Hartley Rathaway - Pied Piper (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mostlyajerk) wrote2016-06-20 11:28 am
mostlyajerk) wrote2016-06-20 11:28 am
come out, come out, wherever you are
Assorted Threads.
"It's okay, it's probably a good idea. I mean you're right, I can't even argue." He could but Hartley was being sensible and who was he to protest? Cisco sighed and let himself sinking into the hold for a good few more minutes until he moved. He had to move. If he didn't move now, he was never going to and this was going to get a lot harder.
He properly pulled up his pants, did up his belt and then smiled weakly. "I'll go out first, I'll go start on the updates in the pipeline, get them all sorted." Cisco shrugged his shoulders somewhat. "Thanks. For, erm, for everything."
He properly pulled up his pants, did up his belt and then smiled weakly. "I'll go out first, I'll go start on the updates in the pipeline, get them all sorted." Cisco shrugged his shoulders somewhat. "Thanks. For, erm, for everything."
"...thank you for thinking I'm something more than a dick and a cocksucker. I know nobody else does and I don't blame them. Still. Thank you. It's nice." Hartley sorted out his own pants and sat up, looking at him and realising that when Cisco left him alone in here, he might very well start crying. But he supposed that was just part of it all, so the hell with it. Might as well.
"I like you, Cisquito. You annoy me and I was very upset with you the other day, but I get it a bit more now. I... You should be yourself, you know? Not every guy out there is your boss."
"I like you, Cisquito. You annoy me and I was very upset with you the other day, but I get it a bit more now. I... You should be yourself, you know? Not every guy out there is your boss."
"I know. I don't know, man. I don't think I'm feeling dating right now." Mostly because he felt like he almost had something awesome and fucked it up by making one joke about one favour. Perfect. Cisco Ramon, eternally fucking up his life all the damn time. "You're a good guy Hartley, you can find someone too. Just relax more around people, makes you cute as fuck."
With a sad smile, he opened the door and sighed. "This was fun." And depressing as hell now. He didn't look back as he walked out, pushing the door too. He didn't want to think about how hard this was.
With a sad smile, he opened the door and sighed. "This was fun." And depressing as hell now. He didn't look back as he walked out, pushing the door too. He didn't want to think about how hard this was.
Cisco, is this you?
It's hartley, i need to know are you okay the explosion
sorry, typing is difficult
need help
It's hartley, i need to know are you okay the explosion
sorry, typing is difficult
need help
hospital
I can't hear, my ears bled and it's so loud
which sounds contradictory
I need my tools, they won't let me leave
I can't hear, my ears bled and it's so loud
which sounds contradictory
I need my tools, they won't let me leave
I don't know for sure but I need soundwaves, I can cancel out what is happening
do you have an iPod?
it's hard to focus like this
do you have an iPod?
it's hard to focus like this
Where that one nurse I think I danced with once is.
ICU, 246A
I'm sorry if I scream it's driving me insane
ICU, 246A
I'm sorry if I scream it's driving me insane
Cisco would have been faster but between the police, consoling Caitlin and what had happened to Harrison Wells, it was a disaster zone still and it had taken an hour to clear his own leaving and another half an hour to get home, grab his stuff, do the tweaks he needed and then yet another half an hour to drive there, he didn't text back, he was too busy trying to do everything as quick as possible so the last thing he sent, two hours ago, was a simple
on my way.
And that had been that. The hospital was brimming with people, people that had gotten hurt, that were in agony, people that he'd caused all this for. He moved to the room Hartley was in and he was almost afraid to go inside, he hated that he'd caused this. He hated that people suffered because of him. He moved into the door and stood there, unsure what to do. "Hartley?" Could he even hear him?
on my way.
And that had been that. The hospital was brimming with people, people that had gotten hurt, that were in agony, people that he'd caused all this for. He moved to the room Hartley was in and he was almost afraid to go inside, he hated that he'd caused this. He hated that people suffered because of him. He moved into the door and stood there, unsure what to do. "Hartley?" Could he even hear him?
Hartley had his hands over his eyes, for what that was worth, curled up in pain. His lips were bloody, as were the traces of dried blood from his ears down his neck. He didn't seem to notice Cisco's presence at first, but then he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at him. He heard too much. He heard nothing. It was so difficult to tell the sounds apart and they wouldn't stop.
He managed a smile at Cisco, pained as it might be. He was here. He wasn't completely alone.
He managed a smile at Cisco, pained as it might be. He was here. He wasn't completely alone.
"O-Okay I have a plan. It might work. It could work. You can't hear a thing I'm saying, can you? Good, don't have to listen to me babble." Cisco set his bag on the floor and pulled out various things he was probably going to need tonight but first, the results of his tweaking that, if successful, could at least give Hartley some relief.
