Sam awoke to find herself lying in bed. She coughed weakly as her eyes slowly focused on the soft blanket covering her body. As she looked around, the brunette gear realized she was in the hospital, surrounded by a sheer off-white curtain with sounds of commotion in the background. The small area which served as a hospital in the barracks must have been crowded. She could hear the shuffling of busy doctors and nurses moving from one patient to the next. She could just make out the silhouette of someone (most likely a nurse) on the other side of the curtain which separated her bed from a neighboring patient's.
The area was functional at best. They didn't have an abundance of supplies; hell, they didn't even have hospital gowns. Sam could feel she still had her cargo pants on, but they'd removed her belt and boots, as well as her torn shirt. She felt woozy for a minute; the back of her head throbbed as she glanced at the IV inserted into her left wrist. As she looked down, she noticed the larger hand gently wrapped around her own, which was poking out from beneath the covers.
Baird was slumped in a chair next to her, his head resting at her side, facing her. He was fast asleep, a small lock of hair hiding his eye. Sam looked at him, squinting. He had a large bandage on his forehead. On the battlefield, he was completely different; loud, rough, intimidating. Now, she could only describe him as beautiful as he laid there, motionless, save for the steady rise and fall of his back as he breathed. She'd never really noticed his lovely features before; his fair complexion, his soft blonde hair. She spied the dark circles that had appeared below his eyes. Sam looked at him with pity as she realized he must have been by her side the entire time, waiting for her to wake up. He was still in the same clothing as before; his cut-off muscle shirt stained with blood and soot. The only difference was his hands and face had been washed clean.
A tender smile crossed her lips as she watched him for a little while. Then her eyes traveled across her "hospital room" as she tried to figure out how she'd gotten there in the first place. She felt a dull pain coming from her ribs, then glanced down at her chest. Blankets were covering her up to her neck. Using her free hand, which was resting at her side under the covers, she carefully lifted the blankets, revealing the thick bandages wrapped around her entire torso. She cringed, and then quickly replaced the blanket against her bare chest. Her right shoulder was wrapped as well, and Sam recalled just how hard she'd landed on it when she fell.
She squeezed Baird's hand gently. He stirred, and then got up with a start, inhaling sharply through his nose before meeting Sam's gaze. The mechanic sat up and looked at her face intently as she slowly blinked; a weak smile on her lips. Her face was pale, but not nearly as much as before. Her forehead was glistening with sweat. "Hey," he half whispered, looking relieved. He rubbed her hand tenderly as she answered; her voice a bit raspy. "H-hi." she grimaced inwardly at how weak she sounded. "How long…How long was I out?" Baird rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "A couple hours at least. They put you out when we got on the chopper." He took a clean washcloth from the side-table and gently dabbed Sam's forehead as she blinked tightly, trying to focus. As Sam's eyesight became clearer, she looked Baird over and frowned.
"What happened to your arm?" she asked with a cough. Baird looked down at his left arm, wrapped and in a sling. "Oh, this…It's nothing." Sam didn't believe a word of it. She tried to sit up, but the sharp pain from her side made her lay back down right away. "You got…but when? How did that happen?" She groaned, flustered as she tried to recall past events, but to no avail. She was still groggy from the sedative, combined with the pain killers they'd given her earlier. "No really, I'm fine. Look," Baird replied calmly. He reached up with his good arm and gently undid the sling, then draped it over the foot of the bed. "See? It's all good," he said as he gestured with his hand while carefully keeping his arm against his body. He smiled bravely, but Sam had caught him cringe a bit as he did so. "I told the docs I didn't need it, but they just like telling me what to do," Baird added with a grin, and the brunette gear couldn't help but smile back.
Sam sighed weakly, licking her lips. Baird quickly reached for the pitcher of ice water on the side table and poured some for her. "Here, drink this," he said, handing the glass to her, but he felt her grip was weak. "I'm sorry," she muttered, closing her eyes tightly as she placed her head against the pillows again. "Aw hell, I'm so dizzy…" Baird gestured for her to let him help, and then brought the glass to her lips. She took a long sip, closing her eyes. It tasted so good. "Thank you," Sam whispered, a bit self-consciously. She felt guilty getting special attention, even when she needed it. Baird just nodded, placing the glass back on the table. "You want some food? The doctor said you should eat something if you're feeling up to it." Sam didn't even realize how hungry she was until he mentioned it. "Food sounds…amazing," she said, the thought of a hot meal making her mouth water. Baird smiled. "Ok, I'll be back."
