December 17, 2014

Shaw woke up in the early evening as the door to her apartment opened and closed. She had a gun trained on Root as Root switched on the light, one arm hanging oddly. Root grimaced and Shaw kept her gun up a couple of seconds longer than she really needed to.

"It's either broken or dislocated, and I didn't feel like heading to the ER," Root said by way of explanation.

"So you came here instead? You know I have a 9-5, Root," Shaw chastised, getting to her feet. "And I don't know I'm going to be much help if it's broken. Don't exactly have a plaster station in my home."

"You'll figure something out. You're quite the MacGyver." Root blinked winsomely at Shaw a few times.

Root started trying to remove her shirt but stopped, flinching when it jostled her bad arm. Shaw stepped forward and felt the shoulder as gently as she could.

"Want to tell me what happened?" Shaw asked as she stepped into the kitchen for scissors.

"Ducked when I should have weaved," Root said shortly. Shaw snipped the hem of the shirt, then slid the scissors up, pulling the shirt apart across the chest. Shaw looked away suddenly, then back again to cut away the sleeve of the shirt. She felt the joint again. "Dislocated," Shaw said finally. "This is going to hurt," Shaw warned, grasping the humerus and feeling for the socket.

"Good," Root said breathlessly, right before she passed out.

December 17, 2017

Shaw picked up the static she knew so well as she and Gen walked down a street, Bear trotting happily beside them.

"Wait here," Shaw said, putting Gen in an alcove before peering around the corner.

There they were, Harper behind a potted plant and Joey on the rooftop across the way. Shaw scanned the crowded street, looking for Logan. Damn, she was out of the game for two days and she was left out of a sting? That stung.

"You need to leave," The Machine said sternly.

"You could have warned me earlier," Shaw growled. "I got the kid with me." Shaw spun around and shoved Gen in front of her as she quickly walked away. She heard a yell behind her and turned. "Stay behind me," she said quietly as she pulled a gun from her waistband.

December 17, 2014

Root finally stirred as Shaw looked over from cleaning her gun. Shaw's gun was clean; it was always clean, but she'd felt a need to clean it again and again while Root slept topless on Shaw's mattress. Root tried to sit up but one arm was restrained in a sling. Shaw came over to help her sit up.

"I was supposed to patch tonight," Root fretted. "We keep frying the boxes. She's running on fumes."

"You won't be doing much of anything if you don't keep that shoulder stable for the next few days. It's likely to slip back out." Shaw helped Root sit up, then removed her hands from Root's pale, uncovered skin. She pulled out a zippered hoodie from a drawer and threw it over Root's shoulders, pulled it closed over her chest. The zippered edges of the hoodie fell away as Root moved.

"I can't go out like this," Root said, looking down at her exposed torso. "Are we going to have a sleepover again?" Root asked, blinking flirtatiously.

"I've only got the one bed," Shaw sniped.

"You should get a couch," Root said. "Any furniture, really."

"With what money? I'm a counter girl now, Root. I can't access any of my money, and I'm dead so I don't get a pension." Shaw put her gun away, sat back in the chair.

"I could get you a couch, but your bed is too comfortable." With that Root lay back down and closed her eyes.

December 2017

Hearing no gunfire, Shaw slipped the gun into the shadow between her body and the edge of her coat and moved Gen along in front of her again. Shaw was no stranger to having to escort a civilian; not even this civilian in particular. But she was more keyed up than usual; maybe it was because she hadn't shot anyone for a few days.

They were two streets away when they heard the first shot. Shaw grasped Gen by the upper arm, yelled a Belgian command to Bear who - promptly bolted, and propelled Gen towards the car. She knew Gen needed no urging, knew Gen was hurrying but still she couldn't help herself.

They were six streets away before Shaw said anything.

"Sorry for pushing you around back there. Instinct," Shaw said gruffly. "Hope I didn't hurt you."

"I'm fine. You were protecting me."

"I shouldn't have put you in that situation in the first place," Shaw said, raising her fingers to her lips and bracing for Bear.

"You can't help random shootings," Gen said logically.

"Wasn't random. She knew, and she didn't tell me until we nearly walked into it."

"Who?" Gen asked

"The... the voice in my ear," Shaw said carefully. "The one that tells me when there's a threat nearby.

"Oh, Shaw, you're on leave. Can't you..."

"If I had, we would have kept walking. Right into a shoot out." Shaw's comms kicked in again, the team checked in one by one and stated that their target was acquired.

"Open fire in a the streets, guys," Shaw said warningly, and the team had the sense to sound abashed. Shaw wondered if she was getting old, getting more careful. She looked over at the subdued teen next to her. "Don't worry, kid," she said easily. "Your number's not up yet. Now, where were we going?"

"The library," Gen said excitedly.

"Luckily, I know a shortcut," Shaw said, and led Gen to an abandoned subway station, the other entrance of which exited at the library. Shaw looked over the empty tracks with a sigh.

December 17, 2014

Shaw watched Root, lying still and apparently asleep. Shaw still had work in a few hours, and the bed was the only comfortable surface to sleep in her place. Just as she was about to give in and slip under the sheets next to Root - damned if she'd let that pest steal her own bed - Root piped up.

"Not joining me?" Root asked.

"Floor's better," Shaw said instantly, and turned off the lights.

She stole her sheets back though, because damned if she'd let Root hog the covers.

Notes:

Cannot recommend even partially dislocating a shoulder, let alone a shoulder blade.

Reviews welcomed.