November 16th, 2019
"So, I'm cleared to go?" Stephen asked. Doctor Hammond nodded, his sharp features casting shadows over his aged face.
"I'd say so. I'll make sure the nurse brings you your discharge papers." The old man checked Stephen's file quickly, scanning it over with tired eyes.
"Thank god, I'm so ready to get out of here." June nearly sighed with relief. She was sitting in the same chair that she had been sleeping in earlier, but had changed out of her pajamas. When she stood up, there was a distinct popping noise from her back as she stretched. "I've got to make a call. I'll be right back." She was reluctant to leave. The thought of being away from Stephen made a hot coal form in June's belly – he still wasn't fully healed, and with his lifestyle, he was liable to get himself hurt or even killed again.
She couldn't keep bringing him back from the dead, and keeping Stephen out of trouble was borderline impossible. It was a tough job, but somebody had to do it. June mentally sighed as she exited the room. What would you do without me? She thought, with a mixture of sarcasm and exasperation. She pulled her phone out from her pocket and quickly dialed her mother.
June had apparently lost her sling ring in the heat of combat, seeing as how she couldn't find it on her person after coming to. Lost to the abyss, she decided. Using Stephen's sling ring was her next choice, but when she put it on and tried to summon a portal, all she could muster was sparks. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Stephen's sling ring was cracked, rendering it useless. Meaning that they had to get home the old-fashioned way.
Meanwhile, back in the hospital room, Stephen was finishing up his meeting with Hammond.
"I've got to say, that… er, magic… that you guys can do really does the trick. That girl managed to not only revive you, but she basically did all the work for us. All we had to do is stitch you back up." He paused for a moment, adjusting his glasses. "Doctor Strange, I do have to warn you, however. You need rest. You shouldn't get back out in the field for at least a few weeks. Take it slow, and easy. I know how demanding your… lifestyle is, but I'm going to have to stand firm on the rest."
His voice was stern, but the words fell on deaf ears. Stephen had no intention on resting – how could he? Mystical threats to New York weren't going to take a vacation simply because he had to call in sick. There was work to be done, and Stephen wasn't about to be caught sitting on his ass while there was a city that needed saving.
"If I can't fight monsters, how am I supposed to appease my adrenaline addiction?" He said with a small smirk. "But I can take a hint. I'll consider it."
Hammond rose his brows and blinked slowly, clearly done with Stephen's shit. "Alright, well, I wish you the best, doctor." He said. "A nurse will be in shortly." Without waiting for a word from Stephen, he turned around and made his way to the door. Right before he pushed on it, it swung open, with June trying to enter the room. They both paused awkwardly, and June stepped away to make room for the doctor. He gave her a quick nod as he exited, and June entered the room.
"So, our ride will be here soon. You ready to get out of here?" She asked.
"Absolutely." He said with a nod. He sat up in his bed with a groan, and rested his hand on his chest. His wounds didn't like it when he moved. "So, I assume you're going to finish the job when we get back to the Sanctum?"
"Might as well." She said. "The sooner you get back on your feet, the sooner we get back to ghostbusting." June grinned at him and flopped back into her chair.
"Wait, you said 'ride.'" Stephen furrowed his brows. "Are we not slinging?" He asked.
"We would if we could. My ring is gone to who knows where, and yours is cracked. We're just going to have to travel like normal people for once."
"Unthinkable. Outrageous." Stephen wrinkled his nose with mock disgust, then let out a chuckle. June rolled her eyes and smiled.
"I know. It's just terrible." June crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. "Mom and April are coming to pick us up."
"I see." Stephen glanced around the room a bit. "So, do I have clothes I can change into, or am I going to have to wear the gown home?" He asked, sarcasm coloring his tone. June motioned to a duffle bag that was on the desk, off to the side of the room.
"While you were out, I had Mom babysit you while I ran to your apartment and grabbed you some things. Your sorcerer robes are back at your place, and to be frank… they're ruined." June admitted.
Stephen groaned. "Figures. And I doubt the council is going to let me take the Eye, just so I don't have to get a new set from Segwa."
"Segwa? Who's that?" June asked, her head tilted.
