Day 37: Breakfast

[scarletspeedstr.livejournal.com]

[for Sylar, I believe]

At the sound of the intercom, Wally jerked awake and blinked around at the room. He’d fallen asleep. He should have been up and keeping an eye open for ZEX, but he’d fallen asleep waiting on his bed.

“Idiot,” he groaned, ruffling his hair and sighing in annoyance. “Way to help a guy out, hotshot.” Hopefully ZEX hadn’t dropped by and thought he’d left or something, or wouldn’t be too mad at him for just forgetting about it like that. If he was lucky, he’d be able to catch up with the other patient at some point and explain what had happened.

Rolling himself a little awkwardly out of the bed, Wally took the opportunity to stretch his injured leg and test how well it was holding up. It was feeling a bit better, not so much that he could abandon his crutch or that it didn’t pull painfully if he wasn’t careful, but better. Tony had apparently made it through the night in one piece as well, which was a relief. He really didn’t feel comfortable about the thought of his roommate wandering about on his own with an injured arm. Not when Wally himself could relax and fall asleep in the apparent safety of their room.

Yeah, he wasn’t going to let himself forget that one in a hurry.

It was at that moment that the door swung open to admit one of the nurses. She seemed surprised to find him awake and ready to go already, but smiled warmly. “Hungry, are we Mr. West? Well in that case, let’s get you to the cafeteria. The staff have provided some delicious French Toast as well as a range of other foods I’m sure you’ll like. Now will you be needing a hand with your leg, dear?”

“No thanks, I can handle it,” Wally replied, smiling back. After all, it probably wasn’t the nurses’ fault that this place was so messed up, so it wasn’t like picking fights with them would do anything. With a cheery wave goodbye, Wally slowly made his way to the cafeteria, keeping a tight grip on his crutch all the while. Obtaining a plate of food was only slightly less difficult than it had been yesterday – he didn’t have the painkillers to work around this time – but he managed well enough, coming away from the buffet with a tray containing a plate piled high with slices of French Toast and slathered in maple syrup, butter, and sugar, as well as a glass of juice. Not quite as good as some coffee would be right now, but the sugar would hopefully make up for it. And, with how few people were here at the moment, he could afford to take more food than might have been considered ‘normal’ – he’d have most of it gone by the time anyone came to keep him company, then he could just worry about how many extra serves would be allowed before he aroused suspicion.

Feeling pretty happy with how things were looking so far, Wally hummed faintly to himself as he dug in to his breakfast.

Comments

[full-score.livejournal.com]

"You know," Claude said, thoughtful, "not long before Jack died, I heard he said that the way home was through the basement. Maybe we should be spending less time going on wild goose chases, and investigate what's down there instead." Of course, that was assuming anyone could get down there in the first place. The last time Claude had tried it with Guy and Peony, they didn't even get a chance to step foot down there.

"I heard it was really dangerous, but...if it's the only way home..." The blond trailed off. In his mind, any risk was worth it if it meant they could get out of this place and go back to where they came from. Because he had a feeling that even if they escaped the Institute walls, they'd just be left to wander 21st century Earth for the rest of their lives. Not exactly the most pleasant thought.

Claude couldn't help but laugh a little when Anise assured him she was all right. Yeah, it was probably ridiculous for him to go telling people to watch their backs when he was the one walking around with a broken nose. And Anise probably was pretty careful if she was able to go on radio clue duty and make it out in one piece. Still, Claude knew Landel's had a way with throwing unexpected surprises at people.

"Well, you can't blame me, right?" Claude said as he rubbed the back of his head. "But if you ever get in a bind, don't be a stranger, okay?" Of course, he figured that she'd probably be more inclined to go to someone like Guy or Jade if she was in a real pickle, but he wanted her to know she could come to him, too. One could never have too many friends in a place like this, after all.

The flying food was enough to draw his thoughts away from Guy and Dias, and Claude's eyebrows raised. It was kind of crazy, the different ways captives found to let their frustrations loose. He just hoped he didn't get hit with anything -- or that the nurses would calm people down before it escalated into an all-out food fight. Claude kind of felt like he had enough excitement going on his life at the moment, so he much preferred eating breakfast with Anise in peace.