He returned five minutes later with a tray in his hands, everything neatly plated in typical Baird fashion. "Here. You got lucky, they just made these," he said, gesturing to the steaming chicken pot-pie on the tray. "Smells really good" Sam said with a sigh. She seemed more alert then before. She tried to sit up, but Baird saw her struggling and came to her aid, gently putting his hand behind her good shoulder, easing her up carefully. Sam blushed a bit, remembering her missing shirt as she felt Baird's calloused hand against her bare skin. She clutched the thin blanket to her chest as the blonde adjusted her pillows. When he saw her, the tips of her ears turning red, he quickly pulled the nightstand drawer open. "Uh, here," he stammered, handing her a faded grey tank shirt which was folded among several other articles of clothing.
"From Anya" Sam took it in one hand, carefully keeping the blanket against herself with the other. "Aw, she's a sweetheart," she said with a smile. When Baird noticed Sam looking at the shirt, he caught on. "Oh, do you need…? I'll get the nurse." Baird motioned to leave, but Sam stopped him. She already felt guilty taking up a bed in the crowded hospital. She wasn't going to interrupt one of the nurses to help her dress. "Oh no, it's fine. I got it." Baird looked uncertain for a moment, before nodding and closed the curtain behind him.
He busied himself with the cart full of pill bottles being past around to each of the patients. The young woman pushing the cart seemed relieved that Baird had come to retrieve his own, saving her a trip. After a bit, he found the bottles with their names on them, then walked back to where Sam was, slowly pulling the curtain back in an attempt at courtesy. He saw the female gear had managed to get herself through the shirt most of the way, but her injured arm was still resting at her side. She tried to lift it, but whimpered as she did so. Without saying a word, Baird placed the pills on the table next to the food then made his way around the bed. He gently lifted Sam's arm, guiding it through the strap of the shirt, and then smiled a tiny, but sweet smile, before placing the tray on Sam's lap.
As she ate, he sat down and reached for the pill bottles with her name on them, reading the hand-written labels. "Ok. It says here," he squinted, struggling to read the doctor's messy handwriting. "These are to be taken twice a day until you're healed up. And these," he picked up the other bottle. "Can be taken thrice daily for the pain, for as long as you need." He stared at both bottles for a minute, trying to calculate the dosage before shrugging, placing them back on the table. Then he picked up his own pills and studied the bottle.
After a bit, he looked up and watched Sam as she ate. "What?" she asked with a self-conscious grin, halfway finished with her dinner. "Nothing, sorry." He rubbed his eyes. "You hungry?" Sam asked, taking another mouthful. She felt funny eating in front of him. "Nah, I'll be fine…" "You sure?" He raised an eyebrow. "Well…" He smirked as he reached for the small apple pastry on her tray. Sam growled playfully at him, and he pulled his hand away. "Oh no, you don't. I'm saving that for last," she told him. "Fine," he said with a mock pout. "Don't eat too much though, ok?" Sam nodded as she took the last bite of her pot-pie. Baird strapped the sling back around his arm as Sam wolfed the pastry down in two bites. He was relieved to see she was eating; the color slowly coming back to her face. Once she finished, Baird removed the tray from her lap in a flash, much to Sam's dismay. She didn't like to be waited on, but decided to leave it alone. She'd never seen Baird this concerned with another person's comfort before, so it was pretty fascinating to watch.
"How's it feel?" he asked after he'd thrown the paper dishes and utensils away. Sam glanced down at her ribs. "I mean, it hurts like hell when I move…but you know, I'll live," Sam said, trying to sound strong. Baird seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she finished her sentence. They looked into each other's eyes for a short moment, before Sam's gaze drifted away. "Where are the others?" She asked in barely a whisper. She felt so stupid for having forgotten about them. Baird opened his mouth to answer, but just pursed his lips and shook his head slightly, looking at the floor.
Sam felt her whole body go numb for a moment as she remembered the gears she'd just met this morning. No matter how many comrades she'd lost over the years, each death continued to be uniquely painful. She met his gaze with red eyes. "I should have gone with them…They asked me too, but I…" she closed her eyes, refusing to let her emotions get the best of her. Baird's eyes filled with pity as he spoke gently, taking a seat next to her on the small cot. "Hey, hey, don't do that. If you'd gone with them, how do I know you wouldn't have…," He just squeezed her hand, unable to finish his sentence. "They were… gone by the time I got there," he added, whispering.
