damned_institute | Night 46: M31-40 Hallway

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Night 46: M31-40 Hallway

Emmett left his room empty handed again. It was tougher navigating without a flashlight, but it felt more comfortable. Especially with what he was going to have to do.

Outside seemed like his best bet for hunting. The dogs that attacked them last night didn't exactly smell fresh, but their blood was slightly more appetizing-- and much more likely to be digested by his system than the human food that kept being shoved in his face. Unfortunately there was also the chance that he wouldn't be able to find a semi-living, warmblooded animal out there again. Apparently there had been some Night of the Living Dead theme going on recently. So who knew, maybe it was going to be Swampthing or Frankenstein night-- he did hear that nutjob mention some bullshit like that. If that was the case then his natural prey couldn't be ruled out as an option.

He kept to the wall as he walked down the hallway. It was still early and relatively quiet. Feeding on someone he didn't know was definitely way better than attacking a friend, he was sure the others would agree...

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[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/781144.html?thread=64200280#t64200280).]

Soubi rapped lightly on the door and immediately opened it, stepping in with a smile that faded almost instantly.

"Ritsuka..."

Soubi rushed to his bed, sitting on the edge and leaning over his Sacrifice.

"Ritsuka, what's wrong?" Maybe he wasn't feeling w- He was hurt. Since when. What had happened? He'd been fine that morning and who could have treated any wounds tonight? There was no time.

The rap at the door sounded distant, but the sound registered, sending a wave of panic through his mind. If Soubi saw him like this, he'd freak out, stop him from going upstairs or do something that... Something. Ritsuka couldn't think right now and before he knew it, the door was opening and Soubi was in the room.

No, he was at the bed and leaning over him, concerned as Ritsuka had feared. "...'m fine," he mumbled, trying to sit up again. Damn drugs were giving him hell. How much time had passed? An hour, maybe two - not enough for the tranquilizers to pass through his system. He struggled to push himself up onto his elbows, but his left arm wavered and he slipped back onto the bed again. "...drugged."

Great, yeah, what a way to sound. Ritsuka sighed and closed his eyes, but immediately opened them again when he felt unconsciousness creeping in at the edges again. He couldn't pass out again now. He needed something to help flush the drugs out of his system, but unfortunately the only thing he could think of was water and he logically knew that wouldn't really help. "Need water..."

Soubi's hands hovered a little way from Ritsuka's shoulders as he tried to sit up and were too slow to catch Ristuka as he dropped. He winced, but it didn't last long before anger boiled up.

"Who? Why?" Had Ritsuka been in a fight? He was going to find the person responsible and beat the crap out of them. There was nothing else for it. Better yet, get them drugged, beat the hell out of them while they were out and let them wake up to the pain. Yeah. Or-

Soubi looked to the desk and fetched Ritsuka a drink. Holding the rim of the cup in his teeth, he lifted Ritsuka and sat behind him so the boy could rest back in a sitting position. Soubi put the cup to Ritsuka's lips and tipped it, stroking his hair back with his free hand.

Soubi was asking questions that Ritsuka wasn't sure if he should answer. It would be best to warn Soubi against his own doctor, or at least against Makiko. If she tried to attack Soubi next, Ritsuka didn't know what he would do. He still didn't know why she'd done what she had and the very thought of describing it sent chills down his spine. And again, next week, he'd have to face her. He'd have to walk into that room like nothing had happened because the nurses wouldn't believe him even if he tried to tell them. She was a danger and Ritsuka had no idea what he could do to stop her.

Thankfully, Soubi moved away and Ritsuka could blame his silence on his condition rather than his fear. He should have known better than to let fright get the better of him, but it sat in him like a rock in his stomach, weighing him down and stilling his tongue.

Soon enough, Soubi returned and helped Ritsuka sit up, allowing him to rest back against him as he put the cup to his mouth. Ritsuka hated feeling this weak, but try as he might, he could barely manage staying awake and drinking water at the same time. After a few moments, Ritsuka moved his head away from the rim of the cup and concentrated on keeping his eyes open. And on coming to his decision to tell Soubi about what happened. "...doctors aren't...safe..." He swallowed and tried again, resting heavily back against the older man. "She attacked me. During therapy."

Soubi held Ritsuka, patiently helping the boy drink. When he was finished, Soubi lowered the cup, but kept it in his hand. He almost crushed it as he listened to Ritsuka explain.

"...who is your doctor?" he asked. Ritsuka was tired, it wasn't fair to bombard him with too many questions or demand difficult answers. He just needed a name for now.

