. packin' knives

[kitty smith-sato]

SO SORRY LEX
FORGIVE ME

[henry albright]

Henry has a bit of mixed emotions when the plane touches down in Venice. The feelings he felt for Kitty, that he's buried deep long ago, were trying to creep up since they moment he received a horrifying phone call. His estranged wife had been injured, robbed and had his name still placed as her next of kin. Despite all of the anger that tried to reach the surface, the softer spot of Henry knew it was the right thing to go to her. A new hotel booked and the address to Kitty's current location in his possession, Henry was in route to the hospital. The smell is stale as he comes in through the automatic doors, Italian words buzzing all around him as he maneuvers slowly, trying to read signs. "Fuck I should've paid better attention when Kitty was learning ," he mutters before someone finally comes to assist. The lost expression on his face a dead giveaway. He's helped rather quickly and shown in the direction of her room. Kitty's voice easily recognizable, a bit of some sass to it if he knew any better. One look at her face and he's conflicted. "Kitten," gently slips from his mouth.

[kitty smith-sato]

Seeing Henry in this shitty hospital is a surreal experience. He looks just the same as the last time she saw him, though his hair is slightly different - this isn't a surprise to Kitty, though, since she poured over his Instagram more than she poured over the Bible. For some time he had been her religion, the only person whose opinion she truly put stock in. So she's embarrassed to be seen like this, happier playing a victim than really being one. "Hen," she says, and she sounds young, frail. She hardens herself, looking away from him and busying herself moving things around, folding the mirror up and pushing the tray away. Her head is pounding and her heart has decided to give it a run for its money. "They've been so fucking annoying here, you wouldn't believe it. They won't let me go, won't get me green tea, nothing." She's managed to harden her voice too, slipping into her usual critical mode. "I can't believe you came all this way. You're a psycho."

[henry albright]

The two of them stare at each other from the door way. If Henry had to take a guess, equally shocked expressions on their faces. The nurse shuffles around him as she looks him over, then back at Kitty. He notices that she's mumbling something under her breath before her presence is suddenly gone from Kitty's room. He takes a few steps further into the space, as Kitty finally says his name. The familiar 'Hen' she always called him, coming out and sounding almost normal. Even if he hated the name she doted him with. In true Kitty fashion, she's complaining about the experience of the hospital. He shakes his head, still not able to hear his eyes away from that precious, bruised face. "Just calm down, don't get yourself all worked up." He noticed as she was speaking, a monitor was beginning to keep and the cords that were attached to her flying as she got more irritated. "Kitty. How did you act so calm about this?" He tries to find the understanding in her downplaying of the situation. She'd given him warning about her looks, but seeing it in person felt different. "I'm glad I'm here." Seeing her in this condition, he would've regretted if he had not come.

[kitty smith-sato]

He's looking at her with what is likely empathy but she translates it as outright pity, something she cannot abide. The reality of the situation is one she has no interest in confronting and seeing the way he's looking at her makes it difficult to ignore, hot tears prickling behind her eyelids as she squeezes them shut, repressing the reaction. Her unwillingness to engage with her own pain makes her convert it into frustration, waving her hand as he fusses. "Oh, don't be so dramatic," she snaps, a machine beeping furiously as she tries to wave him off. "Nurse," she calls out after the woman who has suddenly made herself scarce, "I'm going home, can you bring me discharge papers or whatever?" She's lapsed into English for Henry's benefit, making it clear to him that she has no plans to stay. "You have to tell them you'll take care of me, it's the only way they'll let me out of this shithole."

[henry albright]

Suddenly the room feels heavy around him. Various beeps, the fluids attached to her, medical supplies scattered throughout. The reality of the situation hitting as his eyes finally tear away from Kitty's injuries. "Why aren't you taking this more seriously?" Henry snaps back, matching her tone as she tries to wave off him as the dramatic one. He didn't miss the way her eyes squeezed together, as if she was trying to push back her true feelings. There she was, the same old Kitty, just as he expected. She's yelling for the nurse when Henry takes the seat beside her bed, legs and body tired from the travel. Acting so quickly upon receiving that phone call, he never had a moment to think of how this would be. Being in the same space as Kitty again, especially seeing her in such a vulnerable manner. Was this is a good idea? His palms relax on the arm rest of the chair when she begins speaking to him again, thankfully she'd chosen to speak to the nurse in English, for his benefit. "Fine. I can do that. But you better agree to listen to me and whatever instructions the medical staff give you." He gives her a pointed look, all familiar with a stubborn, and spoiled little Kitten. The nurse comes in, speaking in Italian even though she'd been called for in English. "Is she ok to leave? We'll do whatever is necessary." Henry hears Kitty gearing up to make a remark when he cuts her off. "I'll be staying with her so if she's ok, I'll take her off of your hands."

