Domestic

Chapter 12

Simon sat for a while, letting Soap sleep. He wasn't so unfamiliar with hospital rooms. He didn't like them, but there was a lot of relief in being there, where he could get the care he needed. He'd seen men die from less because they couldn't get the materials they needed to care for them. They were lucky.

It wasn't but a half hour later that a nurse came in again. She nodded politely to Simon and he stayed out of her way. She left Soap awake. He looked like he'd come down a bit from the meds.

"Have they called about Marcus?" He asked, eyes out the door in front of him.

"No, they haven't." Simon moved his chair back to the side of the bed. "Soap?"

"Yeah." He turned and met Simon's eyes.

"I called your sister. She should be here any minute."

Those eyes widened slightly. "You did?"

"Yeah. Um..." He trailed off, unsure how to put his thoughts into words. It was a difficult subject for both of them. "You need all the support you can get right now."

"Shit." Soap muttered. "Okay. You're right, but you could have asked me first."

"Actually, I couldn't. They took you out of the ambulance and away and I didn't really know if you were coming back out again."

Simon said it so matter-of-factly that Soap just stared at him for a moment. Something hit him. He'd thought a lot about if their roles were reversed. About what he would do if he had known someone wanted to hurt Simon. But if Simon had been the one to get shot, Soap would have had no one to call. And Simon knew that. Simon saw that ability as something so valuable.

"Okay." Soap nodded. "That's fair. But now I have to deal with Laura."

"She sounded worried."

Soap just nodded. He knew she would be. She always was. And he loved her and he wanted to see her but he was supposed to be the strong one, he was the tough one, the soldier, and he didn't want her to see him in his current condition.

"I'm sure." He closed his eyes again. "You don't have to stay, you know."

"Yes, I do." Simon frowned. He had to because he'd lose his mind if he didn't, not because Johnny needed him.

"You have blood on you." Soap said quietly, cracking his eyes and cutting them to where Simon sat.

Simon looked down at himself. He was wearing shorts, which was unusual, and he had blood on his knees and down his shins from where he knelt on the floor. He'd washed his hands but the front of his shirt was smeared in it, too.

Before he could answer, a woman walked in. She was petite, with long dark hair and sharp blue eyes like her brother. Simon stood, aware he looked rather alarming, and offered the most genuine small smile that he could. She looked him up and down pointedly before giving him a small nod and walking straight to Soap's side.

"Hi, Laura." He offered, with a smile of his own.

She looked him over, taking his hand in both of hers and squeezing gently. "Thank god you're okay."

"I heard you met Simon." He nodded to where the tall man stood awkwardly behind them.

She turned, her smile half devious. After he smiled back, she leaned into Soap. "He sounded uglier on the telephone."

"Jesus, Lo." Soap grumbled, frowning at her.

Simon chuckled, Soap looked up at him in surprise. "I'll give you two a moment."

Soap watched Simon duck out into the hall. He was a little worried about him now, now that he had his mind in order. He needed a minute with him alone, to make sure he was alright.