Waiting for Evan
Dec. 18th, 2012 12:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rinkhcTitle: Waiting for Evan
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis - AU
Prompt: Hospital Stay
Medium: FIC
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,336
Summary a precursor to the Sins ‘verse, David finds out about Evan's injuries
Content Notes: No standard notes apply
“Hello, I was trying to reach Doctor David Parrish, is he available?” David hadn’t recognized the caller ID, but he did recognize the area code as Colorado Springs, so he had picked up. Even after all this time, he still held out hope that Evan might be willing to reconcile.
He paused, considering telling the strange woman ‘wrong number’ but instead he answered, “I’m David Parrish.”
“I’m glad we tracked you down, Doctor Parrish. My name is Carolyn Lam, I’m head of Medical at the Mountain.” At the words, David’s blood ran cold. This wasn’t going to be a good call.
“Yes, we met when I had my exit interview. How are you, Doctor?”
She cleared her throat, and he sensed the tension. She didn’t want to be making this call anymore than he wanted to be getting it. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes already. “I’m doing well, thanks. I called because you were listed in Lieutenant Colonel Lorne’s file as an emergency contact at one time. I was hoping perhaps you knew how to get in contact with his family?”
“He has no one left, I’m afraid. His parents are both gone and his sister died in a car wreck a few years ago. Is he hurt?” God, please don’t let him be dead.
“I’m afraid so, Doctor Parrish. He’s been evacuated and is coming home. He’s got a very long recovery ahead of him, he’ll be hospitalized for a while.”
His knees had gone out from under him and he was sitting on the floor, huddling over in relief. He wasn’t dead. Almost anything else could be dealt with. “When do you expect him in?” He must be coming in on the Daedelus.
“They’re scheduled to land in five days.”
“I’ll be there in four. Can arrangements be made to get me a security pass for the mountain?”
She seemed relieved when she responded, “I’ll have a pass key at the gate for you Friday.”
“Thank you for calling me, Doctor Lam. I don’t think Evan would have.”
~*~
He waited in the depressingly sterile waiting area at Cheyenne Mountain for Doctor Lam to come back to tell him what the situation was. He was surprised to see Doctor Beckett coming towards him instead.
“David!” Carson’s smile was weary.
“Hi Doctor Beckett. They let you leave the city?” He clasped the hand the doctor extended.
“Oh, you didn’t hear then? I’m afraid we were all evacuated, the city was lost. Not many of us made it,” Beckett said sadly.
David felt like he’d been punched in the gut. “Oh my God.”
“Aye. I believe Doctor Katz from your department made it. But you’re here about Evan, aren’t you?” He nodded, numb with shock at the news. “Come and sit.”
He listened while Beckett told him how Evan had been injured, and that he had lost one leg and was now blind. He was concerned at Evan’s apathy, his recovery was not progressing as it should.
“He’s being transferred to a rehabilitation center tomorrow. We’ve done all we can do for him.”
“I want to see him.”
“He’s adamantly refusing visitors.”
David sighed, knowing how stubborn Evan could be, he was not at all surprised. “He’ll need help, when he gets out.”
“Aye, he will. It will be a long transition for him. I’m hopeful that we can find a caregiver for him.”
He snorted. “I’m not letting anyone else near my major. I’ll do it.”
“He’s a Lieutenant Colonel now, lad.”
David waved a hand dismissively. “He’ll always be my major. So, what am I going to have to learn?”
~*~
He wanted to run forward and catch Evan as his body sagged and he nearly fell between the bars the therapist had him working on. They were trying to improve his upper body strength. He went to every therapy session, observing what they did, learning the exercises that Evan would eventually have to do at home. Beckett had helped make the arrangements, even though he wasn’t a certified therapist, he would be able to work with Evan between his therapy sessions.
Evan was refusing visitors. Chuck Campbell had bullied his way into Evan’s room, though David had yet to figure out how he’d gotten past the gauntlet of nurses. When he came out of the elevator, David had intercepted the tech and dragged him off to talk about Evan over coffee.
David went to the hospital every day. Everyday, he was refused entry by Evan’s cadre of nurse-guards. He was allowed to observe the therapy sessions only because of Doctor Beckett’s influence.
He thought about writing Evan a note, but how could he make things right in a few words that someone else would have to read to him? He needed to talk to him and smooth it over. But Evan refused to talk to anyone.
~*~
He hated hospitals. He hated hospital food, he hated the smell of the corridors. He hated the oppressing sadness that weighed down everyone he saw every day when he went to check on Evan.
