Day 64: Patient Library (Fourth Shift)

[dividedby]

... ... ... ...

It was shock, like failing to recognize some heavy injury following a traumatic accident. Zero's mind was reeling, still trying to accept the fact that Ciel - or else, someone who looked and sounded exactly like her - had been standing right before him, calling him by a different name. She'd spoken untruths, supporting the Institute's idea that he was mad, but her face, her voice, her mannerisms...! It had undeniably been Ciel!

No, his mind couldn't accept that. Not yet. The so-called superior thinking power of the human brain couldn't do anything to help him.

And so the once-Reploid slowly walked out of the visitation room as if in a trance, following behind his forever cheerful nurse. She, of course, thought that there was nothing wrong and began chattering to herself about how healthy that visit must have been for him.

'Healthy'.

On any other day, he would have let out some sort of displeased grunt or, better yet, some rude remark about just how 'healthy' such a visit had been for him, but any sort of response became impossible when his brain was too busy just trying to process simple facts. So he simply stared past the nurse instead, only vaguely aware that she even existed. (Not that she seemed to notice. In fact, she probably took his lack of rudeness as a good sign. Wouldn't be surprising.)

Thankfully, it was only a very short walk back to the Sun Room and, therefore, only a short amount of time spent with that woman. Zero abandoned her and then slipped into the library in order to find some peace and quiet. He could sit in a chair somewhere and try to think about what just happened...

...He ended up standing in front of a random bookshelf mindlessly staring at the rows of paper-made novels in front of him rather than sitting, but oh well. His mind was in the same place either way.

[Long Hair Brigadiers UNITE!]

Comments

[skeletonenigma]

Of all the reactions Skulduggery might have been expecting, physical violence was somewhere at the bottom of the list. Hadn't Sora talked about the threat of sedation like it was common knowledge? And it hurt, too. The foot Rita had stomped on wasn't nothing but bone anymore, and even through the fuzzy layer of slipper, the stomp had been enough to send small pinpricks of fire up his leg.

Skulduggery managed to bite back any sounds of pain, lest they draw the attention of someone who could administer a sedative, but his face twisted more than it had all day. Perhaps that was the reason a genuine smile broke through his features less than a second later. "Sore subject?" he asked as he walked gingerly over to the table. "I'll try not to bring it up again." No promises, of course.

He stopped just before picking the books up, and then turned back to her, his face as impassive as before. "If I were to come and examine that potential secret passageway tonight, would you want to come? You seem like you know your way around, and I'd like a look at that morgue later."

[overlimit]

A sore spot? Not necessarily. "I just don't have patience for people who say stupid things." It was an understatement when it came to describing how short Rita's temper was, but Skulduggery could consider himself warned.

To her surprise, however, the man's next move was to invite Rita to join him that night. The mage furrowed her brow, confused both by the sudden offer and by his interest in the morgue of all places. What was that about? ... Well, maybe she'd ask later.

"... Fine by me," she decided after taking a few moments to think. "I was going to go myself, so it's probably better to work together than to get in each other's way." And in her condition, things like competition or obstacles were best kept to a minimum. "There's just one thing I have to take care of first. It shouldn't take long. I'll meet you when I'm done."

[skeletonenigma]

A small part of Skulduggery couldn't help noticing the similarities between Rita Mordio and Valkyrie Cain. Both young teenage girls studying magic, both completely unafraid to run into danger, both impatient, intelligent, sharp-tongued, and fun to tease. And one of Rita's arms was in a sling. That same small part of Skulduggery briefly wondered if there was some connection, or some hidden meaning behind his impulsive offer.

Skulduggery usually ignored that small part of his mind. This was about not knowing what to expect, safety in numbers, and a fellow mage. That was all. "Excellent," he replied brightly. "In that case, I'll see you tonight."

[overlimit]

Rita hadn't expected to form a partnership like this, but she supposed she'd take it. It was convenient for her, anyway.

"Meet me at the doors to the Sun Room. That room's usually guarded, but the way there should be safe." It was probably the most time-efficient way to go about it, too. Rita just hoped there wouldn't be any big hold-ups on either of their ends.

The intercom sounded then, signaling the end of the shift. Rita glanced up at one of the speakers, and gave a sort of half-shrug. "We can talk more tonight. Don't make me wait." Being the one with a prior appointment, Rita knew she was more likely to be the one delaying them, but she still felt the need to make that clear. With that said, she turned and made her way to the exit.