2007-12-28: Who Needs Friends When You Have Visitors

Starring:

Bekah_icon.gif Church_icon.gif Elle_icon.gif Meryl_icon.gif

Summary: Church doesn't get a pink slip or a ferret, but he does get to see his girls and make a menace of himself at roughly the same time.

Date It Happened: December 28th, 2007

Who Needs Friends When You Have Visitors


Mount Sinai Hospital

There is something about hospitals that seems to put any man at his barest- morphine or not. In this case, more than one staff member has had an issue with Church weaseling his way out of bed and off somewhere either unnesscessary or unimportant. He is under the belief that he can do whatever he needs to do on his own; usually he loves being helped and waited on, but the Man's Man in his brain has taken over during times of injury before, and so it has again. Don't need the oxygen; don't need the pan, I can walk; don't need a food cart; don't need the monitors; don't need any help aiming, but can I see you in that uniform again later?

For these reasons and possibly more, the bandaged and oxygenated agent has been literally strapped into his bed. At first he almost felt like throwing some new fit, but now that he's been stuck in here for three hours with the television continuously on QVC(the remote is lying helplessly on the floor beside the bed), Lawrence has had plenty of time to settle down. He'll probably be apologizing to the various nursing staff at some point, to aleviate his own guilt about being an ornery menace.

Rarely does Elle take time out of her day to pay any social visits, least of all to agents nearly twice her age who have been admitted to the hospital - but this particular agent evidently warrants such a visit. Partially hidden behind a bouquet of bright orchids, a box wrapped in silver paper tucked beneath her arm, Elle narrowly makes it through the door without catching the flowers on the frame.

Craning her neck to see around the floral arrangement, she peers at the man in the hospital bed, one eyebrow arching high. "Jesus, Larry." She stoops to drop the arrangement on a table, though the box is kept in her hands. When she turns back to the hospital bed, it's with a hint of amusement in her face. "You look like hell."

It's converge on Church's room time, apparently. Bekah makes her way in not long after Elle. She raises her eyebrows at the sight of the other woman. "Well, I didn't know you had company." She states, carrying a tray full of two hearty meals to the rolling table, much like she did the day before. A smirk appears on her face as she looks over to the restraints. "I see you're getting along wonderfully with the nurses."

There is a woman modeling a rather ugly sweater on the shopping channel, and for awhile Church has been absorbed in how hideous it really is. She's too pretty for that sweate- the sound of Elle entering the room completely shifts his attention. Who is that behind those flowers? No way.

"It hurts as bad as it looks. There are two people that are allowed to call me that- and you're not one of them, Sparky." While the man's second response is just a little bit curt, there's still a sudden and obvious fondness. Elle was honestly one of the last people that Lawrence expected to come in the door, but only because she is a busy little lady. "Oh, lookie, you brought me posies."

And here comes Bekah, not far behind. "Hey Doc. Thi-" Church does feel the need to introduce Bekah, but is stopped short and is promptly overcome with a guilty expression. He shifts, and the rattle of the strap hinges creak under the covers. "About that-"

"They're orchids. And I'll stop calling you Larry when you remember my birthday." Unfazed by Church's remarks, her tone very faintly amused, Elle unbuttons her heavy coat, though she doesn't remove it. She must not be staying long. In fact, when Bekah steps through the door, Elle looks both surprised and alarmed, as if she'd expected to be the only one here - and very clearly wishing that were the case. Did she overhear that? She probably did. For the first time, Elle turns her attention to the restraints keeping Church tied to the bed— and her attempt to stifle her laughter comes out as a snort. "What did you do this time?" Circling around to the far side of the bed, still holding the silver box, she leans back against the wall beside the window. "You know we aren't going to cover sexual harassment suits against you."

Bekah doesn't seem to phased by anything she overheard. "You told me you were going to be good. Was it the oxygen again?" She questions, before giving Elle a quick smile. "If they try a suit, play the morphine card against them." See? She's nice. "So, are you going to try to run away if I free your arm? Or am I going to have to feed you like a baby?" Yes, she's a kind health care worker. Just like yesterday, she snags half of one of the sandwiches, ham this time, and a cup of coffee off the tray, leaving the rest for Church. When she gets around to it.

