Hospital Visit

Manhattan - St. Luke's Hospital

The main entrance of the St. Luke's Hospital opens into a large square filled with hard plastic benches for people to sit and wait in before they're admitted. Two large 'No Smoking' signs are set against the far wall, framing the hospital directory. To the right is a low table littered with magazines and pamphlets. To the left, on a wall beside the door is a small cork-board which holds a number of flyers for programs and seminars that the hospital offers. The walls here have been painted a soft and soothing green color which still reflects the light and keeps the room looking bright and somewhat cheerful.

Along most of the west wall is a long counter with safety glass coming up from the counter-top to the top of the ceiling. Small circular grills have been set just above head level for the receptionist, to enable staff to talk with those that are signing in. Small metal insets along the counter allow documents to be passed through, beside each of these a pen on a chain is available.

Despite the directory that has been put up for convenience, a sign hanging on the glass counter says 'Please speak with Reception for Check-In and assistance'. Two security guards stand in the northwest and southwest corners of the room, each behind a small podium in which they can monitor the security cameras.


Characters

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Kevin Curtis Lilith Graves

Kevin hates hospitals. He understands their purpose, and he admires the doctors and nurses who work there for their dedication, but he hates hospitals. He hates being laid up in bed, hates having an IV in his arm and being poked and prodded and nudged around by well meaning nurses. It doesn't matter that one of the nurses is especially cute, or that the male nurse has a wicked sense of humor and is the biggest skirt chaser that Kevin has ever met, he's still in the hospital and he doesn't like it.
There are flowers and balloons and a giant stuffed duck with the name tag 'Tenet Mix.' It took him the better part of a day and pushing past his fuzzy thoughts to realize it was an anagram for 'next time.' Kevin just knows the duck is from Kayla, and he's already texted her to tell her that he gets it. It's the one thing in the room that has made him smile.
The rest now is just a waiting game, until the doctor comes to release him. Yet another reason he's glad he's not on the force anymore. It means he won't have to go through psych just to get his gun back and when he's released to work, he'll really be released to work.
Kevin hates waiting games.
At least he has a private room.

Kevin is not the only one that hates hospitals. Lilith has always hated them. The stench of death fills the air, and the recently, and not-so-recently departed tend to stick around. She even knows a few doctors and nurses that hover in the hospital corridors trying to ensure the health of the patients and refusing to move on.
She's seen them her entire life, and she's always tried to ignore them. The problem is, they don't always try to ignore her. She's got JJ acting as a guard today, but it's not really helping things.
Please, my granddaughter is in surgery. The same surgery that killed me. Check on her and ensure she's alright. An old, kindly woman begs this of her as she passes by carrying her basket.
No, no, you can't go down that hallway. That's the hallway that leads to the maternity ward. My wife gave birth in there, says a man that looks to be in his early 40s, and wearing clothing from at least eighty years ago. Lilith continues walking down the hall, exhaling slowly as she does.
He is in the next room, Miss Lancaster, John Jacob Astor tells her as she continues on her way. He got shot on Friday, and the only reason that I know about it is that one of the deceased described him when I went to see what all the fuss was while you were recording.
Lilith nods, smiling at the spectre. She may be the only one that can see him, but his talking to her is keeping her focused and not letting on that she can actually hear the others that wander through the halls.
Knocking on the door to the room in question, she peeks her head around. "Detective Curtis?"

The sound of his name has Kevin putting down the remote and turning his head toward the door. He can't help that his face brightens a bit, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth at the sight of a familiar … and unexpected face.
"Is there a sign on the door that I can't read?" Kevin asks with a teasing smile. "One that says everyone has to address me so formally?"

"In big red letters, yes."
Hefting the basket up, she moves into the room. Glancing over her shoulder she nods for JJ to follow her. "We brought you a gift, though you won't be able to drink the wine until you get out of here." Lilith smirks a little and adds, "Not that you generally drink wine, but the place that makes the baskets don't keep beer in stock."
Setting the basket by the bed where he can reach it, she exhales a sigh. "I apologize for not coming sooner. John only found out about it last evening while talking to one of the deceased."
The necromancer hasn't forgotten her promise to the ghost to stop calling him 'JJ' for at least a week.

"They need to put those things where patients can see them. It's not fair to talk about us behind our backs," Kevin grins. As the necromancer walks into the room, the detective shifts and changes position in bed, trying hard to bite back a wince of pain.
"With all the antibiotics and pain meds that they're going to send me home with, I won't be able to touch either for a good month." He won't take the pain meds, not unless it's absolutely necessary, though. The antiobiotics? Yeah, Kevin isn't stupid in that regard. He'll be a good boy.
His good arm, the one no where near where the bullet went in - and came out - reaches for the basket with a widening grin. "I like this. This is a gift. I can eat it. You can't eat balloons." He gives her a wink.
"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't have expected you to know." Kevin shrugs then pulls a pained face as he immediately regrets it. "These things happen."

