Day 27: Intercom, Noon

[damned-intercom.livejournal.com]

The Head Doctor seemed a little exhausted as he gave orders over the microphone this shift, though he didn't seem to have any qualms about explaining why.

"And I do believe we're at the last few pieces of paperwork involved in obtaining and accounting for all of our new patients! Wonderful, if... somewhat exhausting!" The Head Doctor laughed, rapping his knuckles on the surface of his desk. "In any case, I'm sure our patients both old and new want to know what's on the menu for lunch, and so, here it is!

"Today, we'll be having grilled cheese sandwiches--big ones!--with cheddar cheese and mozzarella melted between two buttery, toasty slices of white bread. As sides, we have french fries, cole slaw, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and of course, the usual choices in both drinks and the salad bar are available as well.

"And that's all for now! ....Oh! Could our nurses escort the Group 3 patients to the cafeteria? Thank you very much!"

And once again, the intercom clicked off.

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[navigating.livejournal.com]

I can do this! I can navigate this ship up the Knock-Up Stream.. I'm the navigator of the Straw Hat crew, and we can prove that the island in the sky does exist, past the layer of clouds that we never thought had another side. Above the sea and beyond the sky... we can do this – we can do this! We're nearly vertical, but if we turn the rudder a little bit to the right we'll straighten up slightly and the wind is – Usopp, pull that rope – if our ship can stand this, if we can all stay in this together, all work together like I know we can, even Sanji and Zoro.. we can cross the sky! I am the navigator of the Going Merry!

Nami pointed skyward, seeing the first beam of light from the other side of the clouds flash across the deck. She'd done it!

I am the navigator of the Going Merry!

And that light had seemed so heavenly, so miraculous that Nami couldn't quite believe it at first. So it wasn't a surprise when she rolled over in bed, arms tangled amongst sheets and blankets. She was grasping for a rope when she realized that she had been dreaming. Was all of that just a dream? The wind had seemed so real and so ear-shattering in the blackness, and the rain was still cold on her face. She brought her hand up to touch her cheek, unsure if it should be wet from the clouds and the rain or not, but instead discovered something else quite wrong. The weight on her wrist..?

She opened her eyes, blinking blearily at her bare wrist and its obvious lack of Log Pose – then at the rest of the room. Well, this obviously wasn't the Going Merry...

Someone had some explaining to do, quite frankly. Nami would not settle for less than complete understanding of the situation. That Log Pose... it'd hardly ever left her wrist since she'd first acquired it, what seemed so long ago now. Why it wasn't wrapped around her wrist now was a mystery, and Nami had always much preferred cold, hard facts to mystery. Luffy could go on with all the Mystery Rooms he wanted, but something like this simply didn't settle right in her stomach.

She slipped out of bed, eying her drab gray getup. She wasn't sure what she'd been put in. The smile on the front of it was ridiculous, clearly, and upon further inspection of her closet, she hadn't been given much else to work with in the way of fashion – wherever she was. Was she in a jail? Had they been captured by the Marines?

Her thought was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and Nami spun on her heel, preparing to give this bustling-looking woman quite a piece of her mind.

Hands settled on her hips. "I would appreciate it if you let me know what was going on here," she said testily. Nami had never been a big fan of captivity, especially when she didn't even know how far above sea level said captivity was located.

"Why, you're in Landel's Institute, darling," the nurse said cheerily. "I know it must be hard for you, Cecille, but I'm sure you'll adjust all right."

Oh no. Oh no, Nami was not going to accept that. Not that name, not the thought of 'adjusting' to - just whatever it was that they'd set her up for. Where were her nakama!? Irritatedly, she replied, "Well, what island is this? We're not in the sky - .. are we?" If she'd blacked out in the middle of navigation literally upstream, the chances that they had made it to Sky Island were quite small indeed, but if they'd fallen at that point .. the Going Merry would have been torn to pieces.

It didn't make any sense.

"..No, hon, we're not in the sky. There are no islands in the sky," the nurse replied firmly. "We're safe on land. Now I bet you're hungry, aren't you?"

No, Nami was not hungry! And the more the nurse ignored her questions, the angrier Nami became. "No! I-"

She stopped, and stared the nurse in her well-meaning eyes for a good moment. This insufferable woman wasn't going to tell her anything, from the looks of it. Nami turned to the side, two fingers raised to her temple.

[navigating.livejournal.com]

"Come on to lunch, Cecille. You slept in a little late today, but we've got some nice tasty grilled cheese sandwiches all cooked up for you and the rest of the patients. How does that sound?"

The nurse was putting her hand on Nami's shoulder and trying to guide her gently toward the door, but Nami shook it off, replying coldly, "No, that's all right, I can lead myself. ..Though what do you mean, patients?" She wasn't going to argue with the name Cecille for now. If she was wanted for anything - though she wasn't sure why she would be just yet, as far as she knew - someone else calling her Cecille wouldn't be a bad idea... unless there was someone else with the name Cecille she'd been mistaken for. But still, there were no Marine strongholds near here, as far as she knew; this was quite confusing, and Nami needed answers.

The nurse shook her head sadly, making sure Nami was following her as she walked out the door. "The rest of the poor souls we try to help here in Landel's Institute. This is a mental institution."

A mental institution? Nami widened her eyes. Not a jail, but - oh, this was just fantastic. They'd been called crazy for thinking Sky Island existed, but she hadn't expected it to go this far. "Well, I'm afraid there's been a mistake. After all, I don't sound crazy, do I? Is there some sort of test I can take to prove that I'm not?" Maybe this was her ticket out!

"Didn't you just ask me if we were located in the sky? Honestly, hon!" The nurse shook her head incredulously.

That shut Nami up well enough, long enough for them to get out the door and halfway down the hall. "Were there any people in my.. party.. when I was taken here?" She could hope that Luffy and the rest were here - if they were, she could scold them for letting them get captured while she'd been passed out. And then she could make them find a way out. It'd have to be by force; there was no stretch of the imagination that could judge the boys sane. Robin maybe. Not the boys.

"Well, there are more patients waking up as we speak. Maybe you can make some friends while you're here, hmm, hon?"

Oh, certainly. Nami was looking forward to that.

And they walked down the hall.