damned_institute | Dayshift 22; First Shift; Sun Room

FUCKFUCKFUCK.......

Kiden blinked awake. She had been, last she remembered, in the hall with the pipe and the monsters and the other girls and... it was day again. She should be used to it, really. However she rolled out of bed onto her knees and just sat there for a moment. Ohgod. Holy shit. What the fuck. Ran through her head as she breathed. Even if she was now awake and the danger was over she was shaken. Not entirely shell shocked, however. She hid the pipe in the mattress because she knew that sooner or later the nurse would come.

Then she sat up and got a good look around again. ... Hey, the room had changed. She looked over at her roommate and was tempted to shake the other girl awake. Then again, who knew. Instead she sat on the end of her bed and waited for the nurse to come. When the woman did she was polite, but curt, and couldn't help but to wring her hands in the hem of her shirt as they walked.

Landels was not a place she enjoyed. What had not seemed entirely horrible and turned to bad to worse. Had everyone gotten away okay? What about the crazy blond man who had been yelling at her? Kiden didn't know. And what made it worse was her power. She felt helpless, even if she had acquired the pipe.

"...Fuck the surprise." She muttered at the option of the chapel. The nurse gave her a disapproving look and patted her shoulder and told her she was missing out. Which was a-okay with her. They walked to the Sun Room where Kiden looked around (as usual) for a familiar face. She couldn't miss Barret there, he stood out (also, being one of two people did that).

Kiden made a beeline for him. "...Mornin'." She offered, not yet invading his personal space. He looked worse for the wear, but she didn't offer any shocked faces, just a grim stare.

Barret watched Kiden make her way toward him, and he felt mixed feelings about her presence. He was cranky, that was for sure, and didn't want to take out his frustrations on the undeserving girl. Then again, by the look on her face and twitch in her hands, she appeared to be in need of a friend. He recalled offering that to her, in not so many words, and he wasn't one to back out on loyalty given. He knew this joint was terrifying, even to him.

"Mornin'. You don't look so good. But ya did survive the night."

She dropped her eyes to the ground for a moment, before dragging them back up to his face. Kiden didn't want to just start babbling or anything. Besides, he looked far worse for the wear than she did.

"I guess I can say the same thing about you, old man. Arthritis acting up?" She wondered if her humor would fall flat. But Kiden didn't want to deal with things in the normal manner. She didn't want to be serious and angry and defensive. She'd like to believe she could trust people. Or something. Or that she'd be safe. Which sounded so selfish in her head and she didn't dare say it out loud.

Barret almost laughed at her jest, but the pain and the dread felt too potent, too deep to cover up with a humored facade. Still, he pushed a little amusement to his eyes for her sake, a small grin touching his lips.

"If only it were jus' that, Kiden," he said, wiping a hand down his face and rubbing a finger at the stubble of his chin, "I don't mean to scare you or nothin', but about two nights ago somethin' happened to one of the patients. Here, they have some way of controllin' us into doing shit we don't wanna do. Brainwashing us. One of the patients did this to me." He pointed to his stomach through the material of his clean shirt, "Run through with a katana, an' sliced across the gut and knee. I only tell you because you got a right to know. It can happen to anyone."

She steeled herself from the 'jus' that'. Whenever people started sentences like that she knew they weren't going to be roses and daisies or anything. When he got to the end of it all her expression hadn't changed much, except for the slight frown that was working its way across her face. Kiden felt a vague sense of relief, because Barret hadn't lied to her or been one of those stupid adults that never told everything. That relief, was fairly small, however, compared with the truth.

"Good to see you all in one piece then...I met the nurses of the nightshift last night," She dropped her voice, just in case someone else was listening in. "They were slicing some people up pretty badly..."

"Nurses?" This earned a frown from Barret. Attacking nurses...well, now he knew he had a good reason for wanting to run his nurse over with his mobile wheelchair. And here he thought he was just being sensitive, "Well I'll be damned if shit can't get no weirder." He gave her a look of inquiry, "Ain't no casualties in your group last night, was there?"

Kiden shrugged, a bit helplessly. "...we happened on them by accident. The girls I were with didn't get hurt..." but she trailed off. The men who had been fighting the nurses before they had gotten there seemed pretty torn up. She hoped they were okay, but was more concerned about those she knew. It sounded a bit cold in her head... but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

"...you sure you okay, old man?"

