somethingtoavenge | Debrief 003 | Action (Locked)/ Written

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Debrief 003 | Action (Locked)/ Written | Operation Swooning Maiden is Go

[Phil knew he was sick. There really was no getting around it, not with all the coughing he was doing. While he had felt off since he'd come back to Luceti it was during the scavenger event and his unplanned trip to the Ice Age area that he'd really started to notice the coughing. And the shortness of breath.

Some of it he attributed to his recently healed chest wound. After all, no matter how mysteriously well healed it was, it was still a change from his previous state of health. That means it takes getting used to.

As the days passed however he hadn't really been getting better. The coughing had been mild in the beginning, a cough here and there when the cold air tickled his lungs. But lately it had gotten worse, harsh and heavy from deep in his lungs. While trying not to worry anyone he'd been focusing on suppressing the coughs as much as possible, or simply avoiding his friends when he felt the thick feeling building inside his lungs.

Nighttime was the worst though. Coulson had been coughing into his pillows as to not disturb either Clint or Natasha so late, curled up on his bed to ease the pressure and pain in his chest. It was exhausting, leaving him tired and weak the next day, almost listless first thing in the morning.

Phil had been brushing off other's concerns saying it was just a cold, he was only a bit under the weather, yes he was taking medicine he'd be fine. Phil hadn't made it to the clinic yet though, even as the coughing had gotten worse and the nausea started. But when he woke up today, tired, aching, nauseous and the phlegm from his cough tinged with blood, well, he decided to make visiting the clinic his first priority.

Before things got worse.]

[The Action | Locked to Loki]

[After dodging one concerned-but-unsure-what-to-do archer and another too-observational-for-Phil's-comfort assassin Phil heads out to the nearest clinic. Even with three layers of clothing on (thermal undershirt, sweater, jacket) plus thick jeans, scarf and gloves the cold still seeps into Phil's skin and lungs.

Phil follows the lesser traveled paths and shortcuts and he heads to the clinic. They allow him the privacy to stop and cough at irregular intervals, and trees to rest briefly against when the chest pain and weakness get too much.

While usually quite aware of his surroundings the growing nausea, shortness of breath, and pain in his chest means he's a bit distracted at the moment. It is such distraction which does not make him aware of the other person until he bumps into the other man.]

Oh. Sorry I didn't see you... [Phil's hoarse voice trails off as the person who he bumped into finally registers in his brain.

Loki.

Well, hell.]

---------------

[Post-Action Response | Written | Filtered to Clint, Natasha, Pepper, Steve, and Jane]

[After depositing Coulson at the infirmary, Loki retrieves the man's journal from the pocket in space in which he placed it.

...there are possibilities for this to become very amusing, depending upon how he plays it.

He opens Coulson's journal and sets up a written message to go to Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers and Jane Foster. He keeps it simple and with ample room for misinterpretation.]

I have delivered the Son of Coul to the clinic at the Battle Dome if you wish to retrieve him.

--Loki

[He closes the journal and leaves it sitting on the counter of the clinic for someone else to find. That ought to stir up a nice little nest of hornets. Feeling quite cheery, Loki departs to go for a ride. No need to make it easy on anyone if they decide to try to murder him.]

((ooc note for Katsu: If you want to have an ~~intervention~~ talk with Loki because ~~he's a giant troll~~ of his actions in this post let Katsu know on Plurk or something and a post may be forthcoming!

Coulson may or may not reply to people replying to Loki's note. ~~I haven't decided yet.~~))

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[She'd seen the note a moment before he had and was in his rooms a heartbeat later, her face pale and strained, her own journal clutched in her hand. She tossed a jacket to him with her other, her lips pressed into a thin line.]

Come on. Let's go.

[He catches the jacket easily, shrugging it on and he should have known that she'd see the note quickly. She looks pale and it's good to know it isn't just him.]

Don't have to tell me twice.

[They don't talk much as they head up to the Battle Dome, too focused on getting there and finding out how bad it is.]