Watching through the observation window, he saw that Evan had lost a significant amount of weight, his pajamas were hanging on him and his cheeks were sunken. He was listless and had to be cajoled by the therapists into moving through his exercise routines.
It was easy enough to blame the hospital for sapping away Evan’s strength and will. It was a dreadful place that David hated.
“I’m going to barge in there and see him,” David declared over coffee after Chuck had been booted out by the nursing staff and joined him in the cafeteria.
“The nurse let it slip that they’re sending him home soon,” Chuck told him.
“Finally.” He left the cafeteria and tracked down the person responsible for planning Evan’s discharge. He explained the situation to her. She seemed very reluctant to put him down as a contact person. She insisted on going to speak to Evan.
When she returned to her office, she had an odd look on her face. “He said he doesn’t care one way or the other about where he goes or who takes care of him, so I guess since you were his emergency contact, we’ll proceed with you for the time being. A social worker will visit the day after discharge to see that he’s settling in.”
~*~
David straightened the curtains and moved the recliner again. Evan wouldn’t need to see the TV, he would just need to hear it. So he angled the chair so that the wheelchair could move more easily around the room.
He was a nervous wreck. What if Evan blew a gasket? Chuck was bringing him home, the discharge planner had arranged that. David had decided to meet them here, at the apartment. If things went south, Chuck could stay with Evan until another caregiver could be hired from an agency. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
He heard the car pull up and he ran to the door. It took some maneuvering, but Chuck managed to get Evan out of the car and into the chair. He heard him making small talk as he came up the walkway. He stepped aside as Chuck pushed the chair inside.
When Chuck excused himself to make coffee, David was alone with Evan for the first time. He walked up to him and crouched down, reaching out to stroke his hand over Evan’s cheek, his fingers lightly tracing the scars. He breathed out, “Damn, Evan, what did they do to you?”
Evan let out a sob, and then another, and David couldn’t stop himself from wrapping his arms around him and holding him close. The apology he’d planned fled his mind and he just murmured, “I’m sorry, Evan, I’m so sorry.”
Rather than pushing him away, Evan clung more tightly to him, and that made all the difference. It was going to be okay.
The End
Notes:
slashing_ lorne: 12 Days of Lorne
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis - AU
Prompt: Hospital Stay
Medium: FIC
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,336
Summary a precursor to the Sins ‘verse, David finds out about Evan's injuries
Content Notes: No standard notes apply
“Hello, I was trying to reach Doctor David Parrish, is he available?” David hadn’t recognized the caller ID, but he did recognize the area code as Colorado Springs, so he had picked up. Even after all this time, he still held out hope that Evan might be willing to reconcile.
He paused, considering telling the strange woman ‘wrong number’ but instead he answered, “I’m David Parrish.”
“I’m glad we tracked you down, Doctor Parrish. My name is Carolyn Lam, I’m head of Medical at the Mountain.” At the words, David’s blood ran cold. This wasn’t going to be a good call.
“Yes, we met when I had my exit interview. How are you, Doctor?”
She cleared her throat, and he sensed the tension. She didn’t want to be making this call anymore than he wanted to be getting it. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes already. “I’m doing well, thanks. I called because you were listed in Lieutenant Colonel Lorne’s file as an emergency contact at one time. I was hoping perhaps you knew how to get in contact with his family?”
“He has no one left, I’m afraid. His parents are both gone and his sister died in a car wreck a few years ago. Is he hurt?” God, please don’t let him be dead.
“I’m afraid so, Doctor Parrish. He’s been evacuated and is coming home. He’s got a very long recovery ahead of him, he’ll be hospitalized for a while.”
His knees had gone out from under him and he was sitting on the floor, huddling over in relief. He wasn’t dead. Almost anything else could be dealt with. “When do you expect him in?” He must be coming in on the Daedelus.
“They’re scheduled to land in five days.”
“I’ll be there in four. Can arrangements be made to get me a security pass for the mountain?”
She seemed relieved when she responded, “I’ll have a pass key at the gate for you Friday.”
“Thank you for calling me, Doctor Lam. I don’t think Evan would have.”
He waited in the depressingly sterile waiting area at Cheyenne Mountain for Doctor Lam to come back to tell him what the situation was. He was surprised to see Doctor Beckett coming towards him instead.
“David!” Carson’s smile was weary.
