Matt could feel the vibrations on the floor when Claire and the ambulance arrived. There were too many to concentrate on, thrumming through his fingers as footsteps pounded the ground. Matt had no way of knowing who had just come I through his front door. He thought Foggy might call Claire but there were too many people.

The vigilante suddenly worried that they may be under attack and grabbed at his friend, calling for him desperately. Hands took his shoulders, one of them taking Matt's hand and placing it against a warm chest. The smell of Foggy's aftershave filled Matt's nose and his palm rested over his partners heart, the steady pulsing beats telling Matt all he needed to know. Foggy was calm, it was okay, whatever was happening was safe.

The hero nodded and loosened his grip on his friend, leaning against the wall and slowing down his breathing. Remembering Sticks voice in his head earlier Matt concentrated on the smells filling the room. Latex, gloves probably, the kind nurses used at hospitals. Dirt, from people's shoes, it came from close to the ground. There was the faint smell of bleach or some other hospital grade cleaner or disinfectant, something with alcohol strong enough to kill any germ or bacteria that lingered. And from the vibrations and that pressing feeling like an invisible wall was closing you in when there are lots of people around, close to you, there were probably around three other people in the room beside himself and Foggy.

Foggy had called an ambulance. Great. New hands grazed his cheek with gentle fingers, Matt had flinched until the person leaned in and kissed his forehead, her familiar smell washing over him like a fog. Claire. Matt smiled and muttered her name, quiet enough so the EMT's wouldn't wonder how a deaf blind man new who was with him.

He felt her hands flutter over him and he held still while she checked him over. Smoothing her hands through his hair, checking for bumps and cuts even as Foggy traced a finger over where the bullet hit him.

Matt Sat in the silent darkness, feeling the press of too many people, too close, on him like a bag had been put over his face. He was finding it hard to breathe and lifting a searching hand to Foggy's chest again, using his heart beat as a focusing point to calm down to.

Claire's nimble hands took Matt's free one and turned his palm to the ceiling, tapping on of his fingers before tapping his nose, making him flinch back a little at the unexpected touch. Obediently he touched his finger to his nose, showing her his coordination was intact. She did a number of things like this, pulling Matt's reluctant hand from Foggy's shirt to stretch his arms out in front of him and hold them there. Tracing a smile on his face so that he could demonstrate that as well. He knew she was checking for signs of a stroke, which he did not have, but he was cooperative nonetheless, replacing his hand on Foggy's chest as soon as she released it.

Asking for symptoms was tricky, Matt trying to understand them was harder, but Claire did the best she could. Tracing a swirl on the injured man's forehead she waited as he cocked his head slightly. Matt couldn't hear himself so had no way of knowing how loud he was talking but Claire was close enough to hear his whispers.

"Dizzy? Am I dizzy?"

The hand that wasn't on Foggy was on Claire's cheek so he could feel her nod.

"No I just don't know where I am in my apartment, it's a little disorientating."

He felt her hand on his stomach before it traced a line from his tummy, up his chest and throat and ended at his mouth. He smiled a little at her game of touch charades.

"No I'm not nauseous. I was this morning and I had a headache. Migraine actually, a bad one. I think I had a concussion."

Claire nodded again and patted his cheek, taking his hand down from her face and placing it in his lap. They were done with questions for now. Foggy's hands took his arms and started pulling, indicating that he should stand. So they were moving. At least it was progress.

….

Foggy made sure he was always in Matt's grasp. Partly because Matt would freak out if he wasn't and partly because Foggy would freak out. Foggy had always felt a little protective of his blind friend but had pushed most of it down knowing Matt wouldn't want to be babied. But now he got to take care of him, properly mother hen the guy as much as he liked. And there would be a lot of mother-henning.

Once they had gotten the vigilante into the ambulance and to the hospital they had been placed in a little curtained off bed where Foggy could hold Matt's hand as he sat on the bed. Claire had explained that they would be taking some brain scans to see what was happening.

