. The surgeon, Dr. Dulin, was very professional, explained things very well and what they were going to do and why. He did have to touch my chest, and measure to see for sure what he was really working with since he had only seen pictures up to now. But he did with respect, I could tell, and it was over quickly. He even recognized that I would need a nipple reduction, something I had wondered about and was going to ask, but didn't have the chance. He already decided before I could. The nurse, Kristin, took before photos, asked me all about my medical history, which made me glad mom was there, and even gave us a very informative booklet with almost every bit of information we could possibly need about the procedure and what to expect before and after as well as risks and anything else. Dr. Dulin was nice and Kristin was nicer. And then they sent me off with prescriptions, telling me to make sure I walked away with four and that they'd be in touch to tell me, for sure, when I needed to be there in the morning. We went to Walmart to fill the prescriptions and waited so long for them to get filled. And then it was left overs from the Magic Time Machine for lunch and off to malls, on the way to which we got the call telling us to be there at 7:30 in the morning. We were enchanted by Northpark, a fusion of mall and museum, and fell in love with the Lego and Disney stores there. We are still, after all, just children. We got dad a Lego Batman keychain as thanks for watching all my animals while we were away. A Barnes and Noble across the way distracted us but we did end up at Galleria mall, which was also nice but not as cool. Dinner was at the Rodeo Goat and after that, it was home to try and get some rest before the big day, but not before a call from the anesthetist just to introduce herself to me and make sure I was feeling as good about it all as I could.
Thursday was the day.
They told me that would be the worst day. In many ways, it was. I didn't sleep well the night before, I got up entirely too early, I was very nervous, possibly for the first time really for this. They had a hard time getting an IV in me, and it was wholly unpleasant the two times they tried, the first blowing out a vein. Not their fault. I have finicky veins. And then I woke up and that was the worst. I couldn't see well for a while, and got very nauseous suddenly, which the care nurse was quick to take care of. I didn't catch her name, but I'm glad she was there. They waited to call my mom to pick me up until I felt better after that. It fortunately passed quickly but I was still miserable Of course I wasn't happy right after. I was in pain, I felt terrible. I wanted to curl up and go home and sleep and I was instead put in a car and our five minute drive back to the hotel turned into fifteen because mom got lost and I couldn't help her. But I did remember all the instructions they gave us, occasionally better than mom, and the shining light is they didn't know what my preferred pronouns were in the recovery room, so when they talked to my mom, they referred to me either as Kai, which everyone at the clinic had done, or "they/them" since those were neutral. The fact that even they cared in the recovery room, nurses I would only ever see once, meant a lot. And the rest of the day was filled with pills and Gatorade and uncomfortable shifting and not moving and even more sleeping than I'm used to. Mom bought ice packs while I was in surgery and made a point to go back to the hotel and get them frozen and ready for me in such a thoughtful measure only to be told don't use them. I think she thought it was forever, but looking back, I think they just meant that night. Not that it mattered. I don't know there was much that would've really made me feel any more comfortable or okay.
But then it got better.
Friday I went back for my first post-op. They asked how I was doing and remarked that I looked surprisingly well. I credit the Gatorade. They took me and removed the ace bandages they had wrapped around and on top of everything. And suddenly, I wasn't in so much pain or discomfort. I didn't realize that something so minor could make such a big difference. Kristin gave us maxi pads to help keep the binder from cutting into my skin, and showed mom how to cut little crescents out of them so they would fit around my arms. Kristin also loaned mom a pair of scissors to cut the pads with since all we had were tiny ones, like one on a pocket knife, and an extra binder when she heard we were in a hotel and didn't really have easy access to a washing machine or drier. I still only could manage to eat apple sauce and broth, a little cereal dispersed throughout, still fell asleep several times, still only had the brain space for Netflix movies. Mom and I got up ever few hours and walked the hallway on our floor. Mom even started writing down the pill schedule, when I took one and could take the next, since they had time restraints and had to be taken so long between each. She's much more organized than I often am.
And then it got better.
Saturday was a nice day, and we decided to walk around our hotel outside a couple of times. It was so nice to get out of the building and breathe some fresh air. I ate something more than just applesauce and cereal. I played video games until evening time, when we went back to Netflix. I was feeling pretty good. Still a little painful, but overall pretty good. Still couldn't do a lot for myself, but things weren't so bad anymore.
