AN: Breather chapter. Well, breather for you-poor Matt's facing something scarier than a creepy old man: Karen.
Hey, don't be reckless and this shit won't happen to you.
"Matt? Matt!"
"Dammit, Matt, you can't keep doing this to me...call an ambulance, we'll say it was a break-in..."
"M'okay..."
There's incredulous silence above him, followed by Karen's deadly whisper: "You're 'okay'?"
"Yeah, I'm good..." Where, in fact, is he? Smells like paper and computers...office. Somehow he got back here. How? When? "I'm okay, just give me a min-"
She cuts him off.
"We came in here to find you doing a great impression of a dead man, Matthew. I wouldn't call that 'okay'! Or even 'been better'!"
Ow. There's no need for her to yell at him, come on...
"She's got a point, Matt." Foggy's pissed-his voice is doing that flat, expressionless thing it does when he's trying not to explode. "She's got a really good point."
"I-"
Any defense he might have had vanishes when he tries to sit up and they descend upon him like a pair of vultures.
"Don't. Move."
That actually might be in his best interests. Everything hurts.
"What happened. And if you leave anything out, so help me, I will punch you in the face, broken or not."
Foggy's irritation is lessening-he was more scared than mad. Good. Karen, on the other hand...
"Was my mask off when you found me?"
"No, we took it off, to make sure your stupid ass wasn't dead."
That's a relief.
"Before we start, I really didn't mean to-"
"Matt." Karen's actually really really scary when she's mad. "Shut up. Just don't."
"Could I have a glass of water?"
She leaves and Foggy whispers, "I think she's going to kill you."
He's not at all sure Foggy's wrong.
He leaves out the really unnecessary details, like the fact that he passed out cold trying to prove a point to du Maurier. They really don't need to know that.
At least, that's his hope. But Foggy produces a note that was apparently safety-pinned to his chest that reads, He picked a fight with an old man, tried to be macho, and passed out at my feet. Tell him not to worry, all we did was cart him back here for you to deal with. No peeking. ;) -A
Once Whisper is dealt with, he's gunning for her.
"'Tried to be macho', huh?"
"I thought I could do it."
"Matt, you've got two broken ribs, way too many bruises for my liking, and a probable concussion. You're kidding me, right?"
"Adrenaline?"
"You're kidding me. It's not funny, but you have to be."
"I thought-"
"You tried to prove a point."
"...yes."
Foggy sighs and Matt hears his hand strike his face softly.
"Wow."
Karen returns and before he can dodge her, she smacks his shoulder. Ow. Bruise. That was uncalled for.
"Hey!"
"You're an idiot." she tells him. "And you scared us. We thought...we came in and you..."
"Sorry-"
"No! No sorry! You scared us this morning, Matt! You-scared-us!" This last is punctuated with poking. To his left, Foggy's sitting in awed silence. No help from him, then. Traitor. "What the hell!" She sighs and rocks back. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I wasn't expecting him to show up."
"So the old man got the drop on you?" Gee, thanks, Foggy. "What kind of ninja are you?"
Funny, the Stick in his head is asking something similar.
"He's fast, Foggy." Yeah, that...that sounded better in his head. Foggy apparently agrees, if the incredulous snort is any indication. "Really, he-"
"Go home."
"I've had worse."
"Worse?" Uh-oh. Karen probably doesn't know about Nobu. Or that time Claire rescued him from the dumpster. Well. Um. "What do you mean, worse?"
"Um..."
He's sure he'd feel the anger radiating off her without his heightened senses.
"We will be talking about this." she hisses. "Get out of that before somebody sees you."
And with that, she stands up and stalks off, muttering about coffee.
"Wow." Foggy says after a few minutes of shocked silence. "That was...amazing."
'Thanks, Foggy."
"Do you have clothes here?"
"Uh, yeah. In my desk."
"I'm not even gonna ask. Can you stand up?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"I might need a hand." he admits. Foggy gets up and a minute later he clasps Matt's wrist in his fingers.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
Standing hurts and staying upright is a Herculean effort, but he manages it all the same. He hears Foggy hunting through his desk before returning with the sweats and t-shirt he keeps there for emergencies.
"I'll go home and get cleaned up and come back."
"Don't."
"No, I...I'm fine."
"You'll come back even if I complain, huh."
"Yes."
"Fine. But I don't like it. And I'm not helping you get past Karen."
Yeah. That one actually might be a problem.
He's in luck when he comes back-Karen's out getting lunch. He heads straight for his office and sets up camp like he's been here all day.
"Dude, you look like shit."
Yeah, so he's gathered.
"Karen's not going to be happy to see you."
He resolutely sips his tea and opens the file on Cushing. Foggy cackles.
"You're so screwed."
He's fine.
His ribs are killing him, his head hurts, and he knows he's going to be stiff and miserable in about an hour, but he's fine.
"Matt!"
"I'm fine. I'm just sitting here, reviewing something. See?"
Foggy's trying not to laugh. It's so nice that somebody thinks this is funny.
"You shouldn't be here." she frets. "You don't look like you should be upright..."
"I'm fine. Really. I'm just going to sit here quietly."
She finally goes back out and Matt promptly balls up a piece of paper and chucks it at Foggy. It hits him in the forehead.
Well. At least his aim isn't impaired. That's good to know.
