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She scratches at the bandage on her arm. The deep cut she received on her upper arm burns but the gauze itches on her overly sensitive skin. She's lucky though, she knows, this is her first overnight hospital stay.
After a moment of staring blankly at the small TV mounted in her room, she reaches for the remote attached to her bed to turn off the lights. With visits from both Foggy and Matt tonight, not to mention the events that lead to her being here, she’s exhausted. She tells herself that they mean well, and she appreciates it from Foggy, but it’s unnecessary all the same to her.
And Matt’s visit, well, seeing him at all had been unexpected. He came in shortly before eight, shortly before he wouldn’t be allowed in that night. They hadn't spoken since the day he told her he was Daredevil. She remembers his confession that day with such clarity, the way his words were so carefully chosen, how she had listened, how her vision went red when he explained the woman she had found in his bed only to clear when he said she had died.
She had stood in silence during his impromptu speech. When he finished though, she felt sick. The things he let her think of him just to keep his secret. She had to get away, she remembers how quickly she made her way out, only pausing when :
“Karen, say something, please.”
“I'm sorry for your loss.”
She had ignored his calls after that (which eventually stopped), only speaking to Foggy occasionally. It wasn’t until she saw him tonight that she finally admitted to herself that she misses him.
She sighs and wipes at her face, surprised to find her cheeks cold and wet. Shaking her head, she lowers her bed, with the hope that she can put this all out of mind and maybe rest in peace.
She winces as she arranges her body into a more comfortable position, the knife she took to her side produced a shallow wound that was nonetheless painful. The button for her morphine pump is in reach from this angle, and she presses it, though she can’t remember the last time she did.
It’s not much later that there’s a sound in her room that wakes her, though the nightmare she had felt stuck in would have done just fine on it’s own. She doesn’t sit up in her bed, but instead stares at the ceiling. It’s not clear to her what the sound was, but in a hospital, she knows it could be anything. Her heart slows as she stares at the ceiling tiles, and she contemplates falling back asleep.
Every time she closes her eyes though, she relives her attack from earlier that day and decides against it. Instead, she reaches for the remote to turn the TV back on. It hits her that she had never turned it off herself and she props herself up to look around the room.
She finds him in the chair that’s situated against the opposite wall. She breathes out, after holding back from screaming. It wouldn’t have been her most dignified response, but her tolerance for people sneaking up on her is low at the moment.
She inelegantly lays back on the bed. She tries to think of all the ways this could go and remembers the last time she spoke to him.
Wearily, she greets him, “Hi, Frank.”
She ignores her better reasoning.
A gruff voice greets her back, “You look like shit, Page.”
She shrugs, “You should see the other guy.” She lifts her head to see his face as he smirks. “No, really, you should see him, I broke his nose.”
“Good.” She takes the opportunity to use her control on the bed to sit up. She wants to see his face as she braces herself for whatever the outcome of this conversation may be.
“I saw your boyfriend leave not long before I came in.” He’s picking at something that he’s holding in his lap. The corner his chair is in is dark, she can hardly make out his face.
“Why are you here?”
“Why isn’t he?” She rolls her eyes.
“Seriously? Don’t make me call my nurse to get you thrown out.” It’s not a serious threat.
He grins quickly, before staring at her seriously. “I saw what happened to you on the news.”
She nods, that's how Foggy and Matt found out too, her lack of calling either of them part of their ire. She looks over the man paying her a late night visit. Surely he didn’t come tonight just because of this.
He shakes his head, “Why didn’t you hold on to him?”
She scoffs, “Why did you come? To kick me when I’m down?” He shakes his head at her again. Then, without meaning to, she says, “There was nothing to hold on to.”
He makes to speak again - “Please, leave it alone. Just, if that’s why you came here, please leave it alone and go.” She pleads with him, willing to beg if she must. Her failed relationship with Matt has sat like lead in her gut for months now. Nothing can be done to change it.
He leans back in the chair, studying her for a moment. He must find what he’s looking for because he nods once and changes the subject.
“What really happened today? News said they were random assailants, but I’m doubting that story considering what you do for a living.” She raises a brow at him. He’s not wrong but she’s surprised (and what a silly thing, to be surprised by anything The Punisher says or does) that he’s connected the dots.
“Yeah, I’ve been working on an expose about a local real estate developer’s tie to illegitimate businesses. I got a name linked to the Italians yesterday.” She swallows, this is the hard part. “I think there’s a leak at the paper.”
His brows raise. “I wrote the name down on a sticky note just before lunch and when I came back, it was gone. And then today happened. A warning.” She ends on a grimace, having twisted her upper body to reach the water left for her.
He’s quiet for a minute. “Is that the first time it’s happened? Some piece of research or a name disappearing?” She nods. “It could have been anyone then.”
She blinks at his optimistic conclusion. “Sure.” They lapse into silence
There’s so many questions she feels she should be asking. All of them start with why. She chooses not to ask them at all and looks at whatever it is he’s holding on his lap again.
“What is that?”
He hesitates, suddenly looking unsure about what he’s doing. “Thought you could use this.” He gets up from his seat to place the object in her lap, it’s larger than she thought.
It takes her another second to realize - “A bulletproof vest?!” She laughs in disbelief.
He looks at her, his expression not so serious, and shrugs his shoulders a little. He doesn’t say anything more.
She looks away from him, honestly a bit touched by the thought. It’s not something she had thought she would ever need but appreciates the chance he took to reach out to her.
“I hope I never have to use this, but thank you.” He nods at her before looking out the door to her room.
She pauses, realizing he didn’t get up just to give her the vest. He’s standing close enough to the bed that she’s able to reach out and touch his hand. He startles, freezing in place, before he slowly moves his hand closer so she can grasp it.
“I mean it, thank you. I love it.” She grins at him and he returns it with a small smile of his own.
“I’ll see you around, Karen.” He squeezes her hand once before letting it go and quickly making his way out of the room, clearly seeing the chance to leave without too much attention.
She sighs to herself, “Bye Frank.”