“Hi Doctor Beckett. They let you leave the city?” He clasped the hand the doctor extended.
“Oh, you didn’t hear then? I’m afraid we were all evacuated, the city was lost. Not many of us made it,” Beckett said sadly.
David felt like he’d been punched in the gut. “Oh my God.”
“Aye. I believe Doctor Katz from your department made it. But you’re here about Evan, aren’t you?” He nodded, numb with shock at the news. “Come and sit.”
He listened while Beckett told him how Evan had been injured, and that he had lost one leg and was now blind. He was concerned at Evan’s apathy, his recovery was not progressing as it should.
“He’s being transferred to a rehabilitation center tomorrow. We’ve done all we can do for him.”
“I want to see him.”
“He’s adamantly refusing visitors.”
David sighed, knowing how stubborn Evan could be, he was not at all surprised. “He’ll need help, when he gets out.”
“Aye, he will. It will be a long transition for him. I’m hopeful that we can find a caregiver for him.”
He snorted. “I’m not letting anyone else near my major. I’ll do it.”
“He’s a Lieutenant Colonel now, lad.”
David waved a hand dismissively. “He’ll always be my major. So, what am I going to have to learn?”
He wanted to run forward and catch Evan as his body sagged and he nearly fell between the bars the therapist had him working on. They were trying to improve his upper body strength. He went to every therapy session, observing what they did, learning the exercises that Evan would eventually have to do at home. Beckett had helped make the arrangements, even though he wasn’t a certified therapist, he would be able to work with Evan between his therapy sessions.
Evan was refusing visitors. Chuck Campbell had bullied his way into Evan’s room, though David had yet to figure out how he’d gotten past the gauntlet of nurses. When he came out of the elevator, David had intercepted the tech and dragged him off to talk about Evan over coffee.
David went to the hospital every day. Everyday, he was refused entry by Evan’s cadre of nurse-guards. He was allowed to observe the therapy sessions only because of Doctor Beckett’s influence.
He thought about writing Evan a note, but how could he make things right in a few words that someone else would have to read to him? He needed to talk to him and smooth it over. But Evan refused to talk to anyone.
He hated hospitals. He hated hospital food, he hated the smell of the corridors. He hated the oppressing sadness that weighed down everyone he saw every day when he went to check on Evan.
Watching through the observation window, he saw that Evan had lost a significant amount of weight, his pajamas were hanging on him and his cheeks were sunken. He was listless and had to be cajoled by the therapists into moving through his exercise routines.
It was easy enough to blame the hospital for sapping away Evan’s strength and will. It was a dreadful place that David hated.
“I’m going to barge in there and see him,” David declared over coffee after Chuck had been booted out by the nursing staff and joined him in the cafeteria.
“The nurse let it slip that they’re sending him home soon,” Chuck told him.
“Finally.” He left the cafeteria and tracked down the person responsible for planning Evan’s discharge. He explained the situation to her. She seemed very reluctant to put him down as a contact person. She insisted on going to speak to Evan.
When she returned to her office, she had an odd look on her face. “He said he doesn’t care one way or the other about where he goes or who takes care of him, so I guess since you were his emergency contact, we’ll proceed with you for the time being. A social worker will visit the day after discharge to see that he’s settling in.”
David straightened the curtains and moved the recliner again. Evan wouldn’t need to see the TV, he would just need to hear it. So he angled the chair so that the wheelchair could move more easily around the room.
He was a nervous wreck. What if Evan blew a gasket? Chuck was bringing him home, the discharge planner had arranged that. David had decided to meet them here, at the apartment. If things went south, Chuck could stay with Evan until another caregiver could be hired from an agency. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
He heard the car pull up and he ran to the door. It took some maneuvering, but Chuck managed to get Evan out of the car and into the chair. He heard him making small talk as he came up the walkway. He stepped aside as Chuck pushed the chair inside.
When Chuck excused himself to make coffee, David was alone with Evan for the first time. He walked up to him and crouched down, reaching out to stroke his hand over Evan’s cheek, his fingers lightly tracing the scars. He breathed out, “Damn, Evan, what did they do to you?”
Evan let out a sob, and then another, and David couldn’t stop himself from wrapping his arms around him and holding him close. The apology he’d planned fled his mind and he just murmured, “I’m sorry, Evan, I’m so sorry.”
Rather than pushing him away, Evan clung more tightly to him, and that made all the difference. It was going to be okay.
The End
Notes:
slashing_ lorne: 12 Days of Lorne