these wildfires grow and grow

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It was three am and Rowan couldn't sleep. The past couple hours had all blurred together. She remembered arriving to the hospital and being told her brother was already being prepped for surgery. It was a punctured lung they said. Rowan sat in the waiting room while it happened. Her brother and sister arrived, and Rowan had to relay the entire night for them. The fight, her stabbing her father, having to call the police. Thankfully she had gotten the blood off of her hands. Helmer had brought her a change of clothes, to replace the ones that had blood stains on them. She didn't look like a mess now.

Their father was being kept in a separate wing of the hospital. When Rowan had stabbed him she had missed all organs and arteries, so he just needed stitches. According to the cop that drove her to the hospital, he was going to be kept under guard at all times, to prevent him from seeing them. That provided Rowan with a little more comfort.

After Liam's surgery he went back into another one. Apparently his brain was bleeding and they didn't want to wait, in case it got worse. They didn't even pull him out from his anesthesia. Just sent him right back into the operating room. It was almost midnight by the time he got out of that surgery. It was almost an hour later that they came back with even worse news. Liam had a reaction to the anesthesia, and he wasn't waking up. A coma they said. They weren't sure how long it was going to last.

Now Rowan sat alone on an old uncomfortable waiting room chair beside her brothers bedside. Aspen had gone home. Rowan didn't want to though, neither did Helmer. She needed to be here, so that Liam wasn't alone. Helmer had fallen asleep a while ago, curled up in another shitty chair. The hospital was quiet at night. The hallways were still lit, and occasionally she'd hear a tired nurse speaking over the PA system. Right now, it was just her and the faint beeping of the heart monitor, and Rowan found herself crawling back into her head. The things her father said. The rage that she had shown. She could feel it now, the cracks beginning to form in the foundation. Their perfect image was ruined. Yet this was not the end. She knew that. Whatever she had gotten herself into, she knew there was a storm on the horizon. This was just the calm before all hell broke lose again.

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He'd thought it was a joke; he really did. He'd gotten back to Camp Jupiter not long ago at all, and to his dismay, much more than a straggler had been awake in the barracks. It took them saying it more than once for him to believe it. There was an assault in the Davenport household, and no one knew more than that. Christian had to know what happened. He wouldn't rest until he did.

Getting details wasn't as easy as one might think. Being a Centurion didn't get you as far in New Rome as it did in Camp Jupiter. He'd had to stretch some statements far to get the full details, going as far as mentioning Roz's name. That was a good way to get what you wanted to know.

That left only one place to go.

By the time Christian had found his to the right wing of the hospital, it was late. He wasn't sure who or what to expect. The condition he had heard was stable, but that could change so quickly. His footsteps were gentle, but they echoed through the hallway still, where nearly no other noises were present. Then, he saw him. The body of Liam Davenport. The machines said he was alive, but Christian wasn't so sure. Was one person really capable of doing this much damage?

He stood in the doorway for a few moments. Rowan and Helmer were the only two figures in the room. No Aspen, Carter, or Sophia. Aspen Davenport's absence took a toll on Christian, even more so than her presence would have. What could be a better reminder that you could lose loved ones more than your sister being shot and your brother being beaten? Still, Christian was grateful for Helmer's presence. After stabbing her dad, Rowan really shouldn't have been alone.

Regardless of conflict, Christian felt there were things he needed to say, to both Rowan and Liam. He regretted avoiding all contact with Liam after the gunshot incident. There were still things he needed to know. Hopefully he would have the chance to say them again, if Liam woke up.

"Hey." Christian said, he kept his tone in check, speaking softly. But, did it matter? How could you console someone who just watched their world disappear from their life? Could you even convince them that tomorrow was real, if they knew that they could never get their yesterday back? "I just got back. I came as soon as I could. I'm sorry Rowan. Helmer." He left it at that. Praising Liam, would probably sound fake, considering the bad blood they had before everything went down.

