8295/Nothing Like a Long Nap

Nothing Like a Long Nap
Date of Scene:	13 July 2019
Location:	Mt Sinai Hospital
Synopsis:	Spider Woman visits Captain Quaid in hospital. Captain Quaid comes out of his coma and shares what happened to him.
Cast of Characters:	Frank Quaid, Spider-Woman (Drew)

---

Frank Quaid has posed:
It was no problem for Jess to find out what room Frank was in at Mt. Sinai. Even the imminent end of visiting hours was no trouble. The detective who intercepted Jess down the hall from Frank's room was a bit more of an issue. She demanded identification, reasons for visiting, identification /again/ and very quickly seemed to generally dislike Jess. The uniformed officer at the door to Frank's room was only slightly less discouraging.

"... That's bullshit and you know it, you didn't just /happen/ to go away on course with her every fucking..." a tall, serious looking woman with long brown hair. She is in jeans and a moderately low-cut black blouse that attests to her good genetic fortune. She looks angry as she cuts herself off mid-sentence when the door opens.

"And who are you?" she asks Jess brusquely, giving her the once over.

Frank is unconscious in the lone bed in the room. Monitors beep steadily. He window sill and bedside table have a variety of cards and flowers on them.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Jessica Drew, Avenger and Agent of SHIELD," Jess replies, opening her black flip wallet to show credentials. She knows the drill. "Here to check in on Frank Quaid." She doesn't explain more than that. She doesn't get testy. That only ever makes it worse. Jess is carrying flowers, too. To add to the others. And a small, wrapped brown parcel.

Frank Quaid has posed:
Elaina makes a slightly sour face. She glances at Frank and back to Jess.

"I have to go. Yes, I'm still at the hospital... Just..." she just hangs up her phone and pockets it. Then she turns her attention back to Jess.

"Detective Sergeant Elaina Bever, Captain Quaid's partner. For years. How do you know Frank?" she asks without inviting Jess in. The uniformed officer closes the door behind Jess.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"We have met on several occasions, most recently, sentinel attacks. I was the one slinging webs," Jess replies, putting her ID back I'm her jacket pocket. "And I ran into him at Birdland a little while back. But enough about my personal life," she offers a winning smile to the woman. "Would you mind if I take in flowers?"

Frank Quaid has posed:
Elaina's eyes narrow and she crosses her arms.

"Really. Another mystery girl I've never heard of. From SHIELD," Elaina says archly, not at all mollified. "I'm going to get some air. I suddenly feel like I might gag."

Elaina brushes past Jess and lets herself out of the room.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Toodles!" Jess calls out as Elaina brushes past her. "BAD Jess," she utters under her breath, as soon as the woman is out of earshot. At least she had resisted the urge to point out that she never saw Elaina the devoted partner when the sentinels were all fired up. Maybe then she /would/ have met her.

Jessica moves over to Frank's bedside and looks down at him dolefully with a sigh.

Frank Quaid has posed:
The room is quiet and Frank seems peaceful enough. If she knows meds, Jess will note they have Frank on fairly strong pain medication, but no sedative right now. Frank's nose has a decidedly mashed and crooked look to it and is without its bandage for now.

"Ehrmat?" comes an incoherent mumble from the bed. Frank's eyes blinks slowly open. Jess can almost watch them focus.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica sets down her flowers and parcel on a bedside table. "Frank? Frank, can you hear me? It's Jessica..." She moves to touch his arm gently, and let him know she is there.

Frank Quaid has posed:
Frank makes a couple more incoherent noises before his eyes clear. He looks around before his eyes fix on Jess. There is recognition then confusion in them.

"Jess," he says hoarsely, groggily. "What are you doing here?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Checking in on you, Frank. I've been worried about you. They told me you hadn't awakened yet. How do you feel?" she asks him tentatively. "I've been worried," she repeats.

Frank Quaid has posed:
"Feel?" he asks. He looks around again. "Stoned. What happened? I don't remember coming here."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"You were hurt, they brought you here. I couldn't even get in to see you. I tried...not until today. And even then, Elaina wasn't happy about it," Jessica replies, watching the door where the woman had disappeared.

Frank Quaid has posed:
"Elaina?" he asks and looks toward the door. "Is she here, too? How long have I been here?" he asks, sounding more coherent.

He tries to push himself up a bit and winces. "I don't feel great," he admits.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"No," Jess replies quickly and places a hand on his chest. Not pressing down, just warning him not to move anymore. "You're not going to feel great, Frank. You've been asleep for a little over a week now, and there's no reason to push yourself. People have brought in flowers. Cards. This....uh....stuffed pig. Who the hell...." She looks at it with a scowl. "Now THAT'S just inappropriate."

Frank Quaid has posed:
Frank settles back down and sighs. "A week? That's crazy, we just went for coffee," he says dryly. He glances over at the cards and the pig. "That'll be my brother. He always hated my job."

Frank looks back at Jess. "You actually came by to check on me?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Why wouldn't I come to check on you?" Jess asks, looking surprised. "I'd been angling to get in here, but for awhile no one would tell me where you were. And no one would let me in, once I got here. The pitfalls of your female watchdogs," she adds with a decidedly angry glance back at the door. They aren't fans..."

