Chapter 13
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It's not finished yet
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Dozer just glances at Trinity as she enters the infirmary.
"May you make me the honor to sit down on this bed and take off both your sweater and pants?"
He's making fun of her, in an attempt to release the tension.
"What a gentleman!" She takes the joke, but she's not smiling "You know, not even Neo asks me that so gallantly" She watch the little smile which plays on Dozer's lips, but it's not enough for triggering her own. Her eyes still serious, her tone flat "But it could be count as harassment, doc. To your ranking official"
The rolls of Dozer's eyes relaxes Trinity's tense features and she allows herself to give him one of the very tiny smiles of hers.
"Shut up and just do it"
She hesitates, looking away. And she just rolls up both her sleeves instead, then sitting down on the medical bed.
"I have no time, Dozer" she meets Dozer's annoyed look this time "It's nothing serious"
He heavily sighs.
"I'd give you a good spank. No pun intended, you ranking official!" he says, reaching out for her chin and turning her face right and left, then pressing on the worst bruises on her skin to check for any fracture.
He brusquely takes her right forearm, giving a quick look at the many cuts on there, then doing the same with her left arm. Just the deeper wound needs stitches, but the superficial ones need to be clean. A lot of little pieces of glass are stuck deeply in her skin. The little amount of them on her face is a clear sign that she tried to protect herself with her arms as the windshield exploded.
"I'm sorry to break it to you, Lieutenant, but this will take lots of time instead"
Trinity just stares at Dozer at his ironic tone. He doesn't look in her eyes instead, a clear sign that it's not something she can argue about.
"They're too many. In both your arms and face. I can't give you a local anesthetic," he says in a firm tone, turning to the cart behind him and beginning to fill a syringe from an vial "I'm going to sedate you"
"No sedative"
Dozer abruptly turns his head toward her at her brusque reply.
"Trinity"
His tone is half scolding half soft this time, like he's pondering what's the right key to have her on a reasonable mode.
"No sedative" she repeats again in a calm but firm tone, and Dozer clearly sighs in frustration this time.
"I don't know if you're more idiotic or masochist. With all the respect, you First Officer"
Dozer shakes his head, letting the syringe falling in a kidney-shaped metal box.
"Dozer... I need to report to Morpheus. And to Neo, if he..." Her tone is softer and she pauses "Something happened in the turret, something... wrong. If you sedate me now, I'll be out for hours. I can't afford it"
He gives her an understanding nod this time. She's always been a badass and she's just confirming that anything changed. And he feels an ass instead, for having thought she was just trying to show how strong and brave she is. He's known her for long time. Whatever she does has a purpose. Always.
"Fine then. But it's going to hurt, Trin"
"I can deal with it"
He nods again. He knows she can. But honestly he hates working on someone who is in pain. Sedating her would have made thing easier, for him too. And definitely quicker.
She inhales deeply as he begins pulling out the glass fragments from her cuts. He begins from the smallest and more superficial ones like to give her time to adjust to the kind of pain, then he goes to the deeper ones.
"Are you ok?" He asks as the grip of Trinity's free hand on the edge of the bed tightens and her knuckles turn white.
"Go on" she struggles to pronounce those words and exhales deeply "Tell me something... to distract me"
"Uhm...pain turns you in a gossip girl, Lieutenant. Interesting"
He smirks meeting her eyes just for a second before she squeezes them again. She doesn't moan though, she just inhales deeply and lets out a long slow breath.
"What is it?" Dozer asks nonchalantly "A sort of yoga respiration? Meditation?"
Trinity opens her eyes giving him a 'what?' look.
"Your resistance to pain. It's definitely something enviable" She just stares at him but doesn't reply "can you teach it to Cas?"
Another questioning look from Trinity's blue eyes.
"Your wife is still the tough woman she was before having the twins," she says, her tone almost annoyed "I wouldn't be surprised to find out she's making shells to hold the dock, while the kids sleep, Dozer. She doesn't need my teachings"
Their eyes meet painfully at Trinity's words. The reminder of how none of them is safe, not in here, nor in Zion, nor for them nor for their families and friends... it's a painful path to think about. But it's exactly what their are... warriors and survivors.
But Dozer doesn't mean to go on that path. If this is an attempt to distract her from pain he needs her focused on something else. And it's working anyway... she's been so focused in defending Cas that she almost didn't feel the needle entering her skin.
