Hospital, Bristol, Monday

[chosehumanity]

Early that morning, George had offered to get Annie a taxi. "Oh, no need," she'd said, and vanished before his very eyes; supposedly, back to the house, to see if the Door was still there. Which left George sitting at Mitchell's bedside, fidgeting, and watching the nurses argue about the heart monitor.

They were still pinning that on a possible defect in the system, but they were going to catch on sooner or later.

As the day progressed, he might have gone out to get some coffee occasionally, but mostly he spent his time here, watching Mitchell lie there, motionless, confounding the doctors. Apparently, his body hadn't forgotten how to simulate breathing just yet.

And because it wasn't enough of a clusterfuck yet, the hospital sent in a vicar later into the Monday evening, too, which was really complicated to deal with.

[[ for anyone who has reason to be in this Bristol hospital room any time today. spoilers for Being Human 1x06 likely if there are any comments. ]]

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[chosehumanity]

Something was coming closer. Something... something. It twisted at Mitchell's senses in the dark, and his wrist tugged a little involuntarily, stopped by the IV that came attached to it. It wasn't that close yet, but something. He should warn-- someone.

Sometime.

George didn't appear to notice any of the motion at all.

[vanillajello]

Kate did, though. It was kind of hard not to, with how close she was. Her brow creased with worry and everything attached to it as she looked Mitchell over.

After some hesitation, she reached out to touch his arm, to... soothe, or something. She didn't know how to act in this situation, in this environment.

[chosehumanity]

It worked, at least a little. Muscles that had gone taut settled again, but there was something distinctly wrong about Mitchell's expression.

A man in a black suit with a white collar slipped into the room, a few feet in until he was at the foot of the bed-- then he cleared his throat. ... Not particularly gently.

[vanillajello]

And the frown Kate had been giving Mitchell's temporarily still form was now directed at the new guy. Wasn't exactly the same kind of frown though. One man was practically a brother, the other almost a threat until proven innocent.

"Who are you?"

That wasn't particularly gentle, either. More like a hiss.

[chosehumanity]

"The milkman," said the guy in perfect deadpan, tugging demonstratively on his collar. "Here to deliver the week's catalogue." And heaved the bible. He hadn't dropped his dry tone for even a second.

This time, it was George who stirred.

[vanillajello]

Kate was still looking dubious, eyes narrowing. "I don't think we need you here." Then her attention was drawn away. "George?"

[chosehumanity]

"He works here," the vicar said, "It's hospital policy to get one of us in if they think... Well."

"...what?" George muttered, reaching underneath his glasses to clear the sleep out of his eyes.

[vanillajello]

"We have a priest here," Kate said, still looking decidedly unimpressed about that. "Uh, also, hi. Jack called me."

She almost said something about stupid fucking portals. But right. Random stranger in the room.

[chosehumanity]

"Kate...?" George sat up abruptly. "And a-- what are you doing here?" he asked. Possibly of one or the other, possibly of both, who knew the difference?

"I was going to say a prayer for him," the vicar replied. He sounded, oddly, like he was having trouble not rolling his eyes. "Perhaps the two of you'd like to join me?"

[vanillajello]

"I think I'll pass," Kate said, and actually did roll her eyes. The only one interested in praying in her entire family was Alice, for fuck's sake.

And her brother while he was trying to get closer to cute boys, but whatever.

[chosehumanity]

"That's not such a good idea," George added, pushing up and out of his chair. No, this would be really, really splendiferously bad.

"If you're non-believers that's fine," said the vicar, waving it off, "We can just sit together for a few moments of quiet contemplation."

"Contemplation about what?" George asked, leaning his hands on Mitchell's bedside.

The vicar gave it a shrug and a moment's thought. "The firey oblivion that awaits all atheists?"

[vanillajello]

Kate snorted. "Oh, Alice would just love you," she muttered under her breath, though that wasn't even all that accurate. This guy was too sarcastic for Alice's tastes.

