InsaneJournal

Current mood:	working
Entry tags:	alec/warner, chicago, interaction

The Good Samaritan
Alec was out with his co-workers again, wondering once again why he'd agreed to this night out, his co-workers were insane when they were out. It was like they were trying to forget all their worries and just live excessively because they could. He supposed it was all about the pressure and ultimately the stress that came with being a doctor, the whole having somebody else's life in your hands.

After the next round of drinks and having watched the most senior doctor on staff hit on the youngest nurse on staff, Alec decided enough was enough, he needed to get home. "Alright," he announced over the ruckus. "I gotta get going." The group he was with groaned in protest, but let him go easily enough, too preoccupied with the latest rounds of shots that had been ordered and now delivered.

He grabbed his leather jacket on the way out and slid into it just as he opened the door and left the bar, glad to take his first lungful of clean air, or relatively clean air. He blew out a breath and did up his jacket, closing the collar around his neck.

Tonight was a cold one.

Warner's palm was pressed tightly against his abdomen, trying to staunch the flow of blood and also hide the wound from view with his leather jacket. It was hard to do both at once, and he had forgotten how much deeper punctures hurt. Usually, he was not on the receiving end of a knife. The demon hybrid leaned against a brick wall, letting a faster walking couple pass him by. They gave him a strange look as they walked past, but that was the least of his concerns. They probably thought he was going to mug them.

After taking a moment to breathe, he pushed off from the wall and continued walking. He was weighing his options in his head. Go to a hospital, risk having his face on camera and his information on file. Get stitched up by some back-alley wannabe doctor, and risk a nasty infection. Neither options were palatable, and while he knew the basics of patching himself up, this was a little beyond him.

Alec headed away from the bar, wondering if he should flag down a cab and head back that way, or simply enjoy the walk. He chose the latter. A couple women passed and Alec gave them a smile, even going so far as to turn briefly to enjoy the view, before simply settling back into his stride.

He had a lot of things on his mind, but was doing his best to forget all of them. The last thing he needed right now when he had a slightly pleasant buzz was worry trying to eat him alive.

It was as he was walking that he noticed a slumped figure stumbling along the sidewalk, looking worse for wear. Alec could just as easily pass the person and never look back or he could do what he did next, which was to go over and ask, "Hey, you okay?"

Wait, he knew him. "Warner?" Alec's eyes dropped to where the other man's hand was pressed and instantly concern filled his gaze. "Jesus, what happened?" And why haven't you gone to the hospital?

The injured man looked up, surprise passing over his features briefly, until he remembered who this was. He had met the man in a bar, played pool with him, and...he was a doctor. Warner attempted to straighten his posture, ignoring the sharp pain in his stomach as he did so. "Bar fight," he lied, brow furrowing. The hybrid glanced quickly around them, but the street for now was empty of gawkers. He removed his hand, showing Alec the wound before covering it again. He regretted wearing a white t-shirt tonight.

"I'm not the most upstanding citizen," he told the doctor. "I got into some bad stuff, gambling debt and the like. Hospitals would only bring trouble." The lies slid off his tongue with ease, years of practice having made perfect.

Alec in all honesty wasn't paying enough attention to what Warner was saying to be able to pick lie from truth, he was more concerned about the amount of blood all over the other man's hand and rapidly spreading over his t-shirt.

"Look, you gotta get that patched up, or you're in serious risk of bleeding to death." He shed out of his jacket and removed the shirt he'd put over his t-shirt and balled it up, gesturing for Warner to move his hand so he could put the shirt in place. "If you don't want to go to hospital then let me do it, alright? I can get pretty much whatever I need from one of the stores if you've got somewhere we can go?"

Alec pulled his leather jacket back on and lifted his gaze to Warner's face. Offering help came naturally to him, it always had.

Warner nodded, sighing inwardly. He didn't like bringing people back to where he lived, but he really had no choice; it was closest, and it afforded him all the privacy he needed. Besides, he was certain Alec didn't really hang around in the same circles he did. "My apartment isn't too far from here," the hybrid told him grudgingly. "Can we get the stuff from a CVS? I mean, I know this needs stitches."

