Welcome to the Hen House
Disclaimer: I am sure y'all know the drill. Nope don't own them! Nope no money made either! This is just a PWP piece that bugged me until I got it out of my system.
Thanks to my Betas Sarah and Lisa for their help, and to Michelle (my evil twin) for egging me on. If you like it please let me know, if you don't please no flames!
I can here the voices around me, and I feel the tight grip on my hand, but it is getting dark. From a distance I hear a voice calling me “Come on man, don’t do this, ya gotta stay here with us.” I try again to focus on the concerned blue eyes. This time I smile before I give in to the darkness. It is so much better than the pain.
Day 1
Beep, Beep, Beep. When I first wake up a familiar sound greets me. It is loud and very annoying. The next thing I notice is a very strong antiseptic smell, a hospital how wonderful. How many times has this happened? Too many to count, but usually I am the one waiting in those hard plastic chairs.I crack open my eyes and groan. The others are at my side in an instant. One is missing! “Vin!” Oh god am I too late? Have I lost another family member? Before I can call out again he is there, his soothing voice letting me know everything is alright and I can go back to sleep.
Next time I wake it is a little more painful, they must be cutting back on the pain meds. What fun. They are all still here. Standing guard is what we always call it. When they hear me stir they are back again. One checks my temperature, another gets me a drink, yet another starts asking about pain, JD runs to get a nurse, and Ezra stands at the foot of my bed grinning at me. God I hate it when he does that.
Dr Eaton comes in and shoos them all away, for this I am grateful. When I try to take a deep breath I hiss in pain, the stitches are still tender, that must be where the bullet went in. They are all on their feet at the sound, ready to hover again. The doctor waves them away and looks at me with pity. If he only knew. I could usually keep them in line, well sort of. Not today though, the pain meds have me feeling a little fuzzy, and I am already falling back to sleep.
Day 3
It is getting better. I am able to sleep a lot, which is good because I don’t have to look at them. I know they mean well, but the hovering is getting on my nerves. I am a grown man for crying out loud. I don’t need them to adjust the bed, or change the TV channels; JD even dumped ice water in my lap today trying to get me to drink. Then he wanted to change my gown. But when Vin offered to wipe my ass, well that was enough! “OUT!” I know my yell was heard on the 5th floor, and honestly it made me proud. But my glare wasn't nearly effective enough. Oh, they left for a while, but they will be back. They always come back.
Day 6
They are vultures I tell you! Picking at me. Today they tried to brush my hair, and don’t even get me started about blankets. One will decide I am too cold and pile them on, and a few moments later another will decide I am too warm and take them off. If I have another hand on my cheek or forehead checking on my temperature, honest to god I will shoot someone!”A few short days ago I was a respected member of this team. Thanks to a small chunk of lead I have been reduced to a child, if I had known it would be this type of hell I would have let the gunman kill me. At least I wouldn’t suffer like this.
But the good news is I get to have solid food today. But now the hovering masses have decided to feed me. Ok, now Buck is making airplane noises. I really am going to shoot him! “I am not a child leave me alone!” I feel like I am saying this for the millionth time. No one listens, so I pout! I really think they are enjoying this. They know I can’t kill them from a hospital bed and with only one good arm.
Day 7
Finally I can go home, maybe there will be peace there. Before the doctor comes in for my final check up, I get yet another once over from the hen house. They laugh when I call them that, but honest to god after five days of them hovering I can see the feathers and hear the clucking of six mother hens.Here they go again, Am I in pain? Am I nauseous? Am I dizzy? And even, have I taken a shit? They ought to know, I can't even be alone in the toilet, someone is always hovering outside the door waiting to help me back to bed.
Finally the Doctor is here to release me. The rest of the team are asked to leave and they file out one at a time. JD puts my water within easy reach, Buck fluffs my pillow again, Josiah feels my forehead once more for good measure, Ezra flashes another of those hated grins and dims the lights, and Vin picks up yet another blanket and covers my legs. Before he leaves he grabs my hand. “Thank ya for savin’ my life.” Then he silently follows the rest into the hall.
The last man to leave gives me a cocky grin. “When he’s all done, I’ll take ya home with me, where I can take care of ya.”
When I try to protest his grin gets even wider. “Payback’s a bitch. Now be a good boy Nathan and do what the doctor orders."
I can hear them laughing at his words as Chris joins the rest of the hens.
END