And We All Fall Down (Tagged)

[Deleted]

The morning had gone from bad to worse for Fin; he had a pretty simple collection planned until the guy decided to get a group of others involved. Of course Fin was hardly going to stand down and run back to his boss at that point, no he had a reputation to keep and known as the suit and he had to stop things where they started. The entire thing was over in a matter of fifteen minutes, four other guys in the hospital with varying degrees of injuries. The worst being the man with the plan, Fin was sure that next time he came around the payment would be waiting for him.

Fin had done what any guy did after that, he tried to walk it off. There was no report to file as really his own criminal activity prevented that. He was simply trying to make out that none of it mattered until the pain got to him. He could barely move when he fell into his car and started to drive. Fin hated hospitals; he had spent a long time in one learning the basics of life again and he was in no hurry to go back. He had the usual cuts and scapes that came with a fight which he managed to clean up thanks to his previous life as a combat medic.

It was the slightly more serious issues he needed a hand with. Fin had no issue with stitching anyone up; when it came to himself he was never really comfortable about it. Which meant the cuts on his leg, arm and above his eye were open. He was sure his ribs were at the least bruised and maybe a black eye or two as he pulled into the hospital garage. He guessed it was usual to walk into the ER and ask for help but Fin decided to wait to see who was around. A last resort he would walk into the hospital but not before time.

Fin pulled himself from the car gasping from the pain as he leaned against it glancing around. It felt like he had lost the fight despite his win but when he fought four guys who were less than happy with his work choice. Things became painful as he could already feel his back hurting more and more, an injury he hardly wanted to worsen again. Deciding to just bite the bullet as it were he hissed as he tried to take a step forward from the car and failed. He managed to fall where he was as he chose to at least stay down on the ground. Falling hurt. “Can I get some help over here?” He called out not sure who if anyone was around.

Isla Hudson,

[Isla Hudson]

It had been a long shift, and she was exhausted, just looking forward to a bagel, coffee and bed, but Isla didn't mind, and she was actually in a good mood, even considering she had been relegated to the dreaded night shift. But that was because she was a registered nurse now, and an MICN, TNCC certified...and this was her first official shift in the Emergency Department.

Now, with that first shift over, she was feeling pretty good about her future. In a couple of months she'd be able to get a proper apartment and get out of her studio, and be able to quit her job as a stenographer and concentrate on her nursing...and having some well-earned free time to herself.

Still, she was tired, the shift had been busy and she had barely escaped as four assault victims were dumped on them almost at once. Fortunately, at this hour they weren't too busy and the on-coming shift was able to handle it.

As she walked through the parking garage to her car, she though she heard a noise and stopped to listen, thinking that perhaps she should have asked Security to escort her, but it was too late for that, so she kept moving, her keys in hand.

Then there was a call, faint, but not too far off...

“Can I get some help over here?”

"Hey!" she called back, turning in that direction, her instinct to help overriding her good sense to go back and get help. "Where?"

Then she about stumbled over the man, side-stepping him and kneeling beside him. "Are you all right?" Of course not, or he wouldn't be on the ground asking for help!

"What happened? Can you walk at all?" Already, she was assessing what she could see, the cuts and bruises, the painful breathing. "I can get a gurney for you," she suggested, reaching for her cell phone.

@fin,

[Deleted]

Fin was laying on the cold concrete floor of the garage, not his first and last experience of that however calling for help. He hated that more than anything. Fin was used to answering that call in his better days not making it. It did little to dull the sense of relief he felt when he heard a voice answer him. Getting up from the floor would hurt worse than he cared for right then as he heard the voice ask here. “Blue car.” He called out before he saw someone almost fall over him.

He guessed whoever it was had found him though he shook his head when she asked if he was alright. “Nope, not alright.” He answered her though getting into details Fin could hardly admit the how he managed to get into the mess in the first place. “Got into a fight and yeah I will be able to, just need a minute first.” Fin replied to her question about walking, his back was hardly the greatest and having spend a year to learn to walk again. He was never just going to unlearn that unless he absolutely had to, getting punched in the back these days seemed to hurt more and more which meant the pain in his back hurt worse for moving.