[kitty smith-sato]

"Because I'm fine." It's been her mantra since this happened, as if she could make it so if only she said it enough times. In truth she hurts, various ailments coalescing into a dull ache throughout her body. But more than that, she was truly rattled. Jumpy, sensitive, prone to bursting into tears... Henry being here gave her something else to focus on, an audience to put a front up for. He collapses into the seat next to her and she finally notices that he's tired. For the first time she reflects on the gravity of this, of him dropping everything to get on a very long flight, not knowing what was waiting for him at the other side. Navigating a city in a country where he didn't know the language. Before she can acknowledge this, the nurse returns, speaking in fast Italian. She's saying that Kitty shouldn't go, looking skeptically at her as she responds in almost fluent Italian of her own, saying that he's insisting on it. Finally she tuts, starting to carefully disengage the various wires hooked up to her. Sweet relief floods her body. "She says it's fine," she lies, though she translates the medical advice accurately. Finally she's freed, rubbing her arm where a needle had just been. "We'll have to get a water taxi. Isn't it weird having no cars? You're actually going to love it here, you'll see, I'll give you the tour tomorrow."

[henry albright]

Eyes roll the second that she insists that she's fine. Henry sees that to be otherwise as she's still admitted in a hospital and her face beyond bruise. He chooses to keep those comments to himself. Lips rolling as together to stop anything from coming out. His arms move from the arm rest, to cross against his chest. The nurse is assessing Kitty again, pulling all of the wires from her body. Though he doesn't understand what they are saying, he can see the disapproval on the woman's face. Kitty translates the instructions the nurse had fired off, as she disconnected her from the IV pump. He sees Kitty wince as she's freed from the last piece keeping her here. "Okay," Henry answers with hesitancy,  looking towards the nurse as she's standing at the computer. "All of those instructions will be on the discharge papers, right?" He looks to Kitty, for help to relay his message. Not wanting to mess anything up when it came to caring for her, as concussions could be fairly serious. The nurse must have understood him though, as she shoves some papers in his hand. Instructions actually in English too. "Grazie." He nods, remembering one easy Italian word. She returns his nod, overlooking Kitty once more before exiting the room, he thinks for the last time. "No. You need to relax. The sightseeing can be done in a few days." He's out of the chair and uncrossing his arms. "I'll step out as that you can get changed." He offers, stepping towards the door to give her privacy.

[kitty smith-sato]

She watches him as he moves to the screen, concern evident on his familiar features. He's busy looking at the nurse and that gives her a chance to properly look at him, before the discharge papers in question are thrusted in his direction. Kitty gets a glimpse of them, the words 'discharged against medical advice' emblazoned across the front page. She'd just have to distract him later. "I'll be one second."  Left on her own, she takes the opportunity to wince. Looking at herself in the floor length mirror, she takes in her other bruises, avoiding looking at her face. There's some gnarly bruising down one side where she'd hit the floor, ruining her planned bikini pictures, but all in all it could be worse. She changes carefully into her clothes, a sweater and skirt and her Miu Miu ballet flats. The effort of dressing takes it out of her and she sits back down on the bed just as Henry reenters the room. "Hey. Can you come help me walk?"

[henry albright]

"I'll be right out here, if you need me." Henry assures as he steps out of the room, keeping the door cracked open in case she hollered for him. His back is nearly pressed up against the wooden door as he looks to his phone to see what time he stepped out of the room. Wanting to give her an adequate amount of time to get dressed. The staff of the unit move around him, giving him curious glances as they pass by. The nurse who'd just been with the two of them, weaves in and out of rooms, saying various things in Italian which he, of course, did not understand. With his back against the door, he feels the jet lag settling in. His bones and joints feeling tired and suddenly less tense now that he was at his destination. Henry pulls out his phone, seeing that about eight minutes had lapsed since he'd last glanced at the time. Figuring that would be enough, he carefully opens the door and sees Kitty dressed and at the edge of the bed. She looks so fragile, small and a pit develops in his stomach. "Ready to go?" He's at her side, ready to assist in helping her walk when a flat slips from her feet. Crouching down to slip it back on her foot, he looks towards her. "Honest answers, only."

