Hunting the Hunter

Brian set the surgical kit aside but only as far as the dresser. He was simply feeling the need to be cautious. He let Jess try to slow the bleeding magically.

"We can't rely on Robert tonight," Brian told Jess. "He's entirely too sleep deprived and he's not in any condition to try to tend to anything tonight. He's too tired. He needs to be left undisturbed tonight to get some sleep. He can't go a fourth night without sleep. I'll keep an eye on it overnight myself. Its not like I'm going elsewhere during the night anyway."

Khaat listened to Jess tell her to rest and sleep. "I've been resting, actually," she said. "I just haven't been sleepy. I'll sleep eventually."

"Don't stress about that," Brian said. "You'll sleep soon enough. I'll find one of those books you've been wanting to read and that'll help. Thanks, Jess, but you should get some sleep too. You've had a busy day yourself."

Jess sighed and nodded "yes I thought I felt him relax as he fell asleep earlier." she said " I'll come back in an hour if its stopped it should be fine until morning when Robert can look at it. " Jess looked down at Khaat and nodded " but sleep will allow the body to heal so much quicker you should know that."She chuckled at Brian suggestion "Well one of you will be sleeping, while the other will be reading" She said and chuckled

As she caught sight of the kit she looked back to Brian as she spoke again. "Keep that on hand, if it bleeds again Robert might need to suture it closed instead, now I should check on Marcus, asleep or not he needs regular checking with that head wound."

"Be careful about that, Jess," Brian said when she said she was going to check on Marcus. "He's hypervigilant. Its not possible for you to go and touch him, especially if he's asleep and not have him react pretty strongly. He will wake up, defending against an intruder. Too many years of espionage for him to not wake up trying to defend himself."

"I did check it just right after dinner myself," Khaat said. "The wound is completely closed, so he's not bleeding. I was concerned about that myself, but I looked pretty carefully and didn't find anything open. It looks like my father's work. Evidently it must have been a pretty uncomplicated wound, so he was able to just close it."

Brian listened to Jess's instructions about the surgical kit. He simply accepted that she was perhaps a bit overprotective. As a healer, he wasn't inexperienced either and he also knew that he wasn't going to let the surgical kit go anywhere.  

"If you're going to wake him," Khaat suggested, "if I were you, I'd call him first and not try to touch him. But you do as you like. He doesn't startle that way. The only way that I've ever been able to touch him when he's asleep is if I sit on the other side of the bed, like where a partner would be. That doesn't seem to startle him."

"Figures," Brian said, amused.

Jess listened to Khaat and nodded she looked to Brian and sighed " sorry Brian, I know you know what your doing and are capable, its a..habit, being at St Mungo's with trainee healers i tend to have to repeat instructions." She said hoping to explain her words to him.

Listening to Khaat she chuckled " its okay I'll not wake him, if his energies are strong I'll leave him be." She said taking in what Khaat had said about sitting to one side. " I'll remember that for the future." she said and moved to the door. Stepping out she closed it behind her and walked to Marcus's room, opening the door quietly she moved closer to the bed and stood, she could feel everything was calm around him but she debated on getting closer after Khaats warning she was a little apprehensive.

Marcus hadn't been asleep long when he vaguely heard someone in the room. They were trying not to make any noise, but he still knew they were there.

"Go away," he mumbled, far more asleep than awake. He hadn't ever talked in his sleep, not that he knew of, but this was pretty darned close to it.

"Tell me," Brian asked Khaat after Jess left. "How do you know how to wake him up without startling him?"

"Are you jealous?" she looked at him, with a slight grin. "You have nothing t worry about, believe me."

"Not jealous. Just curious," he replied.

"Of course that's all," she said. He handed her a book and then picked up one of his own and sat down on the bed beside her.

"Here's hoping its a quiet night for a change," he said.

"I couldn't agree more," she said.

Jess heard him and chuckled "Sorry, just wanted to check your head." she said not sure if he was talking to her or was just talking in his sleep as she stood waiting she crossed to the opposite side of the bed and sat down placing her hand just over his brow. Once she was sure everything was fine she moved her hand and stood back up. "You'll live another day."