And then it got better.
Sunday we went to Target. Mom needed some things like a new bar of soap because hers had run out. She also wanted to get a CD. I wanted to get out of the hotel, even if it was only for ten minutes. We got our stuff and both agreed we didn't want to go back just yet. Getting out of the hotel was uplifting. We both were getting a bit stir crazy. So we slowly walked around the Target. She found a set of plush Porg and Porglets, and we both fell in love and she bought us both a set. Mom had never seen Moana and it was no longer on Netflix, so I bought the Blu-Ray. I found card sleeves I had wanted before Christmas but that were no longer sold in our Targets and got a set. We spent an hour or so in Target, and went we left, I bought us both coconut Bais to drink just to change it up. Later, when I realized my period had started, we walked to an Alberston's that was just around the corner, stopping in at the GameStop first. We got what I needed along with some new drinks to change it up as well.
And then it got better.
Monday, we hit a few malls. I don't remember which ones they were. They didn't make as big of an impact on my mind as the ones we went to before the surgery, but we went to a few. Mom and I, for the first time in a long time, moved at about the same speed, and had to stop just about as frequently to rest. We took my pills with me in case we needed to do any of them while we were out, but strategically waited until after lunch so we hopefully wouldn't have to. We stopped by the Half Price Books flagship store, which was massive, and spent hours in there just looking at the stuff. I bought an Italian soda, my first one ever, and it was really good. We spent too much money there, but I found something I've always wanted at a price I could actually afford. Mom was also on the hunt for a new purse, so after the bookstore, we made one last stop to a JC Penney, which to our surprise, was a stand-alone store and not part of a mall. And she found a purse that was just perfect and on sale for a price she didn't feel bad about paying for.
And then it got better.
Tuesday, we went to the zoo. It was always something I had wanted to do in Dallas ever since my first A-Kon down there when we rode past the exit for it on the tram at least twice a day. The zoo was so nice. The weather was perfect. We didn't even need jackets. In the children's zoo, there was an aviary where you could go in and interact with some birds. You could feed them stuff on a stick for a price but mom and I agreed we didn't need to do that. Still, as soon as we came in, one flew down and landed on my hand and just hung out with me for a while, almost as if he was happy I wasn't a screaming kid. They had so many cool exhibits, and their enclosures looked so nice. They even had one place where you could feed giraffes. Even if you weren't, you were allowed to go in and get right up next to them. I could've reached out and touched one. It was amazing. I've never seen anything like that. I've never experienced that with a giraffe before. We were so enamored with it that we missed the last part of the zoo, which was a bit sad because I would've liked to see the baby gorilla and lions, but the giraffe experience was something new. We stopped back by Half Price Books because a friend wanted something that I had gotten, promising to pay me back. Luckily, they did still have one for her too. For dinner, I was sick of the food we had in the hotel so I treated mom and I to the messiest crab legs I think I've ever eaten. It was a bit pricey, but she's worth it.
And then it got better.
Friday was my second post op appointment and the one where I would get to see, for the first time, the results and look at my future. We checked out of the hotel before going, and everyone was happy to see me. Dr. Dulin had, after doing all the things in the operating room, adhered foam onto my chest, then put a binder over it, and for 24 hours, wrapped that in an ace bandage. No wonder that first day was so miserable. And pulling the foam off was also miserable. I couldn't watch. I could barely even breathe. They did it as fast as they could, and mom said Dr. Dulin smiled when he saw the results of his work. And I smiled and uttered words of disbelief when I did too, which made him smile even more. He was pleased with the result, which is good since he is a perfectionist by everyone's account, and I was beyond words. I was seeing, for the first time, my body as I always thought it should be, albeit bruised and swollen and with a bit of marker still from the surgery so he did it all correctly. Kristin smiled with us, talked with us about this and that, our cat, the zoo, while also giving us all the supplies she thought we would need to at least get us through the next few days. Adhesive remover, tape, gauze. She loaded us up. We made plans for me to send photos in a month to check progress so I wouldn't have to try and make it back down to Dallas. And then we were out the door, checked out of the hotel and going to head back to normal life. We stopped back by Northpark because I wanted a keychain from the Lego store, and we decided to eat lunch there as well. We also attempted to find a compression shirt because Kristin told us we could use that instead of the binder if we found one that was snug enough. We couldn't. But we tried. We made one last stop by the Disney store where they were having a crazy sale on their plushies, so I bought a Koda and mom bought a Pua. Lego store trip then netted me a keychain, but I also bought mom one more thing as a huge thanks for being my rock this week. I couldn't have done it without her.