"It's most likely just minor swelling but we need to make sure it's not too bad and that there isn't any bleeding. With Matt's…. special talents, I'm not sure how he will react to the scans and I don't know what we are gonna see in there. I don't think it's anything too bad but we always have to careful with head injuries."

The nurse looked around to make sure no one was close enough to listen before leaning in.

"We need a story." She whispered. "For when the doctors ask what happened. I told the EMT's some bullshit about an accident but we need an actual story for the doctors."

Foggy nodded and looked to where Matt was resting back in the bed, nose slightly crinkled at the hospital smells he didn't like.

"I think he might have some bruises and stuff from the fight that might go along with a car accident story. He was walking all stiffly like he does when his ribs or muscles hurt and he doesn't want you to notice. Dumb-ass."

Claire nodded, at both the information and Matt being a dumb-ass.

"Okay he was walking home with his cane and got hit, tumbled and hit his head. Let's hope they don't look too closely and notice the shit ton of old injuries that are still healing. Thanks Foggy, I'll be back soon with the Doctor to take him up for some scans."

Foggy nodded and looked back to Matt. He looked uncomfortable and irritated, his nose scrunched up and lips open so he could breathe through his mouth but he was frowning like that annoyed him too. He could probably taste the awful smells around him, bleach and blood and other unfortunate bodily fluids. Foggy didn't like what he could smell and couldn't imagine what Matt must have in his nose. Actually he could. Some kid was throwing up into a bucket a few curtains down. Matt made a face like he could smell everything that was in that vomit, which he probably could.

Foggy winced in sympathy and bent down to his bag, rummaging around till he found what he was looking for. The jacket he had stashed in his bag and forgotten to take out before he went to work. Karen had worn it the other night when she had gotten cold at the restaurant the three of them were at for lunch. Foggy pressed it into Matt's hands and, as the man made a confused grunt at his partner, lifted it to Matts face. The lawyer had gotten the idea and pressed it to his nose gratefully, closing his eyes and taking in the plethora of smells trapped in the fabric. Scents of Foggy, the restaurant and the food that Foggy had ordered, and smells of Karen. Her perfume, her skin and shampoo and the desert she had shared with him. Cheesecake and strawberries.

Matt smiled and squeezed his best friend's hand, thanking him for knowing exactly what he had been thinking without him having to say anything. Matt felt a bad for causing so much trouble. He knew Foggy was worried, he had been so mad at him that morning and now he was missing a day at the office to hold his hand in the hospital. He hated it when Foggy worried, he hated it when they fought too but Foggy never understood that his need to protect the city came before protecting himself.

As soon as he got his hearing back he would be getting an earful from Foggy and Claire about being careful and taking unnecessary risks. He also hated it when they ganged up on him, telling him off for being reckless. He supposed Claire thought this was a good lesson for him, a punishment for not being careful. He didn't know if it was or not but he knew he'd be learning from his mistake and keep a better ear out for hidden weapons like ankle holsters. As soon as he got out of this hospital he'd be back out finding the guy that shot him in the head and killed all those gang members. He knew Foggy and Claire probably knew this too.

Foggy might not let him out of his sight after this though. Once, in college, Matt had run into some trouble while walking home. A group of guys tried to mug him which wouldn't have been a problem but there were three of them and Matt couldn't fight them all off at once in the tiny alley they had cornered him in. He knocked them all out but not after he had been punched in the face enough times to leave some bad bruising that he couldn't cover up. Foggy had immediately freaked out and wouldn't let him walk into town by himself for weeks.

That was a bruise, this was a bullet to the head and, hopefully, temporary deafness. This was going to be some heavy mother-henning and probably a fight too. Matt sighed and felt Claire push his hair back, her hand sliding down to cup his cheek as her thumb rubbed along his cheek bones in comfort. At least he could wait a while before they got mad at him. For now he could lay back and let his friends take care of him.