He pulled out a pair of headphones he's tricked the hell out, plugged them into his ipod and gently put them over Hartley's ears. "Okay so this sound should counteract other sounds. I googled it, this is like the best thing for stuff like tinnitus and I suped up the headset to give off the right kind of soundwaves so it should give you relief. It has like five different frequencies so we can play with them until we find the best." He started playing the white noise specifically tuned at a pleasant frequency from the ipod and the headphones slowly took the noise and filtered in gently into Hartley's ears, blocking out all other sounds. Including Cisco still. "That should hold up until I get the actual stuff built. Do you feel better?"
... Oh. Right. Couldn't hear. Cisco frowned at him and shrugged his shoulders, unsure how to get an answer. "I'm sorry, dude."
He pulled out a pair of headphones he's tricked the hell out, plugged them into his ipod and gently put them over Hartley's ears. "Okay so this sound should counteract other sounds. I googled it, this is like the best thing for stuff like tinnitus and I suped up the headset to give off the right kind of soundwaves so it should give you relief. It has like five different frequencies so we can play with them until we find the best." He started playing the white noise specifically tuned at a pleasant frequency from the ipod and the headphones slowly took the noise and filtered in gently into Hartley's ears, blocking out all other sounds. Including Cisco still. "That should hold up until I get the actual stuff built. Do you feel better?"
... Oh. Right. Couldn't hear. Cisco frowned at him and shrugged his shoulders, unsure how to get an answer. "I'm sorry, dude."
Hartley looked at Cisco, eyes wide, but he clearly trusted him. Even as he put headphones on him and especially when he turned them on. Not perfect, but silence. For the first time since the explosion, there was blissful silence. Hartley smiled, watching Cisco's face and trying to read his expression. He whispered, afraid he might shout otherwise. Volume was difficult to judge. "Thank you."
He didn't even think now, he just reached out to put his arms around Cisco, eyes closing as he pulled him close. He had been so scared. So alone. All alone, until he remembered how to reach out to Cisco. "Thank you for coming."
He didn't even think now, he just reached out to put his arms around Cisco, eyes closing as he pulled him close. He had been so scared. So alone. All alone, until he remembered how to reach out to Cisco. "Thank you for coming."
"Sorry I took so long? I got held up, we had a lot to deal with and it's just been a really awful night." Hence why Cisco was exhausted, on the verge of tears and all he really wanted to do was climb onto the bed and hold Hartley but that seemed like a lot to do when they weren't dating so he just stood there, letting the other be close, reaching his hand out to try and get rid of some of the dried blood from his neck.
"I brought some stuff, I'm going to try and make you like an ear piece? Sort of like a hearing aid but to counteract noise. We can see if we can get something working together and--" Wait, he had to check because he wasn't sure. "Dude, can you even hear me or am I talking to myself?"
"I brought some stuff, I'm going to try and make you like an ear piece? Sort of like a hearing aid but to counteract noise. We can see if we can get something working together and--" Wait, he had to check because he wasn't sure. "Dude, can you even hear me or am I talking to myself?"
Hartley didn't react, which might be a good indicator, but he pulled back finally, although he couldn't resist taking Cisco's hand in his. "I can't hear." That should cover any potential confusion. "Sorry."
Not really his fault, but it still felt awkward. He remembered his parents talking about what his deafness made him. A burden, a problem, imperfect. That's why they had spent money to fix his ears. Which reminded him. "I had ear implants." He pointed at the night-stand. "The explosion, they... That's everything they got out. They had to remove them."
Not really his fault, but it still felt awkward. He remembered his parents talking about what his deafness made him. A burden, a problem, imperfect. That's why they had spent money to fix his ears. Which reminded him. "I had ear implants." He pointed at the night-stand. "The explosion, they... That's everything they got out. They had to remove them."
So he had hearing issues before that? That explained a lot. Cisco smiled as reassuringly as he could and crouched down a little so he could look Hartley in the eyes. "Erm, I don't know how to assure you but it's going to be okay. I'm going to make this better. Oh! Hang on!"
Cisco jumped back and went to his bag, raiding it until he found his pen and then tried to find paper. Which was harder than it should have been. In the end he gave up and started writing on his own arm, his jacket now discarded as he presented himself as a human doodle pad to Hartley.
I'm going to fix you, I have tools and tech, I'll make implants :) I'm sorry you can't hear me. I won't leave you until you're better.
Cisco jumped back and went to his bag, raiding it until he found his pen and then tried to find paper. Which was harder than it should have been. In the end he gave up and started writing on his own arm, his jacket now discarded as he presented himself as a human doodle pad to Hartley.
