Jason is laying on a hospital bed in a small room with two other people. Cloth dividers separate him from the others. A large white bandage is wrapped around his torso.
#Hospital – August 16, 2014
Vasquez is sitting in a chair next to Jason's bed, watching him sleep in silence. She's been there since he was brought back. She looks to have sobered up for the most part, and seems deep in thought.
Jason blinks a few times and stirs from his sleep. Using his hands, he begins pushing at the bed until he's in a sitting position. "Shit." he groans, laying a hand across his waist as a sharp pain shoots through it. He settles his hazy gaze on Vasquez after a few moments of adjusting. "Linda?" he asks, sounding somewhat confused, but a smirk appears on his face nonetheless.
Vasquez is pulled out of her thoughts as Jason wakes up. She soon returns his smile with one of her own, the first genuine one in a fair while. "Hey. Dr. Halisi patched you up." She says while straightening her posture a bit. "Should've known I couldn't leave you alone." She says, smirking faintly, but her eyes betray that she's more serious than she admits.
Jason raises an eyebrow, stupid grin still plastered to his face. "What're you talkin' about?" he asks, "Still alive, aren't I? Just-... Just got shot. Part of the job, right?" he chuckles, regardless of the fact that there's nothing funny about it. Most likely a side effect of whatever meds he's on.
Vasquez sighs faintly before leaning forward, placing her elbows on her knees, crossing her hands and resting her chin on her knuckles. She doesn't seem very amused. "I'd rather you didn't." She says, pausing briefly before continuing. "At least you're still in one piece. Mission go okay? I... uh... I didn't hold a debrief." She looks away briefly during the last sentance.
Jason reaches back and puts his hands behind his head, letting out a pained groan as he does. "Okay?" he asks with a snort, "Went better than okay. Didn't lose anyone. Got our target. And we flew the kodiak underwater!" he says, sounding quite proud. After a second or two, a confused look comes over his face, "Is it still flying if it's underwater?" he asks. "...Sailing?" he questions, mostly to himself. "Wait... Why didn't you debrief the team? Should probably find out what the salarian knows and send him on his way."
Vasquez closes her eyes for a moment as she speaks. "Just... had to make sure you were okay first." She opens her eyes and studies him while waiting for a response.
Jason 's smirk grows wider. "Well shit..." he says, "You do care." He scoots over to one side of the hospital bed, which is barely large enough for him, and pats on the miniscule amount of open space beside him. "Little Miss Hardass was worrrrried about me." he teases.
Vasquez rolls her eyes, offering a half-hearted smile as she moves over to the bed and takes a seat on the edge, turning towards Jason best she can. She seems to let the final comment slide - for now. "I... don't like the idea of sending you out without me. Not anymore. Not... since Ogofau." Her gaze moves towards the end of the bed, somewhere near the man's feet.
Jason loosely wraps an arm around the woman's waist. "I'm fine, Linda." he insists, "Been doing this a long time. Long before I met you." He gives the woman a slight squeeze, slumping against her a bit, "Besides... After everything that's happened, it's nice knowing you're safe when I'm out there."
Vasquez turns her head, looking right at him now with a frown. "What's that supposed to mean?" She starts, with an annoyed tone. "You think I can't-..." she stops, taking a deep breath. "Sorry. I-... there's something I need to talk to you about." She places her left hand on top of his, which is wrapped around her.
Jason 's smirk doesn't waiver. He doesn't even realize she may have taken his comment the wrong way. "Hmm?" he hums, shifting slightly in his bed.
Vasquez is starting to look a bit uncomfortable, her gaze falls away from him as she speaks. "I... have found a mission. The perfect mission. We'll get the funding... and maybe information... that we need to take down those people. The... cultists."
Jason furrows his brow. "Cultists...?" After a few sobering moments, his smirk fades away as he lowers his gaze, "Oh. That's good, though... Right?"
Jason pulls his arm back and presses it flatly against the bed. He pushes his weight back, sitting up all the way. "ExoGe-... No!" he says, "We can't-... Why would we work for ExoGeni?"
Vasquez sighs heavily, opening her eyes but not looking at Jason. "They... they're paying really well, Jason. It's a big mission. Just what we need. And... they have information. You know that. Information that could help."
Jason snorts loudly and stares at Vasquez. "Of course they have information! They had a hand in all this!" he says, speaking a bit louder than he realizes, "And you're willing to just-... Help them!? Fuck them. We don't need their credits. We don't need their information."
Vasquez shakes her head and turns back to him. "I knew you'd react like this. Look... I'll be negotiating with them. I'll make sure they don't screw us over. We need this mission, Jason."
Jason nods, his smirk returning, "Oh! You'll make sure they don't screw us over. Well, that changes everything. No way this will end horribly so long as you're making sure they don't screw us over. Right?" He stares at Vasquez for a moment, studying her face. After a few seconds, he clears his throat, "That was... Sarcasm." he admits.
Vasquez stands up with a grunt, looking down at him. "What, you don't think I know what I'm doing?" She shoots him a glare, and continues without waiting for a response. "Fine. I was hoping to get your approval, but don't you think I need it."
Jason shakes his head in disbelief. "This has nothing to do with knowing what you're doing, Linda. You know that. The deck is stacked against us everytime we're out there." he says, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. He groans as another pain shoots through his side. "Why fuck our odds up even more by involving ExoGeni?" he asks, placing a hand over his wound, "You think they don't know who we are? If they're coming to us, you can bet your ass that it has something to do with our involvement with the Evening Star."
Vasquez looks at him in silence for a bit before responding. "Jason, they came to us because they're launching the expedition from this planet. Not because of our past with them. Don't you think I've fucking made sure of that? I still have contacts inside the company, you know."
Jason attempts to stand from his seat, but quickly changes his mind. With a wince and a groan, he sits back down. "Where were those contacts when ExoGeni decided to send you across the galaxy to find some-... Some..." he shrugs, "Cursed artifact that turned everyone into fucking freaks? They give you the heads up on that one, too? I know you mean well, Linda... I know you wouldn't do this if you didn't think you had every angle covered. But think about it. Think about everything we've seen. Everything they swept under the rug. Now they just so happen to come back to us with a job!?"
Vasquez lets out a frustrated sigh and looks up at the ceiling. "Jason, I don't like it, but it's our best shot, alright? And we're not going after some fucking artifact this time. It's a straightforward mission. We're dealing with wildlife. Not... not shit like that. Not this time." She slowly lowers her head until she's looking at Jason again. "Just... trust me. Alright? It wouldn't just help us now... it'd mean a lot for the future of Redrock if we take this mission, and do it well. It's the biggest contract we've gotten."
Jason looks down towards the ground silently for a few moments. Finally, he reaches out and grabs her hand. With a slow nod of his head, he squeezes her hand. "Yeah... I trust you..." he says softly. "Just-... Be careful." he continues, raising his gaze to meet hers once again, "Okay?"
Vasquez gains a faint smile, returning the squeeze. "I will..." She says with a nod, and, after a moment, she adds: "...thank you." She lets go of Jason's hand. "You should rest. And... I should probably get back to work."
Jason reaches out and grabs Vasquez' other hand. With a slight tug he pulls her close enough to plant a kiss on her forehead. "You know, you shouldn't be a dick to me when I'm shot." he teases as his smirk returns, "It's just mean. Stress hinders recovery!"
Vasquez remains close after she's pulled in a bit, shaking her head faintly with another roll of her eyes. She presses her lips against his before pulling away and leaving the room, smile still on her face.
Jason waits until she leaves the room before struggling back into bed, cringing as pain shoots through his side.