Day 69: Greenhouse (Third Shift)

[asteroidbelt]

"Sorry," Ryusei said when he turned back around to find the nurse looking at him. He caught up to her in a few strides, and when she continued leading him to the greenhouse, he couldn't resist taking another look at the door from which he'd exited. He couldn't tell if it was the same door from two nights ago. He frowned as the nurse ushered him into the glass house; but he could take another look when she came back to escort him back into what he assumed was the main building.

For now.... Were they really letting him eat here? Was that responsible, with all of these plants? Not that he knew anything about that, he thought as he picked a bench at random and opened his lunch. He hadn't known what any of those words had meant when the lunches had been described, so it was more out of curiosity than hunger that he pulled out the sandwich.

[free]

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[baniichan]

His discussion with Korra hadn't exactly yielded any new information, but that was to be expected from a new patient. Still, it was a stark reminder of what he should be focusing on, and what he couldn't afford to neglect: possible clues that could lead to their escape, or at the very least understanding the nature of what they were dealing with.

Barnaby still wasn't sure how useful he'd be in his current state. But sitting back and doing nothing was a sure-fire way to guarantee that he would rot in this place. Deciding on a goal and using that as his compass had always been the way he'd lived his life up until now. Just because his life had been derailed didn't mean he could allow himself to lose sight of that basic principle, especially when he needed it the most.

After collecting a BLT sandwich from the nurse, Barnaby was encouraged to choose his own place to eat. In all honesty, he didn't have any real preference, although he still wasn't in a hurry to eat outside today. He still hadn't seen Kotetsu, but the nurses very well could have been coordinating with each other to prevent them from meeting during the day.

He would have to scold Kotetsu for not checking the bulletin more often later.

In the meantime, he initially picked the library because it was one of the quieter rooms. Unfortunately, the nurse insisted that he get at least a little fresh air, most likely because of his earlier condition. If it was a choice between the recreational field, the courtyard, or the greenhouse, though, then the choice was obvious for him.

"Oh, look," the nurse brightly said once they'd stepped into the humid area. "There's even someone for you to eat with."

Yeah. Real swell.

Just how many times would he have to go through this before they managed to escape? As if he didn't have enough reasons to leave. Still, he maintained a polite expression when the nurse led him to the young patient sitting on one of the benches.

"Ryusei, dear," she kindly greeted the boy. Upon closer inspection, Barnaby realized he couldn't have been that much older than Korra. "Do you mind if Bruce here joins you for lunch?"

[asteroidbelt]

Did he have a choice? "Uh, no, I guess I don't," he said with a pretended smile. He picked up the sandwich he'd put beside him on the bench just in case she was the type to scold him for it. He hadn't thought of it when he'd seen them approach, but he should probably make himself seem as cooperative as possible to any and all of the authorities here. Just in case.

"I-I guess you like plants, mister?" he said, to preempt the nurse. Cooperation, right? And even though she wasn't the one to keep an eye on him, he could make himself seem amiable to at least one nurse, even though he couldn't be sure it did anything, just in case it did.

Too many variables. He could feel his smile slipping, so he ducked his head and took a bite of his food to hide it.

[baniichan]

The nurse seemed satisfied with Ryusei's answer, and she gave a small wave before retreating to the edge of the greenhouse to supervise. Barnaby watched her before turning back to the boy once she was out of earshot.

"I apologize," he politely said. "My nurse is rather persistent about these things." Since standing around looked out of place, Barnaby settled down on the bench beside the young patient.

"Also, my name isn't Bruce," he added. "It's Barnaby -- Barnaby Brooks Jr."

[asteroidbelt]

Right. Ryusei glanced up at Bruce/Brooks, then at the nurse, then placed the sandwich on his lap with a sigh to himself. Seemed he wouldn't be able to get away with not eating this, if this guy's nurse was going to stand over there. Ryusei swallowed the bite he'd already taken before answering. "Nice to meet you."

He wouldn't be able to maintain it, so he dispensed with the smiling. He was going to have to work on that, but right now he didn't really want to try. "Sorry, I..." he started, looking down at his sandwich.

Since last shift, he'd wanted some time to himself at the same time that he'd wanted to not be left alone. Before these guys had walked in, the silence had started to become oppressive, and the muggy air in here didn't help any. But he hadn't quite wanted company, either.

His goal in coming here had been half-fulfilled, more or less. Now he was just waiting to return so he could take another look at the door. A better look, since he'd be approaching it and his nurse wouldn't know that that was what he was doing. "I'm...." He switched gears. "Has the person on the intercom ever mentioned portals? In your experience?"

[baniichan]

All pretenses of a normal conversation seemed to drop along with Ryusei's smile, but that suited Barnaby just fine. As long as the nurses kept their distance, and Barnaby made an effort to maintain a relatively neutral demeanor, then there was no reason why they couldn't discuss whatever they wanted, or even nothing at all.

Still, it wasn't so surprising when the boy focused on specific details about the institute. Anyone smart enough to realize the dangers posed by this place would naturally be looking to learn more.

"Not that I can recall offhand," Barnaby admitted. "But it wouldn't surprise me if he had. The night before last, I took a door inside of the institute that suddenly dropped me into a lake near the mountains."

If that didn't count as some kind of portal, Barnaby didn't know what else would.

"Why do you ask?" he added.

