Remedy

26

"You know," Arthur whispered, "I think the nights here are the worst. I've slept in many awful places before." James narrowed his eyes up at the ceiling and then looked to the side when Arthur pushed the white curtain away which was separating their beds. "Do you know why it's the worst?"

"You're about to tell us." Percy announced from Arthur's other side. The dark haired man turned and pushed the other curtain away. Sitting up in bed looking less then pleased about being woken up was Percy.

"It's quiet."

James raised an eyebrow at him, "And that's a problem...how?"

"Well you see one of us wasn't completely comatose back there." Arthur said, "Before we got shipped back here we were there for another day or so. That night was horrific."

"Are you feeling all right?" Percy inquired worriedly.

"No...they gave me something for the pain and it's totally not agreeing with me." Arthur's eyes widened and he rubbed his chest slowly.

"I think perhaps one of us should get a nurse." James stated while pushing himself up slowly in his bed. Percy looked at him dumbly, "I'll go then."

"Thank you, Captain, for you see my mobility isn't quite like it used to be." Percy said a little sarcastically.

"Keep an eye on him." James flung his legs over the bed, the floor was cold beneath his feet as he shakily stood up and walked off out of the hall.

Even from the quiet of the corridor James could still hear Arthur rambling. Seeing a makeshift nurses station he walked up to it. A steely grey eyed woman looked up at him confused.

"My friend," James started and pointed back to where he'd appeared from. "I don't think, well...whatever you gave him to ease his pain isn't really helping." This caught the woman's attention and she followed him back.

Sitting back in bed James and Percy both watched as the curtains got pulled across again and there was some struggling sounds from Arthur's bed before all was silent.

The woman left soon after that, tentatively reaching out James pushed the curtain away, Arthur now laid silently sleeping.

He was right, the nights here really were the worst. Sleep was virtually impossible without getting plagued by flashbacks. James was half considering to stage having a moment just so a nurse would knock him out with some sort of medication.

----

Sitting behind a desk Dot looked over the quickly scribbled patient notes in front of her. Some men were allowed to be discharged today, although they wouldn't be returning to the service of the army any time soon.

"What has you looking so troubled?" Looking up she smiled, James leaned against the desk and looked from the notes to her.

"What are you doing, Captain Nicholls? As far as I remember you're not allowed to be up and walking about." Dot scolded playfully and leaned back in her chair, James rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

"I got bored." James admitted, she smiled and nodded surely at him. "Don't look at me like that, being stuck in one place is boring."

"All right," Dot stood up and picked up the patient notes with her. Walking around the desk of the nurses station she stopped by his side. "I'll let you off with that, you can accompany me on a light walk if you want?"

James smiled and gestured a hand to the corridor, "Lead the way." Dot nodded and walked slowly forward.

"You really shouldn't be pushing yourself to recover though." Dot said after a second of silence. She looked at him worriedly, "Rest is important."

"Mmhm," James nodded and rubbed his eyes. He jumped when he peeked out from his hands and saw Dot walking backwards staring up at him seriously. "All right, Nurse Blake, I shall return to the ward and rest after I've been on a nice walk with you." He paused, "If that's all right with you?"

"It's fine," Dot smiled, "And if you're lucky and continue to be a good patient, I might, emphasis on might, come and pay you a visit."

"You are too kind." James smiled, Dot laughed and nodded, turning she walked into a ward and stopped at a bed.

The man in the bed looked up from a letter to her. "Luke, you're allowed to go. Transport has been arranged out the front to take you to the station." Dot smiled and opened a file, "Can you sign this for me please before you go?" Luke nodded and reached out to take a pen from her hand and scribbled his signature on the paper.

This routine happened several times before Dot pointed the pen at an empty bed. "Rest please, Captain." James looked like he was about to retort back but Dot smiled lightly up at him and just kept looking at the bed then him. "Rest, it's important. One way or another your body is going to make you rest." Dot smiled and walked back towards the nurses station.

"You owe me a visit, Nurse Blake!" James exclaimed lightly after her. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled lightly while shaking her head.

"Captain, your words sounded very perverse." Percy said while suddenly appearing from his side and then swinging off down the corridor on his crutches. James's eyes widened and he slowly turned around and walked to his bed.

"My ears burn, please I am beginning you, James," the curtain got pushed away. "The next time you want to flirt, or whatever you class that comment as, with my sister...please make sure I'm unconscious." Arthur said a little dramatically while still having his hands over his ears.

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(Edited: 29/August/2019)