Walking meant moving so he was staying where he was. “No don’t... you can’t.” Fin gasped as he tried to reach up and take her phone. “I don’t do hospitals.” He explained which was pretty close to the truth by all counts. “Just fix me here... please I’m not going in there. Stitch and go.” He said though as he looked at the woman, he hardly wanted a fifth fight of the day on his hands but if he had to he would find another place to go.

Calling Amanda was off the cards as she was a cop and bring her into this was a bad idea. No he was on his own doing what he could without setting foot in a hospital. Just the garage which was as close as he would ever get to one. “Please, just fix me up here and I’ll be on my way after.” Fin almost pleaded not wanting to have to drag himself to another hospital or down grade to a vets. It would be interesting but until he grew fur and a tail he was far from asking McVet to fix him up.

Isla Hudson,

[Isla Hudson]

A dozen thoughts tumbled through Isla's head as the man spoke to her...

He was hurt, badly, but not gravely, he needed stitches, antibiotics, x-rays in the least, things she couldn't do herself...

He didn't want to go inside -- that meant he didn't want officials involved, which very well might mean that he had something to hide...

...Which meant that she very well could be in danger, and she couldn't let him suspect that she thought something might be amiss...

Of course, she could be wrong, and he just didn't like hospitals, there were plenty of people like that...

And Steven was going to kill her when he found out!

"Fight?" Could he be responsible for the four men in the ED right now?

"All right, I'll do what I can, but you need stitches, and I don't have anything like that with me." Glancing around, she weighed her options, wondering if she could call for help without him noticing, then opting against it for now.

So, what to do with him?

"There's a room, just outside the Emergency Department, it's for decon, so it's detached, hardly ever used and there's some supplies there."

It was what she could offer for now, and she hoped it was enough.

"Oh, and I'm Isla..." Give her name, give her Humanity, hopefully make him have empathy...

@fin,

[Deleted]

Fin nodded to the Isla, “Yeah I didn’t see the guys who did it.” Fin explained, it was a bare faced lie but then he was good at that. Sure he had put the four guys into the hospital but he could only hope it was far from the one he had gone to. Just in case he had happened upon that one he wanted to make sure he was just the fifth guy that had been beaten up and not the one who did it.

“I know, just do what you can.” Fin said knowing that stitches were far from the usual back pocket items. He could have done stitches on anyone else but himself, he was strange that way and he had used a few unorthodox items before to do it. However a hospital was well a hospital and the emergency department was a place he was not setting foot.

“Sure, decon it is then. Detatched from the Emergency department, couldn’t have asked for a better place.” He said as he attempted to smile though he was unsure how effective it was. Fin held out his hand to her appreciating the fact she had given him her name. “Nice to meet you Isla.” He said as he winced slightly in moving his arm. “I’m Fin, sorry to meet you like this but I doubt there would be a better day.” He explained though really not being within ten feet of a hospital would have been classed as a better day for him.

Though he appreciated all that Isla was doing as she could have screamed for help, tried to get him inside or called for security. He request was hardly the normal, I refuse treatment or no to the arm sling. It was a little more awkward and from his point of view necessary.

Isla Hudson,

[Isla Hudson]

“Yeah I didn’t see the guys who did it.”

"They never do," Isla muttered, although there was a bit of a grin on her face. Still, it was true, especially with men, that most of them 'didn't see' who attacked them...after all, they would rather seek retaliation on their own, something they couldn't do if the cops arrested the guys.

"I'll help, sure, but I can only do so much." Like hope that he wasn't a killer or someone trying to hide. But then, why come to a hospital and ask for help?

“I know, just do what you can.”

“Sure, decon it is then. Detatched from the Emergency department, couldn’t have asked for a better place.”

"Yeah..." Isolated, especially this time of night -- or early morning -- unless one of the ambulance crews went by going the back way to the cafeteria, which wasn't likely, and which she could deal with.

“Nice to meet you Isla.” He said as he winced slightly in moving his arm. “I’m Fin, sorry to meet you like this but I doubt there would be a better day.”

"Fin." She smiled, a bit uncertainly, as she reached for his hand, keeping her grip firm, not that it mattered much in his much larger hand. "And yes, you could have just invited me to coffee or something." Not that their paths would ever likely have crossed...

"Come on, now." Taking a couple steps ahead of him, she started for the decon room. It was just outside the ambulance entrance to the ED, and fortunately there were no ambulances there at the moment.

