Tu Me Manques
Summary: Dr. Archibald Hopper spends Tuesday afternoons helping a young kindergarten teacher coping with her own eventual death. As a friendship develops, Archie finds himself more and more conflicted with how to cope with what is to come. Who counsels a psychiatrist? Archie (Jiminy)/OC
Chapter 14: The Still Small Voice
The evening was now a complete blur to Archie Hopper. His muscles were sore with exhaustion and felt, to him, like tough stone. He could no longer feel the painful lump on his forehead and assumed there was going to be some kind of terrible swelling come the morning. Everything would probably be more painful than it already was, but he didn't care. Henry was safe. For a moment, Archie really thought he was going to die in the abandoned mine, but nothing mattered for him unless he was redeemed in Henry's eyes. If his youngest patient no longer believed in him, then everything no longer seemed worth living for. It was an extreme train of thought, but he truly felt all was lost if he wasn't the man Henry believed him to be.
The night air cooled his body and forced him to breathe. As the town began to depart after spreading their well wishes and losing the novelty of the rescue efforts, Archie stood in the silence and stared at the grate that had almost been his final resting place. Out of all of the faces there, the one he had wanted to see the most wasn't there. Cherise had never came for him. There was no sign of her. She must have hated him. She must have been afraid of him since the day he had overstepped his boundaries. All Archie could believe was that she never wanted to see him again. Honestly, he didn't blame her. She deserved better than him. She deserved a better psychiatrist and a better friend who wouldn't smother her. Someone who would respect the clear boundaries set between patient and doctor. As he quietly brooded, Marco came up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The contact sparked a slight bit of pain from his overtaxed muscles, which caused Archie to bolt up right.
"Are you okay?" Marco removed his hand and watched Archie curiously. He knew his friend had been rattled by the mine incident, but seeing him jump broke the old man's heart.
Archie forced a smile for Marco. His eyes, exhausted and saddened, spoke more than his words. "A little beat up. A little headache."
A lot of disappointment. First Cherise wasn't there. After that let down, he had to stand up to Regina for meddling in Henry's treatment. Now, there was the gnawing reminder he was going to return to a quiet house. At least there was Pongo to accompany him home. It was a trying night and Archie was simply looking forward to a good night's sleep. No more whiskey. Just curling up with Pongo and giving his aching bones a rest. He didn't want to see anymore conflict for another fifty years if he could help it. While that was impossible in his profession, Archie would still wish for such a blessing.
His eyes glazed over as he scanned the area for Henry's form. He didn't see the boy, but he spied the back of Mayor Mill's head. Surely she was hovering over that imaginative and bright child, shielding him off from his birth mother. Regina was probably reeling after Archie's departing words to her about insisting how he would be treating her son from now on. If she was going to do her worst, then he promised he was going to do his best. Those words, powerful enough, granted him a special sort of strength and enabled him to stand much longer than he assumed he could. He didn't feel like a hero, but Archie did have that wonderful feeling of his words giving him wings. Or maybe that woozy feeling of being detached from the earth was his head rushing from that goose egg that was starting to throb. He reeled forward with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. So much for standing. He was lucky, and he knew it, to have Marco suddenly brace him up.
"Archie!"
"It's a head rush. I'll be okay."
"We take a ride to the hospital and get you checked out."
He didn't want to go to the hospital. He wanted to beg Marco to drive by the apartment building where Cherise lived to see if her light was on. There was a creeping paranoia and for an odd reason, Archie wanted the confirmation that she didn't care. Knowing she was safe and angry was a better feeling than not knowing anything at all. A light at the top of the apartment building meant he was just as wrong as he felt he was. Though his mind wandered with a million different thoughts to go along with the aching, he allowed Marco to lead his throbbing form towards his repair truck. He could hear Pongo excitedly sliding around in the back seat and whining when he just couldn't reach his master well enough for a head scratch.
"Easy boy," Archie rumbled while gently waving his hand. It was enough to quiet the whining, but the sad look he now faced from his beloved spotted companion only brought more thoughts to his mind. Was Henry going to get berated at for what happened tonight? It wasn't his fault. He was just reacting to what his mother had ordered Archie to do. Archie had protested it wasn't healthy for his young patient and behold, this had happened. You didn't get much more dangerous than heading into a crumbling mine. He thought of how Henry could use comfort from Pongo now, much more than Archie needed him.
