Gavin struggled through the day, doing a lot more activity than he probably should have. He'd barely been back a day, and he was already pushing himself. After napping in the front parlour for a while with Tiny tucked against his chin and eating the breakfast Chloe brought through, Tiny had hoped he'd remain on the sofa resting. Sadly, Gavin had other plans. No sooner had he finished breakfast than he got to his feet and hobbled up to his room. Tiny followed, clicking worriedly as he staggered his way up the steep steps. Going down was far easier than going up.
"Don't you start! I get enough of that from Chloe!" Gavin grumbled as he entered his room and searched through his top drawer. Tiny chittered curiously, hopping up to watch. He didn't touch his pants or socks, and Tiny was curious. What was he looking for? He finally pulled out a set of light looking shorts. Tiny recognised them as swimming trunks. He was going swimming? Tiny wasn't sure that was possible. He clicked curiously as Gavin returned to the bed. "I can't exactly go walking yet. Being in the pool should help strengthen my muscles." That made sense, but was it really a good idea for his first full day home? Shouldn't he rest?
Changing was a slow and somewhat arduous process. His whole body shuddered as he sat down and rested a hand on his abs, gritting his teeth as he slowly edged his pants and boxers down. Tiny trilled worriedly as he padded over and rose to rest his clawed hands on Gavin's bare knees. He tilted his head, wondering if this was really a good idea. If he couldn't even bend down, then how could he swim? How would he climb into the pool? Gavin huffed softly as he rested a hand on Tiny's head. It was good to be back in Elijah's home with Tiny again. He was pretty sure he'd heal up much faster there than in the hospital.
"You going to help?" Gavin chuckled as Tiny let out a trill of agreement and started tugging at the loose material around his knees. He was careful with his claws. He didn't want to risk scratching Gavin or ripping the material. Gavin hissed as he shook his feet to get free. Tiny clicked worriedly as Gavin handed him the trunks. Are you sure? "I'm fine! Come on, give me a hand." Tiny chittered reluctantly as he did asked and pulled the material up to his knees. Gavin pushed to his feet with a groan and tugged them the rest of the way before pulling off his shirt. Tiny shrieked as he pulled off the bandages, revealing his wounds for the first time.
Hearing that Gavin had been shot and seeing the evidence for himself were two very different things. The wound was nothing like the neat little hole he'd imagined. It was a gaping, messy pit of warped flesh that had barely knitted back together, along with a long scar down his pelvis where he'd been opened up for surgery. Those wounds had closed after all the time he'd been sleeping, though the internal ache remained. The bandages had been there to cover the smaller, more recent wound that had been caused by the catheter. The small hole was scabbed over and unlikely to open, but it still looked fresh and sore.
"Hey-hey, I'm okay!" Gavin insisted as he noted the distress on Tiny's face. He patted the bed as Tiny screeched again and saline pricked his small eyes. Tiny hopped up immediately and greedily accepted the offered embrace as Gavin stooped down. He would have lifted him into his arms, only he knew he wasn't ready for that yet. Tiny wrapped his small arms around Gavin's shoulders and wailed into his shoulder. Gavin hushed him softly as he stroked his hair and spinal plating. He didn't even complain as Tiny's tail coiled around his waist, jostling his internal injuries. "Tiny, it's alright! I'm here, I came home!" But he almost hadn't. He'd almost died and left him after he'd promised he'd come back!
Tiny eventually pulled back and accepted a few gentle strokes on his damp cheeks. Gavin's brow pinched with guilt as he dried his large eyes. He'd never meant for this to happen. It was supposed to be a simple day. He'd settled in to do his paperwork, and a callout had come through. With Hank and Connor already out on a job, Gavin had agreed to go with Miller to investigate. They hadn't expected to interrupt a deal going down. They were lucky that whoever clocked them wasn't thorough in their clean-up. Shooting cops was bad. Shooting them and letting them live was worse. A more experienced shooter would have finished them off. Luckily, these guys were green. They'd taken Miller down before Gavin had pushed him out of the way to take the bullet himself. He'd gotten a couple of shots off and definitely injured at least one of them as they'd fled the scene. He barely remembered fumbling for his phone before he'd passed out, hoping Hank and Connor would find them.
