Fifteen Bells: [ACTION/WRITTEN]

[simplestgift]

[Archie woke up yesterday.  How is this new?  Well, after getting some fairly critical stab wounds from Grell, he was put on a ventilator and kept under sedation for a few days.  The ventilator was exchanged for a less impressive-looking concentrator yesterday and he was taken off sedation.  He spent yesterday sleeping anyway, since anesthesia doesn't generally leave you bright-eyed immediately afterward.

This morning, he is talking and eating Jell-o, which is a new experience. The most important bit comes written on the journal network in wobbly handwriting courtesy of the heart monitor clipped on his finger.]

I have been informed that I may have visitors. I'd like to know everyone is all right.

Kennedy

[Anyone who comes in will find him looking predictably weak and pale but lucid and in good spirits, or possibly catnapping after a dose of painkillers.

OOC: Purely for the sake of mercy, Archie is unaffected by the event.]

Comments

[herotypical]

I...well, I investigated.

[simplestgift]

So you know she found me.

[herotypical]

...I know.

[ a solemn nod. ]

[simplestgift]

...Did she tell you anything else?

[herotypical]

[ she did. she definitely did. but -- ]

Now's not really the time, is it?

[simplestgift]

Good God. [Deep breath.] What did she say?

[herotypical]

[ a deep breath. ]

Jack and I are gonna call a meeting, once you're...up. About. And walking.

[simplestgift]

Good. Good. Though you don't have to wait for me to walk. I'll crawl, if I must.

[herotypical]

...We'll wait. It's fine. We've got all the ti-- [ her sentence shudders to a halt. it's a thing between her and jack, after all. that sentiment.

she frowns. ] We've got time.

[simplestgift]

[Another pause.]

Did she say anything of what happened?

[herotypical]

She said it was strategic.

[ a clear disgust worms its way into her voice. ]

[simplestgift]

All our forces were protecting Jilly.

[herotypical]

I screwed up, Archie.

[simplestgift]

So did I, Buffy.

[herotypical]

Two years in this place...my planning's rusty. That's what I'm scared of. Giles as good as said my tete-a-tete with Grell was too little too late.

[simplestgift]

[And he's a military man who almost got stabbed to death in his own home. By a woman. But he's not quite ready to try empathizing out loud.]

I don't think anyone could have predicted she would come after me instead of Jilly. I certainly thought I was safer than anyone.

[herotypical]

I...bought us some time. A kind of status quo while we get more dedicated about a better plan. But it's kinda important that we don't go talking about Grell in a way that threatens that status quo until we're more prepared.

[simplestgift]

I, for one, am entirely uninterested in anyone else learning of this.

[Meaning he'll stay quiet.]

[herotypical]

[ ...she wishes she could sound more certain of things: ] It also means no more filtered journal conversations with those already in the know. About Grell.

[simplestgift]

[A beat.]

I'll have to learn to do it better, then. So will Jack. Better yet, keep it off the journals altogether.

[herotypical]

That's what I'm saying. Off-journal, entirely. Jack already -- me and Jack already talked about it. He agrees.

[simplestgift]

I see. [Pause.] Anything else?

[herotypical]

[ there's the part of her and jack deciding to go public with their relationship but, ah, no. not shifted like this. she couldn't bring up the words.

so instead, she nods. ] That's...that's about it.

[simplestgift]

How's Dawn?

[He'd been hoping to catch something instead of having to bring up the fact that Dawn hasn't been in yet, but...]

[herotypical]

Scared. Worried. Neither of us -- uhm, we kinda get avoidy with hospitals.