Day 36: Waiting Room, Lobby 2

[lady-general.livejournal.com]

Celes had actually relaxed enough, speaking to Naminé during lunch, to allow herself a small smile. It thinned into a line, of course when her nurse materialized from nowhere and swept her off, giggling over her 'surprise.'

"Oh won't it be nice?" she chirped as they walked into the waiting room. "You'll be so happy, I am absolutely sure of it." Celes's small smile thinned itself into a line and she was plunked into a chair to await her visitor. Perhaps I shall be lucky, she thought, looking at some ridiculous motivational poster. It won't be anyone I know, not really. Her nurse wandered away and Celes folded her hands on the table, the picture of impatient waiting.

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[damned-visitors.livejournal.com]

Somehow, he knew something was going to happen.

The moment his friend was up, on his feet, reaching for the nurse and digging in his hands, his old memories took control. He reached out and snatched Schuldig's closest wrist, wrapped an arm around his waist and yanked, trying to pull him off the nurse. Pressed close to him, he whispered sharply in his ear.

"Don't get yourself hurt, Schuldig!"

Memories be damned, reality be damned - this was still the closest person he'd ever had in his life. He wasn't about to see him forced into isolation for something so stupid.

[k4t4str0ph4l.livejournal.com]

The shock and betrayal of Crawford himself yanking him away - stopping him from attacking the very people who'd separated them - was enough to loosen Schuldig's grip, however momentarily, and his chance slipped from his fingers, along with the nurse's throat. The name hissed in his ear - his name, not the institute's - only completed the effect, as did Crawford's arms around him.

He felt disoriented, as though he were suffering from vertigo. It was like a nightmare; everything familiar that he'd relied upon for so long gone twisted and wrong, but still hellishly recognizable. Crawford had been his stability for as long as he'd had any stability, had been the first person Schuldig could trust and rely upon without hesitation. Farfarello and Nagi had been nice additions, but they'd never really come close to fulfilling a similar role; Farfarello couldn't really look after Schuldig when he constantly needed looking after himself, and Nagi had never been interested for all his loyalty to Schwarz. Crawford had been the one solid thing -

And all of that, gone - literally overnight. This was someone Schuldig didn't know, couldn't trust. All the little similarities to the person he had been just drove that point home a little deeper, were just reminders that they'd made this stranger, this unwitting traitor, out of the ruins of something he'd loved.

He sagged against Crawford, his fury bleeding away with what felt like all the rest of him; certainly the wounds were deep enough. And he reached for the one other constant of his life, the one tool he might be able to use to salvage something with. "I'll fix you," he muttered. "I promise." If the institute had done something to Crawford's mind, then maybe he could undo it. Not now, not here - Crawford's mind was as blank as any of the staff's, which was yet another blow. But he'd find a way if it killed him.

Crawford had spent most of their lives fixing Schuldig. Apparently it was finally time to repay the favor.

[damned-nurses.livejournal.com]

At the first sign of aggression - and it had been quick - the orderlies had moved sharply toward the scene. The visitor's sudden involvement did stop the attack, fortunately for the nurse, but they still descended swiftly, pushing the visitor away and immediately restraining the limp, unresisting Keane with both strength and sedatives.

He had done damage, yes, but not significant enough damage to warrant isolation. Because he had let go, perhaps.

"Mr. Hurley," one of the orderlies began, as he helped the nurse to her feet, "while we appreciate your help, you should not involve yourself with any violent patients like that. You could get badly hurt."

[damned-visitors.livejournal.com]

He was silent, standing back as he was forced away from Schuldig. His face blank and his eyes cold, he watched the nurse be helped to her feet and listened to the orderly.

"I understand," he said, nodding. "It was a gut reaction."

Glancing once more at Schuldig, who was rapidly looking more and more drugged, he slowly turned and made his way to the door, again escorted by a nurse - who was likely in no danger of a violent attack by the only person he had ever felt anything for. Whether or not he would come back - if he would be allowed back - was a turbulent question.

[k4t4str0ph4l.livejournal.com]

Schuldig didn't resist the orderlies, didn't even when they pulled him away from Crawford...no, not Crawford. Crawford would never have allowed anyone to pull Schuldig away from him. For a moment, it had almost been like Rosenkreuz all over again - trapped in an institute while unimaginable pain was inflicted on him while Crawford held him together - but again, that had clearly never been the case. This man, Hurley, had let the institute have him.

He was going to pass out. Or be sick. Possibly both. And it had nothing to do with the sedatives at all.