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Stable is a word McCree has been hanging onto. Trying to drag it to the forefront, drown out other words like badly damaged and internal system failure and Reinhardt clapping a hand down on his shoulder and telling him, “He has been through worse and survived, Jesse.” And, “He is in good hands.”
He knows Reinhardt is right. He knows they’re all right but he can’t shake the fear that keeps him hunched over Genji’s bedside as he goes in and out of surgery, reconstruction for his body. Technically they could wake him up any time. Technically they turned his nervous system off. Technically he wouldn’t feel any pain, but it’s easier to keep him under. Technically, technically, technically, stable.
He wakes up shaking from it, reliving it in dreams until he crawls into the narrow hospital bed next to Genji’s sleeping form, close enough he can feel the smallest whir of his systems running, the warmth that emanates from the remains of his body. Angela gave up scolding him for it after the first three times.
He strings himself out over the weeks it takes to reconstruct Genji’s body again. Only two, because Angela is nothing but diligent and he’s pretty sure he’s never seen her sleep on purpose. But still… Weeks.
“We have to let him wake up naturally, Jesse. He’s completely stable, it will just take a while.”
Angela’s voice echoes in his head. Stable. Completely stable.
His head is resting on Genji’s chest, listening to the almost imperceptible whir of his systems. He’s so exhausted he doesn’t notice the pickup in the whir at first. Doesn’t notice anything until Genji’s body shifts under him. He goes to jerk away but Genji’s arm comes around his shoulders, grip just as strong as McCree remembers.
“Jesse?” Genji sounds confused and disoriented.
“You’re awake.” McCree mumbles, raises his head. “Shit.”
“How long has it been?” There’s concern in Genji’s voice. “I remember being ripped apart and then…”
“Your systems shut down.” McCree explains this with his face pressed into Genji’s shoulder. “Y’were…” He chokes on his words and Genji’s hand makes its way up to tangle in his hair. It takes him a minute to continue. “Two weeks, you’ve been… They’ve been rebuilding yer body again. I saw most of the inside of it.”
McCree takes a deep breath, trying not to cry, biting back the memory of Genji’s blood on his hands. Sticky and green instead of red but still blood, still the fluid keeping him alive. Sitting surrounded by his body parts, cradling whatever he could gather in his arms.
“Jesse.” Genji’s voice is soothing, Genji’s fingers running through his hair, pulling him out of the memory. Comforting, reassuring. “I am here.”
“Yeah.” McCree swallows down the lump in his throat. “Yeah, y’are. Thank you.”