Title: Réveiller
Author: Saydria Wolfe
Fandom: Hannibal
Characters: Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter, Alana Bloom, Abigail Hobbs
Prompt: Surrender
Word Count: 871
Warning: No beta
Author’s Note: Blame FanArts
Summary: What if Seasons 2 and 3 were all in Will’s head?
With the last of his strength, Will pushes Hannibal over the cliff’s edge. He follows, surrendering to gravity’s pull. Grateful that it’s all finally over. Over Hannibal’s shoulder he can see the water growing larger, closer with every heartbeat.
He closes his eyes.
With a deep breath, the cold smell of.. antiseptic? fills his lungs. What? He listens for the sounds of the ocean, for the surging water and the laughing of gulls, but all he can hear is beeping. Like a heart monitor? Or something like it at least.
He opens his eyes.
He’s in a bed. Warm and hard but definitely a bed. He’s sort of vaguely sitting up, now that he’s paying attention. The sheets under his hands and body are stiff. Alana is seated on his right, her head is tipped forward in awkward sleep and there’s an open book trying its best to fall out of her lap.
Hannibal is on his left. Whole and hale -without a single scratch on him.
Will is very confused. “What happened?” He croaks.
There’s a moment with a world of emotion in the serial killing cannibal’s eyes. Then he remembers himself and looks away. “You gave us quite a scare.” He answers softly as he pours a cup of water and holds it up where Will can reach the straw. “Small sips.”
Will frowns but follows his instructions. The man’s a doctor after all and they are obviously in a hospital. “How long?”
Hannibal presses his lips firmly together, obviously unwilling to answer.
Alana’s book finally makes for the floor and she jerks awake. She frowns at Hannibal, trying to figure out why he’s standing. Then she glances down at Will. Her mouth falls open and he can see her mind stop as she sits there blinking at him, confused.
“You collapsed in my office quite some time ago. A severe case of Anti-NMDA encephalitis. You’ve been in a coma.”
“We should call the nurse,” Alana finally says. “Let them know he’s awake.”
Hannibal inclines his head in permission and Alana reaches for the call button.
One nurse bustles in. Two. Three. Followed by the floor doctor. They must have been really worried about him because it’s three in the morning both the head of neurology and his doctor -a person he’s never actually met- are paged immediately.
The sun is starting to peek in through the blinds by the time they let him rest. Alana’s the only one still with him.
“Margo’s going to be so pleased you’re alright.”
“Margo?” He frowns, “Your wife?”
She smiles at him beatifically. “You remembered! We weren’t sure how much you could hear us… while you were sleeping.”
“And Morgan?”
“We haven’t told anyone I’m pregnant. Not even you,” Alana’s hand drops to her stomach. “We don’t know the gender or anything. How did you know their name?”
“I- I must have dreamed it.” He hesitates but he has to know. “And Abigail? Did I-”
“Save my life?” A bright voice asks from the doorway.
He looks up to see her grinning at him in a way he hasn’t seen outside of her old family photos. Hannibal is behind her, lingering at her shoulder as if unsure.
“Giving her someone to focus on did provide a breakthrough in her therapy, though I think we can all agree to avoid such heroics in the future.” Alana agrees, amused. She stands and picks up her things. “I should be going, I’ll tell Margo and Jack the good news.”
She clasps him on one shoulder and leaves. Abigail immediately fills her place as Hannibal moves back to his original post.
“I got my GED while you were sleeping and I start school for pre-med next month.” Abigail tells him excitedly. “I’m going to become a neurologist and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
“I’m glad. You’ll be a great doctor,” He assures.
She grins. “I hope so. I’ve had quite a bit of experience with difficult patients lately.” She looks up at Hannibal slyly. “Settling your dogs in with me and Hannibal has been an adventure. Buster and Hannibal still don’t get along but he and Winston might take over the world. Did you know Hannibal can do the puppy dog face? How is that even fair?”
They both glance over to see Hannibal giving them said puppy dog face and burst into laughter.
“Details,” Will orders. “I need details.”
“I was released from Port Haven about a month into your coma. I went to live with Hannibal, since moving into your place without talking to you would be wrong. About two weeks later, Hannibal and I agree to take in your dogs. Alana and Margo had them, turned them into total fur-covered divas. Now, just getting them all into one car was an adventure but thank god we decided not to use the Jag because oh my god the mess-”
He laughs and relaxes as his daughter babbles. It’s so perfect. It’s so strange. He doesn’t even have to think about it as he settles his hand into Hannibal’s. Stranger still Hannibal doesn’t say anything, he just strokes his thumb over the back of his hand until Will falls right to sleep.
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