Frank Quaid has posed:
"We protect our own," Frank chuckles. "Especially from beautiful young SHIELD agents. They're the worst. Sorry if Elaina gave you a hard time. She's been my partner a long time. We're good friends."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"I know you are. And I know that my uh...particular power set isn't really conducive to being liked by protective female partners or guards. I don't hold it against them." She pauses for a moment. "Well, not a LOT, anyway. But...I can't tell you how happy I am to see you awake. God, I was SO worried about you, Frank..."

Frank Quaid has posed:
"Heh, no it's not. But good to see you, too, or anything," he adds and frowns. "We're in New York? How'd I get here? Did they find me in the desert?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"We're in New York. But you /were/ in the desert. At least briefly. How did you know? Did you remember, Frank? What /do/ you remember about the desert?" Jess moves to the side of his bed and leans in a little, eager to find out what he knows. Or does not know, as the case may be.

Frank Quaid has posed:
"Jesus, it really did happen," Frank says. "I was having coffee with Elaina and then I was in the middle of a desert with this guy in a yellow suit of some kind. Said he was Professor Zoom from the future and wanted to know about Sentinels. He said I was the person who would know."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica shakes her head. "What the hell made him come to that conclusion? There others who know the damn things backwards and forward. Tony. Pym. But he took YOU?" She takes a deep breath and steadies herself. "No, okay shutting up...What happened after he took you to the desert? They found sand from the Sahara with you, when they found you. But you were so badly injured they didn't think you'd live..."

Frank Quaid has posed:
Frank scowls and his fists clench. He looks up at the ceiling and takes a deep breath. His heart rate monitor beeps faster.

"I don't think I was supposed to. He kept zipping around. He would be in front of me and then behind me. Then he..."

Frank's nostrils flare and he holds one hand up like a blade. "He took his hand and he /put it in my leg/. When I wouldn't tell anything he did it in my chest," he says, voice rising. "I tried to kill the fucker and be plunged that goddamn hand in me again!"

Frank is nearly yelling now and his face his contorted in anger. His heart rate spikes. A nurse bursts into the room followed by Elaina.

"He put his goddamn hand in me!"

"Frank?! What the hell happened?" Elaina demands, glaring her accusation at Jessica. The nurse rushes to Frank.

"Mr. Quaid, calm down, you're safe now," the nurse says in slightly accented English.

"No it's not alright! He fucking put his hand /in/ me, do you hear me?! In me!" he shouts back and tries to sit up.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Frank," Jessica says softly, placing a hand on his arm. She shakes her head. "It's over now, and I swear to every god that can hear me that I will /never/ let that happen to you again. It's over, you're /going/ to be all right. Just breathe." She reaches up and strokes his hair soothingly, shaking her head. "It's all in the past, and we're going to get you better. Breathe for me, all right? Breathe deep. I'm going to find him. And I'm going to make sure he never gets the chance to even look at you again."

Frank Quaid has posed:
Frank's head snaps around to Jess when she touches him. He is furious but focuses on her then lays back with his eyes closed. His breathing slows steadily toward something normal, and his pulse follows.

The nurse smiles her thanks to Jessica and presses a cancel button on the wall.

"Just what the /hell/ is going on?" Elaina demands from Jessica darkly. She looks at Jessica soothing Frank, stroking his hair, then back at Jessica. "When did he wake up?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"He woke up just after you left," Jessica says gently to Elaina. "He didn't know where he was or what happened." She frowns darkly at that, then continues. "He seems to have remembered pretty much everything, though. And it seems I have someone to track down and eviscerate."

She looks to Elaina again. "I can give you information about the perpetrator, but I can assure you there isn't much the NYPD can do about him...You saw what happened."

Frank Quaid has posed:
Elaina purses her lips and stares at Jessica. Finally she walks over to the side of the bed.

"Hey partner," she says. "Docs say a miracle happened. You're gonna be fine. Still an ugly ass, but fine."

Frank chuckles with his eyes still closed. "Glad to hear it, El. Tell me you haven't been here all this time."

"I was. Your room is a shit office," Elaina says.

Frank looks over at Elaina. "You shouldn't have been here, you need to be home with Trevor," he says to her in mild rebuke.
    "We'll talk later," Elaina says after a quick glance at Jessica and back to Frank.

Elaina looks at Jessica again for a moment, then squeezes Frank's arm and leaves the room.

"Don't web her, she's important to me," Frank says dryly once the door closes.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Aww, but I wanna web her /so hard/, Jessica whines in faux-complaint. She smiles and looks down at Frank. "You know I wouldn't hurt anything in this world that's important to you, right? Because you're kinda important to me, too." She pauses, seemingly half-surprised at the confession herself. "Kind of a lot."

Frank Quaid has posed:
Frank laughs and shakes his head. "Don't tease us old guys, it's not nice," he says with a chuckle. "You're one of those huge open heart for everyone people, aren't you?" he observes rhetorically.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"I'm not, to be honest. I trust no one. I close myself off to everyone. I run from people to reach out to me," she answers transparently. "I don't know why I open to certain people. Those certain people are few and far between." She looks back down to Frank. "But for whatever reason, you're one of them. And I don't regret that for a moment."

Frank Quaid has posed:
"You're a strange one, Aveger Agent Jessica Drew, age 25," Frank says with a smile and a shake of his head. "But I'm glad you're around."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica grins and winks at Frank. "I'd like to see someone try and stop me from bein' around, Frank. Just let 'em try."