Visiting Hours
Title: Visiting Hours
Rating: PG
Summary: Continuation of Tell Me I'm Wrong, Please... Stay, Not Yet, Don't, That's Kinda Hot, Never, Sigma, Now What?
Maine poked at his tray with his fork, nothing sounding good even though his stomach growled in hunger. He didn't want to eat; he felt guilty looking after himself when all he could think of was Wash. York sighed. "Y'know, I understand what you're feeling," he said quietly.
"How could you?" Maine murmured in return.
"Carolina's been having a lot of problems since her implants."
Maine's frown deepened. "I hadn't heard that." Why didn't he know about that? He hadn't heard anyone talking about it.
"Yah. They've been keeping it quiet. I guess they didn't want rumours to spread..." He shrugged and pushed the half-eaten tray away. "They gave her two, ya know."
Maine paused, not looking up but stopping his fidgets. "I didn't know."
"So believe me when I say, I really do understand what you're going through. There's nothing you can do until they release him but try to keep yourself busy and keep your mind off it-"
"How the fuck am I supposed to do that? You... you didn't hear him, York. God, it sounded like..." He stopped and shook his head. In truth, he had no words to describe the sound that Wash had made. He had never heard anything like it. Not from a man, anyway. "I'm sorry," he mumbled at last. "I know you're trying to help."
York leaned back and chewed on his toothpick. "I was gonna stop by medbay tomorrow and check on her. You can come along if you want, see how he's doing. Won't look so suspicious."
Maine exhaled and closed his eyes. "Thank you, York."
York nodded and then stood up. He squeezed Maine's shoulder and said, "You should try and get some sleep. I've got a briefing, but I'll swing by your quarters tomorrow on my way, alright?"
Maine nodded silently and watched the other leave the mess, grateful for his concern and his friendship.
It took some doing to fight the urge to get completely blind drunk once he got back to his quarters. He didn't want to feel what he was feeling. He didn't want to be here doing fine while Wash was stuck hooked up to whatever machines they had him on. Most of all, he did not want to be alone.
"Sigma?"
The purple AI appeared but said nothing, waiting for Maine to sort out his thoughts.
After sitting quietly for several minutes, he finally said, "Just... just don't leave me alone, okay?"
"I will be here the whole time. Sleep now, Maine."
Maine nodded, curling up on his bunk and clutching his pillow. Sleep was a long time coming, and even when he did sleep it was not very good.
As he had promised, Sigma remained beside him, seeming to sit on the edge of his pillow with a hand on his head to calm him. He had only been active for a few days, but already he had grown a fondness for his Assignee.
The next morning, he and York were headed to the medical facilities. They stopped by Carolina's room first. As they walked in, she opened her eyes, sending a glowing smile in York's direction. After offering a few words of greeting, Maine kept himself off to the side and let them talk. It was hard not to feel jealous of how affectionate they could be to one another. Mostly he tried not to listen to their murmured conversation, and dropped his eyes a little when they kissed, but the visit was cut short. Whatever drugs they had her on were putting her to sleep again, and so with a last kiss and squeeze of the hand, York finally left her side.
All Maine could think of was York had been right, he knew exactly what he was going through. The visit to Washington's room was... difficult. When they walked in, his eyes were closed. The eerie, rhythmic blips from the machines were the only sounds at first. Maine's eyes scanned the various screens displaying vital information, then walked to Wash's side and touched his shoulder.
He seemed so despondent, barely lifting his eyes to acknowledge Maine. There was a nurse in the room, and York distracted her for a few moments so that Maine could take hold of his hand and press a gentle kiss to his forehead. Then he settled into a chair beside him. He wanted to ask what happened, what that scream had been, how he was feeling. He wanted to say I love you. I miss you. I wish you weren't stuck in this fucking place! Maine sighed. "Any idea when they're going to release you?"
Wash shook his head slightly. Deep bags beneath his eyes made him look almost bruised.
More words slipped in and out of his mind before he spoke again. "I'm sorry."
Silence followed again, and before long York came over, standing on the other side of the bed. He patted Washington's hand, then looked over at Maine. "Nurse says we have to go now," he said. "They're starting him on a new series of tests soon."
Something in Maine broke. He didn't care who saw, he didn't care what they would do to him for it, he didn't care what military codes he was breaking. He leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to his lover's lips, caressed his face as if he could smooth away the lines of worry and pain that were there. A spark of love appeared in Wash's eyes and it took all of Maine's self control to resist his tears. "I love you," he murmured softly. "I'll see you again soon. I'll be waiting for you every minute."
Wash nodded, still saying nothing. York reached over and tapped his shoulder. "Alright, Maine. We'd better get going."
Maine reluctantly laid Wash's hand across his chest, then pulled himself away from the bed. He was unsure if he felt better and worse having seen him, but at least he knew that Wash knew he loved him.
