Mortality [Final Countdown peeps]

[Artemis]

Nolan had never really been a man much given to fear.

He had left home as soon as he was old enough, started life over across the district from the safety of home in search of some excitement, still worked in a quarry that had its share of cave-ins (two of which he had been in himself), and hadn't slowed down in his taste for fighting in spite of his age.

None of that, not even nearly being buried alive inside the mountain, compared to this.

Nolan had left the Staff Sergeant that had come to break the news to him in the dust, not caring as he ran towards the doctors that had come out to the hovercraft to receive them. He had no idea how long it had been since Brody had been hurt, or even what had happened to him, and Nolan wanted answers.

"You must be Mr. O'Rourke," The male doctor, a short man in a long white lab coat greeted him.

He stopped in front of them, frantic with worry and already irritated at the pleasantries.

"Yeah." He replied, looking between the two doctors; behind him, the Staff Sergeant was catching up. "Where's my son? What happened?"

"Corporal O'Rourke is... in surgery." The female doctor replied, her tone soothing but betraying her apprehension at having a tall, burly, very upset father on their hands as they tried to explain to him why he couldn't see his son.

The male doctor started in, "We're not at liberty to tell you what happened to him--"

Nolan seized the front of the doctor's lab coat, hauling him up until he was face-to-face and dangling a few inches off the ground; his son was wounded, and this motherfucker wasn't going to answer a simple question...?!

"What. Happened. To him." He snarled, every word punctuated and venomous enough to kill.

The female doctor rested her hand on his arm, the bedside manner turned on suddenly like a light switch.

"Mr. O'Rourke." She said gently, though her tone was firm and no-nonsense (so much like McKenna, he thought offhandedly). "I can't tell you all of the details. But your son the Corporal was shot."

The anger drained out of him so fast it nearly gave him vertigo; Nolan lowered the other doctor to the ground (who, rather nervously now, straightened his shirt and coat), nearly able to feel himself go pale.

"Is he...?" Nolan hesitated to finish his question.

"We don't know yet." The female doctor replied, holding her arm out to direct him to follow her, "But I need you, and your wife when she arrives, to help me with a few things; as Corporal O'Rourke isn't conscious, you being his next of kin will have to approve of his treatments and procedures."

Numbly, he followed her; she made idle talk, introducing herself as Doctor Airmid, and explaining to him (as gently as she could) the graveness of Brody's situation. He had been very near death's door when the Peacekeepers had brought him in, but was being tended to by the best surgeons the military had to offer; Brody was still in surgery, and it wasn't certain yet when he would be out again.

It wasn't entirely certain yet that he would even live.

Nolan didn't know what a gunshot wound to the stomach entailed, nor did he want to know.

It seemed utterly ridiculous to him to have a pile of forms put in his hands as Airmid went to tend to other matters, talked through the process by a kindly old nurse that was old enough to be his father. He didn't ask questions, just put his name on whatever needed signing. They could do anything they wanted if it would save his boy.

Take my blood, take my breath, take my heart, take whatever you need just please, save him.

McKenna arrived shortly after him, the male doctor in tow looking still more roughed up having received his wife; they didn't speak, Nolan merely stood and took his wife in his arms, holding her tightly and suddenly painfully aware of how much he was shaking.

Both of them knew a day like this could come.

Neither of them ever imagined it would actually happen.

"He's in surgery..." He told his wife shakily, much too shaken up to try and keep a straight face. "He'll be okay... he has the best doctors they've got."

His wife had been a doctor herself for the Peacekeepers, and she'd know exactly how good they were; not knowing yet where in the balance their son's life hung, though, was almost worse than the news. She paled visibly when he informed her that Brody had been shot in the stomach, to say nothing of the apparent broken rib he'd suffered on top of it.

Now he really didn't want to know.

Being able to do nothing but wait was going to be agony. But if they lost Brody, Nolan knew that his world would come crashing down around him.

So they waited.

ffffff - Brody O'Rourke
cc1313 - Jeran Ruze
c44462 - Kyanite Ruze
1979e6 - Matthew Dunham
b60000 - McKenna O'Rourke
bb7d00 - Nolan O'Rourke
ffcc00 - NPCs/Airmid
570091 - Vy Pryce

[Jack Lexington]

My heart has gone back to a steady normal beat, the adrenaline long worn off and my pace slowed down when I walk the halls of the hospital. All there is to do is try to help the ones who has becomes Jins victims in this fight to the end. This time I'm not among them, not struggling for my life, not left with a tube stuck in my chest. I'm fine. Hard to believe but true.

