Wildlands (rskde & BurningWillows)

[BurningWillows]

"I just want my hearing back" she asked, her voice a quivering whisper, "I just want to go home."

Before he could reply a nurse came in, and while Serena hadn't heard anything, Al didn't seem too surprised, so she had probably knocked first. As hard as Serena tried, she couldn't make out what the nurse was saying.

"Sir, I'm just hear to change her morphine drip. Her hip injury is not a small one."

She stepped forward and around the other side of the bed fiddling with whatnot while Serena's attention stayed glued to Al.

"Oh and sir? You were asking about her hearing early. Her doctor got the tests back, he is on his way up right now to speak to you."

She finished and left and moments later an older looking man with salt and pepper hair strolled in, a clip board in his hand. Again Serena tried to make out his words, but she was horrible at lip reading. Instead she relied on Alex, gripping his hand and hoping for the best.

"Alex is it?" the doctor asked, "And this must be the lovely Serena.Well I'm sure your both anxious to hear the results. Firstly, Serena's hip should heal perfectly. It was broken but not shifted out of place, and we will put her in a quick surgery to insert a plate that will help the healing process go quicker. This may take a couple months, between recuperation and then physical therapy, but she can go home with you in the next week, after the surgery is complete and Serena is fit to be released.

Now about her hearing. There is extensive damage in her right ear, probably where the gun was closest to when she shot it. Her left has minor damage, which should heal and her hearing should come back in a day or two, although it may not be as sharp as it was before, but not to worry she'll hardly notice that. Sadly, her right ear sadly took too much damage. From what I know, Serena is probably going to remain deaf in her right ear for the rest of her life. She is lucky she will keep hearing in one ear. Many do not get that."

 

[Risky]

Alex just stares at the doctor, taking in the information as he speaks, his face grows into a hardened expression when he speaks about her hearing.

"You realize that both of us just came back from fighting for your freedom, fighting so you don't have to pick up a gun and step between a rifle and someone else's family, fighting so that you all can stay here and make a living and then go home and rest easy while we have to worry about getting our throats slit in the middle of the night." He says very seriously.

"In other words there is no amount of money I will not pay for her hearing to return completely, so I'm gonna ask you once and only once, is there any way on this god forsaken Earth that you can actually do something to help her hearing."

 

[BurningWillows]

Serena~

The doctor didn't look fazed. He already knew who they were, he was simply doing his job. And in his line of work, threats came often.

"The best we can do is fit her for a hearing aid, once we know whether she is deaf or not in the ear. There is no way to fix the damage."

"What is he saying?" Serena asked loudly, squeezing Alex's hand, "Alex what is going on?"

 

[Risky]

Alex bites the bottom of his lip. "There must be a surgery you can do, or an augmentation..." He says to him quietly. "I want her to live a perfect life, and now you're telling me that she'll be disabled for the rest of her life." He says to him.

 

[BurningWillows]

"She will get the best in hearing aid technology," the doctor explained, "With it she'll be able to hear. And you're forgetting she isn't completely deaf. She will still be able to hear, and go along with her daily life."

Serena was trying to understand, getting more agitated as no one turned towards her, "Alex? What's going on?!"

"The only procedure to date is still experimental, and their is a risk of brain damage if it goes badly. I highly suggest the hearing aid for her."

 

[Risky]

He starts writing on her sheet again, explaining the situation to her before looking back up at the doctor. "Thanks for your help, try to get her up and ready ASAP." He says before shooing him out.

 

[BurningWillows]

She watches the doctor leave, trying to hold back tears.

"I'm going to be deaf?" she whines, not grasping that she would still be able to hear, her drugged mind stuck to only the word deaf.

 

[Risky]

He nods, continuing to hold her hands before writing again. "You should get some sleep." Before leaning back in his chair, waiting for her reaction to his writing.

 

[BurningWillows]

"Stay with me," she begged, "I don't want to be alone. I already hate it here."

 

[Risky]

Alex nods before writing. "I'll stay all night if I have to." Before leaning back again, biting the inside of his cheek as he listens to her speak, he didn't want to stay in a hospital all night, but if it made Serena happy he was fine with it.

 

[BurningWillows]

Even knowing he was staying, it still took her a while to fall asleep. When she did she kept an iron clamped hand on his, sleeping through the night. When she woke, she felt slightly better, telling him to go back to the hotel and rest. She'd be okay for the day, the nurses bringing her a book and a few crosswords to occupy her time, not to mention she finally had television back.

"Go," she murmured, kissing him, "They'll call you if I need you."

 

[Risky]

He nods, yawning tiredly, he hadn't slept all night, he had simply sat there staring at her resting body, as if trying to protect her.

He kisses her back before standing and making his way out of the hotel. He hails a taxi back to his hotel before crashing on his bed.

