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writtenonreceipts · 2 months ago

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Rowaelin Month Day Twenty-One: Performers @rowaelinscourt

Month Masterlist // Hey Neighbor Masterlist // Ao3 Link

It fits the performers prompt because they’re putting on a show of lunacy. <3

Warnings: just minor medical talk and references to bad hospital experiences right at the beginning, ~2.9k words

Hey, Lucky

Aelin could count on one hand the number of times she’d been in a hospital.

Two when a grandparent passed away and one when she’d broken her arm. She hated each and every experience. Her grandparents’ passing had been traumatic to say the least. All she could remember was seeing her Papa hooked up to an assortment of tubes and wires to the point that she couldn’t even see his face. Gran was supposed to come right back out after a surgery to fix her heart…only she never had. And when Aelin had broken her arm, she’d had to have surgery to resent the limb properly, the meds had made her sick and she couldn’t leave the hospital for over a week. None of the doctors had been nice, either.

So, yes. Aelin hated the hospital.

But here she was, sitting in an uncomfortable vinyl chair in a stuffy waiting room and nerves keyed up. Her knee wouldn’t stop bouncing and she’d already destroyed a paper pamphlet citing the signs of diabetes and the importance of knowing preventative measures. She’d found it on the side table beside her and, needing something to do with her hands, had folded and refolded the thick cardstock. It was the only thing keeping her sane.

“You’ve got to eat some real food,” Elide said softly from next to her.

The pamphlet was plucked from her fingers replaced with a sandwich.

Aelin looked at the sandwich. It was a simple peanut butter and jelly, but it wasn’t hospital food. Her stomach roiled.

“I’m fine,” she said.

Elide didn’t look impressed by that statement, but she said nothing else and settled in her seat.

Setting the sandwich aside, Aelin grabbed her phone instead. She looked at the text thread she’d started with Iona after the news thread of the avalanche. With the weather and the Whitethorns living one town over, Aelin insisted that she go to the hospital at least until the roads cleared up more.

<<Aelin: No update yet, but the rest of the crew is here now.

She couldn’t help but send the message. Maybe it would have been better if she had actual news. It was the nerves, the need to do something. And she supposed if she were a mother separated from her child she would want to know anything and everything going on.

She leaned back in her seat and took inventory of the waiting room. It had calmed down quite a bit over the last few hours. There were other family’s waiting for news, the bad weather brought in many other injuries and messes. The rest of Rowan’s search and rescue team had also come now that the missing hiker was found.

Fenrys had also been injured, but not as extensive as what happened with Rowan. He hadn’t been caught in the torrent of snow and ice, only enough to cut off his retreat back down the mountain. After everything settled, Fenrys had gone in search of Rowan and the lost hiker. He’d found them and even managed to get a signal for a rescue. He was being treated for dehydration and a dislocated shoulder.

“Aelin,” Elide insisted, grabbing the phone from her fingers, “I am your emotional support human right now and I need you to eat.”

“You sure you’re not just here for a certain ranger?” Aelin quipped.

Elide glared. “Moral support.”

“Right.”

“I will force that sandwich down your throat,” Elide said. For such a tiny unassuming woman, she was a bit feral.

Aelin took a savage bite. It was a tasty sandwich; raspberry jam, creamy peanut butter, and fresh white bread. Perfection. She wouldn’t let Elide know though.

After forcing half the sandwich down, Aelin couldn’t stomach any more. Elide seemed satisfied with her efforts and didn’t say anything when Aelin tucked the remains back in its baggie.

It was another few minutes until a doctor stepped through a pair of double doors that led to the operating rooms. Aelin leapt from her seat, just as she’d done for every doctor or nurse that stepped through the doors.

“Whitethorn and Moonbeam?” The doctor asked, already walking towards the assembled rangers.

The captain, Gavriel, stepped forward. “How are my men?”

“Fenrys is on an IV and doing fine, he just needs rest,” the doctor said, she smiled reassuringly, “already asking to be released.”

Only a little bit of tension eased out of the rangers.

“And Rowan?” Gavriel pressed.

The doctor, Yrene Towers by her nametag, offered a strained smile that made Aelin’s stomach clench.

“He’s out of surgery,” Dr. Towers said slowly. “His left leg was broken in two different places and needed some titanium screws. He’s got three broken ribs, a concussion, and severely sprained wrist. Honestly…he was extremely lucky.”

“But he’s okay?” Aelin asked, “He’ll wake up?”

Dr. Towers’s smile softened, which under normal circumstances would have made Aelin’s hackles rise. “Yes. Probably within the next hour or so. You can see him now if you’d like. He’s in his recovery room now.”

Aelin’s entire body vibrated and it took all her effort not to bolt down the hall. She was overstepping, she knew she was overstepping. Right? Why was she so concerned, so insistent about seeing Rowan? Especially when his friends and colleagues were right here. It was ridiculous.

And then, much to her surprise, Lorcan was the one to speak up. “Go make sure Whitethorn doesn’t break out of here prematurely. We’ll give Moonbeam hell.”