Damn, he was slightly dizzy. He hated being less than one hundred percent, it came uncomfortably close to feeling weak.

"Yeah, pretty sure that we can. Lucky for you I know exactly what we need." He caught the dizziness on Warner's part, able to spot it because he was a doctor and this was his main area of strength.

Alec knew that the cut had to be deep in order for it to bleed as much as it was, but hopefully with some good medical care it would heal in time. "How are you feeling?" He asked, wanting to get a read on Warner's current state. It would help Alec determine the seriousness of the wound. "And no bullshitting me, I'm a doctor, I can tell when people bullshit about how they're feeling."

The other man grimaced. "Dizzy," he said shortly, closing his gray eyes briefly before opening them again. "Light headed. I've lost quite a bit of blood, I know that much. Don't think any organs were hit or anything." Warner was still surprisingly calm; he had faced his own mortality on a number of occasions, but fear was not an emotion he was familiar with. The hybrid wasn't grand-standing for once, he just figured there was something short-wired in his brain due to his status as half-demon.

"You're helping me because you took an oath, right? 'Do no harm', and all that."

Alec gave a small laugh. "That and you look like you could do with some, nobody else was stopping." He shrugged and slid Warner's arm around his neck as his own went around the other man's waist. "Plus you play a good game of pool." He caught the shirt slipping and reached down to catch it. "Keep that pressure steady, alright? Last thing I want is you bleeding to death."

"You wanna tell me where your place is? I'll get you back there, grab the supplies from the nearest CVS then patch you up." It made sense to get Warner somewhere safe first before thinking about what supplies were needed.

Warner looked up, and was glad to see these surroundings were familiar. They weren't far now. "Two blocks up ahead, then turn right and it's one block down. It's a brick three-flat. I'm on the second floor." He didn't tell Alec that it was only one of his residences. His proclivity for collecting select pieces of real estate in a rather illegal manner wasn't well known, and he intended to keep it that way.

"The pharmacy is two streets down. You can cut down the alley to get to it. Faster that way." He pressed the shirt tightly against himself. "I can at least put a Steri-strip on this while I wait for you."

"Smart thinking, Batman." Alec gave an unapologetic smile as he made a very geeky reference. He helped Warner along, thankful for his height and his build, it made this thing a whole lot easier.

It took the two men ten minutes at most to reach the building itself, Alec opened up the doors and together they made for the elevator. There was no way Alec was making Warner climb stairs in this state, even if he shared a fear of enclosed spaces. He'd just have to breathe through it.

The doors pinged open and together the two men shuffled in, Alec hit the button for the second floor and stepped back for a moment as it travelled the distance. He didn't seem in the least bit bothered that it was his shirt getting covered in blood.

The hybrid dug in his jacket pocket for his keys, and they jingled loudly in contrast to the quiet hallway. He opened both locks, swinging the door open. This apartment was emptier than the others, a few requisite pieces of furniture in place. The truth was, Warner wasn't very concerned with material possessions, not out of any desire to be ascetic, but because he had just grown up that way. Objects were for trading or leverage; he had no need for stereos or big televisions.

He opened a drawer and dug out his own meager first aid supplies before dropping his weight onto the drab sofa. Looking up at Alec, he nodded shortly. "Okay. I'll be okay while you run and get that stuff." He almost sounded as if he were trying to assure himself.

Alec noticed the lack of... character in the place itself, but it wasn't his place to comment. "Just make sure you keep the pressure steady and whatever you do don't pass out, okay?" He seemed reluctant to leave, worried that if he did then Warner might slip into a place not even Alec could pull him out of. Unless of course... his eyes dropped to his hand and he wondered if he could actually make it work when he wanted it to.

He decided not to try that until it looked like he needed to and just turned on his heel, heading out of the building at a run to take Warner's shortcut. Hopefully the CVS would have everything he'd need.

