Day 64: Waiting Room/Lobby 1 (Third Shift)

[dividedby]

The idea that a friend from home would be coming to visit him today was something that had never crossed Zero's mind before now. For one thing, everyone he knew was definitely in another world as far as he was concerned, and he'd long since accepted that he'd probably never see his home or his friends again. (Or at least, not for awhile.) A familiar face suddenly showing up out of the blue was highly unlikely, if not downright impossible, to him. For another, he'd never heard of this 'visitor time' before to begin with, so how could he expect it to happen? No prisoner had ever told him that sometimes recognizable people might show up at the Institute on a certain day of the week to completely shatter one's understanding of this place and the way it worked.

(...Although. Knowing how Landel loved to screw with people's heads, it probably wasn't such a shocking idea. But still.)

So when the time to change shifts came and Zero was suddenly taken away from the other patients by his nurse, being led to a room he'd never been in before while being told in that damned cheery voice that Someone's coming to see you today! Aren't you excited?, the once-Reploid felt tense and confused by the whole thing. And understandably so. Who in the world could be coming to visit him? Why in the world would someone be visiting him? And how, if this really turned out to be someone he knew?

Moreover, would Landel really allow someone from his home world to just waltz right into this place without holding them hostage, too? That seemed kind of strange for a guy who got a laugh out of torturing people on a daily basis. Then again, said familiar face was probably brainwashed like everyone else. No harm done in that case...

...Well. Whoever it was that was supposed to be meeting him (brainwashed or not), they weren't present when Zero arrived at the designated waiting room. His nurse wasn't fazed by this, though, and she gave her patient an encouraging nudge toward some chairs. "They'll be here shortly," she said, as if trying to reassure him. (Was she seriously expecting him to be thrilled about this?) "Why don't you take a seat while you wait, Mr. Suzuki?"

Zero stood perfectly still and frowned at her. "No."

"Oh, this is not the time for one of your moods. Please sit down."

"I refuse."

"Mr. Suzuki--!"

He was defiant. There was no way he was going to sit while feeling so uneasy, especially if his nurse was going to complain about it. Why should he give this obnoxious woman any breaks, anyway? If he didn't stick up for himself like a stubborn old man, then she wouldn't stop bothering him. And the less she bothered him, the better.

Thankfully, she wasn't in the mood to press him about this. She opened her mouth as if to go off on another one of her scolding sprees, but then decided against it and shook her head. "Suit yourself," she sighed, then turned and walked out of the room, leaving him alone. (Finally.) Now he could wait anxiously in peace, without that bothersome woman pestering him every second. He moved off to one side of the room but stayed standing, subconsciously clenching his fists out of habit, watching other people (prisoners, nurses, outsiders) enter the room. No one he recognized yet.

He kind of hoped no one would show for him.

Comments

[timedork]

In the thirty days he'd spent in Landel's Institute, the Doctor had always heard visitors announced on Sundays. But in the thirty days he'd spent in Landel's Institute, he'd never once been pulled aside and taken to meet with one.

Until now.

The nurse had found him right after brunch, informing him cheerily that someone had come by to see him—though she wouldn't say whom it was ("It's a surprise!"). She led him out of the Sun Room, turning to the right and taking him into one of the two rooms that flanked the reception.

"Take a seat, Mr. Smith," she said, still beaming at him. "Your visitor will be along shortly!"

The Doctor gave her a little wave before she turned to go, but he didn't take a seat—not yet. Instead, he started wandering along the edge of the room, trying to work out who might have come to see him—who might have known to come and see him. There was something distinctly not right about the situation; it all felt off somehow. He'd heard of visitors, sure—he'd read the letter that Donna had received—but that was still... Well...

He came to a stop, folding his arms as he glanced towards the door to see if anyone new had come in yet. There were a few people in the room aside from the staff, but none that he recognized. But maybe that was that the point?

[damned_visitors]

To understand the horrors of war...

Such a thing was never expected of a nurse, even those whose duty it was to patch up the wounded, to watch over those who had been in pain and were sent within hospital doors. After all, she wasn't in the military; she wasn't able to stand on the sidelines of the battlefield, nor was she expected to go through basic training or hold a gun. Though stories had been told through movies and novels and other things, they never quite showed the true extent of what it could entail.

Not to the man, nor to those who had to watch them.

Though there was something in Mr. Suzuki's eyes that, if she looked hard enough into them, probably gave her some sort of clue.

...What was she doing here?

She shuffled on the balls of her feet, adjusting the strap of her purse several times, even though she knew nothing she did would make it comfortable.

Ever since that day...he still made her feel apprehensive and uneasy. That protectiveness that, for all she knew, had no warrant; the fact that he attacked Dr. Weyl without any sort of provocation...

He frightened her.

And yet, here she was, staring at the door as though it was going to eat her, heart thumping a mile a minute.

Come on. She chastised herself. You wanted to see him; see how he was doing. Maybe...even help him feel better. He might have been such a nice person before...before this. It would be wrong to come all this way and turn back now.

With a loud swallow, Nurse Celia Giroux opened the door, slowly stepping into the room.