This was, of course, now completely out of the question as Marco displayed the strength that would surprise anyone as he helped lift Archie into the passenger seat of the car and carefully buckled him in. He admired Marco for a moment with a grateful smile. This man had seen many years and a great deal of them had been lonely and heart wrenching. His hands were calloused and when he laughed, he used all of his breath and warmth he could muster. Beneath what looked like a man beaten down by the years was an inspiring soul that Archie merely had to speak to and he felt a little better of a person just for taking the time to listen to Marco's wisdom.
"Marco," Archie rumbled softly as Pongo pushed his nose under Archie's elbow to force attention upon himself. "Thanks." He scratched behind the impatient dalmatian's ears in an attempt to soothe and grant that sorely desired attention to his dog while smiling tiredly at Marco.
With a glint in his eyes, Marco simply smiled and shrugged. "Someone's gotta tell Captain America to take a break."
"Does Henry have you reading his comic books, too?" Archie didn't know if he should have rolled his eyes or have been amused, but he had to admit it was something sweet to bond over with Henry. Though the idea of Marco and Henry sitting on a stoop somewhere with issues of Captain American and Iron Man in their laps was hysterical to him, given that he often saw Marco covered in sawdust more often than not.
"He's ten. He tips in comic books when I fix his bike. He is a good kid!"
Marco vanished from Archie's immediate sight, leaving him just a few very short moments to stare out over the dark and empty mine shaft. The crickets were chirping, reminding him of the promise of warmer and better times. Was life really going to get better from this moment? The pounding in his head kept him in the moment, but the soothing music of the nighttime and the twilight sky was almost suggesting otherwise. Though his mind was muddled, likely from the crushing pain he felt, he could still hear Henry's words in his ears. Truly, there had to be more. Real or not, he was right in his own way. Life was rather mundane and somewhat lonely. It was desperate. Why wasn't there something more? Why hadn't he heard the crickets chirp until now? Why hadn't he realized the springtime's warmth on his skin just now?
Archie chalked most of the stranger thoughts to being out of sorts. Yet he knew deep down, Henry was right. He was very right and there was a change that came over him below the earth. He felt different and it wasn't the headache.
The largest blessing of the night came in the form of Marco's skillful driving and knowing each side street that had been recently paved. Archie spent the ride sprawled out in the seat while finding ways to keep himself awake. He counted telephone poles until that made him queasy. He counted traffic lights until that too, made him queasy. He then began to hum to himself, which then evolved into whistling a few notes over and over again. Eventually, Marco got into the swing of the "keep Archie focused" game.
"So can you stick your tongue out?"
Archie blinked a few times, somewhat perplexed by the request and complied by slowly unfurling his tongue out of his mouth with a tiny "nyeh" noise. He glanced up hopefully at Marco with a fleeting thought that this had some higher purpose. Age meant that Marco might have some sort of experience that Archie did not. Maybe Marco knew what happened in the event of a two by four smacking a colleague in the face. Archie had a different world of expertise with his degree. Once they had paused briefly at a stop sign, Marco turned his face and cheerfully piped up his next request.
"Now touch your nose."
Unamused, and his eyebrows furrowing to illustrate this, Archie moved his right index finger towards the tip of his nose with an irritable flourish with his tongue still out. In his rolling accent, taking full advantage of the moment, Marco quickly shouted his next request.
"Now you say 'sassafras'! It's a real test, Archie!"
"I'll hick hi hoot hup heoar-" Archie grumbled, forgetting he was free to bring his tongue back into his mouth. Marco hooted as he made the turn towards the hospital. Archie shut his mouth and let out a sigh, only to hear the distinct sound of Pongo's tail thudding against the truck's interior. Even his dog had been amused by Marco's test. There were a few indignant and wounded thoughts of wishing his dog would be on his side, but Archie smiled in the lighthearted joke instead and showered his dog in a bit more attention before he'd have to be pulled away for another time. Pongo had endured enough today, too. From what he understood, he owed Pongo a debt of gratitude for being as loyal and as great as of a companion as he always thought of him to be. Without the keen sense of smell and his intuition, Archie and Henry would have been lost beneath Storybrooke. Pongo was as more of a hero than Archie was. Man's best friend, after all. There was a mental note made to not be so stingy on the Nilla Wafers when they returned home. For now, Archie noticed Pongo was simply content to rest his head and accept head scratches.