She didn't say anything louder, just glanced at Mitchell.

[chosehumanity]

George rubbed at his face, and shot Kate a glance. Like she was going to help him out of this, or something. "It's not that," he settled on, when deliverance didn't come. "Well, forh er, maybe, but I'm Jewish and er..." He shot Mitchell's prone body a glance, too.

"He's complicated."


"Jewish people pray," said the vicar, with another shrug. "I've seen meta for Yentl."

Well, now. "You're very sarcastic for a vicar," George ventured, looking to Kate for help, again.

"Yeah, so people tell me. And I feel really bad about it," the vicar snarked, waving a hand, "But then, you know, I forgive myself." ... Oh, right, probably some Christian forgiveness sign.

Neither of them noticed Mitchell stirring again.

[vanillajello]

Kate did, though, and that meant her gaze flicked from Mitchell to the priest guy again.

"Well can you go forgive yourself somewhere else?"

It sounded a lot like that should've been another word starting with F, there. Was that the kind of help George had been after?

[chosehumanity]

Sort of. Not that he had the chance to thank her.

Mitchell veered up in the bed, and George was at his side in an instant, shoving at his chest. "They're coming," the vampire snarled, tossing around in bed as he tried and failed to find the strength to sit up entirely.

[vanillajello]

... Wow, thanks for that near heart attack, Mitchell. Kate's eyes widened, and she tried reaching for his arm because that struggling didn't look like a good idea.

"Mitchell, calm down," she said, but it sounded more automatic than like something she'd actually thought to say.

[chosehumanity]

"No, it's okay!" George said, frantically, trying to settle him again. "We got you away from them, you're safe, it's fine."

"No," Mitchell said, big eyes shooting to Kate. Oh christ. She wasn't going to be safe here. "They're coming here-- Kate--"

[vanillajello]

Well, awesome, going from heart attacks to just straight up scaring her. Though she really shouldn't have expected any different, should she?

"Who is?" she asked, because it was the only thing she could think to ask.

... Not that she thought the answer would be something she'd really want to hear.

[chosehumanity]

"Yes," the vicar started, slowly, "I think the young lady poses a very good question."

"It's the people who hurt them," George said, distractedly. He was reaching over to pull on some of the wires that kept Mitchell connected to the machinery. "They're here, in the hospital."

The vicar visibly startled, grasping his bible. "We should call security!"

"I think this is a little beyond hospital security," George replied. More wires, come on, why were there so many wires-- "I need to get him out of here. And her."

[vanillajello]

Kate almost exclaimed something about how she wasn't some idiot child that needed to be protected, but stomped on that urge, because in this situation, she actually kind of was.

"So how do we do that?" she asked George instead, completely ignoring the vicar.

[chosehumanity]

"Oh god," said George, which was so helpful. More cables went, but not all of them wanted to, and the machines were making odd noises, and-- "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god--"

"Look," said the vicar, after a pause. "Do you want me to go talk to them--?"

[vanillajello]

"Jesus, pull yourself together!" Kate snapped at George, because he looked like he was having a panic attack (though didn't he always?) and she wasn't having that. Not that she was doing much of use.

Then she glanced at the vicar. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

[chosehumanity]

"Oh, I was hoping you'd say that," the vicar said, sagging back together with relief--

"No!" George exclaimed, pulling away from the bed. "No! You're a vicar! Religion! That's an excellent idea, you really should go talk to them."

The vicar looked like he'd rather bang his head against a wall.

[vanillajello]

And Kate looked like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Whoa, what?" she asked. "What the fuck, George, do you want to get him killed?"

Even Kate wasn't that anti-Christianity.

[chosehumanity]

"No, trust me, if anything, he's the best weapon we've got," George said. He'd already gripped the poor vicar's arm and started to pull him along. "Stay here or come with, I don't care, but he's our last chance!"

"Well, bugger," said the vicar.