"A master at Kamar-Taj who also happens to be a fantastic seamstress. Whenever a sorcerer needs robes repaired or made, they go to Segwa. I've taken your robes to her a few times."
"So that's where you take my robes when they rip. She's… not exactly quick, is she?" June had gotten a tear down the back of her robes while sparring with Stephen, and he took the robe back to Kamar-Taj for repairs. What should have been a quick and simple fix took 3 weeks to get done. June would hate to imagine the wait Stephen would be facing as Segwa made an entirely new set of robes for him.
"Yeah… Looks like I'm going to be fighting crime in street clothes for a while." He said while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"It's a good thing Cloak doesn't clash with t-shirts and jeans, right?" June asked teasingly. Stephen rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but a knock at the door cut him off.
The door opened, and Sasha entered the room, with a small stack of papers in her arms. She closed the door behind her, and grinned at the two.
"So, are you glad to be getting out of here?" She asked Stephen.
"Very." He said with a nod. Sasha walked up to Stephen's bedside, and rested his discharge papers on the nightstand.
"Well, lets get this IV out of you, and then I can let you go." She said as she turned her attention to the catheter in Stephen's arm. Sasha wasted no time, and began to pull the tape off his arm. The IV followed, and when it was removed, Stephen's brows furrowed with pain for a split second. Sasha quickly pulled a bandage out of her pocket, and applied it to the injection site.
"There, good as new." She said with a grin.
"Thanks." Stephen said, rubbing his cubital fossa gently, trying to soothe the soreness from the IV.
"Alright, well, I hope you guys have a great day. And take it easy, doctor Strange. I don't want to see you back in here for a while." Sasha looked between June and Stephen, and then got up to leave. The door closed behind her with a soft click.
"Mind if I get some privacy? Being able to feel the breeze is making me a bit uncomfortable. I'm ready for pants." Stephen said.
"I bet." June said as she made her way towards the door. "I'll be outside. Just let me know when you're done." She told him before exiting the room.
Stephen turned to the side, resting his legs over the edge of the bed, and stood up. His legs were a little sore, but he managed to stand and walk towards his bag without any problems. He unzipped the back bag and began to examine the outfit that June had picked out for him.
First, he pulled out plain black shirt, a pair of jeans. Then a grey hoodie – which made him wonder: Where is my coat? He didn't waste time pondering on it, and continued to sift through the bag, pulling out clothes. He smiled when he pulled out his compression gloves – his hands had been bothering him, and the fact that June thought to pack them warmed his heart a bit. Next came some socks, and June had even managed to pack in his grey tennis shoes. He paused as he pulled out the last bit of clothing – his underwear.
Well, guess June now knows that I'm a boxer-briefs guy, he thought as a faint shade of rose colored his cheeks. The thought of June getting underwear out of his dresser embarrassed Stephen and made him want to squirm. The invasion of privacy got under his skin a bit, but a thought came to him: he'd do the same for her, and he wouldn't think anything of it. It's just underwear, Stephen. She doesn't care, he reminded himself.
He untied his robe with shaking hands, and winced every time his chest moved. "Fuck…" He breathed as he bent forward to put on his underwear and pants. The pain wasn't unbearable, nothing that couldn't be tamed with ibuprofen, but it did make getting dressed interesting. He dressed slowly, making each movement with care. As he began to pull his shirt on over his head, he found himself gritting his teeth. With a grunt, he quickly pulled the shirt down over his chest. I can't wait to get these healed, he thought.
The thought of healing himself crossed his mind, and he recited the mantra for a healing spell in his mind. His fingers sparked with white, but he was still too weak to sustain the spell. Damn it, he mentally cursed. He let out a sigh, and made his way towards the door. He opened it, and peeked out, finding June leaning against the wall next to the door.
"You finished?" She asked. She held her phone in her hand, and glanced at it, as if reading something.
"Yeah." Stephen said with a nod.
"Good, our ride's here."
"Thank god, let's get out of here." He stood to the side and held the door open for June, who entered the room with a small "thanks." June quickly grabbed his now-empty duffle bag, and she made her way towards the small closet in the room. She opened it, and pulled out a backpack – Stephen assumed it held her pajamas. He grabbed his discharge papers and gave June a quick nod, and the two silently left the room, eager to face the outside world once more.
