damned_institute | Day 26; Staff-Only Outdoor Patio Lounging/Eating Area

It was finally time to be social. And not eat alone in his office.

There had been no parties celebrating his induction into the Landel's staff, there hadn't been much interaction with his fellow doctors.. it seemed like just another workplace, and Dr. Hatori Sohma supposed that was alright with him. There was only one person whose fanfare he put up with, two people if high school girls were involved, and neither of them would show up in America at a time like this.

As for a meal, he had been presented with two burgers. They were fresh from Tasty Burger, the fast food restaurant that had dominated his dinners recently, delivered by a nurse that he hadn't really noticed before. Or maybe he had. They all looked somewhat similar to him, the younger ones anyway. Maybe that had been the person who was decorating his office against his will. Who could say? It didn't matter too much, anyway.

The patio was clean and looked nice, and he was actually rather pleased that there were umbrellas for the sun. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to eat two, so he just kind of stared at the burgers (and matching fries) in front of him as he sat at a patio table rather near the corner.

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Muraki had to admit his morning was going fairly well. Sean had kindly helped him pull his mind towards the present, and his dark mood had lifted somewhat during their session. He was even feeling social enough for an outdoor lunch.

After a few minutes of rummaging in his desk, then a few more minutes of deciding against the cafeteria food, Muraki decided to forgo lunch and simply take the break between sessions to read in the sunlight. He left his coat behind and took his book and a packet of cigarettes. Maybe he could find something more nourishing on his way. After all, what good was a vampire at a hospital who couldn't improvise?

It was too bad he didn't know any of the other doctors well enough to take a bite. That would have to change...

..and wonder of wonders, one of his fellow staff members had decided to volunteer. Muraki shielded his eyes against the sunlight and approached the lone occupied table. "Dr.Souma, good afternoon. Are you expecting company?"

Hatori looked up from his wrapped hamburgers, not really expecting someone to come talk to him save perhaps the nurse from before. A man, possibly slightly older than himself, and quite clearly another doctor. Which one? ...The one with the hair that mirrored his exactly. Muraki.

Yes, Doctor Muraki. "Doctor Muraki. Good afternoon," he replied in an even tone, even adding a bow. Not interested, but not uninterested either. It was a coworker. In any case, he could possibly pass off a burger to him.

Slowly, he pushed a burger toward the other doctor. "I am not. A nurse brought this to me. Please accept this burger and sit, if you wish." He was all traditional Japanese politeness, to the point that he didn't even meet Muraki's eye directly.

That wasn't the sort of nourishment he'd been meaning. Muraki tried and failed to remember a time when he had been tempted by greasy fast food. Even in his years as a med student, when he'd picked up so many of his vices, he never really had a taste for it.

Still, it would have been impolite to refuse and he inclined his head, taking the only other shaded seat available. He let his book rest on the table. "Thank you. Do you mind if I smoke?"

The politeness was a surprising change. Even the Japanese patients he had were rather coarse.

Contrary to her normal demeanor, Doctor Hakubi Washu was... a bit more subdued than usual. She wouldn't admit it, but it hit the genius rather hard that she could possibly have missed any small detail, and that meant that she had some thinking to do. But, for the moment, it was lunch time, and who better to spend it with than those who could, in this one field, come close to matching her brilliance?

"Ah, Kazutaka and Hatori! I never did welcome you here, did I? Name's Hakubi Washu, but you can call me Li'l Washu, okay?" Nevermind that she might have been bursting into an important conversation or not, clearly this was far more important. The genius plopped down at the patio table, frowning and adjusting the umbrella a little so that she got a little more shade.

After that she placed a bento box- homemade, probably not fit for human consumption- down on the table, and grinned at both men. "So, how's work?" Of course, she saw it as nothing less than a sublime attempt to enlarge the very boundaries of science, but she was quite aware of how some doctors saw the field.

"No, please do, if you don't mind me doing the same after the meal." Hatori was a smoker himself, and probably would be having his own cigarette after his hamburger, which he gingerly unwrapped and opened up to see the contents. Cheese and meat, with lettuce, tomato, pickle and mayonnaise. It would do.

He bowed his head at Washu then, welcoming her to the table. "Hatori Sohma. It's nice to meet the both of you," he said quietly, still all politeness which .. might not change for a long time.

As for the subject of work, he decided to be honest. "Ah.. I tried a new technique on my first new patient today. Art therapy. It's good for the quieter patients, it seems." He took a small bite of his burger, neither grimacing at the taste nor delighted with it.

"Be my guest." Well, it would buy him some time to ignore the burger. He fetched his cigarettes a little awkwardly and flicked one out of the packet, bending slightly so he could pull it out between his lips. He'd learned the night before how annoying it could be with his right wrist virtually unusable.

Maybe it was a blessing that his head was down when the redheaded doctor approached the table. Muraki froze, and missed most of her statement because she could not possibly have done what he thought. She didn't strike him as the suicidal type. He crushed the cigarette pack. Practice for her vocal chords.

When he looked up, his smile was pleasant and aloof and almost vicious - but then it was gone. He waited until Sohma finished speaking. "Kazutaka Muraki. Likewise. Though, I would appreciate if you didn't use my given name Doctor Washu, at least not until we're better acquainted."

He pitched the half-full packet into the garbage and found his lighter, quite unconcerned. "Just the usual methods I'm afraid. Some of the suggestions I've heard are more experimental, and I would prefer to become more intimate with my patients before I make an attempt."

It was, of course, next to impossible to tell whether Washu was or was not suicidal; mostly because she had no fear of anything and that spilled over into every aspect of her life. Which was why she tsked the silver-haired man, as though not noticing his almost-vicious smile. "And how can we get better acquainted if we're standing on formalities, Kazutaka~? Besides, I did tell you to call me 'Li'l Washu,' it's only fair that you call me what I want if you want me to call you what you want."

It made perfect sense to her, anyway.

After taking a bite of her bento, and trying unsuccessfully not to wince, Washu leaned back in her chair and spoke again. "Hey, either of you two heard anything about gunshots around here? Or taken a look at some of the wounds the patients have?" Clearly, she didn't care about how thinking about wounds at a lunch table might be a problem, nor did she particularly mind about commandeering the conversations. Heck, it was about science, the talk about their little treatment regimens could wait!

Day 26; Staff-Only Outdoor Patio Lounging/Eating Area

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