Subject: Re: these wildfires grow and grow Thu Apr 27, 2017 10:26 pm

these wildfires grow and grow Tumblr_inline_mw31y2J06v1spyexa

Helmer's eyes snapped open when he heard someone else walk in. His eyes were red and it wasn't from crying. It was pure rage. The son of Bellona stood from his chair and studied Christian's form.

"...Don't worry about it, man. At least I get a piece of eye candy to look at, right?" Helmer shrugged his shoulders, then turned to look at his brother Liam. "I don't know why they just don't give him ambrosia. We're more god than mortal anyway." Helmer could feel himself about to rant. "Aren't there children of Apollo in this place? That would really help. Matter of fact," Helmer pulled out his phone. "Jerome can help. He's--." Then he paused. He hadn't spoken to Jerome in a couple of weeks and to just call him up right now would be stupid. Instead, he looked at Christian, then at the ground.

"I'm going to get some coffee and find a dugout." The son of Bellona began to head out of the hospital room.

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Rowan jumped when she heard the voice. She turned to see Christian standing there, and she almost felt like she was dreaming. She hadn't seen him since she told him she didn't want to see him. He looked tired, maybe a little more tired than she. She had heard word of him heading off to the woods or whatever to take care of some sword with Carter and Sophia. She hadn't heard of his return. She did remember tearing apart his room searching for his stupid pills.

"Hey." She replied hoarsely, she wasn't sure if she even wanted to see him right now. She was still mad at him for not telling her. Yet there he was, standing in front of her at 3 am. She remembered him talking about how he used to hate her family. Now he was running here to see them.

Rowan stood up stretching her arms and giving Liam a sidelong glance. "I need to go for a walk." She said, looking back at Christian. She walked past him, motioning for him to follow. She kept walking whether he chose to follow or not. She could see a window at the end of the hallway, and the vague view of a dark night outside of the hospital. Morning wasn't even on the horizon yet. She remembered driving through Colorado at three am, laughing with Christian about that book. That three am was sweet and simple. This three am was bitter and cold.

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Christian noted, somewhere in the back of his mind, to ask Jerome to talk to Helmer. He was sure Jerome was a lot closer to Rowan's brother. "I'll see you soon." Christian offered, before the younger Davenport walked off.

Christian truthfully didn't want to leave Liam. For someone who had physically hit him, Christian still felt guilt looking at him. He didn't look like he was just going to be okay again soon. Some people said you could still hear in comas, but, it didn't matter. What could he really do for Liam now? Nothing. But, maybe he could still do something for Rowan. Anything to ease her mind.

The legacy followed Rowan out of the room, regretfully leaving Liam behind. He would tell him what was on his mind before he left New Rome. He kept a few paces behind Rowan. He didn't want to clutter her personal space. There were some questions that he knew were just redundant. Questions like, "How are you feeling?" Well, isn't the answer obvious? Not well, to say the least.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked. It wasn't the most ordinary question, but, it was something.

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Rowan stopped at the window, looking out onto New Rome. The streetlights glowed like fireflies, further in the distance she could see the lights of camp. It all seemed so calm. Rowan turned her head to look at Christian. Standing somewhat behind us.

"The quest." She admitted, "A lot has changed since we left." The past month had been hard on her. Life had decided to rake her across the coals. Some days were harder than others. This day was worse of all. She wanted to go back to the quest, before things went bad. She wanted to laugh about Carter's stupid book and for just a minute pretend like she wasn't dealt the worst cards.

"Liam, he uh," Rowan felt her breath get shaky, "he and my dad got into an awful fight about school. Liam wanted to drop his buisness major, but my dad wasn't having it. He started shoving Liam around, and then it turned into a fist fight. By the time I pried my dad off of him he was in this awful state. Then he turned on me. Told me how I never listened. How it was my fault I got shot. Then he lunged at me, and..." She was crying now. Not for the first time this night either. "...gods. I stabbed him. No hesitation. The worst part of it is that I realized he was never proud of me. I tried so hard to please him, and the second I stop, the second Liam stopped, he turned on us."