"I remember it! I- It's the middle of July.. right?" Church gives it a good attempt, watching Elle circle around. "That was the one time, and the Texas courts put her in a crazyhouse anyway." That's all he has to say about that, morphine or not. When Bekah gains his attention back, he's already wearing a jaunty sort of smile.

"I could handle being fed, doc. But- I'll be good. It wasn't the oxygen. Least not by itself. Many things. My god that is the ugliest sweater ever-" The sweater, unsurprisingly, has gone down in price on the television screen. Why he was paying attention, nobody will really know. Chances are that it was something to look at other than the women pestering him about harassment. "So.. how have you been, Ellechu?" Haven't seen her for a long time, after all.

The nickname warrants a grimace from the blonde, and her hands form fists at her sides, her teeth clenched together. When she's certain she isn't going to shock him just for that insult, she takes a deep breath and opens her eyes again, returning them to Church. "Middle of the month doesn't cut it," Elle quips in reply, though the corner of her mouth turns up in a half-smile which would suggest she's impressed. "Don't worry, Doc. He knows better than to make a run for it when I'm here." Her tone is a teasingly warning one, now. She sounds quite confident that she could stop him, too, despite her small size. "I've been…" What's the right word to use, here? "Busy. Couldn't stand staring at camera feeds any more today, though, and my dad had this for you." She holds out the silver box, now.

Bekah gives Elle a quick smile. "Do you work with Mr. Church?" She asks, finally wheeling the table over. "I'm Doctor Morgan, by the way." Her name might even be familiar from her file, showing her reserve like status with the company. "Since you promise to be good, I'll let your hands out to eat. And maybe find something better than this to watch. Like Lifetime." Bekah notes, leaning over to unfasten the restraints on Church's arms.

Church watches Elle only with half of his wits about him. He knows that she would like to start pointing fingers and buzzing while he's tied down, but that is probably not the best idea, and Lawrence is hoping that Elle knows that. When there is no shocking consequences, he does relax mentally again. "That's right. I know better." He frowns just slightly as Bekah unfastens him, raising an eyebrow in question. "You're to pick on me for that the entire time, aren't you?"

As Elle approaches the bed again, holding out the box, Church centers his eyes on it; they flicker up to the blonde's face, and back to the box. "…It's not a pink slip, is it?"

Rolling her eyes in response, Elle drops the slender box onto the bed. "No, it's not a pink slip." She doesn't bother reassuring him any more than those few words, turning her attention back to Bekah. The name does, in fact, sound familiar to her, though she makes no show of her recognition. "Elle," she replies, ducking her head slightly. "And yeah, we work together." Nice and vague, she thinks, stepping back from the bed again.

Bekah gives Elle a smile. "Wonderful." She says with a dry tone before she turns back to Church. "I will pick on you about it every time I see you. Forever. That might give you some incentive to get urt less." She finishes unfastening him and steps back to wheel the food over.

He's probably safe. A Pink Slip from the Company would probably include someone sneaking into his room at night and injecting an overdose into his IV. Subtle, but effective. Needless to say, Lawrence does his best to never think about becoming unemployed.

Instead of pressing further with that whole train of thought, the agent pushes it out of his head and rubs the spots on his arms where those annoying little straps were pulled. He picks up the silver box and perches it on the top edge of his leg to open it. "This is my first trip here, and I've already made a friend." Bob was never his favorite gift giver, mostly because the man never turned anything into gold for him, no matter how much Church might find that So Awesome. Oh look, Scotch! The good kind. In a glass bottle. He is only able to look once inside for now, eyeing Bekah guiltily for a split second. Doctors don't want you having this stuff in here! "

Watching with idle curiosity as Church opens the gift, Elle arches a brow when he quickly closes the box again. "Relax," she says mockingly with another roll of her eyes, settling back against the wall by the window once more. "I don't think they're going to confiscate it." But then, what would she know? She doesn't have all that much experience in public hospitals. After a brief silence, she pushes away from the wall, fastening the buttons of her coat once more. "I'll let you two have your little lunch date in private," she says, pulling her hair out from beneath her coat and letting it fall back over her shoulders. "Hurry up and get better, Larry. I want you to be there when I finish this project." She smirks then, tucking her hands into her pockets, and starts for the door.