With a little coaxing, Gavin led the way down to the pool, where he hesitated at the edge, wondering how to get in. Going down the ladder would be painful, but jumping was definitely out of the question. Sitting on the edge would likely be worse than taking the ladder. He groaned as he finally headed for the edge and gripped the metal bars. Tiny chittered worriedly, wincing each time Gavin grunted and grimaced. He moved painfully slowly as he stepped back and down, shivering as cold water climbed his body. He paused on every rung to get used to the cold. Tiny chittered and slinked his way over the edge before paddling his way over to him.
"Smug asshole!" Gavin teased with a huff as his feet finally touched the bottom. Tiny chittered and swam in circles around him as he chuckled. "It'll be a while before I can move like that…" Tiny dove beneath the surface to coil around his legs. He swam through them in a figure of eight before breaching the surface with another chitter. "Why don't you do a few laps? I'm just going to walk here for a bit," Gavin said as he waded a little further out until the water was up to his pecs. Tiny clicked his agreement before zooming down to the deep end. He screeched and shot out of the water as he met the tiles, waving at Gavin as he looked back. "Looking good!" Tiny beamed as he dove back beneath the surface with a splash. Gavin huffed fondly as he trudged towards the other side.
"Gavin Alexander Reed! What on Earth are you doing?" Chloe demanded as she hurried into the room with an angry scowl. She folded her arms as she stood on the edge of the pool glaring down at him. Tiny broke the surface beside her and hopped out of the water, chittering worriedly as he looked between them. Gavin looked sheepish as he paused at the edge, already gasping from the short walk over. "What did I say this morning?" Gavin almost sighed as he rested his hands on the edge and looked up with large, green eyes.
"I know-I know! I shouldn't push myself, but this is like physio! I'm just walking a few laps in the water!" Chloe was thoroughly unconvinced by the excuse. Her LED was still spinning yellow as she stared down at him. Neither seemed like they were going to budge. Gavin didn't want to be idle, and Chloe didn't want him to overwork himself. Tiny clicked anxiously as he edged closer, chittering softly and tapping his tail in the water as he looked up at Chloe questioningly.
"Join you?" Tiny chittered his agreement. She sighed as she considered. Tiny's request made sense. Someone should be there in case Gavin collapsed. Tiny was watchful, but his reconnaissance form wasn't designed to handle heavy loads. In an emergency, she knew his extraction model was only a few vents away, but it would take him time to get there. Gavin needed human sized supervision. If she joined them, she could also make it known when he'd reached his limit and insist he climb out. He'd likely need help to get out, too. "Alright. Don't even think about moving until I get back!" she warned in an unforgiving tone. Gavin knew when to push it. This wasn't it. He stayed exactly where he was until Chloe came back in her baby blue swimsuit.
"You don't have to stick around. You can swim a few laps if you want," he insisted as Chloe slid off the edge to stand beside him in the water. He winced a little as he took his first step back towards the other side. Tiny trilled questioningly as he glided around them in circles, luminous eyes peering out of the water for Chloe's decision.
"Absolutely not! I'm here to keep an eye on you." That was a clear warning. Don't overdo it…Gavin let the matter drop as he continued taking small steps, huffing in amusement as Tiny chittered and ducked out of sight. It didn't take more than a few seconds for him to pop up at the other end of the pool again. He was unbelievably fast, likely by design. He had to be able to outrun or out-swim anything chasing him. Gavin waved as Tiny looked over before taking another strained step. Chloe kept a watchful eye, resting a hand on his elbow as she noticed him wobble. He grimaced his thanks as he kept walking. "How many laps are you going to do?" He was clearly in a lot of pain already, just from two small widths.
"Phck, I don't know…I figured walking in the water would be a little easier, so maybe double what I did in the hospital, but…" But it was clearly more difficult than he'd first thought. Chloe's LED span yellow as she assessed his condition. He really shouldn't be engaging in so much activity, but she also knew he needed to be active to rebuild the muscle he'd lost. None of his physical injuries were under too much strain, so it was safe for him to walk. His muscles were heated and quivering from the activity. They'd ache for the rest of the day at this rate.
"We'll do the usual amount from the hospital and then see how you feel." Chloe's suggestion seemed reasonable, so Gavin nodded his agreement as he rested his hands on the tiles and took a few tired breaths. He was almost mortified that he was finding it so hard. It shouldn't be so fucking hard to walk two small widths! He was so busy glowering at the water that he didn't even notice Tiny's return until he felt a comforting squeeze around his thigh. Tiny's tail had wrapped around it snugly as he peered up.
