Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.

[ngm_miscellaneous]

Marcelo Alencar da Silva had been in surgery for a few hours. He had been completely unaware of law enforcement locking down the city block his building was on. He had not been aware of much outside of trying to stay awake until some doctor like person told him it was okay to sleep.

The doctors had worked hard. As precisely as the sword had been impaled into their patient, they had to be just as precise to make sure he did not bleed out all over the operating table. Those doctors lived and worked in New York, home of the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Yet, they were never quite prepared for people stabbed with swords.

Even with a very close call, the Brazilian patient was rolled out to recovery. As the nurses and doctors monitored him, the surgeon went out to explain to his fiancee how things went. When the medical personnel were sure he was stable enough, he was sent to his own private room and allowed to have visitors.

Comments

[pyroprincess]

When Stephanie had come in with him, they'd insisted that she get looked at too. Bumps and bruises, really, nothing serious. She'd had fresh clothes delivered for her and she'd spent the rest of the time waiting. Marcelo had been in surgery for a long time, and for a longer time afterwards being stabilized. From what she'd been told, his prospects were pretty good, that he'd been very fortunate indeed.

But that didn't remove the overwhelming feeling of fear for him, of guilt over her role in the whole affair, of wondering what happened next. She was quite certain that Luiz would want to take his son home. And Marcelo himself might not disagree, considering what had happened, not just to him, but to his employees.

Nineteen of them were dead on arrival. Three more were in the intensive care unit, in critical condition. Another fifteen were in the hospital for injuries of various severity and another twenty-seven had been treated and released. There were also three dead Purifiers and another fifteen or so in the hospital, to be released into the care of law enforcement. Millions of dollars in damage.

It had been a bloodbath.

But right now, Stephanie's concern was focused, laser-like, on Marcelo. She walked into the room. The bruise had started to go down already, though it was still quite visible, as well as some of the little cuts and scratches on her face and arms. She'd got herself washed up and in new clothes at least, though.

"Hey." She said softly as she walked over to him. "How are you feeling?"

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo had not quite come out from under whatever they had pumped into his system for surgery. He had just started to wake up and realize his torso hurt. He wasn't sure what the things going into his arms were.

Then someone asked a question while he was weakly trying to figure out where he was and why he was there. Hospital maybe, He could have been in a hospital for some reason. It hurt enough to be in a hospital. He groaned softly and shifted. It felt like lifting fifty pound weights to get his eyes open, but he managed. Barely.

And then he had to blink. "Did God or the doctors send you?" he asked in Portuguese.

[pyroprincess]

"They warned me that you might not remember very much right after the surgery." She replied with a tiny smile. It looked a little worn, it was obvious that she had been worried sick, but it was real enough. He was alive, conscious and talking, even if he was clearly a little out of it. "I guess they were right. And they sent me in, though I would've fought my way into here if I had to."

She took his hand in hers gently.

"I'm just glad to see you."

And there she was, basically forgetting that he probably didn't recognize her right now. Emotions got in the way of logic.

[vesper_verde]

He tried hard to follow along with what she was saying. Her hand felt soft and warm. Which was better than the painful throbbing in his chest. He tried to make his fingers close around her hand. He was almost pleased they obeyed.

"I'm glad to see you, too. Because you're the prettiest woman I've ever seen."

[pyroprincess]

"Even though I'm a complete mess?" Stephanie responded, unable not to laugh. "What if I told you that I'm actually your fiancee? Stephanie, if you can't remember the name." She held up the engagement ring she wore on her other hand, and looked over at his other hand meaningfully.

"I'm silly and non-traditional and we both ended up having one."

[vesper_verde]

"I'm not looking all that great either," he commented with a soft croak. His mouth flopped open in surprise at the announcement of who she was. It totally distracted him from the significant look at his hand.

"No way. My fiancee? What did I do? Get you pregnant?"

[pyroprincess]

"You said yes when I proposed to you." Stephanie replied, matter of factly before smirking. "And well, you look very, very good for a man who just had a sword taken out of him."

