Welcome back...
And after this, and bringing up to present day...
Michael awoke with a gasp as the echo of a gunshot and the sound of Tess screaming burned in his mind from the nightmare he had been in. As soon as his eyes fluttered open he was quick to shut them again; the bright light from the lamp next to his bed hurt his eyes since he had gotten so used to darkness, and because of the pain he was in.
The sudden feel of a moist cloth passing over his forehead made him open his eyes again, and he stared up at the nurse that was smiling gently at him even if on his face there was no emotion. "You were due for another round of painkillers; you should start feeling better soon, dear."
He didn't say anything, though. He just turned towards the window, wanting to be left alone once and for all. Sure enough the nurse got the hint and didn't say anything else; she just put the remote in his hand that he could use to call a nurse and walked out of the room.
"It's not going to be quite that easy to get rid of me, you know."
Michael didn't have to turn to know it was Damian, or even to know that he was walking closer to his bed and pulling up a chair next to him. They both stayed silent for a long time before Damian finally spoke again. "You're back in New York, Michael. You're in a private hospital, and you'll be safe here. There's even a guard outside."
"You don't have to do me any favors," he muttered without turning to him. The view he was getting from his window was far more interesting. "I don't want you here."
"Yeah, well, that's too bad because I'm not going anywhere." Damian sighed and rested his elbows on Michael's bed. "What the hell were you thinking, going after that bastard without asking for help? I know I didn't believe you when you said he was alive, but--"
"It doesn't matter now, does it."
Damian frowned. "Of course it matters. You went against company policy and it's going to be a pain in the ass to pull you out of this one."
"Then don't." His voice was so flat and apathetic that, if he would have noticed Damian's face, he would have noticed how the anger disappeared and instead he frowned in concern. "Send me to jail, then. I killed him, didn't I? I killed two others while being in there. It doesn't fucking matter anymore."
Silence filled the room for a moment, the only sounds that could be heard were the sound of the heart monitor beeping constantly. Finally Damian sighed and passed a hand along his hair. "Michael... I've been trying to find a way to tell you this, but... Tess is not dead." He waited for Michael to turn to him, but he didn't even blink so he continued, "Jack sent her to a clinic where apparently there was a doctor who was also treating your injuries while you were in there. He took care of her until one of the nurses overheard why Tess was being kept in there and she called the police. That's how I overheard what happened and volunteered to go get you.
"After that," he continued with a sigh, "we transferred you here, as well as Tess. You're both hurt, but the doctors hope you will both do a full recovery."
Once again Michael's only response was silence, but this time it didn't last as long and he finally turned to look at him. "That's not fucking funny."
"You will recover. And Tess is alive. She's in another room; I didn't ask for her to be placed here with you because..." His voice lowered. "You were a fucking mess. When I tried telling you back there that Tess was alive after you killed Jack you punched me, you kept fighting us when we tried to get you out of there... If the paramedics wouldn't have used that sedative I doubt you would have calmed down. But you got transferred here, to New York, and you got full medical attention. You've needed some blood transfusions after the surgeries you had for the gunshot wounds you had. Your ribs are in bad shape. And your wrist... The doctor says that will need some time to heal, but in due time you should be alright."
Michael still didn't say anything. He didn't feel alright, and it wasn't just because his body was hurting. It didn't matter how covered in bruises his body was, or how many cuts his face had. It didn't matter about how many ribs were broken, or how his wrist would be.
"Michael," Damian said once more, this time more gently, "She's alive. And she's going to need to see you soon, so you better get ready for that. I don't think you want her to see you like this." Because Damian could see how haunted his eyes looked, and how changed Michael was after weeks and weeks of things he couldn't even imagine. "Do you need me to call anyone for you? Your sisters and your mom are probably worried about you, too."
"I just need you to leave me alone."
Sighing under his breath, he stood. "Fine. I'll be outside, though. All you have to do is call one of us and we'll take you to see Tess, or--"
"Leave, Damian. I need you to leave me alone."
With just a nod, Damian walked out of the room and shook his head once the door closed. He would get things straight with Michael later and remind him that his agents were never supposed to give orders to their boss but he didn't. He just hoped Michael would start feeling like himself soon enough, because seeing that blankness in his face and that haunted look in his eyes was starting to weird him out more than he could really say.
