Don't Worry[Edelo, Natasha]

There was something unbearably dull about lying in the cozy bed of a hospital. Fun as the notion may sound on paper, it wasn't nearly half as entertaining in execution. Not one bit. Outside of visitors, Natasha had to develop her own routine for entertainment. Marathon her favorite westerns on a tablet, play a game of cards with one of the nurses, explore the internet for hilarious little videos - several options, sure, but none of them quite beat the hours for visitation. She was a sociable lady by nature, after all.

The idea that she couldn't freely check on her comrades bothered her, but that came with the territory of fighting on the frontlines. It doesn't make it any easier to stomach, but it's the best the idle mind can offer without reflecting on what happened in Africa. Reflecting on that was the last thing she wanted to do, no doubt, leading her to maintain a quiet focus on her tablet. She'll watch things to pass the time. That's the best she can do right now. Thinking about any of the unpleasantness will only sour her mood if she isn't careful.

"Not at all, sweetheart. Come right on in. I was just beginning to die of boredom."

A familiar face was a welcome reprieve from the relatively drab environment she occupied, especially so when it was someone she viewed in a mightily fond light. Hearing his name from the nurses turned her lips up into a warm smile. Edelo had a good heart about him. His spirit was always in the right place even if he came across as socially awkward. Motioning for him to draw closer, Natasha curiously allowed her hazel eyes to dart toward the large container in his hand. Whoa, now. Wait a minute. The aroma dancing from that container smelled mighty nice. As one who heavily preferred preparing most of her meals at home, the wondrous scent of homemade mac and cheese had not escaped her nostrils. What a sweet gesture. Was that for her?

"Is that homemade mac and cheese? Aw shucks. That's mighty sweet of you, Del."

"Your momma taught you well, honey. Were I up and running like I usually am, I reckon I'd do the same for my fellow men and women. Homemade grub' can work miracles on even the most cynical of spirits."

Natasha was familiar with the notion. Hell, if she hadn't been confined to this lousy ole' bed, she'd probably be whipping up some tasty dishes for those who also suffered that miserable defeat as she did. Part of her wanted to reach out and grab that container, though. The smell was unbearably tempting. Apart from the welcome reprieve of his presence, the thought of eating something else besides hospital food was quite enticing.

Easy there, cowgirl. Food's not going anywhere. He's probably got a few questions. Answer those first.

Drawing herself back to reality, Natasha registered his questions with silent clarity. Were they particularly all that pleasant to recall? No, not really. But they were expected, and since she had mostly - emphasis on mostly - calmed down about the whole incident, she still felt like she hadn't done much to change the outcome. She constantly told herself that there was no way they could have properly prepared, given the nature of the attack. The past was the past. Offering a warm smile, Natasha casually shrugged her shoulders with a playful flex of the arms - telltale gestures to ease the mood of a less-than-savory subject.

"With some physical therapy and laying in the bed, I don't think they'll be able to keep me outta commission for too long. Honestly, Lil' took far more damage than I did. Though, I guess that's to be expected considerin' the nature of that bastard we faced in Africa. I appreciate that you think so highly of us. Hell, I do too... but some enemies are just a goddamn' pain in the ass to bring down, ya know? We'll get em' next time."

Of course, that's what she told herself, what she told him. Maintaining morale was essential in times of doubt, no matter how difficult the notion seemed.

"She sounds like an amazing lady. I oughta visit her one of these days and tell her she raised a bright-spirited young man with a big heart."

Natasha shifted her position around in the bed, leaning up out of a need for comfort. Plus, it made it easier to host a conversation. Whenever she conversed with anyone, eye contact was a must. To her, that was always the best way of letting them know you were listening. It left no sense of pretense or falsehood. Those reports were right on the money. Bold was an understatement, though. Those bastards were relentless. Fighting war on the winning side was great, but a resounding loss like this one... definitely stung. No question.

"Bold's definitely one way of describing em', yea. They definitely weren't here to make nice. I can say that much. Christ, a midnight attack wasn't even on any of our minds, but they certainly seized that advantage and reaped the benefits from our lack of preparation. Though, I sometimes wonder if anything would have changed even if we were prepared."

Natasha didn't really want to linger on that battle for too long. Or rather, perhaps it would have been more appropriate to say she didn't intend to reflect on it to a degree that would bother her. The only thing that mattered now was getting stronger, adapting to the enemy's flow, and returning their aggression with equal spirit the next time they met those bastards. Edelo's lighthearted banter was taken in stride as Natasha chuckled, lifting her arm to flex it in front of him with a wink of the eye.

"Course I will, honey. This hospital ain't keepin' this gunslinger down. Of course, the thought of you bringing me homemade food' while I recover IS mighty tempting. If you feed me too much on my road to recovery, I might not wanna' leave."

"Good, good. Lemme know when she's up for a visit, and I'll be there. It'd be nice to meet the lady who raised a well-meaning man like you."

Finishing that compliment with a soft pinch to his cheek, Natasha smiled warmly. The idea of meeting his mother was interesting. Did she plan on meeting everybody's parents in the Vandenreich? Of course not. Curiosity simply compelled her to see what his mom's deal was. The sort of curiosity that would bother her until she pursued it in it's entirety. But that could wait. She was in no rush to throw too much on his table.

Concerning his knowledge on what was going down in Africa, Natasha couldn't exactly say she was surprised. Those bastards did strike her as the type to take advantage of every opportunity, and with their retreat, there's plenty of resources to work with. His worry had merit to it, but if she wasn't going to worry about it, she sure as hell had no intention of letting Edelo ruminate on it anymore than he needed to either. Shifting her hand from his cheek to his shoulder, Natasha pats him softly, shaking her head to dismiss his worries.

"At ease, soldier. We've suffered defeat for now, true. I can't deny that. Things might look a little dire, but we'll drive those bastards back. We're not about to let them ruin what we've built here. They can enjoy their lil' victory for now, but once I'm out, I'll be layin' a can of whoop ass on every hollow that messed with me, ya hear? That's the bottom line. Why? Because Stone Cold Miller said so."

Honestly, she definitely didn't think Edelo would get that corny impression, considering his village boy origins, but she certainly hoped it proved fruitful enough to dispel any worry. She was already bothered by her own thoughts, and she definitely didn't want him leaving the room with anything but the positive spirit he came here with.

"Oho? Well played. A reward system for good cookin based on my recovery? I'm vibin' with it. Hopefully, you won't keep that mac away from me, though. I'm honestly starving. I know the nurses try their best here, but the food's... kinda... so-so? Is that wrong of me to say, sweetheart?" She ventured with playful innocence.