The Once-ler had not yet noticed the other man; he was too focused on the seed's location. Glaring at the door for another second, he stalked back to his desk and grabbed his journal. If they had truly moved all his possessions... ah, yes, there was the map. That didn't mean the seed was in the room, though.
The man emptied out the drawers of his desk, leaving their contents on the desk. Once he had determined that the seed had not rolled into a back corner, the Once-ler moved to his dresser drawer, again pulling out everything and leaving it on his bed. Again the search proved fruitless.
"Come on, where is it?" he muttered. He turned his attention to the pillow; maybe it was there next to the flashlight? It wasn't. The Once-ler grabbed the light anyway. Next was the closet; he yanked it open and shoved aside the hanging clothes, not giving them a second glance. The beam of the flashlight caught something off to the side. The Once-ler grabbed the box and pulled it over, looking inside.
The seed was resting in the box, safe and unharmed. Relief washed over him. He didn't know why the nurses would move something that he wasn't supposed to have, but that wasn't very important. The Once-ler picked the seed up and inspected it closely. It was fine.
For a moment the man simply stood there, holding the last Truffula seed. Then he looked back in the box. The seed had been resting on something, which the Once-ler pulled out now. Actually, two somethings: a leather belt with a small bag attached, and a slightly larger satchel.
He took all three finds back to his bed; the top of his desk was something of a mess. The man sat down on the bed, wondering where the belt and satchel had come from. Maybe they'd been there all along and he'd missed them during his initial search? Or did they come with the room change? The Once-ler glanced around the room, searching for anything that was different from his previous quarters.
Aside from the unfamiliar man sitting at the other desk, of course. The man who he had not even realized was there until now.
Re: M2
The man emptied out the drawers of his desk, leaving their contents on the desk. Once he had determined that the seed had not rolled into a back corner, the Once-ler moved to his dresser drawer, again pulling out everything and leaving it on his bed. Again the search proved fruitless.
"Come on, where is it?" he muttered. He turned his attention to the pillow; maybe it was there next to the flashlight? It wasn't. The Once-ler grabbed the light anyway. Next was the closet; he yanked it open and shoved aside the hanging clothes, not giving them a second glance. The beam of the flashlight caught something off to the side. The Once-ler grabbed the box and pulled it over, looking inside.
The seed was resting in the box, safe and unharmed. Relief washed over him. He didn't know why the nurses would move something that he wasn't supposed to have, but that wasn't very important. The Once-ler picked the seed up and inspected it closely. It was fine.
For a moment the man simply stood there, holding the last Truffula seed. Then he looked back in the box. The seed had been resting on something, which the Once-ler pulled out now. Actually, two somethings: a leather belt with a small bag attached, and a slightly larger satchel.
He took all three finds back to his bed; the top of his desk was something of a mess. The man sat down on the bed, wondering where the belt and satchel had come from. Maybe they'd been there all along and he'd missed them during his initial search? Or did they come with the room change? The Once-ler glanced around the room, searching for anything that was different from his previous quarters.
Aside from the unfamiliar man sitting at the other desk, of course. The man who he had not even realized was there until now.
"...how long have you been there?"