She nodded and wiped at her eyes. "Sorry," she said, clearing her throat. His expression dropped as she spoke. He closed his eyes, and let out a deep sigh through his nose, looking away. Sam frowned. "What is it?" She asked softly, squeezing his hand as she tilted her head, trying to make eye contact. "It's just…" he stood up abruptly, raking his hand through his hair. "It happened so fast, you know?" he said turning to face her. "I mean, there was nothing. No warning…no…" he sighed, frustrated. "I had no idea where everyone was, where you were…" He looked away again. "I couldn't even think straight, I was so scared," he whispered, ashamed of himself. Sam's face went slack as she watched him standing there; eyes shut as he rubbed the back of his neck, refusing to meet her gaze. He looked like he just wanted to curl up and cry. Baird. Cry. Her brain had a hard time putting those two words together. The poor thing had barely gotten any sleep, and probably hadn't had anything to eat yet either, she thought to herself. Right now, he needed caring for as much as she did.
"Come here," Sam whispered softly. He complied, sitting down on the bed next to her looking at the floor, his hands folded together between his knees. She reached up with her good arm and put her hand on Baird's cheek, gently turning his head towards her. She heard him sigh under his breath as her soft skin lightly touched his face. He was pale; his eyes nearly half-lidded and bloodshot. He looked exhausted. "Everything's going to be alright now," she told him, stroking his cheek with her thumb. Baird studied her face for a moment, before replying softly.
"Just…stay with me from now on…alright?" His tone wasn't authoritative, it sounded more pleading. Sam looked at him, and then nodded, her head still resting against the pillows. "I can do that," she whispered, gently pulling his head close. Her side hurt as she sat up straighter, but Sam didn't notice as she kissed his lips tenderly. "Thank you for saving me. I wouldn't have made it on my own." Baird looked into her eyes. "I did what I had to do," he said simply. "I need you right here." Sam smiled as he kissed her again, stroking her brunette hair. He lowered her head back upon the pillows as he did so, easing his body against hers while being careful not to aggravate her injuries. "You really do care…" she said softly, raising an eyebrow at him. That playful tone in Sam's voice made Baird sigh inwardly with relief. She was going to be alright after all.
"Of course I do," he said as he nuzzled his face against her, lightly kissing her behind her ear. "That tickles," Sam whispered with a grin, pretending to pull away as he slowly worked his way down the side of her neck. Baird laughed softly, his breath warm on her skin, but didn't move an inch. She relaxed her shoulders and closed her eyes for a bit as she stroked the back of the blonde's head, working her fingers through his soft hair. "Baird…?" Sam opened her eyes and looked around cautiously. The last thing she wanted was for someone to walk in on them like this. Sure, everyone was probably really busy, but better to be safe then sorry. She had an image to maintain, after all. "Hmm?" Baird replied softly. He didn't seem to notice the commotion on the other side of the curtain as he massaged her uninjured shoulder, kissing her as he did so. Maybe he just didn't care.
Sam rubbed her cheek against his. "Come on, aren't you hungry?" she spoke softly into his ear. "Mm-mm." was all her companion could muster between kisses. Sam sighed as he gently stroked her arms. His soft touch felt wonderful, but she had to be firm. "Go on, you big softy…I know you haven't eaten yet…" she muttered, playfully pushing his face away with her cheek after kissing him one last time. Baird smiled as he looked into her eyes tenderly. "I'm just glad you're ok," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers so their noses touched. Sam looked into his eyes to see they were glossy with tears. His expression was earnest and genuine for a moment before it was replaced by an impish grin. He kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips, and Sam laughed in mock frustration.
"Alright…alright, go get some food, will you?" She said as seriously as she could, her loving expression downplaying her words. Baird chuckled, and then gave in. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, ok?" He said, standing up. Sam was surprised to see he wasn't joking. "Where am I going?" she asked with a soft laugh, gesturing towards the IV in her arm. Baird rolled his eyes, then leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You know what I meant," he said softly. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere." Sam assured him. He looked at her for a moment before closing the curtain. "I'm gonna hold you to that," Baird whispered to himself as he made his way to the mess hall.
The End! I hope you guys liked it! Thanks for reading, and be sure to post a comment :)