When the truck was parked in front of the clinic side of Storybrooke General Hospital, Pongo let out a whine to display that while he may have been one impressive dalmatian, he was also a very needy one. He stared up at Archie with his large eyes and placed a paw on his arm to keep him held down and captive with the affection. Those reddish-brown eyes stared through Archie's soul and guilted him. How dare he leave a second time. First he was trapped and now this time was a voluntary departure.
Sensing Pongo's irritation with him, the reluctant psychiatrist pressed his lips close to his faithful canine's ears and whispered affectionately, reassuring the panicky pooch that he would not be long and if he was, Marco would come and check on him with vending machine jerky. With a movement so fast his collar jingled, Pongo looked to Marco with human-like need for validation.
"Of course, Pongo! Not long. We're just taking care of Archie's hurts. Not long. We bring you treats later. Like Archie said, jerky!"
"Yep. Jerky. I'll pay you back in jerky. We'll pop the window and keep checking on you. Okay?"
He didn't like leaving Pongo alone. A hospital wasn't a place for a dog and after today, Pongo deserved to be at home and resting in his cozy bed. However, any dejected feelings Archie had were quickly chased off when Pongo released his hand, gave it a lick he would have equated to understanding, and quietly settled down in the truck to wait for Archie and Marco's return.
The clinic was unearthly silent. There were no waiting patients. Archie realized there were no nurses behind the desk that he could see. He didn't see anyone behind any frosted glass, so he could only assume people were busy with tasks at the moment. Shrugging at Marco, he simply removed a clipboard from a desk and began to write down his information while taking a seat beside his friend. It was a never ending series of questions and inquiries. "I guess I should be thankful they're thorough."
"Do you think the doctors actually look at that? I know the nurses do, but do you think the doctors do, Archie? I mean what if we just put down you are a little bit pregnant-"
Archie clicked the pen quickly before Marco had a chance to grab the pen and looked over at his closest friend with a strained smile.
"You are never going to know right now if this is from head pain or if this is from me restraining my thoughts, Marco."
Only two seconds of silence passed between them before the two men started giggling at each other like amused school children indulged in their own inside joke. Marco reached for Archie's hand and gave it a gentle rub. "I thought I had lost you, Archie... Uh... Please. Don't ever leave. And... I'm sorry she wasn't there."
This time, the silence remained. Archie merely wrapped his fingers around Marco's hand and allowed his emotions to rest upon that grasping motion. It was all he could do for the moment. He could feel a sharp lump in his throat forming and he didn't know what to do with it. Archie had thought about how important his job was to people, but he never fully understood what it was like as someone who knew him a bit better than a psychiatrist. That was why Henry shared Operation Cobra with him. It was why Emma came to him to tell him how badly the boy had been hurt. His relationships were much stronger than strictly profession for some people.
For others, of course, it was professional.
He had started to close his eyes when a commanding voice had brought him from his calm.
"Dr. Hopper! We had been listening to everything that happened on the radio! My goodness! Look at you!" It had been the first nurse he had seen since he had brought Cherise for her dialysis. She was a skinny blonde woman and almost instantly Archie couldn't help but assume that Dr. Whale had been the one to hire her personally. Another image had also followed of the woman shoving Dr. Whale's arm into a door repeatedly for making some sort of disgusting advance towards her and he couldn't help but flash a welcoming smile towards the woman.
"Ah, I...I'm sorry, I don't know you."
"I'm Julia Capulet. I'm a nurse practitioner and I'll be looking after you."
Archie started for a moment and made a face. Suddenly, it dawned on him. "Oh! Wait, I've met your fiance. Montague, right?"
The nurse smiled and tapped on the clipboard with her nails. "Yeah. Renzo works in the labs upstairs. You're usually in Granny's about the same time he's picking up lunch for the entire floor. Says you're nice. Said we should give you a visit before we get hitched. I can see why. You're a warm sort of guy. No wonder the case workers send so many people to you!"
It was a little off-putting to talk about his work when he was there for her work. The throbbing in his head wasn't going to get any better, after all.
Marco offered him an arm up, almost sensing his thoughts. "Eh, you want help to your exam room?"
Archie shook his head, then winced as he suddenly regretted his actions. "Could you just get Pongo some water? And some jerky? And maybe let him walk around so he doesn't christen the truck?" Pongo wasn't much of a holy dog, but an old fashioned christening was something within the dog's power. This wasn't something Marco was going to request or ever need. He wasn't very religious, after all! With a polite smile and a gentle squeeze of Archie's forearm, he excused himself from the clinic's waiting room. "I gotta see a spotty dog 'bout a nice patch of grass."
