She should have been fine to leave after a measured dose of Rad Away, but it hadn't happened like that.
In and out of consciousness, Jo was holding her wrenching stomach, dizzy and sweating as Cade measured the correct dose of medication into a syringe.
It had only taken him a few quick questions to deduce that she had radiation poisoning. She could have sworn she saw him roll his eyes as he readied the Rad Away. He was tight lipped, as always, so Johanna ignored Cade and watched him work in silence.
The needle was thick and Jo flinched as she watched it sink into the bend of her elbow. Cade kept constant pressure on the plunger and delivered the medication effortlessly and painlessly. It was only then that Johanna realized how badly her body ached, then, while the medicine drifted through her veins and gave her relief.
She was quickly becoming cold from the rain that had soaked her and the room temperature injection, but Jo was otherwise well again.
When she sat up from her position on the hospital bed, Cade pushed her back down by the shoulder.
"You'll want to sit for a while. Your radiation levels were pretty high." The man gave her a stern look that told her to remain where she was.
"I feel fine," she argued, but remained in her seat.
In the next moment, the door to the infirmary opened and Johanna's stomach fluttered again, though not from radiation.
Arthur Maxson stood in the doorway, looking at her with something akin to a snarl.
"Polowski," he greeted her coldly. "I leave you alone for two minutes and look what happens." Behind him, Murdoch stood looking red faced and sheepish. Jo wondered if the young Knight had received a lecture from the Elder. As her sponsor like Danse had been, Murdoch was now responsible for her well-being.
Maxson turned to Cade and began firing orders at the doctor, which Cade took in stride. He took notes, looking bored enough to glance over to Johanna for a long moment with what might have been a twinge of curiosity.
When Maxson ordered a dose of Calm-X and an overnight stay, Jo protested, even as Cade readied a syringe.
"That's so unnecessary! I've already been given Rad Away and I feel fine." She crossed her arms over her chest in defense and held them firm when Cade approached with the needle of Calm-X.
"Scribe Polowski, might I remind you to remember your place? You've been given a direct order." Arthur narrowed his eyes at her and she gulped at his icy gaze. Never before had she defied him in front of others and, if she had to guess, it was not going to end well.
With a theatric sigh, Jo threw out one arm and allowed Cade to inject her with the syringe. She cringed only a little, trying to keep a brave face for her audience. It wasn't even that she didn't want to take the medication, it was just that she didn't want to submit to Arthur's ridiculous orders. It was so like him to command her to do something so unnecessary.
The effect was almost instantaneous and Johanna sighed again at the calm that washed over her. Figures that were too far away became blurry and she whined, suddenly devastated that she couldn't make out the blue of Arthur's eyes anymore.
She blinked to clear her vision, gaze locked on a very blurry Arthur Maxson.
"Leave us," Arthur demanded of Murdoch and Cade. She thought he was watching her too, but she couldn't be sure.
The room was left in silence after a few moments, save for the beat of Johanna's heart and the sound of her pulse in her ears. Arthur's footsteps sounded like an explosion in comparison, but she was relieved he had finally taken the initiative to come closer.
He was in front of her now, less than a foot away. The toes of her hanging boots brushed against his pant legs.
"I can't deny that I'm upset with you. You skipped your Rad-X again."
His voice was soft, and his eyes were even softer as they traveled over her face with emotion.
"Incorrect. I slept through breakfast," she interjected with an easy smile. She felt fantastic, despite his words and the slight chill of her wet jumpsuit. He would forgive her. She wasn't worried. If anything, she was distracted. There were few occasions where she could remember Arthur being so close to her and none of them had ended well. Even through the fog of the Calm-X she was determined that it would not end badly this time.
"Again? Don't you sleep at night?"
"No," she told him, reaching out to touch the glittering zipper of his jacket. "Don't you ever get too hot in your coat?"
He ignored her question, but made no move to stop her from playing with the zipper.
"Why don't you sleep at night?"
"I wait for you on the deck," she admitted offhandly, touching the fabric of his coat with the tips of her fingers.
"Excuse me?"
"You have to get too hot, always wearing this thing." She stifled a yawn, smiling as she pulled the zipper down on Arthur's coat until it opened to reveal a plain white tee shirt underneath.
Johanna ran her hands over the fabric towards his shoulders, but he caught her hands with his tight grip before she could push the coat off.
She smiled unsurely, taking note of his fiery eyes, usually so calm.
"I'm sorry I questioned you in front of them," she whispered, holding his intense gaze. "Don't be angry with me."
"Perhaps I should have listened to you, if you're just going to sit there and ride out the high."
His voice was strained, though he released the tight grip on her hands. She didn't immediately pull away, though she could have.
"I don't want to sleep, I missed you."
"You've had a significant dose of Calm-X, you're not thinking clearly."
"Incorrect. Though I do become drowsy, I enjoy Calm-X because it gives me the opportunity to think without the doubts of constant anxiety."
He seemed to have nothing to say to that and Johanna continued sliding her hands up his chest, determined to see Arthur remove his coat.
"How anyone could wear wool..." she trailed off as he allowed her to push the coat down over his shoulders.
It hit the floor with a heavy thump, but neither of them made to retrieve it. Johanna was too busy staring at Arthur's wide and hardened body, revealed to her in the absence of the bulky armored coat. He still wore a tee shirt, but it was pulled taut over his chest and his muscles were straining against the material.
The initial idea was to make Arthur look more human, but Jo thought it may have backfired. His body was the definition of perfect, with a near inhuman quality that made her mouth dryer than it already was from the meds.
"Now what?" Arthur asked quietly, searing her with eyes that were on fire again.
"Now... now I'm going to call you by your first name," she grinned, still eyeing those exposed muscles on his arms. She took his hand in hers, threading their fingers together. "I missed you, Arthur."
"There are certainly better ways to get my attention than ending up in the infirmary. I hope that was not your intent."
"Of course not," she rolled her eyes at the notion of something so absurd. "You're just overreacting, like always."
"Overreacting? Johanna, you can't even take care of yourself. What do you expect after I find out you've nearly died from a damn thunderstorm?"
He squeezed her hand tightly, his knuckles pressing uncomfortably against hers.
"I'm sorry, Arthur. Don't be angry with me," she apologized with a slight whine. She had waited days to see him again and she suddenly wished it were under different circumstances.
"How can I stay mad?" He asked after a long pause. With his free hand, Arthur touched her cheek, running his thumb along her jawline. The touch ignited that fluttery feeling deep in her belly and Jo smiled in surprise. "You're going to be the one angry with me when these drugs wear off," he muttered as he stroked her cheek gently.
"What have you done?" Jo asked quietly as she leaned into his touch. His fingertips were hard and more calloused than she would have guessed.
"Besides drugging you against your will?" he chuckled and fell silent, though he continued to stroke her skin with gentle fingers and a lost look in his eyes.
"Was there something else, Arthur?" she asked breathlessly. She watched him lean closer through heavy lids, felt the gentle pressure of his lips brush her forehead.
"You're going to be mad at me for leaving," he whispered, pulling his lips away from her skin just enough. When he spoke, they brushed against her skin again. "But not as mad as I am at myself."