The rangers already started filing towards the ER where Fenrys was holed up. Lorcan narrowed his eyes slightly while glaring down at Aelin. She raised an eyebrow in challenge to which the larger man merely shrugged before following his squad mates.

Dr. Towers rested a hand on Aelin’s shoulder. “I’ll take you to Rowan’s room.”

Nodding, Aelin glanced over her shoulder to where Elide still sitting in her chair. Her friend only waved her on with an encouraging hand.

“Thanks,” Aelin said, turning back to Dr. Towers. “That would be great.”

It was a quick walk to the elevator and trip up to the third floor. The entire time Dr. Towers continued to talk to Aelin about Rowan.

“I’ve done a lot of trauma work and have seen a lot of tragedies,” Dr. Towers said, “and even though his injuries sound bad, he’s going to be alright. Just a bit of recovery and physical therapy with his leg. It’ll be a long road but he can make it.”

They came to a stop outside a room with the blinds drawn up to look in on the sleeping body. Aelin’s heart skipped a beat as she took in Rowan’s prone form. Thankfully, he didn’t have a respirator or any tube actually inside his mouth. His warm skin had taken on an ashen pallor and his usually styled hair lay flat over his brow. One of his legs was suspended in a sling and wrapped in white bandages. His injured wrist was also wrapped in similar bandages and resting on his chest.

“Thank-you, doctor,” Aelin said. She smiled at the woman. “Really.”

“Of course, just let a nurse know if you need anything find a nurse, find me, and we can help.”

With another hand on her shoulder, Dr. Towers headed down the hall to the nurse’s station.

Aelin looked back into Rowan’s room. Just the sight of him lying there had panic racing through her body. She didn’t know what to make of all the emotions she was feeling. She didn’t know where they’d come from or what to do with them. She knew…well she knew she’d been attracted to Rowan for a while now. Known she’d been willing to flirt with him and see if something more that could happen between them.

With a steadying breath, Aelin pushed open the door.

The was strangely quiet. Even with the soft hum of the equipment and steady beat of the heart monitor, there was a stillness occupying the space. She hated it.

Aelin crossed the room to take a seat in the chair beside the bed. She debated taking a picture of Rowa to send to Iona. In the end she decided there was something distinctly creepy about that so she settled on an over simplified text.

<<Aelin: Sitting with Rowan. Doctor said he’s doing well. He’ll need physical therapy for his broken leg and he has a concussion, but she said it’s all going to be fine.

>>Iona: Thank-you dear. The storms blown over so the roads should be cleared by tomorrow.

That was good.

Aelin sighed, tucking her phone back into her purse. She leaned forward, hand hovering over his own. The action felt strangely intimate. She withdrew her hand and looked at Rowan’s face.

He appeared peaceful. Even with the gash on his forehead and the bandage trying to cover the worst of it. He was paler than Aelin was used to him looking too. Really, this entire situation was a nightmare. She wanted to wake up. Desperately. She wanted him to wake up and scowl at her. Wake up and roll his eyes. Wake up and just be him.

“I am so mad at you right now,” she muttered. She sat back in her seat scowling at his unconscious form. “You were supposed to be careful and not get hurt, Rowan. Nox Owen said he’d be dead if it wasn’t for you. You risked your life up on that mountain and scared the shit out of me. You’ll be lucky if I forgive you.”

His heart monitor beeped in response.

“And you know, that’s not even the worst of it,” she continued. Now she was picking at her nails, too upset to actually look at him. “What’s worse is that I thought there was something more between us. I thought…Did you even eat those cookies I baked you?”

She glared at him now, still disgruntled over how flat his hair was lying. It made him look so much younger, soft. She had to swallow down the lump forming in her throat.

Emotions were the worst.

The literal worst.

Taking a long breath, Aelin straightened. She leaned forward again and did her best to channel the old Aelin. The irritated Aelin. The Aelin who used to have dance parties at two in the morning to rile Rowan up. The Aelin who tried to trick Rowan into drinking a RedBull.

“You are going to wake-up and you are going to take me on a date,” she said. “Do you hear me buzzard?”

To emphasize her words, she took Rowan’s hand and entwined their fingers. There was nothing to indicate that he could hear her. Nothing to indicate he was waking up soon. Which was fine. She knew Dr. Towers had said he was fine, that he’d only just gotten out of surgery and wasn’t going to wake up for a while yet. But she was Aelin Galathynius and she was not patient.

She squeezed his fingers.

“You’re an idiot if you think you can get rid of me that easily,” she added. Sniffing, she rose from her chair. She may as well let the other rangers filter through to see their friend.

She tried to pull her fingers from his grasp only to find that his grasp had tightened. Aelin froze.

“Rowan?” She nearly fell over herself to lean back over Rowan. “Rowan Whitethorn.”

His eyelids fluttered and he took a deep, rattling breath. His mouth twitched, trying to form a word.

“Buzzard?”

And then his eyes opened. Glazed and unfocused but open. It took a few blinks and then those gloriously green eyes landed on her.

“Fireheart.”

Tears that Aelin hadn’t even known were brewing started pouring down her cheeks. She raised her other hand to cup his cheek, feeling the stubble there.

