Geez, I promised this would be up much sooner; and look, its already been a week!! Grr....lol oh well, I hope you all enjoy it!! :D
Casey hated hospitals. They were far too sterile, the air smelling chemical in its own way, and the lingering presence of death hung around the rooms. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, staring blankly at the wall ahead. Hospitals always made him edgy; the ridiculous amount of time he'd spent in them over the years causing his nerves to stand on a wire. The room was dim, thick, ugly curtains drawn across the window on the far wall, and occasionally a nurse wearing blue-green scrubs would stop by and glance in the room. They'd been taken to a secure government hospital where no one asked for reasons or names and Casey was perfectly fine with that.
The chair was uncomfortable but he didn't care; he wasn't here for comfort. The slow, steady beep of the heart monitor to his right was reassuring and the agents closed his eyes for a second, listening to the sound carefully. Chuck was still unconscious, his back bandaged from the tops of his shoulders down to his hips. Only a few of the lashes had actually required stitches but the raw, bloody wounds that covered the rest of his back would need a few days to heal before it was all over. Sarah had called to inform Casey that she'd told Ellie she and Chuck would be out of town for a few days so she wouldn't worry. She tried to ask about the younger man, the concern genuine in her voice, but Casey hung up on her. He knew it wasn't Sarah's fault but the fact that Chuck had been injured while she was there made him angry and he needed someone to blame for the time being. He might apologize later.
There was a soft groan from the bed and Casey straightened instantly, leaning forward as he did. Chuck blinked slowly, staring first at the ground and then allowing his eyes to travel up to the wall. He was laying on his side, clad in nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants, with his arms crossed over his chest to prevent any tightening or straining of the muscles in his back. He blinked again, his eyes locking on Casey.
"Hey kiddo, how do you feel?" Casey asked, smiling softly as he reached out and brushed a stray curl away from Chuck's forehead.
The younger man smiled weakly at the contact and shook his head. "Horrible…" He whispered, letting his eyes fall closed once more. He took a slow breath and for a second, Casey thought he had fallen back asleep. He opened his eyes again and shifted slightly, wincing a little as he did. "What happened…?"
The agent hesitated, not entirely sure if he should tell Chuck everything for fear of scaring him. He weighed the options for a second and shrugged slightly. "What's the last thing you remember?" He asked, figuring that was the safest route to go for now.
Chuck thought silently, his eyes resting on the leg of Casey's chair as the memories returned. "The whip…" He whispered at last. "I remember the whip…"
Casey sighed softly; that was the one thing he was hoping Chuck would forget. However, that didn't seem to be the case at this point so he simply smiled reassuringly and nodded. "Yeah. Well, Alexis is dead so you won't have to worry about her again." He explained trying to add a little bit of light to the darkness.
Chuck nodded slowly and winced, shifting his body into a better position. He was silent for several minutes, obviously contemplating something in his head. "Is this what normally happens to spies…?" He asked quietly after a few more silent seconds, searching Casey's face for an answer.
The agent nodded slowly, scooting his chair closer so Chuck wouldn't have to strain to see him. "Yes, it's a possibility that does happen on the job. Kind of an occupational hazard." Casey joked, smiling faintly at the grim attempt at humor. He looked away for a second, suddenly grateful that Chuck had only been exposed to the whip. He had seen some truly terrible methods of torture in his time, things that could make even the strongest and toughest agents crumble like an old building. He was glad Chuck hadn't been subjected to anything that horrendous.
Chuck blinked slowly, the affects of the drugs in his system obviously still working. He shook his head slowly and sighed. "Being an agent sucks…" He exhaled, closing his eyes with the breath.
Casey laughed and nodded, carding his fingers through the younger man's hair softly. "Yeah, sometimes it does." He agreed, stroking his thumb across Chuck's temple gently. "But you made a great agent earlier today Chuck. I've seen several people cave at just the sight of a whip but you took it and never said a word." He smiled as the younger man blushed. "I'm proud of you."
A comfortable silence fell between them for a few seconds, the air conditioner kicking on with a gentle hum. Chuck shifted once more and pulled the blankets up a little higher onto his injured shoulders. "Will you stay with me…?" He asked softly, a faint blush staining his cheekbones.
Casey smiled and nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. When you're not at the apartment I don't have anything to watch." He laughed at Chuck's weak attempt at a punch and captured his hand, intertwining their fingers. He gave the younger man's hand a gentle squeeze and kissed his knuckles. "Go back to sleep. I'll be right here, I promise."
Chuck smiled at the reassurance and nodded, not needing much encouragement to fall back asleep. He drifted off, his fingers still laced between Casey's, and relaxed into the bed.
Casey watched as the younger man's breathing evened out and felt his own body relax. The next few days would suck, there was no doubt about that; between Chuck being stuck in the hospital while his back healed and the ass-chewing he and Casey were both going to take by Beckman it was going to be a long couple of days. But that was alright. Chuck was safe, Casey was there with him, and for now nothing could make him happier.
Super fluff away!!! Hehe, that was fun :D Hope you liked it and see you next time!!