savetheearth | [ voice, 12/18, after dark ]

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[ voice, 12/18, after dark ]

[ the voices are somewhat muffled because the phone is in his pocket. neither of them sound in good shape. ]

I'll-- I'll help you up. Let's go.

[ those who know nick will recognize the second voice as his: ] This is turning out to be a pretty crappy rescue, man, I'm sorry. [ this is followed by the sound of clothes rustling as the two dudes get up. ] It's this way.

[ the sound of snow crunching beneath shoes might be faintly heard. ]

Two trauma cases. First, hemorrhage, suspected class two. Second, penetrating trauma, chest, broken ribs. Not... No major blood loss yet. [ a pause. ] Where are we?

Just outside of town. [ this is followed by a more precise location. ]

Requesting aid. And if anyone can contact... Ravindra, that'd be great. Thanks.

[ a short stretch of silence. ]

Re- Recline your chair or lie in the backseat.

I can manage, your injuries sounded a lot worse. There's a first aid kit in the back. [ the muffled sound of a car door opening. ] I only have basic training, but if you tell me what to do I can help.

[ rustling as alex sits down, butt-ending the connection. ]

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[Nick isn't the most observant at the moment - which is terrible for a detective, but there it is - so all he sees is Alex's lack of protest, which makes him relax a little.

He doesn't say a word when Ravi has Alex lay back, despite it meaning that Alex is more or less in his lap at the moment. Nick rests a hand on Alex's shoulder, for comfort or for assistance in holding him there while Ravi heals him, even he isn't really sure. ...not that he could probably provide much assistance in that right now, but still.

He'll stay quiet while Ravi heals him, waiting it out.]

[Ravi has to climb into the car and find space to arrange himself so he has both hands free to heal Alex with, so the positioning is pretty awkward, but the situation is urgent enough that he doesn't actually care.]

[he pulls his gloves off, letting them drop to the floor, and pushes the edges of Alex's shirt--bloody and dirt-encrusted and already sliced open--out of the way to bare his chest. despite the valiant effort of his gloves, his hands are still ice cold. sorry Alex. he folds them over the gauze-packed wound, closing his eyes to concentrate. he's not healing yet, he's just taking stock of the damage, sending waves of magic through his chest to get a feel for what needs to be done.]

[somebody telling you they got staked in the chest is altogether different from actually seeing it. there is a distressing void between his hands and Alex's heart, a nothing that his magic passes right through and returns no information on. he swallows down a lump in his throat because he can imagine what that translates to visually. God, and this idiot wanted him to waste mana on Nick first?]

[other than the obvious, his heart is fine, he's lost a lot of blood, and there are a couple broken ribs that Ravi knows he won't be able to heal. He takes care of the blood loss first, restoring a couple pints, because that's the most pressing of his concerns. It feels like warm sunlight in Alex's bones, mana seeping into marrow and turning into blood.]

[After that, he has to open his eyes and pull back to remove the bandages. He cannot effectively heal with those all up in the wound. He's very careful about it, at least, slowly peeling them away from the wound to avoid causing new damage. it is likely still an unpleasant sensation, and probably the opposite of what any emergency medical worker thinks needs to happen.]

[He does not look at the wound because he does not want to see it. The bandages get dropped to the floor as well, and then his hands--slightly warmer due to ~*sun magic*~ but still cold--go back to where they were before, folded over the puncture. He closes his eyes again and this time focuses on the healing proper.]

[he works slowly and carefully, to avoid generating scar tissue as much as possible. Alex won't be getting out of this without a nasty scar on his chest, but at least his insides will be fine. he can use the flesh healing to guide the ribs into the proper place to heal correctly, but that's about it. Alex will just have to avoid breathing deeply until those heal up.]

[The magic feels like warm sunshine, and the healing is completely painless, though it doesn't numb any of the pain Alex may already be feeling. That will fade on its own as the wound fills itself in and closes up.]

