Day 60: Intercom, Evening

[damned-intercom.livejournal.com]

The intercom jingled at its standard time, with the Head Doctor still in his over-the-top, jovial mood. It seemed not even the evening light could keep down the love he held for his job.

"Good evening, everyone! I hope your soul is filled with music from last shift; I know mine is."

There again was a stretch of silence. When the Head Doctor continued, he sounded marginally disappointed.

"But now it's time to wind down the day with a bit of dinner. Tonight, we'll be serving turkey breasts and quality gravy, with sides of garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, grilled asparagus, and a small salad. For dessert, we will be having pumpkin pie with optional whipped creme. As per usual, we will have our vegetarian alternatives and a wide selection of drinks available. Turkey lovers, be sure to take advantage of the food; it'll be an entire week before you can have this delectable meat again."

He chuckled at the statement. One might have labeled it as dark.

"Anyway, enjoy! I will wish you all a good night momentarily!"

The intercom clicked off.

Comments

[tightsofmight]

He was breathing heavy. On the verge of explosion, if that flying tray hadn't already been the trigger. Yet maybe because Sora didn't explode with him, that he stayed still and quiet on the bed, gave him nothing to counteract - that put a strange hold on Peter. Every muscle was pulled taut and he couldn't move an inch, except that he was moving. Breathing with his whole body, and gasping open mouthed but unable to will himself to punch through the wall or rip the desks apart like he wanted to.

And when Sora spoke, it was equally as hypnotic. Soft and calm. The opposite of anything Peter was expecting at this point.

"Darkness?" he repeated, bewildered. It sounded...vague. At best. But certain parts stuck, and maybe this was a literal thing for Sora and Peter wasn't far off the mark when he was imagining the Nothing from the Neverending Story swooping in and sucking worlds dry. Or even the suit - inky black tendrils swirling around a person, engulfing them completely, turning them into ravenous beasts.

It was making too much sense. Peter wavered on the spot, reaching up to clutch at his head and sinking. Things felt better when he hit the floor and felt the bed post dig into his back, his knees at his chest and protecting his face.

"I know..." The vitriol had been strained from his voice and left a pathetic little warble behind. "I know. I'm sorry, but I just...I want it to stop. I didn't want this."

Nick Fury had been convinced this was exactly what would happen. That Peter would snap and become just as bad as Norman, as Doom or Magneto and dedicate his life to fucking up the world just like they did. But he hadn't snapped then. Things had been bad, but he hadn't snapped. He didn't see anyone else flipping out like he did, either. Maybe a few tears from Claire, maybe some mourning from Sam and the rest, and Scott had been in dire enough straights to try and beat the crap out of him the other night. But now he was...he couldn't...

"I don't want him to be waiting for me," Peter said quietly. "I want him back." He looked up at Sora then. Puzzled. To be perfectly honest, he couldn't remember a single day here where he hadn't seen that spikey hair sticking out of the crowd in the cafeteria, wandering around Doyleton or the Sun Room. He'd even seen him at night. "How long have you - you're still sane. I don't know why or how, but you've been here forever. Haven't you?"

I guess we should start wrapping this up?

[lighthearted]

It looked like Peter had tired himself out, if the way he fell to the ground or the exhaustion in his voice was anything to go by. Sora frowned down at his new roommate, wishing that there was more he could do for him. But he couldn't get his friend back for him, no more than he could get Donald or Nowe or Hanatarou back.

Still, he would. Someday he'd beat this place and he'd make sure that everyone got home safely. They'd ride through the asteroids and take everyone back to where they belonged.

The question that came next wasn't so surprising, though Sora didn't like the implication that he should have been nuts after spending so much time here. No way was he going to break that easily. That would just be giving Landel and the rest of them what they wanted.

"Yeah, I guess so. To tell you the truth, I don't know anyone who's been here longer." Sora scooted back across the bed until he was leaning against the wall, relieved that they were having a proper conversation now rather than the yelling from before. "And people are always asking me how I keep my chin up, but... well, I'm lucky. Two of my best friends are with me. With them around, I feel like I can do anything." Except for the fact that when the three of them traveled together, they never seemed to make much progress. He wasn't going to dwell on that.

"If they weren't here, I think it'd be harder for me. I know there are other people who are struggling, so I try my best to be strong for them. That way, when I'm having a hard time, hopefully there will be someone else who I can lean on." So long as people were trading off, they would be fine. What they had to be scared of was the possibility of everyone having a rough time all at once. But Sora didn't think that would happen.