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( She closes the one eye his fingers get too close to, blinking under his fingers. )
< Before I wasn't literally dogging your every step! >
( Now she holds still, waiting for him to start standing, sticking to his side. )
< Okay, then back to your place before the drugs knock you out for a while. If you start to feel woozy, tell me! Can you keep a hand on me while we walk? I'll stick by your side either way. >
< Before I wasn't literally dogging your every step! >
( Now she holds still, waiting for him to start standing, sticking to his side. )
< Okay, then back to your place before the drugs knock you out for a while. If you start to feel woozy, tell me! Can you keep a hand on me while we walk? I'll stick by your side either way. >
Hounding me the whole way and everything.
[ Though what about Lenalee? Did she leave? But it would make sense. Standing around awkwardly while he and Collette chatted... He wouldn't stick around, either.
He inhales deeply, as if preparing for some great effort, and sits up! Attempts to sit up. Makes it part way up but then gives up and flops back down onto the cot. His head swims from the attempt, only making the pounding that's already up there all the more worse.
The hand he'd put on her head leaves, shakily going press against his temple instead. ]
Ugh... okay... maybe not.
[ Though what about Lenalee? Did she leave? But it would make sense. Standing around awkwardly while he and Collette chatted... He wouldn't stick around, either.
He inhales deeply, as if preparing for some great effort, and sits up! Attempts to sit up. Makes it part way up but then gives up and flops back down onto the cot. His head swims from the attempt, only making the pounding that's already up there all the more worse.
The hand he'd put on her head leaves, shakily going press against his temple instead. ]
Ugh... okay... maybe not.
( Now she moves closer to his head, mouth open in canine laughter. She gives a slow lick to the hand at his temple. )
< Definitely not. Sleep off what you can, okay? I'll be here. Gotta hunt down something more comfortablel to be on, but hey, that's easier here than elsewhere! >
( Hunt down a chair in reality, just to borrow. If she's here more than four hours, she'll need to be able to make it to the bathrooms -- and not rely just on morphs. She's still not recovered enough to exhaust energy as freely as she did before June. (She hates that, but she accepts it. Pushing now means not having the ability to push later, at a time she might need it more.) )
< Do you want water? They don't have you on a saline drip... I can get you water after I demorph! >
( They've got the worst tag-team game of "who's in the hospital/clinic and who is watching over the one in the hospital/clinic, but it doesn't even occur to her to just leave. Nor to get her own chair -- she'd just need to have it returned again later, since she wasn't planning to roll out with him once he could walk. )
< Definitely not. Sleep off what you can, okay? I'll be here. Gotta hunt down something more comfortablel to be on, but hey, that's easier here than elsewhere! >
( Hunt down a chair in reality, just to borrow. If she's here more than four hours, she'll need to be able to make it to the bathrooms -- and not rely just on morphs. She's still not recovered enough to exhaust energy as freely as she did before June. (She hates that, but she accepts it. Pushing now means not having the ability to push later, at a time she might need it more.) )
< Do you want water? They don't have you on a saline drip... I can get you water after I demorph! >
( They've got the worst tag-team game of "who's in the hospital/clinic and who is watching over the one in the hospital/clinic, but it doesn't even occur to her to just leave. Nor to get her own chair -- she'd just need to have it returned again later, since she wasn't planning to roll out with him once he could walk. )
You don't have to stay, you know.
[ But she will anyway, because she's Collette and she'll metaphorically hover about like this. He wonders if it'll ever get tiring, how they keep switching off places like this. Who's injured, who's keeping watch, over and over again.
He sighs and eventually drags his hand down from his hand, though mostly to wipe the dog drool off on the sheet. ]
Although water would be nice...
[ But she will anyway, because she's Collette and she'll metaphorically hover about like this. He wonders if it'll ever get tiring, how they keep switching off places like this. Who's injured, who's keeping watch, over and over again.
He sighs and eventually drags his hand down from his hand, though mostly to wipe the dog drool off on the sheet. ]
Although water would be nice...