The truth of the matter was Barret wasn't ok. But was he really any worse off than anyone else was? He found the need to unload his issues on this girl unnecessary. After all, was it really needed for him to tell her he was seduced by a patient then later accused of being a homewrecker by her adopted daughter after he'd finished with popping a cat down the hall with his wheelchair and backhanding a vicious rat twenty seconds later? No.

"Ah, this'll heal. I ain't useless yet. I still got my arms and hands." He gave a small reassuring smile, "This old man still got a lot of life in him."

Kiden's mouth twisted a little and she gave him a doubtful look. Admittedly, she wasn't expecting him to say else-wise. But it was important for her to disapprove. She sighed and tugged on a strand of hair.

"...This place just gets worse, y'know? There're people here who aren't able to defend themselves at all..." She hoped Namine was okay. The poor girl had looked like a strong wind would snap her in half.

Barret noticed her change in expression, but didn't say anything in reference to it. He had already worried her with the idea of patients turning on each other, he didn't need to inform her of some of the more personal and gritty details of his night.

"I know. That's why it's gonna take people like you and me, those capable, to look out for 'em. You are capable, ain't ya?"

At that, Kiden flashed him a grin. "...'course. Do I look helpless?" She had no idea what his response to that would be, but judging from how some of the other girls looked, Kiden felt that she was far more prepared. Namine, Kaylee, Alyssa... they had all looked (to her unprofessional eye) rather helpless. Especially since Alyssa had started to lose it last night.

"'Sides, it's possible to ..." Her voice dropped again, "...find things to help defend yourself."

"I learned long ago not to judge a book by it's cover. I bet you could handle yourself," Barret said with much respect for the younger female.

Her hidden meaning however intrigued him, "That so? I'm guessing you got yourself one of these defendin' objects. Maybe I oughta stick with you durin' the night hours."

This is why she liked Barret. He wasn't condescending or patronizing. Kiden nodded at him, handle was ... probably not the right word, but she was better off than many. That being said her mind went back to the crazy blond man. Yeah, avoiding him whenever possible.

"...maybe, you might need some lookin' after," Kiden said with a nod, "'Specially if you run into a set of vicious stairs."

"Can't get me if I stay in my room all night," which was probably going to be his plan of action. He was too much of a liability while injured, and he'd just receive more cuts and bruises which would keep him in that chair of his. Even though it proved to be useful, swinging a metal wheelchair wasn't something he hoped to insert into his nightly agenda.

"I heard somethin' about family visits today," he chuckled with the shake of his head, "probably some actors. This seems like such a waste o' time."

That seemed like a good strategy, actually. However, Kiden didn't think she could just sit there in her room while people wandered around. Also, she wondered what would happen if the monsters came in. The room had no other exits and no place to run.

"...My family wouldn't visit anyway," She replied dully. And grimaced at her own tone of voice. Kiden plastered that over with a reckless grin, "If my brother did I'd punch him anyway."

Barret almost regretted mentioning family visits when he heard her change of tone. The thought of seeing Marlene again warmed his heart, and filled it with just as much longing. He was being to accept the fact it would be a long time before he ever saw her face again. "Might be better if they don't. Don't want 'em fuckin' with our heads anymore than they have." He sighed, propping his elbow on the arm rest and pressing his chin to his knuckles, "They ain't doin' nothin' to help my supposed mental condition."

"You're going to see someone?" Kiden asked, hoping to not be too obvious about her own opinion on them. She hoped it'd be someone he wanted to see. Maybe his little girl, didn't he mention her before? Kiden knew that not everyone's family had the same... complexities as hers. Sometimes they had different ones. "I hope it's not a trick." She added, though. She didn't trust these people at all.

"I don't know," Barret replied honestly. Truth of the matter was, he didn't want to see anyone. If he found out they took his little girl from her world he was liable to kill someone. He shouldn't go, even if he was scheduled to have a visitor. Still...

"It will be a trick. This whole mother fuckin' place is a trick. We ain't where we suppose to be, ain't that a really big trick?"