…
"Stephen, honey! It's great to see you!" May cried out as Stephen opened the back door of the green car. Her voice was enthusiastic and chipper as always, and it reassured Stephen. "You gave us quite the scare back there." She commented as Stephen slid into the seat.
"No shit." June said as she got in on the other side of the car, bags in tow.
"Ah, yeah, sorry about that." He apologized sheepishly. He closed the door, grateful to get out of the cold winter air. For all of June's insight and preparedness, she managed to somehow forget both a coat for herself and for Stephen. Their hoodies didn't do much to keep the chill out, but it was better than nothing.
"It's not like you have to apologize for dying." June said.
"So, if June brought back the dead, does that make her a necromancer?" April asked, peeking at the two of them from the front seat.
"It's a little different than that…" Stephen started.
"Don't listen to him. I'm actually the new lich queen. I'm raising a dead army." June replied in her signature deadpan snark. April gave her a small grin, and then returned her attention to her phone. A few minutes of silence in the car passed, only being broken by May occasionally cursing, which is par for the course when driving in NYC.
"Hey, thanks for bringing me these clothes, by the way." Stephen quietly told June.
"No problem." She replied with a soft smile. Stephen passed her a quick grin before rubbing his eyes. "Fuck, I'm tired."
"Then go to sleep. You've got at least a half hour to sleep in this traffic. Get some rest." June told him.
Stephen wanted to protest, but the thought of a nap was too tempting. He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes, hoping that some rest would do his tired body good.
…
Home, sweet home, Stephen thought as he entered his apartment. The familiar smell soothed him, and the sensation of being home once more was unexpectedly comforting. June followed him inside, and gently tossed his empty duffle bag onto his black futon. Stephen followed suite by unzipping his hoodie and tossing it onto of the bag.
"Let's get to business, then." Stephen said, his voice touched by his usual authoritative tone. June raised a brow questioningly, waiting for Stephen to explain himself. "I need you to finish healing me. I have to regain my strength."
"Sure, man." June replied. She rolled her shoulders a bit, loosening her body and began to summon the Book's strength to cast her magic, but the whole process came to a grinding halt as Stephen pulled his shirt off.
June's breath caught in her throat for a second, and she struggled not to blush. The man was cut. Most sorcerers were muscular and fit, considering that the body had to be in good shape in order to have the strength needed for spells, but Stephen's body had caught June off guard. Sure, she'd seen his bare chest before, but him being fully shirtless like this was a new, almost unsettling, experience. She cleared her throat awkwardly, and turned her attention to the gauze pads on his chest, right above his heart.
Stephen began to gently pull at the tape that held the pad to his chest, gritting his teeth as the sensitive flesh was pulled on. The bloody pad dropped to the floor, and June grimaced at the sight of his wound. It was a mess, with black blood and painful-looking stitches holding it together.
"Damn…" June breathed.
"Yeah, looks about as good as it feels." Stephen said. He turned his back towards June, revealing the pad that was covering his scapula. "Can you get this one?"
"Sure." June said as she approached him. "I'm sorry, this might hurt a bit."
"Do it quick, like a bandage." Stephen instructed. June nodded, even though Stephen couldn't see her. She pinched the edge of the medical tape that held the pad against his skin, and in one quick motion, ripped the tape from his body, revealing a wound that matched the one on his chest.
"Gaaah!" Stephen let out a cry of pain, followed by a hiss as Stephen clenched his jaw. "That felt great…" He said sarcastically. His breathing was deep, and he rubbed a hand over his face. "Whenever you're ready."
"Right." June steadied herself again, reaching out towards the Book with her spirit, and began to channel the Book's energy to create magic. Her hands sparked and glowed with white healing energy, and June rested her hands just an inch above his wound. Both June and Stephen let out a gasp as the healing process began. Stephen felt his wound burn, and sweat began to dot his brow as he endured the pain. June was feeling a similar reaction, and her breathing was labored and her hands trembled. Her shoulder blade felt like it was on fire, but she couldn't quit just yet.
She felt the felt the flesh knitting back together, and with each second she endured it, the closer Stephen was to being healed. He let out a gasp as the wound fully closed, and June broke the spell with a sigh of relief. She doubled forward for a second, resting her hands on her knees, and took several deep breaths as the burning faded from her back.