The two parted from there. Marco calmly hurried himself out into the parking lot in hopes of preventing a doggie nuclear accident and Archibald Hopper prepared himself for a night of tests and making sure his headache remained simply that; only a headache. Julia led him along a twisting hall and to a room at the end. There were other rooms, but he wasn't able to see into them. Each door was shut and he could see moving shadows inside from a frosted glass window. It was busier than he had originally realized.
Suddenly Dr. Whale had burst from one of the middle rooms. His icy gaze bored into Archie, then soon eased when he realized just who he had bumped into. His eyes quickly darted to the purple bruise on Archie's forehead.
"Julia, are you handling Dr. Hopper here?" Whale's voice, though soft, was stern and not at all kind. Julia nodded and without prompting, she handed the clipboard over to Dr. Whale and departed without saying another word. Archie felt lost.
"What-"
"She knows better. I handle the VIPs."
Had all of the excitement really made him that important or was it that he was the only psychiatrist in Storybrooke? At this point, Archie just wanted an aspirin and to curl up in bed. Tomorrow he was going to call Cherise a few times to make sure she was okay, then chalk up his life to being somewhat of a success. Before he could speak to Whale, there was suddenly a bright light being flashed in his eyes. Archie let out a tiny whine and felt his head start to throb with his heartbeat.
"Your pupils are fine," Dr. Whale concluded coolly.
"Seems that way, huh?" The wiry haired psychiatrist sputtered. "Sure hurts!"
With a tiny click, the penlight was banished and Archie watched the spots in front of his eyes. Now he really wanted to get sick.
"Have you been hearing ringing, Dr. Hopper? Or do you find there are any other distortions in your hearing?"
"N-no?"
Nodding, Dr. Whale seemed oddly pleased and soon plastered a smug grin on his face. He ushered Archie into the exam room and shut the door behind them both. "Well we can test your reflexes and I can ask you a few questions to test your memory of the past events. All I can really say is you should be watched for twenty-four hours, at the very least."
Archie had barely been seated when his knees had been assaulted by instruments. It might have been for his own good, but he wasn't ready. His muscles twitched and his leg didn't hide just how much it wanted to kick the good doctor for being so thorough with his exam.
"So the purple bruise isn't-"
"It's superficial and it's going to hurt, but honestly I don't think there's much to worry about. Unless you want to strip down and get your head scanned. Take an ibuprofen or whatever you want. Do you want to ask the bruise about its' feelings? I haven't tried alternative medicine like that yet." Dr. Whale shrugged and rolled his eyes, then pulled a pad from his pocket.
With a dark look in his eyes, Archie inhaled slowly and spoke as kindly as he could. "Psychiatrists do use medication in their treatment."
"Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Well, congratulations on being the talk of the town and good on you for not getting smashed into pieces. Here. Ibuprofen." Whale didn't sound too enthusiastic, but Archie had to admit he didn't know the man too well. They rarely spoke but they did trade patients on occasion. They did share Cherise, after all. They both had their own way. Of course, Archie was aware that the doctor also had his own bedside manner. He was a serious man and since this wasn't such a serious matter after all, Archie probably was wasting his time. He felt suddenly sheepish and strange to be in the clinic.
"I'd love to chat with you and ask about how pissed off Mills must have looked to find out her beloved kiddo likes to be an adventure seeker instead of the choir boy she thinks he is, but we're pretty busy. It's like a full moon here, but not a full moon. I've got patients waiting for tests in the hall. I mean, if you want the head scan, you can wait. I don't want you to think I'm kicking you out." Whale looked up from his pad as he signed his name. "But in my opinion, you're just going to be sore and need some rest. Maybe get Granny's on speed dial and cancel appointments for a while."
Archie reached out for the prescription and looked down at the signature. If only things were so easy for Cherise. Take two pills and sleep it off, good as new. Curl up with a few movies and rest, then ease back into work. It felt almost like a cruel trick the universe was playing on him. He was getting the easy way out. He still had someone he knew and cared about who had to suffer until her last few days.
"I'll be okay without it. I guess if anything changes I just head to the emergency room?"
"Nah, stay home." Whale deadpanned. "It'd make for a better news story. We'll expect you if you come in. I'm not expecting anything."