"Well there's balloons there too," she says, pulling the ribbon of the big one that says 'Get Well'. "But I've found when people are injured or sick they get bored of balloons. This, at least, you can enjoy."
Well look at who is being utterly flirtatious, JJ says, perching on the bed by Kevin's feet. The necromancer rolls her eyes in that direction, and then turns back to the Detective.
"I'm just glad I didn't find out in a different way. You're lucky you weren't more seriously injured."

"Enjoy it, I will." Kevin takes a breath, and bracing himself, grabs the control for the bed. He shifts upwards as he changes the incline, and then tugs the dinner tray with the basket into a more reachable position.
Kevin misses the eye rolling, but he does look around the room with a tinge of curiosity. "Is he here now? J - John?"
There's a sigh and Kevin combs fingers through his hair before tugging the bow off the top of the cellophane covering the basket. "I think I'm a cat. This is the third time I've been shot."

Lilith watches him with his difficulty in sitting up. She wants to ask where he was shot, but figures that's likely the least tactful thing she can do. "He's sitting at your feet. He's promised to keep an eye on you and come to let me know if something happens."
Soon enough JJ will be keeping an eye on someone else, but she's not about to discuss that yet.
Pulling a chair closer to the she finds that it's stuck on something. Frowning, she bends down and comes back up with a slightly mangled gift box.
"I'm guessing this is from one of your admirers? It seems to have fallen off the night table."

Kevin turns his attention to the foot of the bed and nods politely. "It's not intentional if I kick you or put my foot through you, Mr. Astor." Yes, there's the chance a nurse could walk in at that moment and think he's completely insane, but he could always get Dr. Knight to vouch for his sanity.
"Miss Graves, are you worried about me?" Kevin asks, half-teasing and half-surprised. He's not used to anyone outside of The Priory being worried about him.
The detective's brow crinkles in confusion as she lifts up the box. "I didn't see that one before."

I can move if my presence here is unnerving him. I can always perch atop a toy on the night table.
Lilith grins at the ghost, and then laughs. "He's offered to move if you're uncomfortable with the thought of putting your foot through him. I should note that you may know when you do it. A slightly chillier air will be there." Some humans are sensitive to that type of thing.
"Yes."
Kevin is the closest thing she's got to a real friend. Not only that, he's the closest she's come to anyone outside of her publicist in years.
Dusting the box off she offers it out to him. "Regardless, I'm sorry I ran it over with the chair."

"A little chill on my foot is better than the searing pain in my mid-section," Kevin says with a laugh.
Her frankness and honesty surprise him and Kevin blinks at the necromancer. He can feel his ears turning a bit pink around the tips and he clears his throat as he snags the small box of Oreos. "Oreos. I love these."
The box proves to be a good distraction and Kevin takes it and studies it. No card, nothing written on it. Opening it, he peers and blinks. "Huh?"
Beat."I don't think this was for me."

"I imagine so." Since she's still standing rather than sitting in the chair, she peeks quickly over her shoulder and moves to close the door. Ghosts will still get through if they want to, but her hope is that if they can't see her completely, they'll not know to bother her.
Sometimes she feels like she's cracking up.
"I can go get you a glass of milk if you'd like? To dunk them?" A hand comes up to fix a stray strand of hair that falls into her face before she wanders back to the bed. Reaching for the extra pillow, she eases it behind Kevin's back to make sitting up a little easier for him.
"Are you sure? They clean the rooms thoroughly before they bring new patients in. It must be for you."

"Very funny," Kevin tosses back at Lilith. He's smiling though, and he's in better spirits than he was before she entered the room.
A gracious smile is thrown in her direction when she moves the pillow into place. "You're better at that than the the nurses. Did you know you had a great bedside manner?"
Kevin peers at the ring in the box, taking it out to get a better look. "Why would someone send me this?"

"No. Likely because I generally avoid hospitals like the plague." As though just bringing up an old word like plague is going to rain spirits down on her, she glances over her shoulder again. Since JJ has come into her life, she has been noticing more and more of them. She caught herself this morning talking to a woman in the hallway that wasn't really there. She's not done that since she was a child.
"I wasn't joking though. I can go ask the nurse to bring you some, or run to the cafeteria if you want?"
Glancing down at the ring, she blinks. "I have no idea. It looks old though."