< Got it! >
( She ignores the first, knowing he had to know this wasn't a matter of having to or not having to. What else was she going to do? She wants to stay, so she stays. Like she had before, and like she will again. It wouldn't be a lie to say she'd do so for all her friends... but it might be a lie to say that doing so for Caesar at this point wasn't different, in some way.
She's gone for ten minutes or so, demorphing and fanangling another chair. There's a promise to help with inventory later if she can stay, and that she'll keep out of the way, yes ma'am, no sir, as you will. Collette returns with a bottle of water, chatting as she comes. )
Ended up finding water bottles, we brought out a whole bunch for everyone. Did you want a straw? I grabbed one,, sometimes it's easier to suck than figure out swallowing. You awake, or did the meds finally send you on to sleepsville?
( All equally conversational. )
I can grab another few pillows to help you sit up if you like, or I can help. You're probably going to start feeling even floppier! What would you prefer to do?
( She asks at last, stopped by the level of his chest and shoulders. She doesn't reach out to him. Collette plans to tell him before she actually does that, though she wants to -- her fingers twitch where they are by her wheels. )
( She ignores the first, knowing he had to know this wasn't a matter of having to or not having to. What else was she going to do? She wants to stay, so she stays. Like she had before, and like she will again. It wouldn't be a lie to say she'd do so for all her friends... but it might be a lie to say that doing so for Caesar at this point wasn't different, in some way.
She's gone for ten minutes or so, demorphing and fanangling another chair. There's a promise to help with inventory later if she can stay, and that she'll keep out of the way, yes ma'am, no sir, as you will. Collette returns with a bottle of water, chatting as she comes. )
Ended up finding water bottles, we brought out a whole bunch for everyone. Did you want a straw? I grabbed one,, sometimes it's easier to suck than figure out swallowing. You awake, or did the meds finally send you on to sleepsville?
( All equally conversational. )
I can grab another few pillows to help you sit up if you like, or I can help. You're probably going to start feeling even floppier! What would you prefer to do?
( She asks at last, stopped by the level of his chest and shoulders. She doesn't reach out to him. Collette plans to tell him before she actually does that, though she wants to -- her fingers twitch where they are by her wheels. )
Edited 2013-10-19 07:10 (UTC)
She looks from the towel in hand to the puddle on the floor. "Uh... you might want to wash your shoe," is the first coherent spoken thought she manages. "Or else you'll track juice everywhere... I'm not sure if we have a mop here!"
She looks from him to the juice puddle, then makes herself go closer. Leaning out, she does manage to get the towel out over most the spill.
She looks from him to the juice puddle, then makes herself go closer. Leaning out, she does manage to get the towel out over most the spill.
This suggestion...sort of...registers. Instead of washing his shoes, Stanley slips them off, though. And then he sits down beside the juice puddle and stares at it for a moment. Sorry, Collette. It's been one of those weeks. He thought he was handling it, but now that there's juice on the floor things are somehow unbearably overwhelming. Would it be weird to take a nap in the kitchen?
Before he goes for it anyway, there's a soft padding of small feet. A little girl emerges from her hiding spot inside a cupboard and climbs right into his lap, with a degree of familiarity that suggests she has no reason to think she doesn't belong there. She pets his long, silky hair a few times, and then casually pickpockets the cheese he'd tucked away for later. She's either the tiniest, boldest, most reassuring thief around or she knows him, and well.
Before he goes for it anyway, there's a soft padding of small feet. A little girl emerges from her hiding spot inside a cupboard and climbs right into his lap, with a degree of familiarity that suggests she has no reason to think she doesn't belong there. She pets his long, silky hair a few times, and then casually pickpockets the cheese he'd tucked away for later. She's either the tiniest, boldest, most reassuring thief around or she knows him, and well.
Edited 2013-10-20 18:50 (UTC)
Mm.
[ He's still awake! Although ten minutes of laying there in silence and generally not trying to think too much has left him starting to feel the effects of the meds. The edge on the pain has blurred, not as sharp, not as invasive.
Only that also makes answering her questions all the more difficult.