I didn't think I'd need to.

[Their pace is hurried but it doesn't take them long to reach the Battle Dome. She follows him then, because she hasn't come across the Infirmary before this and she's already preparing for what they might find there, just in case. Her form is tense, her eyes taking in everything, although only someone looking for it will notice that she's walking into the room ready for battle.]

[He heads straight to the infirmary, finding the room that Coulson's been sequestered in. He pauses outside for a moment, dreading what he's going to find, dreading what he might have to do, and then opens the door.

...white sheets, white walls, disturbingly pale Coulson and no blood. None.

Content that the room is safe, he turns his full attention to Coulson.]

The hell happened?

[By this time Coulson has managed to get his hands on his journal and has seen the note Loki left.

Well, now he knows what the God of Lies is getting out of helping him. Chaos, apparently.

Phil looks up as Clint and Natasha enter, both ready for the worst and can't help but feel very embarrassed. Even if there is no outward sign.

He sighs.]

Loki helped me to the clinic.

[His voice is rough and raw. Boy, does he sound sick.]

[He sounds terrible.

Natasha's gaze had swept the room upon entering, just like Clint, finding the same things before coming back to settle on her handler. She is still pale tense, still braced for an attack, but her gaze narrows at his answer, sweeping him for any obvious injuries and finding none.]

So he said. He failed to mention why you needed help to the clinic.

[The sound of Coulson's voice is just... awful. Like someone's grated sandpaper down his throat. He goes up to the side of the bed, doing his own injury assessment and there's nothing so why...

His expression tightens at the mention of Loki. Loki helping? Right...]

Coulson... you're not... are you sick?

[Phil very much wants to look away from his two worried agents. He doesn't, but only because he doesn't want to worry them.

Before he can reply however another harsh coughing fit wracks him leaving him breathing heavily as he gets oxygen back into his deprived system.]

I... I ran into Loki when heading to the clinic. [His voice, as rough as it is, turn slightly clinical. Like he isn't talking about himself.] Unfortunately my cold was worse than I though and I had trouble continuing to the clinic. He helped me to the clinic, no strings attached. [Well none he could see. Other than that weird feeling of quite possibly owing Loki, because he had helped him.

For a moment Phil doesn't want to tell them how sick he is but that wouldn't be fair. His voice grows quiet.]

I seem to have caught Pneumonia.

[And he steels himself for the probably-not-positive reaction to that bit of news.]

[The soft curse that slips from Natasha's lips is in Russian but it's still pretty easy to guess the translation.

She moves around to the other side of the bed, hands propped on her hips as she regards him and she isn't sure who she's more frustrated with at the moment - Coulson for not taking better care or herself for not noticing his coughing was getting worse. Had she really been so distracted?

Her expression is concerned, lips tilted downwards in an unhappy frown, but she doesn't scold, because he looks miserable enough lying there. So she just gives him a look before asking softly,]

What do you need, sir?

[He starts forward at the coughing fit, resting a hand on Coulson's shoulder to stop him shaking with every cough. That sounds bad. Really bad.

And that Coulson had been bad enough that he was unable to get himself to the clinic... he felt a surge of guilt because he should have noticed.

He doesn't make any attempt to hold back his own curse when Coulson says that. Christ, pneumonia. No wonder he looks like death and that's really not an association he wants.]

You...

[He holds himself back from demanding answers to questions like 'how could you be so stupid?' but it's a close thing. He just nods at what Natasha says, because he can't think of anything to say that won't end in him swearing.]

[The look and the cursing are not unexpected. But better than he expected. It's not often he gets sick, and normally it's Fury who gennerally threatens to tie him to a bed and leave him in Medical's tender care if he doesn't go and get some rest so it doesn't get worse.

That doesn't stop the sickening twist of guilt in his stomach. Phil hadn't wanted to worry anyone which is why he'd tried so hard to hide his illness. But now they knew.