There was a chirping sound at Whale's waist. It was a distinct pattern that could be counted out in fives. He glanced down, sighed, then rolled his eyes. Without any explanation, he left Archie alone in the exam room and rushed off, pulling his stethoscope from around his neck. Archie took it to mean there was some emergency that had just happened. Since he had been cleared and he had refused the scan, it seemed he was free to go. He'd just have to get the medication in the morning when the pharmacy was open.
The door clicked open as Archie slipped out into the hallway. He glanced around the lonely, cold hospital and noticed how silent and abandoned it seemed again, just as the clinic's waiting area had been before.
"Archie..." He could hear a soft voice whispering his name. "Archie... Dr. Hopper? Dr. Hopper..."
He moved from the doorway and looked frantically around. He found himself feeling a cold metal against his thigh. Clumsily enough, he had bumped into a bed that had been set in the hallway and it was occupied.
"Oh my god you look like horseshit." Cherise smiled weakly from the hospital bed. The whites of her eyes had a yellow hue to them and she seemed somewhat skeletal as she lay in the bed. "Look at you. What's that purple thing on your head? I bet you drew it. It looks stupid. You look so stupid."
Archie stared at Cherise for a moment swore his heart stopped.
It was like she had never ran away. There she was, the same antagonizing little woman that she always was. Yet she wasn't okay. She wasn't okay like he had prayed and wished she had been.
Suddenly, tears sprung to her ears and she groped the air wildly towards the jostled-from-his-own-adventure man. "Archie, I thought you were gonna die... Every single testing room had it on the radio... It was on tv! It was on Storybrooke's evening news!" The tears grew larger as they rolled down her thin cheeks and spattered against her blanket. Immediately, Archie dove to her side.
He couldn't use his bare hands! They were still dusty and dirty from the mine! He looked around the hall for something, anything! Looking over at a cart, he began to pull out drawers of supplies until he found a stack of tissues. Archie returned to Cherise and began to dab at her eyes and cheeks while trying to soothe her. "I'm here. See? I'm okay. Look. One piece! Have you been here the entire time?"
"I thought the world was punishing me," Cherise gasped out.
"Why?" Cherise didn't seem to be willing to answer any questions at the moment, so he allowed her to be emotional. Often she was so angry but now she was terrified. "Why, Cherise? No one's punishing you. I'm okay. See?" He kept lowering his voice while trying to wipe her face free of the tears.
"For throwing away y-you. S-someone who fights me when I'm b-b-being ridiculous. Cause I need someone to remind me. Not just anyone. You!"
A tiny hand reached up to take control of the tissue for herself. There was a nod of thanks, then a comical honking noise as Cherise blew her nose. Following up the miniature trumpet, she made a very lady-like dab of the tip. She crushed the tissue in her hands, then sighed as she tried to retreat beneath the covers. Archie merely observed her quietly and allowed her to do as she wished, since she was without any escape within the hallway. His eyes soon fell to two different bags. One was an IV that was likely keeping Cherise hydrated. The other bag he had spotted by following tubing from under the covers. This was filled with a blackish liquid.
"When?" Archie whispered. "When?"
"Last night. I was going to call you if my stay got lengthy. Then, surprise. Hah. Look at us. Double horseshit. I mean...horse-poopie. They rolled me out here. They're gonna come get me soon. I'm tired of the tests. I'm tired of being sick. But they gave me something tingly to take my mind off it!" Her legs wiggled beneath the covers and began to wrap up the blanket around one of her legs. Springing into action, Archie began to smooth out the covers, only to illicit much louder laughter from the ailing Cherise.
"How much pain medication do they have you on? Cherise, how much medication do you think they gave you?" There was concern present in his voice. Her actions were a little different. Obviously the "tingly" medication wasn't something she was used to. He felt a sort of obligation to stay and watch over her because the thought of Cherise being in tears and being unaware of what was happening to her was too much for him to bear. Of course, he realized she was suddenly swinging to extremes again. From one mood to another, the medication was just enhancing who she was. He just hoped that none of the nurses happened to make her angry like this. "Cherise? Can you answer?"
At first, she didn't seem to comprehend what Archie was asking her. The second time, her eyes had widened and she had nodded with a stupefied grin. "Enough to make an elephant go "Whoa dude, I hear colors!" and question airline food. An elephant questioning airline food, Archie. I could do stand up right now. I could do stand up lying down!"
