Chapter Text
I was heading down to pier 56. Murray and I wanted to meet up to talk about a new science project. He had sent me ahead to the Riptide as he still had something to take care of. Nick would be there, though, he assured me and he would join Nick and me later.
"Hello? Nick? It's y/n. Permission to come on board." Nothing. As I stepped on the boat I was met with silence so I headed under deck. Maybe he was asleep, I thought. They just finished up a dangerous job where Nick got hurt. I was worried but he assured me several times that he was alright. Typical Nick if you ask me. As, again, I did not hear anything and did not want to intrude I was just about to go back on deck when I heard a thump like something fell down. I stopped in my tracks: "Nick? Are you there?"
"Yes, I'm coming.", came Nick's faint reply.
It took a while for him to appear on the stairs. What I was seeing shocked me. Nick limbed and he was holding his right side. When he stumbled a bit I jumped into action. I rushed forward holding him by his upper arm and helping him sit down. I kneeled down in front of him. "Nick, jesus! What happened?" I reached forward pushing some hair from his forehead. It was clammy and warm.
" 's nothing. Just the gun shot wound acting up."
"You got shot?! Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you go to the hospital?"
"It was just a graze..."
"Let me see!", I interrupted him.
"What?!", Nick lifted his head.
"Let me see that damn wound! Now!", I nearly yelled. I was livid.
Nick sighed. "Nick, please.", I said more gently.
He slightly moved to the left, pushing his right hip forward. I could see that he was suppressing a moan. When he lifted his t-shirt slightly, a gauze came into view. It had yellowish-reddish patches on it.
"Wait!" I ran down to the kitchen to wash my hands. When I came back I kneeled down in front of him again. "Can I?" Nick had his head in his left hand, his elbow was resting on the table. He only nodded, not looking at me. "I'll try to be gentle."
As I tried to carefully peel back the gauze Nick hissed through his teeth. "Sorry, I’m nearly finished. Got it." Underneath the gauze was a seeping wound, nearly closed but unmistakably inflamed. I gently put my hand close to it. "Rubor, calor, dolor, tumor." I said more to myself.
"What?", Nick groaned.
"The signs of inflammation." I put the gauze and t-shirt back in their place. "I'm going to take you to the hospital."
"No, it will be...". I did not let him finish. "It wasn't a question." I left a note for Murray and Cody and then took Nick by the upper arm trying to haul him up. "Come on, lieutenant. Up we go!". It took us a while to get to my car, but at least Nick was not putting up a fight anymore. I reclined the front seat slightly so Nick could lay down. When I carefully strapped him in, Nick mumbled: "Did you just call me lieutenant?" "No, you’re delirious."
Later when we were at the hospital and Nick was laying on the bed I took a good look at him. His face was slightly flushed, his olive-coloured skin was clammy and he had started to shiver slightly. "Hey." I crouched in front of him and stroked over his right arm and shoulder. "No playing hero anymore, ok?", I whispered. "They're gonna take good care of you." I only received a grunt which I took as affirmation.
I straightened up when the doctor came into the room. After he told us what he was going to do I turned back to Nick. "Would you like me stay?" He looked up at me with hazy eyes and nodded. As the doctor started touching the wound Nick jerked, nearly knocking the little tray with the instruments over. I kneeled down next to him again. I threw all caution to the winds and started stroking his hair gently, speaking in what I hoped to be a soothing tone to him. Nick was a good man. He always took care of people but did not like it too much when people fuzzed over him. Or at least, that is what he made people believe that were not Murray or Cody. That he let me "mother him" without protest only showed how bad he must be feeling.
The doctor worked quickly and soon called for my attention. I stood back up but put my hand on Nick's forearm to reassure him that I was still there. He told me that Nick could go home once the IV with the anti-inflammatory took effect but that he needed to stay under observation for the next 24 hours. They also gave me antibiotics and a cream to put on the wound. After that the doctor left Nick and me alone.
The nurse handed me a blanket for him. She gently smiled at me: "He's lucky to have someone like you to take care of him." I only nodded, blushing. I put the blanket over Nick when I heard him murmuring something. I leaned down to him, once more stroking his hair: "What did you say?" "I AM lucky to have you!", he whispered. I kissed Nick on the forehead: "Try to get some sleep, you casanova."
The nurse interrupted our little display. "There are two men outside asking for Mr. Ryder." Cody and Murray! Of course, they must be worried sick. I looked over to Nick, I did not want to leave him alone. The nurse sensed my dilemma: "I will be here, l'll call you when he wakes up." I thanked the nurse and headed outside.
I reassured Murray and Cody that Nick would be alright and they thanked me for taking care of him. "When I decided to send you ahead to the Riptide so you and Nick would have some time to yourselves I didn't think it would end like this."
"Pardon?!" I looked at Murray shocked. Cody put his arm around Murray's shoulders: "Well played, Boz. Well, even if it didn’t play out the way you wanted y/n can still play nurse for Nick in the coming days." The scientist giggled. I gaped like a fish.