And then it got better.
I've been home for a few days now. Things are returning to normal. I've finished my course of antibiotics, dad acknowledged the letter I wrote and left for him. It might be the only discussion we have about it, but at least we had it. My pain is so much less now. I can drive and be mostly independent again. I think the swelling is going down. Surely. It's hard to tell for sure, but I already like what I see in the mirror better than what was there before, lingering bruises, marks, bits of foam, and swelling aside. I cannot accurately describe how different and happy I feel now that it's over. Over a year of planning, and half a life time of wanting, and it feels like it came and went so fast and yet, there's a whole future ahead now that looks a bit brighter than before. I know this won't fix all my problems. Dark days are still ahead, but at least I won't also hate myself on top of them. I'm not saying I wanted more fanfare. Really, that seems terrible, but for all the build up and wanting, it's hard to believe it's over. I had been focused on it for so long that I feel just a little empty now. Just a little. There's still so much more to do and see. And I'm ready for them just as soon as I'm done physically healing. But emotionally, and mentally, I've already done so much over the past few weeks. It's done, and I'm still happy to the point of tears about it.
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Oh fuck i cant stand this
Ive already almost used up my damn mobile data again and i only bought it yesterday. Fuck i want to go home. You guys are like the only comfort i have here and i dunno what im gonna do when i cant message you again
Fuckin hell stupid shit day! I was supposed to go to a therapy class thing today but the stupid bus went past where my abusive father lives and i had a MASSIVE FREAKOUT and had to go home and then ofcourse to go home you have to go back on the stupid same bus!! I fuckib failed and wasted the doctor's time and he had to grab me to stop me from running off the bus crying and back to fuckin hell dad's house because im shit and i deserve everything he ever did to me
AND THEN fuckin same doctor continues the relentless constant tide of everyone misgendering me and making crass transphobic jokes
"You see you've gotta understand the other opinion" he says, as if trans people werent fuckin raised SURROUNDED by cis people's predjudiced opinion of us and taught it was fact. As if it didnt take me SO MUCH WORK to even become confident enough to stand up for myself! I've gotta see the 'other opinion' that "yknow well families and children use public bathrooms and theyre scared trans people will molest their children so its understandable they want to kick you out or even act violent to you". Yknow the OTHER OPINION that MY OPINION DOESNT MATTER and also MY ENTIRE EXISTANCE IS A CRIME but i'm the one being predjudiced for not accepting that OPINION, right?! Im here trying to tell him that no that isnt rational because there have been LITERALLY NO RECORDED CASES of trans people molesting children in public bathrooms, or even "evil men faking being trans" to do the same thing. There's been more cases of actual cis men breaking into women's bathrooms to drag women out for merely LOOKING trans. More cis women have been harassed because of anti trans laws than they ever did before! But hey "respect that other opinion", right? And also "at least its not as bad as russia" and "but gay pride is everywhere now, that one footballer had rainbow shoelaces." Hey wow i never noticed that not only was homophobia totally over but also transphobia was remotely related to that! Wow! I seriously had to bring out the fuckin 1600s historical investigation on pre-british olde englishe that showed the existance of a gender neutral pronoun before the word "he" ever existed, and the existance of transgender pride and pronoun discussions in the 1800s before the word transgender was even popularized. I cant believe i fuckin had to do a 'show your sources that queer people existed before the internet' IN REAL LIFE. WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. I can point at the damn NHS website but nooooo!
Oh and yknow what got me the most? YKNOW WHAT GOT ME THE MOST?? "We have sick people here, you cant expect them to remember stuff like that. Dont ruin their recovery by bringing up stuff like that." Like..fuckin..IM A FUCKIN PATIENT TOO. I wasnt even asking the other patients to stop hurting me i was asking you the staff to maybe consider it! And seriously you want me to be so super ultra perpetually prepared and perpetually rational and able to keep my existance secret and out of every conversation yet theyre too ill to learn about lgbt people existing? Just a sentence would be too painful? And me living every day being misgendered doesnt impact my ability to recover at all, eh? Fuckin shitting fuck hell.
