***Authur's Note: Reviews and constructive criticism welcome! Check out my other story: Cophine Bathtime (super fluffy). Or my tumblr: stag-of-artemis (I reblog a lot of Orphan Black). And if there are any prompts you guys have, they're welcome. It's summertime and I'm pretty bored. Thanks and enjoy!***
Delphine stares with stars in her eyes at the sleeping Cosima. She is so small, so… frail. It has only been hours since her… incident- and they were still at the hospital, for overnight observation. Cosima looked as if she'd lost more than a few pounds. Her bones jutted from her thin hospital gown.
She couldn't help but think that Cosima looked so much like a clone now.
The nurses had scrubbed off her eyeliner and other make-up. Her hair, which was normally in a ponytail or bun, was down. Even in dreads it reached to her mid back. Her glasses rested on the bedside table.
Mentally, Delphine kicked herself. Like all the others, Cosima was unique. She was her. When Sarah posed as Cosima at the DYAD event she knew it wasn't Cosima. They may look alike, but they are all very different people.
Carefully, Delphine reached out and touched Cosima's hand. It was cold. So cold.
"Oh, moi pouvre petite chiot." Delphine whispers softly. She entangles Cosima's nimble fingers with her own. Tears are running down her face. With her spare hand, she wipes them away. She can't help but to cry- she could have lost her only love today. She could still lose her; if they do not find a cure in time-
No. Delphine would not allow herself to think so negatively. Not right now. Now is the time to be grateful that the doctors got to Cosima in time. Worrying will come later.
"Delphine?"
She was so lost in her thoughts she did not hear Scott enter. Blurry-eyed she saw he was carrying two steaming cups of coffee and two plastic bags. He gives a shy smile and hands her a cup. It smells thick with cream and sugar: just how she likes it.
"Bonjour, Scott." Delphine says, absolutely exhausted. Secretly, she did not want him here, not at this moment.
As if sensing her hidden hostility, he placed one of the bags in her lap and explains, "I brought you a change of clothes. Cosima too, y'know, for when she wakes up. I figured you would like them. And if you want me to, I'll get out of your hair." He puts the other bag on the floor.
Delphine silently thanked him. She'd given him a key to her apartment after he'd joined their little lab. She'd given Cosima a key too, though she stayed mostly at Felix's. Delphine could not really blame her.
"So- uh- bye, Delphine. Call if you need anything." Scott offered quickly before exiting. He smiled again and glanced at Cosima. His heart reached to her. She had always been fairly nice to him back at the university. Nicer than ninety percent of the student body, that's for sure.
Delphine watched him leave before putting her attention back on Cosima. The woman was still fast asleep, the medications were working well. Reluctantly, Delphine let go of Cosima's hand to examine the clothes Scott had brought for her.
A plain white tank top and blue t-shirt, an old pair of blue jeans, and a worn pair of sneakers occupied the bag. Delphine looked down at her clothes. They were covered in Cosima's blood and still a bit moist. It took a few moments, but Delphine gathered the courage to get up and walk down the hall to the small bathroom. Before she left, she placed a kiss to Cosima's forehead.
She shoved her dirty clothes back in the bag and dispose of the bag in one of the several hampers in the hallways. She wanted as little reminders as possible of this night.
Once back in the room, Delphine took her seat and sipped at the coffee Scot had brought. He was a good man, she thought to herself. A little on the stereotypical nerdy side, but weren't all great scientists?
Delphine remained like that for a very long time: taking nervous sips of her coffee and watching Cosima's chest rise and fall gently, machines helping her breathe. Throughout the night a nurse came in and out, checking vitals and changing IV's. Delphine couldn't help but chuckle a little at her scrubs, which little cartoon puppies on them.
Despite the caffeine now in her system, she could feel her eyelids growing heavy. Delphine fought off the sleep for as long as she could, but it wasn't too long before Delphine gave in and closed her eyes.
Harsh dawn light is what woke Delphine. Blinking rapidly, she lifted up her head, which was lying on Cosima's bed.
The meds were wearing off; Cosima was tossing and turning a bit in her sleep. Groans escaped her lips and Delphine's hand moved to stroke Cosima's cheek.
"Shh, ma Cherie." Delphine whispers over and over again. Her hand reaches out to caress Cosima's cheek.
Cosima slowly opens her eyes. She is greeted by her girlfriend looking as stunning as ever. Her golden hair is ruffled from sleep and her beautiful eyes reflecting the morning sunlight. Cosima manages a small smile. "Good morning." She says voice hoarse and throat burning.
Delphine releases a nervous laugh.
"Mon amour, how are you feeling?" Delphine asks a little too desperately.
Cosima smiles weakly and gives a small cough. Delphine's heart skips at least ten beats and her body becomes rigid. She deflates herself with a sigh of relief when no blood spots Cosima's mouth.
"I feel fine. Don't worry." Cosima answers shortly. Her eyes were glassy from the medications and sleep.
Delphine wanted to shout at Cosima.
You were coughing up so much blood!
You were on the ground seizing in my arms!
You scared me half to death!
I almost lost you! I could still lose you!
I love you!
Though, Delphine couldn't stand to raise her voice at Cosima. Especially not now: not when Cosima was lying in a hospital bed and relying on a machine to help her breathe.
"Hey, don't cry, please." Cosima begs. She reaches out to hold Delphine's hand and shudders at how warm and soft Delphine's hand was. She brings her hand to her lips and kisses the skin of her knuckles.
I love you.
The words would be so easy to say right now. Delphine looked into Cosima's eyes. They were normally possessed the twinkling innocence a child's did. So bright and wondrous and full of want to understand the world. That look had been replaced by a gravelly serious dullness; an exhaustion.
Cosima looked at Delphine in a way that told her that she knew exactly what the other woman was thinking. She almost always knew what Delphine was thinking. Until lately, at least. She wanted so badly to trust her, but she had lied to her so many times, each time claiming I was for her.
Before either of them could say anything, the doctor walked in. "Good morning, Ms. Niehaus. Ms. Cormier, please come with me and we'll get all the discharge papers in order." He says with a respectful smile. Delphine nods and follows him, though not before kissing Cosima on the cheek.
Alone, Cosima can't help but to think of how much more of a luxury time is now. Who knows how much time she has left?
Slowly she puts on her glasses. Her hands tremble and she almost drops them.
"Shit." She breathes out. If she can barely put her glasses on her own face them how can she find a cure? Damn it, if she didn't feel so tired, so weak, she would start screaming with frustration. Why her? If she died before she found a cure-
She was interrupted by Delphine, trailed by a male nurse ushering a wheelchair. "Ya can get changed. I'll be back in a minute." The nurse says. He parks the wheelchair by the bed and leaves.
When Cosima looked at Delphine, confused, Delphine placed the bag of clothes on her lap. "Scott dropped by." Cosima did think that Delphine's old clothes weren't quite the black dressy clothes that she was previously wearing.
"Scott did good." Cosima commented as she rooted through the clothes. A dark purple swear, black sweatpants and her comfy slippers.
Delphine smiles and helps Cosima gets dressed. It's a bit of a process, and Delphine was a little scared to take off the cannula. Cosima told her that she was just being a worry-wart.
The nurse came back just as Cosima was putting on her slippers.
No matter how hard she tried, Delphine just could not convince Cosima to go back to the apartment, or even Felix's loft. She wanted to go to the lab.
"Delphine, if we want to find a cure, this is what we have to do." Cosima argues.
Eventually Delphine agreed. Although, begrudgingly. When they pull up to the DYAD, Delphine looks at Cosima square in the eye.
"Then we will do whatever we must do." Delphine amends.