 

[BurningWillows]

The week went on and by the end of Sunday she was released after a surgery on her hip and a new hearing aid that provided her some hearing. Her left ear seemed to be healing well, sound coming back after day four, so by the time she was wheeled out of the hospital she could hear the world around them.

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking behind her at Alex, "I vote ice cream!"

 

[Risky]

Alex nods. "Anything for you babe." Before wheeling her to his car, picking her up carefully before putting her into the passenger seat. He folds up her chair and places it in the back.

He drives towards the nearest Dairy Queen, driving up to the window.

"What do you want?" He asks after ordering for himself.

 

[BurningWillows]

Serena's eyes go wide - she hadn't had Dairy Queen in months, but it felt like years.

"Oooooh, okay I want a triple chocolate brownie sundae. And a strawberry cheesecake blizzard. And two dilly bars."

She grinned like an idiot, knowing it was a lot but craving all of it. they served shitty food in the hospital and she was starving.

"Pretty please?"

 

[Risky]

He nods. "Hey, are there any active service coupons? Great." He says before ordering her ice cream.

They pull up to the window and he pays half off for everything. He then receives all of the ice cream, putting most of it in the back for when she is ready for it.

"Anything else?" He asks her.

 

[BurningWillows]

Serena is all grins, "MCDONALD'S! I want a burger."

She digs in to her blizzard, smacking her lips in satisfaction, "I have the best boyfriend ever. So when did you get this car?"

 

[Risky]

"I rented it from the airport." He explains. "The military pays for it." He says while he pulls into the McDonalds drive through.

"Are you sure you should be eating all of this? After surviving weeks of hard rations and then a week of hospital food?" He asks as they pull up to the order place.

 

[BurningWillows]

Serena listened to his word, nodding along as she finished her blizzard and worked on her sundae. She knew she shouldn't eat this much, but she just really wanted a burger. Just one. She pushed her lower lip out, giving him her biggest puppy dog chocolate brown eyes.

"Baby please?"

 

[Risky]

He nods. "But that's it until dinner." He says to her before ordering her a small burger. He asks for the active service discount again before driving up to the window.

He gets the food and hands it to her. "Alright, where to next?" He asks.

 

[BurningWillows]

She grinned, scarfing down the burger, "I don't know. Where do you want to go?"

The week had been uneventful, Arya and Kyle spending most of their time together enjoying the simplier things of being back home, and out of the line of fire. They'd gone to the zoo with Kat and Winters, and they'd gone sightseeing alone with Max. Today Arya wanted to go swimming, hoping their was a beach nearby.

"Should we invite the others?" she asked through the bathroom door, getting dressed, "I think Al is out with Serena, but maybe Kat and Winters will join."

 

[Risky]

Alex bites the inside of his cheek while thinking. "We could go to the Smithsonian museum." He suggests. "Or go see some monuments,"

Kyle had already gotten dressed, wearing a Marine Corps t-shirt and a pair of black swimming trunks. "We could invite Winters and Kat." He says to her.

 

[BurningWillows]

She pulled a plain red tee on and a white maxi skirt with sandals. Katerina and her had done a little shopping when they had gotten back, Kat lending Arya some money so they could get some normal clothes. Kat wouldn't tell them how much she had in her trust fund, but it was enough to spend on her teammates, and completely spoil Winters from what Arya had seen.

Coming out of the bathroom she kissed Kyle and gave Max a quick pet.

"Did you get directions to a beach? I'd love to go for a swim."

She got closer to him, kissing him longer, "Aaaand do some sunbathing."

Katerina was spoiling Kevin, and she loved it. She'd already treated him to a shopping spree, and then treated herself. She woke in pink silk pajamas, curled up beside him with a permanent smile plastered on her face.

"Either sound good, if you don't mind pushing me around. I love museums though."

 

[Risky]

"Let's go to the museums then." He says as he drives towards the heart of Washington DC.

Kyle listens to her through the door, once she opens it he wraps his arms around her as she kisses him which he returns with gratitude.

"I love swimming, and sunbathing with you would be perfect he admits." Before returning another kiss from her. Spending more time with her was amazing, he seems to fall deeper in love with her by the second each day.

Winters wakes up next to her, his hands sliding down her pajamas to her hips before smothering her lips with his.

 

[BurningWillows]

"Onwards!" she laughed, finishing her burger.

Arya's fingers massaged through his hair, "I can't wait to show off my bikini to you."

Taking his hand she grabbed her beach bag and dragged them out into the hall. They walked down the Katerina and Winters room, knocking softly.

Katerina Silvika:

Her lips hungered for his, her hands roaming him and she woke more. Suddenly they were interrupted by knocking, cutting their alone time short.

"Ugggggh," Kat growled, "It's your turn to answer the door babe."