The room itself was pretty utilitarian, a metal gurney under a shower so that anyone contaminated with chemicals (or, mostly just poo and pee on the homeless that needed to be cleaned off) could be washed down and treated without risking contaminating the whole ED.

There was a 'crash cart' against the opposite wall, along with a cardiac monitor, oxygen and other essentials.

"We can go in here," she instructed as she opened the door. Once inside, she would pull it closed and no one would know they were even there.

But then she hesitated, whispering, "Please don't hurt me..."

@fin,

[Deleted]

Fin found himself smiling when he saw the grin on her face, he guessed she had heard that one before but telling her that he had done the damage. He seriously doubted that would do him any favours other than a visit from Chicago finest trying to catch him out. “They don’t?” He asked her trying to at least play the innocent though he was far from it.

“Sure that is fine with me, thank you. I just cannot stitch myself up, it is one of those... things. Like spiders running over a floor, there is just no way.” He explained, he was unsure if it was a phobia as anyone else he was entirely fine with. He was used to the hospital setting the drama of an emergency room and a battlefield but his own cuts, no chance. He would patch his own scrapes but anything beyond that no he had no ability to do that.

There was no doubt that she appeared uncertain though he knew he was asking a lot of her. To trust that he was alright and not going to harm her, to trust that he was above board which in his head yes but reality might have a different view point. Fin was surprised by her firm grip as he laughed for a moment before he groaned, very bad idea he thought. “Usually that is what I would do but for you I thought I would make more of an effort.” He joked though normally he would go the traditional coffee route before turning up bleeding at someone’s place of work.

Fin pulled himself from the floor, it seemed to hurt more and more with each step as he followed Isla into the room that seemed even more clinical than an emergency room did. It seemed like a person could disappear in that room only to be bleached from existence though he knew it was his own head that was driving him a little nuts.

“Thanks.” He said as she pulled the door closed though to his surprise he saw her hesitate and heard those words. “I won’t hurt you I promise.” Fin stated realising how this might look to her. “Thing is I hate hospitals but I know I need help, I used to be a combat medic so I can stitch other people up but when it’s me... I am unable to do that. Hence my reasons for no emergency room, I’m not a big fan.” Finlay explained hoping it might make more sense to Isla though his year in recovery in a hospital was the biggest reason he had.

He wanted to be sure that if he went into a hospital again he was going to walk right back out of it without any extended stay. It was a rule of life, never go back to the place that had too many dark days to count and too much pain and worry for his family to remember. No safer to avoid the hospital unless like that day he required some help that he was still unsure about. Given that Isla thought he might hurt her, true enough at least she was being cautious but no there was little chance he was going to hurt her at all. Run if he had to and she called for help but there was a slim chance he could fight of a fly let alone a person.

Isla Hudson,

[Isla Hudson]

Isla took a deep breath, letting his reassurance relax her. After all, just because he didn't like hospitals didn't make him a criminal, and she could try to talk sense into him, but she doubted he would give in. She could just send him on his way, but then he'd likely not get treatment at all, and how would that benefit him?

Problem was...

"I'm not trained to do sutures," she explained as she nodded to a chair, figuring he wouldn't be too keen on getting on the table, "I don't have access to antibiotics, and I can't do x-rays to find out if anything is broken."

Setting out some gauze and sterile water, she prepared to clean his wounds as a first step. "You should have your head examined, too," she added with a little grin, then amended, "I mean, like a CT scan in case you have a concussion or something."

She started dabbing at the cut over his eye. "This isn't in my scope of practice, I could lose my license..." not to mention the lawsuit part..."then I'd have to be a court stenographer forever, and I'd hate that! Besides, I'll probably leave terrible scars."

@fin,

[Deleted]

Fin took a breath when Isla explained that she had no training to do sutures, well this was about to turn into a very interesting day. He was glad she nodded to a chair as he winced as he sat in it nodding to her when she explained about the antibiotics and x-rays. “One thing at a time, I can live without antibiotics and I know what broken feels like, this is bruised I think.” He said not entirely sure but then he could hardly waltz into the hospital and find out for sure.

He found himself laughing which hurt even more as she said he needed to have his head examined. “You’re not the first person to tell me that one Isla.” He said doing his best to smile though he was unsure how well he had achieved that. “CT scan would only show I might be crazy but I can rest a concussion at home and not much in the way of activity for a day.” He said though honestly if he was going to be still for a day then he was sure he would be entering the hospital in a straight jacket.

