[York had been in surgery for almost four hours as the medical team operated on him and it had left his friends stuck in a horrible sort of limbo. No one had been able to see what sort of damage lay beneath his helmet but they’d all seen the fractured visor and known that getting hit in the face with a god damned grenade was good damned way to end up dead.
North had been in a fit of towering rage against Maine and Wyoming after the fucking stunt they’d pulled on the training room floor but both agents had been ushered away by PFL personnel to be ‘debriefed’ on what had happened during the training session before things could come to blows. Not that it looked like anyone would be held accountable of course for their reckless and stupid behavior.
It wasn’t often that the sniper lost his temper and in point of fact, no one had ever seen him truly lose his composure during the entirety of the Project though South occasionally spoke of the rare instances when North Dakota’s legendary cool occasionally slipped.
But being forced to sit helplessly for hours on end while waiting on news about whether or not his best friend was going to be okay was a good way for anyone to cool off. So he'd stood there silently seething for the first hour or two but slowly, a bleak sort of helplessness stole over the blond man the longer things dragged on. Eventually, one of the nurses came out to offer small offering of good news. York had pulled through the surgery though he’d suffered extensive damage to his eye and face. They couldn’t say for certain just yet if he’d ever be able to see out of it again but it didn't look good for him and that had stomach churning anxiety blossoming to life in the pit of North’s stomach.
What use did Project Freelancer have with a half-blind soldier? The realization that York might just wash out of the program left him feeling stricken and sick to his stomach. Eventually, the others drifted away either to seek out some rack time or because they had duties to attend to but North and Carolina grimly stuck it out by York’s side once they wheeled him into the recovery bay.
Technically, visitors weren’t strictly allowed in post-op but none of the medical staff had it in them to face off against two of the most dangerous soldiers in the Project and instead left them to hover over York’s sick bed like lovesick puppies instead. The chairs here in medical were uncomfortable and unyielding vacuformed plastic but North didn’t seem to notice or care as he sat there in moody silence with half an eye peeled on the machines that monitored York’s vitals.] What do you think is going to happen now, Carolina?
[It was the first words he’d spoken in over forty-five minutes. He and Carolina weren’t exactly friends but they were linked by their tie to York. Sometimes it felt like he was the glue that held half this team together.]
[ Carolina had been watching North when she wasn't pacing herself, her gaze lingering on at different points while they were waiting for word and when it came, she took a slow breath.
Straightened her shoulders and followed him into the post op room. North's question is enough to have her lifting her head though, looking over at him. ]
We'll know more when he wakes up, but he can still do his job with one eye. [Because York washing out is something she won't even let herself consider. Not over something like that. There are ways to compensate for vision loss. ]
[North could only imagine what was going through Carolina's head too but he knew she was just as upset as he was. York meant a lot to the both of them in a variety of ways and the concept of him not being there anymore was unbearable. The sniper was honestly surprised at how upsetting that idea was to him because for so long, it had only been him and his sister seemingly against the whole world.
Yes, he was the friendlier one but there had always been a certain level of distance held between him and the outside world. Yet somehow, York had bypassed those barriers and had made himself a fixture in North's life as though he'd belonged there all along. Maybe that was part of the reason South had been so touchy as late because she could sense the interloper in her and North's previously twin-centered existence. Whatever the case, the blond man had to admit at least to himself that he was privately terrified of the idea of dealing with this Project without York around to lighten the mood with a joke and a smile.]
You really think they'll see it that way? I mean...in the UNSC that would be grounds for washing a soldier out. [His hands lay in his lap but the tight grip he had on his laced fingers betrayed just how disturbed North truly was by all of this.]
"York's got skills we need and once he's up and around, he'll maintain his spot on the board. He may need more people watching his back but... [The idea of York being removed from the project is honestly unthinkable. There's nobody else who can fill that role even if Wash is developing decent lockpicking skills.
