I open my eyes and take a look around. I can see thick tubes going over me and have something going down my throat again. I look to my side and see Peter sleeping in a chair. I look past him and can see that it is already dark. I notice that I am in another ICU room and can feel an immense pain in my head. The procedure must have been successful.
"Oh, you're awake." I hear Peter say from beside me as he opens his mouth and yawns. "It's 10 at night and they let me stay with you tonight. They said you would most likely sleep till morning." he finishes.
I look at him and smile and I see a look of realization hit his face.
"Oh, I completely forgot about the tube. You stopped breathing in surgery so you'll be on a ventilator till they can figure out what happened. You'll get a communication board in the morning." Peter says.
I know it's going to be a while before they take the tube out so I decide to make the best of it. Now all I have to do is go back to sleep and I'll be able to communicate in the morning. With that I just look over at Peter and nod before closing my eyes again and I am met by sleep.
The following morning I'm woke up with the nursing staff doing rounds, shining lights in my eyes and doing sensory tests to make sure that I am healing fine. I really wish I didn't have this tube in my throat because I would have a few things to say about being woke up at 6 in the morning every morning since I was admitted.
A few days later during rounds Dr. Tanuk comes in with a smile on his stupid face.
"Well, the tube will be out today. The problem with breathing was related to the medications they used on you. They didn't know that the dosing between a raccoon and a human were different." He says.
I really hate that "R" word and if it wasn't for the fact that I'm still somewhat sedated or that he's my doctor I would be ripping him apart. I just have to look at him and nod. At least it is news and that they are going to be taking the tube out soon.
As Dr. Tanuk walked out of the room someone in a green uniform walked in pushing a cart.
"Well, time to get that tube out of you again Rocket." The person said
It's been a week and they've taken the tube out. I've been told that I will be moved out of the ICU soon and I can't wait till I'm free from everything that they have me attached to.
I wake up to the sound of rustling in my bathroom. They've been letting me have visitors at all times so I think nothing of it.
"This time I'll show you why they call me Drax the Destroyer." I hear Drax say to someone else in the bathroom.
"Fine. Just don't make me bleed." I hear Peter respond. This makes my ears perk up. Is this really going to happen in a hospital bathroom? It doesn't take long to get my answer.
"Damnit, take it easy. That hurt." Peter says in the bathroom.
I just have to laugh. "Nail the humie good big man." I say before rolling over and going back to sleep.
I wake up the following morning and find Drax sitting in a chair looking normal and Peter standing resting against a wall. Gamora is also in the room and I decide to embarrass Peter some after what I heard last night.
"What's wrong? Can't sit?" I ask.
"No, I just choose to stand." He says, looking at me with an 'oh shit' look.
"I heard you and Drax last night." I simply say and Gamora starts laughing. "Surprised you can walk." I finish and Gamora starts laughing even harder, this time joined by Drax.
"I was wondering where you two went after I caught you on the ship." she says trying to calm her laughter.
"Please try to keep it down. There are others that have visitors." A nurse said as she stopped by the door.
"Sorry. We'll keep that in mind." I say from my bed, glaring at Drax because he was laughing the loudest.
"I will do my best to calm my laughter. Sorry." Drax says, wiping a tear from his eye.
I can't help but laugh a little. Everyone is relaxing and coming to terms with me and my practically outing Peter. I lay back in my bed and take a deep breath and before long I feel sleep take me again.
Week and a half later
"You awake? You're going home tomorrow." I hear someone say to me in my sleep.
"That's nice, wake me when it's tomorrow." I say and roll over in my sleep.
"No, you have to wake up now. I have something I want to show you." I hear the voice say again.
"Ugh, what the fuck are you waking me up for now?" I growl out only to be met with the smell of food.
"It's your last hospital meal. They said either you eat tonight or you don't go home tomorrow." Peter says as he slides the bed side table over me.
I just groan. Damn doctors making damn plans like this.
"Fine, I'll eat this trash one last night." I say as I take the lid off and am greeted with a salad with chicken and sunflower seeds. I take the lid off the dressing and pour it over the salad and start eating.
"I guess tonight it isn't trash after all." I say with a smile taking another bite.
The night goes on and I go to bed around midnight.
"Wake up sleepy head. Your doctor is here and you have to sign some papers." I hear Peter say into my ear.
I reach up and punch the first thing that I feel, which happened to be his face.
