Okay here's the latest. Thanks so much Bookworm for the reviewage! Proper reply to your PM is forthcoming. More to follow here soon.
After checking a nearby computer for the room assignment, making sure the hallway the stairwell led up to was clear, Khan motioned for Carrie to join him.
Feeling a little like this was some kind of bizarre op, the baby feeling it too as he did somersaults in her stomach, Carrie couldn't help but smile in spite of everything going on, who they were sneaking in now to see.
Following Khan down the hall, she watched him swipe his key card to unlock the double doors. "I pulled up the room assignment. They've transferred him from the E.R to a private room."
"Well that's good!"
"I'd see it as such, yes. We'll go this way."
Taking a left, then a right down a different corridor, when a nurse got off the elevator, eyed Carrie with suspicion Khan eyed her and approached.
"Evening. I'm escorting this patient to the third floor," Leaning closer he lowered his voice. "Caught her wandering the halls in a distressed state. It was most unfortunate."
Nodding in understanding, getting a soft smile in return the nurse blushed, continued making her rounds. Not catching Carrie's enraged expression.
"What did you say to her?" she hissed.
"What? I simply-"
"You told her I was a deluded patient who was roaming the fucking halls!"
"Well you did roam out onto the patio," Khan reminded as Carrie snorted, crossed her arms. "I apologize. I didn't intend to insult you. I was just hoping to send her on her way and move this process along. I would like to get home to Sophie before sunrise," he said curtly as she frowned.
"Sophie? Who-"
"My daughter. Did I not mention-"
"You did, just not by name," Carrie said. "It's pretty though. I like it."
"Thank you," Khan said softly. "What is your girl named?"
"Farrah."
"Delightful."
"Well, I didn't name her that. Her biological fami-"
"No, the name Farrah. It means delightful."
"It does?" Carrie asked, getting a nod that got her smiling. "Well that fits her then. Completely," she said wistfully, reaching out of reflex for the rope loop in her robe pocket.
"Forgive me, I don't believe I asked what your name was," Khan said ashamedly.
"Carrie. Carrie Mathison."
"Carrie. Well, the meaning of Caroline is beautiful."
"Too bad I don't go by it," Carrie snorted as he arched a brow.
"Perhaps you should start."
"What about you?" she asked, trying to get the focus off of her. "What does Khan stand for?"
"Khan is my surname. But it means leader, so I've been told."
"Well it fits. You're leading the fucking way right now."
"This is true," Khan chuckled, watching as Carrie rolled her eyes, rested her hand on her bump. "Are you having discomfort?" he asked. "Something-"
"I'm fine. I think he knows though it's past my bedtime. He keeps kicking at me."
"You have a footballer on your hands," he grinned. "Sorry. I believe you'd call him a soccer star."
"Yeah I believe we would," Carrie smirked.
"What name have you chosen?"
"I have one picked out. But it's a secret between my nieces and I," she said as they turned a corner, reaching the right hallway. "I'll give you a hint though, it means sold-"
Trailing off, seeing they'd reached Brody's room, looking in through the window tears prickled in Carrie's eyes, at the back of her throat. "Soldier."
Nodding, after opening the door Khan grabbed a chair, moved it next to the bed for her.
"Sit down, Carrie," he instructed as she shakily did so. Took hold of Brody's hand and held it close to her face.
Not wanting to stare impolitely Khan picked up, thumbed open the sedated man's chart.
"Tell me what it says," Carrie said numbly.
"Carrie..."
"I need to know what it fucking says!" she shouted. "Trust me, I..I can deal with it."
Nodding Khan cleared his throat, interpreting the medical jargon on the chart to be sure she'd understand it. "The injury to his right shoulder was a flesh wound. No deeper. Though it required stitching there was not an excess of blood loss, no sign of infection or substantial nerve, tissue damage."
"What caused it?" she asked.
"He was stabbed. They're speculating it was with a short blade. At close range."
Jerkily nodding, flashing back to Quinn and that fucking bunker Carrie ran her thumb over the back of Brody's hand. Held it tighter. "What else?"
"According to the X-rays taken, he sustained deep bruising to his third and fourth rib. There's also visible, substantial bruising on his torso. Appears to be the result of repeated, severe blows. Kicking perhaps, it's difficult to determine the exact..."
Looking up from the chart at Carrie's pained face, her looking like she'd been repeatedly struck, Khan paused, bit his lip. "Do you wish for me to contin-"
"Yes," she choked, brushing her lips on Brody's hands again.
