knightspirit: (this isn't good.)
♞ tsurugi kyousuke ([personal profile] knightspirit) wrote in [community profile] damned_institute2012-11-05 10:55 pm

Day 67: Breakfast

For the first time since Kyousuke arrived, waking up didn't feel the slightest bit strange or out of place. It was still like night had suddenly stopped, with nothing in-between then and now, but instead of being disorienting, or like there was something missing, it was like waking up from a nightmare. His breaths came heavy and anxious, everything flooding back to him, but unlike last night, he had more mental clarity, and he actually understood what it meant.

Sora... was dead.

After a moment, his breathing seemed to ease up, and he sat up slowly, and simply stared down at his blanket. The motion hurt quite a bit, a lot worse than it had yesterday morning, but he seemed to be in decent shape, all considered. Sore, battered, a little faint, but compared to worst of it...

He wondered if he should feel upset right now, or want to yell, or cry, but the truth was, he didn't. If anything, he was just numb. Tired and listless. He wasn't sure what to think or feel about anything, but somehow it seemed distant and disconnected, like something that hadn't actually happened. Yet, if he lingered on it too long, the lifelessness grew into something nauseating, heavy and constricting in his chest, and he didn't even notice until he realized he was gripping his bedding unnecessarily hard. So he forced himself to relax, and not focus on it too much. ... He preferred the cold sort of nothingness.

When the nurse arrived, she wasn't empty-handed, unfolding a wheelchair by his bedside and looking at him expectantly, as if she wanted him to settle himself into it. Looking at it was strange and uncomfortable, and he found himself refusing automatically.

"... I can walk fine. I don't need—"

"What you don't need," the nurse said sternly, "is to be overexerting yourself. You got to walk around yesterday, and what do you do? You go and reopen your injuries! Honestly, Mr. Taylor, you might be young, but you need to take better care of yourself! Today, you're resting, and if you're good about it, we'll see about maybe taking the chair away tomorrow."

That was bad enough, but then she wouldn't even let him wheel himself, and pushed him along from behind. This was totally unnecessary... But though it made him feel helpless, Kyousuke didn't have the energy to argue, so he let her do what she wanted. She asked if he wanted to make a quick trip the bulletin, first, but... Would the news be there? There were people who deserved to know, but there would be reactions to it, questions he didn't want to answer, and feeling his stomach give a lurch, he decided he didn't want to deal with it. Any of it.

Once in the cafeteria, the nurse asked him about breakfast, but Kyousuke insisted he wasn't hungry. ... He wasn't. Sensing he wanted to be left alone, she wheeled him off to an easily overlooked portion of the cafeteria, but quickly returned, setting food and some juice in front of him, "just in case." She set a small paper cup with a couple of painkillers on the tray, and after that, she left, leaving the boy to stare down the meal he didn't really want.

[ Kratos! ]
showmeyourwreath: (❀ Gardenia)

/LATEST FOREVER /)_- I'm sorry

[personal profile] showmeyourwreath 2012-11-14 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
Flora awoke, suddenly, blinking sopor, if not bemusement, out of her eyes. What a strange dream that had been. It felt so real, she could have sworn it was, and maybe that wasn't something to be discounted. Maybe surreal was more the term, and she could swear it was that, as well. It could have been another trick. Halloween wasn't for a while back home, she remembered that much, but who could say here?

She combed a hand through her hair. A part of her hoped that it was real, she had to admit, if only so she could have some sort of half rational explanation for having dreamt of Klavier, dressed as he was. Maybe something she ate. Sure, why not. Flora started to get out of bed, but froze the moment her feet touched the floor. ...Unless it really was something that she ate?

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself. There was something to be said for caution, but she was basing her suspicions on what may have just been a dream. Would they poison or lace the food with anything? It seemed counterproductive, but she hadn't forgotten that there were people already sick because of the head doctor. Maybe it wasn't counter at all. Maybe it was a wanted result. She couldn't help but frown at that, huffing as she ran her fingers through her hair again, wary and weary. Being this paranoid was exhausting and grating on the nerves, even if it was (might be?) necessary. She sighed, trying to sort herself out a bit. This was no way to start the morning. If Stella were here, she'd chastise her and warn that she'd give herself wrinkles.

There was an urge to draw her knees up to her chest and hold them there, barely resisted. She missed Stella. She missed everyone. Flora hadn't given up hope that they could have been here. It would be really funny if it turned out that all her friends were here the whole time and they'd all just running around each other, somehow. Not that she wanted any of them stuck here, but they had yet to come across something that was truly insurmountable when they were all together.

But here, Flora was alone.

Opportunities to ponder it further ended with a knock, then entry. It would probably be a rare occurrence, but Flora counted herself grateful to her nurse for the interruption."Good morning, Valencia! I hope you slept well?" It was said as a question, but she didn't give her an opportunity to get a word in edgewise. "Well, then! It's time to head to breakfast."

Flora's stomach turned.

Wonderful.

She followed the nurse into cafeteria and fixed herself a very light plate of food, all the while eyeing her options suspiciously, delicious as they looked otherwise.

"Why don't you sit with Bruce? He looks like he would appreciate some company." Her nurse was now two for two, because Flora had no problem with this. She sat down and smiled warmly, if a bit subdued and very much concerned. It was hard to ignore his arm. She was there the night he broke it, after all. "Good morning, Lee. How are you doing?"