LONDON CALLING

Kaden lstened to Robert and nodded " I studied all forms of healing, thought it would be useful, but this actually doing it" he smiled and refocused he pulled a face feeling just what Robert discribed. An off note sour tone to Michael and he began refocusing it as if retuning it to sing right.

Soon he felt as if everything was in order and looked up at Robert " I felt the shift of it returning to its balance." he told him " I agree he should feel much better, but he should still take it easy for a while." Kaden slowly withdrew his hands and looked to Robert " thank you I learned a lot today, I am and will always be at your service if you need me."

"And that is precisely what you should feel," Robert said. "Well done. Don't be afraid to ask Jess or Brian or Khaat to let you be a part of what they're doing. That's how you'll learn. You did well, and I'm glad you feel like it was useful.

"So, I think I can wake Michael now. Since we have a houseful of healers at Khaat's or me at the farm, I think we could take him home, but he is going to feel a lot better if we've either wrapped his chest with a binder to keep the bones stable or, he'll be in less pain when he's off his feet. He'll give us noise initially, I expect, but his own body will shut that nonsense up pretty quickly. I'm going to write a script for him for a substantial pain potion for him for a few days until this starts to heal, and then I should be able to switch him over to a standard pain potion. I'll have Jessie help me get him home as soon as Michael is awake enough to do it. Check the lab, would you, and see if they have any of the triple strength pain potion in stock? If so, I need a medium sized bottle. That will get him through til I can step him down to a lighter dose." He looked at Jessie.

"Any objections to helping me get him back to my farm when he wakes up, Jessie?" Robert asked.

Kaden felt happy tht Robert had complimented him and he looked at Jessie who walked over his arm going around his waist " Thankyou sir." he said and slowly brought Michael around. Moving his hands away he moved to fetch the wrappings to bind his chest to stabalise it. Moving gently he began the binding tight enough to limit movment but not too tight that he could not move or breath.

Jessie looked at Robert and nodded " of course, its no bother." he said and quickly gave Kaden a peck on his cheek. " well done" he said softly making Kaden blush.

Michael woke when Kaden cast the spells to wake him. It took im a moment to figure out where he was, and he didn't say much of anything as Kaden wrapped the binder around his back. Robert noticed his silent friend. That didn't happen often. He pulled up a stool and sat next to the bed.

"Michael," Robert said, "tell me what happened?"

"Effing nasty witch threw one of those big floor to ceiling displays on me," Michael said quietly, a trifle groggy yet from the sleep spells, which Robert knew was perfectly normal.

"Those big heavy things?" Robert frowned.

"Yup. Did you see the one that was laying on the floor? Jack moved it off."

"I admit I didn't really pay all that much attention to that. I thought it was part of a wall."

"Same thing, I suppose," Michael said, yawning. "So what's the damage?"

"Three broken vertebrae in the small of your back."

"So that's why it hurts like a sonofa..."

"Yes," Robert said. "And you're very likely to be some splendid shades of black and blue and purple when the bruises all set in."

"How very glamorous," Michael said dryly. "Look, not that I mind your company but right now i just really want to go home to my little..."

"'Fraid not, my friend," Robert said. "I won't keep you here, but I don't want you alone for a few days. I'm taking you to the farm...."

"I can't,"Michael frowned. "I've got all the people at the house and the dogs..."

"People?" Robert asked.

"Snidely and..."

"The hat rack and the footstools and all the rest. We'll go get the dogs and bring them to the farm. They'll be fine. And Snidely likes running the house when you're not there. They're not people--they're furniture. I realize they're good company, but they'll be fine without you. Let me explain it plainly. You look like complete hell, and you should have been killed. You should not have survived that, so don't give me crap. My place or Khaat's or one of the lovely beds here, but not yours."

"I am not staying here," Michael scowled. Robert looked up at Kaden with a bit of an amused smile on his face. That was starting to sound more the like the Michael they all knew.

"Alright, then. Shut it and come with us, and I'll get you out of here--as soon as Kaden finds your pain potion."

"Hurry up, Junior, before he changes his mind," Michael said to Kaden.

Kaden heard the banter and smiled " yep hes going to be okay." Kaden said and moved to the nurses desk opening a cupboard he took out a small bottle of pain potion writing down on the chart he placed it in a file and walked over with the bottle. " two drops in water every four hours or when needed." he said handing over the bottle " and I don't blamb you for not wanting to stay here , the beds are terrible." Kaden chuckled. " okay hes all yours again."

Jessie moved to beside the bed " Im ready when you are." he said to Robert turning to Kaden he smiled " I'll be seeing you for breakfast and tea." he said once more kissing Kaden on the cheek as he waited for Robert.

"Thank you," Robert told Kaden. Then he looked at Michael. He knew Michael would feel worlds better when he was able to get cleaned up and into clean clothes and get comfortable. Right now, he was pretty sad looking, covered in dust and dirt, looking a lot like he'd been hit with a muggle truck.

"With us, Michael. Not on your own--not at all, not until I say so." He looked at Jessie to give him a silent request to make sure he was alert to the fact that Michael was not going to be steady on his feet. Robert put a strong arm under Michael's shoulder, Michael tried to stand, his legs not holding him well. "Give yourself a moment. It may ease up a bit, and if it doesn't, we still have you. I really don't want you buggaring up my work at resetting your bones."

