Day 36: Intercom, Evening

[damned-intercom.livejournal.com]

The intercom's jingle rang out and the somewhat uninhibited movement that was going on between the main activity rooms halted as the Head Doctor made one of his usual announcements.

"Good evening everyone, and I'm very pleased to see so many of you in such high spirits after meeting with your loved ones! However, like with all good things, it can't last forever, so I ask now for nurses to escort our patients in the waiting rooms and in the main areas back to their rooms, where they will be treated with a special Sunday... steak! That's right: today, we'll be serving juicy, delicious steak with fries and cooked vegetables on the side – simple enough for everyone to like and good enough for everyone to thoroughly enjoy! (Our patients with specialized diets will receive their alternate meals, of course.) Our usual beverages are available, and for dessert, we'll be serving warm slices of apple pie.

"After all, patients, t's always wonderful to see all of you cooperating with the staff even when given so much freedom, so I'd like to personally thank and congratulate all of you for helping us, your family, and more importantly, yourselves. Hopefully, we can help you to a speedy recovery so that you can see your loved ones more often, but first... dinner! I hope to speak with you all again soon."

The intercom clicked off.

[ All room threads go in response to this post; please post your character's room number as the subject line of the initial post. Thank you!

On an added note, just wanted to clarify to players of characters who are canonly vegetarians and the like that you get to decide (within reasonable and realistic limits) what kind of diet your character gets from the staff. :3 ]

Comments

[gray-gambit.livejournal.com]

Lia turned the bulk of her overt attention back to her journal, finding herself a little more able to concentrate once she no longer had to worry about her roommate's arrival catching her off guard. Still, she continued to keep track of the other girl out of her peripheral vision, not staring, but not turning so far that she lost all visual contact, either. Her brow knitted, a small measure of concern bubbling up in spite of her better judgment. She frowned, biting her lip in thought, then shook her head slightly and picked up her fork to continue eating her dinner. It's not my problem, she reminded herself. I don't care.

[ellectriclights.livejournal.com]

Carefully, Elle unbuckled the sling, letting it fall off her shoulder onto the ground while she held her injured arm up with the uninjured one.

She didn't need a sling. She was tough enough to take the pain.

Slowly, she let her arm fall, seeing if she could hold it up on its own. "Crap," she hissed, realizing that even the slightest movement shot jots of pain straight into her wounded shoulder. Maybe she did need the sling.

She glanced over at her roommate, wondering if the other girl was paying any attention. Probably. Almost definitely, in fact - it wasn't like Elle was being subtle about embarrassing herself. Her eyes hurriedly shifted away from Lia back to her desk.

Daddy wanted her to be better, so she might as well start with her roommate.

"I'm sorry," she said, still quiet, her eyes focused on a tiny pen mark on her desk. She tried to sound sorry, too, but she was pretty sure it came off as stilted and insincere. No, better meant being a better liar, too. Try again, Elle. Don't disappoint. "I'm sorry," she tried again, trying a little harder to sound genuinely apologetic.

[gray-gambit.livejournal.com]

Lia's frown deepened. It felt voyeuristic, witnessing Elle's apparent misery, and that kindled faint sparks of guilt amongst the pity she was trying so hard not to feel. It was not as though she could easily tune out her roommate, had she a wish to, but she herself disliked intensely the feeling of being vulnerable when there was anyone to witness, and it felt wrong somehow to watch someone else in the same position. She didn't like to see others hurting anyway, but that, at least, she could do nothing about.

She startled when the other girl addressed her, and more so at the words. She didn't believe them, put little stock in apologies anyway, but the effort alone was curious. Lia looked up, dark eyes studying Elle for several seconds before she glanced away again, smiling a tight, bleak little smile at the absurd situation. "Yeah..." After just enough pause for the hesitation to be evident, she added, "As am I."

Provoking her fellow captives was beneath her dignity, and she knew it well enough to feel a little ashamed, even if she was certain she'd not been truly wrong. If her roommate was willing to make, or at least feign, peace for the time being, there was little reason not to go along with it. They would not be friends, she was certain, but it would free up energy to focus on more important concerns. Like getting out.