I'm so sorry to everyone for the exceptionally long wait! I had finals and surgical assessment last week and was traveling a lot at the beginning of this week. But! Better late than never! We have this chapter primed and ready for you all ; )
Special thanks to secretlystephaniebrown, freshzombiewriter, analiarvb, icefrozenover, alcientracers, BetaZack, Yin, notatroll7, a-taller-tale, washingtonstub, ashleystlawrence, kiwibat, irl-ami-mizuno, thepheonixqueen, whimsical-writer, werkthatasdfl, orangecookiekay, and Vixenlovesninjago on AO3, ffnet and tumblr for the wonderful feed back! I truly appreciate it more than you know.
Double Time
Chapter Nine: An Apple a Day
For reasons that probably spoke a lot to his general psyche, Washington opened his eyes half expecting to see the inside of a dumpster. And it was only a little disconcerting that he found himself a little disappointed when that was not the case.
Still, he felt like he had hit the broadside of someone's getaway vehicle. And that wasn't a feeling that was going to get old any time soon.
"Oh, goodness! It looks as though you've finally decided to join the world of the waking!"
The voice was unfamiliar, but so loud and so incapable of being ignored that Washington found himself turning to face it all the same. When he did, he was met by a dark woman with graying hair and a white surgical mask on with purple trimming.
Medical getup was less disconcerting.
"What's going on? Where am I?" Washington began with a low panic just before trying to raise into a sitting position and finding his body very much protested every bit of it He hit the mattress of the stiff cot almost immediately. "Ow."
"And that, dear Donald, is why I make a point of not healing everything at once when I receive class S patients! They always think they're ready to get up and get rolling before they have even the slightest medical approval," the doctor informed someone over her shoulder.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Washington tried to get his thoughts collected – the courthouse was on fire, Locus, explosions, super strength, Junior – but the more he thought, the less sense he could make. And worst of all, the more he realized that he didn't have time to be laying in a cot in who-knew-where nor to play around with the mysterious doctor figure. He needed to save the city and the people and–
"I have to leave," he announced before attempting to sit up again. Only that time, the mysterious doctor pushed down on his shoulders and forced him to lay back.
"My, you are persistent. And one track minded," she said with a tone that belied some amusement with his struggle.
"There are people in danger," Washington attempted to argue only for a finger to be pushed against his lips.
"Only one of those people are my patient, Mister Washington! And the danger he is in is of being sedated should he not take the time to breathe, to listen, and to accept the medical care being provided to him by our wonderful city tax payers at the moment," she warned.
Wash squinted at her. "I don't know you," he said, as if that was supposed to be the only response necessary for ending the current nonsense.
"Yes, well, that would be expected when you haven't given any of us time for an introduction," she replied cheerfully. "My name is Doctor Emily Grey! I specialize in Class S patients, but of course I can also see any patient with normal anatomy and physiology. They're just far less interesting."
"She's a friend, Washington," Doyle spoke up, finally stepping out from behind the doctor. "A personal friend and an expert in her field. The moment I saw that you needed help after that brute Locus finished with you, I knew to call her up immediately."
"Locus," Wash spat out the name like it was poison. He pushed up again only for Doctor Grey to shove him back down. "Is everyone safe? The courthouse–"
"Burned down, I'm afraid," Kimball said, revealing herself to be not too far behind Doyle. "Along with the physical copies of the ballots. We're going to have to have a special election to decide this monstrosity of an election."
There were few things less on Wash's mind at that moment than the major dick waving contest that was this apparent election between Kimball and Doyle. But he should have figured one of the first things out of at least one of their mouths was going to be about it.
"Civilians?" he asked.
"I'm sure their voter turnout will be even lower than it was for the first election," Doyle sighed.
"Were any hurt?" Wash asked more testily.
"Oh, gracious me, no, of course not," Doyle said firmly. "Everyone stayed back, just as you advised!"
"But their wallets are going to be hurting," Kimball said sourly. "All the infrastructure damage that will have to repaired? There's no way we can risk lowering taxes in any bracket." She then turned her hardened eyes on Washington. "Which is exactly why I wanted you to call on the team for backup! I knew that even if you could manage this on your own – which you couldn't – it was going to be disastrous for the public property!"
"They weren't ready," Wash said pointedly. "We just started training and…" Remembering the training session, Wash felt his eyes widen and he began to push again only to be held down by Grey who was still examining him, flashing an opthalmoscope in his eyes. "Wait! What time is it? I have to leave! I have an appointment–"
"I am afraid that linner will have to wait," the doctor announced.
Wash squinted at her and opened his mouth to respond only for a tongue depressor to be stuck to the back of his throat and causing him to gag. After getting over the initial shock, he gagged on the stick and forced Grey to withdraw it from her throat. "H-how do you know about linner? I thought it was something that Tucker made up–"
"Because your significant other has been hardly held back in the hallway and told us all about it," Kimball replied.
"You seem to be rather… unused to the ins and outs of having a secret identity," Doyle reprimanded.
"Says the people who found out my identity and sent me mail directly to my home," Wash grouched. "If Tucker's here then I want to see him."
"Done!" Tucker yelled just before kicking the door in, to the seeming shock of the young heroes who had been standing on both sides of it. Washington made a mental note to put in some new training exercises that involved building the group some backbones in the future.
"Tucker," Wash said. "I'm sorry I missed–"
"Oh, shut up," Tucker said, marching up to his bedside and letting Wash see for the first time that he was visibly shaken, pale, and red-eyed behind his glasses. "Just… Man, I don't even want to hear it right now."
