The incessant distant beeping was the only sound he could hear, echoing in the empty silence around him. Focusing on the rhythmic electronic ticks, he tried finding its source, trying to approach the sound.
He set his mind to the task, to find the source of the sound, pin pointing its direction and heading towards it. As it got louder and clearer, he started to hear other sounds mixed in. Voices, muffled and indistinguishable could be heard in the background. Still he pushed on.
"How are you doing?" He heard, the first thing that he could make out. The voice was familiar but he couldn't put the face to it.
"About as good as I can be." The other party replied, but this voice he knew without a doubt. He loved that voice, the smooth tenor he wanted to wake up to every morning. Will.
His senses slowly came back to him; the sounds of the place, the smell of coffee and the feeling of a warm blanket over his body. All this paled in comparison to the warmth he felt in his left hand though, feeling Will's fingers interlaced with his own. The last thing he remembered was seeing Will in The Spire, confronting Dart on his nefarious plans. All he could remember was how, since his capture, he kept wishing he could tell Will he loved him
Thane cracked open his eyes, the light in the room blinding him temporarily. As his eyes adjusted, he found himself in a hospital room, Will by his bed talking to his mother. Neither the other two had noticed him, going on about a conversation regarding Will getting some much needed sleep. Thane gave Will's hand a light squeeze, trying to get the other man's attention.
The pressure he felt in his hand brought Will's attention straight to the elite lying in bed, forgoing any conversation he was having with his mother. "Thane?" He said, shock filling him as he saw the man he loved with his eyes open.
"Hey." Thane croaked out, his voice hoarse and gravely.
Upon seeing Thane show signs of consciousness, Sarah wasted no second, immediately running out of the room in search of a doctor.
"Thane? Oh my god, you're awake. You're really awake." Will said, a tear spilling from his eyes. Happiness filled him to the point of tears, unable to hold back his feelings. Since that day in The Spire, Will had been worried sick for Thane. Sure he had managed to jump start his heart, but Thane hadn't regained consciousness. For five days, Will feared that Thane never would, with the fear only growing with each passing day.
Thane brought his hand up, wiping away the tears from Will's face, seeing the IV lines connected to his wrist. "Hey, don't cry. I'm fine...at least I think I am." Thane joked, cracking a small smile.
Will chuckled into Thane's palm, relieved that he still could joke around. "You were out for five days Thane. I thought I had lost you."
"When Dart captured me, I thought I would never see you again." Thane said, running his finger across Will's cheek. He needed to say it, tell Will what his heart was screaming to the sky. "I love you Will."
Will's eyes bulged as he looked into the silver eyes of Thane, wondering if he had heard correctly, not expecting Thane to say that. He had to admit, that he only realized he loved Thane when the other man was on the brink of death and he didn't know if Thane shared his feelings, but now Thane had said it out loud, putting to rest any doubts he may have had.
Thane watched as Will stare at him in shock, unsure of how to take the reaction Will was giving. He feared that he may have spoken too soon, that perhaps Will didn't love him in the same way, afraid that this might scare Will off, which was exactly the last thing he wanted.
Will was just about to speak when the door burst open, in coming his mother and Tracey, a healthcare droid following in after them. Thane's attention shot up to the two new occupants of the room. "Thane, it's great you're awake. How are you feeling?" Tracey asked, walking over to Thane's side.
"A little sore all over but I think I'm otherwise fine." Thane said, adjusting his body slightly, noticing how his muscles and joints ached, something he hadn't even realize until Tracey has asked, what with being preoccupied with Will prior.
"That's to be expected." Tracey said, retrieving a small flashlight from her pocket, instructing Thane to look at her, shining the light in each eye. "Pupils equal and reactive to light." She stated, the droid behind her immediately copying her words onto their online patient database. "Keep your head still and just look at my finger." She instructed once again, moving her finger left and right, up and down and watched for Thane's eye movements, after which proceeding to snap her fingers on each side of Thane's head, checking if he could hear just fine.
"Are you feeling any giddiness or feeling lightheaded?" Thane shook his head, waiting for Tracey to complete her assessment. "Everything seems to be in order. We'll remove the IV lines later on and we'll see if you're able to ambulate properly. After what happened to you, it's amazing there isn't any permanent damage. If fact, you may be healthier than you previously were."
"What actually happened to me to be exact? I don't remember much." Thane asked.
"I'll leave that to Will to explain. For now, I'll leave you two. It's good your back to joining the living Thane." Tracey smiled, turning on her heels and leaving the room. Sarah too smiled warmly at him before leaving the room, leaving the two men alone once again. Thane turned his attention to Will, who he still worried that he might have scared off due to his declaration of love.
"Dart basically tore you up from the inside, using these nano bots that are in your BIC." Will began without Thane even asking. "You went unconscious, your heart stopped, about everything bad that could have happened. I reversed it, using the nano bots to repair you instead, but you still didn't have a pulse, so I fashioned a makeshift defibrillator and jump-started your heart. Eventually got you to the hospital somehow, where you have remained unconscious for the past five days." Will said. All this time, he stood at the foot of the bed, a little too far for Thane's liking and he really thought he had screwed up big time.
"Oh...Will...I'm sorry if I scared you."
"It's not your fault. You didn't ask to be unconscious, but I'm glad you know I was worried as fuck." Will chuckled. Thane was at least relieved that Will was still joking with him.
"I didn't mean that. I mean...about what I said...just now."
Will raised an eyebrow, one side of his lip curling up in a smile. Walking over to the side of the bed, he sat down, grabbing Thane's hand in his. "Who said you scared me?"
Now Thane was confused. "But it looked like you didn't like what you heard."
Will shook his head, chuckling lightly. "Some psychologist you are. I was just shocked, and happy to be honest. If you can't tell I love you too, you should really apologize to your mother for being such a failed successor to her."
Thane didn't know if he wanted to smile or have his jaw hanging open. "You...love me too?" He repeated, a little dazed.