"I've tried that. Avoiding hospitals like the plague. It doesn't work for me usually." Kevin gives a minute stretch, just enough to loosen his shoulder and not pull too much. He can understand why Lilith might avoid hospitals. Plenty of death and loss in these places.
"It does," Kevin frowns. "Looks like a family heirloom." Not his family certainly. Kevin doesn't have family, not really, not outside of The Priory. In the system from the time he was three until he was about eight - not young enough to be a primary candidate for adoption, and too old for couples wanting a new family to want him - when he was finally fostered out by the Curtises. How he ended up there and what happened to the Curtises are both stories for later days.
Removing it from the box, he holds it with his thumb and fingers and looks at it under the light. Looking for any familiar markers. "Looks like it's worth something too." Just in the age alone. The stone looks like onyx inlaid with an ankh in silver. The setting appears to be silver, and old.
"Mr. Astor, have you ever seen anything like this?"

"I see that. You seem rather unlucky with the wrong place at the wrong time thing. You need to be more careful." Lilith shoots him a stern look that she tries to make say that he'd best not argue with her.
I have not seen one like that before, but it is a family heirloom. JJ points to his finger where the ghostly ring is still there.
Lilith leans in to look at it, noting the similarity in design, but the vast majority of differences as well. "It's at least as old as John," she says quietly. "He has an heirloom ring that looks similar."
There is something strange about it. It almost looks as though it is glowing.
Snapping her head toward the ghost, she asks, "Is that normal?"
Well I have never seen anything glow before. It could just mean that it has been worn by plenty of people.
"He says he can see a glow around it, but he doesn't know what it means."

"That wasn't accidental. Being on the site, I mean. Getting shot? Totally accidental." He manages a half-contrite smile. He's already been mothered and scolded by Doris and Kayla, and to some extent Ashcroft and Blackwell too but he knows that he'd do it again.
Looking at the ring closely again, Kevin whistles. "Old then."
Beat.
"Glowing?" That's enough to tell Kevin not to put it on until he's had it looked at properly. Not that he would have anyway, but Astor's words about a glow confirm it. "That can be good or bad. It could be magic." It could be cursed, though he hasn't run into any cursed items. "Good thing I know a few people who can look at this sort of thing."

"Even so, don't do it again. I happen to like our friendship, Detective, and I'd hate for you to be in John's place, trying to tell me what happened." Lilith gives his arm a gentle squeeze and then moves to sit in the chair before she does anything else.
"That's what he said. Glowing. I don't know what that means to a ghost, to be honest. It could just be that it's got a spectral glow to it too. Some objects are known to carry it if they were worn by someone who died." Not that Lilith has ever been able to see it, but she's at least heard of it."
It is not a spectral glow. This is different.
Nodding at the ghost, she quietly says, "He's pointed out that it's something he's not seen before. So not a spectral glow."Logfile from NYC - Lilith.

Again, her conviction and words surprise him, but Kevin thinks he does a fair decent job of covering it up this time. He nods his heads and snaps off a salute. "Yes, ma'am. You're not the only one who doesn't want me to be in John's place. No offense, Mr. Astor." Not too many people want to be dead.
Nodding again, Kevin puts the ring back in its box and closes the lid. "It'll be checked out before I wear it." The detective frowns and bites back a curse. "I probably shouldn't have handled it so much. Will make it hard to scrub for prints." Nothing to be done about it now, so he's not going to worry too much over it. Blackwell will look at it magically, or find someone who can. Beyond that, it's another mystery for now.
Grinning, he offers a cookie to Lilith, "I like our friendship too, Miss Graves."'

None taken, young man. JJ snaps off a salute of his own and moves so that he's hovering over the bed and looking down at the ring. When it's put away, he takes his place back at the foot of the bed.
"A good idea. Especially since there's no card attached."
Pulling her chair closer to the bed, she takes the offered cookie. In a move that's rare for her and shows her age, she twists the cookie apart and licks at the icing in the middle before she even realizes that she's doing it. Catching herself, she quietly puts the cookie back together and clears her throat.
"I spoke with Kieran Collins about the case. Shared with him the composite sketches we got from Mandy."

"Yes, some people call it paranoia. In my line of work? I call it 'staying alive.' " There is no one in the world he can think of who would send such a thing anonymously, and anonymous gifts are not always good things.
As she pulls the cookie apart, Kevin smiles broadly and chuckles a bit. He says nothing, even as she presses the cookie back together. Simply takes his and opens it the way she did, licking the icing off with a wink. Sometimes, you just have to know when to relax.
His smile fades a bit at the mention of Collins. "Which means we may be hearing from him soon, if Blackwell hasn't already."
Beat.
"Vampires," Kevin grunts. "Things would be easier if they'd work with us." If Kostas would work with them.

