Day 65: Sun Room (Fourth Shift)

[monkeyboy]

[From here]

Once again, he was dumped out into this spacious room that was pretty, sure, but wholly unfun. He stared up through the glass ceiling above them, soaking up the rays of sun that seemed like he would never be able to bask in freely again.

Three meals a day and some entertainment at night was enjoyable enough, but he was starting to get bored with this routine. Spontaneity was the spice of life and Goku was starting to feel suffocated by this constant rhythm. The little boy may only have room for a few goals at a time in his head, but they were just as important as everyone else's, even more so in some cases! He needed to reclaim his grandpa's treasure and continue his training! The witches in white just couldn't understand this, girls as they were.

Huffing, the young boy set out to look for one of his furry companions for any new information on the secrets of the institute. He got down on all fours and began crawling around the couches, looking here and there for any signs of his accomplices.

[For Taura~!]

Comments

[lighthearted]

[From here.]

Speaking of Rapunzel, Sora wanted to check up on her too. He realized that it might seem silly to be worrying so much about other people when he was the one who was sick and in danger, but he didn't think that gave him an excuse to become selfish. Rapunzel had put her life on the line for him last night, after all.

He hoped that he could track her down. He didn't know if they were in the same age group. If they were, then she was probably still showering and dealing with her long hair, which he was guessing took a while. If they weren't, then she might be in the Arts and Crafts Room, in which case he'd have to label it a lost opportunity.

Either way, he couldn't stand for very long periods at this point, and a wave of fatigue sent him to one of the Sun Room's couches. He stretched out on it and let out a sigh. The shower had felt nice, but the hot water had caused his heart to start beating pretty fast, and he felt faint as a result.

Was he ever going to get to a point where every little thing didn't somehow make him feel worse?

[For Rapunzel and the Once-ler.]

[hairraising]

While the conversation with Dr. Facilier had been good, Rapunzel was starting to get worried. She hadn't seen Eugene all day. She wouldn't have been surprised if he was sleeping off his injuries from the night before; he had answered her on the bulletin, which meant he was alive. Still, if he was so scarce that she hadn't even seen him yet, then she had to wonder how alive he was at this point.

Speaking of people who were starting to look less than alive: Rapunzel spotted Sora on her way out of the library. She had never seen him look so tired before. So strange for the boy who normally had so much optimism and energy.

"Hey," she said quietly as she approached Sora, sitting up on the couch arm so that she wouldn't take up any of the boy's space. "How are you feeling?" She could guess the answer, but what else could she ask? "Did you find anyone to slice your stomach open?" Yeah. She didn't think so.

[lighthearted]

As it turned out, Rapunzel ended up approaching him without him even having to wave her down. Sora was glad for that, because at this point his energy levels were pretty low, to the point that even flailing his arm around to get the girl's attention seemed to be asking a lot. It was a far cry from the overly rambunctious way he usually was.

He noticed that the girl was making sure he had enough room, but he really didn't need to be taking up the whole couch, and so he pulled his legs back slightly to make some space.

"Not so great," he said in reply to her question. "I'm glad you're okay, though. Healing Soma and the other guy she was with must have taken a lot out of you. I wanted to thank you for all that." He got the feeling that he was the person Rapunzel had been thinking of when she'd decided to go to the medical wing last night, so Sora wanted to make it clear how much he appreciated that.

[hairraising]

As expected. Rapunzel shuffled next to Sora once there was room (though, still felt guilty about stealing the space from him). "It's okay. I had the rest I needed this morning, so I'm totally fine now," she assured him, trying to smile but just ending up looking concerned. "You on the other hand..."

Yeah, there wasn't really much that needed to be said, was there?

Rapunzel sighed. "Do you really think that's the only way to cure it?" she asked. "With the stomach and the knife, and...?"

[lighthearted]

Was she really totally fine? Rapunzel definitely looked a lot better than he felt, and while Sora hadn't had the chance to look in a mirror in a while, he had an idea of how he must appear to other people. It was far past the point where he could wave it all off and act like he was fine, which was probably a bad sign.

Honestly, when Rapunzel asked, Sora realized it was the most open that someone had been about this whole thing since last night. While that was scary in a way, it was also something of a relief, because at least it meant he could talk openly.

"I've been trying to think of something else, but nothing's really coming to mind. I mean, maybe I could throw up and that would help? But it seems like it's too late for something like that." And he didn't really want to make himself do that for no reason, either. "Did you have any ideas?" he asked, though he got the feeling Rapunzel would have already mentioned them if she had.