Unfortunately the same doesn't go for my friends and as much as I'd love to hold hands with Kyanite for her complete stay at the hospital, myworry about my former mentor drives me away from her room.

I get pointed in the right direction. The walk there is slow a) because I'm tired and sore from the fight but more importantly b) I don't know what will be awaiting me. Has Brody made it? Is he badly hurt, will he recover fully or end up with half a lung or kidney as well? I fear for him.

Down the hall I spot a figure slumped into a chair, head in his hands, on the waiting chair. Another smaller one next to him.
Instantly I know who he is. Nolan and his wife, McKenna.
The parents have obviously been informed and rushed here as soon as they could. Do I even want to talk to him or her at this moment?

I lift my head and take in a deep breath before I decide to approach him.
Without a word I take a spot next to the older man because I know him better than her.
No need to explain that I was involved in the fight as wellbecause my clothes are soild with dirt, some blood and my face has received a few marks by the hands of the arresting peace keepers.

Then I eye him from the side. He's beyond worried but not destroyed. So Brody must be alive.
"Is he still in surgery?" I ask silently while I press my back against the while plastic chair.
"Any word on him?" My voice cracks a little under the pressure of these words.

Before Nolan can even answer I let him know. "He was protecting Kyanite when he got shot."
Hi son is a true hero from what ky told me.

[Artemis]

Nolan wasn't the least bit reserved about handing off the pile of paperwork the hospital had shoved into his hands, unable to suppress a shudder when he'd reached the last form explaining their rights as Brody's next of kin in the event he didn't survive his injuries.

The thought made him sick to his stomach with fear.

He didn't want to imagine it. A hero's sendoff in a flag-draped casket borne on the shoulders of Peacekeepers in crisp white dress uniforms. A somber military funeral march played on the reveille. Being presented with a tricorn-folded Panem ensign by an absolute stranger with sympathy in their eyes that could never match the grief they would feel from losing their only son, and lovely, meaningless words in their mouth.

'On behalf of a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service--'

Nolan's head rested heavily in his hands, his already fragile facade of sanity crumbling further. Brody was still alive, he still had a chance, his boy might still be able to pull through... That boy was strong, he'd always been strong. And if he never had to be again, let him be strong enough to get through this and live.

Funny. He'd never been given to praying before either.

He didn't dare look up, unsure if he looked as broken as he felt, when someone sat beside him; the voice addressing him was familiar, and one he knew might be just as worried as he and McKenna were for their son's life. Nolan turned his head slightly, looking at Matthew solemnly.

"Is he still in surgery? Any word on him?"

Matthew's voice cracked ever so slightly; if his expression wasn't enough to betray his concern, his tone certainly did.

Nolan sighed. "Yeah." He replied, his voice rough with worry, "They're not sure when he'll be out."

"He was protecting Kyanite when he got shot."

His breath caught in his throat. Nolan was no less worried for Brody, and he felt McKenna's hand on his arm squeeze reassuringly; so it hadn't been a senseless accident. But the knot that had formed in his chest some hours ago when the Peacekeepers had first come to fetch him loosened, ever so slightly; Brody had taken the bullet willingly, in the line of duty, to protect someone else.

Nolan didn't know who Kyanite was, but he managed a small, sad smile.

"That sounds like him." He said finally. "The guy that did this..." Nolan's fists clenched, a thread of anger burning through his sorrow like a hot knife, "The person who shot my son, are they...?"

He wanted to know, had to know what had become of the disgusting piece of shit that had deigned to lay their hands on his son; if he or she wasn't dead already, Nolan was going to finish the job that Brody started.

cc1313 - Jeran Ruze
c44462 - Kyanite Ruze
1979e6 - Matthew Dunham
b60000 - McKenna O'Rourke
bb7d00 - Nolan O'Rourke
ffcc00 - NPCs/Airmid
570091 - Vy Pryce

[Jack Lexington]

At least my worst fearst haven't come true. Brody has not died but is still struggling for his life in the ER. It doesn't look too good. If he's in there that long it means that he's suffered some traumatic damage, which will mean a long road of recovery. Poor bastard.
I know how much he felt for me when I couldn't get back into the shape the way I wanted to. Most likely he'll be worse off when he's such a physical guy. Desk duty is the last thing he wants.

When I tell them that he was protecting Kyanite I can see the look both parents exchange before a small smile appears on Nolans face but not McKennas. The woman shows no emotion in public although I’m sure she feels them. She just has an incredible grip on herself.