Bekah looks over to Church. "I'm not going to confiscate it, but I am going to ask that you save it for when you're home. And off pain meds. Alcohol and morphine are a crappy mix." She states before she looks over to Elle. "Oh, I'm not going to be here long. Feel free to stick around. I just wanted to drop his lunch. Make sure the nurses hadn't knocked him unconcious yet. Since I see they meerly tied him down, well, that's good."

He isn't taking any chances, guarding the box by putting it close in his lap. With an old single malt, Church is going to fight tooth and nail to keep it. "I know, doc. I'll save it." Lively brown eyes follow Elle as she buttons her coat back up. There is a curious tilt to his head, almost as if Elle had suddenly shaken a dog-treat in the air. "Project?" Where his face is curious, his voice is just the same, but with a considerably more serious interest.

"You'll see." Which means that for all her bragging now, Elle had better get her act together and produce some results, but she'll deal with that later. "And don't worry, doctor. Next time, I'm sure they'll knock him out," she quips as a final joke, pulling her knitted hat over her hair. "See you soon, Lawrence." With a quick wave, Elle steps out into the hallway, her hands diving back into her pockets before she makes her way through the corridors, headed for the exit.

Bekah looks after Elle for a moment before she looks back to Church. "Like them young, huh?" She comments before she looks to the alcohol. "I was serious about that stuff. Don't mix it with your pain meds for any reason." And then she actually has time to eat her sandwich and drink her coffee. "So do I need to stick around to tie you back up afterward?"

Church manages to blurt out a 'thanks, Elle' before she does disappear. When Bekah snipes him with the first bit, he looks at her as if she's grown a second head. "Agh. Agh. That's weird. I've known her since she was like… small enough to fit on my knee…" Not that she still couldn't, technically, but that is neither here nor there. "No, no more straps. Please." He even has a begging tone. "You can tell the nurses that they can hit me if I start something." Sometimes abuse is the only way.

Bekah shakes her head with a sigh. "Unfortunately, we aren't allowed to hit patients. It would mean all kinds of nasty paperwork. You try to run away or take off the oxygen again, and you'll either get tied down or sedated. Or you could just be a good little boy and heal up so you can get home."

Church sighs heavily in response, pulling the food Bekah had brought closer. "Fine. I'll try. I'm just so restless when this kind of thing happens." He'll try a second time! Really. Hopefully he won't mess it up again(he will). "You should've been there when I got shot in the ass. I couldn't even lie in bed like this." She didn't need to know that.

"Did someone say 'Shot in the ass?'" Meryl asks cheerfully as she pushes through the door and into Church's hospital room. In her hand is a bag - one of those fancy ones with 3-D stars on it, all in gold and blue. It's got ribbons on the handles that seem to have had an attempt at curling, but have just ended up shredded. Alas, poor ribbons. "LAWRIE! I heard you got hurt somehow. Was it alligators? Maybe twelve story high elephants? Awesome. You always knew how to injure yourself with a bang." She drops the bag - which is about as heavy as a brick - in the vicinity of Church's stomach, and proceeds to attempt to grab Bekah into a bear hug. "Hey, you. Doin' okay?"

Bekah oofs as she's grabbed. "I was. Let me go or I'll use my stethoscope on you cold." She threatens, not so much into returning the hug tonight it seems. But hey, Meryl is a familiar face from that time Bekah let her shoot Lee. It's all good. "Wow. I'm so thrilled to hear about your ass." She adds towards Church in a tone of voice just dripping in snark.

When that door opens, Church tenses up like a springloaded jackrabbit. "Meryl- uh. It was a bomb- AGH." Then there is something assaulting his torso and its bandages, and it is all Meryl's fault. His yell is loud, and startled, but he should have expected that his new visitor would not be paying that much attention. For a few moments, his eyes tear up around the edges and there is also a distinctly warm mugginess that begins to float around the room.

"Ouch. Meryl. Ouch. Be gentle with me…" Church does sound hurt, his voice straining past audible pain. "I'm happy to be seein' all my girls today, but god-" Ow.