Taking a deep breath and ignoring the way the muscles in his stomach contracted painfully, Warner tore open a saline solution wipe and a large Steri-strip. He cleaned the area around the wound, not wanting to do anything adverse to it until Alec got back.

He placed the closure quickly over his stomach, then leaned his head back on the couch, holding the shirt against it as a back-up measure. In a way, he welcomed the pain; it would remind him not to let his guard down again.

Alec had ransacked the CVS for all it was worth, ignoring the weird look the cashier was giving him when he loaded up a basket full of medical supplies with blood on his hands. He paid with his card, not really worried about leaving a trail, it wasn't like he had anybody looking at his financial records.

The supplies were put into a bag and carried back to Warner's place, taking the stairs this time. No elevator for him, no thank you. He let himself into the apartment again and was relieved to find that Warner was still conscious. Thank God for small blessings.

"Hey," he said as he headed back, drawing up a small stool to perch on in front of Warner. "I got everything." Alec picked out the various medical supplies and laid them out neatly on the nearby table, freeing up a set of gloves. "I'll need to cut your t-shirt, alright? I don't want to risk tearing the wound by making you pull it off."

He picked up the scissors he'd bought earlier then looked up at Warner, waiting for a yay or nay answer.

Warner nodded, lips quirking in an almost-smile. "Yeah, that's fine. I'm not particularly attached to it." He discarded his jacket carefully, setting it beside him so none of his weapons slid out onto the floor. That would be the bad kind of conversation-starter. He tried not to wonder why he even cared what Alec thought about him. Something about the doctor sparked an inkling of something inside of him, that was almost like shame.

"Cool," Alec said with an actual smile of his own. "Just thought I'd check first." Whilst waiting for an answer from Warner, Alec had taken off his own jacket, putting it to one side. It would make patching up the other man a whole lot easier if he didn't have it restricting his movements.

He began by cutting away the t-shirt, from hem to collar. The material was parted a couple moments later by sterile fingertips. Alec's eyes ran to the wound and he eased the strip away from it so he could get a better idea of what he was dealing. It looked pretty nasty.

"Alright, I'm gonna clean it again. I don't want to run the risk of infection." Alec figured it was better to talk the patient through what he was doing or about to do, at least they knew what to expect then. Alec squeezed out a saline solution onto some cotton pads and gently but efficiently started in cleaning away excess blood and whatever else clung to the raw edges.

After that he picked up the disinfectant liquid. "This is gonna sting like a bitch, just so you know." He squeezed some out and ran it along the cut, making sure to work it into the exposed flesh, wanting the area to be completely clean before he started stitching it up. Luckily for Warner this doctor had one of the more gentler touches.

The hybrid looked up at the ceiling and tried to remain still. "However much it stings, I'm sure it can't be worse than having a knife sunk into you." The assailant had been a business contact of Warner's, and he had stabbed him at close range because Warner had been off his game and lost the man a few thousand dollars. That brief period of having a conscience really screwed him in the long run.

"Shit," Alec said with a shake of his head. "That must have been one hell of a bar fight, I'm kinda hoping the other guy looks worse than you do." He finished with cleaning the cut up and then sat back, picking up the needle and thread.

His hands were completely steady as he threaded the needle and he tucked himself a little closer as he worked out the best end to start, he'd have to be as quick as he could. "All I can say about this next bit is to keep breathing and keep your mind occupied. Tell me about your night, the fun bits, not the bit where you got stabbed."

Warner smiled inwardly. The man was dead, he just didn't know it yet. Sure, he was walking around, breathing and all that lovely stuff, but it was only a temporary thing. No one got away with doing that to him. "I'm not the type of person who really has fun. At least, my idea of fun is a little different than most." The hybrid kept his breathing level, hands balling into fists in anticipation of the needle piercing his skin.

"I would say the highlight of the night is not dying." He glanced at Alec briefly. "Thanks for that, by the way." The words were slightly difficult to get past his lips, but they were genuine.