It takes some time to decide.
A straw? ]
What? No. If I can sit up, it'll be fine. [ If he can. ] Are there even any other pillows to grab?
[ He's still awake! Although ten minutes of laying there in silence and generally not trying to think too much has left him starting to feel the effects of the meds. The edge on the pain has blurred, not as sharp, not as invasive.
Only that also makes answering her questions all the more difficult.
It takes some time to decide.
A straw? ]
What? No. If I can sit up, it'll be fine. [ If he can. ] Are there even any other pillows to grab?
Collette personally opts for knowing him well, and to no small degree because he doesn't react to her presence, and she knew which pocket held the cheese. "That's who he was saving extra for," she says softly, giving a slow shake of her head. Collette flashes a smile at the little girl, giving her a small wave with her fingers before directing her attention to the puddle. Stan and girl she lets sort themselves out as they like -- she's not much for staring overtly at things which aren't really that astoundingly odd.
"I didn't know Stan had a friend with him. I would have said hello! My name's Collette," she continues, everything conversational as she does her best to clean up the juice spill.
At least her energy's back on the rise. If it weren't, Collette would hate the creeping, fearful insecurity of her life right now even more, in the ephemeral sense that she ever hated anything. (Internal railing that it's unfair, pouting at the wall, breathing out and then tackling the world. No one here was paid to listen to her whine. Sadly.)
"Stan, can I grab you anything to drink? You or your friend."
"I didn't know Stan had a friend with him. I would have said hello! My name's Collette," she continues, everything conversational as she does her best to clean up the juice spill.
At least her energy's back on the rise. If it weren't, Collette would hate the creeping, fearful insecurity of her life right now even more, in the ephemeral sense that she ever hated anything. (Internal railing that it's unfair, pouting at the wall, breathing out and then tackling the world. No one here was paid to listen to her whine. Sadly.)
"Stan, can I grab you anything to drink? You or your friend."
"What? He blinks, slowly coming to his sense again, wrapping an arm around the little girl gently and getting to his feet. "Oh. This is Peace. Sorry, she's not good with strangers, ya know? And she's not on the official guest list."
That statement is coupled with a serious glance, that errs a bit on the side of pleading. He didn't tell people you were a bloodthirsty pack animal, you owe him keeping this little girl's secret. Okay? Peace, for her part, doesn't pay a lot of mind to Collette. Just a cursory, curious glance. But she's not afraid of teenagers the way she is around adults, and Stanley isn't tense, so she doesn't perceive Collette as a threat to them both. She just enjoys her cheese and plays with his hair some more. Her own hair is dark and kinky, but it's been carefully pulled away from her face and secured with a strip cut off of a hospital gown.
"She doesn't talk much. She's uh...last time....uh. Her ear got fucked up, you know? Things sound kind of weird to her I guess."
That statement is coupled with a serious glance, that errs a bit on the side of pleading. He didn't tell people you were a bloodthirsty pack animal, you owe him keeping this little girl's secret. Okay? Peace, for her part, doesn't pay a lot of mind to Collette. Just a cursory, curious glance. But she's not afraid of teenagers the way she is around adults, and Stanley isn't tense, so she doesn't perceive Collette as a threat to them both. She just enjoys her cheese and plays with his hair some more. Her own hair is dark and kinky, but it's been carefully pulled away from her face and secured with a strip cut off of a hospital gown.
"She doesn't talk much. She's uh...last time....uh. Her ear got fucked up, you know? Things sound kind of weird to her I guess."
She'd be lying if she claimed that she'd not had similar thoughts, of saving someone, anyone, had she been given the choice. Collette hadn't. Nor had any part of her friends left behind been the sort to really pull someone through like that -- Collette's not sure Caesar went back to Paramjit, though she suspected he had.
It's another young girl, whose only crime had ever been to live in a free, difficult country. Only this one's alive.