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Christian wasn't sure what to expect from Rowan. In the state she was in, how could anyone try to put any reason into such an unreasonable night. What followed was simply pure honesty, and the events of the night came out in a moment that Christian truly didn't see coming. Still, as heartbreaking as it was, it was a good thing. She was still present, and still with him. They were tears, but they were a great thing.

Maybe it wasn't his place, but he couldn't just stand there and let Rowan feel like she was a monster. He closed the space gap, and put his arms around the other Centurion, hoping it could at least offer even an ounce of security. He listened, to everything she had to say. If only people truly knew why she was shot. The thought made him sick to his stomach, but it wasn't like he had been sitting on an appetite.

"You saved your brother." Christian whispered. "He's proud of you. Helmer is proud of you. Aspen, she's proud of you." He could feel his own composure starting to slip, but he couldn't right now, not in front of Rowan. She needed him, and he was not going to let her down again. "I'm proud of you. I'm so f***ing proud of you for everything you've done. You need to know that you're not lesser. What he said to you doesn't even begin to hold validity."

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When Christian hugged her, she didn't push him away, she just buried her face in his shoulder. She needed this. To be honest, she missed him. She missed having her best friend around. They had been through so much together thus far.

Still, she couldn't pull her father out of her head. A man who she was so used to looking up to. When she was little she thought he was this powerful leader. He was going to make them great like him. They were going to take up the mantle. But as she got older, she saw him, the real him. His illusion shattered the moment she told him she hadn't made first cohort. Yet a part of her wished, with all her heart, that the man she used to know was still in there somewhere. Tonight had told her that he was never there to begin with.

Yet there was someone else who could take his mantle. Someone with the heart of a lion. Someone who was never cruel or cowardly. Someone who hadn't seen her for her cohort. Someone who was always there for her. Someones, actually. Her siblings had never left her side. They had been through so much together. And they would get through this too. They just needed time. They just needed Liam.

Rowan could only try to wipe away the tears. "I just really need him to be okay."

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It was a truly strange moment for Christian. In a life full of medicated feelings, a belief flowed through him, and he felt as though it was fact. "He's gonna be just fine." Christian said. He would never say something like that to comfort, because there was no way to know. Yet, he meant it. He truly believed that this would work out. The world was cold and dark. It took, and took, and took. But it couldn't all be bad. It couldn't take everything. He was with Rowan again, and that was enough to make him believe in hope.

He never thought a day would come where he would side with those he felt were so different from him whether it be Davenport or Virgo. So many years were spent feeling separation, instead of climbing the mountain, to see if those on the other side were really as bad as he thought. Here he was today. The other side felt so much better than he ever imagined. "There's no such thing as a hospital that can hold Liam Davenport." He declared.

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Rowan could only laugh through the tears. It felt wrong, laughing when the situation was so grim. It felt like it had been years since she last smiled. She wasn't sure when it had all changed. When her life became this unending tempest. Now she was just emotionally tired.

Rowan pulled away, wiping away the tears that had streamed down her face. She gave one more glance at the window, before continuing walking. There was a purpose to this. She knew where she was going. She motioned for Christian to follow her once more. The hospital was rather large, and Rowan was trying to get to the other end of it. It'd take them a bit to get there.

"When I was twelve," She started, "I failed my first solo survival challenge. It was a kidnapping situation. My dad got one of his friends to abduct me, and I was supposed to get away, find a phone, and call home. I had managed to get out of the trunk of the car, but I couldn't get away from him when he chased me down in the woods. I hadn't seen the road sign that told me that it was going to be three more miles until the next gas station. I was supposed to wait longer. Anyways, I was in my room crying my eyes out in shame, and Liam comes in. He tells me how he failed his first solo challenge too, and that I'd ace it next time. Then he pulled out a battleship board, and we played the rest of the night, even after my dad had told us to go to bed. He always knew how to make me feel better."