Rating: PG
Summary: Continuation of Tell Me I'm Wrong, Please... Stay, Not Yet, Don't, That's Kinda Hot, Never, Sigma, Now What?
Maine poked at his tray with his fork, nothing sounding good even though his stomach growled in hunger. He didn't want to eat; he felt guilty looking after himself when all he could think of was Wash. York sighed. "Y'know, I understand what you're feeling," he said quietly.
"How could you?" Maine murmured in return.
"Carolina's been having a lot of problems since her implants."
Maine's frown deepened. "I hadn't heard that." Why didn't he know about that? He hadn't heard anyone talking about it.
"Yah. They've been keeping it quiet. I guess they didn't want rumours to spread..." He shrugged and pushed the half-eaten tray away. "They gave her two, ya know."
Maine paused, not looking up but stopping his fidgets. "I didn't know."
"So believe me when I say, I really do understand what you're going through. There's nothing you can do until they release him but try to keep yourself busy and keep your mind off it-"
"How the fuck am I supposed to do that? You... you didn't hear him, York. God, it sounded like..." He stopped and shook his head. In truth, he had no words to describe the sound that Wash had made. He had never heard anything like it. Not from a man, anyway. "I'm sorry," he mumbled at last. "I know you're trying to help."
York leaned back and chewed on his toothpick. "I was gonna stop by medbay tomorrow and check on her. You can come along if you want, see how he's doing. Won't look so suspicious."
Maine exhaled and closed his eyes. "Thank you, York."
York nodded and then stood up. He squeezed Maine's shoulder and said, "You should try and get some sleep. I've got a briefing, but I'll swing by your quarters tomorrow on my way, alright?"
Maine nodded silently and watched the other leave the mess, grateful for his concern and his friendship.
It took some doing to fight the urge to get completely blind drunk once he got back to his quarters. He didn't want to feel what he was feeling. He didn't want to be here doing fine while Wash was stuck hooked up to whatever machines they had him on. Most of all, he did not want to be alone.
"Sigma?"
The purple AI appeared but said nothing, waiting for Maine to sort out his thoughts.
After sitting quietly for several minutes, he finally said, "Just... just don't leave me alone, okay?"
"I will be here the whole time. Sleep now, Maine."
Maine nodded, curling up on his bunk and clutching his pillow. Sleep was a long time coming, and even when he did sleep it was not very good.
As he had promised, Sigma remained beside him, seeming to sit on the edge of his pillow with a hand on his head to calm him. He had only been active for a few days, but already he had grown a fondness for his Assignee.
The next morning, he and York were headed to the medical facilities. They stopped by Carolina's room first. As they walked in, she opened her eyes, sending a glowing smile in York's direction. After offering a few words of greeting, Maine kept himself off to the side and let them talk. It was hard not to feel jealous of how affectionate they could be to one another. Mostly he tried not to listen to their murmured conversation, and dropped his eyes a little when they kissed, but the visit was cut short. Whatever drugs they had her on were putting her to sleep again, and so with a last kiss and squeeze of the hand, York finally left her side.
All Maine could think of was York had been right, he knew exactly what he was going through. The visit to Washington's room was... difficult. When they walked in, his eyes were closed. The eerie, rhythmic blips from the machines were the only sounds at first. Maine's eyes scanned the various screens displaying vital information, then walked to Wash's side and touched his shoulder.
He seemed so despondent, barely lifting his eyes to acknowledge Maine. There was a nurse in the room, and York distracted her for a few moments so that Maine could take hold of his hand and press a gentle kiss to his forehead. Then he settled into a chair beside him. He wanted to ask what happened, what that scream had been, how he was feeling. He wanted to say I love you. I miss you. I wish you weren't stuck in this fucking place! Maine sighed. "Any idea when they're going to release you?"
Wash shook his head slightly. Deep bags beneath his eyes made him look almost bruised.
More words slipped in and out of his mind before he spoke again. "I'm sorry."
Silence followed again, and before long York came over, standing on the other side of the bed. He patted Washington's hand, then looked over at Maine. "Nurse says we have to go now," he said. "They're starting him on a new series of tests soon."
Something in Maine broke. He didn't care who saw, he didn't care what they would do to him for it, he didn't care what military codes he was breaking. He leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to his lover's lips, caressed his face as if he could smooth away the lines of worry and pain that were there. A spark of love appeared in Wash's eyes and it took all of Maine's self control to resist his tears. "I love you," he murmured softly. "I'll see you again soon. I'll be waiting for you every minute."
Wash nodded, still saying nothing. York reached over and tapped his shoulder. "Alright, Maine. We'd better get going."
Maine reluctantly laid Wash's hand across his chest, then pulled himself away from the bed. He was unsure if he felt better and worse having seen him, but at least he knew that Wash knew he loved him.