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Headers in Part 1
Previously in Part 5
*~*
The next morning, Cain’s attention was entirely consumed by the warm, solid hand he was cradling within his own. He wondered idly at the softness of the skin, how such a thing was possible in spite of the owner’s numerous annuals living in the wild. It still fascinated him how Glitch’s skin was so pale, almost translucent, in clear defiance of the strength of the twin suns.
“Cain?” Glitch’s voice interrupted his contemplation and Cain looked up into questioning brown eyes. They had settled Glitch onto his side, unrestrained but with his head resting on a curved metal holder usually used for x-rays, the cold surface covered by a soft cloth. “You ready for this?”
“Isn’t that my line?” Cain hunched further forward in his chair, a tall seat he had pulled up next to the bed on which Glitch’s operation was going to take place. He and Raw were the only ones allowed to be directly with Glitch during the procedure; the four members of the royal family had claimed chairs that they had lined up against the wall near the door.
“I think we’re almost ready to get started,” Morley’s soft words informed them. He had already administered the sedative that would keep Glitch unconscious for the duration of the surgery and now he was simply waiting.
Cain swallowed against the lump forming in his throat. “I’m ready if you are.”
Glitch gave him a sleepy smile and sighed. “You owe me a talk after.”
“As soon as you’re well enough, I promise,” Cain squeezed his hand.
Morley shifted where he was standing on the opposite side of the bed behind Glitch’s head. The tools of his trade were carefully arranged on a freestanding tray to his left, while on his right side, Raw stood by with his hand resting in the slope of Glitch’s waist. The surgeon spoke to his patient, voice soft and soothing. “Mr. Glitch, I’m going to count – “
“NO,” Cain and Raw’s voices cut him off vehemently, making him jump slightly.
Cain let Raw be the one to growl at the surgeon’s mistake, instead focusing on Glitch, who had tensed up when reminded of the last countdown. Turning Glitch’s hand over, Wyatt began rubbing a small, even circle around the middle of the palm, calm and soothing. “Glitch, I’m going to ask you some questions, you just answer yes or no. Okay?”
“’Kay,” Glitch released a long, shaky breath, closing his eyes.
“Do you like horses?”
“Yes.”
“Is your favorite color blue?”
“No.”
“Is it red?”
“No.”
“Do you like fruit?”
“Yes.”
“Am I going to find out your favorite color?”
“Yes.” Cain smiled at that.
The combination of the slow, repetitive touch and the steady, low tone of the simple questions help Glitch to relax and succumb to the drugs in his system. When the answers faded and stopped altogether, Cain looked up and got a nod from Raw, who was unwaveringly monitoring Glitch with his constant touch.
Cain let his head drop down and rest on their joined hands, doing his best to hear only the near silent but comforting sound of Glitch’s breathing. Cain breathed through his mouth in an attempt to ignore the coppery scent of blood so nearby.
The surgeon worked in silence for what felt like hours, only speaking occasionally to ask Raw how Glitch was doing. After a long stretch of silence, he spoke quietly. “The connections have all been restored and I’m going to remove the implant. Keep in mind this thing has been working as a pathway for synaptic firings so there’s a real chance that taking it out will disrupt basic automatic functions.”
Cain’s grip on the lax hand tightened and he listened. Glitch’s body gave a tiny shudder and then he wasn’t breathing.
Head shooting up, Cain looked at Morley. “He’s not breathing,” he said frantically. “Do something!”
“I – there’s nothing I can do, I don’t have any kind of tools to stimulate the current of the brain signals,” Morley shook his head, clearly distressed.
Raw pointed at Cain anxiously. “Remote!”
Cain didn’t waste time on wondering what Raw was asking, he simply thrust a shaking hand into his pocket and dug out the wretched box. “Will this work? It’s the testing remote for that implant, it gave Glitch a very intense electric shock when it was turned on.”