A name. Soubi was asking for a name and Ritsuka knew instinctively that it was a bad idea to give it to him. The last thing Ritsuka wanted was for Soubi to go up against that woman. She had a way of sinking her teeth into the deepest fears a person harbored, of digging under a person's skin. As strong as Soubi was physically and with his word spells, Ritsuka had to come to realize that he was very easily damaged emotionally - as they all were. Pitting Soubi against Makiko wasn't wise, not without Ritsuka at his side.

And Ritsuka wasn't sure he'd be able to face that woman so soon after being attacked.

Rather than answer, he tried to turn over and push himself up into a sitting position. The efforts were uncoordinated and weak, but he managed at least to push himself to his side, resting his temple against Soubi's chest. "...people were taken tonight. We should...go."

Ritsuka didn't answer and Soubi had a feeling it was intentional. He'd find out somehow. What was more important right now was Ritsuka's insistence to push himself. Soubi would flat out refuse if he had to, but he wanted to try something else first...

He put the cup on the floor and rubbed Ritsuka's temple, gently. "Don't you want to close your eyes?" he soothed. "You feel so heavy...." Perhaps he'd be able to spell cast if suggestion alone didn't work....

He struggled to open his eyes even as he felt Soubi moving. For a moment, he thought the older man would help him get up, but instead he rubbed his temple and began talking to him. Ritsuka couldn't quite make out the words. It was more like the rhythm of them were sinking into his mind, taking root. Something about closing his eyes, how he felt heavy and tired and he had to admit, he did feel that. He did want to close his eyes and just sleep the night through. Miku was gone, Alfons was gone, Sousuke was gone, Tamaki was gone. He'd been attacked by his own doctor and abandoned by his brother. There was no reason to stay awake when he could just relapse into dreams where the world was better, when he knew that Soubi would stay and keep him safe until he awoke again.

His eyes fluttered closed and he began to relax, drifting to sleep. And just as he'd hoped, dreams of better days came to him. Back when the three of them had been sitting on a couch together, Alfons asking about cameras and he and Miku telling him everything they could. Tamaki was being his usual cheerful self at Ed and Adel. Soubi and Aidou were sitting nearby. The sun pouring in from above was warm and the skies were a clear, summery blue when he looked up at them.

But something was fundamentally wrong with this scene. Ritsuka's brow creased and he forced his eyes open - or at least he tried. He couldn't quite get them to do as he wanted and instead, he shifted uncomfortably against Soubi and muttered his insistence about them leaving as soon as possible under his breath.

Soubi gently eased Ritsuka back on the bed, following him with the excuse that he didn't want to wake Ritsuka up by adjusting him too much. He watch Ritsuka sleeping and blinked when he spoke. Or tried to.

"Mm," Soubi agreed, quietly, closing his eyes. This was nice. The reason's for it were terrible, but Ritsuka hadn't been this relaxed in a long while. Soubi tried to feel it too. He couldn't. He was angry, frustrated, afraid (for Ritsuka, of course) and he still needed to smoke. His nails were practically non existent and he'd started grinding his teeth a little. And feeling irritable.

Perhaps he could go upstairs as Ritsuka slept. Maybe visit the hall as an excuse and make Ritsuka feel better. Soubi waited a few moments before easing away and looking for his torch. And the lighter.

Something was definitely wrong. Ritsuka had been certain he was starting to wake from the sedatives earlier, but now he felt heavier than before. It was hard to keep his mind focused and stay awake. Logically, he knew he should have been waking up though. The drugs were in place long enough to knock him out for a few hours and judging from the amount of time that had passed, he should have been waking up.

Ritsuka mumbled unintelligibly under his breath, trying to raise a protest against his situation, but his words didn't make sense even to him. It was frustrating, but he was aware enough that he felt Soubi lying next to him, which eased some of the tension he felt. As long as Soubi didn't leave and try to go off somewhere, Ritsuka could continue fighting against whatever it was that was keeping him tired.

But just as he started to relax again, the comforting presence disappeared and Ritsuka frowned, shifting in his sleep. He rolled onto his side and knit his brow as the dreams receded into darkness, leaving him alone. Something unfamiliar was lurking there and he set his jaw, fists curling into the covers as he felt fear creep into his consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, his mind forcing him away to escape unpleasant memories, and he realized that Soubi wasn't nearby. "...where are you going?"

Soubi started searching by checking under the bed, nothing there. So he moved onto the clothes drawers, rooting about and wishing there was something in there that had been worn... that smelled of Ritsuka.

He found a file. Not his own. Skin tingling and heart racing, Soubi pulled it out. He wasn't going to read it all. Just find a Doctor's name.... harmless....

Soubi almost dropped it, spinning round and looking to Rituska, holding the file behind his back.

"Nowhere." Don't lie. "Yet."

