damned_institute | Day 36: Waiting Room/Lobby 2

Okita hadn't been expecting it when his nurse suddenly appeared in the Game Room. He'd expected to be left alone like last week, but instead she gently took him by the arm and told him he needed to say goodbye to Kaden for now. Okita assumed it was time for his visitor and waved goodbye to him, only to be led off himself. The swordsman had followed obediently into the Sun Room, but when he tried to go off to another room, she stopped him. "Not today, Julian."

Not today? Something about his nurse's demeanor seemed off, almost as if she were worried about something. It wasn't until she led him out of the Sun Room that he understood what was going on. He had a visitor. There were only so many people that would come to visit him in a place like this. His sisters, Tetsu, Kondou or... Okita didn't want to think about the last option.

Taking a step into the waiting room, he stopped at the door and turned to look at his nurse. "Are you sure you're not mistaken?" he asked, feeling actual fear for the first time in a long while. If this wasn't some strange punishment/joke for behaving poorly in the chapel, he didn't know what to do. Badou's graffiti was still on his hand and he quickly slipped that hand into his pocket. He could feel the pen there, clipped to the inside of his waistband. The nurse shook her head and moved to the side of the room, keeping a close watch on him as he stayed by the door, trying to hide his anxiety by feigning interest in the strange magazines on a table nearby.

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It seemed that they had the same idea about each other, judging from how uncomfortable Lauren was acting. However, only one of them could be right, and seeing how he wasn't the one who was currently institutionalized...

Still, Lauren's determination was still there, and he eyed his underling for a moment, holding back a sigh. In this situation, it was difficult to know what to say. This wasn't exactly his area of expertise.

"Promise me something," he suddenly said, making sure to look her right in the eyes. "Even if you might not want to, try and work with the doctors and nurses here. If you trust in me, then take my word when I say you'll thank me for it in the end."

That was about as far as he could go. His expression smoothed out as soon as he was done talking, uncertain of whether or not he was even saying the right things to someone who was so mentally fragile.

He didn't believe her, not even a little. If it wasn't for Reno and Rude, Elena was pretty certain that she'd be more than half convinced that she really was insane right now. As it was, she reached up to rub her temples at the request.

Promise him? How could she possibly turn down anything that he wanted? But... He wasn't here at night, when then hallways started to get full of things that were probably dangerous.

"I... Of course I trust you, sir," she stammered after a moment, trying to think quickly. "I will do my best."

Although really she was shaking inside. The one person she'd been depending on to help them was apparently at the mercy of this place too, even though he was not one of them. It was hard to know what to say to him. She wished Reno was here, since he could talk his way out of anything.

But she couldn't quite promise him what he wanted. And that's what bothered her the most.

While she didn't seem all that certain of what she was saying, he couldn't imagine that Lauren would ever deliberately lie to him. And so he took some comfort that she would at least try, though at this point he didn't know how likely a recovery would be.

He nodded to her before sending a quick look around, taking in the other sets of patients and visitors who were talking. This was supposed to be something pleasant rather than painful, after all, and so maybe it would be best for him to make an effort.

"Other than that," he started, glancing back toward her and wondering if he should make a move to sit, "how have you been?" It was somewhat of a redundant question, but he had to start somewhere.

Wasn't that a loaded question, perhaps not intentionally. Elena hadn't realized that this visit would require her to pretend that she had the desire to socialize with this brainwashed version of the man that she knew.

But she was a Turk. And Turks did things that they weren't necessarily fond of doing. So as much as it pained her, she could tough it out for a bit longer, if nothing else... she hoped.

"I'm uh, fine, sir," she nodded after taking a deep breath, somehow managing to keep her tone even. "I have Reno and Rude here, and we look after each other."

Did he even know who her partners were anymore?

Even though she might insist that she was "fine," that obviously wasn't the case. On the other hand, forgetting the fact that she was so caught up in her delusions, at least she seemed stable enough to carry on a conversation. It would have been much harder to handle this if she'd been shaking and barely aware of her surroundings, so it could have been worse.

He paused at the unfamiliar names that Lauren mentioned. Apparently he was supposed to know those people, and he realized the names must have been in reference to her co-workers who were also being held here.

"Ah, you mean Kelly and Leslie?" he asked, not sure who else it could be. It was good to know that the three of them were sticking together, though he had to wonder if they weren't causing each other to fall even further into their delusions.

Kelly and Leslie both sounded like girl names, and Elena still wasn't used to them. If she wasn't in such a bad mood she probably would have found the question funny. As it was, she cringed just a little at the names, but nodded anyways.

"Er, right. Don't worry, we'll make you proud, sir." And get out of here to get the real Tseng back before they got back home, of course.

"Work is still going well without us, right?" Although she doubted that he would know anyways. Her hands tightened into fists at her sides, but she otherwise took a few more deep breaths to keep her composure.

Make him proud. He wasn't quite so sure about that, if only because he didn't think Lauren realized that the three of them rehabilitating was what would make him proudest. In fact, he really had no idea what thoughts were running through the girl's head, but at least this visit was giving him a better idea of it that he'd had before.

She seemed to understand that she worked for a company, and under his advising, but he wondered where the delusions came in. He could have asked, but he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it. Maybe it was selfish, but it would probably be easier for both of them this way.

"Yes, we're managing," he confirmed, and that was the truth. Lauren, Kelly, and Leslie were valuable employees, but the company wasn't going to fall apart without them. "That doesn't mean we don't want you back," he added. It was more praise than he would have usually given, but the situation called for it.

The answer wasn't really what she wanted to hear.

Tseng appeared to be completely wrapped up in the fantasy of this place, and Elena couldn't stand it any longer. She straightened her posture, glaring at him with a mix of a pout and a frown as she scrambled to figure out what to say. In the end, she mostly reacted rather than any actual thinking.

"How could you let them do this to you? You're supposed to be the strongest one of all of us! And now you believe all these lies? We've trusted our lives to each other, a-and you believe them over me?"

She closed her eyes to try and regain some composure.

"I'd been hoping that you'd have been on the outside trying to help us get out."

Her outburst took him by surprise, though it could be said that Lauren was the most emotional out of all of them. She was also the youngest, so it was understandable in certain situations.

The fact that she was blaming him for something was a little hard to hear. She had always accepted that he knew what was best for her, after all. He didn't know all the details of her case, and he couldn't presume to know what was going on in her head, but it wasn't like he was trying to steer her in the wrong direction now.

"This isn't something I can help with, I'm afraid," he spoke up after a long pause. "That's something only you can do, and I think you're strong enough for it."

There wasn't much more he could say, since he hadn't let anything be done to him and he hadn't accepted any lies. He didn't like to think that Lauren felt betrayed by him, but hopefully it was something they could smooth out once she was better.

"I'm sorry... I think I need to leave now," Elena insisted, refusing to make eye contact with this fake Tseng. Whatever he was before, he certainly wasn't her boss now. Not in this state. And it tore her up inside to look at him.

The nurses seemed to be about ready to end the meeting as it was, and she didn't try to resist as one offered to take her back to her room now.

She wouldn't let Tseng see her crying over this.

Day 36: Waiting Room/Lobby 2

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