The intercom came on with its usual jingle.

"Hello!" said the Head Doctor cheerily. "I hope you all enjoyed your wonderful hamburgers and all of their usual sides. Oh – and the hot dogs, too, of course! Er..."

The Head Doctor paused a moment, then continued: "Anyway! Next up is the same as last shift, except that now it will be the adults who head to the Arts & Crafts room and the children who get cleaned up in the showers! Nurses, if you'll please escort the various groups to their proper places? Thank you!"

The intercom clicked off.

There were very few activity shifts, Cloud was sure, that could possibly make him feel more like he was being treated like a child. He took a seat at one of the tables and blankly examined the materials set out before him. A pair of the dullest scissors he'd ever seen were labeled 'ages 3 and up'. It was good to know where the patients stood in this.

He wasn't much of an artist, and he ignored most of the paints and other drawing utensils in favor of a few sheets of colored paper and instructions on how to make origami. That sounded vaguely familiar. Didn't Yuffie have throwing weapons made out of paper at some point? It was something to do anyway, and thus Cloud began the process of crafting what ended up being very elaborate paper wads.

Sadly, his attempts to keep from dwelling on the subject of his missing friend failed when he realized this was something Aerith probably would have enjoyed greatly. Tonight, he and Yuffie would go out and try to accomplish... something. It was depressing to think there really might not be anything they could do, that they might all end up the same as the flower girl eventually.

[for a hopefully more optimistic materia thief]

Claude was all too relieved when the announcement signifying the end of lunch played over the intercom system. It gave him the perfect excuse to let his nurse collect his things and lead him out of the cafeteria. He wished he could have privately said something to Luke, at least -- that he appreciated him looking out for him, for one thing, and that he was sorry he'd had to even waste his breath dealing with the likes of Sync on his behalf. But that would probably have to wait for another day, preferably one where Claude could seek Luke out and actively avoid Sync on his own.

He was still pretty steamed, not to mention humiliated, over what had happened, though. As Claude's nurse took him into the sun room, his uninjured hand balled into a fist at his side. Just who the hell did Sync think he was, anyway? Considering he'd been a weeping, bloodied mess the last time Claude had seen him, it was amazing he even had the gall to keep messing with them like this. Maybe Sync had been brainwashed back then, but next time Claude was going to make sure he finished the job right. They'd be on equal terms, if he had anything to say about it, and he wouldn't be holding back.

In the meantime, there wasn't much for him to do except pass the time while he waited for the day to end. Normally arts and crafts would have sounded like a nice distraction, but that wouldn't work today for obvious reasons. Claude just had to keep telling himself that he couldn't give up on getting his sight back. Natalia was kind enough to offer her help tonight, so the least he could do was try not to let himself get too depressed right now.

After the nurse led him to a couch, Claude leaned back against the cushions, tucking one hand behind his head. So far it didn't sound like there were many people milling about the sun room yet, though no doubt that would change soon enough. Maybe he ought to take some time to just relax. He might need his strength tonight, after all.

[For Leon.]

It was a start, for better or worse. It was an attempt to do better, even if she was doubtful of success. Well. With that one, she'd just have to stick close, is all! The last thing Nigredo needed was to be left alone.

When lunch was over, she realized she hadn't really ate but still, Senna wasn't hungry. She followed dutifully to the showers, and washed up carefully, then waited as they rebandaged her, listening to murmurs of how soon everything would come off. Good. That was something good. Senna shrugged into clothes, snagged her ribbon, and jogged out ahead of the nurse. Man. She really needed something to do to keep her mind occupied.

[to here]

No. Not even that ever-so-charming red-headed girl wasn't able to take his mind from memories dragged to the surface. It wasn't so much of a surprise--those things, that girl, had occupied his mind for a long period of time. Where every waking thought, after reaching over to find his twin's mind on her, became an undulating hatred of her presence. And so being reminded of that again had become simple. He had hated that girl. And there was nothing more clear than that fact. Nothing.

Even still. Stepping into the empty shower room was almost a shock. Every one since he had arrived here had been shared with one sibling or the other. The absence of both-- Though both should already have been recognized. Was he still looking for Rubedo, out of habit, when Albedo knew, knew in the way that his heart was beating solitary yet again that his twin was no longer here? How absolutely pitiful he was. With no wanting to stay, Albedo hurriedly washed to the nurse's specifications, then moved to leave. To come nearly face to face with the baby. Blanks looks and shifted eyes seemed the norm, and even as Albedo didn't move to break the pattern, something burned within his chest.

Something close to hate; something touching on despair.

[to here]