TWs: Minor violence, shitty father, stubborn Tord wanting to do stuff on his own despite being injured.
Pat and Pau were there the next day, waiting for their young leader to wake up. Pau bounced his leg, a tic he did whenever he was nervous. Pat observed him from across the room as if he was an art exhibit.
Pau was anxious because of two things. One, the red leader hasn't woken up yet. Two, his partner in crime was staring at him intensely. All the stress made him tense and there was a piercing sensation forming around his missing eye.
He needed to calm down, so he wrung his hands together and took a deep breath.
Then something in the room shifted, prompting the duo to look at the young leader who was squirming a bit under the sheets.
"Red!" Pat stepped up beside Tord and softly put his hand on his shoulder.
Tord's eye shot open with a gasp. He tried to sit up, only to grunt and collapse back on the bed.
"Hey, hey, take it easy, Red." Pat cautioned.
"Wh-Wha...?" Tord croaked, his voice hoarse.
"You're in the ER at the temporary HQ. The doctors had to amputate your arm. How are you feeling right now?" Pat signed with his hands to Pau to get water for Tord. Pau rushed out of the room.
"Everyth... hurts." Tord's breath came out heavy and raspy, almost as if he'd run a marathon.
CRASH!
Pat whipped his head to the door at the sudden sound.
"I'll be right back, Red." Pat ruffled his hair softly before exiting the room.
Down the hall, Pau was trying his best to block someone from going near Tord's room.
Not just anyone, though. Of course, it had to be Red Leader's father.
Lynnedslag.
"For the last time, sir, Tor-" Pau was struck silent by the glare of the Red General.
"Know your place, soldier. Call him only by Red Leader." He growled.
"Y-Yes, Red General." Pau stammered.
"Now move before I make you." Lynnedslag was about to step around him, but Pau blocked him again, making Red General fume.
"As I was saying before, Red Leader needs his rest. He's still recovering from the explo-" Pau was cut off when Lynnedslag grabbed him by the collar.
"Listen here, soldier. My son has had enough time to himself. While he's been busy goofing off and being a failure, Sweden might as well take over our base if we don't do something!"
Pat decided he'd had enough, "He lost an arm!"
"Great, you're here too." He scoffed as he pushed Pau into the wall, and crossed his arms, "My friend lost an arm and he turned out fine."
"That doesn't mean Red Leader will be fine as well." Pat chided.
Red General furrowed his eyebrows, his crimson red eyes boring into Pat's olive green eyes.
He clenched his jaw and bared his fists, before he spoke, "He better be back at the base by Saturday, or else."
Then he turned and left without another word.
Pat released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"Ow..." Pau grunted.
Pat looked over, noticing Pau was crouched in some sort of fetal position on the wall.
"Pau, you okay?" Pat asked as he slowly walked over.
Pau let out a snicker, "Oh yeah, just— fine."
He slowly got up and got something from his pocket. The water bottle that Pat had asked for. Pat nodded and reached out to grab it, only to notice something strange. Pau's fingernails looked sharper and were tinted a magenta color. His fingertips were also stained a pinkish tone. Pat took the bottle and looked at Pau.
The hollowness was there again.
He didn't realize he was staring until Pau spoke, "Uh... are we going back or...?"
Pat snapped out of it, "Right, yes, let's go."
They entered the room only to see Tord sitting up with the robot arm in his lap.
"Red! What are you doing sitting up? You could hurt yourself!" Pat scolded as he placed the water bottle next to Tord, who took it immediately.
Only to question how he was going to open it.
Fortunately, instead of scolding him even more, Pat decided to open the bottle for him.
"I felt like moving," Tord answered before taking the bottle of water and gulping it down.
Pat sighed, "Just be careful."
"Fine, dad." Tord rolled his eyes as he shifted his focus to the robot arm.
Tord always referred to Pat and Pau as either 'dad' or 'pappa' whenever they got too protective over him. Which was more common than others thought.
"I'm serious, Tord." Pat put his hand on Tord's shoulder, making him tense.
"I know, I know." Tord batted his hand away, "but if I want to be back in Norway by the end of the week, I have to get my strength up quickly."
"How did you-"
"You guys weren't exactly quiet," Tord grumbled as he fiddled with a few loose screws.
