Cassandra: I love that song. I heard it for the first time and thought BETHANY AND METATRON! It seemed to call out to me, so I fit it in.
Vixen: I like those fics, but I was going for something a little different. There's WAY more to this story, so stick around!
Meghan: In a good way, as always. You're chapters are never bad! Oh, by the way WHEN ARE METATRON AND BETHANY GOING TO HOOK UP?!? Whew…okies. Oh, and the AoD took him down already. Nice little car crash took care of him.
Charms: Well, pet mooses…meese…meeses…moosi…whatever…are good at that sort of thing.
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He was asleep when the older woman emerged from the room, and he didn't wake until later that night. He knew visiting hours were over, so he waited. The food in the cafeteria wasn't great, but he hadn't eaten, so it satisfied. He checked the clock and saw that it was almost 3 am. Returning to the waiting room, he watched the nurses, looking for any opening. When he saw one, he took it and slipped into her room silently.
The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only noise in the room, save the soft breathing of the form in the bed.
He carefully moved a chair over and took her hand. She was asleep, and he intended to let her rest; he just wanted her to know someone was there, that he was there. Metatron soon realized that he couldn't keep his eyes open, and rested his head on the bed. He was asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.
Bethany's first thought was she was still in the damned hospital. She and her mother had had a long discussion, and a weight had been lifted. Liz had promised to come back by tomorrow, so who was holding her hand?
The door opened slightly and a young woman with brunette hair and a child-like face strode in, gawking at the man in the chair. Bethany's free hand shot up to her mouth to silence any protest. The woman merely smiled and checked Bethany's vitals, then leaned in.
"You seem to be doing fine. I suspect you can be discharged today, but I think the doctor wants to keep you over night again," she whispered. Bethany forced a smile; she was not fine. She had lost her child, probably the only chance she had at a family. No, fine was not something she would use to describe her situation. The nurse, whose nametag read "Mandy Corrigan, R.N." scribbled down some notes, then left. Bethany checked the clock and saw that it was a little after five. She resolved to sleep a little more, then she would question the figure beside her. Surely, her dream couldn't have been real? Yet, here he was. She shifted a little, and he stirred. She hadn't wanted to wake him yet, but now seemed like a good time to get some questions answered. Brown eyes met black, and Metatron smiled.
"What…are you doing here?" she asked softly. He smiled back.
"You mean you didn't catch it? I have been granted time on earth." She raised her eyebrows.
"You mean that wasn't just a dream?"
"Not hardly. Have you heard when you'll be leaving?"
"Uh, I think the nurse said today or tomorrow. Why?"
"Just wondering. What would you like for breakfast?" He stood, stretching muscles that were not used to tensing up.
"I think they'll bring me something. I didn't think you ate."
"I'm human now. There's a lot I'll have to get used to, like sleeping." She laughed, for the first time in days, and it felt good. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. The news blared through the room, and the scene made both of them stop and stare.
"A horrific and fatal accident took place on the freeway early this morning. A red Trans Am veered into oncoming traffic, collided head-on with a semi-truck. The driver, who has yet to be identified, was catapulted out of his windshield and into traffic, where he was struck repeatedly by several more cars. Miraculously, no one else was killed or injured in this massive catastrophe. In other news…" Bethany muted it and turned to Metatron.
"That's Brett's car," she stated.
"Indeed," his voice had taken that deadly tone again, and she shivered involuntarily. Her mind catapulted into thought as she ran over that morning in her head. The roses, the hockey stick, the triplets, Brett's malicious grin, over and over.
Metatron threw a glance in her direction and saw Bethany's eyes glazed over. He reached out a tentative hand and shook her shoulder gently. She blinked twice and focused on his face.
"You okay?" A knock interrupted her answer and Mandy Corrigan R.N. stuck her head in.
"Ah, he's up, I see. Well, if you're feeling up to it, there are two others here to see you."
"Who?" Metatron asked suddenly.
"I have no clue, but one of them really needs to quiet down. The other needs to speak up more often." The nurse's face contorted in confusion and Bethany rolled her eyes.
"Great, the moron twins. You can let them in; I don't plan on staying here one more night anyway." The nurse smiled knowingly and opened the door more. Jay and Silent Bob strode through smugly. Jay looked the nurse up and down, and winked at her. She threw him a look that said In your dreams and shut the door.
"You see that chick? She was hot for me. What's up Bethany? Liz called, said you were cooped up in here, so we thought you could use a little cheerin' up." Jay threw himself in the chair and Bob approached the bed with his hands behind his back. Bethany threw him a curious glare, and he smiled, pulling a bouquet of roses from behind his back. Tears came to her eyes as she choked on her thanks. Memories flooded her mind, and she began to shake. Metatron, who had gone to look out the window in hopes of avoiding the idiots, turned and his eyes widened. He nearly leapt forward and ripped the flowers away from her and shoved them in the bathroom. He grabbed Bob by the front of his coat and drug him to the door. He threw Jay a glare that said follow and walked out the door. Once the three were outside, he dropped Bob.