It wasn't something she really wanted to linger on, though. "We've been together for well over two years."

[vesper_verde]

His brow furrowed as he took this in. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Then he finally noticed the 'complete mess' she had been referring to. He frowned at the visible bruises.

"Did you stick the sword in me? Because if I did that..." He tried to point with one hand, but it was held by Stephanie. His other hand eventually managed to point at her bruises. Albeit a little shakily.

"...I deserved it."

[ngm_parents]

Luíz had finally managed to track down where his son was after dealing with law enforcement and getting his own nerves back together. He let out a slow breath outside of the door to his son's hospital room. He looked upward and hoped Letícia had kept an eye on their boy.

He turned lifted the door handle and walked in.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie heard the door open and turned around to see Marcelo's father. Though she wasn't really physically exhausted, she felt emotionally drained. She'd just seen his bandages get changed not so long ago. It was difficult seeing the oozing blood and ... other things. He was doing well, considering, but he wasn't totally out of the woods yet. And she wasn't leaving until he was.

She was a little afraid of what Luiz thought, of what he'd do. She couldn't blame him if he ordered that his son go back to Brazil- he must have been terrified. She was terrified too, but she'd had a foot in this insane world for awhile now.

"Hola." She finally said after a moment, gesturing towards another chair next to Marcelo.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo was physically drained to Stephanie's emotionally. He was dozing when he heard voices. He stirred a little but stayed asleep for the time being.

[ngm_parents]

Luíz stopped momentarily at seeing Stephanie there. He kept his face blank as he fought a swirling tide of emotions. This wasn't the time to sift through it.

The sight of his son laying in a hospital bed smothered whatever else he felt. It pained Luíz to see his son this way.

"Olá," he greeted softly. He glanced at the chair before walking over and settling down on it. He didn't particularly want to sit, but he doubted pacing the room would help much.

[pyroprincess]

She watched him sit down, and turned her eyes back to Marcelo. She wasn't sure what to say to Luiz, if it was indeed appropriate for her to say anything at all. She took a deep breath. The silent tension needed to be broken, somehow.

"I don't know if you had a chance to speak with the doctors. Their prognosis is actually quite good. He should be out of the hospital in between one and two weeks. And working again in a month or so."

And then it was back to watching over Marcelo.

[ngm_parents]

His brow furrowed for a moment. His son had not awoken to help make this less awkward. He took in a breath.

"I am... of many emotions right now. Relief that Marcelinho is alive being the biggest." He was very careful and deliberate with his words. Because he was sorting through everything as it came out.

"I should owe you thanks for saving him."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie nodded. She couldn't help but wish, herself, that Marcelo would wake up and take some of the dreadful awkwardness out of the room.

"I would do anything for him." Die, as unimagineable as that seemed. And also, kill. She'd killed for him, twice as a matter of fact. Compared to the raw relief of his being alive and able to recover, it was miniscule, but there was a part of her that had to process that reality. "I'm glad I could get there in time."

She looks over at Marcelo again.

"I could go, if you wanted to spend some time with him."

[ngm_parents]

"No, you can stay. You're going to be as important part of his life as me." He rubbed his hands together because they felt cold. Maybe it was this room or the idea he nearly lost his son today.

"We should talk, you and I. Letícia never talked much with my parents. They did not want me marrying her. Even after Marcelinho was born, they did not accept her."

Sometime, in the middle of the night...

[hellkitten]

Liza crouched on top of the hospital parking garage, scanning the hospital grounds with the night vision feature in her spiffy new costume's mask. She could see far better in the dark than most people unaided... something to do with that family adaptation for functioning in Stygian blackness. The technology in the mask elevated that to "might as well be daylight".

She could see private guards as well as law enforcement patrolling. Some out in the open, the obvious deterrents, and some less obvious. There were more than a few of them, not surprising, given such a spectacular and bloody assault on one of the biggest business interests in the world. Quite a force, professionals all, but they weren't ready for the likes of her.