The sound of something opening and Ritsuka rolled his head to the side. The dresser drawers were open and Soubi was standing nearby. His hands were behind him and for some reason he heard Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru's voices in his head. Something hazy, about how Soubi would steal his underwear.

"..."

He really hoped they were wrong.

"...don't steal," he muttered, rolling over onto his stomach. It took him a moment before he was able to push himself onto his hands and knees and Ritsuka shook his head lazily before he slid back down and landed on his side. Sitting up was apparently still a lesson in fail. "...where are you going later?"

Soubi sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through Ritsuka's hair, the file to the side of him, out of Ritsuka's reach. Just one peek was all it would take. That was allowed, surely?

"I'm not stealing. I was looking for some of the things I left behind...."

Soubi let the file drop off the bed and stretched himself out on the bed, facing Ritsuka.

"Go back to sleep... I'll see you in the morning." He'd waited for the chance to just watch Ritsuka ~~sleep~~ relax and rest beside him. But this was the perfect opportunity to get upstairs. A part of him even wanted to return to the hall of doom. He was almost certain he wouldn't do anything too stupid if he did. Not even with the scalpel.

Fingers through his hair and Ritsuka closed his eyes again. He really should wake up and he knew that, but it was difficult to make his body listen to his head. He could focus on Soubi's words, however, and because he was listening to him speak, he heard something hit the ground with a sharp sound - like a thin paperback or a sheaf of paper. What had Soubi been looking at?

"Closet," he muttered, scooting over a bit to make room for Soubi as he lay down. He didn't know why he knew, but he figured that had to be where Soubi's things were. Whenever Ritsuka had anything at the end of the night, it always showed up in the closet later.

But now Soubi was telling him to go to sleep and Ritsuka frowned. He couldn't sleep. He had to get up and go upstairs and help those people up there. He'd made such a huge problem on the bulletin board over it so long ago, that Ritsuka couldn't just give up on his own project. Shaking his head, he struggled to sit up again and finally managed it, swaying slightly. "No, we have to get upstairs. We need to go..."

Soubi brushed Ritsuka's hair back, leaning in, but stopped short of kissing him and simply pressed the tip of his nose against Ritsuka's head.

"It's alright. I'll go," he said, quickly getting up as though that alone would stop any and all arguments. He shifted the file under the bed with his foot and moved to the closet. Retrieving his bag and dumping his own file in, quickly checking it for the scalpel. Torch in hand, he turned back.

"It will be fine, I promise."

Soubi was being frustratingly evasive and stubborn tonight. He seemed to think that just moving away would stop Ritsuka from following, and, unfortunately, he was somewhat right. Still under the effects from the sedative and from whatever else had so suddenly put him back to sleep, Ritsuka was having a hard enough time just sitting up.

It reminded him of when he'd stayed up all night playing Wisdom Resurrection, and then had rode around on the train and gone to the park and eventually fallen into Soubi's bed with the Zero boys for lack of anywhere else to sleep. Going to school that day would have been a lost cause, so he had simply not gone. Not like his mother would notice anyway and he was absent enough that the school would assume he was at home. Funny how the neglect sometimes worked in his favor.

But right now, Ritsuka wanted to be awake and he shook his head again, rubbing his eyes. "I'm going with you." Besides not wanting Soubi to go to that place alone, Ritsuka didn't want to be left alone either. That something was lurking in his unconsciousness, waiting for him, and he didn't want to go back to meet it again. The more he focused on the sharp jab of fear that unconsciousness brought, the more he woke up, and the more he felt the dull ache in his arm. When he spoke again, Ritsuka was able to turn and look at Soubi. "Take me with you. It's dumb to go out there alone."

He was supposed to be behaving like a true Fighter, but he couldn't let Ritsuka go. "There's something I need, I can go by the hall while I'm up there."

He sat on the bed again. "You're in no fit state... it would be dangerous to take you."

"I'll be fine," Ritsuka muttered as he turned and swung his legs out of bed. He was certain that in the walk upstairs, he'd be able to wake up. He just had to get away from the bed and its warm covers and the temptation to fall asleep again. Pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes, Ritsuka let out a deep sigh. "If I just sit here all night, I'm no better than those people I yelled at before."

Pinpoints of light appeared behind his eyelids as he increased the pressure on them and then he pulled his hands away, running a hand through his hair. "What do you need up there anyway?"

Soubi felt his insides drop down a few millimeters as Ritsuka stood up. He could be so stubborn and he always pushed himself. Soubi held the back of Ritsuka's head and pushed him down, gently, twisting him so he was back in bed.

"That was different," he said, quietly. This was all his fault, getting caught and taken up there. "As I've said before... not everybody wants to be rescued. I don't believe there have been any fatalities involved with the experiments, you don't know the patients, there's no reason to go," he said, before he could stop himself. This conversation wasn't going to go well.

