Medical City Hospital
Bright, wide lights hang from the ceiling, casting the clean and sterile surroundings with brilliant light. A reception area sits centered before the door where people can check in, or ask for directions to other areas within the hospital. Past the desk is a small hallway with elevators leading to the upper floors, and signs that point to radiology. Two large metal doors to the left of the entrance lead outside to the ambulance loading dock. The doors are marked 'EMERGENCY ONLY' in large red letters.
It's shortly just before the nurses will begin the first of their dinner rounds. Mischa is lying in bed staring up at the ceiling. He seems coherent for the most part, despite the fact that there's an IV administering the feel good drugs to him. He wears little more than a paper gown. There's a mass underneath the top of his gown that is more than likely the sign of gauze bandaging his chest wounds. He got around one hundred fifty stitches all in all, but should be recovered as long as he stays down. Mischa reaches up to remove his glasses, letting out a quiet sigh as he rubs his eyes. The room is fairly sterile and it doesn't look like many people have been in to visit him thus far. The TV isn't even on. It's about as clinical as it can get in the room.
There was a great deal of ire when Summer first got the news, via Toby, via a Shifter friend at the newspaper. There was a great deal of ire, and a great deal of panic. After a call last evening to the hospital where they would give her no information, the woman just resigned herself to waiting until visiting hours. Which takes forever, and there had to be three rescheduled surgeries to make it here. As soon as the visiting hours begin, she appears. Her labcoat is still on though since hers has puppy paws along the edge it's obvious she's not a hospital doctor. Even if it weren't for that, the large planter of flowers, and the small basket of goodies would denote her as a visitor. Summer quietly slips into the room — as quietly as she can muster, and sets the flowers down beside the bed. Her eyes look a little puffy, as though she's been crying over something.
"Summer!" Mischa cries out, jumping up a little too quickly. He puts a hand to his chest before he manages to sit up pain-free. "That was a bad move," he says with a quiet chuckle. He notices the puffiness of her eyes but elects not to say anything just yet. "Come here… I'm fine, Summer. Everything is fine." Mischa reaches out for the brunette, heaving a painful sigh as he looks at her. "I'm sorry to have worried you… it was stupid to not have been carrying some sort of protection after everything. I'm sorry…" Despite the fact that he's the one in the hospital bed, he's apologetic.
"You're not fine!" Summer rushes over, however. A hand setting to his forehead, just to ensure he's not injury fevered. Then she checks the chest, though she's not going to remove the paper gown. "Mischa, you could have been killed! You should have shifted and torn the wolf up." The other basket is set beside him on the bed as she leans in to kiss his forehead. "Toby would like you to stay at our place once you get out of here. So that someone can be with you all the time while you heal up. I told him you likely wouldn't go for it, but he felt bad and it's his way of saying he approves of you, I think." A gentle smile is offered to her boyfriend and she holds the basket up for him. "Cookies, muffins, a few books, and a promise to take care of your cooters."
The man flushes a crimson red when Summer says that he should have shifted. He doesn't have a fever, though his chest is torn up fairly badly. He'll have permanent scars. "I know. But it was strange… I mean, I was scared. But I just didn't shift. It's not that I didn't want to. It just didn't happen." He reaches up to brush her hair from her face, smiling. "Toby said that? Well, tell him that I'll consider it — but my parents will probably have a tight lid on the situation. I practically had to buy them off earlier to get a moment's rest." Mischa chuckles before looking towards the basket and sighing with relief. "Books. God love you. I don't know what I'd do without you." He reaches out and sets his hand on Summer's thigh, giving it a firm squeeze. "If it makes you feel any better, I did some serious damage to that wolf. It's going to be an in eyepatch for a while… and limping."
Each of the permanent scars can be kissed later. Once he's healed, and feeling better. "What do you mean it didn't happen? Do you think it wad due to fear?" Summer grins, and laughs. "I'll let him know that your parents get first dibs on you, but I will warn you that he'll contact your parents about sending someone out to stay with you." Summer settles herself on the side of the bed, her hand reaching for his. She looks toward him and then smiles. "You would be sitting here bored, watching the monitors blip and beep. Go on, open it up. There's something in there that I was saving for a more special occasion, but I want you to have it now."
Mischa laughs at Toby's sudden concern for him, shaking his head. And just think — the other day Mischa was worried that the girlfriend's dad wanted to castrate him. He squeezes Summer's hand and leans in to kiss her cheek. "I don't know if it was the fear. I guess performance anxiety? I'm not really sure what happened. I felt kind of impotent, really." He blushes with embarrassment at the admission before quirking a brow as he takes the basket and starts to open it up, looking for the surprise inside.
"Since I'm well aware that you aren't, I'm guessing it had more to do with you not generally shifting into something larger than a house cat." They've shared quite a bit since they started dating, so at least she knows that much. There's no admonishment or teasing. Simply stark honesty. The surprise is very painstakingly wrapped in brown paper, bound with simple twine. Nothing too fancy, but there is a reason for that. When he opens up the wrapping, he'll find a first edition copy of Wuthering Heights, at least the first third of it since that is the original way it was published.