[ 'warm sunshine' is pretty welcomed tbh. also, one's ribs being moved is a subtly bizarre sensation. that's about the only part of the healing process that alex actually feels.

after the warmth fades, he slowly pulls himself up into sitting position, one hand on ravi's shoulder for leverage. he looks down at his chest, no longer holey, but whole, and gingerly touches it. yep, it's solid.

he lifts his eyes to ravi, breath held. he doesn't feel relieved, exactly -- it's still too early for that. rather, he's in state of shock despite calling ravi here to do just this, but it's a muted sort of shock, like the weight of his actions are still dawning on him.

he glances at nick, then back to ravi. his brows furrow. ]

Is there enough magic for him?

[he sits back once he's done. has to put a hand on the back of the seat to brace himself when Alex uses him for leverage.]

[wow, that healing took a lot out of him. it's not nearly as bad as he was by the end of the night on the day of the earthquake, but he feels like he just ran a marathon. healing a lot of serious injuries by minor degrees is markedly different from healing one serious injury all the way through. apparently, it gets exponentially harder the longer you have to work on it.]

[he doesn't even have time to be relieved that Alex is now safe, because the question reminds him that he still has work to do. he glances up at Nick. is there? there'd better be. he nods without actually considering the question, because he's going to do it whether the answer is yes or not.]

[he pulls back, retreating from the backseat, to circle the car to Nick's door. It's easier than trying to lean across Alex. he feels a little unsteady on his feet, but he tries his best to hide it, keeps a hand against the car to support himself.]

[he pulls open Nick's door and leans down to look at him, one arm planted against the hood of the car above the doorway.]

Which side is it? [slightly more mumbled than usual, but otherwise he mostly keeps the exhaustion out of his voice]

[He watches the whole time, both because he doesn't really have another option, and because part of him is fascinated. Knowing someone can heal and seeing it at work are two completely different things. Nick's had time to come to terms with werewolves and vampires, but this - this is new, and he stares pretty openly.

The relief he feels when Alex is healed up is overwhelming, enough that he only vaguely notices when Ravi pulls back to go around the car, and doesn't really connect it to anything until Ravi's looking down at him.

He grimaces at the question, trying to find a way to answer it that doesn't make him sound like a vampire magnet.]

...the one from tonight's on the right. There's another from a few days ago on the left.

[Yeah, that sounded pretty much as awkward outloud as in his head, so he switches gears, trying to get a closer look at Ravi.]

Are you okay to do this?

[his eyebrows rose slightly at the mention of two bites. there were other vampires among the numbered, he'd known that, but to be attacked by two different ones in the past few days? that was...a little concerning.]

[but, well, if it was dangerous Nick would be warning him, he figures. so asking is probably prying.]

I'm fine. [he's reasonably sure he'll be okay. blood restoration isn't very laborious, and fang punctures sound like fairly minor wounds.]

[before Nick can question him again, Ravi sets a hand on his shoulder and channels his magic. there's the signature golden glow, and the warm sunlight flowing through Nick's bones. he'll get however much he needs, up to two pints.]

[Nick has terrible luck, man. And a habit of getting himself into dangerous situations, although admittedly, the vampire thing has been new for him.

His eyes close again as Ravi's magic replaces his blood, which is - a very odd feeling, though not at all bad. Definitely not compared to the way he had been feeling.]

Thanks.

[He sounds grateful, but not nearly as relieved as he should be. Mostly because, well, with the healing out of the way, he's pretty sure the next part coming up is going to be questions, and explanations.

And maybe apologies, except he already knows there isn't really one good enough to cover the way things went.]

[ alex has since covered his shoulders with nick's blanket again because coooold. his eyes are on ravi's hand as the healing occurs, then dart up between nick and ravi proper.

he exhales. ]

Are we... are we all okay?

Wait. [don't thank him yet, he's not done. he leans down, switching hands, moving the one on Nick's shoulder to brace himself against the doorframe and moving the arm against the doorframe to hold that hand in front of Nick's throat.]