And i hate it i HATE IT because he's being nice so i'll be the bad guy if i complain. Likehe fuckin..doesnt even know he's being rude and doesnt want to consider the idea. He says 'i dont like your tone' if i suggest the concept and FUCK in that moment i was so fuckin scared he was gonna hit me like my dad did. Or at tge very least kick me out of the hospital if i dont cooperate with him. He just fuckin..thinks he's perfectly unbiased and accepts everyone and "oh but i like to make fun of everyone equally". And i even fuckin raised the subject that people who say that often only make fun of minorities and never themselves, the majority, or major power structures. And he's just like 'yeah yeh i hate people like that'. Whoosh. Rigjt over the head. God i wasnt even TRYING to be passive aggressive i was trying tk outright tell him why what he said was upsetting me but NOPE. Trying to explain how its just so hard and tiring to have to verrrrrry patientlyyyyy explain yourself to EVERYONE EVERY DAY CONSTANTLY while they sling loads of rude words at you and it should be just allowed because they 'dont know better'. Like you ask me to educate you but at the same time im rude if i actually tell you?? And god i also tried to explain how the fuckin bathroom violence thing isnt an example of 'educating another opinion' AGAIN by saying like... If someone just asked me to explain being transgender i would. If someone just said they were uncomfortable i would leave. That's 'another opinion'. Reacting with slurs and violence to a trans person existing and not doing anything to you is not 'another opinion' and its not someone who 'just didnt know'. He was seriously trying to argue that it WASNT BIGOTED it was just someone rationally being afraid for their children because of a danger that doesnt exist, and rationally reacting with extreme violence rather than doing anything else. Rationally. RATIONALLY. oh just MISTAKENLY committing a hate crime! Cos they just didnt know trans people exist! Not cos they hate us! Oh no! Yeah sure we totally have a fucking DUTY to educate these POOR UNKNOWING PEOPLE while theyre attacking us, and its our damn fault if we didnt...
And just fucking FUCK i hate how someone can say all that stuff and still be "nice" and still not hate me personally? Like its so messed up?? He's not anti trans or anything he just has so much more damn sympathy for cis people than trans people, and puts all the onus on us to somehow prevent our own murders. And he thinks that "i dont have a problem with trans people" means doing LITERALLY NOTHING to change your behaviour to make trans people feel accepted. They should just magically know that your jokes are jokes when theyre surrounded by so many people saying it honestly, in CONSTANT FEAR OF THAT EXACT THING LEADING TO VIOLENCE. And like in order to be "a guy who has no problem with trans people" he has to do nothing, while in order for me to be not bigoted against HIM it means i have to never get offended by his jokes and also never talk about myself and also constantly educate him about things because he doesnt want to learn, even though he works in a hospital thats supposed to have an anti discrimination policy. Like fuckin just NOT HURTING LGBT PEOPLE doesnt make you discrimination free, shit like telling me to misgender myself because my pronouns would confuse the other patients is kinda fuckin fucked up. Also "that's a question for later" is all i CONSTANTLY get when it comes to talking about legal name changes or therapy or even just talking to an lgbt support group. I have to wait until i stop being depressed because oh no im talking about too many mental illnesses at once. Its been seven years and i havent fuckin stopped being depressed, bitch! Ever consider a fuckin symptom of gender dysphoria is a big ol fat depression!!! And just gahhhhh he was so fuckin baffled and angry that i would dare to get emotional about the subject?? Like he just saw DEBATING WHETHER TRANS PEOPLE ARE REAL and WHETHER PEOPLE WHO MURDER THEM FOR USING THE BATHROOM ARE JUSTIFIED as a perfectly normal casual discussion that a Non Transphobic Man could have with his transgender friend. Why oh why would i cry about this casual hypothetical discussion? Hey its not like it fuckin affects me directly! "Well its never happened to you right?" A Ha Ha Ha Ha. Also fuckin "so which bathroom do you use?" and "well you're not really transgender if youre not getting the surgery-oh wait you do want the surgery? How does that work then?" I swear i could just see the gears turning in his head and he was about to say "do you want both down there". Gahhhhhh *cringes myself into a tiny tumbleweed and blows away*
Also the entire time he kept calling being trans a sexuality and also asexuality. "No youre not trans youre asexual right?" Yeah sure ive just been saying im trans and saying im not a girl and wearing a chest binder and talking this entire conversation about my experiences as a trans person in public bathrooms just to pull an elaborate prank on you. And like i know what he meant is that he thought the word for nonbinary was asexual (has asexuality REALLY made so little progress towards getting into the sex ed curriculum in the entire 25 years of my life?) But like seriously he was like "youre not really trans if youre nonbinary". And then fuck dude i dont wanna explain how surgery works to you!! And especially not also my entirely unrelated sexuality that has entirely different equally upsetting predjudices!