"Are you two daft? Did you not pay attention to Liz at all? I'm sure she explained things to you, like why she's in here to begin with?" Silent Bob and Jay looked at each other, then back to the Voice of God, shaking their heads no.
"Then Bethany will tell you in her own time. For now, I suggest you go home. You've upset her, and right now, that's not what she needs. Go." He pointed, and Silent Bob nodded sullenly. Jay, however, was not happy.
"What the fuck are you talking about, dude? Who died and appointed you her fucking guardian? She said we could see her, and we're going to hang with her!" Jay moved to re-enter the room when he was grabbed from behind and thrown to the floor.
"You will do no such thing." Jay looked up at the man from the floor until Bob offered him a hand up. He stood and brushed the dust from his jacket, glaring at the former angel. Bob offered his apology, the second word Metatron had ever heard from his mouth, and dragged Jay to the elevator. Metatron took a deep breath before entering; it would do her no good to see him upset as well. He entered quickly and moved to her side.
"Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded, still shaking. "Really? It doesn't look like it," he joked lightly. He moved around her and wrapped his arms around her, warming her.
It felt strangely familiar, like coming home for the first time after being gone for years. She leaned back and began to cry for the first time since it happened.
After several moments, Metatron spoke softly into her ear. "Let's get you out of here." He stood and opened the door, beckoning the nurse from before into the room. Nurse Corrigan smiled and came in, but rushed to Bethany's side as she saw the younger woman.
"Are you alright, Ms. Sloane?" Bethany nodded, but Corrigan turned on Metatron. "What happened?" she demanded.
"She does not need to be here. I am taking her home." His tone of voice left no room for argument, but the nurse took a step toward him.
"You are not the one to make such a decision. Only the doctor can—"
"Then go retrieve the doctor," he responded shortly. She huffed, but left to tell the physician. When they walked in again, Metatron was sitting on the edge of her bed, smiling at her. She laughed through her still-present tears and turned to the doctor, who was smiling as well.
"Well, it seems as if you're feeling better! Let's just check you out shall we?" Metatron stood and made to exit when Bethany's voice shot out.
"No, stay…please?" He nodded and sat in the chair so as not to interfere with the doctor. He pulled the chair near her head as the doctor probed her abdomen and took her hand in his, reassuring her. She never took her eyes off him as the doctor continued his examination; she didn't really want to know or see the damage.
"Well, Ms. Sloane, despite your recent tragedy, you seem to be healthy. I can see no reason to keep you overnight again as long as you take it easy. No strenuous lifting for a few weeks, don't spend too much time standing, and when you rest, try to lie on your back as much as possible." He scribbled some things on the chart and handed it to the nurse, who took it out to the station. His face and voice became grave the instant the door clicked shut. "Would you like to talk with our psychology department? I can't imagine how much pain you are in right now, and perhaps it would help to talk with someone."
Bethany forced a small smile. "No thank you, doctor. I just want to go home." He nodded and turned to Metatron.
"Are you her husband?"
"No, just a friend. But I will be looking after her." He ignored Bethany's incredulous stare and raised his eyebrows at the doctor, awaiting instructions. He followed the doctor out into the hall as the nurse checked her out.
"Fine, just a few things. For the next few days, don't let her eat anything heavy. Just things like toast and water, crackers, soup, things of that nature. She shouldn't be up and about too much the next week; keep her bed-ridden if possible. I can't tell you the level of psychological damage, but you'll see the effects in her behavior, reactions, things like that. If she gets into a situation where she panics, try to remove whatever caused the reaction. If you can't, remove her from the scene completely. Things like hotels, flowers, hockey games, should be avoided for a while. I understand the man hasn't been caught as of yet, so keep her indoors. The possibility of his return is high."
"Not really, his car crashed into a semi this morning."
"That was him? Well, well, God does work wonders every now and then, doesn't He?"
"Yes, He does." Metatron's gaze shifted back to the door of the room, but his attention remained on the doctor.
"You should wheel her out to your car, then help her as much as she'll let you to her apartment."
"Actually, I don't have a car. But I can call a friend." Metatron walked back into the room, asked for Liz's number, and asked to use a phone. The doctor guided the angel to the desk and Metatron called Liz.
"Hello?"
"Yes, this is Michael from the hospital."
"Oh my God! Is Bethany okay? What happened?" Liz was panicked.
"Nothing is wrong, don't worry. We just don't have a ride to her apartment, and they're releasing her."
"I'm on my way." She hung up without a goodbye and raced for the hospital. Metatron and Bethany were waiting by the curb when she pulled up. The angel stooped and picked Bethany out of her wheelchair and placed her in the backseat where she could stretch her legs. The orderly took the wheelchair and he buckled into the front seat as Liz drove carefully back to Bethany's apartment.