The Director wouldn't wash him out, not if he's still useful and Carolina's fingers twisted in the sheets for a moment before she took a slow breath.]
[North's mouth was a grim, colorless slash because he wasn't nearly as certain that York would be allowed to continue with the Project if he was half-blind. But what could would arguing with her do? It would just upset the both of them further so North just reached out and briefly covered her hand in a reassuring squeeze. It wasn't the sort of thing he would risk normally because Carolina had a personal space bubble the size of Jupiter.]
One way or another, he'll be fine. It's York, he's not going to let a little blindness stop him. [He tried to project confidence in his tone for her sake even if he didn't necessarily believe what he was saying.]
When he wakes up, you should try to sound more confident, North. I'm sure he'll appreciate the fact you've been here by his side. [Carolina's gaze shifted to North's face before she moved to her feet, her hand settling on North's shoulder for a moment.]
And I'll come back later to check on him, but I need to make sure the others are keeping to their schedules. You going to be okay here by yourself?
[North felt stung by the unsubtle rebuke in her words for some reason. He'd been trying to connect with her on an emotional level because he needed someone to talk to about his fears but North had forgotten the cardinal rule. Carolina didn't do feelings or talking about them.
Chastised and feeling like an ass, all he could manage was a jerky looking nod to acknowledge he heard her.] Alright, I'll be here. If he wakes up, I'll contact you on comms.
[He got it, Carolina needed to make sure people weren't slacking off but North didn't care if he got in trouble for missing a shift right now. Not when York was lying there looking too still and with all those bandages covering his face from where they'd operated on him.]
[ Admittedly, she'd probably been more than a little out of line, but Carolina had never been one to mince words, not really. She let out a breath, nodded slightly and let her hand drop from his shoulder. ]
That'd be good, North. Thank you....for being here for him. [Because she had a team to lead and the Director to pacify or at least try to.
And then she's gone, heading to check on everyone else.]
[A little bit but have you seen his twin? South was the queen of speaking her mind and fuck all your feelings if you didn't like what she had to say. So in comparison to South, that rebuke had been a subtle let down.]
Of course, he's my friend. I don't want him to wake up here all alone after what he's been thought. [There could have been a hint of something that might have resembled a rebuke in his words this time but North managed to deliver that statement without accusation in his voice so who could say for certain.
With that though, Carolina was gone and he was left there waiting at York's bedside in an uncomfortable plastic chair for the foreseeable future. Cause this was just...great. Thankfully for all of them, York came around at close to five the next morning groggy as hell and nauseous from the anesthesia and it was a testament to the level of their friendship that North patiently stood there holding the puke bucket for him whenever he emptied the pretty much empty contents of his stomach over the next eight hours.
Because that right there, that was the sign of a true friend.]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2017-04-22 09:17 pm (UTC)North had been in a fit of towering rage against Maine and Wyoming after the fucking stunt they’d pulled on the training room floor but both agents had been ushered away by PFL personnel to be ‘debriefed’ on what had happened during the training session before things could come to blows. Not that it looked like anyone would be held accountable of course for their reckless and stupid behavior.
It wasn’t often that the sniper lost his temper and in point of fact, no one had ever seen him truly lose his composure during the entirety of the Project though South occasionally spoke of the rare instances when North Dakota’s legendary cool occasionally slipped.
But being forced to sit helplessly for hours on end while waiting on news about whether or not his best friend was going to be okay was a good way for anyone to cool off. So he'd stood there silently seething for the first hour or two but slowly, a bleak sort of helplessness stole over the blond man the longer things dragged on. Eventually, one of the nurses came out to offer small offering of good news. York had pulled through the surgery though he’d suffered extensive damage to his eye and face. They couldn’t say for certain just yet if he’d ever be able to see out of it again but it didn't look good for him and that had stomach churning anxiety blossoming to life in the pit of North’s stomach.
