Night 66: Main Hallway, 1-Center

[overlimit]

[from here, skipping a few halls]

Here it was. Skulduggery wasn't around yet, but Rita expected he would show up soon. He'd been punctual up until now.

If what she'd been hearing was right, she was going to need to look out for both monsters and patients tonight. Seemed simple enough. Rita stood with her back against the wall opposite to the Sun Room doors, and waited.

Comments

[fourstonewalls]

[from here]

"We were headed outside, I know that. Let's hope we get a little further, shall we?" The hallway was quiet, and there were no sounds of fighting coming from either side; that seemed promising.

She wanted to ask Gumshoe if he'd heard about Faraday, and at the same time she didn't want to talk about it at all. He should know, and if he didn't, it was her responsibility to tell him, but she also preferred not to think about it any more than she had to. Attacking children, my God. He'd be devastated to know what he'd done. And if he came back, she'd have to tell him, too. Damn. Even if she'd never been his boss, it was still her office.

She was hanging onto her professionalism like a lifeline, and she knew it; what did the politics of one little district matter when they weren't even necessarily on Earth, and the dead were (or had been) alive. But it was all she had.

[ryuuzaki]

L introduced himself with a slow nod and the name Ryuuzaki, one word, before Lana took the reins of the conversation again.

Homicide. Gumshoe had the air of a cop--one who had risen as far as he was likely to rise--and he was flashing a badge. L remembered the night he had found his own clothes, and the way some of Lunge's belongings had been left to him, and the copy of Les Miserables. The items Lana and Gumshoe had been given had more in common with his own shirt and jeans than with the other things that had turned up. But he hadn't been given anything tonight... had he? There had been a difference, but it was in his diet, not his clothing. Whether or not the change was permanent remained to be seen. Whether or not it had much to do with the badge or Lana's outfit would be hard to determine.

They set out. He had almost hesitated at first, still wondering where Nina was, but the chances were good that she had fallen asleep or that there was nothing they could do to help her. It was more important that they reach their destination than that she accompany them, and there was nothing at stake for her in tonight's activities. To his knowledge, unless she had developed the illness herself, she had nothing to lose in missing the trip to the river. Whatever had happened, she was on her own now.

As they moved down the quiet corridor towards the door opposite the Sun Room, Lana made a transparent attempt to get him to explain more about the night's ultimate goal.

"I was? I think it would be better if I waited to explain more until we're outside. We won't be going too far... although I don't think the walk would be pleasant even without the rain. The ground is very uneven in places."

Landel probably already had an idea of where they were headed, and that was disquieting. But saving any discussion of it until they had gotten through the area where they would probably need to be most on their guard seemed preferable, and apart from that, it would give them something to talk about on the long walk.

They reached their first destination in short order, and once they were there, he turned to the other two.

"Please be careful. I've been attacked in this room."

He paused, looking at each of them to be sure they were ready, hoping that his sober tone and expression had conveyed his seriousness. When he was satisfied that they were as prepared as they were ever likely to be, he tucked the flashlight alongside his arm, deeper in the sling than it had been, and used the hand to open the door. Then he took the flashlight with his free hand, then used it to sweep the room as much as he could, then replaced the flashlight in his sling again.

"It looks clear."

He held the door open as the others went in.

[To here.]