1x1 with Alpha reboot

[Alpha*]

(Hmmm)

Morag is alone. Alone for the first time in months; theres no nurses and doctors poking their heads into his room. There's no Scotty who is always willing to butt in. There's no Jainie, Scotts' ex (thank goodness).
There's IS a fat blue cat with yellow eyes (he had been told) sitting on his chest. There is the neighbors in the other apartment who are arguing about the proper way to say croissant. There is the delivery guy who is on the phone asking for directions he doesn't have to deliver the Chinese food he didn't ask for -

Morag swallows his revulsion, "like I can't feed myself. " is grouched, pushing the cat off of himself, wiping the drool onto his pants before walking to the living room. The living room where a TV plays because he can't get it to turn off. The living room where he can hear the other neighbors' kid who has been screaming for five hours. The neighbors had left the kid with a babysitter who either doesn't know what she's doing, or just doesn't care. His head is pounding. "Come on-" is snarled as he picks up the phone he hasn't quite figured out how to dial.

"I'm coming!" Chirps the delivery guy, and Mor resists, barely, the urge to hang up. Then, the doorbell rings. "I'm here!" Mor opens the door, accepting the heavy bag of food that he knows he won't finish. "No it's paid for man-" says the teen when he tries to pay. "Got a tip too. See ya!"

"... yeah. " is grunted, shutting the door, sliding the bolt and leaning against it. Finally the neighbor kid is quiet, he can hear some cartoon playing, and he sighs, setting the food he isn't hungry for aside. When would Scott be back? Oh right. The vet had called to cancel as the recovery period was going to be longer. On the phone his friend was very loopy.. that was hours ago.. Morag sits at the table, head in hands and sighs. Prays for Emily to call.

Cuz when he's alone he gets in his head. Starts to think. Remember. And he can't handle another night of remembering --

---->>

Scotts' phone had died shortly after the phone call to Morag and then ordering dinner sometime around noon. While the device was charging he'd been in PT, and gotten a shower. Seen the guy who'd started to fit the prosthesis onto his leg from the wheelchair and then the bed. Then, he'd slept until probably five at night, woken up by the charge nurse and his pain. "Dinner is in a few hours dear. Do you need anything?" Is asked and he shakes his head.

Hes tired of being woke up every few hours. Tired of the same three questions. Tired of - ... just tired. The veterinarian sets aside the book he'd briefly thumbed through and picks up the phone, turns it on. Scott gnaws at his lip, then, he sends a message, 'Hey Renee,'..

[Bulldog22]

Emily sighed. It’s felt like forever since she has seen Morag and she worried. She hates not seeing him for days on even because she loves his company so much. At home, she’s lonely and bored which of course then makes her want to go out to the barn and do anything to get her mind off of it all.

This of course is Emily’s constant never ending cycle. It’s different though. Now it’s a part of her job which she loves but going out to just ride and clear her mind is so different than it was before she took over owning the place. She was proud of herself though. She had already increased revenue, increased interest in horses and championship horses. Things were going well other. But, her excitement she wanted to share with the one person she really loved.

Emily rode Ketch for a while and put him in the barn. She got him a carrot and reached for her phone dialing Morag. “Hey uhh I was riding ketch and I missed you. What are you up to?” Said Emily before allowing him to speak.
——-
Renee fixed her ponytail as she trudged around the hospital. She felt a vibration in her pocket and smiled a bit. She quickly pulled it out and her smile on grew. “Hey stranger. You better not be causing your nurses too much trouble.” She texted back. “Have you ordered your dinner? I’m at the hospital and I’m gonna take my break in a few if you want me to stop by” sent Renee.

She sighed and shoved her phone in her pocket almost scared of what his reply would be. Renee went back to checking on her patients. She had had some tricky cases lately and was just glad many of them were now doing much better than when they had come to the hospital

[Alpha*]

"Hello?" Is asked dully, voice harsh. Then, hearing her voice he breathes her name. "Emily." His hands shake, the food is dropped to one side of the door. "Come... come over." Mor pleads, voice harsh and full of trauma he refuses to talk about. "Emily, come over. " His phone beeps, threatening to loose power at any second. Beeps again.

He hates that he's so dependent on the company of others to hide the demons in his head. To lock them up. But there isn't anything else, no other way to keep them quiet. "Please Em, I don't want to re-" and the phone dies.

It beeps pathetically and he knows it lights up before the screen goes black. He knows it, and barely resists the urge to throw it across the room. Who knows what it'd hit??

The TV goes from the commercial back to the war movie he wants to turn off and he sinks to the ground, holds his head in his hands, covers his ears to the noise and sobs. Sobs heavy, wracking sobs that makes his head fill with pain, makes his chest hurt and his nose run when the gunfire commences or the shouting. "Please Em-" even though he knows she can't hear him, even though he doesn't want her to SEE him like this. Anything, ANYTHING, is better than this.

