Prompt: ( a-taller-tale ) Red Team - Injury.
A/N: And while we're at it, let's go for another square ;P "Stay With Me" for 500, Alex!
Red vs Blue and related properties © Rooster Teeth
story © RenaRoo
Bellyaching
"Ow." A pause fills the silence with tension. Then, once more… "Ow." This time followed by a dragging sound.
Doc hums to himself nervously, lightly flicking from one screen of his tablet to another. Then he glances back toward the origins of the painful grunting.
"Ow," Donut says again, then drags his stiff cast across the metal plating of the base floor. He looks worse for wear, but Doc supposes that they all do.
They took down Charon with everything they had, and then some. But so far what it's gotten them in return has been a lot of complaining. And healing, slowly but surely.
And more complaining. As is the Blood Gulch way ingrained in all of them.
"Ow."
"Okay," Doc sighs, turning off his tablet and settling it on the table by him with his good arm. "I think that's enough pushing yourself today, Donut."
"You're still not calling me Franklin, that means you're angry," Donut replies cheekily before dragging his leg yet again. "Ow."
Doc glares at him for a moment before reaching forward and grabbing his wrist. It's enough to make Donut stop and finally look at him.
"What are you doing?" Doc asks tiredly. "Besides trying to get another stress fracture."
"Stress fractures aren't real fractures according to Sarge, he says they're just bellyaching," Donut defends.
"Right. When did Sarge get his MD?" Doc asks, folding his arms and only flinching slightly when the bandages over his burns rub the wrong way.
Donut quirks an eyebrow at Doc. "When did you get yours?" he asks in a voice that is all cheer edged with biting sarcasm.
"Ow," it's Doc's turn to say.
There's a flash of regret in Donut's eyes before he glances back toward the door to their room. He takes a heralding breath and steps again, dragging that leg. "Ow."
"Just explain to me what you're doing, at least," Doc begs, following Donut a little too easily considering his partner's current inhibitions.
"The rest of my team is still out in hospital beds," Donut answers solemnly. "I'm the only Red standing–"
"Barely standing," Doc points out.
"I need to go to them, make sure they're alright. That they know at least one Red is still up and at'em," Donut continues, putting a fist to his chest. "And that Red is me, or my name's not Franklin Delano Donut!"
Doc stands by, a frown still tugging at the corners of his mouth. He's not certain how to make his position more apparent, more real, than it already should be.
"I think they're being taken care of just fine, Donut," Doc says soothingly.
"I think you're passive aggressively calling me Donut again and trying to be calm like I wouldn't notice," Donut replies with a squint in Doc's direction. "What do you want from me, Frank? I'm a Red before all else! It's in my blood to keep my team's priorities first! Even before my own!"
"Like healing," Doc says flatly.
"Like anything," Donut answers, breaking his wrist free of Doc's grip and crossing his arms.
With a sigh, Doc allows his hand to slide back to his side. "You Reds and Blues really stick together at the end of the day, don't you?"
"Well, yeah," Donut says back with a shrug. "We're like one big happy family. That occasionally threatens and shoots each other. And makes fun of the fact that some of the others have had alien babies or fucked someone's sister or-so-he-claims."
"You really don't believe Kaikaina slept with Tucker still?" Doc asks, partially amused.
"My homegirl never shared that with me, and Tucker exaggerates," Donut answers with a flip of his wrist. "Also, Kai's the only one who sent us a thank you card for the banana nut bread we sent out."
"That is true. Even if it was covered in glowstick juice," Doc admits.
Donut's eyes flickered from side to side as he coughs. "Yeah… glowstick juice."
"Oh, you're just perverse," Doc snorts. "Cum doesn't glow or glitter."
Narrowing his eyes, Donut shook his hand at Doc. "It can if you believe hard enough."
"Good lord," Doc manages to get out just before Donut starts dragging himself toward the door again, another Ow echoing through the room. "Hey, hey, hey! Donut, stop it–"
"Stop being passive aggressive," Donut warns.
"It's the only aggressive I get!" Doc cries back, throwing his hands to the air.
"O'Malley begs to differ," Donut rolls his eyes.
"You're not dating O'Malley. Not… entirely," Doc backtracks out of that pitfall before shaking his head. "Franklin, you're hurt, and you need to rest. We both do. And Doctor Grey was super nice and allowed us to have a room together–"
"Which means it's a room away from Red Team!" Donut argues at last. "And, newsflash, Frank, they're all hurt. We're all hurt! And I need to be with all my friends to let them know that even while they're hurt and damaged and sad that they've still got ol' Donut to cheer them up!"
"What about me? What've I got to cheer me up?" Doc asks, unable to lift the pout from his voice.
Donut blinks before shrugging and waving to the end table. "Herbal tea and vitamins?"
"Look, I'm from Blood Gulch… but I'm not a Red or a Blue," Doc reminds himself more than Donut. "So I'm not going to pretend that I can really understand everything going on with you right now… but I do know that you're hurt. And Red, Blue – doesn't matter. Around you is where I feel I belong. So I'm being a little selfish when I see you hurting and the only thing I want is for you to stay with me for a little while. So we can get better together, better enough to help everyone. Instead of you passing out in the hallway halfway between here and Sarge's room."
"Pass out from bellyaching?" Donut laughs.
"There's always a possibility," Doc argues with a faint smile as he sees Donut take a step toward him rather than the door.
"Ow," Donut stops short of Doc, delicately taking Doc's hands in his. "Are you trying to take care of me, Frank?"
"Only as much as you take care of everyone else, Franklin," Doc offers, squeezing Donut's hands.
"Aw, how can I refuse that face?" Donut laughs, burying his forehead against Doc's.
"I hear it's rather difficult," Doc answers, tilting into the touch.