[the gold glow appears again, this time closing up the fang wounds, one puncture at a time. he's not as careful about it as he would be if he weren't so tired, so they'll leave scars--but not any worse than the scars they'd have from healing naturally.]

[once that's done, the gold light fades and he lets out a slow breath, bringing his arm back up to the doorframe and resting his forehead against it.]

[his eyes move to Alex. now that there is no crisis to distract his focus, he can finally let himself feel relieved to see Alex alive and safe.]

[maybe it's just because he's exhausted, but that feeling is suddenly overwhelming.]

[oh god, don't cry, don't fucking cry, that would be the most embarrassing thing. he closes his eyes, inhales deeply, and responds with a silent nod. HE IS NOT GOING TO CRY, GODDAMMIT. Just. give him a minute.]

[Nick's fine with scars, man, he's just really glad not to try to have to awkwardly cover up a fang wound at work any more.

He starts to thank Ravi again, but cuts off when the other man rests against the doorframe and... really doesn't look okay at all. It's obvious that Ravi's healing takes a lot out of him, but it's not just that. Nick knows overwhelming relief when he sees it.

At Alex's question, he glances over with an attempt at a smile.]

I'm okay.

[Then he looks back over at Ravi.]

You should sit down. Here, let me - I can move out of the way.

[ leaning across nick, alex extends a hand to touch ravi's arm. it's a simple touch and temporary, just for the sake of contact because alex would appreciate it if their positions were reversed. he doesn't say anything. he doesn't feel like words will help any right now.

then he pulls back, wrapping the blanket around him once more, and waits for ravi to finish collecting himself. ]

[a quiet sniff, a soft exhale, he opens his eyes. his vision's gone blurry behind unshed tears, but he can still see that it's Alex behind the touch.]

[it does help. Ravi has always been the kind of person to find comfort in physical contact, despite how infrequently he seeks it out. it's a tangible reminder that someone cares, and in this case it doubles as confirmation that Alex is okay and Ravi can finally stop worrying about him.]

[a smile in response, faint but no less genuine, a note to Alex that he appreciates the gesture. his eyes close again and he gives another nod, this time for Nick's question, and backs up, turning away from the door so Nick can get out and make space for him to sit. he takes that opportunity to wipe his eyes on his sleeve while nobody is watching him. deep breath, and then another, and then he thinks maybe he's okay for now.]

[he slides into the car to sit beside Alex, mostly composed. suddenly, that singular touch does not feel like it was enough. but he hesitates, second guesses himself, and it's a few seconds worth of inner debate before he finally decides fuck it, his best friend was missing for nearly a week and almost died, he's entitled to this.]

[he slides an arm around Alex's shoulders and pulls him close, turning to wrap both arms around him in a tight hug. Maybe too tight, very briefly, before he remembers that Alex still has a couple broken ribs.]

I was worried about you. [he's already said it, but this time it's soft, thick, wavering, and clipped at the end where he doesn't want to risk pushing past the tightness in his throat because he knows it will cause his tenuous composure to shatter.]

[Nick is just gonna. Go ahead and let them have their moment here.

He's dressed warmly and healed, so he's good to just stand in the doorway to block the cold a bit, resting his arm along the top of the door and pillowing his head on it so he can't see them.]

[ SORRY, NICK, you'll get your wagon back soon.

watching ravi move inside, the hug doesn't take alex by surprise. one hand clutching the blanket, he lifts the other to grab a hold of ravi's back and return the embrace. his fingers dig into ravi's jacket in a way that isn't normal -- not quite desperate, but almost. and why not? alex had died -- died and returned alive, but died nonetheless. ravi's proximity -- the proximity of a dear friend -- solidifies the reality that he is here and alive, safe and warm.

the embrace is too tight; he holds his breath and wordlessly weathers the few seconds before ravi loosens his grip. ]

Sorry.

[He just shakes his head and doesn't say anything more, and he doesn't let go either. There's a lot he wants to say, but he is just barely holding back tears and he knows that as soon as he tries to give voice to any of his feelings, he is going to break.]