I'm going to fix you, I have tools and tech, I'll make implants :) I'm sorry you can't hear me. I won't leave you until you're better.
"You're a dork," Hartley told him, because what was he even doing? But then he reached out to grab the arm he'd doodled on and pulled him close again, this time pulling him into a kiss. Not as if they still worked together. Not as if there was anything keeping him from this. He didn't deepen the kiss, he just kept it going, because he didn't want to pull away. This was the first glimpse of hope in a very long time. "You took the pain away. I can live without hearing. Not with that pain. Thank you."
Cisco smiled faintly and rested his forehead against Hartley's, pulling away to grab his bag and tools. He set them on the bed and then gently gestured for Hartley to move up. He grabbed his jacket and put it over the thin blanket Hartley had in case he got chilly, not wanting him to get sicker. Sitting on the small bed next to him, Cisco half hung off it but if he could be close to him right now, he kind of thought he should be. He studied Hartley's implants before he started to dismantle them. If he could learn how they worked, he could build a new set for Hartley.
He grabbed his pen and wrote on his hand. I got this, I can fix it :D <3
He grabbed his pen and wrote on his hand. I got this, I can fix it :D <3
Hartley rested his head against Cisco's shoulder. He wrapped the jacket around himself, finding it very difficult to actually stay upright. Hell, he found it difficult to stay awake. He hadn't actually had a moment of piece since the explosion.
It was no wonder that when one of the nurses looked into the room, wondering why there hadn't been any screaming, Hartley had passed out, still leaning against Cisco.
"I'm sorry, only family is supposed to visit in the ICU."
It was no wonder that when one of the nurses looked into the room, wondering why there hadn't been any screaming, Hartley had passed out, still leaning against Cisco.
"I'm sorry, only family is supposed to visit in the ICU."
"You've got to be kidding me? For real? He hasn't got any and half the town is going to hell, there was bigger issues and do I really look like I'm causing problems? I'm trying to fix him." Cisco didn't look like he was going to move, he just kept working on the piece he was tweaking, Hartley asleep against his side, his chest moving up and down nicely. Just a sign he was alive. "Look, please, let me stay? I am kind of like his family. You can pretend?"
Cisco knew people could be dicks but Hartley had finally stopped screaming, he was getting some rest and all Cisco was trying to do was make him something to fix his ears.
"I mean if you kick me out, I'm just going to break back in. Again and again and again. And I don't have that level of fitness, don't make me do that. I just want to help him."
Cisco knew people could be dicks but Hartley had finally stopped screaming, he was getting some rest and all Cisco was trying to do was make him something to fix his ears.
"I mean if you kick me out, I'm just going to break back in. Again and again and again. And I don't have that level of fitness, don't make me do that. I just want to help him."
"...it's not up to me, it's hospital regulations. I'm sorry." The nurse looked very troubled, so at least there was that. "I... Half an hour. But I need to check his vitals. How long since he quieted down? Is it because of the headphones? It's insane, his parents should be arrested for getting him those implants before he could even walk. Now the explosion made them do thin and his parents just tell anyone calling that they don't have a son."
"Like I said, I'm his family, no one else will visit or care. Just pretend I was sent on their behalf? They're the kind of dicks who'd do that. Right now the headphones are working but I need to rebuild, fix and tweak these things to keep him going. Let me save my friend. Please?" Cisco held up what he was making just to show it to her, just to prove that all he was doing was helping. "At the very least, two hours. Tops? Don't make me stab myself with this screwdriver so I can be in the ICU too because my folks won't visit either and it'll be very tragic." He and his family still weren't on speaking terms after all.
"I... fine. But call for a nurse the moment something changes with him. I have a patient who's been struck by lightning in the other room, I don't have time for your screwdriver accident." She grumbled but walked off and closed the door behind herself.
Then there was nothing until Hartley woke with a start, looking around in confusion and finally at Cisco with wide eyes. Not a dream. He really wasn't alone.
Then there was nothing until Hartley woke with a start, looking around in confusion and finally at Cisco with wide eyes. Not a dream. He really wasn't alone.
When Hartley shot up, Cisco jumped too, looking at him in panic. "What? What?! Are your headphones okay?" He reached out and put his hand either side of them, adjusting them and giving him a concerned look. "It's okay, I'm here. I'm making so much progress, dude annnnd you can't hear me but trust me, it's going well." He smiled as reassuringly as he could and then gently pushed him back onto the bed.
He dropped back himself and continued to finish the wiring as gently as he could.
He dropped back himself and continued to finish the wiring as gently as he could.
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