"Your work. Well, as long as we have our priorities straight," Michael said dryly, halfway amused, but understanding his point. Robert felt Michael start to get a bit of confidence on his feet.

"Better?" Robert asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Michael said.

"Well, you're not fine, but I think you're ready to go home. Alright, let's go then." He drew his wand and apparated them all into the kitchen. Kate was in the kitchen and she had a batch of shortbread cookies rolled out on the counter, and she was cutting them into simple rectangle, like toast soldiers, when they apparated in. She turned and saw how bad Michael looked and she paled immediately.

"Michael!" she exclaimed.

"Go open a bed in the guest room across the hall from our room" Robert told her calmly. "And get him a pair of his pajamas. He's going to be alright." She fairly flew. "Let's get him to his room, Jessie. I can help him to bed once we get him that far."

"You'll have to get Otto, Faline, the puppies...There's a large red canister in the kitchen with some finely diced up black socks for the dogs, and a smaller blue canister of cut up argyle socks...Their bowls..." Michael was mentally running down a list of what he thought needed taken care of.

"We'll manage," Robert told Michael.

"And tell Snidely to not let the mailbox eat the mail while I'm gone. She gets snarky if I'm gone..."

"Enough," Robert said, knowing that Michael's anxiety was normal after such an injury. "Jessie, maybe you and Kate can go get the dogs when we get Michael to his room?"

Jessie nodded to Robert and copied his hold on Michael making doublely sure he would not fall. Jessie held on to Michael as they aperated to the farm. still holding Michael he looked at Kate then back to Robert " of course." he said and slowly slid his arm from around Michael. " you good?" he asked Michael.

Jack came walking up and shook his head " damn woman is worse now she's small." he said ringing out his ears. " I swear if she screeches one more time I will squish her." He paused seeing Michael strapped up and looked at Jessie and Kate " I'll prep a bed for him" he said and moved down the corridor to an empty room.

Robert accio'd a flyswatter and handed it to Jack.

"I give you full permission to slap her a time or two with this until she learns to stop that nonsense. And if that doesn't work, you let me know. I'll turn her mouth into a zipper, zip it shut, and put a teeny tiny padlock on it."

"Robert Thomas Lupin," Kate put her hands on her hips and scowled at him.

"Uh oh. Your full name. She means business now," Michael said.

"What?" Robert frowned at her.

"You cannot continue to dream of things you'd like to do to her...."

"Why?" he frowned. "I haven't done any of them."

"You cannot use a flyswatter on her, Jack," Kate took the flyswatter.

"Oh, yes he can," Robert said, snatching it from her. "It's better than what I was thinking of doing. Go for it, Jack...."

"Don't you dare, Jack," Kate said, giving him the same look of a mom that means business.

"You'd better be glad it's just a flyswatter, Kate, because that's nothing to what I'd like to do to her for dropping that display case on me," Michael said to her seriously. "He can have the flyswatter after I get a chance to whomp her with it just one time."

"Pajamas," Robert told Michael quietly. "And then bed. Understand me?"

"Whomp the bitch, then pajamas, then bed," Michael said.

"Swat her tomorrow," Robert said, amused. "How about a decent cup of tea when you get settled?"

Jessie chuckled as did Jack who held the fly swatter slowly he moved to Kate and handed it to her " best you hold this." he said " shes annoying but...I can silance her another way." he looked at Kate and smiled " bug jar and silancing spell. " was all he said as he moved to the kitchen for a hot drink.

Jessie chuckled and looked at Michael " well he did chose swatting tomorrow." he said moving him to the bed and pulling back the covers to put Michael into it so he could rest his back. Jack sat drinking his coffee thinking of all the things he could do when he went back down, catch a spider and threaten to put it in the box or a mouse.

Michael really wasn't feeling like he was able to do much more than swat the witch with a flyswatter anyway, so he gave in and let Robert help him to bed. Robert discouraged him from, any other position for now but lying flat, telling Michael that any other position was certainly going to hurt. Once Michael was actually in bed, Robert laid his hand on Michael's forehead and cast a powerful pain removal spell, and the instant he did, Michael collapsed into a deep, sound sleep.

"Robert?" Kate asked softly, concerned.

"He's alright," Robert reassured her, his voice almost a whisper. "We'll let him rest. It's the best thing for him right now." He motioned everyone to follow him out of the bedroom, and Robert closed the door, so Michael would not be disturbed.

"Now, Kate, go with one of the guys here and pack a few things for Michael, would you? You know what he usually likes. And he's going to want more cigarettes, pipe tobacco, his favorite pipe, the dogs and their food and toys, some more clothes, and...."

"I know how to pack for him," Kate said. "We'll be fine."

"Bring him a couple of books, would you? He's going to need something to occupy his brain."

"We've got four floors of books here, Robert," she scowled.

"Yes, well, if you go into his study, the shelf that is right to your right has two or three stacks of books that are not filed because they're the ones he hasn't read yet. You could bring those for starters. Kate, where's Marcus? I thought he would be here with you."

"He's here. He's out on a run. He's not far, believe me," she said. "As for Michael, we'll manage to pack for him, I'm sure." She looked at Jack and Jessie and Kaden. "Which one of you boys wants to come with me to Michael's?"