"I know, and I know my wife. I meant that she's not as good as you are in pain management" he smiles, once again trying to keep the talking on a light mood "my ears still ache, and she delivered the twins three years ago" He says, looking at the tip of the needle as it exits Trinity's skin again. She just takes a breath and swallows.
"Maybe you should try to pop out a couple of 9-pounds babies from one of your holes, Dozer!"
"Oh-ho," Dozer genuinely laughs this time "You're for female solidarity, Lieutenant" he laughs again, shaking his head "score for you"
Stitch number 2 is gone. Just a couple left.
"We'd like a third child" he says "Who knows? If a certain Lieutenant here agrees in babysitting the two little brats again, maybe, I'll -"
He doesn't finish the sentence, but gets a smile from Trinity this time. A real one. And she nods both in understanding and agreement.
"Anytime" she says as the reminding of Dozer's children in her bed warms her chest "And they're everything but brats. Your children are adorable, Doz" another little smile plays on her lips as her eyes meet Dozer's "If the third one is like the 2 of them I'll be up for babysitting all of them every time you guys need to"
Dozer smiles in turn and nods, focusing in inserting the needle again. Just one stitch left.
"Who knows, after the ending of the war, maybe"
Trinity swallows as Dozer's words brought back in her mind the same words, from Neo's lips.
... ... "You really don't want kids? You're great with the twins!"
... ... "I never said that. You know we can't... Not now"
... ... "I want children... with you. Not now, after the war. Why not?"
The little smile on Trinity's lips fades out as she loses her concentration. And she has to inhale deeply this time. Her eyes snap close and her lips press together.
"Fuck-"
Her hand trembles this time, and she instinctively tries to pull her arm away from the sharp pain.
"Hold on. I'm done"
Trinity inhales and exhales again, trying to focus on everything else but the pain coming from her arm. And she feels it. The kick inside her belly. And another one follows a second later. It's enough to distract her. There's nothing else that matters right now than the little one in her womb, reminding her she has someone to fight for, someone to be strong for.
Her eyes look at Dozer's hands as he finishes fixing her bandage and jumps off the medical bed as soon as he finishes.
He's suggesting her a painkiller and reminding her that she needs some rest... words that she's clearly ignoring, hurrying to get out of there instead.
Dozer watches as she walks to the door, her hand already on the handle. It's nothing new for him. She's never been good as a patient.
And yet she's hesitant...
Her hand is still on the handle.
A part of her wants nothing else that asking him to check on her baby, a part of her is afraid of what could it means if she does. As far as she knows that she can't hide it longer, she doesn't know if she can afford sharing it.
And yet... if machines are close to Zion there's no reason for her to go back in there. No reason for being discharged. There's not a safe place anymore. Nor in the Matrix, nor in Zion, nor on the Neb. She promised Neo not to enter the Matrix to keep their child safe... and sentinels almost killed both her and the baby less than an hour earlier. What's the point of keeping hiding it, lying to her friends?
And yet she cant...
"Trinity," she doesn't turn to Dozer's voice, but her grip on the handle loosens "You've gone through an high adrenaline peak, not to mention you've been hit pretty hard. Adrenaline activates beta2 adrenergic receptors, that's why I think your abdomen is tense now. You could have some mild cramps either. I'm gonna give you a magnesium supply, just in case."
She doesn't turn but her shoulders muscle stiffen. She doesn't nod, nor shakes her head to contradict him either.
"But if contractions get more painful or regular... you need to be checked immediately. I don't want you in labor. I know you have your reasons... but I have mine."
She turns to him this time, meeting his eyes.
He knows... obviously.
"I should be offended by the surprised look you're giving me now, Lieutenant"
He gives her a teasing and somehow amused smirk which triggers a little smile on her own lips. And she nods this time.
"I think you're far enough to feel it moving by now. If you does, it's a good sign, but I still think it'd better be checked"
She just stares at him. She hasn't really confirmed his words actually... nor denied yet.
He can see the indecision in her look, getting somehow mixed with her fears. She's still human after all. She looks down at her stomach, and her hand moves on her back at what surely is pain radiating from there. He'd tell a mild pain from her features, but she can be so stoic that she could be in labour and none will notice.
"Get your ass back here, Lieutenant" He says in a firm but understanding tone.