[gald_digger]

"The basement? He said that?" If Jack was more trustworthy than Jill - and it was looking more and more like he was - then there was probably truth to it. "That might be it... but it doesn't make a difference if it's dangerous, right? I mean, everywhere is really dangerous here." Why would the basement be any different? Even a trip to the bathroom down the hall was a life-risking endeavor, depending on how unlucky you were. But despite thinking that way, Anise was starting to feel that maybe it had been a good thing she and Ion had been stopped when they tried to go there.

Ion... Anise whipped her head around for a quick look around the cafeteria. Still no sign of him. She told herself it was still too early to worry. Ion was fine; he just slept in, or was sitting behind someone tall, or something.

When her focus returned to Claude, she recovered her bright smile in an instant. "You mean it? Okay, I'll remember that!" Anise certainly hoped she wouldn't have to go running to Claude - or anyone - for help anytime soon, but it was a small relief to have that extra safety net. Anise hated to admit how powerless she was here, and she definitely wasn't going to say it out loud, but she knew she could use all the help she could get.

She was still trying not to look at the commotion. Maybe it would go away if it got ignored. The other patients knew better than to start another mealtime riot, right?

[full-score.livejournal.com]

"That may be so, but..." Claude took a bite of his bacon, chewing on it as he furrowed his eyebrows. "I heard someone died down there a couple of nights ago. People seem to disappear a lot, but it isn't often you hear about someone actually dying." Still, he couldn't justify that as a reason for not checking it out. The basement was one of the few leads they had for finding a way home, right? Standing around and quaking in his boots wasn't going to do anyone any good.

He didn't entirely notice or mind when Anise quickly looked around the cafeteria, as if she were searching for someone. It was at that moment Claude himself stole another glance of Dias and Guy, and he frowned a little. He doubted Dias was good company today...especially today, but Guy seemed like the easy-going sort, so maybe it would be all right.

Hopefully they weren't talking about him again or anything.

"Of course I mean it," he replied suddenly, returning the girl's smile. "Even if we don't know each other all that well yet, you're a friend of Guy's, so you're definitely a friend of mine."

As for the food being thrown around, Claude decided not to worry about it for now. If things got out of hand, he supposed he and Anise could take shelter under the table or something. But maybe he needed to eat a little faster in case something did happen...

[gald_digger]

Anise couldn't think of anything worse than dying in this place. She knew just how deadly the monsters were, and she herself had come dangerously close to getting killed by one, but somehow it felt like such a heavy blow to hear of it actually happening to somebody. How many other people had died here without her ever knowing?

The girl frowned, sinking a little in her seat. "But if it's the only way, then we really have to try... well, I mean somebody does." It probably wasn't right to say 'we' when Anise wasn't going herself. "I'd go myself, but I'm probably better off sticking to club assignments and stuff."

The reason she gave was technically true, but only a tiny part of it. Most of all, Anise wasn't going to go to the basement because she couldn't bring Ion down there. If it was more dangerous than the rest of the building, then it was totally out of the question. She wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him behind and heading down herself, either. Besides, club work was important too! All those people heading for the basement wouldn't get very far without good weapons.

It was hard not to smile when Claude declared her a friend of his, not just because of the warm fuzzy feeling that came with making new friends, but also because his grinning, battered-up face looked so funny just then. "Hee hee. Right! I guess that makes you a friend of mine too. So you can come to me for anything, too!" Except that there weren't a lot of grown men whose pride could handle going to a little girl for help. But saying that he could made Anise look good, at least!

[full-score.livejournal.com]

To be honest, Claude hoped the rumor about someone dying in the basement wasn't true, but he had a feeling that wasn't the kind of thing someone would casually toss around, especially in a place like this. It very well might be the most dangerous place in the Institute, which would make sense if it was truly the way home as Jack said.

"We'll never know what's down there otherwise," the blond agreed. But it'd also make sense that some people would opt out of going, especially considering how busy a lot of the captives were without factoring in basement patrol. "I'll bet some clubs have chosen people to go looking around in the basement, but with those stories about someone dying, they might be a little more careful."

People could get desperate, though. Especially if it was true that the basement was the only way home.