"Aw, you're so sweet," Meryl responds to Bekah as she releases the healer from the hug. And… totally misses the fact that Bekah may be in some sort of bad mood - but that's okay! At least the Aussie doesn't squeeze the life out of the other girl. She could, if she wanted to.

Oops. Somewhat aplogetic green eyes look at Church as she realises that the guy must be in some sort of pain to be in a hospital, and come to think of it, she does remember something about a bomb. "Sorry, Lawrie. Hey, open your present. I got it just for you."

Bekah moves forward quickly when she's released to grab Church's chart off the end of the bed. After a quick look at it she ducks out into the hall for a second returning with a syringe. "Good thing you've got an IV." She notes, using it to give the medicine. "A bit of extra pain meds. You should feel better in a second." She notes before looking to Meryl. "So, tossing things at patients? Not the best idea in the world." And better by the way? Yeah, that's also extra drugged.

Church shifts the bag from his middle towards the side of the bed, blinking watery eyes and taking a deep breath. "I suddenly wish it were alligators…" He does smile at Meryl, but even that is accented by a wince. It's okay, Meryl, here comes Doctor Morgan with drugs. Church looks relieved by her doing her job, all of a sudden. "It's alright, doc, she just- forgets things. I'd call her a closet blonde if she didn't look so good with dark hair."

"First flowers and scotch, now something from Meryl. Okay. Am I going to need the scotch after this…" At this point, Lawrence is talking to himself while he carefully pries open the top of the bag, but first eyeing the orchids over on his table and the silver box already to one side of his lap.

Meryl doesn't forget things! Okay, she does. But that's mostly because she's easily distracted… And also because of an accident in her youth that at least has some closure now. Some. "Aw, you're just saying that," Meryl says, though it's clear that she'll gladly take that compliment. She is, after all, smiling.

Taking a seat, she waits as Church opens the bag. Inside is a brick.

"Isn't it awesome?" she squeals. "I got it from the explosion site. It came loose from one 'o the buildings." Lots of dilapidated, crumbly buildings in New York for bricks to fall off of, after all. "Thought you might like a keepsake."

Bekah looks over to Church. "No scotch with painkillers. Am I going to have to hide it until you're released? Can always have the nurses tie you up again, if I need to." Or just for her own sick sense of enjoyment. "Yes. Because I'd just want to remember almost getting blown to bits for the rest of my life." Bekah adds dryly with a roll of her eyes. Then hey, coffee needs drinking before it gets /too/ cold.

He's not just saying that! Meryl is a very pretty woman, even if not so well-put-together inside of her noggin. "I. Oh. I see. You know it was on a public bus, right? …Did I not absorb it by that much, that it rattled buildings?" Church stares into the bag for a few more seconds, peering up at Meryl and Bekah with a somewhat confused expression.

"Thanks, Mer." I guess. "I didn't get to keep the knife from the last time I was injured, so this is.. nice." Injured/stabbed/what have you. Lawrence is just not sure how he was supposed to react to being given a brick. "Please don't take my scotch." He would rather keep that over not being tied again. He can deal with being tied down.

"…" is Meryl's answer. It would probably be far better for her if she actually read mission reports and stuff. "…Okay. It was from outside the building, and it was half-buried. But it's the thought that— Ooh, bedpans." Either she's really distracted - which is an entirely plausible situation - or she's attempting to get out of explaining the location of where she found the brick, and the repercussions thereto. It might have been from a nearby constuction site for all anyone knows. Then again, those bedpans are pretty shiny.

Or maybe it's because she doesn't want anyone to see the fact that she's visibly embarrassed, so she concentrates on the bedpans that are situated near the window. "When I heard you were hurt, I was worried," she says, peering inside the metal things to… you know. See if there's anything in them. They'd make very good planters, actually. "Wish I could have done something to help."

Bekah looks over to Meryl with a blink. "Bedpans?" She says before she shakes her head. "On second thought, I really don't want to know. He's going to be fine though. He's burned and bruised which add up to sore and cranky, but it's not going to have a long term effect."

There's nothing in them, thank god. He can at least do that by himself.