"How's it look?" Stephen asked, turning his head around in a useless attempt to catch a glimpse of it. June stood back up, and rubbed her shoulder gently.
"Much better. We need to remove the stitches." June said. "That'll be easy enough." She made a few quick motions with her hands and summoned a quick telekinetic spell, and used her magic to untie the knots at the end of the stitches, and pulled the string through, out of his skin. The thread was black and bloody, and June made it float over to the sink, where it dropped against the metal without a noise.
"That felt lovely…" Stephen commented sarcastically. He turned around to face her, so she could heal the wound on his chest.
"I bet. And this one is probably going to feel even better." This wound was a bit bigger, and required more stitches than the one on his back. June let out a shaky breath as she summoned more healing magic, and began the process all over again.
This time, healing him was unbearably slow. Every second that passed by made June weaker and weaker, and the pain was enough to make her short of breath. Stephen was struggling similarly, as he was clenching his hands tightly to help deal with the pain. After an agonizing two minutes, the process was finished. June stumbled backwards a bit as she broke the spell, and Stephen let out a groan. Sweat gave both of their brows a slight sheen, and they were both breathing heavily.
"Thank god that's over." Stephen sighed.
"I don't know how much more of that I could have took. You made this healing crap look easy back at the Sanctum, how did you do it?" June asked as she wiped her brow with the back of her hand.
"Your wounds were minor, and no offense, but I'm a bit tougher than you are." He said with a cheeky smirk.
"Turd." June shot back. Stephen let out a chuckle, then looked down at his now-healed wound. The stitched still needed removed, and the puckered and jagged line the injury had left made him frown.
"Well, guess that's another scar for the collection…" He muttered as he ran his hand over the raised flesh.
"Ah, don't worry about it." June said, resting a hand on her hip. "Scars are hot." June paused for a moment after speaking, mentally kicking herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could you say that?! She pursed her lips awkwardly.
"It's true, chicks dig scars." Stephen responded casually, not missing a beat. June let go of the breath she was holding, thankful that Stephen didn't dwell on her admission. He lifted his hands and used a telekinetic spell to remove his stitches, just like how June did a few minutes earlier. He dropped the bloody string in the sink as well.
"Feel better?" Juniper asked, arms crossed and a small smile on her face.
"Never better." Stephen replied as he rolled his shoulders, loosening his chest and upper back. He bent down and picked up his shirt, and quickly put it back on, much to June's disappointment. Stephen was eye candy, and June found herself eager to see the sight of his shirtless form once more. "Gimmie a sec." He said as he pivoted around and went into his bedroom for a second.
June walked over to the kitchen and leaned against the counter, and ran her fingers through her hair. The fact that Stephen was alive was still surreal to her. He should be dead, she thought. I've played god. The thought didn't soothe her – upholding the natural order was one of the tenants of being a sorcerer, and she just broke that rule into a thousand pieces. She didn't regret it, however. Losing Stephen simply wasn't an option.
"Sorry about that." Stephen exited his room, with a glittering sling ring in his hand. "Word of advice: always keep a spare." He said as he approached June.
"Noted. Can we go back to the Sanctum, so I can get a new one?" She asked.
"That's what I had in mind." He said with a nod. Stephen turned around and began to make circles with his ringed hand, using the sling ring's power to open a sling portal. The orange sparks hissed and snapped, and filled the room with a warm glow. Inside the portal, the foyer of the Sanctum was visible. Stephen stepped to the side and motioned to the portal. "After you."
June smiled at him and entered the portal without a word, and Stephen followed her closely behind. The familiar magical air of the Sanctum soothed them both – this place was another home to the both of them. Stephen closed the portal behind them, and looked around.
"Cloak?" He called out, his voice echoing in the large room. They waited for a few seconds, but there was no response. "Odd..." Stephen murmured.
"Something's… not right." June whispered to him. He nodded, clenching his hands into fists.
"You're right. Something's wrong." They both looked around the room, eyes scanning for any sign of a disturbance, but found that everything was in order. The noise of footsteps upstairs made Stephen and June shoot a quick glance at each other. Dread filled the air as they came to the same realization: there was an intruder.