un_fallen | (no subject)

(no subject)

It's late - or very early, depending how one measures these things - and the only light in the hospital room is a gentle glow from the medical ships coming and going outside the half-curtained window. Two security guards stand alert outside the door and another six are on guard at various points leading to the Senator's room, a comforting presence, while Regan sleeps on the cot by Gabriel's bed. One of her hands lies limply on the edge of his mattress and her breathing is deep and regular. Gabriel's is interrupted by small coughs, on occasion, but not enough to rouse him from an exhausted sleep.

On the other side of Gabriel's bed is a comfortable reclining chair, favored at times by River and Simon. Currently it is occupied by a demonic assassin with unnaturally bright blue eyes. At the moment those eyes are focused silently on Regan. His only movement is a slow tilt of his head when her extended hand twitches slightly in her sleep.

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"Can't tell the future any more than I can tell the past," he says with a teasing grin, but his expression sinks quickly back into disappointment.

"Was looking forward to that, too."

He continues walking around the hospital bed until he's standing next to Regan's cot, bends down, and looks closely at her. Uncomfortable-looking posture. The outstretched arm. Her carefully coiffed hair sprawled inelegantly on the pillow. The necklace she forgot to take off before bed.

One hand clenches tightly on the blanket as Raguel leans down, looking at Regan, who sleeps on, exhausted. The necklace at her throat gleams in the dim light as it shifts with her breathing.

(He'd given it to her for their twenty-fifth anniversary. Gabriel can still remember how, when she'd unwrapped it, her smile had outshone the polished gleam of the delicately-crafted gold chain and pendant.)

"Leave her alone, or so help me, I swear--"

He looks up, but doesn't straighten.

"Gabriel," he says carefully. "Who recommended your book?"

He'll do a lot to distract this murderous creature from his wife.

"One of my staff," Gabriel tells him.

As it happens, it's even true. Mark Jiang had picked it from a selection of best-sellers and packed it up along with other things to keep him occupied in the hospital.

He stares at it, straightening up the rest of the way, and glances back at Regan before moving back the way he came.

"Of course. Thank you." Back around to the chair where he'd been reclining during most of their conversation, he hesitates.

"Guess I'll leave you alone for a bit, let you heal up."

He seems to be debating something in his mind, and finally asks, "You went to the bar, after? You still end up at the one in the past?"

"You're welcome," he says automatically, fighting against the overwhelming sense of the ridiculous that washes over him as he does so.

He debates not answering the next question, but can't see any real harm in doing so, not to mention that if it'll encourage Raguel to leave--

"It's not the past for me," he replies, finally. "And yes."

"If you want, I--
unFallen
He would probably help you."

He gestures toward the machines, then slips out of the room as silently as he appeared, closing the door behind him.

He hadn't expected, hadn't even imagined---

Gabriel Tam stares thoughtfully after Raguel for a very long time.

When Regan eventually opens her eyes, she finds her husband already awake, paging thoughtfully through Uncommon Grounds.

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