"That sounds like him." Nola states finally.
"The guy that did this…The person who shot my son, are they...?"
Of course he wants to know what happened to Jins. This is the one moment when I’m actually proud of what I did so I can give him satisfaction. Prison wouldn’t be enough after all he did.
“It’s not the first time the guy attacked Kyanite. He tried to kill her and another girl before but me and some other peace keepers got in the way. Brody knew this. I think that’s why he did what he did.”
I know I haven’t answered his question so I simply state without a hint of pride nor remorse.
“I shot him. He’s dead.”
The harshness of these words hit me once they left my mouth. I KILLED him. Jins tried a few times but never succeeded. I did. Does that make me worse than him?
I know that all I did was protect my friends and family from further harm. But now I feel hollow and empty.
I lower my gaze to the ground thinking about what the outcome might have been if I hadn’t pulled that trigger. Could I have taken him down and gotten him arrested again?

[Artemis]

“It’s not the first time the guy attacked Kyanite. He tried to kill her and another girl before, but me and some other Peacekeepers got in the way. Brody knew this. I think that’s why he did what he did.”

It was idle exposition to kill time, and though it didn't make Nolan feel any better it did at least add some much-needed clarity to what was slowly becoming an infuriating game of their wheedling information out of the doctors. Brody had stopped a dangerous man, whoever he was... and gotten hurt in the process.

“I shot him. He’s dead.”

There was no satisfaction or relief or even sorrow in Matthew's voice; Nolan had never killed anyone (though he could easily have imagined killing Brody's shooter if Matthew hadn't beaten him to the punch), and he could only imagine how it weighed on the kid's conscience no matter how terrible the offender was.

Nolan snorted, clenching and unclenching his fists. Beside him, he could feel McKenna's relief that the man who had tried to kill their baby wasn't going to be able to hurt anyone else.

"That's better than he deserves." He growled, "If I'd gotten my hands on him--"

He sighed deeply, forcing himself to calm down; getting angry would fix nothing, and the last thing Nolan wanted or needed was to be thrown out while they waited with baited breath for news on Brody. Airmid still hadn't returned from whatever she was doing, leaving them more or less hanging.

Nolan's hand came to rest on Matthew's shoulder, gingerly this time remembering how the kid had shrugged it off as if in pain the last time they had spoken.

"You did what you had to." He reassured Matthew, looking at him in earnest and feeling terribly old in the moment, "And it probably helped keep Brody alive."

ffffff - Brody O'Rourke
cc1313 - Jeran Ruze
c44462 - Kyanite Ruze
1979e6 - Matthew Dunham
b60000 - McKenna O'Rourke
bb7d00 - Nolan O'Rourke
ffcc00 - NPCs/Airmid
570091 - Vy Pryce

[Jack Lexington]

There's a certain satisfaction in Brodys fathers voice when he says. "That's better than he deserves. If I'd gotten my hands on him--"
I don't agree with him on that one. He hurt a whole lot of people but he's been to the dc before and surely that was not amusement park.
"He was locked up in the detention center before.I'm sure he's been through some bad shit." My words aren't meant to be sympathetic but to give Nolan comfort.
I don't even believe my own words still I feel the need to tell the parents. "He got what he deserved. He's not hurting anyone anymore."
Silently I sit there intertwining my fingers and while I stare down at my nervous hands I wonder whether I'm really off the hook. Shooting somebody, even if he's an escaped prisoner, will raise a lot of questions and possibly send me to the dc. Hopefully Brody will live to set thinsg straight.

Nolan's hand on my shoulder makes me look up at him.
"You did what you had to. And it probably helped keep Brody alive."
For a moment I search his older wiser face. Does he know something I don't? Can he really tell whether I did the right thing?
"Maybe." I state under my breath and look away from him again. I can't stand to look in this fathers face while his son is struggling for his life.
"I hope so."

It takes a while until anything happens, which gives me more time than I want to think about Kyanite who kicked me out of her room after a bad joke. My reaction to the news of our baby being a girl was much less than ideal. But did she really have to get so angry and kick meout? Doesn't she know how much I love her and our baby, no matter what the sex is? Couldn't she tell from my actions that I'd do anything for them? I'm pretty sour because a few stupid words matter more than the fact that I purposely stopped being a peace keeper.

"Mr. O'Rourke?" A doctors voice brings me out of my thoughts and makes me scoot higher in my seat. I gently touch the painful spot on my hip where the bullet had grace me but quickly focus on the man's words.
"Your son is stable now."

[Artemis]

It was almost painful to see how very young Matthew looked in the moment Nolan put a hand on his shoulder; they'd gotten a glimpse of it when Brody had brought his friend home that long weekend, when he'd lowered his gaze talking about his own father or sparring with Brody (once they had put their bruised egos aside). He was, really, still just a kid... And it made Nolan uncomfortably aware of exactly how young his own son was, just a few years older than Matthew.