Claude's smile only brightened when Anise returned the sentiment, not quite realizing how funny his face looked to the girl right then. "That's kind of you to offer. Thanks, Anise!" Of course, he wouldn't want to burden her with any of his problems, but it was always nice to know he could depend on her if he were in a bind. He suspected she had combat experience, what with that spell, or whatever it was she'd pulled off, during their fight in the music room. Anise was probably a bit like Leon in that they were both young, but were made out of tougher stuff than they looked. Come to think of it, he and Guy had talked a little bit about that during Doyleton, hadn't they?

"Oh, you know, I should introduce you to a friend of mine sometime," the blond added. "Maybe you two would get along."

[gald_digger]

"Ooh, a friend of yours?" Aside from Guy, Anise didn't have a clue what kind of company Claude normally kept. But if he thought it was someone she would get along with, she was definitely curious enough to meet them. Was it too much to hope that he'd turn out to be acquainted with any rich and eligible princes? Maybe so, but she did want to know what made Claude think she'd have any chemistry with this friend of his.

Clearly interested, she leaned forward on the table with a girlish giggle. "Is he handsome?"

[full-score.livejournal.com]

Upon seeing the girl perk up, Claude laughed a little. Anise was awfully cute, wasn't she? Not to mention someone who could bring herself to act cheerful, even in a place like this. It was refreshing, if not a little sad, because it pained Claude to know she was so far away from home.

But it was best to focus on the lighter topics, so he smiled. "I'd say he's pretty good-looking," he replied. "And extremely smart, too. He was one of the highest ranking scientists for a king before he joined up with me, you know."

[gald_digger]

High-ranking? That had a nice ring to it. "So he's like, a pretty elite kinda guy, huh?" Anise looked impressed. Working for a king... A job like that had to pay a lot, didn't it? "You really think we'd hit it off?" she asked eagerly, eyes sparkling with optimism. This was sounding more and more like a great opportunity!

How did Claude know that was her type of guy? He didn't, did he? He wasn't even intending to play matchmaker, it seemed, despite Anise's own motives and intentions. So there just had to be something he thought Anise had in common with this mystery friend. But that was a good thing, too! It would be easier to get to know him that way.

[full-score.livejournal.com]

"Oh, one of his world's finest," Claude told her. Which gave him kind of a big ego sometimes, but there was no denying his skill. Still, Leon had mellowed out a bit once they'd been together for awhile. He was still a boy at heart, and he meant well, after all.

As for whether they'd hit it off, those sort of things were trickier. Guy had initially suggested they meet, and the more Claude thought about it, the more he figured it wouldn't hurt, at the very least. The blond couldn't help but smile at the girl's bright eagerness. "Well, I don't know for certain, but it'd be nice if you guys got along. I think having someone like you to talk to would do him good. And, anyway, you can't have too many friends in a place like this, right?"

[gald_digger]

The world's finest... It made sense. A king wouldn't want any less from a guy hired to work for him. So this friend of Claude's had to be a real genius. Anise wasn't sure what to think of that; she knew her share of geniuses, and most of them had some pretty warped personalities. But that wouldn't be the case here, right? Claude wouldn't be suggesting they met if it was some total weirdo, would he? Of course not.

"Someone like me, huh?" the girl echoed, her bright smile still plastered on her face. Someone like what? Someone cute? Or maybe it was her cheerfulness - which wasn't always genuine, but it did tend to cheer other people up. If that was the case, then he certainly would benefit from her company! And Anise already had an idea as to how she could benefit from his. "Right! I'd love to meet him."

[full-score.livejournal.com]

Well, it looked like Anise was sold on the idea. Claude's smile widened as he stuffed a bite of food in his mouth. Now he just needed to talk to Leon about it and then go from there. With how many patients there were, the odds of them running into each other by chance were probably kind of low. (Of course, it seemed to work with Guy when he met Leon and Dias, but that was likely a fluke.)

"Great!" he said with a nod. "We'll just have to arrange that in the next day or so, then."

He was still grinning a bit as he wiped some syrup from the side of his mouth. Sure things were pretty gloomy around here, but that didn't mean they couldn't keep their chins up, right?