"I bet it just kicked in, hm?"
"It kicked in so hard."
From what Archie had gathered, her condition had somehow worsened the night before and she had plans to call him, but due to the incident in the mine, that hadn't gone how she wanted it.
"You're here now," Cherise sang out with her yellowed eyes slightly glassy. She peered from her blanket and reached for Archie again. "You're here. I was so scared I was going to lose you because I was stupid but you're okay..." Her voice grew light and distant, almost like it wasn't her own at all. He chalked it up to medication and simply allowed her to ramble on. She was likely still shaken from pain and from what her emotions had done to her. It didn't bother him if she wanted to speak whatever was on her mind. She could say whatever it was she wished.
"I'm not going away. I'm not going away again," She sang again in a strange, taunting way. "Noooo, not again! Nope, not I..."
"How about you close your eyes and rest?" He was starting to get worried that the reaction from the medication was just a bit too much for her. Archie looked from one end of the hallway to the other, only to be drawn back in to Cherise's questioning and pleading.
"What if you leave again? What if it's a dream? What if you didn't make it out of the mine and this is you saying goodbye?" Soon she was sitting up and staring at Archie with those sickly eyes. "Are you telling me goodbye? Don't lie to me, Archie. You never lied to me before. You're a good doctor. A good friend... You always took care of me and taught me how to look out for myself... I don't wanna say goodbye."
Archie's mouth slipped open. No sound came out. It was simply the ailing patient and the psychiatrist in the hallway. Archie was suddenly very much aware how dirty he looked and just how pathetic Cherise seemed as she was begging him not to go away. But this kind of going away meant something else entirely.
It felt more like Cherise was speaking for his heart and she didn't even realize it.
Suddenly, Cherise lowered her body back down to the bed and had fallen fast asleep. Whatever Whale had given her was powerful enough to put her out at a moment's notice. It took a weight off his shoulders, but he still felt the need to remain around her. Her sickly glow was the flame that kept him close. It was that super hero complex and he knew it. A defeated sigh escaped his lips and Archie looked for some sort of guidance. That guidance came in the form of Julia.
"Dr. Hopper, did you need anything?" Julia returned with that same clipboard. The papers were in different colors and varying thicknesses than the simple forms that had been for himself. Archie stuttered for a moment, then shook his head. "N-not for myself, but uh... I'm a friend of Miss Maia. She's a little out of it right now. Is there any chance I can stay with her?"
"Weren't you told to go home and return if there was any change with your headache?" Julia, confused, suddenly flipped through her papers in search of an answer.
"I was! But, well, a hospital is the safest place to be, isn't it? And Miss Maia could use some company. I'm aware of how she treats the nurses." Archie knowingly smiled to Julia. "My condolences if you're assigned to her."
"I'm not, but everyone's trying to trade. Dr. Whale is offering a bonus to the nurse who stays assigned." Julia calmly took hold of the bed and beckoned to Archie. "I'm sure you're aware Miss Maia doesn't have any family?"
"That's not true." Archie spoke defensively, but still softly. He sounded hurt as he kept his eyes on the sleeping, sickly Cherise as he followed. Julia's eyebrow raised as she slowly backed the three of them into an elevator and selected their floor, imploring for him to explain further.
"Well, friends...they're family, too."
Julia's eyes brightened at Archie as the elevator gently lurched upwards for their short journey. "You really think that? No wonder Renzo admires you so much." She clucked her tongue, then looked back down at the slumbering Cherise. "She's lucky, then. Friends to be her family. That's a lot of love. She'll never miss out in her final days."
He had wanted to forget that. He had wanted to remind himself that there were no final days and this little visit to the hospital was simply a time that didn't have to be repeated.
Julia had just reminded him it would be one of many before he lost her.
"Well, if you dust yourself off, I can get you some sweats and a shirt. They have the hospital's logo, but it's better than what you've got. Her room has a recliner you can sleep in next to her. I think she'd appreciate it. I'll make the floor aware that she has someone staying with her and to check in on you for your head. As a favor."
Archie had to remind himself to talk to more of the nurses and technicians that worked for the hospital more. If a friendship meant getting perks with the nurses, then who knew what would come from making more friends when they stopped in at Granny's after their shifts? Maybe it meant he could have the nurses be a little nicer to Cherise, despite she was known for sending an army of origami treachery after people. He'd still try on her behalf.