"You that angry that I didn't keep my promise?" Wash tried to joke.
"Shut up," Tucker snorted, grabbing his hand. "I'm upset that you got your ass kicked on television and I had to watch it. C'mon. You can't do that to me. You know Church and I have a running bet on your battles."
"Yeah, so sorry to disappoint the betting pool," Wash answered. "I'm okay, though. That… That Locus guy took me by surprise. I'm amazed he didn't do more damage–"
Banter was good, banter was almost normal.
But when Washington watched Tucker's face he didn't see any amusement or acceptance of the levity. There was a strict seriousness in Tucker's face instead, something that sat as unnaturally on his brow as a scowl.
Washington leaned back some. "What? What's wrong–"
"You almost die on national television and you have to ask me what's wrong, Wash?" Tucker asked stiffly. "Wow, I must be one cold motherfucker to you, huh?"
"That's not what I mean," Wash tried to argue just before there was another throat clearing to interrupt him.
Both Tucker and Wash turned to look at Doctor Grey again as she waved her hand and showed that brilliant white smile. "Hello again! It certainly sounds like there is a lot of talking that should be happening between the two of you! Communication is highly important for a relationship!"
"We know," both Wash and Tucker said at once only to glance at each other again.
"But I do have a lot of patients to get to and I need to know if I have permission to do my special doctoral duty yet or not," she said, eyes more locked on Tucker than on Wash.
Wash then looked curiously toward Tucker. "What's she talking about–?"
"Oh, the healing thing, right," Tucker said, snapping his fingers. "Yeah, Doc, lay it on him. We've still got a lot to do today!"
"Healing?" Washington parroted as the doctor neared him. "You mean there was a way to heal me and you were choosing not to?"
"Well, yeah, I know you," Tucker replied, crossing his arms. "I nursed you to health before, remember? Injuries were about the only thing that was going to keep you planted in this bed long enough to hear a few people out."
"That seems exploitative," Wash grumbled as Doctor Grey laid literal hands on him.
"Oh, most certainly," Doctor Grey said brightly. "But considering how jarring my power can be, sometimes it's less helpful for me to heal you while you're unconscious than to wait until your bones feel a bit more settled as they are!"
Washington shifted uncomfortably but allowed the woman to do her work.
"I'd do what the nice lady calls for, Grandpa. She's a professional and what not. Especially for our kind."
Alarmed, mostly because he hadn't heard or seen anyone else enter the room, Wash sat up more and found himself looking toward the door of the room where a man in gray and orange was leaning against the door, a broad, sleazy smile across his face.
"Who the hell is this?" Washington demanded.
"Please, Mister Washington, lie down for the most effective use of my powers," Doctor Grey said in the same happy tone, though it edged on warning.
"Well, is that any way to greet the man who just saved your life," the man continued smoothly.
Tucker shrugged. "It's true, Wash. Everyone saw it – Locus was coming for you again when Felix came out of nowhere and helped put a stop to him."
A little calmer, Wash still looked at the Felix-character suspiciously. "You… You saved my life?" he asked warily.
"Sure thing," Felix replied casually. "Though you shouldn't be too surprised. Locus is somewhat out of your league, old man."
"Old man?" Wash asked almost hysterically. "You're can't be that much older than me."
"But I'm fresh and new in the public eye," Felix said, tapping on his visor.
"I've barely been in the public eye for an hour more," Wash said critically.
"And healed!" Grey announced happily, clapping her hands together. She apparently had been paying no mind to the conversation.
Washington hated to admit it, but he felt more than a hundred percent better as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He was able to get more of a look at Felix that way – see the sleek design of his suit, the high end equipment from head to toe, and the way he seemed to be genuinely fitted like a superhero that would have made the front poses of a Freelancer lineup.
It kind of made him hate the guy more.
But Wash was quickly yanked from his thoughts as Tucker grabbed his bicep tightly. "Hey, cool it, Wash," Tucker said soothingly. "He saved your life, dude! The least you can say is a thank you! I'd kick Junior's ass for not saying thank you to the guy who saved him!"
Jarred by the statement, Wash looked at Tucker wide eyed. "Junior… Tucker, I think–"
"I think you're needing to thank someone," Tucker urged, tugging on the man's arm.
Feeling like a little child being led through his manners, Wash let out a thick huff of air and then looked toward Felix. "Thank you," he said uncomfortably. "Thank you for saving my life. I owe you."
"You bet you do," Felix grinned, "Partner. We'll hash out the details with Vanessa later, until then I'll leave you to sort things out with your… buddy here," he joked with a wave of his hand as he headed out the door. "Stay sharp, Washington."
Washington kept watching over Felix, bewildered and unnerved all at once, but he had little time to truly concentrate on it because Tucker was pulling an arm around his shoulders and giving him a half hug.
"Wow, you're really healed! Even that nasty bump on your head! That's amazing, Doc!" Tucker called out, sounding genuinely elated.
"Oh, it's nothing," she laughed. "I'm always happy to help. Imagine my shock at how normal the majority of Washington's physiology is compared to other heroes!"
"Thank you, Doctor," Wash said to Grey, though his focus was still on the hall and Felix. "Guess there's no end to the number of people I'm thankful toward lately."
Tucker gave him a curious look but didn't press it, at least not yet. Wash was sure there was more to discuss later.