[There's a lot he needs to be worried about. If they find out Alex is still alive, will they come after him? Will they target Ravi? How can they prevent something like this? What can they do to alert each other if it does happen again? But none of those are on his mind now. They will be, later, when he wakes up tomorrow afternoon, but for now he's just relieved Alex is safe and the last thing he wants to think about is the possibility of this happening again.]

[When he finally pulls back, he's managed to compose himself, at least enough that he can trust his voice again. He swipes the heel of his hand across each eye, with a quiet sniff and short exhale that has an air of finality to it, like he is expelling the excess emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He drops his arms to his legs, slouching slightly, and looks down at the floor by Alex's feet.]

You are going to track dirt all over the apartment. [said with a rueful smile. for once, Ravindra is the one deflecting, finding lightness so he doesn't have to confront anything serious. There will be plenty of time for that later, when he's less emotional and more rational, but right now he just wants everything to be normal.]

You mean you're going to let me walk inside? [ said lightly, as alex takes the cue to lighten the atmosphere. ] Color me surprised.

I could wrap you in a blanket and carry you to the tub, like I would for the cats. [...now that he says it tho, that might not be a bad idea...]

No.

No. [he agrees, with a smile. he would probably have trouble carrying Alex on the best of days, it's certainly not happening after this.]

[he looks up, his eyes tracking up Alex's body to his face.] But you will wrap yourself in a blanket before you sit in my car. [he sounds lighthearted enough BUT THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT A JOKE.]

[ the corners of his lips quirk in an uneasy smile. he knows that is not a joke.

he leans forward, looking past ravi to nick. ]

Guess I'm stealing your blanket, buddy.

[It takes him a moment to realize that Alex is talking to him, because he'd zoned out a little bit there, but when he does, he lifts his head to peer into the car.]

It's cool, man. I've got more.

We will return it.

[he's quick to say it because he doesn't want Nick to think he's the type of person to just order Alex to take someone else's things and not care that he has.]

[it's not empty reassurance, either; he's good about these kinds of things. he'll wash it and track Nick down to give it back sometime later, probably along with the Christmas scarf he's getting.]

[pause, he glances back to Alex] Are you ready to go?

[he might be asking that prematurely; he's actually not quite sure he's ready to get up yet.]

[ returning ravi's glance: ] I am so ready.

[ he leans forward a little more, looking at nick again. after a split second of catching his eyes, he looks down to nick's mouth instead.

looking people in the eye might be awkward now, considering.

he says his network number aloud, then adds, ] My number. Give me yours later, yeah?

[ he wants to tell nick what he learned from sherman, but not right this minute. right this minute, he wants to go the fuck home and cozy the fuck up on the couch. ]

Oh. I, uh. Thanks.

[He honestly hadn't been expecting that, but hey, he's not going to turn down it getting returned.

When Alex looks at him, he meets his gaze without concern - really, he probably should be worried about it, but even though he knows very little about what his blood can do, he trusts it. Instinct, maybe, or something pulse-related.

But he doesn't say anything about the dropped gaze, just repeats the number.]

Yeah. If anything happens, with the human thing, let me know?

[guess they're going, then. will he be okay? he closes his eyes for a second, takes a slow breath, trying to take stock of what his energy reserve is and how he'll need to work around it. the thought crosses his mind of asking Alex to drive home...and is quickly dismissed. he should be okay.]

[he leans over, retrieving his bag from the floor by Alex's feet. didn't need it in the end, but he will never leave for an emergency without it. YOU NEVER KNOW, there could always be someone he can't heal. (speaking of things he can't heal, he's wrapping Alex's chest for those broken ribs as soon as he gets himself cleaned up.)]

[he edges over and climbs out of the car on Nick's side, careful to take it slow and brace himself against the car while he gets to his feet. he shrugs the pack over one shoulder. pause. turns to Nick.]

[low voice, maybe hoping Alex doesn't hear] Thank you.

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[ voice, 12/18, after dark ]

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