“Hi,” she whispered, staring into his eyes, eyes she hadn’t realized she’d missed so much.

“What—” Rowan began, but he tried to move too much of his body at once and broke off with a wince and a curse. “Damned hell, what happened?”

“Lay back and stop moving,” she ordered him. “You were in an accident; do you remember that?”

Groaning, Rowan actually listened and leaned back into his pillow. “Yeah, yeah I remember. Nox? Fen? They okay?”

“They’re fine,” Aelin assured him. She ran her thumb over his jaw, refusing to stop touching him for at least a little longer. “Nox had some frostbite and scrapes. I think I heard he broke his ankle. Fenrys just got some bruises, he somehow missed the worst of it.”

Rowan’s eyes shuddered closed. He took a few breaths before looking at Aelin again.

“And are you okay?”

Aelin just stared at him. “I’m not the one who fell down a mountain. Y’know, I think you’ve got me beat now for doing stupid things with this.”

“I was saving a life, doesn’t count.” His mouth quirked up into a half smile.

Aelin didn’t have a good response to that. Because really, all she wanted to do was kiss him and call him a fool.

He must have seen something in her eyes because he tried to move. She had no idea what his intentions were—he was still stiff and loopy from his medication. Whatever he was trying to do sent a spasm of pain crawling over his features.

“Stop moving,” Aelin insisted. “You’ve got some broken ribs and a broken leg and your wrist is sprained.”

“I—then why does my head hurt?” He asked.

Poor, silly man.

“That would be the concussion.”

Rowan huffed, squeezing his eyes shut. “Right.”

“You’re in pain,” Aelin said, trying to pull away again. “Let me go get the nurse, they should know you’re awake.”

Shaking his head, Rowan snagged her hand again and tightened his grip. “No. It’s fine, just stay.”

Aelin didn’t like that. Not at all.

“You are literally gritting your teeth in pain,” she said.

“Aelin.” Rowan tugged on her hand, his index finger hooking with hers. “I’m fine.”

She ducked her head, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. She had too many thoughts and emotions rolling inside her, too many things she couldn’t define well enough. Especially not now.

“I was really scared, Rowan,” she whispered. “I saw the newscast of the avalanche and thought—I thought…”

Aelin cut off as another wave of tears clogged her throat.

“Aelin,” Rowan said. He pushed through the pain that he was so obviously in and pulled on her hand so she had to lean in closer. “I’m sorry.”

That should have dried up any and all tears that Aelin was fight back. “You’re what? What do you have to be sorry for? You fell off a cliff. You broke your leg. Don’t you dare try and sit up, I will go get a nurse, don’t try me.”

“For the bar, for the cold shoulder,” he said, only partially speaking over her. “For not talking to you.”

Aelin sank down on the side of the hospital bed, careful of any wires or tubes she might disrupt.

“Yeah,” she murmured. “I am still mad at you about that too.”

Rowan, to his credit, looked chagrined. “Sorry.”

Aelin squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to tell me everything, not now anyways, but I—I want to know.”

“My last girlfriend couldn’t handle the job,” Rowan told her, hardly waiting for her to stop speaking. “Not all the calls in, the long trips I’d be gone for, not the potential danger of it all with storms like this one. She kept showing me other jobs to apply for, telling me to get a real degree at a real college…eventually she told me to make a choice. So I came to Terrasen.”

That had been almost three years ago at this point, if Aelin did her math correctly.

“It didn’t seem fair to put anyone else through that,” he concluded.

“That doesn’t seem fair,” Aelin said, “not fair of her, not fair to you, to anyone. Not if you love the job. Not if your partner loves you. And it’s not fair of you to make that choice for me, either.”

She brushed away the remnants of her last round of tears. Heart hammering in her chest, Aelin fixed Rowan with a stare she only reserved for Fleetfoot. A mix of amused disappointment. It seemed apt for the Buzzard.

“I like you, Buzzard. But you can’t keep acting like a fool.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he conceded.

Aelin nodded resolutely and then, before she could lose her nerve, leaned forward and planted a kiss on his forehead. She thought it perfectly reasonable to leave it at that but then Rowan shifted beneath her and before she could pull back, his mouth collided with hers.

Even drugged up and concussed, Rowan knew how to kiss a woman. Aelin certainly wasn’t one to pass up on this opportunity. She kissed him deeply, feeling the spark of something flare in her chest and spread like wildfire through her blood.

Aelin pulled back far sooner than she wanted to, but she knew he was still recovering.

“Took you long enough,” she told him.

“Sorry, had a mountain fall on me.”

“Ass.” Aelin forced herself to pull away from him for good this time. She went back to get her phone from her purse. “I need to let your mom know you’re awake.”

Rowan made a strangled noise. “You’re talking to my mother?”

“Mostly just texting right now. But she did invite me to family dinner next Sunday, so you’ve gotta be out of the hospital for that.”

“We don’t do family dinner.”

“Now we do,” she planted another kiss on his forehead and dialed into FaceTime. “Hi, Iona! Guess who’s awake!”

.*.*.*.*.

epilogue next

#rowaelin #rowaelin month #rowan x aelin #hey neighbor #hey lucky

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