Morley gaped at him for half a second and nodded hurriedly. He pressed the sharply pointed end of the small metal implant he had just removed back against the exposed tissue of the brain stem. “Now, turn it on and only twist the dial a little, enough to send a short burst of electricity.”
Bringing the remote up to his other hand where it was still holding Glitch’s, he flicked the switch on the side and held his breath as he did what he was asked.
Glitch convulsed but Raw’s firm grip held him in place. Morley told Cain to do it again and it was after this second, stronger pulse that Glitch drew a ragged breath. The three men slumped at the welcome sound, taking a second to steady their own racing hearts. Somewhere in the distance Cain heard sounds of distress from the family.
The sound of the metal implant being dropped onto the tool tray was enough to bring Cain’s attention back to the task at hand. He let the remote fall from his hand and hit the floor with a satisfying crack.
“We’ll need to have a discussion about withholding vital information regarding my patient’s condition, Mr. Cain,” Morley said sternly. “Raw, if you wouldn’t mind healing the wound now.”
The next hour was spent cleaning up after the surgery and moving Glitch to a room of his own to recover. Morley had warned them, reminding everyone of the seriousness of what he had had to do. He made it clear that it would take some time before Glitch’s body got used to the change.
Cain had listened to everything the surgeon said but wouldn’t let the cautionary tone deter him. He knew with a deep conviction that he would see Glitch through his recovery. The horrible prospect of losing Glitch so soon after coming to terms with his emotions had only made him more determined.
It was long after dark and Cain was sitting on the edge of Glitch’s bed reading a book DG had found for him, legs tucked under him with Glitch sleeping behind him. Everyone had come by throughout the day to check on them, but they had all understood that Cain was an immovable object. Rather than offering to give him a break from his vigil, they instead brought him food and kept both men company.
An uncoordinated hand smacked into his hip and Cain spun around, grinning when he saw that Glitch was starting to wake up. He tossed aside the book and stretched out alongside the other man’s body, bringing a hand up to stroke the soft stubble on Glitch’s cheek. “Wakey wakey, sweetheart,” he said softly.
Glitch took an extra few seconds to open his eyes, a small frown forming between his eyebrows as he took in his surroundings. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.
“Take it slow,” Cain told him calmly. “Your body might not cooperate real well at first. Can you nod, let me know you understand me?”
A brief hesitation and Glitch gave a short, jerky nod of his head. His frown relaxed a bit at the success.
“Good,” Wyatt smiled. “See? You’re doing fine. Are you in any pain?”
A low hum. Cain took that as a no.
“Do you need anything?”
Glitch grunted and flung his arm up over Cain’s waist. “You,” he whispered sharply.
Cain chuckled and pulled Glitch as close as the covers between them would allow and tucked the other man’s head under his chin. “I’m here, you’ve got me,” he replied, stroking his hand lazily down Glitch’s back. He pressed his lips next to the zipper so he knew Glitch would feel it. “Rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
A soft exhale of warm air against his chest answered him.
*~*
End Part 6
*~*
Continue to Part 7
Previously in Part 5
*~*
The next morning, Cain’s attention was entirely consumed by the warm, solid hand he was cradling within his own. He wondered idly at the softness of the skin, how such a thing was possible in spite of the owner’s numerous annuals living in the wild. It still fascinated him how Glitch’s skin was so pale, almost translucent, in clear defiance of the strength of the twin suns.
“Cain?” Glitch’s voice interrupted his contemplation and Cain looked up into questioning brown eyes. They had settled Glitch onto his side, unrestrained but with his head resting on a curved metal holder usually used for x-rays, the cold surface covered by a soft cloth. “You ready for this?”
“Isn’t that my line?” Cain hunched further forward in his chair, a tall seat he had pulled up next to the bed on which Glitch’s operation was going to take place. He and Raw were the only ones allowed to be directly with Glitch during the procedure; the four members of the royal family had claimed chairs that they had lined up against the wall near the door.
“I think we’re almost ready to get started,” Morley’s soft words informed them. He had already administered the sedative that would keep Glitch unconscious for the duration of the surgery and now he was simply waiting.