The question is interesting and new though. Most of the time when he's been sick, people generally just got him well and then got him out. Needs have never been a factor.]

A new set of lungs? [The joke is tentative even as it's offered with Phil's usual bland expression.]

Rest, I suppose. I think I'm going to be in here at least a few days.

[Natasha glances around the facility, still frowning, all business. She's no happier than Clint about this - she knows all too well how bad a serious bout of pneumonia can be.]

With everything they're capable of here, I wouldn't joke about that too loudly. Someone might take you up on it.

[She crosses her arms over her chest and meets his gaze, his bland expression not fooling her a bit.] I think that sounds like that would be a good start. There are physicians here with practice treating this sort of thing, yes?

[He gives a soft snort, the sound bitter and angry when Coulson makes that joke. And he's probably the world's biggest hypocrite because how many times has he pushed himself while injured or ill? But this...]

Damn right you're resting. Are we gonna have to camp outside the door?

True.

[Honestly, a new set of lungs would be great. He already has scars on the one and this illness is not going to very good for them.

Hearing Clint's quiet snort makes Phil feel like a giant jerk for hiding his illness. Obviously he was too used to Fury who noticed everything, as well as a deep seated desire to not worry anyone which means hiding various things.]

Yes, there are.

[He looks at Clint.]

Only if you want to. [Though why either of them would want to is beyond Phil right now. I mean, he did hide something rather big from the two of them. And it's not like he's likely to try and leave the clinic... well not right away at least.]

[Natasha levels him with a look that clearly states to stop being an idiot.]

If you think for a second we'd want to be anywhere else, I'm going to call the doctors in to start checking you for brain damage. You're not supposed to scare us like this. That's our job, remember?

[Her tone softens at that, a hint of good-natured teasing slipping in, because while she's as worried as hell for him, finding him here alive and knowing he'll recover is a bigger relief.]

Besides, even if you told Clint he couldn't, he'd just camp out in the ceiling above you anyway.

[He gives Coulson a bland look for a moment before glancing over at Natasha.]

I'll go get the blankets. Think you can grab a spare mattress from somewhere?

[Because if it keeps Coulson from getting worse, then he is quite willing to do this. He gives Natasha a wry smile, and glances up towards the ceiling out of habit.]

I'm sure it has a good view for me to hurl paperclips at you if you try to do anything dumb.

[Phil ducks his head a bit, looking away from his two agents for the first time since they came in. Their reactions are both comforting and a bit confusing. He not all the used to people caring when he got sick, other than making him well. Medical simply want him out of his hair most of the time and well... his family wasn't known for warm and nurturing.]

I... Sorry?

[He can't help but grin a bit at her comment.] It is. You two are very good at it too.

I doubt you'll have to throw paperclips at me. Unlike some people I could mention, I can behave for medical. [Usually. If his agents aren't injured or it's only a minor wound. Or Nick Fury has allowed them to tranquilize him.

Phil looks at Natasha and then at Clint before giving a surprisingly bashful smile that looks slightly out of place on normally-unflappable Coulson.]

Thanks. Both of you, just... thanks.

[Natasha gives him a fondly exasperated look.] You just worry about resting and getting better. I'll go find us something to be comfortable on in the meantime. Clint can babysit. Or you can keep him out of trouble. Whichever makes you both feel better. Men.

[It's said with a roll of her eyes, but her tone is affectionate as she steps back from the bed. She flashes a look at Clint, something unspoken passing between them in a glance before she turns and slips out of the room to find them supplies.]

Idiot.

[Clint grumbles but it's entirely without malice, it's fond more than anything, and he drags a chair over so that he can sit next to Coulson's bed and keep a good view of the door at the same time. It's a movement that's so automatic he doesn't even notice it.

He meets Natasha's eyes and gives a tiny nod, then settles back on the chair, looking at Coulson.]

Loki sent the message that you were here. It really scared us.

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Debrief 003 | Action (Locked)/ Written | Operation Swooning Maiden is Go

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