ways_infirmary | (no subject)

Current Mood: curious

(no subject)

It's been some time since she was last awake. The infirmary hasn't changed much- different faces occupying other beds, a few things moved around, that's all- but it's a great difference to a girl who's spent half her life in the same small room.

So there's a timid, badly-burned, bandaged face peering out from behind one of the curtained-off beds, investigating the new surroundings.

[OOP: Slowtime = love.]

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A tired Hank wanders in and smiles for the first time in awhile.

"Hello, Alessa."

The smile is returned, shy but bright.

"i woke up," she declares with pleased surprise.

Then, with rather less pleasure, "you're tired."

He smiles even so, coming over to her.

"Yes, you did. Very good, Alessa! And yes, I am, but I am okay. And very happy to see you."

The shy smile comes out again, and, after a moment, two emaciated, bandaged hands wrap around one of his.

His smiles softens and he grips her hands gently back.

"I am very glad you felt good enough to wake and even peek out. I worry about my friend. I have been working on a chair for you, and I know soon you will get better enough that we will be able to take that spin outside we talked about. You just keep concentrating on getting better."

He smiles softly.

She nods.

"i never got to go outside with Lisa..." Her gaze drops to a centipede crawling from one bandage.

"...should i get better?"

He blinks, and carefully removes the bug.

"You will and yes you should. You are a good girl, and you are my friend."

he sets up a scan of her area again.

"it might be bad..."

There's another infestation in the bed. A fly buzzes up from underneath.

"if God got strong."

A roach crosses her face. She shudders, wincing.

"I believe in you, Alessa. Trust me. And ah, stand still for a moment, please?"

He activates the same sequence he had before and removes the infestation again, then gently scans her, removing whatever unright things might be around her body, gently, and efficiently. He also flicks the roach away, killing it.

"You are my friend and my patient and I will help you."

With a slight shiver, she relaxes again.

"you're not scared?"

And he smiles at her, realizing the answer is-

"No. I believe in you, and I trust you. And I know that I and others are going to help you. Friends stand together, Alessa, and even if I was afraid? I would do it anyway."

This is something to be awed at. "Lisa was... she wanted to go."

"Not everyone is ready, not everyone is able to face fear. It doesnt make them weak, or bad, just afraid. I chose along time ago to do my best to help people, and especially my friends. Even when I am afraid. But I'm not afraid of you or of anything that will happen around you."

His voice is kind and quiet.

"Daddy was scared. but he had to find Cheryl."

After a thoughtful moment, she adds, "the policelady... she was, too. the director and Mama were mad, though."

"Yeah? Sometimes poeple get mad when they are afraid, or when things dont go right. But I wont be mad at you, Alessa. I promise."

She watches him for a moment, searching his expression.

"i want to go outside," she decides, "if i can be better."

he smiles at her, and nods.

"You will get there. Spring is coming, and you will get to see the flowers and trees as they start to bloom. Just hang in there, and rest, and get better and I will get you outside, so you can take in some of that too."

"take in..." She frowns, shaking her head. "i want it to stay there."

he smiles at that.

"I merely meant, that you would get some of the sunshine. Which is good for you. Sorry. Sometimes, I am silly and dont say what I mean clearly."

He grins at her

For some people, it's a valid fear.

She smiles at him, then lies back. "i miss Lisa..."

he settles in the chair next to her bed.

"I bet you do. What was she like?"

Another silence for careful thought. "um. nice. she said nice things, and sometimes she'd tell a story for me. she wanted me to get better, too."

"She sounds very nice. I can see why you would miss her. "

He smiles slightly at her. Such a sweet child, subjected to so much pain.

She nods. "she didn't want to stay. but she was still nice."

"Well, I am staying and I will help you. You are my friend, and a good girl, and deserve joy."

He gently pats her hands.

A blink, then a genuine smile.

She nods. "thank you."

He nods back.

"You're welcome, Alessa. You're very welcome."

He pulls out a small datapad.

"I brought this for you, because I thought you might like it. I didnt know you would be awake, but now I am glad."

He hands it over. The screen holds a small title screen saying '100 children's stories'. There is a page up, page down button and a menu button as well.

She stares. A present....

Her hands hold it delicately, in case it breaks.

"really?"

He smiles gently at her.

"Yes, really. It is for you. The page down button move the story forward and the page back button moves it backwards. The menu button will always return you to the list of stories. You have been a very good patient and a good girl."

She beams. "thank you!"

And then, she distracts herself with the task of getting the thing to work.

He smiles and watches her, settling back in his chair and just smiling. Even in his darker mood, she was a dlight to be around. A sweet child and kind.

She's absolutely absorbed in the electronic text.

"there's Cinderella..." she exclaims.

Hank just enjoys the quiet and rest and the joy on her face. It is a rare thing in his life of late and it is good to feel and see.

The screen flickers for a moment, letters bending oddly. Alessa frowns in concern.

A centipede emerges from beneath the bed.

Hank blinks and runs another scan, glancing under the bed, his eyes darker.

What the heck...?

Her gaze on him is one of resigned grief.

Little dots of insectiod life blink into existence across the scanner's screen.

And then it flickers, too.

"How..."

Then he shakes his head and places hi hand on hers.

"No matter what, Alessa, I am your friend and I wojnt give up."

His eyes are on hers and his gaze is fixed.

She looks down sadly, clenching her hands.

Static crawls across the screen, then the circle-triangle symbol.

Then, it clears again, and only the blips of bugs are there.

She doesn't look up.

He eyes the screen and then takes a different tack, starting a supression field against the bugs. Maybe he cant keep them from reappearing but a supression field would make it hard for them to stay when they did appear... provided it worked. He fgrowns fro a moment then punches a button.

Then he looks at her.

"Alessa? Are you okay?"

"God... won't..." she says. Her pulse and breathing speed up.

The field goes on. The bugs... refuse to leave. As if in response to this attempt, more start to appear.

And then blood seeps through the bandages.

Hge growls and then starts pulling out instruments from the monitor. He examines her bandages and then begans carefully pealing them back to see what is going on.. He will kill the bloody insects soon.

The burns haven't healed a bit since she first entered.

But now, they're actively oozing.

He changes her bandages and starts puilling out treatments and instruments to try to help her, even as he looks for the mini cold-torch. The bugs will not hurt her or bother her, even if he has to kill them one by one.

A few head for his arms, stingers and mandibles searching for a target.

Her fingers curl into the sheets. The blood snakes a path across them, seeping through.

It's following a specific pattern, though, carefully tracing out a design: two circles and a triangle, with various strange symbols in between.

And the bugs stop their assault.

Hank blinks a few timea nd then with a sudden move, he tals the monitors on each side. In moments, the screens, every single one, are displaying the symbols exactly in the same color and size.

The tableau seems to freeze for a moment.

Then, the bugs fade from view.

With a shivering sigh, Alessa's form sinks back against the mattress.

He programs the monitors to keep displaying the symbols 24-7 and sighs, sinking into the chair next to her, gently touching her hand.

"I am sorry I havent been more help, Alessa. I will find a way to help you. Somehow... somehow."

"sorry..." she breathes, squeezing his fingers weakly.

Her eyes close.

He sits there and watches her, knowing he wont move, not for some time to come.

Somehow, someday, he will find a way to help her. No matter what it takes.

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