"There are no severe head injuries, no bruising, concuss-"
"Why the fuck was he unconscious then?!"
Her eyes stormed over, demanding answers, Khan swallowed hard, glanced at the enclosed EMT report in the folder.
"There's a report here in his file. From the medics assigned to the ambulance."
"Let me see it," Carrie demanded, about to stand when Khan stopped her.
"No, sit. I'll read it off," he ordered, getting a nod.
"The patient showed signs of extreme agitation and distress during transport and became increasingly violent. We opted to place restraints and administer a sedative in order to prevent further injuries to the patient, and injuries to the staff attending to him."
"Fuck. F...fuck."
Shaking her head, kissing Brody's hand again she curled up on his uninjured shoulder, too tired to even cry. Glancing up at a weary looking Khan though, he looked like he was gearing to say something else.
"What? Is there something else on his chart? What-"
"He was a prisoner of war overseas. Held captive, tortured. For years if I had to guess."
"Yeah. You...you guessed right," Carrie frowned, sitting up. "How did you-"
"The photo taken of his torso wounds, enclosed here in the medic report. His scarring. It's extensive."
"I know, I've fucking seen it," she scoffed, her thumb tracing his scarred hand again. "You're in oncology though. How often are you treating former POW's that you'd recognize their injuries?"
"It was quite often. When I was stationed in the Mid East."
"Wait, you were-"
"After university I served as a military physician with the Royal Marines. I did stints in Kabul, Islamabad. Once settling my tuition debts I moved to the States. Pursued cancer research."
Intrigued, Carrie nodded, looked curiously at him. "You could tell though just from fucking scar tissue that he'd been held in captivity."
"I knew from his face as well," Khan admitted as she nodded, swallowed hard.
"Right."
"Carrie, I-"
"No I want to make one thing clear!" Carrie said forcefully. "Whatever you've heard about him. In the news, in the papers, about Langley or about anything else! Nicholas Brody is a good man."
"I believe that," Khan said as she nodded, looking relieved.
"Well, okay then," she said, wiping her eyes with her free hand.
"The name you selected. It's fitting. Given who his father is."
"Thank you," Carrie choked out. Curling back up in her earlier position by Brody, then closer to his chest she shivered, swore under her breath.
"I'lll be right back," Khan said, cutting across the hall to the supply closer. Grabbing an extra blanket he walked back in the room, draped it over Carrie's shoulders.
"That should help. You looked chilled."
Thanking him again, Carrie nodded, fought back a yawn.
"Try and get some rest," Khan encouraged. "And don't worry about any intrusion. Before I leave I'll ask a friend to run interference. Ensure you're not disturbed."
Nodding, reaching over with her hand not in Brody's, Carrie squeezed his. "Tell Sophie her dad's a good man too."
"If you insist," Khan smiled. After telling her to take care, stay in touch he stepped out, shutting the door behind him.
Sitting up, sighing, Carrie ran her thumb over the cut on Brody's lip, the purpling bruise beneath his eye.
"I shouldn't even be in here right now," she scoffed. "Any second Abby's gonna come in and scream at me, kick me out."
Delicately resting her chin on his sternum she reached over, stroked his hair.
"At least there's no handcuffs this time. That's a positive," she weakly joked. Chin wobbling though her eyes welled up.
"Damn it, Brody. Look I'm fucking done with this, okay? I've had it up to here," she choked out.
"We can't both be hospitalized at the same time. Farrah's probably going out of her mind. Who's she even staying with right now?! I don't..."
Exhaustion, frustration setting in Carrie shook her head bitterly, glanced at all his bruises, bandages, IV lines.
"I wish they hadn't sedated you. I needed you to be awake. To tell me what fucking happened so I could find whoever put you here!" she spat.
When his heart rate kicked up though and the baby kicked her, sitting up again Carrie's chin quivered and she took a breath. Tried to settle down for their sakes.
"I'm sorry, I don't...please don't get stressed out on me. Everything's okay, it's okay.." she assured. One hand in Brody's, the other came to rest on, rub circles on her belly. A last ditch effort to try and calm the two of them down, her by extension.
When the kicks subsided she moved her hand to smooth Brody's hair, sniffed back tears before speaking. "Whatever happened to you it's over now, Brody. It's done. You're with me, you're safe. Everything's gonna be fine, okay? It...it fucking has to be."
Kissing him on the cheek she curled around him in bed, careful not to disturb the IV's or monitors as she rested her head on his chest, hand still in his. Between the sound of his heart in her ear, her belly being secured between them both she finally managed to settle down. Get some much needed sleep.