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What kind of man was willing to mock-kidnap a twelve year old? Surely, that must count as some sort of abuse? Christian had his own share of troubles from his childhood, but it was nothing like this. He wondered how someone could relate to such a situation, but at least there were three other people that had been through a similar, or even identical, childhood. He wondered how Rowan could trust anybody if her own father was paying people to kidnap her.

The story had a silver lining to it though. Even as kids, Liam had meant the world to Rowan. Even with the horror of having a parent like Michael Davenport, all was as it should have been. "Knows." Christian gently corrected. "He always knows how to make you feel better." The legacy left it at that. He couldn't blame Rowan for her fear of the worst to come. How could you possibly look for the sun when there was only pitch black in sight? He trailed her slightly once more, and kept his pace up with hers.

Where was she going, anyway?

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Rowan walked along the hospital corridor, passing tired nurses and doctors. None of them paid her much mind though, as they probably had other things to do. The longer they walked, the busier the hospital seemed. Probably because they had come from one of the more quieter wards, and now they were in the hustle and bustle of the urgent care wing. This is where she was taken in the day she had gotten shot, and where Liam had first been admitted before being moved to the neurology ward. Despite it being 3 am, people still sat in the waiting room chairs along the main room. Nurses still sat at their station, carrying files and consulting with doctors.

On the far side of the room, Rowan saw what she was looking for. Outside of a closed door, stood two police officers. They looked about five minutes from passing out, but they still stood guard. Rowan didn't walk any further, just stood at the entrance of the large room, looking across at the guards.

"He's staying here overnight for observation. Then they're taking him off to the station tomorrow. An ADA came by earlier to tell me that they're going to try to charge him with first degree assault and attempted assault. Minimum sentence is three years in jail." The guards were there full time, as Rowan had figured out. She wasn't sure whether that was to keep him in or his children out. Probably both. Rowan didn't even want to see him anyways.

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The emergency room lately had been a common visit for Christian, and he didn't like the atmosphere of it at all. People were in pain, whether it was physical or emotional. Whatever it was that Rowan was feeling, it was pretty clear to Christian that she shouldn't be stewing on it in an emergency room. Let alone one with her psycho dad not far away. It angered Christian that they would dare bring him here for a knife wound. Did nothing merit him being taken to where he belonged?

Christian put his hand on Rowan's shoulder. She shouldn't be here right now, but he knew that didn't matter to her. She had a fire in her heart. The man in there wasn't someone she loved anymore. He was someone she hated. "Rowan," Christian began. "Let's go back to see Liam. Or, anywhere else, if you want to stretch your legs." He stepped in front of her, to distract her gaze. "He'll pay for what he did on his own. He'll rot, where he belongs."

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Rowan stared at the guards until Christian blocked her view. She looked up at him, pausing for a second before nodding her head. "I have no doubt he'll get what he deserves. I just know he'll try to drag us down with him, though." She paused again, before she knew where she wanted to go next.

"C'mon." She said, taking Christian's hand. "I wanna show you something else." She pulled him back down the hallway, away from her father. She didn't head the direction of the neurology ward though, and instead diverted to the first stairwell she saw. She climbed the stairs, going up as far as possible, until they came upon a simple door, labeled with "Roof access."

She walked out, and suddenly she could see the whole valley. It was always remarkable up here. You could see everything, from the camp below, to temple hill. She could see the light of the braziers down at camp, where most of the legionarres were fast asleep. New Rome was a little more busy, and she could see the flash of headlights from whoever was up and driving at this god forsaken hour.

"I used to come up here when I was recovering." Rowan explained, walking farther out onto the roof. "The nurses freaked out the first time I did it, but eventually they let me come back as long as one of them came with me. Its just so peaceful up here."

