"I'll cover them," he says. He gently tugs his hand away, exits her room, and goes to the nurse's station to get a roll of medical tape (requesting the juice and milk while he's at it for efficiency's sake). When he returns, he places the items on the tray table and rips off a strip of the tape. "I'm going to wrap this around the bracket," he says. "I need to be careful. Don't move." He'll have to do the bracket on her leg, too, but one thing at a time.
He's gentle as he presses the tape to the shiny parts of the metal, being sure not to yank or put pressure on the pulleys. Still, he's sure she can feel minute movements of the cords. It's just inevitable.
The hard part about doing this is the only way to accomplish it is to look at the bracket. He looks away several times, training his gaze on the ceiling. He sees other things, just glimpses, impressions, but they're enough to disturb him. Some of them are of the past, with little things different, some of them are of an altered present. It's not that the images themselves are so bad, it's just the fact that this is happening at all.
"Okay," he says with a strong exhale once he's finished. "Now for the other one."
He begins wrapping the bracket at her feet. This one is larger and turned at a different angle, the broad shiny side facing upward rather than sideways. He looks down at it, judging where the first strip of tape should be placed, when he sees it. His own body, with South and Wash standing over him.
This time he should look away. He shouldn't let his gaze linger this time. But it's something about the sight of him, dead, and as he watches South's death is faked over the radio. Why did Wash do that? Was any of this even real? Was this what had happened, or was this another distortion?
He rubs at his forehead, but keeps looking, reaching slowly to grip the edges of the bracket. He sees the Meta attacking, sees as South has Delta implanted immediately before the fight. North's riveted; he can't look away. He sees South shoot Wash in the back. He sees as South leaves with Delta. He hears her call in to Command as Recovery Two. Just as Delta had said.
Day 152 | Morning | Action
He's gentle as he presses the tape to the shiny parts of the metal, being sure not to yank or put pressure on the pulleys. Still, he's sure she can feel minute movements of the cords. It's just inevitable.
The hard part about doing this is the only way to accomplish it is to look at the bracket. He looks away several times, training his gaze on the ceiling. He sees other things, just glimpses, impressions, but they're enough to disturb him. Some of them are of the past, with little things different, some of them are of an altered present. It's not that the images themselves are so bad, it's just the fact that this is happening at all.
"Okay," he says with a strong exhale once he's finished. "Now for the other one."
He begins wrapping the bracket at her feet. This one is larger and turned at a different angle, the broad shiny side facing upward rather than sideways. He looks down at it, judging where the first strip of tape should be placed, when he sees it. His own body, with South and Wash standing over him.
This time he should look away. He shouldn't let his gaze linger this time. But it's something about the sight of him, dead, and as he watches South's death is faked over the radio. Why did Wash do that? Was any of this even real? Was this what had happened, or was this another distortion?
He rubs at his forehead, but keeps looking, reaching slowly to grip the edges of the bracket. He sees the Meta attacking, sees as South has Delta implanted immediately before the fight. North's riveted; he can't look away. He sees South shoot Wash in the back. He sees as South leaves with Delta. He hears her call in to Command as Recovery Two. Just as Delta had said.
Just as Delta had said.