What use did Project Freelancer have with a half-blind soldier? The realization that York might just wash out of the program left him feeling stricken and sick to his stomach. Eventually, the others drifted away either to seek out some rack time or because they had duties to attend to but North and Carolina grimly stuck it out by York’s side once they wheeled him into the recovery bay.
Technically, visitors weren’t strictly allowed in post-op but none of the medical staff had it in them to face off against two of the most dangerous soldiers in the Project and instead left them to hover over York’s sick bed like lovesick puppies instead. The chairs here in medical were uncomfortable and unyielding vacuformed plastic but North didn’t seem to notice or care as he sat there in moody silence with half an eye peeled on the machines that monitored York’s vitals.] What do you think is going to happen now, Carolina?
[It was the first words he’d spoken in over forty-five minutes. He and Carolina weren’t exactly friends but they were linked by their tie to York. Sometimes it felt like he was the glue that held half this team together.]
no subject
Date: 2017-04-23 12:55 am (UTC)Straightened her shoulders and followed him into the post op room. North's question is enough to have her lifting her head though, looking over at him. ]
We'll know more when he wakes up, but he can still do his job with one eye. [Because York washing out is something she won't even let herself consider. Not over something like that. There are ways to compensate for vision loss. ]
no subject
Date: 2017-04-23 01:25 am (UTC)Yes, he was the friendlier one but there had always been a certain level of distance held between him and the outside world. Yet somehow, York had bypassed those barriers and had made himself a fixture in North's life as though he'd belonged there all along. Maybe that was part of the reason South had been so touchy as late because she could sense the interloper in her and North's previously twin-centered existence. Whatever the case, the blond man had to admit at least to himself that he was privately terrified of the idea of dealing with this Project without York around to lighten the mood with a joke and a smile.]
You really think they'll see it that way? I mean...in the UNSC that would be grounds for washing a soldier out. [His hands lay in his lap but the tight grip he had on his laced fingers betrayed just how disturbed North truly was by all of this.]
no subject
Date: 2017-04-23 07:05 pm (UTC)The Director wouldn't wash him out, not if he's still useful and Carolina's fingers twisted in the sheets for a moment before she took a slow breath.]
He'll be fine, North.
no subject
Date: 2017-04-23 10:34 pm (UTC)One way or another, he'll be fine. It's York, he's not going to let a little blindness stop him. [He tried to project confidence in his tone for her sake even if he didn't necessarily believe what he was saying.]
no subject
Date: 2017-04-28 03:11 am (UTC)And I'll come back later to check on him, but I need to make sure the others are keeping to their schedules. You going to be okay here by yourself?
no subject
Date: 2017-04-28 06:04 pm (UTC)Chastised and feeling like an ass, all he could manage was a jerky looking nod to acknowledge he heard her.] Alright, I'll be here. If he wakes up, I'll contact you on comms.
[He got it, Carolina needed to make sure people weren't slacking off but North didn't care if he got in trouble for missing a shift right now. Not when York was lying there looking too still and with all those bandages covering his face from where they'd operated on him.]
no subject
Date: 2017-04-28 06:30 pm (UTC)That'd be good, North. Thank you....for being here for him. [Because she had a team to lead and the Director to pacify or at least try to.
And then she's gone, heading to check on everyone else.]
no subject
Date: 2017-05-01 04:29 am (UTC)Of course, he's my friend. I don't want him to wake up here all alone after what he's been thought. [There could have been a hint of something that might have resembled a rebuke in his words this time but North managed to deliver that statement without accusation in his voice so who could say for certain.
With that though, Carolina was gone and he was left there waiting at York's bedside in an uncomfortable plastic chair for the foreseeable future. Cause this was just...great. Thankfully for all of them, York came around at close to five the next morning groggy as hell and nauseous from the anesthesia and it was a testament to the level of their friendship that North patiently stood there holding the puke bucket for him whenever he emptied the pretty much empty contents of his stomach over the next eight hours.
Because that right there, that was the sign of a true friend.]