Memories of his own missions run behind his eyes as he ends up in a ball on the floor. And he could move to the bedroom again, Scott wouldn't mind, but he can't find the energy to move. Closing the door, changing the distance doesn't matter, not when he can hear the TV, not with the pictures in his head.

--->>

Scott is more than relieved when she answers the text message. *No,* is sent, eagerly, *I haven't ordered anything to eat yet. I... was texting to tell you that I'd have to miss our date... I'm not discharged until Tuesday. Sorry, Renee.*

Fingers fiddle with the white sheet, *I don't cause trouble, I'll have you know, I'm an upstanding member of society!* his text is done with a goofy face emoji to show he's joking. *if you don't mind spending time with me in the hospital, I'd love the company. I... I can order food?*

[Bulldog22]

Renee smiled brightly at the text. “Oh no worries handsome! I’ll bring up some food from the cafeteria! I’ll grab burgers and chips or something! See you soon.” She texted. She was so extremely excited to be seeing him so soon. “You know… you are going to have to owe me for missing our date.” Renee sent him teasingly .

She headed down to the cafeteria and quickly got food before heading towards his food. Thankfully she was able to check in the computer where is food was located and in now time she found him. “Hey handsome. How are you feeling?”

—-

Emily listened to him in an almost panic. The begging. The pain. The excruciating agony in his voice left her heartbroken. She couldn’t move fast enough as she closed the barn and made sure all the animals were good. Emily ran up to the house as quickly as she could and hopped into her truck taking off maybe a little too fast to see Morag.

Some thing was wrong very wrong. Emily drove to his house and parked. She immediately climbed out and ran inside. “Babe what’s wrong? “ she said. She barely got it out when she noticed the tv. Emily scurried around looking for the remote. She found it and turned the tv off going to hug him and rub his back. She kissed his head. “Hey I’m here baby. I got you.” She said softly

[Alpha*]

It's honestly forty-five minutes before she gets to him; one movie bleeds into another. The neighbors' kid is screaming again, his tears are dry but he hiccups into his knees, trying to keep his ears plugged. Yarn, the cat, cajoles for petting, pushing against him and purring - ends up laying on his hips, paws tucked under his chest. It's the cat bolting into the other room with a yowl that alerts the man to someone else being there. His heart slams in his chest with his panic; who is there? Who is it? Mor doesn't move though, doesn't care enough. And suddenly her perfume and horse smell is in his nose, and she is sitting next to him, rubbing his back and he sniffles mostly to himself. Then, he drags himself to hug her, face pressed against her stomach, shaking.

He doesn't mean to be a burden. Didn't mean to show her the messed up version of himself that came back this time. The person he became--

"Mm sorry," he mumbles into her shirt, "t'ank you, " the words come out stilted, slurred and his stuffy nose doesn't help with being able to understand the accent he grew up with. "Em'ly." Slowly the panic starts to dull, even though that kid is still screeching and he feels the burn of unshed tears behind his eyes. Even though his hands are still shaking and his shoulders are still tense. He's aware of the cat returning, not quite purring but definitely having forgiven the woman for startling him, doesn't even try to go out the open door.

----

'I will gladly make this date up with you. ' is replied, not quite sure about
his own daring. But she doesn't respond right away and S cott hadn't meant to doze, but had between the text messages. However he jerks awake and then perks right up at the appearance of the woman he'd been talking to. "Hey yourself, " is answered with a lopsided grin, carefully pulling himself into a sitting position on the bed. "I'm alright, " is informed, green eyes bright, "im... getting there. How are you?" He won't tell her all the truth. She'd run. Wouldn't she?

[Bulldog22]

Renee looked at him with soft eyes. She could tell that he may be hiding the truth but wouldn’t press him yet. “I’m doing you know. I’m glad to have heard from you and to be eating lunch with you. “ she said as she came into the room and sat down. She gently slid over his food. “How much longer will you be here? You may have some unwanted visits.” Renee tease lightly. She smiled a bit more. “How have you been feeling though? I’m sure you’re restless to get out of here.” She continued.

——-
Emily holds him tightly and rubs is back. She reaches over and honestly turns the tv off. It wasn’t doing any good even if it was on a different channel than before. “Oh there’s nothing to thank me for. I’m glad to help and I’m sorry you had to experience that.” She spoke softly as she rubbed circles on his back. She just sat there holding him not wanting to let go.

She felt terrible it had taken her so long to get there. However, she had also wished he wouldn’t be so stubborn. “I ummm….there’s a guest house on my property. It’s all one level and I hadn’t been there for a while but I had it cleaned up and fixed up. I was wondering if you would consider staying there. It wouldn’t have to be forever if you don’t want and the cat is more than welcome.” She continued. She took in a breath. “I just can’t bare to see you like this and I feel terrible I took so long to get here and I want to help and be there for you.”