[fallenbeanpole]

The cloud cover had burned off a little during lunch, and despite the remaining clouds and the windowed ceiling the Sun Room was still filled with more natural light than the Once-ler had seen in years. Indirect as it was, it was still soothing, and soothing was exactly what the Once-ler needed. His meal with Skulduggery had left him highly revolted.

On top of all that, his stitches were really beginning to itch, and his arm was starting to ache slightly from using the crutch. He settled into an armchair near an occupied couch, belatedly recognizing the spiky-haired boy – Sora, was it? – and the long-haired girl from the previous night.

It was a mistake. The last thing he wanted to see was copious amounts of hair. However, he didn’t want to stand back up again, and it would be downright rude to leave two of the people who had been helping out last night without at least thanking them. The two seemed to be talking, and based on the bulletin discussions from earlier, the girl’s concerned look, and Sora’s overall apparent weariness the Once-ler could guess what the topic was.

Probably would be for the best to not interrupt, then. Besides, he was still feeling somewhat queasy himself from lunch, and the man much preferred a chance to scrub the images of the hairball and fingernail from his mind before hearing about the sickness that was going around. Instead, he leaned back in the chair, watching the glass ceiling.

[hairraising]

Oh no, she had said too much, hadn't she? Even just saying more than "it" or "that" in reference to... well, that, made the coming night all the more painful to think about for everyone involved. She couldn't imagine what someone like Sora or Castiel or anyone else in their position was thinking, and here she was just making it worse.

She shook her head guiltily when Sora asked her for ideas. "Sorry, I've got nothing. All I can say is that I don't think you should throw up. That's just nasty and gross and painful in its own way."

It was about then that a familiar face entered the corner of Rapunzel's vision. She looked up. Where had she seen...? Right! From last night! thought Rapunzel. The Once-ler looked different in the broad light of day, and very uncomfortable with life at the moment. She didn't blame him, all things considered. Very did not blame him.

"Once-ler?" she called over to him. "Hey, how are you? Are you okay? How are your injuries?" Rapunzel didn't insist that he cross the space between them just yet. If he was still hurt at all, she wasn't going to make him move around more than need be.

[lighthearted]

Sora was glad that they were agreed on vomiting being a pretty bad idea all around. If someone had told him that they thought he should try it, then he would have felt obligated to go through with it, just to see. But if at least one other person thought it was a bad idea, then he could feel comfortable with not doing it.

Either way, his thoughts were dragged away from his own situation when someone else sat near them and he realized who it was. The Once-ler, right? And from the look on his face and the crutch that he had with him, it was clear that he hadn't been having a good day either. Seeing how he'd been stabbed multiple times last night, that was really no surprise.

Rapunzel spoke up first, but Sora leaned forward as well, ignoring the spike of pain that worked its way through his stomach when he moved. "It's good to see you're not stuck in bed, at least. If it's... any consolation, wounds heal faster here than they do normally." It really didn't count for much, but it was something that anyone new should know.

[fallenbeanpole]

The Once-ler was surprised when both the girl and Sora addressed him almost immediately. “I’ve been better,” he answered Rapunzel first. “Think I’ll be swearing off all food handed to me by the staff for a while. Can’t say I’m particularly enjoying the hobbling around on a crutch part, either.” He grimaced as another wave of itchiness hit. “It’s been years since I’ve had stitches. Forgot how itchy it gets.”

Sora’s addition brought a sense of relief. “Fantastic. The sooner I don’t have to lug this thing around, the better.” He gave the crutch an irritated shove, and then frantically tried to grab it before it clattered to the ground. The sudden movement pulled at his side, causing him to hiss in pain and clap a hand to the injury. The Once-ler briefly glared at the fallen crutch as if it were somehow to blame, then leaned back with a sigh. “Example A.”

He quickly changed the subject; the less time the kids had to react to a fully-grown man flailing about, the better. The Once-ler wanted to keep some dignity intact.

“Thanks. For last night, I mean.” He nodded at both of them, before focusing on the girl. “I don’t think I ever caught your name…?”

[hairraising]

Rapunzel wouldn't have known the difference in people's wounds healing faster or slower in the Institute, having never experienced an injury that she couldn't heal in less than a minute before arriving here. It was good to hear that they did heal faster on their own, she supposed, but that still didn't fix her frustration about not being able to heal everyone even faster, like she should have been able to.

