Day 64: Sun Room

[overlimit]

This time, when Rita awakened, the drowsiness and disorientation cleared much faster than it had during the night. Being in a familiar room with traces of light helped with that. Instinctively, she tried to pull herself up, but the motion sent a piercing pain through her chest.

"Oh, Paige, let me help you!" a nurse cried from the doorway as she rushed to Rita's side. For once, Rita wasn't about to put up a fight, though she grumbled a bit as she was eased upright and to her feet. Her right arm was in a cast, which was kept immobilized in a sling. Wherever skin was visible, bruising could be found, and a particularly deep shade of blackish-blue could be seen peeking out from the edge of her shirt collar.

As they began to walk to the Sun Room, the nurse continued talking. "I hope you're not too disappointed at missing the field trip. But I have good news for you! The doctors say you'll be good as new in no time, so long as you take care and don't aggravate your injuries." The woman went on to list a number of activities the mage should avoid or ask for help with, as though Rita couldn't figure those things out for herself. Finally, they reached their destination and Rita was left in peace.

First things first: the bulletin. Since it was early in the day, there weren't many messages from patients yet. That was fine; it would mean her own message would be more visible. First, she needed to notify Taura of her situation, and then there were a few magic-related topics she wanted to inquire about...

Rita picked up a pen and a slip of paper, bent over one of the tables near the bulletin, and began to write... but the letters came out jerky and illegible.

"Dammit," she hissed, scrapping the paper and beginning again. Using only her non-dominant hand was more difficult than she imagined. This time, she wrote very slowly, taking care to write each stroke of each letter neatly. The result was still awkward-looking, but at least it was a readable start. She just needed to be patient... though that was a virtue Rita certainly lacked.

[Taura!]

Comments

[fourstonewalls]

"Sundays?" Lana raised her eyebrows. She knew exactly what he was asking, but it gave her a few moments to come up with an answer. It also gave her a chance to study the man beyond noting the rash on his hand. She'd seen him a few times, in the hallways; the scar across his forehead was rather memorable. All of the times had been recent, though, so he hadn't been here long -- this might be the first of Landel's games he'd run into.

"The rash itself is new, as is the accompanying threat. It fits the usual modus operandi." She'd never admit it to anyone, but sometimes she loved her job just because she was able to say modus operandi with a straight face. "Forcing us to turn on each other, bizarre aliments and afflictions, and vague premonitions show up about, mmm, biweekly. This one has taken an unusually long time to come to fruition."

[envy_the_sinners]

The Ishbalan nodded, turning to stare rather blankly at nothing in particular. He was having trouble focusing. He definitely needed sleep, even though it didn't feel like an option around here.

"You think these... vague threats are on any solid ground?" Or were they empty words designed to, as she had said, turn them against one another?

Scar sneered. Biweekly. It was even on a schedule. Perhaps she used the term loosely, but in his mind, games were games.

And this Landel man was just enjoying the show.

[fourstonewalls]

The disdain on Lana's face was a match for his; she liked the games no more than he did. Petty control, and she'd had years of that. The only kindness Landel had done was to exchange one set of chains for another.

"I've never heard him threaten and not seen something come of it. Though it's not usually quite as simple as he makes it sound. There will be a twist, but it's unlikely to make things better."

If the man didn't know that, though, he was unlikely to know much about the workings of the Institute. However long he'd been here, no one had given him a full run-down. First things first -- the bad news. It wouldn't make it any easier to go into any of the Institute's more elaborate games blind.

"He takes a few people, every other night, and brainwashes them into attacking the other 'patients'. The nights when he doesn't, he takes a handful to torture and perform experiments on. That's in addition to the more widespread effects."

[envy_the_sinners]

"Fantastic," he muttered bitterly. Despite his exhaustion from the previous few nights, his anger was starting to boil over. Whatever Landel was doing to him, Scar had already known that it wouldn't be pleasant. But this woman was clearly a seasoned veteran of the Institute. And apparently the head doctor didn't make empty threats. Anger replaced any twinge of fear the Ishbalan might have.

"I was aware of the brainwashing, actually." His voice was stiff. "Do you know anything more about it?" If there was one thing in this place that really shook him to the core, it was the idea of being altered completely against his will.