Jess now stood up again and moved back to the door. " Marcus, I didn't say this before but.. Thank you for looking after Khaat, With James its like going above and beyond your duty, rest you'll feel much better by morning." she opened the door and left the room.

When morning came, Robert and Michael woke to see they'd both fallen asleep in the theater room in the basement while watching old muggle catburglar movies. They both woke with kinks in their necks, but otherwise feeling better.  Neither of them had moved for hours.

Michael woke first and put away the bottle of brandy and pitched the ashes of the cigars.  Then he put away the old muggle movies.

"Robert," Michael touched his shoulder, "Hey, Mate. We've slept clear through workout time."

"What?" Robert asked, yawning, "What time is it?"

"6:45. They're probably having breakfast upstairs. Its time we were up and showering."

"How long were we asleep?"

"Maybe 11 hours or so."

"Okay, I'm coming," Robert said, getting up and stretching. He had as close to a migraine as he'd ever had, and he knew it was from sleeping in such an awkward position all night.  He went upstairs towards his room and saw Marcus was up and dressed and coming from Khaat's room.

"You alright?" Marcus asked Robert.

"Neck ache," Robert yawned.  

"Oh. I have an old trick for that if you want to be rid of it," he said.  

"I'm game," Robert said. Marcus stood behind him and gave Robert's head a quick twist in both directions, making a loud, grinding cracking sound. Robert breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Better?" Marcus asked.

"Yes. Thank you. Where did you learn it?"

"From a certain Greek woman on a state visit there," Marcus said, avoiding some of the less pertinent details.

"I see," Robert said, suppressing a slight smile. He went into his room to shower.  Marcus headed downstairs and found Angus trying to work one handed to finish breakfast preparations. Angus's left arm was still immobilized in a sling. He was pulling sheets of his large cinnamon rolls from the oven and piping white icing on them.

"I didn't know you were duty fit," Marcus frowned.  

"Oh, I forgot Khaat's coffee tray," Angus sighed.

"You're not fit. You're trying to do it anyway," Marcus said, catching on. "I'll get her coffee. Angus, you can't possibly do breakfast for this many people one handed."

"I'm almost ready," he said, already sweating and tired.  

"Robert's going to give you the devil when he finds out," Marcus said. "Let me send this upstairs and I'll give you a hand or something."

Jess walked down the stairs her hair unruly and she yawned as he headed to the kitchen to start breakfast. " oh I didn't know you'd be let up Angus I was going to start breakfast." she said then looked at Marcus. " hows the head any better?" she asked taking out some bread rolls to back up and a large jug of fresh milk to set on the table with cereal for those who wanted it.

"So what we making cinnamon buns?" she asked seeing the dough he had on the table in front of him " I can do that Angus."She asked " or I could make that arm a little easier to work with?"

"Head's better for the moment," Marcus said. "And he's not been let up. He's misbehaving straight out in the open. For a man that damn near died, he's certainly not giving himself a bit."

"Cinnamon rolls are done," Angus said, pointing to the sheet pans loaded with them. "I just need to set the table, scramble the eggs and set out the berries for the kids and the champagne fruit salad for the adults."

"Robert's going to be miffed, you know that, right?" Marcus said, putting Khaat's tea tray together.

"Look, the broken bones in my chest aren't going to heal overnight. I know that. I need to learn to do what I can," Angus said.

"You bloody well know that's only part of the issue," Marcus looked at him. "You nearly bled out completely, and the bullet pierced your lung. That's what broke those bones. That takes time to recover your energy from, even with wizard medicine."

"Thank you, Dr. Belby. I feel much better now," Angus said sarcastically. "Can you manage the eggs, Jess?"

Jess listened and sighed "Don't you know by now Marcus nothing keeps him down." she said " I found that its impossible to argue with him and to just go with the flow, but I am your helper today anything you need ask." she said taking out the eggs from the fridge and the milk for the scrambled eggs.

Placing them in a pan she added some pepper for taste and the milk. Jack walked down stretching but fresh from the shower, just as Li walked in from out side hanging up his jacket.

"All's quiet and secure" He told Jack who after grabbing an apple headed out the door himself for his patrol.