Alec looked up only briefly and smiled at Warner. "Don't mention it. Happy to help." He licked his lower lip and then caught it with his teeth as he began the stitching, starting from the bottom edge to the top. "Guess it's a good thing I agreed to go out with my crazy ass co-workers."

He'd clearly done this sort of thing a lot given the way his fingers moved with such precision and every inch of stitch was neatly placed and perfectly tightened. "So, no hot women or good games of pool tonight? Sucks, man."

"Yeah, well. Some things you just get used to." He winced at the stitches, a necessary evil. "And your skills definitely beat my own. I'd probably end up carving myself up even worse if I tried this." Warner wondered at the back and forth nature of their conversation; it was largely unfamiliar territory for him. While the squeaky clean exterior of the other man annoyed him, the hybrid could tell he was actually worth something as a human, which he found to be rare.

"What do you feel, after you've helped heal someone? Is it pride, or accomplishment? Or relief?"

Alec furrowed his brow at that question and lifted his shoulders, sliding the thread through Warner's skin to bring about another closing stitch. "I know a lot of doctors feel a surge of pride or accomplishment when they make somebody better, but for me, it's more of a relief. I know that what I've done has helped somebody and that they're going to be okay because I was quick enough or skilled enough to do whatever it was they needed to get better."

"Why not help people if you can?" He looked up at Warner and shook his head with a smirk. "Sounds corny when I say it out-loud, but it's true." He eased another stitch through the cut and for his closing one he made sure to tighten the stitching appropriately, ending it with a very neat shape.

Alec cut away the thread and placed the needle on one side, picking up the disinfectant again so he could clean up the work he'd done. "I bought some painkillers whilst I was buying medical supplies, figured you'd need them."

"I'm fine. This isn't so bad, and besides, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?" Warner thought about his mother, the way pill bottles rattled and she parceled the small pills out. He didn't understand why she needed them. She wasn't human, she should have been above it.

He was about to say something else, but then closed his mouth. He felt an odd sense of regret, like he was saying more than he should. It wasn't the words he spoke, it was the fact that he was talking so freely. It felt like the blood spilling out of him; he had to keep it inside.

"I told myself that once when I got cut up on the highway. Some idiot in his four-by-four cut into my lane, apparently he didn't see me because I was on a bike. I slammed into a car, broke my leg in three places." Not that it stopped him from riding a bike, screw that. Fear was overrated.

He realised he was babbling and caught himself, clearing his throat as he turned his attention to applying the disinfectant to the now stitched wound. "Sorry, I talk a lot." He was careful to apply the disinfectant to every inch of the cut to ensure that Warner wouldn't have to worry about infection.

"Just gotta bandage you up and fingers crossed you'll heal up beautifully." Alec sat back and slid off the gloves, picking up some gauze and bandage.

Warner knew he'd heal slightly faster than the average person, but not fast enough for his liking. Still, he'd take the doctor's advice. No point in over extending himself and risk breaking open the stitches; he'd just be out of commission longer, and for him, time really was money. "Thanks," he said again, his expression turning guarded. Now that he was patched up, the walls would begin to go back up, too.

"Do you, uh, want some money for this? I know it'd be a pricey procedure if I had gone to the hospital."

Alec shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about it." He taped the gauze down over the stitches and began wrapping bandage to hold the covering in place, frowning a little as the fingers on his right hand started to tingle. Hopefully it wasn't anything to worry about.

"Just focus on getting better and that'll be enough." He tied off the bandage and leaned back, gathering up the used items. "You got a trashcan?"

Warner nodded, forgetting for a moment that his scarred torso was still exposed. People tended to ask questions about it, on the rare occasion when he was around the type of people who were unfamiliar with his lifestyle. "In the kitchen," he said. "On your left." The hybrid stood and walked over to his open bedroom, sliding open a closet door and retrieving a black t-shirt.

Alec didn't tend to ask sensitive questions like that, he'd learned not to. He had his fair share of scars from stupid stunts gone wrong and he was always grateful when people didn't ask him about them. He wandered through to the kitchen and disposed of all the used items, returning to where the others were so he could put them back into the bag.