[kitty smith-sato]

Kitty nods to the question, ignoring the slight sense that she absolutely was not. He has to help with her shoe and she carefully puts her tiny purse over one shoulder, holding her phone, passport and her previous hotel room key, though she shuddered at the idea of going back there. She takes his arm and stands, leaning against him for support as they stumble outside into the cool evening. "We'll be able to get a taxi down here," she says, gesturing down to the spot in the canal where the water ambulance had dropped her off. Lights glitter against the surface of the water, rippling as the odd boat comes and goes. They wait for a few minutes and she finally manages to make herself say it. "Thanks for coming." She manages to hail a boat, clambering in and speaking in Italian to man operating it, turning only to Henry for the name of the hotel. Once he says it she settles down next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder and taking a deep breath. "It doesn't feel real that you're here."

[henry albright]

She slips her arm into his as Henry helps her stand from the hospital bed. Once she's got both feet on the ground, he allows her body to lean further into his. She'd mentioned no touching before, but it's gone from his mind  as he continues to to support her frame. On instinct his wraps his arm around her shoulder. Her petite figure seeming like nothing up against his large figure. Upon his other shoulder is the bag of her belongings that were not stolen. They walk out of the hospital into the cool evening as Kitty takes the reigns on leading them to the water taxis. She hails one, just as if they were in New York but the water vehicle greeting them instead. The driver and Kitty speak, she pauses to look over at him for the hotel name and he obliges. They're settled on the bench as the taxi heads in the direction they'll temporarily call home. Henry is looking at their surroundings, taking in the lights of the city when Kitty says the words he's been looking for since she'd gotten word he was in route. "You're welcome." A good amount of time had passed since they'd seen each other, but with her head against it shoulder it doesn't feel like that at all. "It doesn't feel real for me either," he murmurs, as the boat speeds on to their destination. It's quiet the remainder of the ride, the taxi suddenly halting at the location of their hotel. Few words are said between them as Henry checks them in and they're shown to the room. The door shuts leaving them alone once more and he shrugs off her bag and his own backpack. "I know you think they're gross, but do you want me to run you a bath?"

[kitty smith-sato]

She closes her eyes as they travel, able to go quite quickly given the late hour. The fact that so much of her jewellery and bags are now gone, very likely to never be seen again, is something she'll contend with later. They had left most of her clothes and her makeup, clearly only after things that would be easy to sell, which was something of a relief in all this. Before long they are at the new hotel and of course it's a great choice, grand enough to feel authentically Venetian but still fixed with all the mod cons she was fussy about - he did know her. Before long they are alone again, this time in much more plush surroundings, which brings no small amount of comfort. "Yes. Will you stay with me? I don't want to be alone," she says, too exhausted, emotionally and physically, to be able to put up a front. She'd go back to that tomorrow. "Let's order room service, I'm hungry. And can you double check that the door's fully locked?"

[henry albright]

"If that's what you want." Henry doesn't know how to act, not wanting to push any sort of boundaries with Kitty. While he desperately wants to comfort her, he knows there is still a little bit of distance and strangeness to them. A yawn sounds from his mouth as he searches in his bag to find an adapter and charger. Phone was on three percent and he wanted to be able to text her dads when she was resting, at last.  Going to the door, he locks it for a second time. Making sure that Kitty could see and feel safe. It was the first thing he'd done when he ushered her into the room, but he doesn't fight her need for safety. "Locked." He assures her one more time before he heads to the luxurious bathroom to start the bath. "Pick whatever you want from the room service menu as I get this started." Staying in and relaxing sounded like the best solution, his body would be thanking him for succumbing to the jet lag once they were resting for the evening. He places the stopper into the drain, turning the knob to the right to start the hot water. He fiddles with the two temperatures until he settles on the correct amount of warmth. Kitty is standing in the door way, her eyes settled on him as he fusses about the bathroom for towels, and something to make some bubbles for the bath. "What did you decide?" His head nods in the direction of the menu in her other hand.

[kitty smith-sato]

Her vision is blurred at the edges when she tries to look at the menu, so she blinks hard to clear it. She didn't know how much better it would feel to go to a different hotel and she's so grateful for Henry for thinking ahead, something he was adept at doing, pre-empting her needs before she could even feel them. Her eyes go to his phone as he plugs it in, quietly wondering if anyone would wonder where he was, if there was some girl back home eagerly waiting for updates. She follows him to the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe as she scans the menu. Normally she would be looking for something that was either low cal or wouldn't be too bad when she brought it back up, but she doesn't think she'll get away with throwing up now, not with him watching her for warning signs. Maybe just this once she would have an actual meal. "Do you want to share a pizza and a salad?" He straightens up and before she can stop herself, she slips her arms around his waist and rests her head against his chest as she squeezes him tight. "Thank you."