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Christian followed Rowan, though, it wasn't like he was going anywhere while she had his hand. He wasn't very hesitant, but curious. It almost bothered him that she knew the hospital so well. How much loss could one person have so quickly? Then, they reached roof access. "I should have known you'd pick the one place we shouldn't be." Christian said, but with a genuine smile on his face, in what seemed like so long.

Maybe it was somewhat cliche, but in the moment, Christian didn't feel so broken up over recent events. Here he was, with Rowan. Even though he could clearly see the distant figures of buildings in what few lights showed themselves, he couldn't hear a thing, and it felt like no one else existed other than Rowan and himself. He didn't feel his nerves get to him, but he felt at peace, if only for a moment.

It was dark, but he took a real good look at Rowan for the first time since he'd arrived. He could hardly make out her features, but even still, he could see how exhausted she was, both physically and emotionally. "Gods, Rowan, you look exhausted." He said, his back was turned to the beauty behind him. He could look at New Rome anytime he wanted. "I missed you."

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Rowan smiled. She felt exhausted. She still had puffy eyes from crying. She hadn't slept all day. Still, it was kind of hard to sleep right now. She couldn't imagine how hard it was when she was in her brother's position.

"That, Christian, is something you never tell a woman." She joked, "Even if it's true." She turned away from the skyline and looked at Christian. To be fair, he looked no better than she did. They both looked like shit.

"I missed you too." She responded, and she meant it. It wasn't the same without him around. Things just weren't as funny. She still needed that space, but she was happy he's back. "Rinne told me you went to see your mom."

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"Sorry, did I say exhausted? My mistake, I actually meant to say you look like you just won prom queen." Christian corrected himself, in a coy tone.

"Yeah, I did." Christian's voice trailed slightly. He really wanted to tell Rowan everything that had happened since they'd stopped being friends. Yet, was now even a somewhat acceptable time to do that? "I saw both of my parents, actually." He wasn't sure how to proceed with it. At the very least, telling Rowan he'd gotten shot was something that could wait until a better time. "I haven't told her the full story yet. It's just a whole stupid thing." His voice continued to trail at the end.

"I'm clean now." Christian hated bringing the topic up. But, it was important for Rowan to know.

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Rowan laughed, she looked far from prom queen material. To be fair, 3 am hardly looked good on anybody.

Rowan smiled at his announcement, "I'm proud of you." She might not have known until recently, but she really was proud. She reached out and squeezed his hand. "I really am." She'd ask him about his parents later. He seemed apprehensive right now. Thankfully they had plenty of time. For the first time in a while, tomorrow seemed more like a promise rather than a maybe. The sun would rise, the day would start, there was the potential for something good.

"We should get back." Rowan said, letting go of Christian's hand. "Before Helmer thinks you've kidnapped me."

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"Rowan, wait." Christian's exclaimed in a knee jerk reaction. He grabbed Rowan's hand once more. The moment had been so unique, in a way that Christian wasn't used to feeling. The month had brought many hardships for Christian, and with them, many regrets. Yet, having Rowan accept him once more, and being surrounded by nothing but silence and dark, the world seemed brighter, ironically. Before they went back to the real world, he had to make sure he didn't have a new regret from this rooftop.

"Seeing my parents didn't go well." Christian broadly admitted, but didn't bother to elaborate on the details of the visit. Not right now. "It went horribly, actually. I don't think it could have gone worse if I tried to make it worse." A whole new sensation overtook Christian. Anxiety and nerves hit him, which never happened while he was on painkillers. "It made me regret not doing a lot of things. Lately, all I've felt is regret for things I should have done, but didn't." The legacy's composure slacked and faultered. He would get it together soon, and be who he needed to be. But for this moment, he wasn't repressing the truth for even another second.

"But I don't regret coming straight here. I wouldn't have even if you kicked me out. I don't want to regret holding back anymore. I should have told you about the addiction so long ago. I should have let you deal with Angelica your way. I should have went home sooner. The list is goes on, for a while. One day, I will tell you all of it." At this point, Christian knew he was rambling, and he was losing sight of his point. "But, I know if I don't do this, I'll regret it later."

