[dated to the week of Jan 31-Feb 4]

[poison_lipstick]

Saffron couldn't remember the last time she'd been so bad off. She'd been injured twice before on the island - once during that freak snowstorm, when she'd been rescued by Brad, and once on Halloween more than three years ago, when she'd fought Reavers with River and gotten stitched up by Simon - and neither had been as bad as this. She was stuck

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[scoobys_heart]

To say Xander hadn't moved from Helen's side was an understatement. Occasionally people from the club would coax him to eat or get some sleep, but otherwise, unless he was absolutely needed somewhere, he was sitting by her bed side.

Jack had just shooed him off to get something to eat and he wasted no time returning after he'd choked down a sandwich and some juice. "Hey," He said with a bright smile when he saw she was awake. "How you feeling?"

[poison_lipstick]

When Xander came back in, Saffron gave him a fondly exasperated look. "What did you do," she said hoarsely, "inhale your gorram food?" She reached out a hand for him, patting the side of the bed with the other. Though she'd been trying to get him to go home, get a good night's sleep, eat a decent meal, Saffron was truly grateful for Xander's near constant presence at her side.

[scoobys_heart]

"I tasted it, so that doesn't count right?" Xander teased as he moved to sit on the bed where she indicated. "Can I get you anything?" He asked as he took her hand in his and kissed the back.

[poison_lipstick]

She would have protested, tried to make him go back in the kitchen and eat proper, but her voice was tired and her ribs ached, so she just smiled. "Just you, right now," Saffron replied. "Even if I - wish you would go - get some proper sleep."

[ilovemykilt]

"You need a bodyguard," says Priestly when he sees Helen, and he's pretty sure that Xander would agree with him, if he hasn't already claimed the position from the looks of it. "It's not so bad once you get used to it. You get to go around looking badass all the time. Not that you don't already."

[poison_lipstick]

Saffron smiled when she saw Priestly; she'd had a lot of practice smiling while she was in pain, though in the past the pain hadn't been quite so...physical. "Does this mean you're applying for the job? Or -" she had to pause, once in a while, to catch her breath, ease the soreness in her lungs and throat- "do you have recommendations?"

[ilovemykilt]

"I'm pretty sure you're not going to have a shortage of volunteers," says Priestly, "and, uh, between you and me, they're probably gonna be better protectors than me. Which you're not going to tell anyone I admitted, right?"

[poison_lipstick]

"Wouldn't dream of it," Saffron replied with the slightest huff of a laugh that still managed to send a spike of pain through her. "So tell me all the - island gossip I've been missing - out on since I've been in here."

[cibosity]

Of course Sawyer knew what went down at the space station. Of course he doubted himself just enough to wonder, a vague and idle sort of wonder, whether or not his luck had anything to do with it. After all, his luck did tend to down south rather often, and he'd joined the IPD not long before, a stroke of what Sawyer had to consider good luck, and one that he was sure would be countered with something major in short order. Like, for instance, a space station showing up out of nowhere, and then falling out of nowhere, trying to take everyone inside with it. He couldn't let himself think that way for too long, though. It was too... suffocating. Not even depressing. Just made it hard to breathe

[poison_lipstick]

It had taken some coaxing, plus a couple folks from the club practically frogmarching him from the room, but Xander finally agreed to go and get something to eat. A little less worried about him knowing he was going to get some food in him - and there had been mention of standing over him to make sure he actually chewed his food - Saffron relaxed a little more, and was considering getting a bit of sleep when a familiar figure walked in.

"You liar, I know I look like hell," she croaked out, but she had a decidedly amused smile. "But thank you. Fortunately, bruises fade away eventually."

She lifted a hand and beckoned him over closer. "Those pretty flowers for me?"

[cibosity]

"Hell for you's still prettier than most chicks on a good day, and I ain't sayin' that as flattery," Sawyer pointed out, his tone very matter-of-fact as he walked on over, placing the flowers on the nearby bedstand, close enough that she could have reached out for them if she wanted, but otherwise wouldn't be disturbed or fear tipping it over. "So all's we gotta worry about is makin' sure everything's in workin' order. Fortunately, we got doctors to do that."

He looked over his shoulder, feigning worry, brow artfully knit.

"'Cause if I went through with an examination right now, pretty sure I'll become one of the few people on this island that leaves by someone's choice. That boyfriend of yours, kinda clingy." Sawyer looked back with a pause. "Mean that in the best possible way, of course."

[poison_lipstick]

It was sheer force of will that kept Saffron from laughing at Sawyer's antics. "I got broken ribs, gorrammit, you - can't be coming in here trying to make me laugh," she groused hoarsely, though she was smiling. "He's not clingy, he's protective, there's - a difference. Besides, he - knows who he's with."

[weary_head]

You'd think a spacestation falling from the sky would have equal effect on every island resident, but you'd be wrong. Dean had heard, brow wrinkled as he took it in, eyes narrowed when he looked up to see, and then he'd gone home, back to his baby sister and his own ever spiraling worry for Neil.

He'd gone home, and it wasn't until someone brought him word that people were hurt, other people he cared about, that Dean finally woke up and took notice.

She looks like she's sleeping when he appears in the clinic doorway - sleeping, he makes himself think again, not dead despite the bruises - and he enters as quietly as he can. He doesn't want to wake her, but his hand are reaching before he knows it, wrapping gently around her own as he sinks into the chair.

[poison_lipstick]

Xander was off getting a bite to eat, and in his absence Saffron had dozed off, leaning back against pillows in the partially elevated position she needed to be in because of her lung. The act of someone taking her hands in theirs roused her, and her lashes fluttered as she pulled herself into wakefulness while attempting to move as little as possible.

When she turned her head slightly and saw that it was Dean, she smiled, unmistakably fond, but tired. "Hi, honey," Saffron said hoarsely, squeezing his hands.

[weary_head]

Dean startles, relieved that while her grip isn't as strong as it should be, neither is it as weak as he'd feared. "Hey," he says, looking up with what's got to be the biggest smile he's managed in weeks. "Figured you were out, how - " He has to stop and swallow, those bruises crinkling around her cheeks and on her throat sucking the air right back out of him. "How you feeling?"

[poison_lipstick]

"Oh, I'm all right," she replied, keeping hold of his hands. He was definitely a sight for sore eyes. "Just need to - do a little mending and I'll be - right as rain." What would definitely help was for her to once again be able to breathe properly, to not have to stop every few words and get her breath, ease up on the strain to her throat for a moment.