Origami would never be a force Cherise could use for good, at least when it came to nurses, paper, and being stuck in a room that made her feel closed-in. Archie had to make peace with it. Yet still, he'd try.
She was still sleeping even after Archie had showered himself off. His head felt a little better with pressure of the hot water against his aching skin. The sweatpants were gray in color and a tiny bit baggy, but comfortable enough. They came with booties, which were the most comfortable out of the free clothing he had been given. The sweatshirt he was caught in for a moment, causing him to wave his arms around while he attempted to wiggle the rest of himself through. Once his head popped through, he found himself face-to-face with Marco.
"Oh. Hi."
"Yeah. HI!" Marco grinned. "Asked a nurse what take so long and uh. She said you were up here!"
Archie placed a finger to his lips then crossed the other arm to point at Cherise in her happily drugged sleep. Marco covered his mouth and nodded.
"Sorry," He lowered his voice. "Sorry. Who is this?"
"Cherise. A friend-"
"The bambolina?" Marco was suddenly grinning. "The one you worry about? Archie... Breaching your ethics..."
"She's so sick, Marco, look at her."
This time, Marco stopped himself to watch Cherise's tiny breaths in her sleep. He noticed how tiny she was and how weary she seemed as the blankets nearly engulfed her. He counted the monitors and machines and glanced over the bag of black fluid that connected to the tubing beneath the blanket. Silently, Marco wrapped an arm around Archie, certain to mind that he was sore from the day's events, and gave him a gentle squeeze.
"She didn't forget you, amico. She doesn't hate you. She was just kept away."
"Yeah," Archie choked out. "She said she was scared for me. But I don't want her to think about me. I want her to think about her health. She should be thinking about herself. I'm just her psychiatrist."
"Her friend. If she worried that much she cares."
Archie cared, too.
It was a risk in his job. Storybrooke was such a small town that he couldn't help but form the bonds. He squeezed Marco and sighed. Each part of him ached badly, but he desperately wanted the hug. "She doesn't have anybody."
"You told me. I listen. I'm good for something, Archie." Marco smirked, trying to lighten the situation. "Hey. Hey, you staying? I'll take Pongo. I'll bring you some clothes in the morning, okay? Stop worrying. Remember, you went through a lot today. Now you've got a lady friend who needs you. Hey, what I call you? Captain America, right? Work is never done!"
"Henry will be so proud of me for all of this. First we survive the mine and then I have the hospital adventure." Archie lowered his voice and kept it monotone and flat. He was suddenly less enthused with the idea of heroes and villains. He merely wanted to be a man now, not someone like Jiminy Cricket with a sense of morals. He just wanted to have the focus to give someone a little faith to keep fighting. It didn't seem worth it to be wrapped up in a book in the moment. Who needed morals when they needed strength?
His inner voice kicked the angry, negative voice. After the first kick, there was another harder kick that could have caused him to see stars if it had been a physical force rather than his imagination. Such troubling thoughts were what got him into a mess to begin with. No, if he was Jiminy Cricket, that wisdom would help. That book would help to give him the hope that he could endure these difficult times. Henry was right. The crickets outside chirping, though far as they were, were a reminder that there was something that had happened tonight.
After all, he had been led right back to Cherise, hadn't he? Somehow, he was back to her side. Even after he had pushed too hard and she had run away, something brought them back together.
Marco departed quietly while Archie kept vigil in the recliner next to Cherise. It was as comfortable as it was going to get, but it was something. At least his feet had support, there was a pillow, and the blanket covered his legs somewhat.
"Archie..."
Cherise was up and Archie had lost exactly what time it was. Her dark eyes fluttered and her right arm, stuck with the IV, had reached up to flick the bangs from her face.
"You got a dog, right?"
"Yes, Cherise. I have a dog. You've met Pongo before, Cherise." Archie chuckled, almost fearing what would come out of her mouth next. He made a mental note to ask Dr. Whale not to give Cherise whatever had been slipped into her IV this time.
"He's the superior life form," Cherise answered with deathly seriousness.
"Okay?" Archie held back his giggles, feeling a dull throb in his head.
"Well, you clean up his poop. I mean, two beings. The one walks and cleans up the poop. The other one just does his thing."
"Cherise, you keep using the word poop tonight."
