Day 64: Patient Library (Fourth Shift)

[dividedby]

... ... ... ...

It was shock, like failing to recognize some heavy injury following a traumatic accident. Zero's mind was reeling, still trying to accept the fact that Ciel - or else, someone who looked and sounded exactly like her - had been standing right before him, calling him by a different name. She'd spoken untruths, supporting the Institute's idea that he was mad, but her face, her voice, her mannerisms...! It had undeniably been Ciel!

No, his mind couldn't accept that. Not yet. The so-called superior thinking power of the human brain couldn't do anything to help him.

And so the once-Reploid slowly walked out of the visitation room as if in a trance, following behind his forever cheerful nurse. She, of course, thought that there was nothing wrong and began chattering to herself about how healthy that visit must have been for him.

'Healthy'.

On any other day, he would have let out some sort of displeased grunt or, better yet, some rude remark about just how 'healthy' such a visit had been for him, but any sort of response became impossible when his brain was too busy just trying to process simple facts. So he simply stared past the nurse instead, only vaguely aware that she even existed. (Not that she seemed to notice. In fact, she probably took his lack of rudeness as a good sign. Wouldn't be surprising.)

Thankfully, it was only a very short walk back to the Sun Room and, therefore, only a short amount of time spent with that woman. Zero abandoned her and then slipped into the library in order to find some peace and quiet. He could sit in a chair somewhere and try to think about what just happened...

...He ended up standing in front of a random bookshelf mindlessly staring at the rows of paper-made novels in front of him rather than sitting, but oh well. His mind was in the same place either way.

[Long Hair Brigadiers UNITE!]

Comments

[diamondstorm]

After the events of last night, today was practically tame. There was the agitation that always came with the announcement of visitors, but as the day passed and Renamon wasn’t pulled away, the frantic nerves died to a alert wariness. There were a few she needed to speak to, and here--

Ah. And here was one. This child was one Renamon hadn’t spoken with in an extended while, and there was an actual need for them to catch up. She approached the boy quietly, noting his strange pallor, too reminiscent of illness. Was Nigredo one of the ones ‘marked’? It fed into an old anger, and she inhaled, before bowing her head to him. “Nigredo. May I sit with you?”

[Nigredo!]

[atrabilis]

A name called drew Nigredo out of the unconscious, and he glanced up at Renamon, weariness etched along his features. How long had he dozed off? The numbers refused to come to him, but from the changes in scenery, he guessed an hour. Maybe two.

Regardless, he had a guest to attend to, one he had hoped to speak with on a more lucid day. Ah, well. "Hello, Renamon," he greeted. "Of course, you may." A hand gestured to the adjacent seat.

[diamondstorm]

She moved to the child's offer, and sat without anything more. She glanced at him only once again before returning her gaze outward, to the area around them. "You don't look well," she said, not unkindly. "Is there anything you need?"

What could one powerless individual do for another of the same, she did not know, but it remained all the same. The inclination to help those that she wanted to, even if there was nothing to hold out, with crippled limbs shaking.

She wondered at the pessimism. She wondered at that wonderment.

[atrabilis]

Several poignant images flashed across Nigredo's mind at need. As there was no method for fulfillment, he shook his head. "I'm used to it by now," he added. It was a confession, obvious and lacking, for himself than for Renamon. The marked arm lay in full view, his flesh ruddy and near unrecognizable.

Suddenly, there was no ignoring the matter, and still, he could not muster a reaction. Nigredo frowned, wary of the resignation. His current reactions did not speak of a boy about to enter into the throes of a monster. Perhaps he was too used to the transition. Perhaps there never was a boy to speak of.

An uncomfortable thought struck him. With effort, he swallowed and pushed it away. "Thank you for your concern, however," he said.

[diamondstorm]

The child was too old for his own good. Again, she wondered. If he was like Nataku or just one who was used to concealing his own feelings. If it was the latter.... No. First things first. "Don't just accept it," she gave, aware of command in the statement and choosing to ignore it. "If there's something you want to protect, then don't allow yourself to fall to things like that."

Fight back, perhaps, is what she was trying to say, but how to fight against that was beyond her. In the end, it was only hollow advice. And if the boy had nothing? Truly nothing? It would be worse--instead, a reason to allow himself to fall to whatever happened. She closed her eyes for a beat before asking a non sequitar, "Do you mind if I ask how old you are? Not your physical age, but your actual one."