"I think Mr. Collins wants to work with us. He asked if he could 'borrow' John, if he was willing to help him. To watch someone." Lilith smiles broadly, not at the discussion, but that Kevin's actions make her want to relax. Closing her eyes, she pulls the cookie apart again and licks the rest of the icing off. When she's done with the icing, she pulls out a tissue from the box by the bed and sets the chocolate cookie pieces atop it. Breaking off a small piece, she nibbles it thoughtfully.
"Blackwell? I think that's the man he mentioned to use as a third party so I'd be more comfortable in his presence."

Kevin perks up attentively. That's new. Blackwell and Ashcroft haven't mentioned anything to him, though it's not altogether surprising. Visitations have been light on talk about work and work requirements.
The detective rakes a hand through his hair and then whinces and hisses. "Fuck," comes out through gritted teeth as he slowly lowers the arm to lessen the pain and waits for the sting to reside. "Old habits, I keep forgetting …" Pain makes a good teacher.
Blowing out a puff of air, and then a longer breath, Kevin settles back against the pillow. "Who does Collins want to spy on?"
Beat.
"No, never mind." Kevin shakes his head. "Not for discussion here, probably. But, I can see why he might have suggested Blackwell. Collins gets on better with him than he does … a lot of people." Probably because Blackwell is publicly dating Sera, which again, still boggles Kevin's mind and makes him wonder why The Priory hasn't cracked down, or if they intend to do so.

"Are you alright?" Lilith is out of the chair immediately, chocolate crumbs falling to the floor. Moving to the other side of the bed, she rests her hand gently on his arm on the injured side of his body. "You're not used to being this injured I'm guessing, and that's a good thing." She's already going to talk to the doctor about taking care of Kevin's medical bills, because she has the money and she's not sure what his job at the Priory offers for health insurance.
"Is this Mr. Blackwell to be trusted? Can I trust him? I did mention I would rather work with you, but that was before I found out you were injured, and I doubt that Mr. Collins wants to come to the hospital to talk to John."

"I'm here and pulling at my stitches, so I'd say that I'm alright," Kevin responds cheekily. The alternative is far worse. He reaches up with his good hand and places it lightly on top of hers, giving it a squeeze of gratitude.
"Trustworthy? Blackwell? Oh hell yeah. He's one of those types that mothers in grocery stores hand their babies too without a second thought." Kevin laughs at his own words, mostly because he's never seen it happen, but can imagine it. "He's my boss. Or he's going to be someday." So far as Kevin knows, that hasn't changed.

"You're going to need help when you get out of here. At least for a week or two. You can come stay at my place. I've got plenty of rooms and I wouldn't mind the company." Lilith looks down at him before twisting her hand around and squeezing his. "You don't have to recuperate on your own."
Pausing as she extracts her hand from his, she continues as though she didn't just say anything.
"Then I'll trust him in this until you're up and on your feet and ready to work. He may be trustworthy, but both John and I know you."

Kevin immediately opens his mouth to object on force of habit and knee jerk reaction alone. Before the words are out, he closes it and holds her gaze for a moment. It's a generous offer, and the other option involves having Doris or Kayla at his place trading off shifts, or Doris insisting (and browbeating Ashcroft into agreeing) that Kevin stay in one of the bedrooms at Priory House. He doesn't know why, but for some reason, being with Lilith doesn't sound that terrible. Ghosts and all.
"Alright, thank you. I'm warning you ahead of time, I hear I'm a terrible patient," Kevin winks.
"That's a deal, then. I'm sure Collins will be amendable to the change, considering that he's asked for your help."

"Good, then it's settled. I'll have the guest room aired out, and make sure anything you need is available to you. You'll just have to give me a list. I'll even swing by your place and pick up anything you might want." Lilith breathes a sigh of relief when he agrees to staying at her place. She'll be able to keep an eye on him, and Mandy can help while JJ is out helping Mr. Collins.
"He's going to have to be amenable to it, or it's not happening."
No one has even asked me if I care to do it, JJ points out.
"I'm sorry, John, you're right. This is only if you care to do it. I'm not going to force you, but it would give you something to do, and you can easily pop back and forth whenever you want so you can keep an eye on me too."
I will think about it then.

"Thank you," Kevin says again. He means it sincerely. Lilith didn't have to offer her place, and he doesn't know why she did, but he does appreciate it. "I hope that I'm not too terrible of a roomate."
He shifts against the pillow, "I'll write you up a list." Basic necessities mostly, a few pair of comfortable sweat pants and t-shirts, his sudoku puzzle books. Kevin lifts a hand and rubs at his stubbled face. "Shaving is going to be fun. Maybe I'll draw you a scavenger map to find my old electric razor." It would have to be an injury on his right side.
"Who exactly does Collins want you to watch?" He's looking at the foot of the bed, out of politeness though he can't see JJ.

