Blind Leon AU pt2
When Chris steps into Leon's hospital room the next day, Leon is, unsurprisingly, exactly where he left him. Half-sitting against a pile of pillows, looking thoroughly miserable, with fresh bandages wrapped around his head.
"Hey. It's Chris," he says as Leon's head turns toward the sound of the door opening.
"I recognized your stomping," Leon hums dryly. Chris doesn't take offense. If sarcasm is how Leon copes with everything that's happened, then so be it. "So what are you doing here? Doesn't a BSAA captain have anything more important to do?"
Chris has to fight the urge to ask, More important than what? More important than a wounded, isolated Leon who has no realistic way of getting home on his own? Instead, he deliberately takes a couple of heavy steps into the room, drags yesterday's chair closer to the bed, and sits down.
"I'm pretty sure I promised to drive you home yesterday," Chris says evenly. "We'll stop by a grocery store and a pharmacy on the way. Pick up anything you might need."
"Seriously? Who's going to let you walk out on work in the middle of the day?" he asks, clearly irritated. His face is turned away from Chris, but his useless, unfocused eyes still drift vaguely in his direction, as if he could somehow follow Chris's expression or movements.
"The doctors," Chris replies, unable to hide a grin. He's certain Leon can hear it in his voice. "I've got almost three weeks of medical leave thanks to work-related injuries."
The look that flashes across Leon's face—a tangled mix of disbelief, skepticism, realization, and something almost childishly offended—is absolutely priceless.
Chris, meanwhile, doesn't have a single injury serious enough to keep him from driving, let alone doing office work. But BSAA trusts its medical staff and takes every operative's combat readiness seriously, so when Rebecca signed him off on medical leave, no one even bothered arguing with her—not even out of courtesy.
Unlike Leon's case, where Hunnigan had spent more than an hour yesterday arguing with the DSO, explaining that an agent who had gone blind due to a head injury was simply not fit for duty. That awful incident only reinforced what she had told Chris during their conversation at the diner, when Hunnigan had filled him in on the details of Leon's working conditions.
Chris has to step outside the room and wait when a couple of nurses arrive with Rebecca for Leon's final examination before discharge.
"How are your injuries?" Rebecca asks, almost excessively politely. As if she doesn't already know after the morning check-up.
"Much better thanks to your care," Chris replies with a nod, playing along.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're the one taking Agent Kennedy home?" As if she and Hannigan hadn't planned this together. "Wonderful! Then, once the agent is ready for discharge, I'll give both of you some recommendations to make things easier at home and help the agent recover faster."
Chris nods readily, and Rebecca disappears back through the door.
Leon’s steps are unsteady when they help him out of the room. His legs visibly tremble, sweat beads on his tense, pale face, and his breathing is heavy. But at least they've changed him out of the hospital clothes into... well, probably whatever they managed to find among the spare clothes — soft sweatpants and an oversized gray T-shirt.
"The injury is fairly serious, but it's something you can manage at home," Rebecca says gently, almost reassuringly, and Leon presses his lips together in displeasure again.
With every new recommendation, it becomes more and more obvious that neither he nor Chris had fully understood the extent of the disaster before this.
In short: do everything Leon is going to hate.
In detail: no taking showers alone for at least the first week, no hot showers at all, shaving only with someone else's assistance, painkillers strictly according to the prescribed schedule, no alcohol, no physical exertion or sudden movements, avoid going outside for the first few days, and monitor for any concerning symptoms. Possible seizures, nausea and vomiting, mild chills, weakness...
Chris is also responsible for keeping the house organized and making sure everything stays in its usual place, so Leon doesn't become even more disoriented; not leaving him alone; and warning him before touching him or when there are obstacles in his path.
By the end of Rebecca's explanation, Leon looks like a stray puppy that got kicked around by a group of bullies, and Chris has to fight the urge to hug him and hide him away from the world. Though, realistically, Leon probably wouldn't appreciate that.
"She made it sound like you're going to become my babysitter for the entire time I'm on medical leave," Leon mutters with obvious irritation as Chris helps him into his car and fastens his seatbelt. Maybe he's only saying it to fill the silence and distract himself from how uncomfortable he feels.
"Why not? I won't be seeing the office for three weeks, so I can afford it," Chris says with a smile as he gets behind the wheel. Leon turns his head toward him in genuine disbelief.
"Seriously? You don't have anything better to do?"
"Maybe I don't," Chris replies vaguely. The idea of taking care of Leon is definitely not going to be easy, but it doesn't bother him.
Even more annoyed now, Leon turns toward the window, as if there is something he could possibly see through it, and doesn't say another word.