"Thanks, Tiny…" Gavin grumbled as he reached into the water and stroked his small head. Tiny uncoiled and joined him at the edge, chittering his gentle encouragement. Gavin nodded and sighed as he turned to look at the other side. It seemed so far away. Tiny stayed close this time. He paddled slowly, barely kicking his feet as he drifted through the water. Chloe also remained vigilant, keeping a hand ready to steady him at all times. He grunted and gasped as he reached the ledge. Tiny chittered his approval and beamed up at him.
"Don't push yourself…Pacing is better than speed. It doesn't matter how long it takes to reach the edge," Chloe cautioned as he turned, ready to return to the other side. Gavin nodded his agreement. His personal trainers always said the same thing during exercises. Going too fast would erase the benefit. His muscles needed to work to improve. It also made little sense to expend his already low energy reserves on pushing himself too fast.
"Having a pool party without me?" Elijah's voice teased from the doorway. Gavin huffed as he looked up at his brother, who was doing a good job of hiding his worry. He was already dressed for the pool, wearing his robe with a towel slung over his arm.
"It was a last-minute thing," Gavin retorted with a shrug as Elijah dropped his towel and headed for the ladder. Tiny clicked eagerly as he approached to swim around his feet. "Looks like Tiny wants to race…Do you mind? I'd do it myself, but…" Gavin held up his arms in explanation, gesturing towards his ailing body. Elijah certainly didn't need a reminder about how badly hurt he was. He'd listened to every update. Every warning of how badly his recovery could go. They'd been extremely lucky. This time…He didn't even want to consider a next time.
"Sure…We'll start this end," Elijah added as he looked at Tiny and nodded towards the deep end. Tiny clicked his agreement before ducking beneath the surface and shooting off towards the far edge. Elijah followed slowly as Gavin set off on another gruelling journey. Chloe noticed him wincing a lot more this time. Strained little huffs escaped with each step as his eyes remained locked on his current target. He almost stumbled the last step in his eagerness to reach the tiles. He gripped the ledge tightly and sighed in relief.
"You did very well…Why don't we rest and watch Tiny beat Elijah?" Chloe suggested softly as she rubbed sympathetic circles on his back. They both laughed as Elijah let out an indignant objection and Tiny chittered smugly. He was more than aware that he could beat Elijah. He clicked as Elijah shoved his head under the water for his smugness. Gavin rested his back against the tiles as he watched them get into position. "Ready! Set! Go!" Chloe cried, smiling warmly as she watched them both push off. It had been a long time since they'd all been together like this.
Elijah worked his arms in quick circles, turning his head to gasp in a breath with each kick of his powerful legs. He was well aware it was a futile effort, but he wouldn't insult Tiny by giving him less than his all. He was barely halfway there when Tiny reached the other side and rolled to push off. Tiny was already back at the start by the time he pushed off. Gavin and Chloe clapped and praised Tiny as he hopped onto the tiles and chittered excitedly. Elijah gasped tiredly as he finally reached the other side, huffing at the smug pride radiating from the small machine. As his creator, Elijah couldn't help being a little proud.
The morning continued much the same. After twelve widths, Gavin finally reached his limit. He was visibly weak and tender as Chloe guided him to the ladder. She climbed out first and Elijah swam up to support him from behind as he climbed out. He grunted and moaned with each step, his muscles sore and heavy. He would have collapsed in a heap if not for Chloe. It was perhaps somewhat humiliating to be hefted like a princess by such a petite figure, but Gavin was beyond caring as he whined and hissed through the pain.
"Lie here. It's almost time for lunch, and you'll be able to have your afternoon medication," Chloe assured as she settled him on one of the padded loungers, which she propped up to face the pool. Gavin nodded his understanding as he took a few slow breaths. He'd pretty much brought this on himself by being so stubborn. It wasn't quite double what he usually did at the hospital, but he'd at least managed a couple more stretches. He did his best to give Tiny a smile as his small head appeared, luminous eyes gazing up anxiously.
"I'm good-I'm good! You stay there with Eli. It's been a while since you've been swimming, right?" That was certainly true. Tiny had rarely been in the mood to indulge himself without Gavin. Swimming, like most things, was unappealing without him. He chittered his agreement before diving beneath the surface and overtaking Elijah as he swam another lap. Chloe returned shortly with a towel to drape over him like a blanket. He smiled his thanks, but the shaking wasn't from the cold. His muscles were sore and trembling from overuse.