Michael awoke with a gasp as the echo of a gunshot and the sound of Tess screaming burned in his mind from the nightmare he had been in. As soon as his eyes fluttered open he was quick to shut them again; the bright light from the lamp next to his bed hurt his eyes since he had gotten so used to darkness, and because of the pain he was in.
The sudden feel of a moist cloth passing over his forehead made him open his eyes again, and he stared up at the nurse that was smiling gently at him even if on his face there was no emotion. "You were due for another round of painkillers; you should start feeling better soon, dear."
He didn't say anything, though. He just turned towards the window, wanting to be left alone once and for all. Sure enough the nurse got the hint and didn't say anything else; she just put the remote in his hand that he could use to call a nurse and walked out of the room.
"It's not going to be quite that easy to get rid of me, you know."
Michael didn't have to turn to know it was Damian, or even to know that he was walking closer to his bed and pulling up a chair next to him. They both stayed silent for a long time before Damian finally spoke again. "You're back in New York, Michael. You're in a private hospital, and you'll be safe here. There's even a guard outside."
"You don't have to do me any favors," he muttered without turning to him. The view he was getting from his window was far more interesting. "I don't want you here."
"Yeah, well, that's too bad because I'm not going anywhere." Damian sighed and rested his elbows on Michael's bed. "What the hell were you thinking, going after that bastard without asking for help? I know I didn't believe you when you said he was alive, but--"
"It doesn't matter now, does it."
Damian frowned. "Of course it matters. You went against company policy and it's going to be a pain in the ass to pull you out of this one."
"Then don't." His voice was so flat and apathetic that, if he would have noticed Damian's face, he would have noticed how the anger disappeared and instead he frowned in concern. "Send me to jail, then. I killed him, didn't I? I killed two others while being in there. It doesn't fucking matter anymore."
Silence filled the room for a moment, the only sounds that could be heard were the sound of the heart monitor beeping constantly. Finally Damian sighed and passed a hand along his hair. "Michael... I've been trying to find a way to tell you this, but... Tess is not dead." He waited for Michael to turn to him, but he didn't even blink so he continued, "Jack sent her to a clinic where apparently there was a doctor who was also treating your injuries while you were in there. He took care of her until one of the nurses overheard why Tess was being kept in there and she called the police. That's how I overheard what happened and volunteered to go get you.
"After that," he continued with a sigh, "we transferred you here, as well as Tess. You're both hurt, but the doctors hope you will both do a full recovery."
Once again Michael's only response was silence, but this time it didn't last as long and he finally turned to look at him. "That's not fucking funny."
"You will recover. And Tess is alive. She's in another room; I didn't ask for her to be placed here with you because..." His voice lowered. "You were a fucking mess. When I tried telling you back there that Tess was alive after you killed Jack you punched me, you kept fighting us when we tried to get you out of there... If the paramedics wouldn't have used that sedative I doubt you would have calmed down. But you got transferred here, to New York, and you got full medical attention. You've needed some blood transfusions after the surgeries you had for the gunshot wounds you had. Your ribs are in bad shape. And your wrist... The doctor says that will need some time to heal, but in due time you should be alright."
Michael still didn't say anything. He didn't feel alright, and it wasn't just because his body was hurting. It didn't matter how covered in bruises his body was, or how many cuts his face had. It didn't matter about how many ribs were broken, or how his wrist would be.
"Michael," Damian said once more, this time more gently, "She's alive. And she's going to need to see you soon, so you better get ready for that. I don't think you want her to see you like this." Because Damian could see how haunted his eyes looked, and how changed Michael was after weeks and weeks of things he couldn't even imagine. "Do you need me to call anyone for you? Your sisters and your mom are probably worried about you, too."
"I just need you to leave me alone."
Sighing under his breath, he stood. "Fine. I'll be outside, though. All you have to do is call one of us and we'll take you to see Tess, or--"
"Leave, Damian. I need you to leave me alone."
With just a nod, Damian walked out of the room and shook his head once the door closed. He would get things straight with Michael later and remind him that his agents were never supposed to give orders to their boss but he didn't. He just hoped Michael would start feeling like himself soon enough, because seeing that blankness in his face and that haunted look in his eyes was starting to weird him out more than he could really say.