"Ah, sorry, Red."
Pau watched them go back and forth as he took deep breaths from across the room. His hands returned to normal and his missing eye was no longer piercing in pain.
"Should I try putting it on?" Tord asked, raising the robot arm.
"What— no! Of course not! You had surgery yesterday, Tord, the stitching is still healing." Pat snapped.
Tord huffed, "You're no fun..."
"I'm just trying to prevent you from bleeding out! Isn't that right, Pau?" Pat stressed his concern to his co-pilot.
Pau looked up, now fully calm, "Listen to your dad, Tord."
"That's right." Pat nodded.
Tord crossed his arms, "You guys aren't even my parents!"
"Ouch, that hurt, son." Pat put a hand on his heart.
"You wound us, kid." Pau frowned.
"You're 9 years older than me." Tord glared.
"Still a kid compared to us," Pau commented.
"Yeah, which is why everyone calls you Little Red." Pat mused.
"Say that stupid nickname again and I will end you, Pat." Tord glowered.
"Fajnie, fajnie..." Pat raised his hands in surrender.
"Did I bring my lighter in here...?" Pau muttered to himself as he checked his pockets.
"Pretty sure you left your lighter and cigarettes in the car," Pat said.
"Course I did. I'll be right back." Pau exited the room.
Tord swore under his breath as he tried to screw something back in. His hand trembled as he attempted to twist the screwdriver. Unfortunately, the screw wanted to make things difficult as it popped off the arm and into the hospital sheets.
The Norsk was quiet for a moment, before shouting, "JÆVEL DIT!"
Pat gasped, "Tord!"
"It's not like you haven't sworn before, Pat." Tord fiddled with the hospital sheets, trying to find the screw.
"True... but honestly, let me help you with that." Pat went to grab Tord's screwdriver, but his hand was slapped away.
"Nei! I have to do this on my own. I can't disappoint him again." Tord uttered the last words under his breath as he finally found the screw.
Pat watched as Tord continued working on his robot arm, muttering reassurances to himself mixed with swear words in his native tongue.
When Pau stepped back into the room, he was overcome by an overbearing feeling of vulnerability.
'What happened while I was gone?' Pau asked himself as he took a step beside his friend.
Pat looked to be lost in thought. His eyes were looking at Tord, except they weren't looking at him.
Pau gently rested a hand on the shorter brunette's shoulder, "Pat?"
Pat jumped at the touch and soon relaxed once he knew who it was.
Pau jerked his head, indicating he wanted to chat away from Tord.
The shorter nodded, and they both made their way across the room, a few feet away from Tord.
"What happened?" Pau asked.
"I don't know. I was just trying to help him, and he pushed me away." Pat answered.
"Oh."
Pat then started to speak softly, "He claims he needs to do things on his own to please his father."
Pau scoffed, "That bastaard will never be satisfied."
The shorter one leaned against the wall as he sighed, "I know. For now, we'll have to keep watch over Tord ourselves."
"Speaking of Tord... I wonder if he's hungry for anything." Pau glanced at Tord as he was still struggling.
"Yeah, I could go for something to eat as well," Pat said, standing up from the wall, "Hey Tord, you hungry?"
They both looked at Tord, expecting an immediate response. Except, they didn't get it. Tord kept working on his arm.
"Red?" Pau spoke, a bit louder this time. Still nothing.
They both looked over at each other worriedly before walking over to Tord.
"Tord?" Pat fretted.
"Yes?" Tord looked up. The duo sighed in relief, much to Tord's confusion, "Can I help you?"
"It's just you weren't answering us from over there," Pau gestured his head to the table across from Tord's bed.
"Oh? I didn't hear anything though." Tord frowned as he cocked his eyebrow.
Pau and Pat looked at each other. Pat shook his head as he said, "Never mind that, what do you want for dinner?"
Tord perked up, "Bacon!"
'Of course.' The duo thought in sync with small smiles on their faces.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧Translations✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
Norwegian =
Lynnedslag - Lightning Strike
Pappa - Dad
JÆVEL DIT - Fucking shit
Nei - No
Polish =
Fajnie - Fine
Dutch =
Bastaard - Bastard
(Translations brought to you by Google Translate)