damned_institute | Day 31: Intercom, Evening

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Day 31: Intercom, Evening

The intercom's jingle came on with its usual overly-cheery quality, echoing through the halls and doctors' offices.

"I trust, as always, that you all enjoyed the last shift and that all the staff-patient interaction went smoothly. Of course, we're nearing the end of another day and so we must begin to bring things to a close. Nurses and orderlies, please escort all the patients to their respective rooms and make sure everyone gets their dinner--which is, by the way, chicken teriyaki and assorted tempura, along with rice and miso soup--before they retire for the night. A vegetarian substitute is of course available, and we have our usual assortment of drinks; we also have a special of hot green tea to go along with the meal.

"Thank you, everyone, for an exceedingly pleasant day, and our therapy sessions will continue tomorrow as scheduled. Enjoy your dinner, and I will be on again before bedtime to say goodnight."

The announcement ended.

[ As always, individual dinner threads go in response to this post, and it helps to put your character's room number in the subject line. Thanks! ]

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"Yeah. I've visited people there." She hadn't been there herself, but she'd had enough coworkers get severely injured to end up needing it. She could remember it well enough.

"What about the... other... long-care wards?" Beatrix's hand at her side curled into a loose fist. "Terminal and... the like..."

"Terminal?" Naomi paused to think, and then shook her head. She vaguely remembered visiting dying relatives, but that was all. "Not since I was a very little girl I don't think, so I don't really remember."

It was a good thing Maki didn't remember what those wards were like. "Do you know what really goes on in those places?"

Beatrix knew she was being somewhat cryptic, but one just doesn't blurt out to another how they were serial raped for four years while in a coma.

"People die." Naomi shrugged. "And get poor quality treatment since they're going to die. And get stolen from. And...worse." Now, after the lead in began making sense, she was rather sure she could see where this was going.

"The care and treatment of dying and coma patients is provided by a ten-dollar an hour guys named Buck," the Bride said, her voice taking on even more of a detached tone, almost clinical, as she spoke. "Given how boring the job is and how very little supervision such attendants are given, guys named Buck get a bright idea of how to make a little cash on the side given the number of degenerates there are in the world, especially in a redneck town like El Paso."

"The patients never know what's going on unless they happen to have moments of semi-consciousness from time to time or they happen to wake up in the middle of it all..."

Naomi just nodded. She could fill in the gaps. And it was horrible. She wasn't going to deny that. But horrible things happened. "I'm sorry that happened to you," she said, with little more than honest sympathy in her voice There was no pity. She didn't feel pity for Arlene, though she did feel badly.

"But you can't let it define you or dictate your life. I may not know you that well, but I know you enough to be sure you're the sort of woman who can overcome anything."

"1999 - 2003, Maki."

Her eyes were sharp as she watched for any signs of pity from her roommate. She saw none, so her eagle's gaze relaxed and the underlying anger that drove the Bride seeped back in.

"I'm not letting it and I can overcome anything." She crossed her arms. "I've just not had to deal with it. Besides, what decent guy would want to have sex with a woman that has no idea how many men she's been... she's been..."

Her eyes flared. "Serial rape - the conversation killer."

"You're letting it interfere with having a sex life," Naomi pointed out. "And if a guy's decent, he wouldn't care about it. Arlene, you're a beautiful, intelligent, strong woman. And if you don't let what happened to you get in the way of having an intimate relationship, then it won't get in the way of your partner."

She leaned back, crossing her legs. "It's an awful thing, but it happens. I see it happen all the time. And I see it either break women or make them stronger. And you haven't let it break you, so let it make you stronger."

"You have an awful lot more faith in men than I do," Beatrix replied, getting angrier as the time went by. "Forgive a girl for balking the first time sex has been presented to her since her rape." The woman was acting like this all had happened to her years ago.

"It hasn't even been a year," she growled. "And I am working on it or else this conversation never would have come up in the first place."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't do things at your own pace." Naomi remained calmed. She was used to anger. "You should. But don't talk like you're damaged goods or some bullshit like that. Because that is bullshit. And any guy who thinks that what happened to you makes any difference to anything other than how comfortable you are isn't a man. He's filth."

She kept her eyes on the other woman. "I know you are. And it's good that you are. But I'm not going to sugar coat anything for you or talk down to you about this. Would you really want me to?"

"Fuck no," Beatrix spat.

She set the knob down on the top of the dresser a bit harder than she intended and then traversed the room to the door and back, trying to calm herself down. Maki was right and the Bride knew it.

"At least Buck and his trucker buddy aren't doing that shit anymore," she hissed.

"Then don't get pissed off at me for being straight with you." Naomi let her pace. And didn't question Arlene's last statement. Some things were sometimes better left unknown.

"I'll apologize at some point for lashing out at you, but right now I'm too angry to, so you'll have to deal. And don't move from where you are because I really want to hit something right now and I'd prefer it not to be you."

She was too wound up to even meditate the anger out. Worst of all, it was mostly anger at herself. She should be stronger than this.

"It's fine." Naomi shrugged. "I'd rather you be angry than wallowing in self pity. And if it weren't for that fact that we need our strength for when the doors unlock, I'd offer to spar with you. It may not be the same as hitting something, but it's better than nothing."

And she knew she felt better after physical exertion.

For when the doors unlock...

"Fuck," Beatrix growled. "That's soon. One of my wards is coming here after the doors unlock. Fuck. I have to calm down..."

She crossed over to the closets and touched the wood on its side with her fingertips. It took her longer than she'd have liked to find her center but, eyes closed, she did. She was about to put a hole through the wood when she stopped and stepped back.

"No... I don't need to do that," she said, her voice calmer. Pai Mei would have been disappointed in her had she used destruction as a way to regain control over her emotions.

The Bride sat down on her bed, lotus style, and rest her hands upon her legs. She had time. She could calm down before Rena arrived. It was wonderful what a healthy fear and respect for a man who was long dead could do for a girl.

"We still have some time," Naomi assured Arlene. She got up and crossed back to her desk, returning to her now cold dinner. "Do you want me to stick around until your kid shows up? I'm meeting Ryuga, but..." He could wait a few minutes. She wasn't worried about Arlene, she just was trying to be nice.

It looked like the other woman had everything under control, though.

"That's not necessary," Beatrix replied. "Besides, Rena has to make a stop to drop something off before coming here. It's pointless for you to stay here with me."

She closed her eyes. "Thank you, though... for the offer," she said in a quiet voice.

"Alright." She nodded and poked at her cold food. She really should eat, especially since L wanted to make another attempt at the file room. "Be safe tonight."

"Always - I have one of the teenagers with me tonight," Beatrix replied. Maki should worry more when she was with the other assassins.

"Same to you, though," she added on.

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Day 31: Intercom, Evening

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