It wasn't long before he drifted off, leaving Tiny happily splashing in the pool with Elijah while Chloe slipped away to get lunch ready. She decided it would be easier to bring it to the pool, so she made simple food. Sandwiches, fries, sliced vegetables, and dipping sauces. She even made little fruit bowls with yoghurt for dessert. After juicing some oranges and pouring out some thirium, she headed through to the pool with a small trolley. She roused Gavin to eat and Elijah swiftly joined them. Tiny even hopped out and shook himself down before clicking his way across the tiles. He was thoroughly spoiled as he climbed onto Gavin's lap.
Gavin took his time as he dropped his towel over Tiny's back and started rubbing down his plating. Tiny arched and stretched into the rough strokes, swishing his tail lazily. He was especially vocal as Gavin reached his hair and ruffled it with the towel. Gavin huffed fondly as he smiled and chittered. He'd really missed those sounds. It had been a miserable few weeks in the hospital without Tiny to keep him company. He'd barely had Elijah most of the time, what with Cyberlife needing his full attention. It had been lonely. Not that he'd ever actually say that out loud.
After lunch, Chloe handed him all the pills he had to take. He was glad he wasn't in so much pain anymore, but after all this time, he was sick of feeling tired. Either he was in too much pain to sleep, or he was out of it on pain meds and did nothing but sleep. At least he had Tiny to join him this time. He'd barely changed into normal clothes, with Chloe's help, and he was passing out on the sofa again. He'd barely even noticed the aquarium theme playing on the TV before he was out like a light.
Chloe woke him for dinner and then insisted on helping him take a bath. Maybe some people would be weirded out, taking a bath with their sister-in-law, but Gavin had no problem with it. It wasn't like he had that sort of interest in her. He could appreciate her figure. She was petite, with nice proportions and an hourglass waist, but that wasn't exactly his type. Her long hair was down about her shoulders in the large bath. She'd even added bubbles for Tiny to play with. She guided Gavin down the steps and settled him on the ledge before grabbing the soap.
"I'm not that much of an invalid!" he insisted in a grumble as he reached for the shower scrunchie. Chloe relented, to an extent. She washed her own body as Gavin lathered his arms and chest, but when it was time for him to stand, she was there. She helped him up and went over his back. Once he sat down, she insisted on scrubbing his legs for him as well. She also knelt on the edge behind him and did his hair, massaging his scalp and shoulders.
"Tiny, your turn!" she called at the mountain of bubbles as she finished. Gavin huffed as Tiny poked his head out, ending up with his own small crown of foam. Chloe waved the soapy scrunchie at him and patted the tiles beside her.
"Hey! That's my job!" Gavin complained as he gingerly turned sideways. Tiny chittered his agreement as Chloe raised an eyebrow. "What? It's the best part of bath time!" He was insistent as Tiny chittered again, and Chloe didn't have the heart to fight them. She watched warmly as Gavin rubbed a lather into Tiny's matte plating. Tiny raised his arms, turned his back, and held up his tail as asked. After hopping into the bath to rinse off the soap, he moved to sit in Gavin's lap, kicking his feet and flicking his tail beneath the surface as Gavin worked his fingers in his hair.
Though he tried to hide it, Gavin was exhausted by the time they got out. His earlier exercise and the heat of the bath had worked to tire and relax him. He brushed his teeth and Chloe guided him to bed to give him his final set of meds. She left the glass and a bottle of water by the bed in case he woke up during the night. All three looked at the window as thunder rumbled outside. Tiny chittered gleefully at the sight of the storm as Gavin settled back against the pillows.
Due to the pain of lowering himself all the way, he tended to sleep with a few pillows beneath his back and shoulders. It also allowed him to properly watch the mountainside as Chloe turned out the lights. It was always quite a sight, watching the lightning spark above Detroit. Tiny carefully padded up to the pillows and curled up right by his shoulder. Gavin huffed as he felt him tug on his T-shirt, bundling up some of the material and clinging to it tightly as he wrapped his tail carefully across his waist.
"I'm not going anywhere," Gavin huffed as he reached up and ruffled his dark hair. Tiny let out a low rumble, almost purring as he nuzzled his small nose into the material. Gavin chuckled, leaving his hand against Tiny's thigh for a while as they watched the mountainside. The hand slowly fell away as he drifted off to the sound of pattering rain and rumbling thunder. Tiny chittered softly as he settled down, monitoring Gavin's vitals until he was sure he'd fallen asleep. It was time.