"You've been reading all day, Maria! You and Alex can't spend all day cooped up in the library! You should get out more!"
"I've already gotten out," said Soma, but it was clear her nurse had stopped listening. She found herself parked next to a young man about her age who looked like death warmed over.
"Why don't you make friends with Arthur?" said the nurse. "You can play a game with him!"
Arthur didn't look like he wanted to play a game. He looked like he wanted to be left alone and possibly given a blanket and a hot mug of tea. Soma had felt ill enough last night; the thought of how much worse someone still sick might feel today was worrying.
That was another thought--why were they still dragging the ill patients around during the day? Surely if they thought it was contagious, they should have put all of them in isolation. Soma of all people was precisely aware of just how much of a facade the entire business was, but it was still a little eyebrow-raising to see so many sick people forced to participate in daytime activities.
Of course, telling her nurse that would have been pointless, and besides the infuriating woman was already gone. Soma hesitated for a moment, then started setting up a game of chess on the table beside them, placing each piece on the board neatly and methodically.
"You don't actually have to play," she informed probably-not-Arthur quietly as she fished a rook out of the box. "I figure they'll leave us alone if it looks like we're doing something."
no subject
"You've been reading all day, Maria! You and Alex can't spend all day cooped up in the library! You should get out more!"
"I've already gotten out," said Soma, but it was clear her nurse had stopped listening. She found herself parked next to a young man about her age who looked like death warmed over.
"Why don't you make friends with Arthur?" said the nurse. "You can play a game with him!"
Arthur didn't look like he wanted to play a game. He looked like he wanted to be left alone and possibly given a blanket and a hot mug of tea. Soma had felt ill enough last night; the thought of how much worse someone still sick might feel today was worrying.
That was another thought--why were they still dragging the ill patients around during the day? Surely if they thought it was contagious, they should have put all of them in isolation. Soma of all people was precisely aware of just how much of a facade the entire business was, but it was still a little eyebrow-raising to see so many sick people forced to participate in daytime activities.
Of course, telling her nurse that would have been pointless, and besides the infuriating woman was already gone. Soma hesitated for a moment, then started setting up a game of chess on the table beside them, placing each piece on the board neatly and methodically.
"You don't actually have to play," she informed probably-not-Arthur quietly as she fished a rook out of the box. "I figure they'll leave us alone if it looks like we're doing something."