He knew now wasn't the right time. But, was there a right time? For all he knew, this could be the last time he would see Rowan. Nobody was ever happy if they never threw a hailmary. He felt genuine fear in his chest, but went forward anyway. He leaned his head down to Rowan's, before he pressed his lips against hers.

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Rowan stopped walking when Christian took her hand. She turned and looked at him, her smile fading. She had so many questions about what happened, but she knew it wasn't the time. She just let him say his part. She knew all too well about the complications of family. That's why she was standing on this hospital roof at three am.

She knew a little about regret. She regretted not interfering earlier. She regretted not shooting faster. She regretted letting bitter words of a bitter man plant deep inside her until it was all she could think about. There was one thing she didn't regret though, and that was him. She didn't regret going on that quest with him. She didn't regret finding that gun. Those things might have made her life more complicated, but there was nothing she could change. There was no going back. So maybe it was time to look forward instead.

She saw it coming before it happened. Suddenly she was acutely aware of her surroundings. The way the cool air felt on her skin. The sound of cars in the background. The smell of the fresh air. The feeling of him getting closer and closer to her. Shes okay with this. It feels right. The kiss seems to last forever. Not in a, 'I wish this was over' kind of way, but a 'hey lets just stay here all night' kind of way. Still, she has to break it off.

"I'm not kidding though. We should probably get back." Still she gave him a smile. "We can talk about this tomorrow. Once I look less exhausted." She's not going to let him live that down.

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The kiss happened, and Christian didn't expect it to be even a fraction as long as it was. That was probably a good sign. He didn't regret doing it, and he wouldn't have even if she rejected him. In the moment, he had to know. It was odd, he ended up not knowing still. But, he knew enough that he wouldn't regret the night. They had a lot ahead of them. But, if all worked out, they had all the time in the world to tackle it.

What was weird was that the walk back wasn't weird. Everything Christian knew about modern society and dating culture pointed to a probable awkward walk back. Granted, most people didn't decide to make a move while they, or their potential partner, were facing intense grief.

They made it back to Liam's room, where Helmer was just finishing a conversation of some sort with someone. Seeing Liam again made reality kick back in. He wasn't with them still, but Christian was still faithful. This wasn't permanent. It was only until he woke up.

"Is everything okay?" Christian asked Helmer, placing a hand on his shoulder. Of course, Christian didn't mean it as in, if Helmer was okay. He knew Helmer was facing demons with this. Aspen would be too, as would Rowan. But, he meant it as a direct question. Did something develop while they were gone?

Subject: Re: these wildfires grow and grow Sat Apr 29, 2017 9:29 pm

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these wildfires grow and grow Tumblr_inline_nxfn46Ikq61qf0bzr_250

While Christian and Rowan was out developing a romantic relationship, Helmer had found his doughnuts and coffee when he noticed someone familiar. With everything that was happening, he needed a distraction right now and thank the gods there was one. A grin came across his face as he made his way over to man in a lab coat.

"Doctor Chocolate. It's nice to see you again." The son of Bellona beamed. The older man turned around to see Helmer. A sigh escaped his full lips.

"Helmer. It's good to see you as well." While Helmer dated Jerome, he would often have dinner with Dr. Menes at his villa. Jerome was considered Dr. Menes little brother. A little bit about Dr. Menes is that his great grandfather was Aesculapius. He himself was born in Cario, Egypt and then later sent to Camp Jupiter to train. He also has a cousin on his father's side who is currently in Brooklyn, New York studying to be a pathologist. Apparently, practicing medicine runs in their family. "How's your brother doing?"

Helmer was shocked that he knew that Liam was in the hospital. "How did you...?"

"Two Davenports are in the hospital. You can be sure that JC Memorial is going to be gossping about it." Dr. Menes grinned some. Helmer slowly nodded his head.

