damned_institute | Day 30: Cafeteria, Dinner

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Day 30: Cafeteria, Dinner

The cafeteria was all but empty when Zelnick got there. He was a little disappointed; he had gotten the impression that patients usually ate dinner in their rooms, so he hadn't arranged to meet anyone, and there really wasn't anyone to sit by and engage in conversation yet.

Quietly, he collected dinner and a big glass of orange juice, and chose a seat near the food-serving counters. Talking for so long had made him thirsty... and, well, fruit juice was a luxury he had missed.

[Stalk away, my dearest Admiral. <3 ]

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"Let's hope not," he echoed as cheerfully as he could. The talkative orderly crossed his arms and frowned at Bridget, but since Armand wasn't doing more than smiling, he didn't do anything. Small children who had behaved themsevles weren't his problem.

"I'm fine," Armand said softly. "I don't even have a bruise. I landed on my rump, and most of the drugs have worn off. How are you and Roger? I'm glad, since it didn't succeed, that you didn't get involved."

Bridget looked relieved. "Roger and I are fine, thank you," he said politely.

"I slept through the whole thing," he admitted with a light blush and a laugh. "Didn't even wake up until the intercom went off announcing the lockdown."

He tilted his head. "Aren't you hungry? The potatos are really good, aren't they Mr. Big Orderly sir?" He looked up at the one that had frowned at him with a huge smile.

Try to be disarming. Catch them off guard. That's what Roger said.

"Well, I am relieved someone got to sleep." He glanced down at the root vegetable in question. "That's a potato? It looks different than the one other night. Are they good?" Armand asked. He glanced up at the orderly, who seemed intent on pretending to ignore Bridget and his bear.

Bridget nodded. "Yup. Mashed potatos. I ... I'm not sure about the meat," he admitted with a frown. "I've never seen anything like it before, but it smells good."

He tried a bit of the potatos. Good. And now to try the meats....

Encouraged by Bridget's expression, Armand tried the potatoes and then the meat. Both were passable, and he was terribly hungry now that he allowed himself to admit it. He even tried the corn. "Most of the food here is entirely unfamiliar," he said.

"I miss rich cheese and bread that has flavor. And tea. There's nothing like tea the way the obsessive English make it."

"Oh, I miss good tea," Bridget agreed. "Teatime is the best time of day. Right next to bedtime." He laughed brightly.

"At least the food is still eatable," he pointed out, trying some of his own corn. "It could be a lot worse."

"There is that. Usually prison food is far worse." He hadn't been in a hospital. Even when he'd been badly hurt by St. Cyr's men, Marguerite had brought doctors to him and nursed him at home. He'd been too badly hurt to move anywhere else.

Bridget shook his head. "Oh, I don't know about prison food myself. But while I was travelling, I had some really terrible food." He made a face then laughed.

"But I've met so many nice people here, that I don't think I would mind if the food was bad so long as I had nice company to eat with." He smiled warmly at Armand. "Don't you think?"

Having the orderlies around was really putting a damper on what he could and couldn't talk about.

Armand smiled, near a laugh at Bridget's warm tone. "You're such a dear boy. I've narrowly avoided prison myself up to now, but I've seen how prisoners were fed, or not fed."

"Who else have you met who's nice? I need to meet more nice people myself."

Bridget blushed and shook his head. "Oh, I'm not all that nice."

He straightened up a bit in his seat and looked around. "Oh! That boy over there, with the long nose and long black hair? His name is Usopp, he's really very nice." He looked around the room some more. "And there's a boy names Allen." He sat back down and looked at Armand with a smile. "He's not here right now, but he's really nice too. He's got a scar over one eye and short white hair."

"You're very nice. You've been nothing but kind to me."

Armand swivelled his head around to see Usopp, repeating the name a few times to try to remember it. He did the same thing in his mind with Allen's description and name. "I'll try to remember them and introduce myself another day."

"This has been a busy couple of days hasn't it?" he asked.

"Of course! That's because you're a nice man Armand." He shook a stern finger. "And don't think you're not."

He smiled then. "It sure has! All the excitement left me feeling a little lost and confused."

"Nice men don't riot in the cafeteria," Armand countered, but he was smiling slightly at Bridget's stern tone.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Bridget waved away the idea that Armand wasn't a nice person.

"I'm fine," he said with a smile. "Roger and I haven't had too many problems yet. We're hoping that things will be fun and less... scary at night."

"I don't think that's likely. Who do you uh... travel with?" he asked.

"My partners are very determined and a relief to be around." He finished the potatoes, very surprised at himself.

"Roger." Bridget smiled. "And last night I was with a boy named Danny. I don't know a lot about him though... He was acting strange last night."

He smiled. "Do you have lots of partners?"

"I know you have some training to take care of yourself, but I'd feel better if you travelled with someone. Roger isn't being so very helpful these days, you told me." Armand tried not to sound too hectoring, or like a chiding parent.

"There are two people I am travelling with these days. I hope we can keep it up. We've had some amazing luck in staying out of trouble." He smiled and wished he could tell Bridget about the basement. He'd already been indiscreet with telling Thursday, and thought it best it should end there.

Bridget looked over at Roger with a thoughtful frown. "Everyone's got groups already," he said. "I don't want to impose."

He smiled up at armand. "That's great though! Two people. Are they your friends?"

"More is a bit ungainly." He frowned at Bridget's explanation for his solitariness. "There are new people coming every day. Find someone, please. You're friendly. I know you can do it."

He didn't want to answer the last question. Armand chewed on his lip. "I--" He shook his head. "No, they aren't. It's like we work together. I wouldn't mind if that changed, but I can't claim any such thing at the moment. It would be presumptuous."

Bridget smiled. "I'll try," he agreed. "But it's a lot harder to find someone than I thought it would be."

Bridget thought about what Armand had said and frowned thoughtfully. "Well, working together means that you'll get to know each other.... I'm sure you'll all be friends in no time." He beamed at the older man.

"I hope so. We're very different people." He didn't want to explain about his argument with TK this afternoon. He didn't know what to say about it anyway.

"I realize it. Maybe you should ask on the board."

Bridget thought about that too. "I think I'll do that," he said with a smile. "First thing in the morning too!"

Finishing what food he wanted to eat, Bridget reached over and pulled Roger into his lap, glancing up at the orderlies then back at Armand. "Are you going to be okay when the sun goes down Mr. Armand? Are your partners close by?"

"They're close enough, Bridget." Armand didn't want to worry the child. "They look after me very well."

"Good." Bridget was worried that Armand wouldn't be able to find his fri... partners (there really shouldn't be a difference he felt) once everything went bad. He turned in his seat and glanced at the doors, then scanned the room at large.

"I wish we could have gone back to our rooms for dinner..." He hugged Roger a bit tighter and smiled up at Armand. "It's always so nice and quiet then."

"I don't wish that. I like my roommate well enough, but I am much happier to see you."

The men at his sides made Armand feel so small. Yes, he was a bit taller and heftier than his young friend here, but Bridget was still very young, despite his unusual background. Although Armand felt very young inside, he was a grown man.

"I probably sound like an old hen, but promise me you'll be careful."

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