[asteroidbelt]

Night before last, that sounded right. And Brooks had been returned somehow, if he was here. Due to the same effect that happened every night, when all the patients were returned to their beds? Possible, but—

"I think the person on the intercom mentioned it yesterday," Ryusei answered offhandedly. What kind of lake, near what kind of mountains? It wasn't like Ryusei knew the topography of the area. Besides which, he couldn't quite trust yesterday's perceptions. This morning, the person he'd told about the ghost had believed him, but Ryusei didn't have the confirmation he wanted yet that that had really happened. For that matter, Brooks hadn't confirmed it either; he'd just said that he'd expect it from the asylum.

The lake and mountains was confirmation enough, wasn't it? Ryusei couldn't be sure. Sometimes people were really good at improvisation. "Do you know how far from here that was?" He paused a second before adding hastily, "I think that happened to me, too."

[baniichan]

"I can't say for sure," Barnaby admitted, although he was dissatisfied that he couldn't be more specific. "It was near a dense forest, so it was difficult to gauge anything beyond that. Some of the patients who have been here longer may be more familiar with it, though."

It was something to consider asking about on the bulletin board, at least. He and Kotetsu weren't the only ones thrown off their path, if Ryusei's story was true, so someone was bound to know.

"Did you wind up outside as well, or were you sent somewhere else?" he asked.

[asteroidbelt]

Forest. Kurogane had mentioned a forest, hadn't he? Ryusei couldn't remember the specifics; he'd have to ask him later. Later, Ryusei thought with some consternation. He was not looking forward to that.

Focus on the now. For now, he had to... Maintain his cover. It couldn't possibly be important now, could it? But that nurse was still—

"The infirmary," Ryusei said after a pause. His shoulders slumped slightly, not an affectation, which was maybe a good thing if Ryusei didn't have to feign it, but he didn't like that the question had affected him this way to begin with. The portals had been linked to whoever opened the door, Ryuugamine had suggested. The door had opened onto an infirmary because Ryusei—

It didn't matter. "Did you have business there? In the forest?"

[baniichan]

Ending up in the infirmary would have been handier than getting dumped into the lake. Barnaby wondered if there had been any rhyme or reason to their destinations, or if they'd simply been tossed places at random.

Apparently Ryusei wasn't sure, either, because his question indicated that he was trying to identify some kind of pattern.

"If I did, no one thought to tell me about it," Barnaby dryly responded. But then he regarded Ryusei, masking his curiosity behind a polite, neutral expression. "Why? Did you have something to do in the infirmary?"

[asteroidbelt]

"No." The infirmary didn't have anything to do with Jirou at all. Certainly nothing to do with Gentarou. From what Brooks had said, that did seem to be true. Seem? No, it was true. Ryusei didn't know of anthing that would respond to individuals like that. And since he hadn't seen Ryuugamine at all lately, Ryusei couldn't ask him. No, he had asked him, Ryusei recalled. Ryuugamine had said that it had been a joke, or something. Which made Ryusei quite foolish for continuing to believe in it.

Nevertheless, he needed to end this line of inquiry, for the sake of his pride if nothing else. "Do you know how to fight?" he asked suddenly.

[baniichan]

The abrupt change in subject wasn't lost on Barnaby, but Barnaby decided to let it happen without any extra comment. If their locations truly seemed random, then there was nothing else to say about the matter.

"Yes," Barnaby answered. "My job from back home required it, so I'm fairly proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Unfortunately, my abilities don't work quite the same way in the institute, but that seems to be a common story here."

Folding his arms over his chest, he glanced at the nurses observing them. He suspected that if even half of the patients here were allowed to function at full capacity, they wouldn't have any problems overwhelming the staff despite their superior numbers. Until they figured out what was dampening their powers, though, that scenario was very unlikely.

"What about you?" he asked.

[asteroidbelt]

"No."

Bringing it up had been a mistake; he'd been too hasty. No matter how much it was starting to make sense now that this asylum seemed to be for people whose problems stemmed from fighting, the theory itself was suspect. He couldn't continue to think that that was the case, especially since he'd come up with apropos of almost nothing.

And even if it were true, if he could trust a sample of merely three people, what was Ryusei going to do about it? He already knew why he was here; everything else was white noise. It didn't matter what the other patients' problems were; what mattered was that Ryusei get out.

He couldn't say that. Not out loud. "I was just wondering," he said in what he hoped was an innocuous tone. "People have been telling me not to go out at night...."

[baniichan]

Barnaby wasn't entirely sure if he believed it. Ryusei seemed physically fit enough, so he doubted the boy lived a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, that by itself wasn't reason enough to assume he was lying. He could have simply been athletic, after all. But, as far as Barnaby was concerned, anyone who could survive more than a few nights in this place without sustaining serious injuries had to have something going for them, whether it was physical prowess or a strategic mind.

Of course, what Ryusei chose to divulge about himself was obviously his business. Quite frankly, Barnaby didn't care enough about it to investigate the matter further. As someone who had his own reasons for learning more about the "patients", though, he simply decided to take his answer with a grain of salt for the time being.

"Hasn't stopped you, apparently," he remarked instead.

[asteroidbelt]

Ryusei cut a glance to Brooks briefly before resuming his stare out at the greenhouse. "I'm not sure. That's just what people tell me."

Another person who didn't refute it; that made all of them. Ryusei believed it too, didn't he? He had to trust what he'd experienced with his own senses. The problem was that Ryusei didn't trust his own body. No, that was wrong. He had no marks on him to indicate that anything had happened; what he couldn't trust was his own mind.

Appropriate, then. Ryusei hurriedly shoved the thought away as soon as he'd had it.

"I guess it must be true, then," he said sycophantically, to preempt the possibility of getting more warnings. He didn't know enough about Brooks to determine if he would, but in that case there was nothing lost if he weren't. "What else happens at night?"