It was warm and he was home. Minion had given him an analgesic, and a sedative, and blessed unconsciousness had claimed him. Dear, dear Minion.
Megamind opened his eyes, and saw that Minion had set the bones in his left arm while he'd slept. His hand, too, was bound.
That might be trouble. The ribs would heal themselves, in time. His neck was bruised but otherwise fine. His arm and hand, however, had been mangled; the arm would heal, but the hand? Surgery might be necessary, and he didn't trust anyone but himself to perform so delicate an operation. Which posed a problem. As it was, he might never regain full use of it.
Never mind. The thugs who'd jumped him would regret it. He wouldn't need to be on top form to make sure of that. They were nothing, really - nothing, and lucky.
Megamind pushed himself upright with a yawn, his hand stopping halfway to his mouth when he saw her. Roxanne, fast asleep, curled up on a chair on the other side of the room. A chair that belonged somewhere else; she must have dragged it here. To watch over him while he slept.
He smiled fondly at her. Started composing in his mind what he would say when she woke up. Thank you, for a start.
He hadn't exactly treated her like the marvellous creature she was. An apology might even be in order. He had snapped at her, when she had knocked his arm while helping him into the car. She had talked, and he had laid in silence hoping she would stop. Yes, he supposed he ought to apologise. First, "thank you", then "I'm sorry".
"Sir! You're awake!"
Minion had a tray in his hands and a beaming smile plastered across his fishy face. Megamind grinned back at him, holding out his arms.
"Minion, you fantastic fish, you! I can always count on you." Movement caught his eye, and he ammended his statement with a nod toward the woman waking in the corner. "And Ms Ritchie, of course." He swallowed. "I owe you an apology, Roxanne..."
But she waved a hand and gave him a smile that filled his chest with warmth. "No need. You were in pain. I get it."
Minion placed the tray in front of him, moving with the utmost care. Megamind smiled up at his old friend. Doughnuts, and two glasses of... energy drink? Not his usual morning coffee... Ah. The bottles Roxanne had bought him.
Minion excused himself, and Megamind turned himself to the task of Ms Ritchie. He owed her more than an apology. She'd found him in a bad way. Thank the stars for the brainbots. How had they known to go to her?
She rose now, capturing his attention. Her clothes were mussed, stained here and there from the alleyway, dirt and blood. Her face was strangely peaceful. She stretched, hands above her head, her back made a horrific cracking noise. She caught his look of astonishment and made a face.
"Oof. Sleeping in a chair," she said by way of explanation. Then she slipped across the floor to perch on the side of his bed.
"You're really feeling better? No pain?"
"No, I -" He caught the scepticism in her eyes. "...Well, some," he admitted. He tried not to think about his hand. "The analgesics Minion gave me should last a while longer." He dropped his eyes to the tray, and swallowed. "Thank you for getting me home," he said. "Sorry I was... unpleasant." He didn't want to look at her, and busied himself instead with tearing a doughnut into quarters. She wasn't saying anything. Why wasn't she saying anything? The woman was such a damn enigma. He gave up, and glanced over at her.
She was watching him, a bemused expression on her face, still clouded with sleep. She reached out, then, and touched his uninjured arm, stroking slowly, carefully down the length, past the elbow, finally taking the piece of doughnut from his hand and popping it into her mouth.
"I'm glad you're alright," she said around the doughnut. "I was worried. I watched Minion, you know, fixing you up..." She swallowed. "When he took off your gauntlet... We had to cut it off." She looked away for a moment, a shadow passing over her face. "I'm glad you were asleep for that." When she looked back, the troubled expression had gone. "Minion told me a few things about your species, your..." she gestured vaguely, "biology. He said you heal fast. He was right... You've been out a long time, but you look so much better. " She smiled. "You're really remarkable, you know that?"
He grinned at the compliment. "Remarkable? Ms Ritchie, I'm Megamind! Did it really take you this long to notice? Some reporter you are!"
She chuckled at his teasing, then stifled a yawn. "God, I'm tired. Sorry - what's the time?" She glanced at her watch, all sleepy eyes and messy hair, then came alive like a current had passed through her. "Oh, crap."
He peered over at her watch. "Late for work?"
"Crap, crap, crap." She grabbed a doughnut and swallowed a few frantic mouthfuls of the bright green soda. "Sorry Megs, I gotta go - Oh fuck what happened to my blouse? Oh my god. I'm gonna have to go home and change."
Then she was out the door, yelling for Minion, asking if he could drop her home. Megamind could hear but not make out his friend's distant reply, and then the fish's head was poking in the doorway, worried expression on his face.
"Sir, Ms Ritchie would like me to drop her home, but I don't want to leave you alone..."
"Go, Minion! I'll be fine. And take her to work afterwards. She's left her car way out on the other side of town."
The fish was reluctant, but he did as he was told.
"I'll be fine," Megamind called after him.
"If you say so, sir. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Muffled conversation, and a brain-bot zipped into the room, bowging at him.
"Did Uncle Minion send you in to keep an eye on me?" he asked the robot, raising a stern eyebrow.
The brain-bot hung its head. Bowg.
"Well, alright. If it will make Uncle Minion feel better, you can stay."
The little robot lit up - literally - and flew over to land next to him on the bed. With utmost adoration, it watched him lift a doughnut to his mouth. Heh. Well, it wasn't Roxanne Ritchie, but at least it was company. He scratched the little bot on its dome, and smiled as it bowged in pure happiness.