"If you are it'll only be for a few weeks. I'm sure we'll survive." Lilith will be filming during the day. Actually she could film at home while Kevin's there if she has to. That could actually be fun. She could just do interviews and such and have them air reruns for a week or two. It's not like she's on every day.
"I'll buy you a new one, or you can risk John giving me instructions on how to shave you." Which could also be amusing.
"He didn't say, and I thought it better than to ask him in the middle of his own club."

Kevin's eyes widen comically in what can only be wariness and he shakes his head. "I think we'll stick with electric. No offense, but it's the face. It's a sensitive place. No need to play barber college with balloons, and me as the balloon."
He thinks he's had all the surprises for the night when she says what she say next. "You … went to Purgatory?"

The look on his face is priceless, and Lilith actually laughs. She has no clue what it is about Kevin that makes her feel more human, and a little more alive than she normally does. It's likely because he's a generally grounded individual.
"Don't worry. I happen to like your face as-is. I wouldn't want to ruin the charm of it for all the women." Once she's satisfied that he's actually alright and isn't just playing tough guy for her, she moves back to the chair.
"It was public, his businesswoman stated that he'd be there that evening, and I figured it was the safest way to meet a vampire that I could take."
You looked like a trollop, though not half as bad as some of the women that were in there. Where is the respect they should have for themselves?
Glancing to JJ and then to Kevin, she mutters, "John was not at all happy about my going, or about my being alone with Mr. Collins."

Kevin can understand that. Meeting a vampire is unnerving, and being in a public place would add a certain amount of comfort. "One of his businesses is the best place to meet with Collins. He's particular about his public human facade and protects it well." Just a bit of advice for dealing with him in the future if Lilith should choose to do so. Kevin knows what Collins is, and a few more specifics than he would like, and public meeting spots are his preferred as well.
"Wasn't happy about the club or about you being there?" The question is asked in general, and he wonders if Lilith will give him Astor's answer if one comes. "Women have a good deal less modesty than what you grew up with, don't they?"

"Both," Lilith replies with a laugh. "He equated it to a brothel at one point. Though, I was honestly wearing something extremely modest for a place like that. Not modest enough for John, but more than modest for Purgatory." Meeting with a vampire is more than unnerving for the necromancer. She can detect the difference in the soul. The corruption of it. It drives her mad to be near one for the length of a conversation, and it's one of the reasons she was glad she had Detective Curtis as her date at the soiree at Kostas'.
A self respecting woman should not be in a place like that on her own.
Rolling her eyes, she relays that little bit to Kevin.
Women these days all look like they belong in a bawdy house. I know that this is a different time, but the more women fight for equality, the more they turn themselves into objects.
That is also relayed, with a sigh of exasperation.

Kevin chuckles softly. "I think that there are limits, Mr. Astor. But, the girls, and mostly those are still girls even if they are old enough to drink and vote, want to be looked at as objects of desire. There are arguments all around on both sides of how far back we've slid when young women judge their worth on how much boys want to f - er, bed them, but unfortunately, it is the world we live in."
The detective sighs and gives a wry smile, "Thankfully, they're not all prone to it, and most of them grow out of it."

Limits or not, these young women behave as ladies of the night and then seem to get perturbed when the men they wish to entice get grabby with them. If they had respect for themselves they would not behave in that manner.
This too, Lilith relays, watching Kevin's reaction. She hasn't really had a phase like that. Parties when she was younger, yes, but not after the night her parents died. She's been quite well behaved since then, though she didn't attend college.
"John, you should know by now that I am not one of those women. My clothing is hardly as risque as most and I prefer the company of gentlemen like Detective Curtis, and not those handsy blowhards from the nightclubs."

"Yes, they do believe that they have the right to show off their … assests and be unmolested. It's a look, but don't touch world, and young men are expected to understand that. They wouldn't grab a woman on the beach for wearing a bikini, so they can't use the clothing as an excuse." Kevin speaks lightly of it, but he was a cop and saw things and heard things that leave him not wanting to have a daughter and feeling for the men who do.
"No, you're not," Kevin agrees. "You're very settled in your own skin, and that's not a bad thing."

Bikinis are another matter altogether. Knickers in my day were more involved than those things they swim in these days.
Lilith looks at the ghost and laughs lightly. "Yes, but again, times change. Climate changes too. It would be horrendous to have to wear the swimsuits and petticoats they wore in your day, John."
Glancing at Kevin, she lifts his hand and kisses his fingers. "I wouldn't call it settled so much as having a certain persona I have to maintain publicly. I've no reason to run around flaunting myself or my body, so I don't."