"Because I have poop and pee envy right now. You people, you can walk and use the bathroom. I have a tube shoved up me. If you grab the tube, my eyes will pop out and you can drag me around like I'm a balloon at a parade!" Cherise cackled and held her breath to puff out her cheeks to try and demonstrate her point. Archie stared in horror, then simply started to giggle. His arm hid his gaze from Cherise. "Up next at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade...!" She began to do an impromptu beat boxing of New York, New York while trying to sit up. It was the weakest, worst, and off key performance of the song in the history of mankind. "It's a balloon full of smelly pee!"
"Please go to sleep." Archie covered his eyes while trying to keep the grin from spreading across his face. If he didn't laugh, he didn't encourage her. Of course, that wasn't going to stop her.
"Archie! Archie, you know how cows are out in the rain, right?"
"Yes, Cherise."
"But then leather, you wear the leather and it gets all warped and stupid! So what do we get leather from? What kind of stupid cow are we getting leather from? I need to see these cows. I NEED TO SEE THEM!"
"Cherise-"
"Oh, oh my god, Archie. Why...why does Granny's have specials? If they're really, really so special, why doesn't she put them on the menu? And her lasagna has freezer burn. I can taste it. Don't tell me that's the drugs talking! I can taste it!"
By that point, Archie could no longer contain himself and was giggling so hard that he was crying slightly. Partially, it was out of the relief that he was there with Cherise and everything would be as okay as it could be. The rest was simply because he had never seen her so worked up with her medication before. She was excitable sometimes, sure. But raving and ranting like this?
"Archiiiieeee...!" Cherise began to chant as she shook her head back and forth. "Quit laughing at meeee! It's not funny to laugh at me!" Suddenly she was staring at the ceilings and muttering to herself. This too, also drew Archie into immediate silence.
"Are you alright?" Suddenly Archie was on his feet and pressed against the bed with concerned, breakneck speed. He stared into Cherise's exhausted eyes that had begun to water over again.
"Lay with me," Cherise whimpered. "Please? Please, I'm scared."
"Cherise, you're attached to all of these tubes and wires."
Archie tried to reason. He lowered his voice and tried to soothe her gently. His hands reached out to fluff and stroke her hair. It had to merely be the medication, he told himself. She wasn't acting rationally. She hadn't be rational the time when her body had over done it the first time he had spent the night in her apartment and she wasn't rational now. Still stroking her hair, Archie found his wrist suddenly gripped in place. It was weak and he could have easily broken away, but he didn't want to hear that awful sound of Cherise's tears. It was too much for him. Seeing her in pain and becoming a slight shadow of herself had defeated him.
He quickly looked to the door to see if any nurses were in the vicinity. Unable to see Dr. Whale, Julia, or any of the other nurses, Archie quietly slipped himself into the bed, being mindful of the tubing and wires. He was very aware of just how tiny Cherise was when he noticed how much room she still had, though she chose to snuggle up to his side. She was a woman aware of what she wanted and despite her exhaustion and weakness, she moved his arm over her front. She then pulled the blanket over to try and cover the both of them, though that was a bit more of a task suited for Archie. Gingerly he pulled the blankets around them and kept his arm around Cherise protectively.
"Better?" He whispered. "Now, you're going to sleep. And if a nurse comes in, you're going to listen if they tell me to climb into the chair. No fighting or launching paper weapons? Is that a deal?"
"I vow no paper frogs nor paper airplanes aimed at boobies," Cherise slurred as she nuzzled back into her pillow. With her eyes shut and her mind drifting off, she babbled to herself, then addressed Archie.
"Archie, you promise you're not leaving?"
"I'm here. I'm here in your hospital room. I'm in your bed, just like you asked," Archie clucked softly, then fluffed Cherise's hair.
"That's not a promise you ginger dork."
"I promise." Archie chuckled.
"Can I promise something?"
"What do you want to promise?"
"To give 'em hell?" Cherise opened an eye and stared up at Archie with a sleepy grin.
Archie smiled back. Suddenly he, too, felt very drowsy. He felt a little drugged at hearing Cherise willing to make a promise like that.
"I'll be right next to you if you want me to, Cherise."
"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot. Do you like that Archie?"
"Yes. I think...I think I do."
It was hard to figure out who had fallen asleep first, but the night was very uneventful afterward. Julia peered in and had noticed the two quietly snuggled up together. Yet seeing the peace it had brought the wily little patient, she decided to pretend she didn't see a thing.