Wheelsy AU ~ Bad nights

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The scream was probably a little unsettling. Ringing out sudden and piercing in the night. The walls of the house and blankets over her head did little muffle it as she thrashed. Nightmares. She had them most nights but she usually managed to bite her tongue...

...today had been bad though. She'd started physical therapy for her arm, wore herself out, couldn't wake up as easily as she tended to. How she hated being broken and weak. It was bad for her mental state and brought on more nightmares.

"No NO NO NO NO NO!" Each word was accompanied by the thick thump of her fists on the bed as she worked to tear herself free from the past and finally ended up tossing herself straight off the bed with a firm 'thunk'. The jarring of her shoulder helped yank her free of sleep until finally, gasping, she was awake and shaking, nearly in shock.

Coffee. Caffeine. Something to keep her awake. She was NOT going back to sleep again after that.

That decided she stumbled down the hall to slump, shaking and exhausted, at the table. "Hell..." she muttered, thunking her forehead on the cool surface.

Comments

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I don't think he'd do that," Bill said, sincerely. As much as he might poke fun at the doctor, or be annoyed by him, Bill knew Mitchell was a good man.

"Oh, I'm sure the doc could tear me a nice new one if he was riled up enough to do it, an' I just don't wanna give him the chance."

And yes, he was also worried about the Dr. deciding this had been a bad idea.

[noteasytobepink]

"I know, it was a joke." She smiled across the table at him and then drummed her fingers on the table, watching the pill dance. "He wouldn't. Not unless I was years gone and he was retired and wanting to just relive things." She believed he was a good man too.

"I won't let him tear you a new one then. And if they take me away I'll still end up in your kitchen. I teleport like that." And it would all be behind closed doors and out of sight of his civilian populace! "I like it here."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Her last comment made him smile, and he tipped his head to her.

"Good, I'm glad. The company ain't been bad for me, either."

He does alright on his own, but sometimes the empty house feels a little too empty.

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"Good to hear. I...worry about being a bother. You being a confirmed bachelor and all." And her wearing towels. She wasn't exactly sure how good that was for his blood pressure in retrospect.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"A confirmed bachelor?" he chuckled. "What's that mean, I took a vow or somethin'?"

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"It means that outside sources have admitted you're a long term bachelor, though they take it as a challenge. Confirmation usually entails outside confirmation." She grinned at him wryly.

Well...what the hell? Before she changed her mind she swept the pill up and tossed it back with a swig of water. Bleck.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"A challenge, huh? Well, I guess I'm glad it ain't just plain sad, yet."

Bill figured that would probably change in a few years if he didn't.

He gave a smile when she took the pill, hoping it would do her some good.

"Never liked takin' pills an' medicine myself. Still gotta wash cough syrup down with a glass of juice."

Whenever he actually took the stuff, which was only when he was really suffering.

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, you're cute. They'd have given up by now if you weren't." That was the truth. So he remained a cute, sexy little challenge living all alone in a town who wanted to change that.

She grimaced and tossed back the rest of her drink, trying to scrub the taste of pills out of her mouth. "We were kept drugged, often, when I was young. After...there was never medicine to go around really so it remains a...bad thing."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Thanks." He was getting better at taking compliments and being called cute by her, this time he only ducked his head a little.

Unfortunately, that glimpse down reminded him he hadn't put a shirt on, and that was cause for some sudden embarrassment that he tried not to show.

Hearing more about where she came from was enough to sober him up.

"Can't see how anyone would treat a person like that."

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"You're welcome," she offered simply. She was in the habit of complimenting, and hey, he was getting used to it so it was all good!

Ah, yeah. She sobered a bit as well, staring out the dark kitchen window instead of at him. "Survival of the Fittest. It was the only law Bill. The only one. I'm sure you've seen something like it even here. People who feel the have the right to do terrible things because no one else can stop them. When the only law of the land is survival, the strong triumph, and very few of those strong are good people. Or stay that way once they are higher in the hierarchy."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

For whatever reason, Bill immediately thought of the slugs; and what Kylie said they'd planned to do to this world, and had done to others.

"Pretty screwed up. I'm glad you're away from all of that."

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"For all it was screwed up...I miss it sometimes. They way you'd miss Wheelsy if you never got to come back, slug history and all. It was my world."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Wheelsy's different-- he starts to say, but holds it in.

Of course there was the slugs, but that wasn't Wheelsy, that was something from outside. Something terrible that came in, and it was gone now.

Her world, all of it, just seemed full of that evil that had invaded here.

"Still," he maintained, offering her a shadowed smile. "I'm glad you're here."

[noteasytobepink]

Was it? Was it really? Wheelsy was his world, no matter if it wasn't as grim and dark as her own world, it was his. He would miss Earth less than he would Wheelsy.

"I think that's one of the nicest thing anyone's said to me, Bill." Just saying. It was sweet, and he was genuine.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Wheelsy really was his whole world, and it was that love for his town that kept him from understanding or believing she could feel that way about where she came from.

Her world was nothing like his hometown, and he didn't think it was possible to have the same kind of affinity for a place like that as he did for Wheelsy.

"Well, I mean it," he replied, warmth creeping into his features again.

Recovering, he looked her over.

"You gonna stay here? Kitchen table ain't the best place t'sleep when that pill kicks in."

[noteasytobepink]

Yes, well, different circumstances. Different circumstances. Hard to imagine losing something good, so it remained unfathomable.

"Good to hear. I'd be crushed if you were just being polite." Utterly heartbroken even! Honest!

"...thinking about it. Gonna make me move?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I am," he nodded about making her move.

"If only so I don't have t'carry you later on."

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"You are just being polite? I did warn you I'd be crushed!" She lifted her wrist to her forehead, mock swooning. HEARTBROKEN!

"You don't have to carry me. That'd be a cruel thing to inflict on you for politeness sake!"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I meant I was gonna make you move."

He shook his head, and reached over to poke her.

"I was bein' honest about what I said."

[noteasytobepink]

"I was teasing, Bill." She offered a small smile and held up her good hand. "Help me up?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Bill stood and took her hand to help her stand.

"I know. I'm startin' t'get how you work."

Which means she'll have to work a little harder to mess with him. Maybe.

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"Hey, it's all in the cause of getting a smile Bill, so don't stop just because you're catching on." She groaned and lurched up to her feet when he tugged, then leaned against his shoulder. She was tired. Screaming nights always seemed to cut to the bone...

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

His arm went around her waist automatically to help support her.

"I'll be sure an' keep on smilin'," he promised, walking with her back to her room.

"Don't think there's much reason for you t'worry, though. I got a pretty easy goin' nature."

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, there's easy going because people expect it...and easy going because you're actually happy." And she was hoping to increase to latter? It was a personal goal. Her new physical therapist said personal goals were important!

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Hey, I'm happy. You seem t'have it in your head that I'm a sad old man, or somethin'."

And like he said earlier, he had a few years before he fit that description.

Getting the door, he helped her to the bed.