Nightshift 45: East Wing, Hall A [First Floor]

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

(From here.)

Sean rounded the corner, Chris in tow, and skidded to a stop (fortunately not wearing shoes had helped him run faster, though his feet felt uncharacteristically dirty--the floors were clean, weren't they?). He looked around frantically in the dark for at least one glimpse of a member of the night staff. Nothing. He and Chris were on their own.

"Try the doors!" Sean instructed, letting go of Chris' hand to yank on the first door handle available. Locked. He tried the next one. Locked, too.

"Chris you remember what I said about that bruise being done myself?" Sean called over the frantic jiggling of doorhandles. "I lied--Schuldig did it while trying to get Artemis back. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I'm afraid he's going to do it again!"

Comments

[kindalikedit]

Rick flashed her a grin in the dark. "My brother's got crap timing, if that's what you're talking about. It's like he's got a radar for worst possible time for walking in."

Any other time and he'd be suggesting they finish up what they started back at his place - well, room; "place" made it sound like he was all a big boy even when they stuck them in the goofy gray uniforms - but he figured if Yuuko wanted to come along on the car ride, if they even got one running, then there was always a rest stop or any place not here. Although Matt riding shotgun would make that kind awkward on just bout all fronts. Yeah, this was a lot of logistics he hadn't had to put a lot of thought into until now. Still, Rick was always up for some quick run, he just needed to be able to walk afterward, if he was gonna be honest.

Last thing he wanted to do was put Matt behind the wheel. Kid would probably just turn the car around on them.

Rick stepped away from the door, shifting the weight of his duffel bag from one shoulder to the other.

"Wonder what the odds are that Green back there got bored and left?" Funny thing about crazy people was you couldn't tell. Normal people would've wandered off if they weren't getting paid by the hour to play security guard. Another patient though? Yeah, he didn't know.

[tostepforward.livejournal.com]

That was disappointing, and Yuuko didn't bother to hide it. She didn't bother to dwell on it, either, though; it'd been an appealing thought, but it wasn't as though she'd set her heart on it. But...it still would've been fun. And a lot more interesting than wandering the hallways in search of a door to the outside.

She straightened up again, absently tucking a lock of hair behind one ear as she considered. From the way the girl in the front room had been acting, she seemed to think she was supposed to be guarding the door or something. And if that was the case, and with her luck, it wasn't likely she'd just get bored and wander off. And frankly, Yuuko had no interest whatsoever in encountering her again if she could avoid it.

"Doubt it. Could try one of the other doors instead." She cast a somewhat uneasy glance toward the other end of the hall. "Maybe not that one, though. It smells kind of like something electrical is going haywire down there, and...it's not something I really want to look into. There are doors to the courtyard through the cafeteria, or there's the rec field. The walls out there didn't look too high." Please let him say no to those; the last thing she wanted was to go out and climb walls in the cold.

[kindalikedit]

Yeah, he could see why she wouldn't wanna go that way - Rick smelled it too and they didn't want to walk into a bunch of livewires or whatever. Maybe that was why all the locks had failed, maybe they were automated or something. Didn't explain what the lights were doing on working in the rooms, but maybe they weren't hooked up to the same thing - he wasn't an electrician or nothing, so he could settle for just steering clear.

Although maybe if something was on fire, that was more of a reason to coax Matt to come with, in case it spread.

"Y'know, if someone's really on fire here, maybe we should go back and get my brother," Rick said, frowning. "Don't want something to happen when we're checking the exits."

[tostepforward.livejournal.com]

Ah, his brother again. Well, that was understandable enough. Yuuko didn't know where that smell was coming from, but it was strong enough that it did seem like maybe the wiring was about to go. Either that or lightning had just struck, but that was a little far-fetched even for someone like her. She couldn't smell smoke, but who knows when something would go up in flames?

"You have a point." Yuuko gave another glance toward the dark hall, then turned away back toward the front of the building again. "Where's your brother? Maybe we can find a staff member on the way and let them know what's going on." Even though they seemed...rather conspicuously absent tonight. If the doors were going to unlock and let people wander, shouldn't someone be keeping an eye on things?

I'll have to move us later tonight, about to leave for work

[kindalikedit]

"He's in M24," Rick was already moving, turning his back on the door as he flicked a glance at Yuuko. Even with the flashlight, he could barely make her face out, "Kinda surprised we haven't seen even an orderly or a janitor or something. You'd think a joint like this would have someone pulling graveyard shifts."

He took off down the hall, not jogging but definitely picking up the pace 'cause a lot of crap wasn't adding up and he wasn't sure if it was 'cause Mom would kill him if anything happened to Matt or if he still had some bleed-over with Dean's protectiveness. Okay, maybe he wasn't one hundred percent cured, but he figured most of it was good to go and getting protective over Matt for a change couldn't be a bad thing, even if it wasn't really him there. Rick checked to make sure Yuuko was still there (didn't want to turn around and see Green suddenly behind her like a friggen ninja) before continuing down to the end of the hall.

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