Post by charlirozzi on Nov 27, 2024 7:57:36 GMT -8
Charli Rozzi was sitting on one of those awful, hard plastic chairs they had in emergency room. The scene at The Division house had been chaos. Olly stood taunting just inside the gate; she had almost lost her head. Almost.
Riley, Summer and a subdued Bella were all sat out in the waiting area. Charli’s left hand was wrapped around Oz’s hand, resting on the blanket atop where he was sleeping. She had signed a form with permission for a sedative, she knew he wasn’t going to want to stay down for the night and she knew he had to.
Firing off texts to her mentor, the one she was trying to coerce back into action, she kept her other hand firmly wrapped around his, listening out for any sign he was waking up. Or another doctor was coming in to check something else.
A large bandage covered a huge part of his chest, blood had already seeped through a little from where they first applied it. The sight of it made her sick. She could feel the burn of tears at her eyes but she wasn’t going to cry. Wasn’t going to fall apart.
Persevere and take names. That’s what she was going to do.
Ozzie’s eyelids fluttered slightly, his groggy mind clawing its way back to consciousness. The sedative dulled the sharp edges of the pain, but not enough to erase the memory of what had happened. His hand tightened weakly around Charli’s as he stirred, the faint sensation of her grip grounding him in the sterile chaos of the hospital.
He blinked a few times, his vision hazy but clearing just enough to see her face—tired, fierce, and steadfast. ”Charlotte...” his voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, but it carried the weight of everything he couldn’t say in that moment. His gaze drifted to the blood seeping through the bandage on his chest, and a bitter smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. ”Guess I really pissed them off, huh?”
Despite the sedation, his instinct to downplay the situation surfaced, but the exhaustion in his voice betrayed him. His eyes searched hers, the flicker of worry he hated to show dancing behind his usual bravado. ”You… stayed.”
The words were soft, almost incredulous, but there was a quiet gratitude in them as his grip on her hand tightened just a fraction more.
As soon as she heard his voice she was out of the chair, phone to the floor and both hands holding his as she stood beside the bed. Her eyes looked over him with a gaze of loving concern. Even with the neutral expression she tried to wear, her pain at his pain was clear.
”I knew they would retaliate but this...” she leaned down to gently kiss him, her touch was tender and soft. ”Are you alright? Is there anything they haven’t taken care of?” She peppered him with questions before she daughter herself.
One hand still holding his, her other sweeping the hair from his brow before she kissed it. ”Of course I stayed… there’s nowhere else for me to be right now. This is where I belong.”
She held back the tears, the sadness at seeing him on a hospital bed. They both knew something like this would happen, but they didn’t expect it to be now. She wasn’t prepared. But she was there and she would be there until they could leave together.
”I told you, my heart, I’m by your side forever.”
Ozzie’s fingers tightened faintly around hers, her touch the one thing grounding him in the whirlwind of pain and exhaustion. His gaze softened as he took in her face, her concern, the way she hovered protectively over him. Even through the haze of discomfort, the sight of her brought him a fragile kind of peace.
”Charlotte...” his voice was hoarse, but her name carried all the meaning he couldn’t yet articulate. Her questions rushed at him, and though he wanted to reassure her, the exhaustion weighed on him like a stone. ”I’m… fine,” he murmured, though the strain in his voice betrayed the lie. Still, he managed a faint smirk, his eyes flicking to hers. ”They didn’t take care of my pride. Guess I’ll have to fix that myself.”
Her kiss to his brow sent a warmth through him that dulled the ache in his chest, if only briefly. ”You belong here,” he whispered, his tone soft but certain. ”With me. Always.”
He lifted their joined hands, weak but determined, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. ”I know you’re hurting too,” he said, his hazel eyes searching hers. ”You don’t have to pretend with me, Charlotte. Not here. Not now.”
His smirk softened into something more vulnerable, more real. ”I told you before… you’re my reason to keep fighting. I’ll get through this because of you. Because of us. And when we walk out of here, we’re doing it together. No one stops us.”
He let his head rest back on the pillow, the smallest sigh escaping him. ”Forever,” he echoed, his voice a whisper, but his words carried the strength of a promise.
She leaned down again, pressing another kiss to his forehead before she whispered against the same spot.
”Forever. And then some.” Another gentle kiss, her hand smoothing his hair as she comforted him. A single tear slid down her cheek. In that moment she felt the realisation of everything that they had fought so hard to achieve.
There in that little hospital room, she finally took a breath and looked around to see, that even at the low points, they were still riding high and with each other there was nothing and no one that could stop them.
”I love you Ozzie Savell.” She murmured the words close to his ear. ”Now get some rest, my heart. I’ll be right here.”
Ozzie’s lips curved into the faintest smile at her words, her touch soft and soothing as she kissed his forehead. The warmth of her love wrapped around him like a blanket, easing the pain and tension that clung to his battered body. He could feel the truth in her voice, the unwavering belief she had in them, and it settled something deep inside him.
He tilted his head just slightly, his hazel eyes flickering open enough to meet hers. ”I love you too, Charlotte Savell,” he whispered, his voice soft but carrying all the weight of the promise behind the name. ”You’re my everything.”
His hand tightened around hers briefly, as if to anchor himself to her even as his eyelids grew heavier. The exhaustion was winning, pulling him under, but for the first time since the attack, he felt safe. He let out a soft sigh, his body relaxing into the hospital bed as he gave in to the overwhelming need for rest.
