Just like last night and the night before, Lloyd woke up back in his room without any memory of how he'd returned. This time, though, something was different. As he uncurled slowly, he realized that his hands were clutched around a book.
A book...
Ishida's journal...
That was right. He'd taken the journal from Ishida's room to use the maps the other boy had drawn to help guide him, Inoue, and Karkat through the halls in their search for him. The last thing he remembered, they still hadn't found him-
"Good morning, sleepyhead!"
The cheerful voice wasn't one he was familiar with, belonging to a nurse with a round, friendly face who bustled into the room. The woman made her way to the side of Lloyd's bed, resting a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "Come on, Mr. Clarke, it's time to wake up! You don't want to miss breakfast, right?"
Mr. Clarke. Mr. Clarke. Somehow that felt even more foreign than when he was being called Nigel. But she was smiling and it was hard to feel more than a flash of irritation. "It's Lloyd," he said, pushing her hand away so that he could sit up.
The nurse sighed, then patiently patted his arm. "Still not remembering, huh? It's all right. We'll get you there soon, I promise. At least your arm is healing up nicely. See? You might even be able to take the bandages off this evening, so long as you behave and don't do anything that might aggravate anything."
Glancing down at his arm, Lloyd realized she was right. The fresh bandages that had been put on at some point didn't seem to hold anywhere near as much gauze and covered a smaller area. He couldn't see the bandages on his ribs, but the injuries there felt a lot better, too. They still twinged when he moved, but it was a vast improvement compared to before. I'll have to remember to thank Inoue again...
Somehow, though, he didn't think he should mention Inoue's healing to this woman.
"Where's the other nurse?" he asked instead, partly curious and partly to distract the nurse before she could think to wonder why his arm had healed so fast.
"It's Alan's day off." The nurse smiled again and pulled on his arm. "Now come on, let's go get you some breakfast."
With his stomach already growling at the thought of food, it was hard to say no to that. Lloyd stood up and took a step, then hesitated and looked down at his hands. The journal was still there. "Hang on," he said, shaking her off and moving over to his desk. He had a journal, too, though he hadn't written in it. He grabbed that and a pen, then turned back. "Okay, I'm ready."
Not questioning the move, the nurse led him out, murmuring something as they walked about how writing in his journal was a good idea. Lloyd didn't feel like correcting her assumption. Instead, he just followed her into the cafeteria and sat down once he had his food. As soon as she stepped away to let him eat, though, he pulled out both journals and flipped to the page in Ishida's that had the maps he'd drawn. He wanted to give Ishida's journal back, and had no intention of reading whatever else might be in the book, but those maps would be useful to have for himself. He didn't think Ishida would mind if he only copied that much.
Between bites of waffles, he carefully copied the layout of the halls and rooms. Every so often, though, he looked up and scanned the room, hoping to spot the journal's owner, or anyone he knew. With his attention distracted, he knew there was a good chance he'd miss his friends if they came in, but if all else failed, he could always put a note on the bulletin. Backup plan in mind, he quickly set back to work.
no subject
A book...
Ishida's journal...
That was right. He'd taken the journal from Ishida's room to use the maps the other boy had drawn to help guide him, Inoue, and Karkat through the halls in their search for him. The last thing he remembered, they still hadn't found him-
"Good morning, sleepyhead!"
The cheerful voice wasn't one he was familiar with, belonging to a nurse with a round, friendly face who bustled into the room. The woman made her way to the side of Lloyd's bed, resting a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "Come on, Mr. Clarke, it's time to wake up! You don't want to miss breakfast, right?"
Mr. Clarke. Mr. Clarke. Somehow that felt even more foreign than when he was being called Nigel. But she was smiling and it was hard to feel more than a flash of irritation. "It's Lloyd," he said, pushing her hand away so that he could sit up.
The nurse sighed, then patiently patted his arm. "Still not remembering, huh? It's all right. We'll get you there soon, I promise. At least your arm is healing up nicely. See? You might even be able to take the bandages off this evening, so long as you behave and don't do anything that might aggravate anything."
Glancing down at his arm, Lloyd realized she was right. The fresh bandages that had been put on at some point didn't seem to hold anywhere near as much gauze and covered a smaller area. He couldn't see the bandages on his ribs, but the injuries there felt a lot better, too. They still twinged when he moved, but it was a vast improvement compared to before. I'll have to remember to thank Inoue again...
Somehow, though, he didn't think he should mention Inoue's healing to this woman.
"Where's the other nurse?" he asked instead, partly curious and partly to distract the nurse before she could think to wonder why his arm had healed so fast.
"It's Alan's day off." The nurse smiled again and pulled on his arm. "Now come on, let's go get you some breakfast."
With his stomach already growling at the thought of food, it was hard to say no to that. Lloyd stood up and took a step, then hesitated and looked down at his hands. The journal was still there. "Hang on," he said, shaking her off and moving over to his desk. He had a journal, too, though he hadn't written in it. He grabbed that and a pen, then turned back. "Okay, I'm ready."
Not questioning the move, the nurse led him out, murmuring something as they walked about how writing in his journal was a good idea. Lloyd didn't feel like correcting her assumption. Instead, he just followed her into the cafeteria and sat down once he had his food. As soon as she stepped away to let him eat, though, he pulled out both journals and flipped to the page in Ishida's that had the maps he'd drawn. He wanted to give Ishida's journal back, and had no intention of reading whatever else might be in the book, but those maps would be useful to have for himself. He didn't think Ishida would mind if he only copied that much.
Between bites of waffles, he carefully copied the layout of the halls and rooms. Every so often, though, he looked up and scanned the room, hoping to spot the journal's owner, or anyone he knew. With his attention distracted, he knew there was a good chance he'd miss his friends if they came in, but if all else failed, he could always put a note on the bulletin. Backup plan in mind, he quickly set back to work.
[Free.]