"...the doctor sessions are a joke, the night shift is crazy... now visitors?" Kiden muttered under her breath. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, but that's what she felt. Being uprooted and thrown in here wasn't good for her sanity. Ha. Ha.

The blonde began to pace, just a little. Two steps forward and two back. "...Prolly. Could be worse though," She tried to be positive.

Zelos woke up before his nurse came in. There was another bed in his room, and he was thankful the person in it was asleep. He held the sword he'd gotten last night in his hands, weighing it for a minute before hiding it in the room.

The breathed and counted to five, facing the wall. One, two, three, four...

When the door opened up to reveal his nurse, there was a wide grin on his face.

She gave him the choice of the chapel or the Sun Room.

It wasn't a tough choice.

He wasn't in the mood to sit alone - there was too big a risk of him brooding. Instead, he saw the wheerchair!man from yesterday. He was with a pretty blond, no less. Perfect targets.

He wandered over to them, smiling brightly and addressed the blond as though the man wasn't even there. "Hey, I haven't seen you before," he said, pulling up next to her without asking. "What's your name, cutie?"

"You right," Barret replied to the girl. Before he had the opportunity to say more, a stranger approached them. More accurately, approached Kiden and pretended he didn't interrupt a conversation between two individuals.

There was no masking the frown or growl that came from his direction, glaring at the stranger with unhidden annoyance, "I think it just got worse with the presence of this fuckin' bonehead."

Yuffie woke with a start this time, her eyes wide as she stared up at the ceiling. For a moment, she could only stare, wanting to just believe it had all been a dream.

She scrambled out of bed, barely noticing the bandages that were wrapped around her neck. There was a cool feeling between them and her skin, probably some kind of medicine or cream to keep the swelling down. But she couldn't concentrate on that. She'd just watched some die. It if had been any other stranger, she wouldn't have cared so much, but that was Aerith's friend that she'd just seen being stabbed through the neck! And Aerith, too...She'd seen it, too.

Yuffie couldn't help but feel horrible for being the one to hold her back, keeping her from helping that man, Zack. But also for not being strong enough to keep her from pulling out to the hallway way, keep her from seeing that horrible image. That piece of metal being flung... sticking straight up from the body...

The young ninja stood grabbed onto the dresser next to the bed to keep herself steady. How was she supposed to even look at Aerith now, let along talk to her?

For the first time, Yuffie was in her room when the nurse came to collect her. When asked where she'd like to go, she vaguely remembered something about there being a surprise from the intercom in the Chapel... "Sun room." Her voice sounded quiet even to her ears. She'd had quite enough of this place. She wanted no more surprises. No more monsters. No more death. She wanted to go home.

Reaching the sun room, she was tempted to just flop down on one of the couches and hide her face in the cushions, but her eyes were drawn to the familiar form of Zelos. Was he feeling as horrible as she was?... She moved to approach him but stopped shy by a few feet when she noticed Barret was there as well, remembering the message she'd left for him early int he night. She really didn't want to deal with him right now, but she wanted to be around Zelos... At least he'd understand what she was feeling, right?

What was this, a party now? Kiden couldn't help her kneejerk reaction when the redhead approached them. She turned to face him and squared her shoulders. It was a combative stance and she wouldn't hesitate to smack him. The last person who'd called her a cutie had grabbed her ass and she'd tried to break his elbow on the floor of the hall. Kiden did not appreciate.

"What's it to you?" She asked. Maybe it wasn't wise to be so immediately on the offensive, but her nerves were raw and this was just the kind of guy that pushed her buttons. Kiden didn't need playboys running around.

Zelos completely ignored Barret, as though he wasn't even there. "Just curious," he said. "You don't have to get all defensive." he kept his tone smooth and easy.

His heart sank when Yuffie turned up. He wanted to avoid talking about last night as much as possible, but it couldn't be avoided. And he didn't want to be cruel to her, either.

He turned from Kiden and poked Yuffie on the nose. "How are you doing?" he asked her.

This entire situation was beginning to highly frustrate the large man as he turned his glare to an approaching Yuffie. Based on her face, she didn't look so good either. Last night must have been a bad night for everyone. He would have had more sympathy for her had she not tried to piss him off at every turn.

He could have really used a punching bag right now, "Do I have a fucking sign on the back of this wheelchair that says 'Piss me off'?"

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