Collette's gaze lingers with that thought. When she looks to Stan, she just smiles. "Official lists are boring anyway," she comments. "And my guess is if she's stuck with you long-term, you'll want to look into finding anyone familiar with speech therapy. Just the one ear?" She wonders if her equilibrium might be off, too, but she hadn't seemed to find moving around too awkward. Were the two related? She's not sure.
What she doesn't say are her other thoughts: how, why, what if she disappears and it's because we've changed the past and she's never been born? Those aren't thoughts she wants to feed Stan, no matter how often she's had them. No matter living through times where people she knew had been written right out of history.
Thinking like that would drive anyone crazy.
It's another young girl, whose only crime had ever been to live in a free, difficult country. Only this one's alive.
Collette's gaze lingers with that thought. When she looks to Stan, she just smiles. "Official lists are boring anyway," she comments. "And my guess is if she's stuck with you long-term, you'll want to look into finding anyone familiar with speech therapy. Just the one ear?" She wonders if her equilibrium might be off, too, but she hadn't seemed to find moving around too awkward. Were the two related? She's not sure.
What she doesn't say are her other thoughts: how, why, what if she disappears and it's because we've changed the past and she's never been born? Those aren't thoughts she wants to feed Stan, no matter how often she's had them. No matter living through times where people she knew had been written right out of history.
Thinking like that would drive anyone crazy.
"Can they do that?" Oh, god. They said they couldn't fix her ear and he'd just assumed that meant they couldn't help, but maybe it wasn't true. He really has no clue how to be a stand in for someone's parents. It's so much harder than it looks.
"I...yeah. Of course I want to fix it. I mean, I don't have money. Or skills. But maybe I can...uh. There's gotta be something, right?"
"I...yeah. Of course I want to fix it. I mean, I don't have money. Or skills. But maybe I can...uh. There's gotta be something, right?"
"Hearing aids, doctors, therapists who work on this stuff... I mean, all kinds of stuff, for different people, but speech therapy's common! I know we had people who worked on it at the hospital before, so... maybe someone up here did that. Back home."
Or when they all return -- if Peace is around at that time -- he'll find someone else who can help. "It's not a big problem, not at all! Even if she were totally deaf, that's be like, learning sign language and helping her with it. Kids pick new things up like crazy!"
That's what her mom always said.
Or when they all return -- if Peace is around at that time -- he'll find someone else who can help. "It's not a big problem, not at all! Even if she were totally deaf, that's be like, learning sign language and helping her with it. Kids pick new things up like crazy!"
That's what her mom always said.
There's a blanket to fold in half and pillows on the other cots, plus a few spare ones for stuff like this. Trust me, we're basically in pillow central!
( Be they made up on the spot or otherwise. She speaks with more certainty than she feels, though a glance around provides her with enough evidence to know they can prop him up if need be. It's just... going to be awkward. Getting him up just enough to make swallowing comfortable sounds safer, and more doable, to Collette. )
I'm reaching for your arm right now. Want me to help you try to sit up? I can get another pillow behind you so you're not totally flat, it helps with the whole swallowing thing, I promise!
( He's getting the straw.
He's totally getting the straw. )
( Be they made up on the spot or otherwise. She speaks with more certainty than she feels, though a glance around provides her with enough evidence to know they can prop him up if need be. It's just... going to be awkward. Getting him up just enough to make swallowing comfortable sounds safer, and more doable, to Collette. )
I'm reaching for your arm right now. Want me to help you try to sit up? I can get another pillow behind you so you're not totally flat, it helps with the whole swallowing thing, I promise!
( He's getting the straw.
He's totally getting the straw. )
"Sign language?" That's...maybe not a perfect solution. But that could work, until he's able to really fix it for her. In fact, when all his plants grow in...right. No plants. He'll have to think of a better way to pay for it. Maybe he can trade some blood to the vampires at the hospital...
"Huh. Yeah. Maybe."
"Huh. Yeah. Maybe."
"Doesn't hurt to ask," she offers. "Even with sign language, people here might know it. That helps with learning curves." Every little bit helps.
