Day 46: Sun Room

[human-sponge.livejournal.com]

Peter woke up suddenly, his body twisting in the bed and then forcing him to catch his breath in pain. Pain, which was coming from his middle because of the thing that had scratched him last night, and after that...

After that, Zach had jumped in front of him like some kind of martyr, like the exact opposite of everything Sylar stood for, to take the next hit for him. It got pretty fuzzy after that, so night must have ended right around then.

The man let out a pained grunt as he straightened himself up in bed. For some reason, he got the feeling that he'd slept in. There was no way for him to really tell without a window in the room, but he just knew. The fact that Sam's bed looked long since vacated was another clue.

Sam, but was he Sam again? Had the brainwashing worn off, as he and Roland had hoped, or was he going to have to go through this nightmare for even longer? He didn't know how long he could handle "Zach" and "Harrison" before he started going batty himself.

Pulling himself out of bed, Peter lifted his shirt and saw that he was tightly bandaged. The scratch most likely wasn't nearly as bad as the bite that "Zach" had received, but it still smarted. He let his shirt fall and then had to deal with a nurse chiding him for sleeping through the morning announcements. Not that Peter really cared at the moment. He was too busy thinking about last night and the fact that in a way, he now owed something to Sylar. Except it hadn't been Sylar. That was something he was sure of now.

Lost in his thoughts, Peter reached the Sun Room right as the rest of the patient populace was trickling in from breakfast. Sighing to himself, he headed over to the bulletin board and then saw a note written in familiar yet unpleasant handwriting. Holding his pen in a vice grip, Peter scribbled out a reply and then stalked over to an armchair and fell into it with a huff.

While Sylar was maddeningly frustrating, there was one good thing about the fact that he was himself again. It meant that Nathan was too.

[For Spock!]

Comments

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis wasn't feeling particularly relieved at suddenly being himself, but he felt better about it at least. Still, the thought of cleaning up 'Sean's' mess wasn't something he was looking forward to.

He was at the very least extremely relieved that Schuldig had posted a reply to his earlier frantic message. He'd been so happy to see it, his knees had nearly given out--not because his life had been on the line, but more that he couldn't take the thought of Schuldig saving his life, and Artemis taking Schuldig's in a moment of panic.

Answering a few posts, he left the board feeling considerably lighter--somehow. Still, there was the question of setting Brainiac 5 straight, and finding some way to heal Haku yet again.

He turned around and saw (thankfully) a friendly face. One he hadn't spoken to in a few days. Putting on a faint smile, Artemis approached Momo.

"Good afternoon, Hinamori-san," he said. "Do you mind if I join you? You seem to be a little tired."

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

It had been a while since Momo had seen Artemis. In fact, she believed the last time she'd spoken to him, she had been a rather pathetic mess. If that was truly the case, the clarity in her eyes and the better condition she was keeping herself would register.

She smiled warmly at the boy and sat up. "No, not at all. I was just contemplating a short nap, but pleasant company is always welcome." She paused a moment. "How are you doing?"

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis sat in a chair near Momo, smiling faintly. "Better than I was yesterday, I admit. You're looking better, though," he said. Unless Momo asked him, he wasn't going to go on about his misadventures and misfortunes as Sean Malloy. No one had been killed, but he was still dealing with nuclear fallout. At least Mello was gone--that would have been a disaster.

"Have things been working themselves out?"

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

If Artemis wanted someone to talk to about his brainwashing the previous day, Momo would listen, but he would need to bring it up. She was glad to hear he was doing better.

"Thank you," Momo replied, when he mentioned how she looked. "I'm mostly healed, save for my eye, of course. And yeah, things have, in a way, started to work themselves out save for a few minor things." Not that Tyki was really minor, but she didn't want to worry Artemis about him.

"I can draw again, which makes me happier." She then shook her head. "Aside from the part where almost all of my artwork is restricted to napkins."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"That's a shame," Artemis said with a slight frown. "Perhaps ask one of the nurses for a drawing pad? I don't think they would seen any harm in it. Art is good for self-expression, and many hospitals where I'm from routinely has their patients engage in 'art therapy'. Though I wouldn't tell your nurse that," he said with a chuckle.

Everyone had their share of minor issues--though Artemis was a little suspicious that Momo had something bigger going on. Everyone seemed to, at least. Though he thought that it might have something to do with Hitsugaya, so he didn't ask. He didn't want to talk about him.