Cain swallowed against the lump forming in his throat. “I’m ready if you are.”
Glitch gave him a sleepy smile and sighed. “You owe me a talk after.”
“As soon as you’re well enough, I promise,” Cain squeezed his hand.
Morley shifted where he was standing on the opposite side of the bed behind Glitch’s head. The tools of his trade were carefully arranged on a freestanding tray to his left, while on his right side, Raw stood by with his hand resting in the slope of Glitch’s waist. The surgeon spoke to his patient, voice soft and soothing. “Mr. Glitch, I’m going to count – “
“NO,” Cain and Raw’s voices cut him off vehemently, making him jump slightly.
Cain let Raw be the one to growl at the surgeon’s mistake, instead focusing on Glitch, who had tensed up when reminded of the last countdown. Turning Glitch’s hand over, Wyatt began rubbing a small, even circle around the middle of the palm, calm and soothing. “Glitch, I’m going to ask you some questions, you just answer yes or no. Okay?”
“’Kay,” Glitch released a long, shaky breath, closing his eyes.
“Do you like horses?”
“Yes.”
“Is your favorite color blue?”
“No.”
“Is it red?”
“No.”
“Do you like fruit?”
“Yes.”
“Am I going to find out your favorite color?”
“Yes.” Cain smiled at that.
The combination of the slow, repetitive touch and the steady, low tone of the simple questions help Glitch to relax and succumb to the drugs in his system. When the answers faded and stopped altogether, Cain looked up and got a nod from Raw, who was unwaveringly monitoring Glitch with his constant touch.
Cain let his head drop down and rest on their joined hands, doing his best to hear only the near silent but comforting sound of Glitch’s breathing. Cain breathed through his mouth in an attempt to ignore the coppery scent of blood so nearby.
The surgeon worked in silence for what felt like hours, only speaking occasionally to ask Raw how Glitch was doing. After a long stretch of silence, he spoke quietly. “The connections have all been restored and I’m going to remove the implant. Keep in mind this thing has been working as a pathway for synaptic firings so there’s a real chance that taking it out will disrupt basic automatic functions.”
Cain’s grip on the lax hand tightened and he listened. Glitch’s body gave a tiny shudder and then he wasn’t breathing.
Head shooting up, Cain looked at Morley. “He’s not breathing,” he said frantically. “Do something!”
“I – there’s nothing I can do, I don’t have any kind of tools to stimulate the current of the brain signals,” Morley shook his head, clearly distressed.
Raw pointed at Cain anxiously. “Remote!”
Cain didn’t waste time on wondering what Raw was asking, he simply thrust a shaking hand into his pocket and dug out the wretched box. “Will this work? It’s the testing remote for that implant, it gave Glitch a very intense electric shock when it was turned on.”
Morley gaped at him for half a second and nodded hurriedly. He pressed the sharply pointed end of the small metal implant he had just removed back against the exposed tissue of the brain stem. “Now, turn it on and only twist the dial a little, enough to send a short burst of electricity.”
Bringing the remote up to his other hand where it was still holding Glitch’s, he flicked the switch on the side and held his breath as he did what he was asked.
Glitch convulsed but Raw’s firm grip held him in place. Morley told Cain to do it again and it was after this second, stronger pulse that Glitch drew a ragged breath. The three men slumped at the welcome sound, taking a second to steady their own racing hearts. Somewhere in the distance Cain heard sounds of distress from the family.
The sound of the metal implant being dropped onto the tool tray was enough to bring Cain’s attention back to the task at hand. He let the remote fall from his hand and hit the floor with a satisfying crack.
“We’ll need to have a discussion about withholding vital information regarding my patient’s condition, Mr. Cain,” Morley said sternly. “Raw, if you wouldn’t mind healing the wound now.”