The minute Isla started dabbing at the cut over his eyes he took a sharp intake of breath. Hissing slightly at the touch. “I appreciate what you’re doing here Isla and thank you.” He said as he looked up at her when she mentioned court. “You’re a stenographer as well as a nurse?” He asked her surprised but then a job was a job these days. “Why do you hate it, thought that would be an interesting job getting to know a case from the inside of a court room.”

Fin had little experience with courts, avoiding the police sure and a crash course in loan sharking but court he figured might be interesting. Knowing who said what, the arguing and the details that never made it to the news though he figured some would be terrifying. “I’ve plenty of scars so never be afraid to add to them and I can talk you through suturing if you’re willing to try on a live patient. I’ve done it more times than I care to remember but I cannot do it to myself so if I promise not to bite. Then would you give it a go? Might even let you do the Harry Potter scar if you wanted?” He added trying to get her to relax about it even though he knew it was a big ask for her.

Isla Hudson,

[Isla Hudson]

"Oh, well, a Harry Potter scar?" Isla grinned. "That changes everything! I'll have to charge extra for that."

But mostly he was right -- even if his ribs were broken, unless he had punctured a lung there really wasn't much to be done besides wrapping them. And yes, rest was the basic treatment for a concussion, so long as there was no actual bleeding going on inside his skull. But even a concussion wasn't too likely at this point -- there was no confusion, no repetition...

"Stenographer is...sort of boring, really, most the cases are just people complaining, or trying to get out of something...or blame it on someone else."

She laughed again as she finished cleaning the wound over his eye then moved on to the one on his arm...she'd work on sewing them up after she'd cleaned everything.

"I've got some left-over antibiotics at home from when I tangled with a bench practicing parkour a while back," she explained with a laugh. "I guess it didn't like my style or something!"

@fin,

[Deleted]

“So now you want to scar me for life?” Fin joked smirking. “Since it’s you then I am sure I can pay up for the scar, given that you’re here and not thinking I am mad.” Perhaps she might have been right if she did though he appreciated it none the less. A good nights sleep and a bottle of something alcoholic was in order for when he got home provided Isla was alright with fixing him up.

“And here was me thinking you would have all the juicy gossip from the cases.” Fin said having not much thought about court being boring. “I can see how complaining and the blame game could be boring after a while, you know he did it no she did it but he said for me to and she said for me to. You must have the patience of a saint to do that job.” He added sure that she would have to have as he knew he had no patience for that.

He might have ended up hitting a few of them just to knock some sense into them but he guessed that would be frowned upon. Fin gazed at Isla for a moment when she mentioned parkour, surely not he thought before he saw her laugh as he grinned. “You are really full of surprises Isla. You practice parkour? Really?” He asked her not sure if she had just tried jumping a bench as people often did for whatever reason.

“You know that it’s risky for a nurse right?” He said grinning at her impressed at the fact she was doing something like that. The risk level was as much as you made it but he had never figured Isla for someone who practiced that.

Isla Hudson,

[Isla Hudson]

"There are a lot of things that are risky for anyone," she answered with a grin as she moved to get what she'd need for stitching him up out of the cart. "I took it up after...a rough run-in with a boyfriend who pretty much tried to kill me."

Using the brown-tinted Betadine solution, she started deeper cleansing around the cut on his arm...she'd start there for a little practice before working on his cheek.

"My brother stopped him...he's very protective...and almost got tossed in jail for it. Anyway, that kind of convinced me to be more assertive, and parkour is one way of doing that. I'm getting better, but still mess up sometimes." She laughed. "Not always a good thing to mess up on, especially if you're up on a roof or something, but I haven't practiced much that high up."

@fin,

[Deleted]

Finlay nodded she had a good point; risk was in everything though running and jumping of ledges and buildings. It was that sort of risk that made for more than your average trip to work risk of maybe getting soaked by a puddle or walking into a lamp post. Fin hissed the minute that the betadine solution hit the cut on his arm. “Your boyfriend tried to kill you? Hope you’re not still with that idiot.” Fin said knowing how it sounded but then raising a hand to a woman was wrong on every level.