He figured Warner could keep them, he needed them more. "Just so you know the dressing needs to be changed three times a day and if you have any problems I can leave you my number."

The other man handed Alec a pad and pen he kept near the phone. "You can put it at the bottom," he said, noting that the pages were full of inscrutable scribbling. "I should be able to manage that. I have plenty of gauze and bandages now." He looked wryly at the supplies now littering his sofa. They'd definitely come in handy, and he had paid attention to what the doctor had done.

"So, doctors do like to kick back sometimes, huh?," he added, referencing his earlier mention of having been out with co-workers.

Alec took a hold of the pad and the pen, writing his name at the bottom of the pad along with his number. Hopefully it was clear enough for Warner to read. "Yeah, you really do. I bought in bulk." He smirked and handed back the pad and pen.

At the mention of his co-workers Alec gave a laugh. "Yeah, and they do it in style. I'm talking rounds of shots after rounds of shots. They're pretty fucking insane when they let their hair down."

Warner couldn't help but laugh. "I shouldn't be surprised, really. I guess I've been hanging out with the wrong people." Never mind the fact that 'hanging out' meant things like burning down an apartment complex with Grace. He went into the bathroom to wash his hands, wiping them off on a towel that hung from the slightly rusty metal rod. He was adept at a few things, but interior decorating was not one of them.

"Do you know how to get home from here? There are usually plenty of cabs around."

"Guess so," Alec answered with a smile. "Those medical types they sure know how to have fun. I bailed after I watched the most senior of staff hit on the youngest nurse. I don't think the girl knew what to do with herself.

Alec picked up his leather jacket, figuring that Warner could dispose of the shirt Alec had stripped out of, it was covered in Warner's blood after all. "I don't, but if there are cabs I ought to be fine."

The hybrid stood in his hallway, unsure of what to do next. "Yeah, just...hail one. You should be fine." He coughed slightly, ignoring the burning pain it caused. "Luckily you found me, and not a vamp or something." While Warner was confident he could take care of himself, he wasn't very popular with the fanged population and an injured state wasn't ideal to deal with them.

"So I guess I'll see you around sometime." He shrugged.

Alec slid back into his leather jacket and settled it more comfortably around his shoulders. "Yeah, lucky for you. Good thing I didn't drink a lot as well." He went to zip up his leather jacket when he caught sight of his hands, a little caked in Warner's blood. "Hey, can I borrow a sink? Just to wash my hands. The cashier at the CVS gave me a right funny look earlier."

Warner gestured to the bathroom. "Go right ahead." He was slightly amused at being asked, instead of Alec walking right into the bathroom. The demon hybrid didn't encounter politeness very often, so it was somewhat of a novelty. He drifted over to the sofa again, slid some of the supplies aside and took a seat. He supposed he should acknowledge, at least to himself, that he had lucked out that night.

"Thanks," Alec said with a smile. He headed into the bathroom and ran the tap, putting his hands underneath the stream of it, scrubbing the dried blood off until the water that disappeared down the drain was a light pink colour.

Once he was sure both his hands were clean he stepped back and took a hold of the nearby towel, drying them both off. Better, he hated having blood on his hands. The doctor did up the jacket and once again closed the collar around his neck, heading back out to where Warner was sat.

"So, I guess I'll be seeing you, but call me whenever if you need anything, alright?"

Warner nodded, giving Alec a small salute. "Will do." He looked around his empty apartment, and considered maybe going to a hotel room for tonight. He was thinking a little more comfort than he was accustomed to might speed things along a little; it certainly wouldn't hurt.

Alec smirked and lifted his hand in parting gesture. "Take care of yourself, man. Try and stay away from crazy men wielding knives in the near future." He let himself out of the apartment and headed down the stairs, blowing out a breath.

Wow, talk about an exciting night.

He stepped out of the building and looked around for a cab, hopefully he could flag one down soon enough.