The next hour was spent cleaning up after the surgery and moving Glitch to a room of his own to recover. Morley had warned them, reminding everyone of the seriousness of what he had had to do. He made it clear that it would take some time before Glitch’s body got used to the change.
Cain had listened to everything the surgeon said but wouldn’t let the cautionary tone deter him. He knew with a deep conviction that he would see Glitch through his recovery. The horrible prospect of losing Glitch so soon after coming to terms with his emotions had only made him more determined.
It was long after dark and Cain was sitting on the edge of Glitch’s bed reading a book DG had found for him, legs tucked under him with Glitch sleeping behind him. Everyone had come by throughout the day to check on them, but they had all understood that Cain was an immovable object. Rather than offering to give him a break from his vigil, they instead brought him food and kept both men company.
An uncoordinated hand smacked into his hip and Cain spun around, grinning when he saw that Glitch was starting to wake up. He tossed aside the book and stretched out alongside the other man’s body, bringing a hand up to stroke the soft stubble on Glitch’s cheek. “Wakey wakey, sweetheart,” he said softly.
Glitch took an extra few seconds to open his eyes, a small frown forming between his eyebrows as he took in his surroundings. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.
“Take it slow,” Cain told him calmly. “Your body might not cooperate real well at first. Can you nod, let me know you understand me?”
A brief hesitation and Glitch gave a short, jerky nod of his head. His frown relaxed a bit at the success.
“Good,” Wyatt smiled. “See? You’re doing fine. Are you in any pain?”
A low hum. Cain took that as a no.
“Do you need anything?”
Glitch grunted and flung his arm up over Cain’s waist. “You,” he whispered sharply.
Cain chuckled and pulled Glitch as close as the covers between them would allow and tucked the other man’s head under his chin. “I’m here, you’ve got me,” he replied, stroking his hand lazily down Glitch’s back. He pressed his lips next to the zipper so he knew Glitch would feel it. “Rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
A soft exhale of warm air against his chest answered him.
*~*
End Part 6
*~*
Continue to Part 7
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From:
*pounces on part 6*
Raw stood by with his hand resting in the slope of Glitch’s waist.
was just beautiful, the way he's watching over him with his hands through the whole thing.
“Mr. Glitch, I’m going to count – “
“NO,” Cain and Raw’s voices cut him off
heh, that was my reaction, too: NO!
I wanted to mention this line, too, because it was such a striking visual:
It still fascinated him how Glitch’s skin was so pale, almost translucent, in clear defiance of the strength of the twin suns.
From:
Re: *pounces on part 6*
Thank you for your awesome support as always! There will most likely only be one more part, as the story is coming to its natural conclusion. *sad sigh*
From:
Re: *pounces on part 6*
Hee- the magic of the tracking button! (the little thumbtack button that's on all lj posts) I get an email when you update!
Only one more part? *sighs* That's OK... if it's... you know.... 15,000 words long. ;)
From:
Re: *pounces on part 6*
Your commitment to my rambling astounds me. *flail*
15,000 words? HA! *gigglesnort* I know, that would be nice. We'll see what happens...it's up to the boys. :D
From:
no subject
Oh, Cain. You know, it *seems* like Glitch is getting the owies in this story but it's really CAIN who's getting it right there (thumps heart). And he suffers so beautifully!
And there's cuddling. Yay cuddling!
From:
no subject
Yay cuddling!!!
From:
no subject
I'm sorry it's almost over but I'm sure this will become one of my favorite rereads when I need a pick me up.
From:
no subject
*squee* That's such an awesome compliment, thank you!! *hugs* Cain really is the best kind of boyfriend! :)
From:
no subject
-snicker- As soon as I read the first "wakey" the saying, "Wakey wakey eggs and bacy" went through my head. XD
For some reason I'm really glad Glitch couldn't really talk afterward... I mean, it's kinda like he had a stroke. It takes time to relearn things.
From:
no subject
Yes, that's it exactly! His body is having to reprogram itself, it'll take some time for recovery. Thank you for catching onto that! :D
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
Thanks!!