randomplaces | Backwater Nexus. Question Square Medical Clinic. McCree's wife.

"What are you wearing?" Jack frowned as his partner wiggled around on the ottoman across the room from where he sat.

"Uh." Gleam stopped and looked down at the floral outfit she'd donned that morning. "A one shoulder ruffled crop top, and some shorts with ruffles. Why? Is it too skimpy?"

"No." Jack shrugged and glanced toward the hospital bed, thinking of the call he'd gotten two days before.

"Jack Morrison? This is Doctor Snow. Do you know a man named Jessie McCree?"

"...Yes," said Jack slowly. "Why? What'd he do this time?"

"Well, a couple hours ago he staggered into my office and ran into the door frame. He had a pretty big hole through his chest, but Hormah and I have closed it up. He's... Hello?"

He'd shut off his communicator in his haste to teleport to the Backwater and get to the clinic, and he'd been sitting in the armchair in McCree's room ever since, offering quiet-voiced insults whenever the cowboy had opened his eyes. McCree, for his part had slept that first day, and then spent the days after that alternating sleep with brief intervals of staring disorientedly at the ceiling and the soot sprite that had been walking around up there 'til Jack had caught it with a piece of paper and a glass and escorted it to the ledge outside the window.

Jack shook his head slightly at the memory, and then looked toward Gleam again to see her laying on the ottomon with one knee up as she perused an orphaned Bible tract she'd picked up somewhere. He chuckled slightly at the sight, and then held out his arm. "Hug?"

Gleam glanced over with a chuckle, then set down her book and came to snuggle into the chair with him. "You okay, old man?"

"Yeah. Did you have fun yesterday?"

"Shutting off an entire city of big colonial bullies? Sheeeeyeeeeahh." She chuckled and cuddled as he smoothed her hair down under his arm.

Jack snorted, then hugged her with both arms and felt content.

They sat like that for a few minutes, and then Gleam suddenly stirred.

"Hey. Didn't McCree get married?"

Jack blinked, then looked down at her. "Yeah. What was her name?"

"I can't find it." Gleam frowned with perplexity. "But I know she works at the Nerd Store."

Jack lifted his wrist and pressed the button on his watch that activated the team comm. He listened as the members of Iron Squad replied, then gave them an update on McCree before getting to the point. "I need someone to go to the Nerd Store and tell McCree's wife about him."

"No problem," said Ana the ogress's deep alto. "I'm already at the mall. I'll go tell her."

"Good." Jack disconnected the call, and then sat back to give McCree a deep frown. When the teal-eyed brunette arrived he gave her a non-commital look and was surprised to be greeted with an upset glare. "What?"

"Why didn't anyone call me?" she demanded in a quiet voice.

"Um. He said you got married just to give him a next of kin. We weren't sure you'd be interested? And we forgot about you," offered Gleam uncertainly. "Um, and what's your name, anyhow?"

The brunette snorted. "I'm not a romantic woman, but love is what you do, not what you feel. And they call me the Legolas Fangirl."

"...Gonna need a name change." Jack held in his smirk.

"Whatever." She sighed and walked over to the bed, then pulled up the stool and took McCree's hand.

Jack looked down at Gleam and saw her looking back at him.

"Let's go get him a new apartment key, so he's got it." He stood, setting her on her feet and watching her bob into the air as she nodded. He glanced one more time toward the hospital bed and saw the brunette nod her understanding of his unspoken promise to be back, then turned and walked out of the room.