damned_institute | Day 48: Sun Room [Second Shift]

Hmph. While this Rude was the proverbial "man of few words," von Karma found more potential use from him than a number of the other patients he had met put together. He would still ask Franziska about the man... as well as the other people he had learned that she had been spending time around. Many of them were utter fools, especially that Kibitoshin.

He ignored the nurse as she insisted that he stay indoors, lest he "catch his death of pneumonia." Already having planned to meet his daughter in the Sun Room, the prosecutor had no intention of spending the cold, gloomy morning in the Courtyard anyway.

It appeared that he was the first to arrive in the spacious room. Gray light from the overcast sky filtered in through the glass windows high above, making it somewhat more difficult for von Karma to peruse the notes on the bulletin board as he awaited Franziska's arrival.

The lines in his forehead furrowed as he saw Kibitoshin's note to her, asking her whether she was "feeling better." What made that blasted oaf think that it was any of his business how she was doing or to worry about her?! She had been raised to take care of herself, damn it! ...Did Franziska say or do something that would lead the clumsy idiot to think otherwise? This, among other things, von Karma would ask her.

After removing his daughter's response to his original note from the board -- and noting that Ms. Taura had yet to reply to his other note -- he sat down at a table in a remote corner of the room, claiming this space that would afford him and his daughter the most privacy.

Mew?

What was that noise? And what was that tugging sensation at the leg of his pants? He peered down in the direction from which the irritating sound had come and was greeted by a tiny orange kitten that had the mistaken notion that his leg was a climbing post. Infernal creature! One glance at his face, and the furry little nuisance was suddenly at the other end of the room, having cleared it within several skittish bounds. Good riddance!

[Waiting for his Dear Daughter]

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Yet Sakura was too absorbed with observing the cat to take Javert's hint. After all, this was the first non-monstrous animal she had seen since she had seen the horse at the Doyleton pet supply shop last Saturday. For Sakura, these animals gave a sense of familiarity which she had lacked ever since she had arrived.

The young girl smiled and shook her head. "No thank you. He looks very happy sleeping in your lap, so I don't really want to disturb him," she responded before sitting down next to the man. It was true. Every time she came into the Sun Room during the day, she felt at ease whether through the environment or meeting a friend or even a new person. Maybe she should come more often.

Sakura stared at the cat for a bit longer before speaking once more. "You're a very nice person," she said, looking up at the man. "Some people probably wouldn't let a cat sleep on their lap."

Javert hid his vague disappointment well. There was always the hope she would give up and go away--until she decided to sit down to him. And there was also the hope that she would decide he was rude and clearly not worth her time--until she called him "nice."

He fixed Sakura with a stare that was almost bemused and stopped just short of actually meeting her eyes. If there was ever a time he wished he could make eye contact, it was probably now. He had been called a lot of untrue things, but this was probably the most untrue of all.

Instead he settled back against the cushions, watching the cat's head bob slowly. "I beg to differ, mademoiselle; it's nothing to do with being 'nice.' Officer Philip Hunt may be, as you say, a nice man and thoroughly fond of cats, but he is also in possession of an extremely watchful nurse. I don't seem to have much choice in the matter."

Sakura glanced over to the other side of the room to see the nurse whom the man seemed to be referring to, but she didn't understand the logic. Was the nurse forcing him to hold the cat? Was it some sort of punishment? Whatever the case, Sakura still thought that the man was nice just from the way he treated not only the cat but her as well.

At that instant, the nurse looked over, and their eyes awkwardly met. Sakura gave a nervous wave to the nurse before turning back to the man. "I still think you're nice," she responded, looking down at the cat. "Animals can tell what kind of person you are, and it looks like he thinks you're nice."

She stroked the cat's fur a bit before looking up at Javert and speaking once more, "Oh, and it's nice to meet you Hunt-san. I'm Sakura."

"Feel free to think that." Javert's tone of voice implied the exact opposite. "The only thing I believe this fellow can tell is precisely how to aggravate me. Which, mind you, is no small task. I suppose that's impressive in and of itself."

He nodded, a short, sharp motion in lieu of a bow. "The name's Javert, Mlle. Sakura. The only people who call me Hunt are in charge of this place."

Although she had originally attempted to stop herself, Sakura couldn't help but let out a small giggle. She had met a small share of nice people who saw themselves as mean, but from her experience, she knew that they were usually just misunderstood. After all, Syaoran was mean to her at first, but he was actually a really nice person.

Sakura glanced back at the nurse for a brief moment as she commented on the misnaming. "You too? The nurses here keep calling me Eri, even though I told them that my actual name is Sakura," she commented, tilting her head. The young girl lowered her voice and edged closer to Javert's ear before continuing. "Do you think the nurses are brainwashed?"

Was the girl laughing at him? Javert decided that for once it would be better not to comment. Any further remarks were likely to be taken as mere denial. He was getting soft, probably; either that, or she was a very poor judge of character indeed. Or both. The two were not mutually exclusive.

Sakura's response caused a raised eyebrow on his part. "The nurses call everyone here by false names," he said. "I've no idea whether or not they actually believe it to be true, though I'm inclined to think so. Are you a new arrival, mademoiselle?"

Her face flushing a light shade of pink, Sakura shook her head. "No... I've been here for about a week," she responded, looking downward in thought. "But sometimes... I still wonder if the nurses and other workers are just being mean or really believe that we aren't who we are though... Do you think they could be fooled too?"

The brown-haired girl clutched her shirt from the side with her right hand. What she was saying sounded crazy and pointless didn't it? She was acting so silly by pouring out her heart's concerns to someone she had just met a few minutes ago. Was Javert weirded out? Did he see her as a stupid girl? Sakura wasn't sure, but she honestly hoped she didn't just lose a friend by admitting too much.

"That is a distinct possibility. It is a well-known fact that they change at night; I doubt anyone is aware of just how conscious they are of what happens afterward."

His tone of voice was still brusque; he was not in the habit of speaking in any other. Presumably there was something he ought to be doing to allay this girl's apparent worries (though what cause she had to worry besides the obvious, he hadn't the faintest idea). That was always something he had left to the younger officers.

"In any case," he added, attempting to make his voice somewhat less blunt, "it is not a silly thing to think about. If they have indeed been brainwashed, there must be a way of reversing that treatment, must there not?"

"Yes..." Sakura slowly replied as she looked up at Javert once more. If they really were brainwashed, then hopefully Sakura and her friends could find a way to help de-brainwash them on the side. Plus, if they were de-brainwashed, the nurses could probably help find them find a way home. Of course, that begged the question of who the real mastermind was. Was it the head doctor she saw a few nights ago? Outwardly, it seemed like it, but then again, nothing was certain.

All Sakura was certain of was that Javert seemed to be trying to make her feel better. She flashed a warm smile at Javert as she softly spoke, "Thank you, Javert-san."

Day 48: Sun Room [Second Shift]

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