"Yes. It's the thought that counts. Thank you, Meryl." Don't be so embarrassed. His pained expression softens the more she talks. Aww. "Were you now? And I don't think there could have been much you could do against a crazy man with a gun and a bomb." Church even seems to frown a little at the thought- if she were in his shoes, with that gun to her chest- yikes. He should probably not think about that. "I'm glad you came." He adds, only after Bekah explains the extent of his difficulties.

Meryl can't really be in a /bad/ mood for more than a few seconds, but at least she's sobered a little. And even if she continues pondering all the neat crafts she could create with bedpans, she's no longer throwing things at Church. Eventually, she does turn around. "Well, there's lots of things you could do, really. It's just that only a small percentage will end with you living." Hm. Not very good odds. One needs luck to be in the Company, it seems. Meryl's track record is pretty good, though. It's likely she could have done something. "So, before I showed up, were you two being all romantic? You want I should leave?"

Bekah looks over to Meryl. "Yes. I was just about to put the restraints back on him and jump by injured patient. Thanks." She says with a very dry and snarky tone. Someone is in a wonderful mood right now. "But since you interrupted it, I am no longer in the mood. Sorry, Lawrence, honey."

"As much as I adore the doctor fantasy-" Lawrence begins, squinting over at Bekah when she does her own explanation. "It's okay. Really. Elle just left before you came, Meryl. It seems to be visiting hours for me." He laughs dryly, and it turns into a smirk. "But I'm not against that hospital romance sorta thing if either of you gals ever do like the idea.." Here comes the new painkillers. Maybe.

Her eyes narrow a little as she looks at Bekah. That whole bad mood thing is starting to creep back up on her, and at the moment, she's not sure if she likes Bekah. A few unflattering words cross her mind, but never quite make it to her lips. Meryl may be addled, but she's certainly not an idiot. "I was just— " Pause. "Well, don't let me stop you," she says cheerfully, reaching into her bag and pulling out a pair of handcuffs! Company-issued, agent approved! "These should hold him. I don't recommend jumping him too hard, though. Remember, he's just been in an explosion." Insert wink in Church's direction here. "I was actually thinking roses and chocolates. You know, romantic. While you two are doing that, I'll go back to learning my A-B-C's." She can be snarky, too. She's just not as good at it.

Bekah looks over to Meryl. "Why would I need handcuffs, when the restraints the nurses used on him earlier are still attached to the bed. A quick buckle down of his hands, and there we go." She raises her coffee in mock toast. "Because of course I couldn't just be here because otherwise he wouldn't get fed enough by the hospital. Of course I must have other motivation since he's such a manly man. What's fifteen years of age difference? Or the fact he's hurt and drugged?" Yeah, Bekah's not in the best mood, even with a cup of coffee in her hands. Snark is here in full force tonight, kids.

Church can't tell if these two are fighting over supremacy in his hospital room, or what. Oh, dear. "Hey, hey, ladies." I'm sitting right here. Hi. Yeah. Cut that out. "..Don't make me separate you two." He's looking absolutely threatening, sitting strapped by his legs and waist to the bed, hair rumpled on the pillow behind it. He'll come over there, make no mistake! Watch out! He's a menace. Arr.

The whole time, Meryl just continues to smile pleasantly. Ah, well. She's mot really in the right mind to dig herself out of this one, and she's too tired to be that blatantly insane. The truth is, she's not sure she really likes hospitals that much anymore, for reasons she doesn't feel like disclosing at the moment. Any excuse to leave is a good one. "Just take care of him, Bekah," she says quietly, and heads for the door in what might be her first ever quiet exit.

Then she turns back to Church, pantomimes a phone up to her ear, winks, and mouths 'Call me.'

It's hard to tell whether or not she actually means it. In any case, with that smile still on her face, she readjusts the bag on her shoulder, and disappears behind the wall. Away, to cause trouble elsewhere!

Bekah looks after Meryl and shakes her head. She's about to say something when her pager goes off. "Shit. That's the ER. Be good to the nurses." She says in a threatening tone before she heads off at a run. She must actually be needed somewhere. Or maybe it's just a quick escape.

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