"Nothing important. So we might as well stay here. Please?"

And just when he'd adjusted to being upright, Ritsuka suddenly found himself being laid back down on the bed. It was disorienting and he pushed his hands against Soubi's chest, one hand missing and finding itself planted in the older man's face. Ritsuka was about to apologize when he heard Soubi's words and the last vestiges of his drowsiness fled in the face of his anger.

"Don't give me that! We can't just turn our backs on them because we don't know them! No one knew the others up there and they were left to fend for themselves!" Maybe not everyone wanted to be found, but at the very least, Ritsuka could help those who did. He'd be able to do something after ripping into the clubs here and being brought to the stand for not doing anything himself. And maybe there hadn't been any fatalities, but Seimei had disappeared after his name had been announced and he'd been taken for experimentation. He'd been brainwashed and he left, forgetting Ritsuka and his life before this place.

"You can stay," the boy snapped, pushing harder against Soubi's face. "I'm going with or without you."

Soubi grunted as Ritsuka hit him but didn't move. It had been an accident, he was sure. As Ritsuka shouted at him, he felt his own anger boil, but before it could cause any damage, he thought of Hiro and felt himself go cold. He wasn't like that. He could control himself, right?

Soubi suddenly let go and stood up. He turned away, turned back, looked away and stood beside the bed. He couldn't order Ritsuka about, he couldn't let Ritsuka go... but he could beg.

Soubi lowered himself to his knees, trying to unwind his emotions, and bowed his head. "It's dangerous. You're not well..." They'd only get in the way if Ritsuka started to feel too ill.

"Please..."

Dammit he needed nicotine. One look at his nails and he knew he couldn't chew anymore. He clenched his fists to stop the shaking and it made his head spin. He needed help. He'd never needed help. Not like this.

Soubi moved away and Ritsuka dropped his hands to the side, rolling over so he could push himself back into a sitting position. He hated yelling. It always made his throat feel raw afterward and then when the anger passed, he usually realized he'd said a few things he hadn't meant to in the heat of the moment.

His head was spinning from the sudden movements and he dropped it into one hand, gritting his teeth. If that stupid doctor hadn't attacked him! If he hadn't pushed her, or triggered whatever it was that turned her into a predator then he wouldn't be having this conversation. He wouldn't be afraid of being left alone in this room, or going to sleep again. "I was--"

Ritsuka stopped talking when he looked up and noticed Soubi on his knees. His voice was begging Ritsuka not to go, and his hands were shaking. Something was definitely wrong with him, but Ritsuka didn't know what. Was it that Hiro person again? Was he trying to break through? Was it something else?

Lowering his hands, Ritsuka slipped off the bed and knelt down in front of his friend, trying to get a closer look at his face. "...what's wrong, Soubi? You've never put up this much of a fight about going upstairs before."

Soubi looked away, half scowling and half pouting like a child. Sure they weren't fighting now, but he wasn't sure this was the right way to do things either. It didn't exactly give the impression of a strong Fighter. And Ritsuka was quick to catch the little things and would worry more about something to silly and shameful. He was losing all self control over something so stupid that Ritsuka had always hated.

"You need rest."

And once again he'd been shut out. Ritsuka balked mentally and sat back, barely masking the hurt expression on his face. "Fine."

Be that way.

The boy stood and wavered a bit on his feet, then moved to the side and around the Fighter, heading toward his closet. The rucksack and everything else he needed was in there and if Soubi was going to shut him out, then Ritsuka would go about his routine like he did every night. Admittedly, he was slower at it and he was more worried about the man behind him than the people up above, but he had no idea what to do now.

Dropping the backpack onto his desk, Ritsuka adjusted the bandage around his forearm and started shifting through the bag, checking his supplies. Everything was running low. He'd need to go restock upstairs. "And you need to stop chewing your nails. They're going to start bleeding soon."

Soubi frowned. Ritsuka agreed, but he still got up and moved about. What was a Fighter to do in this situation? Wrestle the kid and tie him to the bed? Soubi stayed whee he was. At least Ritsuka wasn't outside and soon he'd get bored and sit down.

He unclenched his fists and looked at his nails. He wasn't really sure what they'd looked like before. He knew what they looked like a few years ago. He'd had plenty of opportunity to study them as a way of distraction. Now they looked awful and they felt awful.

"Is that an order?" he asked, quietly. He didn't intend to rub Ritsuka the wrong way, it was just, "I might be able to if it's an order."

Re: M35

forgot-it-all.livejournal.com - 2010-01-25 00:11 (UTC) - Expand

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