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

That was okay - Momo didn't want to talk about Hitsugaya either. She really should stop avoiding the captain, but she still had some issues being around him.

"I did ask for a new journal, but the nurse said she'd see if they had enough supplies given this latest group of patients." Momo shrugged. "Until then, I will indulge during mealtimes on napkins."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"My sympathies," Artemis said with a small chuckle. "Writing on napkins, much less drawing on them, is a difficult task. I hope that your nurse will give you a new journal soon."

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

"So do I, though I was offered one by another patient," Momo replied. "She just wasn't in the right mind yesterday when she made the offer, so I am hesitant to accept." Especially when she didn't know who Violet really was.

"So, Fowl-san, what have you been up to?"

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"Probably a wise decision," Artemis agreed. He imagined he would have been rather mortified if he'd given away hay of his possessions while he was 'Sean'. Especially his sword or suit or journal.

"The usual fare," he said lightly. "Fielding attempts at psychological torture, fighting to stay alive during the night, learning to eat meat again. Perhaps I should pick up a relaxing hobby. Like bomb construction," he said with a chuckle. "I regret I still haven't investigated the town as you requested me to do--though once I do I will of course report anything that I find suspicious or worthy of note."

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

Momo failed to see how bomb construction was relaxing, so she assumed Artemis meant it as a joke. "You could always try your hand at napkin art," she said with a small grin.

It was a little disappointed to hear that Artemis hadn't had a chance to look at the town, but all in due time. She had shifted her own goals as it was. "Now, keep this to yourself, please. I am currently looking into the basement and working with a new group. I hope I am doing the right thing by keeping certain people out of the loop."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"And I would be the veritable Da Vinci of napkin art," Artemis said with another small laugh. "If I wasn't so opposed to the medium."

The ongoing joke dropped when Momo mentioned the basement. All he could remember was Obi-Wan telling him that it was dangerous. He missed Obi-Wan dearly, which made his warning all the more serious at this point in time. "I've heard that it's an extremely dangerous place, and I'm cautioning you against going there until you feel absolutely prepared. ...though I'm not going to dissuade you from going down there. The more information we have about it, the better off the patient populace as a whole would be.

"That being said, I assume I'm not one of those people who are being left out of the loop," he said with a wry smile. "Since you are trusting me to keep this to myself."

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

As serious an expression as Artemis had ever seen settled on the shinigami's face. "Oh, I am well aware of the risks and the danger involved. It is not something I am talking lightly. People die down there."

She then offered the boy a small smile. "I believe you are the only one other than the new group I am working with that I've told. I trust you, Fowl-san. And I know that you will not be intimidated into revealing what I am up to if pressed by a grump."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"I doubt very much said grump will be allowed near me. Haku has been especially protective of my emotional stability since he... came back." And he left it at that.

"Why exactly are you hiding this from Captain Hitsugaya, if you don't mind my asking? And who are you working with?" And, he wondered, why was Momo telling him? Artemis wasn't exactly in a position to offer back up anywhere, much less down in the basement. Perhaps she was telling him because she was using the artifact he, the Captain, and Renji had collected? He certainly wasn't going to use it now.

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

"Haku-san cannot be at your side all the time and Hitsugaya can be quite tenacious when he wishes to be," Momo pointed out. "I do ask that your friend not harm the captain unless given no other choice. He may not be my Hitsugaya, but he is still my best friend." That she was avoiding.

"Which is also one of the reasons I am keeping this from him. And most everyone else I am close to. If they knew, they would not let me continue on my course. The end result of the basement, if it is what I believe it is, is not something I can bear to put them through." A pause. "I have both keys, Fowl-san, and I am going to use them."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

He nodded. "I understand. I'm not going to dissuade you from moving forward. And I will say that I think you are wise for keeping him out of it, if the rumors I have heard are true." To be honest, Artemis still didn't know every detail about the basement, and he didn't know if he ever would. However he'd heard people discussing someone dying, and it was left at that. Whether or not this was a regular death or one related to a specific 'very dangerous place' Obi-Wan had warned him over, he still didn't know. But he had his suspicions.

"I only hope that you will inform your group of everything you already know and everything I've mentioned to you now."

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

"If I decide they are the correct group to take, I will," Momo replied, feeling a bit relieved that Artemis was not going to try and talk her out of it.

"There have been some complications courtesy of our host that is delaying things. I believe they can overcome it and a few more days doesn't matter much to me anymore." She smiled. "I really appreciate your counsel."