Day 64: Cafeteria (brunch)

[gald_digger]

Well, that went well! Anise had gained herself a gorgeously handsome new friend. She just hoped that weird illness didn't get either of them killed before she could get to know him any better.

... Yeah, that was morbid. It was hard not to think about, though.

Before going to the Cafeteria, Anise made a stop at her room to grab her journal, maps, and a pen. Once she finished eating, she could get a start on copying the maps for Barnaby. He was going to be so glad he met her!

With that done, Anise made her way to the Cafeteria, where she picked up an assortment of food, making sure to get some meat, vegetables, and milk on her tray. She then sat down at a table and set her notes aside while she started on her meal. It was hard not to feel self-conscious about the rash on her arm, though the makeup she used had blended the discolored part enough that it couldn't be seen from a distance. Anise just hoped no one would come specifically looking for it.

[Ilia!]

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[kings_thief]

The sound of his nurse's insistent knocking finally pulled the treasure hunter from sleep and he groggily sat up as she busted in, going on about how he was late...or something like that; to be fair, he wasn't paying attention. His mind was on his now throbbing shoulder and the events of the night before.

A quick inspection of the barely tended wound revealed his shoulder was bandaged and cared for as if he'd gone to a healer. The strangest thing about it was the fact that, while it hurt, it wasn't the same level of pain as it had been the night before. If there'd been any doubts left in his mind that what happened at night actually happened, they would have disappeared. This was all the proof he needed.

Locke halfheartedly got out of bed and went with the nurse, not really listening to anything she went on about-There will be a movie today, Alex, isn't that exciting? You have therapy today, Alex, we'll just grab you some food first!- none of it mattered to him. He just wanted to get to the Cafeteria and make sure he laid eyes on Edgar and Tolten.

[Kidnap victim for one Dr. Cox~]

[notyoursafetynet]

On this, the absolute holiest of holy days - wherein any sane American male was supposed to be following the sacred ritual of sleeping in, waking just before noon, and hunkering down for the Sunday afternoon football game with a six pack and pizza - Cox was instead darkening the hallways of a place that was somehow managing to make Sacred Heart and it's misnomer of a namesake seem like a distant and, admittedly, more desirable memory.

He'd decided since getting the memo Saturday that someone would have to pay for this injustice. He was supposed to have his right to religious freedom, dammit! That's why there were amendments for these kinds of things! But since the judicial system just wouldn't work fast enough to alleviate his rage at this injustice, taking it out on the source of his problems would have to do.

And abusing a nurse wasn't going to cut it that morning.

It was for that reason he'd abandoned his office just shy of starting time for today's first session, dragging along the patient file Hello nurse had left for him. He hadn't read a word of it, but that wasn't needed for what he was after. He stomped into the Cafeteria and looked around at all the pathetic faces before yanking off a photo from a paperclip topping the file. Young, blonde, face that'd probably stop a trucker regardless of which way he swung... a lot fit the bill, but there was only one poor bastard he was after. And there he was.

"You," he pointed the picture towards the young man, being sure to get his attention before he pointed to the space before him, "Come!"

[kings_thief]

Looking around had only increased his anxiety; Tolten and Edgar weren't there yet. Tolten he was less worried about, the night had ended with them together and whole, Edgar he hadn't seen in...too long.

He was about to just get his food and wait for them when a man, who clearly wasn't a patient, caught his eye and then singled Locke out. "The hell..?" What was this guy's problem? What did he think Locke was, a dog? Well, if this guy was a doctor -which seemed likely- then that's probably exactly how he saw the younger man.

A little cautiously, he came closer, not really sure what to expect or what the guy even wanted. "What's up? Who are you?"

[notyoursafetynet]

Admittedly, it had been a bit of a long shot to actually think that the kid would come when called. His whole life's purpose wasn't riding on his performance and what Cox himself thought of it, as was true of countless interns, nor was he aware of Cox's reputation since, outside of the nursing staff, he didn't actually have one quite yet. Almighty though he was, even Cox needed closer to a week before everyone would know to fear him, and fear him well. Crashing the cafeteria was sure to help with that, he suspected.

With the blonde actually coming when called, he felt a bit like his old self and could not help the grin that spread at the poor boy's misfortune. "That's it, tail between your legs like a good little lapdoggy," he baited, if only to see if the pup might have fangs.

Cox wasn't so stupid as to think that there couldn't be some raving lunatic behind those big, brown, puppy-dog eyes, but he was at least confident that he could put the kid in the dog house should he misbehave.

"For today, since I don't have a choice in the matter, you can consider me either 1. Your worst nightmare or 2. Your new master. While I'm a bit partial to the latter, I'm gunna leave that decision up to you, just so you can have something to mull over as you heel and follow," he turned to leave, pausing enough so that his meaning wasn't misconstrued in any way, and giving an exaggerated whistle for effect, "Come Fido."

[kings_thief]

Locke's opinion of the man was already lowered just from the moment he'd opened his mouth and called Locke over. As he went on, however, it just went from bad to worse. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Locke wasn't unused to being talked down to, it happened enough times either based on how he dressed or just from his own reputation preceding him. But this...this was almost too familiar. It was like how Kefka talked to people and that struck a little too close to home for the treasure hunter.

His fists clentched as the bastard kept talking and the urge to punch that smirk off his face was growing with every second and every word. No one had the right to talk to another person like that, not Kefka and certainly not this jackass. Locke was tired, frustrated, sick, worried, and in pain and this guy was only making all the anger he'd been holding back since arriving here come to the surface.

The whistle and the 'Fido' line were the last straw. The doctor might not have been wearing obnoxious colors and make up, but that same dismissive smile and tone was all the prompting Locke needed.

He pulled back his tightly clenched fist and aimed right for the asshole's face. Consequences be damned.

/you may call me Kefcox from now on!

[notyoursafetynet]

People had hauled off on him before, only the brave ones, but that was still a fair few since there were so many that had the thought to cross their minds. Cox just had that kind of cheery disposition that made people want to get a good shot in, and he knew it. Adding that to the fact that he always knew when there was someone behind him, dodging this newest affront to his personal space was far too easy a task. He spun out of the way and backed off to the side so he could not only admire, but also comment on the wasted effort.

"Now for that, I'd give it a... let's say seven out of ten," he held up the correct amount of fingers before dropping the score to elaborate, "The execution was pretty decent, but you have just got to stick the landing if you want to get those extra points." Giving the air a quick punch, he straightened and continued with another thought. "Of course, if you were aiming for either needles or that dreamy padded room all to your self, you may want to try aiming just a tad lower next time or, better yet, go after someone who isn't used to having people take a few swings. Honestly, you can't believe that was the first time that's happened to me."

So Rin-Tin-Tin did have some bite. Maybe there'd be some bark if he pushed a bit more.

"Just what do you think you are doing, Dr. Cox?!"

His amusement soured when the shrill call of a harpy echoed across the room. Turning his attention and now newfound annoyance at the woman storming over, Cox ground his teeth together and waited until she looked like she was about to speak again for the sole purpose of beating her out.

"You ca--!"

"I was just doing your job, but if you insist on interrupting, then by all means. Let's see how you fare against Spot's newest trick. I'm almost certain... hell, I'm damn positive that watching you take a face shot would make this day suck a heehlluva lot less." And with that, he offered her to have at, waving a hand towards the boy.