"Maybe." Mischa seems bothered by the fact that he didn't change into something. It should be one of his natural defense mechanisms, but it just didn't happen. Not to mention if there are security cameras outside the library, that may have blown the lid off of their entire kind. After Mischa unwraps the brown paper and sees what's inside the modest package, his eyes widen remarkably. He very nearly starts to sputter. The heart monitor starts to beep a little more steadfastly. "Is this what I think it is?" Mischa asks, before of all things, smelling the book.
"Shhh. Relax or you'll get the nurse rushing in here and they'll send me away." Summer, after all, isn't family and the hospital has already kept her away for the majority of the day. "It is. It took a bit of finagling, but Toby has a friend who's in the rare book business, and he finally found a copy at auction for me." Smiling, she reaches out to delicately caress the leather spine of the book. "Pity I couldn't get the entire set, but I'm going to keep looking for the other two volumes to surprise you with randomly."
Mischa has to take a few deep breaths, but eventually the heart monitor starts to calm. He reaches out to give Summer a gentle hug and kiss her on the lips, nuzzling his nose to hers. "You're way too good to me. That hug would have been a lot tighter, but I'm afraid it'll pop the stitches. Summer, this is amazing. This is too much…" But it's pretty clear from the way that he's clutching it with one arm that he's not giving it up at any point soon. "Next to you, this is probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I'm going to buy a case for it!"
He's happy, so she's happy. Summer hugs him back, but so gently he may not feel it all that much through the gauze. "I care a great deal for you, and this just seemed the best way to show it." Granted, she could say the words, but blurting them out while slightly panicked in a hospital room is hardly the right timing. "It's not too much, it's just the right amount. I can bring a simple case by later if you'd like? Then when you're feeling better we can get you a nicer one." Something more befitting a first edition. "You are also far too sweet. Are you sure they've not got you drugged up," she teases.
"Oh, make no mistakes. I'm on drugs. Just not enough to be totally out of it…" Mischa says. He chuckles and leans back on the bed, taking in a deep breath. "Are you insinuating that I'm not always this sweet? I think if I were feeling better I may be a little offended, Ms. Summer." He pauses and reaches out for her hand, giving it a firm squeeze. "I'm glad that you came. I was worried that you wouldn't want to see me like this… if it's any consolation, I fought back as hard as I did because I wanted to see you again." He neglects to mention the various bruises and minor lacerations he has through all of this — no need to make her worry MORE.
Unfortunately, Summer got a decent rundown from the reporter. "Why wouldn't I want to see you, Mischa? I…" She's silent as she turns herself on the bed to snuggle up against him a little, in order to make it easier for him to be comfortable without having to worry about comforting her. "You, Mr. Alexandrov, are my boyfriend. I would have been here sooner, but the nurses wouldn't let me in last night. I stayed until you were stitched up and in recovery, then I went home to grab some sleep. Came back this morning, but they told me to wait until visiting hours." Her lips gently press against his cheek, and she exhales a gentle sigh. "I was worried."
Mischa smiles happily when Summer nestles up to him. He'd probably be more elated if he weren't in the hospital, but he's just glad she's here. He closes his eyes and reaches up to rub at his eyes. "I was in pretty bad shape. They were right not to let you in. I don't remember much after the attack, to be honest. I'm sure I was in shock though. I'd lost a lot of blood by the time I got here." Mischa trails off there and returns her kiss. "I know you were. I'm sorry that I put you through that, Summer. But hopefully this has narrowed it down. There probably aren't too many one-eyed wolves around."
"Don't, sweetie. Don't apologize." Summer mmns and smiles brightly at him. "You're fine now, you survived. I'll be here every afternoon after work to keep you company, until they allow you to go home." Reaching up, she runs her fingers through his hair. "Besides, as awful as this is going to sound, it reiterated to me how much I care for you. I don't want you to worry about a thing while you're in here. You need anything, you just call me. You want anything, you just call me."
"Well, I guess I'm just as sick as you are. I think it's sweet that you've come to care for me. A lovely lady by her fallen knight's bedside. It's quite poetic." Mischa grins at Summer before he leans in and puts his head on her shoulder, curling up a little more comfortably. "I have everything I need right here. As long as they keep the medication drip going and…" He yawns. "You keep bringing the muffins, maybe a roast beef sandwich…"
Sandwich delivery? Not exactly in her job title, but hey… it could be a suggestion for Toby to expand the shop. Summer, pets her fingers through his hair again, though this time in a more caring "get well" type fashion. "You are such a romantic, and I love that about you." Even if he falls asleep, Summer has every intention of staying put until the nurses come and kick her out when visiting hours are over. "Whatever you want, Mischa. I'm your girl, and I'll make sure you get it somehow. You don't need to worry about a thing."
There's definitely sleepage happening. And horridly enough, Mischa snores. Her presence seems to have reassured him just enough to get a really decent sleep. And of course, he's still clutching his book in his arms even in his slumber. Hello, new security blanket!