Kevin can't hide his surprise at the kiss to his fingers, or the way his ears turn slightly pink. Lilith isn't flirting with him, and he knows this, but it doesn't curb the slightly stunned and sheepish and embarrassed reaction. "You are more mature and have more class than that."
He's preparing to say something more when there's a knock on the door, followed by it opening a few moments later.
"Do you know what I love about hospitals?" Kevin asks rhetorically. "How they knock on the door but never wait for you to say 'come in.' "
"If I waited for you to say 'come in,' Detective, I'd be waiting all day," Robert Knight points out as he steps into the room with a tablet in hand. He runs his fingers along the screen, and then smiles and nods to Lilith before looking over at Kevin. "How are you doing, today, Kevin?"
Kevin sits up straighter. "That all depends. Did you come to spring me?"
Robert laughs and shakes his head. "No. I came to check your bandage, and to see if you're still being stubborn with the pain medication. From that wince and the way you're shifting awkwardly to the left? I'm going to take that as a yes."

"Thank you," Lilith replies sincerely. It honestly is nice to know that someone is paying attention to the way she is, and not that she's an extremely minor celebrity.
"Dr. Knight, it's good to see you again." They may not run entirely in the same circles, but she's come across him a few times at different charity events. "Would a pillow chair be better for him right now, as opposed to the pillows that just sink back down? If so, I can have one sent to his room in an hour." Once she finds one that she thinks the Detective will feel comfortable in.
"That being asked, I can leave if you need to take care of his bandages." Glancing to the foot of the bed, she gives JJ a look and hopes that he'll stay so he can keep her apprised as to what is actually going on with Kevin.

"Miss Graves," Robert gives the woman a friendly, professional smile and an inclination of his head. He is familiar with her and her work - his children have unique television watching habits. He turns back to Kevin, "The duty nurse tells me that you said that your pain is less and you need the pain medication less often?"
Robert looks down at his tablet, types rapidly and peers back up at Kevin. "I don't believe you. What's your pain, Kevin?"
Kevin shrugs and regrets it. "Six maybe."
Robert narrows his gaze, feeling like he's talking to one of his children. "You need the medication. At the regular dose. Your body needs to heal and it can't relax and do that if you're in pain." The sorcerer doctor looks at the necromancer, "Maybe you can be the voice of reason with him?"
Beat.
"I don't see why he can't have a pillow chair. That's permissible." Crossing over to the bed, he checks the IV levels and reaches out to take Kevin's wrist and measure his pulse. "It'll only take a few moments to check the bandage, Miss Graves. Then our stubborn detective needs to get out of bed and walk around. Also good for healing."

Lilith being the voice of reason. She raises her brow at that, and moves back to Kevin's side. "Detective Curtis, you really should take that pain medication. He's right, you need to heal. Would you take the pain medication for me? Whatever the lowest dose possible that the doctor says you need to take. At least that?"
Flipping her hair over her shoulder she fixes a stern look on Kevin's face, and then says, "I'll be out in the hallway arranging the delivery of a pillow chair. Let the doctor do his job. I'll take care of everything else we discussed."

Kevin sighs and puts on a very good pout. "Yes, ma'am."
When Lilith exits the room, Robert checks the wound and proclaims that it's healing quite nicely while Kevin complains that the sorcerer didn't have to treat him like a child.
"Then don't act like one, Kevin. I understand your issues with medication after what happened with Sargeant Rhodes, but you do need it. I won't tell you how to do your job, don't tell me how to do mine, a'right, mate?"
"Alright, alright." Kevin isn't happy, but he won't argue with the doctor. "Could I have you look at something before you leave?" Kevin is hesitant to do it, because he doesn't know if Astor is still in the room, and he might well be outing Robert when he could wait for Blackwell. However, Blackwell knows a lot, but Robert is married to a witch and Kevin has been into the man's ER enough (not usually for him, thank god) that he's learned what Robert does isn't always sorcerer magic.
"Something we missed?" Robert asks.
"No. Something more to your other skill set." Kevin reaches for the box on the stand beside the bed and holds it out to Robert. "What do you think?"
The sorcerer lifts a brow curiously, and stretches a hand for the box. He blinks before his fingers touch it. "Magic." Beat. "Who's the admirer?"
"Don't know," Kevin says with a sigh. "It was here and it was unmarked. You barely even touched it before you said that."
"It's strong magic." Robert opens the box carefully and peers at the ring. "You didn't put this on, did you?"
"I'm not stupid." Beat. "Typically." Kevin tilts his head. "Can you pick up anything?"
The sorcerer focuses on the ring a moment, holding his hand over it before picking it out of the box. He folds it in his hand and frowns a bit, closing his eyes. For a few moments, he's quiet and then he slowly opens his eyes and returns it to the box. "It's combination magic. Makes it a little harder to suss it out. Definitely witch magic. Protective. Maybe healing, but there's sorcerer magic there too, giving it power."
Closing the box, he hands it back to Kevin. "Healing is my forte and anything that leans toward that. I'm not the best at identifying spells on objects without a little more prep work. You didn't ask Blackwell?"
"Just got it today. Or just found it today." Kevin quickly explains how the ring was discovered. "I thought I'd borrow your expertise since you were already here."
"Don't wear it until you've had it thoroughly checked and tested. It could be anything or a lot more than what I was able to sense. The wrong kind of magic will be dangerous and it's not something I can cut you open and fix." Robert pats Kevin on the foot and shivers a bit as a chill runs up his arm.
"Keep an eye on thermostat in here. Let the nurse know if it gets too cold. Take your pain med and I'll see about getting you out of here tomorrow."
With that Robert departs, and seeing Lilith in the hall, grins. "He's all yours."

