Celeste had stayed still, speaking quietly of who and what she was, until heavy and rhythmic breathing told her that he was soon asleep.  Rising carefully, her fingers unwound from his own to pull away from his own.  The blankets were pulled around him and she ran her hand over his hair, smoothing it.  There was some comfort, at least for her, knowing he would be able to rest while on the morphine. Turning from the bed, she soundlessly left the room and took her coffee on the way.

The nurse had charted it all, feeling sad that he had not remembered prior conversations with previous medical staff.  His tag of danger was stared at and then removed, a progress note entered, before she had finished up her work.   The rest of her shift had been fairly routine, allowing her to take a shower once there was an ability to report off and take up her backpack.  There was a glance down the unit before she looked to the older nurse, speaking quietly.

"If Chambers has any changes in condition, get me.  I'll be sleeping on the couch."
"Don't you ever go home?"
"Not when I'm on a stretch."

Swinging the bag onto her shoulder, long strides took her to the locker room to clean away the stresses from the day.

---

Through the day, Jason would find that the nurse and aides were kind and patient, but they seemed more curt than Celeste.  Of course, he was likely to quickly find out he was going to need a lot of help.  The ladies helped him eat and drink, saw to all the minor things he could need - they all seemed to power through, as most staff did, though they often seemed to use his rank more than she had.  Then again, Celeste was a civilian that had escaped away from stateside to come somewhere else. 

It was late when Celeste came on shift, having overslept, with a large mug of coffee scented with cinnamon and vanilla, to get report before hitting the floor.  Stethoscope around her neck and a blood pressure cuff in her pocket, there was a quiet knock on Jason's door before the nurse had entered.  Dressed in navy today, a warm white fleece was unzipped and open.

"May I come in?  I have to torture you with a set of vitals."