"Alright, well, I need you to come check on Liam." Dr. Menes was about to protest, but was caught off. "Look, I know you're only a resident, but if anyone can help him, it's you." Helmer's blue eyes softened a bit, but there was still red in them. With a sigh, Dr. Menes nodded his head.

"Fine, let's go."

Now they both were standing in Liam's room. Dr. Menes didn't even have to physically check his vitals to know what's going on. He picked up his chart and looked it over.

"Well? Can you do something about it?" Helmer asked, taking a sip out of his blackened coffee.

"I can, but these are serious injuries. A allergic reaction to anesthesia; somebody should've caught that." He knitted his eyebrows, then looked down at Helmer who was staring at his brother's face.

"Well, can you at least fix his..." Helmer gestured to Liam's face. "This." Dr. Menes took in a deep breath and hovered his hand over Liam's head. The superficial bruises were cleared up with ease. "Thank you." Helmer paused. "...Has he mentioned me?"

"Jerome?" Dr. Menes stuffed his hands into his pockets. "...A couple of times, yes. He was over a couple of days ago for dinner."

"What did he say?" But before Helmer could get an answer, his sister and Christian walked in. "Much better. Where did you two go? Keeping down the yellow brick road while holding hands?" Helmer asked. "Because I called dips on Christian a long time ago." Dr. Menes cleared his throat. "Oh, this is Dr. Shamier Menes. He actually knows what he's doing. Dr. Menes, this is my sister and soon to be gay for pay boyfriend."

Poor Dr. Menes sighed and shook his head with a smile on his face. "I apologize." He chuckled lightly and shook both of their hands. "It must be a pain living with this one."

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Rowan and Christian made it back to find her brother and a doctor talking. Rowan rolled her eyes at her brother's comment. "Doctor Mendes, I apologize for anything my brother has said." She smiled and shook his hand. "It certainly isn't easy, but he has his moments."

She knew her brother was just making jokes, but she did have to wonder if it was so obvious. Its not like Christian had lipstick marks all over his face like he was in some classic movie. She wasn't even wearing lipstick.

Rowan glanced at her other brother, and for a moment it looked like nothing was wrong. He was just sleeping. He'd wake up soon enough, and they'd head down to the basement and do some sparring. Yet she knew it'd be a while before he woke up. If he ever woke up, that is.

"Is there any idea of how long this is going to last?" She asked

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Christian usually wasn't the kind to be paranoid. But, Helmer's comment did make him feel slightly on edge. Not in a feared way, but in a surprised way. Was it seriously that clear? Christian hadn't really thought of it. For all he was paying attention, his expression could have been

"Pft, 'pay' for gay." Christian made the remark, with a believable enough grin. Of course, it would be believable, if there wasn't a stranger involved. Christian always introduced himself first before making jokes, in a professional setting at least. Surely, Helmer didn't know him that well, did he? Christian put his hand out, for the doctor to shake. "My actual name is Christian. It's nice to meet you, sir."

Christian had to admit, Liam was looking better already, with this new doctor. Still, he didn't want to take any chances. He had things he'd want to say before the night was done.

Subject: Re: these wildfires grow and grow Sun Apr 30, 2017 4:29 pm

Dr. Menes nodded his head. "Nice to meet you both. Now, with Liam here, I can speed up his recovery, but it'll take some time. We don't want to shock his body," He explained. "A few of my sessions and he should be good to go."

"Thank you, Dr. Shamier. How will we ever repay you?" Helmer placed a hand on the doctor's chest which the doctor slowly removed.

"...It's my pleasure." Dr. Menes sighed, then looked at his watch. "How did all of this happen?" Helmer's heart sank.

"Sparring gone wrong. My sister over there is a real Amazon, but Aspen is worse. She's like...like..." Helmer snapped his fingers as he tried to find the right word. "Something, I'll get back to you on that." Dr. Menes slowly nodded his head.

"Right, well, I can take action when I'm free if that's okay with you, Rowan and the rest of the family." Dr. Menes offered up.