“Glad your brother stopped him. Well since you’re doing great in fixing me up, I would have been more than happy to let you boyfriend meet a fight of his own but if he is in jail then I think he will have found a few.” Fin said hoping to make her feel a bit better about that, at least Fin hoped the guy had been in a few fights because at least then he would know what it was like for Isla.

“I can see that you’re very assertive because there is no way I would be jumping off a roof or much really these days.” He said grinning, sure about five years ago he might have attempted it but now he valued walking far too much for that. “I bet you’re great at it, the ninja of Chicago but just remember you’re human not superwoman. We humans are unable to fly as of yet without the power of engines.” He added grinning, “Good to know you’re getting better at it though. So where do you jump over all these things? Just the parks or in the city?” He asked her curious about it.

Isla Hudson,

[Isla Hudson]

“Your boyfriend tried to kill you? Hope you’re not still with that idiot.”

"No, he's in prison now." Isla grinned. "Better for him, so I can't hunt him down and..." She shrugged, smiling sweetly. "I'm not the same person, thanks to him!"

[i[“Glad your brother stopped him. Well since you’re doing great in fixing me up, I would have been more than happy to let you boyfriend meet a fight of his own but if he is in jail then I think he will have found a few.”[/i]

"Don't know, don't care..." Her shrug was non-committal, but then she admitted, "Well, all right, I wouldn't pine away if something happened..." Then she wouldn't have to worry about when he was released...

“I can see that you’re very assertive because there is no way I would be jumping off a roof or much really these days.”

"Well, it's controlled, so the danger is...kind of limited." The whole point was to survive!

“I bet you’re great at it, the ninja of Chicago but just remember you’re human not superwoman. We humans are unable to fly as of yet without the power of engines.” He added grinning, “Good to know you’re getting better at it though. So where do you jump over all these things? Just the parks or in the city?”

"Mostly Lincoln or Oz Park...I live out there," she told him, wincing inwardly that she'd let him know sorta where she lived. Oh, well, chances of him ever hunting her down if he wanted to were pretty slim. "Every once in a while I head out to some of the older warehouse districts where there are more...well, better obstacles...but my brother gets pretty mad if he finds out. Now, you ready for the sewing part?"

Was she?!

@fin,

[Deleted]

Fin grinned at her when she shrugged and smiled sweetly. “Glad to hear it and you know, I think you could be very scary given the right motivation so probably safer like you say he’s in prison.” Fin added not sure that if he had been her brother he would have ever let things get that far at all. Prison was too good for that guy, a dark corner somewhere was more his style to handle people like that but then not everyone had the same ideas he did.

“See now that is the right attitude to have, too many people do pine and you know what. Thank you for standing up and coming out the other side of something like that. You are a rock star!” Fin said glad that whatever had happened she had managed to move on from it and that it may have had a part to play in making her stronger. “Just know that you have nothing to worry about, I am sure between your brother and your friends the guy will get what is coming to him one way or another.”

Karma had a way of going around he found, though what his would be for his chosen like of work was anyone’s guess. “Yeah I still fail to see the control in jumping off a building. Sure with a parachute is dangerous enough but only yourself, no thank you. You are a rock star and insane too but better for it.” He stated with a grin, of course Fin found the idea of wanting to jump off tall things crazy mostly because he had fallen from the sky and paid a price of a years worth of rehabilitation for it.

If there was ever a moment to be surprised that someone had given him their address it was that moment. As a loan shark he was paid to know information but voluntary information, that was new to him. “Well Lincoln or Oz Park need to watch out; never let those benches bite back. Better obstacles, what kind do you find in a warehouse district? What if something happens out there? Does it not scare you?” Fin asked partially understanding why her brother would get mad if he found out.

He had only just met her and as great as she seemed he was worried for her doing that. Fin nodded when she mentioned the sewing part. “Are you ready?” He asked her though really the worst that would happen was he would have a noticeable scar, it would just add to the many others he had along the way. “So do you know what you need?” He asked her, “We’ll make you far better than any doctor, who needs one of them for stitches. Nurses do everything and the docs; they are just the glory hogs.” Fin added knowing it was the same way in the army.

Sure Fin may have worked for an hour to save a guys life but as soon as a patient got into the hands of a doctor. It was all flashy smiles and initials and the yeah, he’s just the transport guy. Which sure on occasion he was but he still had to keep them alive between A and B.

@fin,