She looks up at him again, hesitating but taking a few steps toward the medical bed again, taking off her sweater and doing exactly what Dozer asks her. She lies down, and lifts her tank top, closing her eyes.
"Ingenious" He says at the closure mechanism of her pants, unrolling the elastic band wrapped on the button. She doesn't open her eyes but a little smirk plays on her lips at Dozer's attempt to lose her tension.
She can feel his fingers checking her ribs for fractures, and indulging in what surely are large bruises all along her right side.
The feeling of his hand on her belly it's somehow weird. She feels exposed, and it's something she's not used to.
"You're farer along than I thought" he says in his medical tone. Then suddenly his hand stops. "What's this? Kung-fu?" He laughs at the fast and impetuous fetal movements in there "It has to be genetics then!"
Her eyes open meeting Dozer's amused look, and she can't help the little smile on her face too, and the rolling of her eyes.
"Shut up, Doz, and just tell me if it's all right"
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"It's a matter of priority, Neo" Morpheus says in his firm military tone "I have to know what happened there"
Neo's eyes pierce Morpheus... Tank's words coming in his mind from the past.
... ... 'We can't let that happen, Trinity. Zion is more important than me. Or you, or even Morpheus'
Zion is supposed to be his priority. And yet it isn't. Not for him.
"Exactly" Neo's voice is even lower and firm than his "It's a matter of priority"
His hand find Morpheus' still on his arm, moving it away. Once again it's not rude, but he doesn't leave any space to replies. And he just walks toward the infirmary.
...Priority.
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The infirmary door slams open.
Trinity is standing next the medical bed in just her tank top and a look is enough for Neo to see the many bruises all over her skin.
... ... Sentinels. 6 of them. They beat the shit out of us. If it wasn't for Trinity, we...
"Jeez Trin!"
The sweater she was about to put on falls on the floor as she turns to him, meeting his eyes, and throwing herself in his arms.
"You're here"
Her words die against his chest as she gets lost in the smell she wasn't sure she'd breath again. His hands find her face instead, forcing her to look up at him.
"My God, what did they do to you"
His fingers touch the bruises on her face, looking down at the many other on her neck and shoulders and arms.
And her hand find his face in turn, forcing him to look into her eyes instead.
"Just bruises. I'm fine" She whispers "I swear I'm fine"
He nods, touching her forehead with his, and tightening the grip on her face, like he's afraid she's going to disappear at any moment.
She gasps.
"Easy," she closes her eyes and moans lightly at the pain triggered by his grasp on her face, but she's clearly smiling. Her lips an inch from his.
She meets his apologetic look as his thumb caresses her cheekbone. And she can see his eyes darkening again.
"The prophecy?" She tentatively asks as he just shakes his head. She bits on her lower lip, and exhales slowly, giving him an understanding nod. She can see both the sorrow and the rage in his eyes... the sense of defeat and the discouraged feeling of someone who doesn't know what he's supposed to do know. But he's not ready to talk about it yet.
"We'll figure out something," she says as his eyes meet hers again "it's not finished yet"
He nods, but she can see it again, his burden pressing on his shoulders.
His hand moves on her baby bump, stressed out by the tight-fitting tank top she just wears now. A sad smile curls up his lips at the feeling of his child kicking against his palm.
... ... she is going to die, like every human being, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.
Neo swallows at that memory.
"You belly is harder than usual..."
He's not looking at her, his eyes fixed on his own hand like he's ashamed to look in her eyes.
"Dozer says everything is all right. Don't worry, he's fine"
He looks up at her again this time, staring right in her eyes.
"He?"
She can see his look changing, his dark eyes melting in the blue of hers as he's looking in there for confirmation of what his ears just listen to.
"He" she just replies with an almost imperceptible nod, holding back a smile "uhm, sorry, a boy" she says letting out that smile this time as her eyes moves on his lips and then in his eyes again "you'll have to get used to the idea of not being anymore the only man of my lif-"
Her attempt to play it down stops as soon as Neo's mouth finds hers in a deeper kiss, unconcerned of Dozer who smiles and looks away, feigning to fill his paper, and giving them a sort of private moment.
His hands in her hair, his tongue voraciously entangled with hers...
"Trinity," They're pulled apart by Dozer's amused voice "I'm sorry to bug, but if I well remember, I've said you need to lie down, not to get laid"
Trinity and Neo meet each other's look and just smile. His forehead against hers. His eyes in hers.
It's not finished yet.