"What the hell man!?" he practically screams.
"Sorry, you know I'm not a morning creature. Where are the papers?" I say, frustration evident in my voice.
"They aren't here yet but they will be soon." Peter says with Gamora laughing behind him.
Two Weeks Later
"Rocket, get up here." I hear from above me. Peter and I are on watch and everyone else is sleeping. I hear something go off then feel the ship shake.
"Coming." I yell as I run up the stairs and run straight into a cloud of nasty.
"I thought we weren't supposed to fart on the ship!?" I scream while I try to use my jump suit to cover my nose.
"I just said you aren't allowed to. Nothing about myself." he says with a smug smile.
"You're a nasty pig." I say as I turn around and fall down the ladder to the main level, landing flat on my face.
"Great, I smell blood. I taste it too." I say with my head turned to the side.
"I see blood. Are you okay?" Peter asks from above me.
"Yeah. I'm going to go to the bathroom and get cleaned up then I'll clean out here." I say as I get up and look down at the floor. It's something about the patch at the base of the ladder taking the blood out of me that is interesting. It was here where I threw up during my suicide attempt, here where I shot myself in the foot with Peter's element blaster and now here when I fell some 10 feet from the cockpit to the main level. I can't help but shake my head popping my neck in the process.
"That sounded painful, are you sure you're okay?" I hear from above me.
"Yeah. Just popped my neck, everything is okay." I say as I press the button for the bathroom door only to have it flash red. I listen closely and can hear someone in the shower and growl. I guess I'll have to get cleaned up in our room.
I open the door and get in after listening to the bathroom closer. I could hear singing and even though she denies it Gamora sings in the shower. We all know it. I change into a pair of shorts and a shirt and go out to the main room to find Peter on his hands and knees cleaning the blood up.
"Figured I'd find you like that with Drax behind you." I say, ending with a chuckle.
"Not funny or accurate. I prefer him standing. Reminds me more of my wife." I hear Drax behind me.
"Ah, got most of it off. I'm going to go to bed." I say as I push the button to open the door to our room, walk in, and crawl into bed, turning the light off in the process.
"Ahh, finally." I breath out as I get comfortable in my blankets and feel myself slowly start to drift off to sleep.
Just as I can tell I'm about to enter REM sleep I hear the door open. I open one eye to see Peter walk in and look down at me.
"Not like you to dump off half an hour of watch like that. You okay?" Peter asks.
"Yeah. Just got a headache." I say and roll over away from the light. I hear Peter on the other side of the room before feeling him get in bed next to me.
"As long as that's all that's wrong." He says before kissing me on the forehead and pulling me close. His breathing evens out and within minutes I can tell he's asleep.
"Hey Pete, what's it like having someone else in you?" I ask into the darkness rolling onto my back and looking at the shelf above me.
"It's something that's difficult to explain but easier to show. We can talk more about this next time we have watch if you want." Peter replies and I see him roll over towards me.
"Okay, that sounds like a plan." I say and roll back over facing him before drifting to sleep.
"Ugh, what the hell was that?" I groan out as I try and roll over to realize that I'm pinned in place by Peter's arm. I lay there half awake and feel another rattle course its way through the room. I manage to get out of under Peter's grasp and put on a pair of shorts. I go out into the hall and see no one sitting in the main room.
"Must be in the cockpit." I say to myself as I go up the ladder to find Gamora sleeping in the navigators seat and Drax in the captain's seat.
"Did we hit something?" I ask, irritated that I was woke up half way through our sleeping time.
"Almost, sorry if I woke you." Drax says without even looking behind him, waking Gamora in the process.
"Nice choice. No shirt. Go back to bed." she tells me before getting up and going down the ladder, I'm guessing to her room.
"Yeah, I guess I should." I say, following her into the main room and down the hall.
I get back into the room to be met with Peter half awake looking at the door.
"Where did you go?" Peter asks me as I walk back into the room.
"I was woke up by a shuddering in the ship." I say as I lay back down next to Peter.
Suddenly I'm picked up and find myself face to face with Peter. Our lips make contact and instantly I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. I can't believe the amount of emotion that's flowing between us.
"I think that should be enough for now. We really should get to sleep." Peter says, pulling the blankets back and setting me in them before getting in next to me and covering us.
"Good night." he finishes before pulling me close.
"Yeah, good night." I say, trying to hide the disappointment that things didn't go as far as I was hoping them to go.