Ans gahhhh fuck i just got no sympathy for crying and he acted as if it was just some wildly unexpected occurance he never could have predicted. And i hate it cos he's nice to me whenever the subject is about anything else. I cant get any symoathey from ANYONE because he's A NICE GUY and why dont i just understaaaaaand other opinionnnnnns
I wanted to fuckin quit this whole thing on the spot and go home. Only reason i cant is because my support worker is off work until thursday auauauaughhh
Fuck at least one positive i guess is that ive made progress in the social anxiety or at least gotten better at giving the impression im making progress. Cos i want to LEAVE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. And also fuck all my other worries seem less suicide-inducing when im actually getting the closest ive ever been to killing myself on a daily basis because of a stupid other thing that i never could have predicted. Go here for one form of self hate, come home with another! Yayyyyy
And fuck i havent even made a single bit of progress on drawing or writing anything and i cant practise making ganes cos my laptop cant run rpgmaker and i havent even started reading my giant pile of books cos they fuckin LOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW EVERY SINGLE HOUR TO MAKE SURE YOU AINT KILLED YOURSELF. i have no fuckin pribacy and its making me wanna kill myself even more!! I just live constantly on edge looking at the fuckin door window and i cant even do anything to distract myself because im too scared of them looking at me!! Or barging in at no notice to tell me i have to do some big stressful thing RIGHT NOW because i dont even get advance notice of anything aaaa! And fuck i dont have anywhere to go to even calm down from a panic attack cos i have no privacy so at least im getting over being scared of going outside cos outside is the only place i can go to cry. Fuckin strangers in the crowd at least wont cause shit if they see me.
Fuck i want to go home. Fuck i wish i had enough money to keep buying mobile internet. Its like fuckin 750mb a day to run tumblr but its all ive got to talk to any person who doesnt hate me or patronize me or think im faking a bunch of shit or whatever the fuck. And im not even any fun to be around when im like this so im probably just ruining your day too. And im probably gonna vanish again soon and then just go back to crying alone and getting worse and probably never being able to leave
I knew it was gonna be stressdul but i didnt predict any of this.. I just wanna fuckin die. I wanted to jump out the car and go to my old dad's house and have him pull open the door and slap me around a bit. Like call me a fucking dyke, call me a sick retard, be honest about your feelings! I'd fuckin take being abused over this "oh youre the bad one for being mad because i had goooood intentions" reverse psychology bigotry from hell. Either these people are evil geniuses or theyre even more stupid like me. Fuckin shit dad please manifest in my room and slap me, killing me instantly. I feel like being scared of you would at least be a faster emotion than this nebulous sensation of confusing unease and dysphoria 24/7 for 6 fuckin months. One week done, haha! Hahahabahahahahahahahahahahahahshahahahahahshshshahshahahahhahahaaaa
#suicide mention#im sorry#all their no privacy shit doesnt even work cos i was just left alone all night when i wanted to kill myself#and took then three days to notice the wound on my arm#didnt cut my veins or anything dangerous i just couldnt stop scratching#at my skin for an hour and now there's a bit of a mess there#but its scabbed over so its fine#i drew all over the other arm to keep from hurting myself again#i thought i was okay after that nice experience at the build a bear workshop but im even#worse today cos now i k ow the staff are just fuckin fine with transphobia and im gonna just have to#shut my mouth i guess#fuck just look forward to the art classes whenever i finally get to do them#but i was looking forward to the class today and then i couldnt do it cos i got all scared of dad#fuckkkkkkk
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