At least, she really, really hoped not. Otherwise, this was going to be embarrassing as all Home.

Liza watched, waited, picked her moment, then flicked her wrist, and the line in her glove shot out across the space between the garage and the main building. She swung across and sunk her claws into the side of it, the heating elements in them melting into the brick and giving her extra purchase. She scuttled down the wall, pausing at one certain window, the top of her head barely peeking down over the frame to check on who was inside. Two people in a hospital bed, one the man she was looking for, the other, Liza guessed, his fiancee. No guards in the room.

Her new costume was packed with all sorts of handy features, but the item strapped on her back was definitely non-standard equipment. Still hanging upside down, she unhooked it, took a marker out of a pouch hidden under her sash, and began writing.

Liza wasn't stupid, although sometimes she pretended to be less astute and observant than she really was. And she was pretty good at telling when someone was trying to hide something... that came with the territory when your father was the Prince of Lies.

Done with her message, she held the whiteboard up to the window.

Re: Sometime, in the middle of the night...

[vesper_verde]

Sleeping as much as he did meant Marcelo was awake at odd hours. Almost like being Vesper except with a lot more pain in his chest. Movement at the windows caught his attention. He glanced over and did a double take.

He grinned a little. At least equipment suppliers were well thought of. He gave Hellkitten a little wave.

Re: Sometime, in the middle of the night...

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie looked out the window and saw ... well, she's assuming it must have been Hellkitten, waving a little sign out at her. Her face screwed up ever so slightly, unable not to feel slightly jealous. She didn't do anything as drastic as go over to the window, but she continued to watch.

If Hellkitten tried to come in, however, there would be words.

Re: Sometime, in the middle of the night...

[hellkitten]

Liza grinned and waved back. Then she performed a walkover/backbend, the kind of maneuver usually performed by a gymnast on a floor mat, balance beam, or other horizontal surface, against the side of the building, coming to rest right side up, perched on the narrow ledge outside the window.

Showing off? Demonstrating that her new light armor didn't hinder her balance or flexibility? The answer was entirely up to the observer.

Liza smiled again, gave a thumbs up gesture and another wave, then cast her line out and swung away into the night.

Re: Sometime, in the middle of the night...

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo watched the display of his gear fitted to the right person. He was quite impressed. He gave her a thumbs up with a grin.

"Nice that I've got more people looking out for..." he glanced at Stephanie.

"... uh, me."

Re: Sometime, in the middle of the night...

[pyroprincess]

"... I see. I assume that was Hellkitten." Stephanie looked towards the now empty window. "Cute little stunt with the whiteboard." Next thing she knew, Marcelo's ex was going to show up with flowers and fulsome declarations of her eternal love. "And with the gymnastics, as clearly you also noticed."

Re: Sometime, in the middle of the night...

[vesper_verde]

"Yes, that was Hellkitten," he replied carefully.

"Her gymnastics is why I designed her suit the way it is. Well, after a fashion. The cat motif is all hers." And then he realized his mouth might start leading him into trouble. He trailed off and made small cough.

Re: Sometime, in the middle of the night...

[pyroprincess]

"Of course it is." Stephanie sighed and grumbled slightly, settling back into her seat. "Of course, I'm certain the ex-fiancee will be sending flowers." Who even knew what sort of women would crawl out of the woodwork to lament their former man's injury?

It wasn't fair. She wanted him all to herself.

[ngm_adults]

When the news got to Helena about Marcelo, she knew she had to do something. Though she suspected his... fiancee might be around in the hospital room. Rather than deal with the interloping woman, the Brazilian supermodel sent the best get well flower arrangement with Marcelo's favorite colors she could find.

The handwritten note said:
Tchelo,
Please get well soon. The world needs more men like you in it.
♥

Though Helena wasn't aware of it, she would have been pleased the billboard facing his room in the hospital was a men's shirt ad with her wearing little more than one of the advertised button up shirts.