John Jacob Astor has been many things, both in life and his unlife. At the moment, he's playing babysitter. It's not a job that he prefers to be doing, especially because he can't actually talk to anyone that's currently in the room. Though he does hear the entire conversation and tries to keep it fresh, word for word, so he can relay it to his charge later.
He's repeating the words to himself as a hand passes through his body. He's tempted to play games and keep the chill on the sorcerer for a while, but he notes another ghost in the corner by the door. Keeping a steely gaze on the doctor.
"Perfect, thank you," Lilith is saying as Robert walks out the door. Glancing at him, and behind him, she blinks in surprise. Hanging up the phone, she reaches for Robert's arm so that he doesn't actually depart too far from the room.
"How is he doing? I can't promise I can get him to keep taking the meds, but he'll take them for today if I've got to sit here all afternoon and force them down his throat." They may not be anything more than two people at the beginnng of a friendship, but the necromancer will stay and keep the Detective company as long as she's able to.
"By the way," she says, dropping her voice to a whisper, "You are being followed by a man. Very stern face." She goes on to describe his height, weight, and features. "Not dangerous as far as I can tell, simply keeping a close eye on you. I can try talking to him if you'd like?"Logfile from NYC - Lilith.

"He's doing remarkably well, all things considered. It could have been a lot worse," Robert tells Lilith honestly. He wasn't aware that the detective and necromancer were friends but he's not questioning it. She's here to see him, and he's glad to see that Kevin has her in addition to the Priory.
"The surgery was a success and he's only still here because of the fever spike on Saturday. At least he takes his antibiotics." For not the first time, Robert is tempted to make the pain pills look like antibiotics.
"He'll probably be ready to go home tomorrow."
Robert has lost count of the number of 'debates' Siobhan and Christian have had over whether or not Lilith can truly speak to the dead or is just a very good cold reader. He's never judged. She may be a necromancer, she may not. She doesn't hurt anyone with her gift (or lack of), and she's respectable. So, when she says what she does, there's a flicker of surprise across his face and Robert catches himself glancing over his shoulder though he knows that he won't see anything. He instinctively shakes the hand that was chilled in Kevin's room.
"He sounds … familiar." Vaguely, though the description could fit a good portion of the deceased in his family. Robert certainly can't think of any that would be following him, the disinherited black sheep. "Are you sure he's following me?"
The spirit seems surprised to have been noticed, and gives a small smile that softens his features. He looks at Lilith for a moment, to Robert and back to Lilith. Tell him it's Uncle Shaun.

"Tomorrow. He won't be going home though. He shouldn't actually be on his own until he's out of pain and has no chance of fever again." Lilith tucks her hair behind her ear, keeping as straight a face as possible. "He'll be staying in my guest room."
The necromancer raises her brow, and smiles back at the ghost. "I will," she offers quietly.
"He says that it's Uncle Shaun."
She keeps her eyes on the spirit for a few seconds, and then says to him, "If you'd ever like to have a sit down, come and find me. Doctor Knight is an associate and I wouldn't mind relaying the conversation for him."