Even as sleep claimed him, his fingers stayed entwined with hers, his breathing evening out into the steady rhythm of someone who knew they were right where they belonged.
Riley, Summer and a subdued Bella were all sat out in the waiting area. Charli’s left hand was wrapped around Oz’s hand, resting on the blanket atop where he was sleeping. She had signed a form with permission for a sedative, she knew he wasn’t going to want to stay down for the night and she knew he had to.
Firing off texts to her mentor, the one she was trying to coerce back into action, she kept her other hand firmly wrapped around his, listening out for any sign he was waking up. Or another doctor was coming in to check something else.
A large bandage covered a huge part of his chest, blood had already seeped through a little from where they first applied it. The sight of it made her sick. She could feel the burn of tears at her eyes but she wasn’t going to cry. Wasn’t going to fall apart.
Persevere and take names. That’s what she was going to do.
Ozzie’s eyelids fluttered slightly, his groggy mind clawing its way back to consciousness. The sedative dulled the sharp edges of the pain, but not enough to erase the memory of what had happened. His hand tightened weakly around Charli’s as he stirred, the faint sensation of her grip grounding him in the sterile chaos of the hospital.
He blinked a few times, his vision hazy but clearing just enough to see her face—tired, fierce, and steadfast. ”Charlotte...” his voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, but it carried the weight of everything he couldn’t say in that moment. His gaze drifted to the blood seeping through the bandage on his chest, and a bitter smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. ”Guess I really pissed them off, huh?”
Despite the sedation, his instinct to downplay the situation surfaced, but the exhaustion in his voice betrayed him. His eyes searched hers, the flicker of worry he hated to show dancing behind his usual bravado. ”You… stayed.”
The words were soft, almost incredulous, but there was a quiet gratitude in them as his grip on her hand tightened just a fraction more.
As soon as she heard his voice she was out of the chair, phone to the floor and both hands holding his as she stood beside the bed. Her eyes looked over him with a gaze of loving concern. Even with the neutral expression she tried to wear, her pain at his pain was clear.
”I knew they would retaliate but this...” she leaned down to gently kiss him, her touch was tender and soft. ”Are you alright? Is there anything they haven’t taken care of?” She peppered him with questions before she daughter herself.
One hand still holding his, her other sweeping the hair from his brow before she kissed it. ”Of course I stayed… there’s nowhere else for me to be right now. This is where I belong.”
She held back the tears, the sadness at seeing him on a hospital bed. They both knew something like this would happen, but they didn’t expect it to be now. She wasn’t prepared. But she was there and she would be there until they could leave together.
”I told you, my heart, I’m by your side forever.”
Ozzie’s fingers tightened faintly around hers, her touch the one thing grounding him in the whirlwind of pain and exhaustion. His gaze softened as he took in her face, her concern, the way she hovered protectively over him. Even through the haze of discomfort, the sight of her brought him a fragile kind of peace.
”Charlotte...” his voice was hoarse, but her name carried all the meaning he couldn’t yet articulate. Her questions rushed at him, and though he wanted to reassure her, the exhaustion weighed on him like a stone. ”I’m… fine,” he murmured, though the strain in his voice betrayed the lie. Still, he managed a faint smirk, his eyes flicking to hers. ”They didn’t take care of my pride. Guess I’ll have to fix that myself.”
Her kiss to his brow sent a warmth through him that dulled the ache in his chest, if only briefly. ”You belong here,” he whispered, his tone soft but certain. ”With me. Always.”
He lifted their joined hands, weak but determined, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. ”I know you’re hurting too,” he said, his hazel eyes searching hers. ”You don’t have to pretend with me, Charlotte. Not here. Not now.”
His smirk softened into something more vulnerable, more real. ”I told you before… you’re my reason to keep fighting. I’ll get through this because of you. Because of us. And when we walk out of here, we’re doing it together. No one stops us.”
He let his head rest back on the pillow, the smallest sigh escaping him. ”Forever,” he echoed, his voice a whisper, but his words carried the strength of a promise.
She leaned down again, pressing another kiss to his forehead before she whispered against the same spot.
”Forever. And then some.” Another gentle kiss, her hand smoothing his hair as she comforted him. A single tear slid down her cheek. In that moment she felt the realisation of everything that they had fought so hard to achieve.
There in that little hospital room, she finally took a breath and looked around to see, that even at the low points, they were still riding high and with each other there was nothing and no one that could stop them.
”I love you Ozzie Savell.” She murmured the words close to his ear. ”Now get some rest, my heart. I’ll be right here.”
Ozzie’s lips curved into the faintest smile at her words, her touch soft and soothing as she kissed his forehead. The warmth of her love wrapped around him like a blanket, easing the pain and tension that clung to his battered body. He could feel the truth in her voice, the unwavering belief she had in them, and it settled something deep inside him.
He tilted his head just slightly, his hazel eyes flickering open enough to meet hers. ”I love you too, Charlotte Savell,” he whispered, his voice soft but carrying all the weight of the promise behind the name. ”You’re my everything.”
His hand tightened around hers briefly, as if to anchor himself to her even as his eyelids grew heavier. The exhaustion was winning, pulling him under, but for the first time since the attack, he felt safe. He let out a soft sigh, his body relaxing into the hospital bed as he gave in to the overwhelming need for rest.
Even as sleep claimed him, his fingers stayed entwined with hers, his breathing evening out into the steady rhythm of someone who knew they were right where they belonged.