"Yeah. Guess I never thought about it. You're way smarter than Petey." AND hey, he's pretty sure he knows some sign language. Though he can't remember how he knows it. But, yeah...yeah, actually he seems to know a lot of sign language. That he just hadn't needed until now, or something. Must've been from watching too much Sesame Street as a kid, maybe. Huh.
Spontaneous sign language??? Stanley!
"Petey?" she asks, lifting the towel off the ground and holding it with one hand out to the side. She awkwardly manages to roll herself back slowly, aiming to end up by the sink. She doesn't judge it right the first time.
She grimaces, then tosses the towel toward the sink anyway. Close enough.
Most of it falls inside.
"Petey?" she asks, lifting the towel off the ground and holding it with one hand out to the side. She awkwardly manages to roll herself back slowly, aiming to end up by the sink. She doesn't judge it right the first time.
She grimaces, then tosses the towel toward the sink anyway. Close enough.
Most of it falls inside.
"Oh...I got that. Sorry."
To his credit, Stanley stops dreamily making signs to himself, and hops up for a minute, shifting Peace to one hip. Together they get the towel into the sink. Success?
To his credit, Stanley stops dreamily making signs to himself, and hops up for a minute, shifting Peace to one hip. Together they get the towel into the sink. Success?
"Thanks. Can you wring it out?" She's not sure if it's more or less rude to just leave it there, but asking her to work with this sink, when it's higher than the ones in the apartments, is kind of...
Anyway, Collette looks back to the stain on the floor. "I think we have some kind of surface wipe... like baby wipes, only for cleaning. Did you need an extra blanket for her? I know we have a few at the clinic."
Anyway, Collette looks back to the stain on the floor. "I think we have some kind of surface wipe... like baby wipes, only for cleaning. Did you need an extra blanket for her? I know we have a few at the clinic."
"Nah, she sleeps with me. She's fine."
The statement is casual, it's clearly not something he thinks of as a big deal. She's little, she doesn't take up much space. At Collette's prompts, Stanley wrings the rag out and glances around for the surface wipes. He's not ambitious, it's true, but directions he's good at taking when he's not being stubborn.
The statement is casual, it's clearly not something he thinks of as a big deal. She's little, she doesn't take up much space. At Collette's prompts, Stanley wrings the rag out and glances around for the surface wipes. He's not ambitious, it's true, but directions he's good at taking when he's not being stubborn.
"She have enough to wear? For that matter... do you?" Pointing down the length of the counter, she tosses out, "They're down there, I think. Bring me back one and I can help, too!"
He's about to answer, really. To reassure her that yeah, yeah, he traded everything and his soul for cute little tutus and pretty dresses when she got here. He even broke his network silence and asked for help.
But the second part makes his throat tighten unexpectedly. It's...it's the first time anyone's asked him if he needed anything, personally. For some inexplicable reason, it makes a little pang go through his stomach. But he swallows it, takes a breath, and shakes his head.
"No. I mean, yeah. She's got...stuff. I'm not neglecting her, I promise."
But the second part makes his throat tighten unexpectedly. It's...it's the first time anyone's asked him if he needed anything, personally. For some inexplicable reason, it makes a little pang go through his stomach. But he swallows it, takes a breath, and shakes his head.
"No. I mean, yeah. She's got...stuff. I'm not neglecting her, I promise."
What he says and doesn't say, how he says it, the time until he speaks, all of that makes Collette pay even more careful attention. "Didn't say you were," she says cheerfully, though she guesses someone has. "Didn't hear an affirmative from you, either. So... what size shirts do you wear? Pants? Do you have socks? Clean pairs of underwear without holes in them? We've got extra boxers."
She can dig extra pairs up that should fit.
She can dig extra pairs up that should fit.
His shirt is pretty obviously ragged, so there's no use lying about it. But it's tough to answer. His chest feels heavy, though he wouldn't be able to explain why if someone asked. Instead, he settles for nodding. Yeah. Okay. He could maybe do with a new shirt. A new anything. He doesn't know whose shit she's trying to give him, but he'll leave them some green on the doorstep or something to make up for it. They can sell it if they don't like to toke.
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