God... he was just 21 years old, he was far too young for Nolan and McKenna to have ever had to contemplate how to make their goodbyes.

Nevermind the fact that no parent should ever have to bury their child.

They sat there in silence for a while, and the only thing keeping the silence from weighing on him like lead was the bustle of the hospital staff around them. They blurred together, at some point, until a familiar voice brought Nolan out of his thoughts.

"Mr. and Mrs. O'Rourke."

Nolan was on his feet in a flash, his heart leaping up into his throat; was Airmid here to be their angel of mercy, or the angel of death?

"Your son is stable now."

He couldn't help it; Nolan sank heavily back into his seat with a loud sigh of relief, the strength having all but left him.

Brody was alive.

His son was alive.

McKenna remained standing, blasting Airmid with questions full of medical jargon he couldn't begin to wrap his mind around, and only catching bits and pieces of the doctor's answers.

Something about intensive care, and blood loss, and massive infection.

"He's not out of the woods just yet." Airmid explained gently, "Your son is out of surgery, but we've placed him in a medically-induced coma for the time being. He suffered a great deal of blood loss before we received him, and we hope to minimize or avoid any possible brain damage it might have caused."

How she managed to keep a straight face was entirely beyond Nolan.

"For how long?" McKenna asked, and now more than ever Nolan was grateful for his wife's chosen profession, knowing they had an expert on their own side.

"Three days. We also need to monitor Corporal O'Rourke for signs of infection." For once, that calm facade faltered, just the smallest bit. "Due to the nature of his injuries."

Nolan didn't know what she was implying by it, but all he cared for now was that Brody was alive.

"Can we see him?"

Airmid simply nodded, waving for them to follow her; Nolan's hand found McKenna's as he stood, looking at Matthew in silent invitation to go with them. He didn't know exactly how close he and Brody were, but he wasn't about to begrudge a friend the right to see him.

Whatever relief Nolan felt when Airmid told them the news of Brody's condition, it all but vanished when she let them into his room with the 'Intensive Care' placard on the door. Though he knew logically that Brody was the same strong, solid presence he always was, his son seemed impossibly small and fragile laying there in his hospital bed; he was sickeningly pale, shapeless under the medical gown and blankets, and nearly unrecognizable with the array of tubes stuck in his arms and the oxygen mask over his face.

The hiss of the ventilator and the beeping of the heart rate monitor were his only clues that his boy was actually alive.

While McKenna delved into the details of Brody's care with the doctor, Nolan moved numbly to sit beside his son, paying no mind to the nurse on the other side of the bed making note of his vital signs. Hesitant, as if touching Brody might somehow break him into a thousand tiny pieces he could never put back together again, he laid his hand on his boy's head, smoothing his blond hair back.

Brody didn't so much as stir.

"Matthew..." Nolan started, his voice catching in his throat brokenly, "You're sure the guy that did this is dead?"

ffffff - Brody O'Rourke
cc1313 - Jeran Ruze
c44462 - Kyanite Ruze
1979e6 - Matthew Dunham
b60000 - McKenna O'Rourke
bb7d00 - Nolan O'Rourke
ffcc00 - NPCs/Airmid
570091 - Vy Pryce

[Jack Lexington]

Threehuge rocks virtually drop from the peoples hearts, who are waiting, including me.
He's stable, meaning alive.
I blow out some air and put my head in my hands as I feel a load drop off me. If Brody had died I would be devastated. He had given me so much in the short time I've known him, being a mentor and most of all friend to me, that I value highly.

The doctor talks about the severity of his current health status, which takes some of the joy Ifelt a second ago and crushes it. It doesn't sound good at all. But we can still hope.

For three day his family will have to wait and fear for his well being. I'm sure those will be long sleepless hours.

When they get invited to see him I decide to let them go alone. This is a very personal matter and they are much coser to him than I am, so I stay seated and tell Nolan and McKenna.
"I'll come and see him later. You go ahead. He's your son."
I hope they understand what I mean when I get up and for some strange reason hug Nolan first and then, because I've already started, McKenna.
"He's tough. He'll get through this."

Then I let them enter the room without me. For a moment I stand there- a little lost.
What now? Ican't really goback to Kyanite. She definetly doesn't want me in her room although I desperately want to tell her how wrong she was. I just want to be close to her but she decided to push me away. It hurts.

Since I promised her brother to keep an eye on her I have no choice but to go back, even if she doesn't want to see me. So I drag my feet back to a seat in the hallway close to her room.
Not too much later my eyes close on me due to the strain of the day.With my head against the hard wall behind me I fall into an uneasy slumber.