Like stitches. That just sounded painful, if they were what she thought they were. Piercing a needle through skin and sewing it up like a torn dress? No one should have to deal with that, or have the unnatural feel of thread laced into their body, if they didn't have to. She winced when Sora and the Once-ler both moved, and hopped off the couch to retrieve the fallen crutch. "Here, let me get that," she said, propping the thing back up on the arm of the chair for the Once-ler.

"Rapunzel," she answered him, brushing a strand of hair out of her face as she stood back up. "And don't worry about it. I want to do what I can to help people while I'm here, and that's what I can do." She headed back to her spot on the couch, looking back and forth between the two boys. "If either of you need anything more, too, I'm going to be doing what I can in my room tonight. Once-ler, I know I can help you at least. Sora... Well, you know what you would need me for." A big, hard lump formed in Rapunzel's throat as her gaze drifted down to the boy's stomach for a moment.

[lighthearted]

Sora couldn't really blame the Once-ler for being in such a bad mood. He wouldn't have liked using a crutch to get around either, and he wasn't even going to think about dealing with a wheelchair. While Sora was a bit startled by the crutch falling over, Rapunzel was quick to deal with it.

The girl was so caring and so willing to help -- Sora couldn't help smiling as a result. But even though she was offering to help him and even though he needed that help, Sora was pretty sure that she had too much on her hands already. Her friend, Flynn, probably needed her help too, and Sora could tell they were close.

"Maybe tomorrow night," he told her quietly after a pause. "I'm going to see if I can get some supplies together before then." If he was prepared, then he would make sure not to waste anyone's time. Rapunzel could focus on others for now.

There was something that the Once-ler had said which Sora couldn't ignore, though. "Why do you not want to eat the food?" he asked. "You're not going to heal very well unless you try." He was being pretty hypocritical because he'd barely eaten all day, but that was because his stomach had been bothering him. It was different!

[fallenbeanpole]

Someone named Rapunzel on the bulletin board and a girl with really long hair helping him out last night. The Once-ler hadn’t made the connection before, but it seemed so obvious now. While the hairball from lunch was still fresh on his mind, at least Rapunzel was blonde and her hair was coming out of her head and not someone’s throat. The Once-ler nodded in gratitude at Rapunzel when she put the crutch back up. He’d been content to leave it there for the moment, but the gesture was appreciated all the same.

The offer to help him out was too good to resist. Being crippled like this was going to drive him crazy. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer.” Something occurred to him, and he frowned. “Wasn’t your hair longer last night?”

The Once-ler responded to Sora almost instantly. “The guy I had lunch with coughed up a hairball and pulled a fingernail out of his teeth after eating some of his sandwich. I am not trusting the food here after that,” he said, visibly shuddering. Belatedly, he realized that those mental images were not the best thing for a sick boy to have. The man bit his lower lip in frustration. This whole situation was just so completely messed up.

[hairraising]

"Are you sure?" Rapunzel asked Sora. "You look like you can barely get up, let alone go around gathering things." She hated to be rude, but it was true. She was surprised he was even sitting up in his state.

When the Once-ler chimed in, she nodded towards him. "Oh good. Come to F15 when you're ready, then," she said, smiling with some relief. Looking back at Sora, she added, "That goes for you too, if you change your mind."

She had been about to say something about her hair when another hairy subject came up, this one far less pleasant. "Ulgh, really?" Rapunzel went green. "There's been at least one time where the food turned on me too, so believe me, I don't blame you. I mean, it's pretty safe most of the time, but still." The less she thought about that day when all the food had looked and tasted like rot, the better. Eeyuughh.

As for the other matter of hair, when she had a moment, Rapunzel only said, "My hair's kiiiiind of a long story. You'll see tonight. I'll tell you then."

[lighthearted]

Rapunzel had a point, of course. He'd managed well enough last night, but his symptoms had only gotten worse since then. If Sora ran into another brainwashed patient, he'd probably be done for. But what else could he do? In the end, he was going to have to play it by ear and see how he felt. "I'm... gonna try," he said after a pause. "But if I really can't make it, then I'll stay in my room." He knew that other people were trying to get hold of supplies for him, so it wouldn't be so bad if he stayed in. Right?

It was good to hear that the Once-ler was going to get healed, even if it meant that Rapunzel would be draining herself even further. When the food problem was mentioned, Sora made a face and tilted his head to the side.

"I haven't heard of that happening before, so it was probably a one-time thing," he said after a pause. "But you can check out your food tonight at dinner, I guess." Chances were that whoever the Once-ler's roommate was would be eating, and then maybe some of his fears could be put to rest.