damned_institute | Day 67: Dinner

"Goodness, is it really already time for dinner? Time certainly does fly! And such a lovely day, too. I certainly wouldn't mind having a nice cup of cocoa out on the patio or something..."

That was how the Head Doctor greeted them, although it apparently didn't take him long to realize he'd gotten a little off topic.

"Now then, it's time for the nurses to escort you all back to your rooms, where you'll have the opportunity to tuck into a scrumptious plate of turkey and gravy. And, of course, we always carry vegetarian options for those who don't eat meat. We also have our usual assortment of water, juice and milk.

"Also, some of you will be receiving some extra help in warding off whatever bug some of us have been catching. Please take care, everyone, and be sure to wash your hands! I'll talk to you all again later. Enjoy your dinner."

The intercom clicked off, leaving patients with the prospect of preparing for yet another grueling Nightshift.

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The first thing Scar noticed was that the man led (rather forcefully) into his room was not his roommate.

And he wouldn't shut up.

Scar watched the Once-ler only for a moment before turning back to his food. He wasn't fond of the idea of a new roommate. Not to mention the implication that his old roommate was gone. Just one more person taken by this place. Whether he had been released or had simply disappeared, it hardly mattered to Scar.

He picked at his food for a little while longer before setting down his utensils. He had no desire to eat, nauseated as he still was. There couldn't be much time before the beginning of night.

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.

"...how long have you been there?"

Scar glanced up at the Once-ler. How long had he... what?

"I came into the room shortly before you did, if that is what you mean..." He looked back down at his dinner, not in the mood for eating it what so ever. Scar hardly cared what it was the was making his new roommate freak out as he was, but he could understand. Like hell would he ever lose that photograph that was still sitting in his own box of things.

"Oh. Well then." The Once-ler mentally kicked himself; it wasn't unusual for him to miss things when he was focused on something, but he had known he would be getting a new roommate. It should not have been a surprise.

The other man had returned to his dinner, or staring at it, more accurately. Either the Once-ler had left a very negative impression, or the man just didn't care. Maybe a mix of both. Whatever the case was, there was no denying that the room had descended into a state of awkwardness.

For a few moments he said nothing, until finally the man could not bear the uncomfortable silence any longer. He might as well learn his new roommate's name. "I'm guessing you aren't really called Lesley Matthews, are you?"

Scar twitched inwardly at the mentioning of his supposed "name."

"You may call me Scar." It was the same answer he (almost) always gave when asked his name. It was all he went by, now. Not a soul alive knew his true name, and he preferred to keep it as such.

And hopefully the questions would stop there. Unlikely; he did seem like a talkative sort.

There was a definite not-wanting-to-talk vibe in the air. The Once-ler shrugged; he would at least introduce himself. "I'm the Once-ler, but I do go by Once-ler." He left it at that; now he had a name to put to the face - and with that large x-shaped scar, it was one he was unlikely to forget.

Instead of pursuing conversation, the Once-ler stood up and set about putting his side of the room back in order. He'd made quite a mess while searching for the seed. It was something to do until night began, at least.

As he finished clearing his bed off, it occurred to him that he had no idea what he would be doing for the night. Staying in was an option, of course, but after the events of last night, the man actually wanted to check in with Soma. It would be good to at least let her know that his room had changed.

Day 67: Dinner

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