I hope people are still interested in this story.
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They spend the next day watching bad television.
Murphy is quiet, lying still in the bed with his lips pressed together, and his body leaning against Connor's. He only speaks to ask his brother for something, usually in a mixture of languages, but Connor manages to translate, because he can tell that Murphy is disoriented and totally unsure of everything.
Connor is exhausted. He lounges in the chair beside his brother's bed, as close to Murphy as he can get, and feels the tiredness wash over him. The previous night had been tough, with Murphy crying out in pain more than once, but Connor had been there every time, to wipe Murphy's sweaty hair off his forehead and listen to his moans of pain.
The TV drones on, but neither of them are listening. Still, Connor asks Murphy every hour or so if he wants to change the channel, if only to keep up the façade of normality. His brother shakes his head silently every time. Connor lets his eyes drift closed a few times, but only for a moment, before he jolts back to full consciousness and makes Murphy whimper at the sudden movement. "Tá brón orm," I'm sorry. He says each time it happens, and each time Murphy answers the same.
"Tá sé ceart go leor." It's okay.
But the thing is is that nothing is okay, and Connor is painfully aware of the fact. He flicks to another TV station, and hates himself a little more for not being able to do anything. Beside him, Murphy sniffs quietly, and rubs at his face to stop tears from rolling down his cheeks.
And Connor can't do anything about it.
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The nurses come in and out every hour or so, to fiddle with IVs and make pitying faces at the two brothers.
Connor keeps an eye on his brother during these few minutes, tries to inconspicuously make sure that Murphy isn't going to freak out, and what he sees scares him. It isn't that Murphy is acting scared, or that he's anxious or anything, it's that he's not.
His brother stays perfectly still during the nurse's visits, just tenses his back up and doesn't move for the whole time. Murphy's face goes blank, and he just lets his arms go slack. He doesn't flinch when they stick him painfully for a blood test, or squirm when they're checking his oxygen stats. Murphy lets his limp hands be picked up, lets them take his blood pressure silently, and doesn't even blush when a young nurse tells him that he's a cutie.
And when it's over, when everyone is out of the room again, Murphy just leans back, into Connor.
He doesn't say anything, not when Connor asks him gentle questions. Murphy just shrugs, and stares at the TV with blank eyes. This make Connor's eyes well up with tears that he can't really explain, and Murphy still won't say anything, but he does slip his hand into Connor's, and squeeze.
The day goes on like this, in an endless cycle, and Connor wishes that it would just end.
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Murphy feels numb.
He stares at the brightly coloured pictures on the TV screen, and chews on the inside of his mouth carefully. It's hard to fight down the thought that he's trapped, that even if there was an emergency he wouldn't be able to get out of the bed.
Beside him, Connor fidgets and shifts in his chair, and glances over at him. Murphy can't bring himself to muster up the strength to look back at his twin, can't seem to make any words slip through his lips other than the occasional, "Tá sé ceart go leor," It's okay, when Connor apologises for no reason.
That doesn't mean that he doesn't know Connor is hurting though.
When his brother stands up to go to the bathroom, he winces and grunts with pain, and then pretends that it didn't happen, "M' goin' ta the jacks, Murph. It's down th' hall an' some stairs so I'll be a while. Do ye need anythin'?"
Murphy shakes his head, and turns it slightly to watch his brother shuffle painfully out of the room. He frowns, and then reaches down for the call button that is resting beside his pillow, pressing the red button with shaky but determined fingers. It only takes a moment or two for a nurse to come running in, concerned expression plastered all over her face. He winces as she comes closer, and holds up his hands slowly as if to fend her off.
"'m fine, I jus' need ta ask you somethin'," He says quickly, and bites at his thumb while she glances over at the monitors anyway, "It's about my brother, Connor. He—he got hurt in the accident too, broke some ribs an' his wrist, an' he's hurtin' but he doesn't know how ta accept help. Would ye… could ye give him some sorta painkiller before he goes ta sleep, but one tha' will actually makes him sleep properly. Cause he's been sleepin' beside me bed, an' he wakes up every ten seconds ta check on me."
The nurse gives him a tiny smile, and looks like she understands completely, "I think I can arrange that, Murphy. He's due for some pain medication soon anyway, and with the state of exhaustion that he's been in, I'm sure it'll knock him right out."
He frowns slightly at that, at the realisation that even the nurses could tell that Connor was wiped out, and they didn't even know him.
But then Murphy manages to grin back at her, and thanks her gratefully, adding in, "Jus' don't tell him tha' it'll send him ta sleep. He won't take it then."
She nods again, and pats him on the shoulder gently. Then Connor staggers back through the door, and stops in his tracks, "What's wrong? What happened—Murph, ye okay? are ya—" All the colour drains from his face, and he looks petrified.
Murphy grins at his brother, and says quickly, "Nothin's wrong, mo dheartháir my brother, I'm grand. I was jus' havin' some banter with…" He squints at the nurse's nametag, "…Amy here, wasn't I?"
"Ah, here now, love, ye don't want ta be getting' inta it with my little brother, here. I'm the only MacManus tha' ye need." Connor recovers quickly, and winks comically at the nurse, who then bursts into laughter and smiles widely at them.
Her pager goes off a few seconds later, and she gives them one last smile, before hurrying out of the room.
Connor looks at him then, and the room seems that bit brighter. Murphy can see his brother coming back to his old self, even though he is injured and worn down. He grins at him, and makes a motion with his head for his twin to come over.
"C'mon, ye eegit, there's an episode of The A-Team on an' I haven't seen it yet."
His brother pauses for a moment, and then says quickly, "I'll be back in a minute, Murph, don't move!" and races out the door as fast as he could, holding his ribs. Murphy rolls his eyes at the last comment, and sits patiently until his brother renters the room a few minutes later.
Connor is holding a jumbo packet of popcorn in his hands, and two diet cokes in his hands, from the hospital shop.
Murphy beams back at him.
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Okay guys, I know this update is long overdue, and I apologise. It's the New Year now though, and I have a plan and am motivated, so I'm going to update this regularly again.
I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter (future ones will be longer, I'm just getting this one out quickly to get into this story again—but more action and angst is coming), so I'd really appreciate any feedback that you want to give me. If you're still reading this story, that is!
Thanks for reading,
ArmedWithMyComputer xx