Robert grins when he hears Kevin will be going home with Lilith. "Very good. He does need someone to look after him."
There's anothe flicker of surprise across the doctor's face. He clearly knows that name, and he shakes his head with a chuckle. "Doesn't that make perfect sense?" One blacksheep watching over another. Also his Uncle Shaun was his favorite uncle.
The sorcerer looks around again, as humans are wont to do even when they know they can't see anything. "Uncle Shaun," Robert repeats. He shakes his head. "I have rounds." Because he really can't handle this right now, when he's at work.
Robert walks a few paces and turns back, giving Lilith a nod, "If he wants to talk, I'd be happy to do so." Beat. "Have a good day, Miss Graves."
Shaun Knightley watches his nephew go and nods to Lilith. I will do that. The ghost still retains his Australian accent, somewhat thicker and heavier than Robert's.

"Good luck with those."
Lilith doesn't head back into the room right away. Instead she turns to the space beside the door before the ghost moves off. "If you have trouble finding me, look for the ghost you might have seen in the other room. He'll pass on a message for you."
Opening the door, she waves to 'Uncle Shaun', and then puts on a smile for Kevin.
"Looks like you'll be released tomorrow, Detective. If you promise to take your pain medication and antibiotics."

"I don't have a problem with antibiotics," Kevin sighs. He rakes a hand, the left one, through his tousled hair and frowns. "I need a shower and a shave."
Gingerly shifting, he turns his eyes ceilingward for a few moments. "I knew someone. A cop when I was on the force. He got hooked on pain killers. Wasn't pretty."
Beat.
"But I get it, and I know Robert is a good doctor. He wouldn't be so insistent if I didn't need them. If it gets me out of here, I'll play by his rules."

"They'll help you heal, Detective." Lilith moves back toward the bed, and turns to JJ. "John, if you meet a ghost named Shaun who looks similar to the good doctor, will you be kind enough to let me know? He may want to talk with his nephew at some point, and I promised I would act as a go-between."
The necromancer sets the back of her hand to Kevin's forehead and exhales a sigh. "I won't let you get hooked on them. I promise. You'll take what the doctor prescribes for today and tomorrow while you're getting used to my place. Then we'll wean you off of them. Cut the dosage by a little at a time. Have you go as long as you can with the pain if you want."
Beat.
"I want you up and well enough to go to a kennel with me in a few days. After meeting a stranger I wasn't really comfortable with in the park, I've decided I need a dog to keep me company when I go walking. I think I'll get you one for a companion too."

Kevin can't help the smile that crosses his face at her hand on his forehead. "Are you really taking my temperature?" It's amusing and sweet, and Kevin likes the attention and is flattered by her behavior.
"We'll do it your way." Beat. "And thank you."
"A dog as a companion is a good idea for you. An attractive, single woman living alone needs protection. Unless you plan on getting one of those yappy dogs you carry in a purse." Then again, that could be protection too, simply on the yappiness factor alone.
"I need a companion dog too?"

"Yes."
Lilith notes the smile. He looks comfortable when he does that, and she wants to smack his good shoulder just to get him to stop looking at her like that.
He is flirting with you, Miss Lancaster.
"Hush, JJ." Blushing at the compliment, she removes her hand from his forehead and exhales a sigh. "I don't want something small. I want something protective. There's a kennel in Connecticut that breeds Rhodesian Ridgebacks. They have a pair that they can't sell for breeding, because the ridges aren't as defined as the rest of the litter."
Pausing, she nods. "Yes, you do need a companion dog. I was thinking of training it to detect when ghosts are around you. It won't exactly give you protection or them or let you speak with them, but at least you'd know."

"Good. Small just won't do," Kevin nods. He's not that familiar with Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and he tells her as much. "However, I'll defer to your good judgement. I'll take my medicines like clockwork so we can go on our road trip." He's smiling boyishly at her, and really is considerably more relaxed than he was before her visit.
"A ghost warning dog. Interesting. Good idea."

"Thank you, Kevin!" Leaning over she presses a friendly kiss to his forehead. "They're one of the top ten protective dogs according to Caesar Milan. You know, the Dog Whisperer." Lilith looks embarrassed to be admitting that. "They're friendly, and they'll protect their human companions with their lives."
Beat.
"I think I'll run downstairs and pick you up some sudoku puzzle books at the gift shop while I wait for your pillow chair to be delivered."

"No, thank you," Kevin reaches for her hand, and gives her fingers a gentle squeeze. "Without your generous offer, I'd be at home being smothered, I mean, mothered by Doris and Kayla. Don't get me wrong, I love them like family, but …" The former cop sighs, shakes his head and remembers at the last to not rake his other hand through his hair. "I love them like family."
"Friendly and protective. Sounds like a good breed of dog. I'll sleep easier knowing one is curled up at the foot of your bed."
Kevin is about to tell her that she doesn't have to do that, but all that escapes is a yawn. He smiles sheepishly and leans back. "I'll just rest my eyes while you do that."

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