Day 23: Lunch

[part1of3.livejournal.com]

The second the intercom sounded, while the man on the intercom was still talking, Ashton pulled himself off the couch in the Music Room and slowly made his way to the door. He walked, glided even, as if he were a ghost in a dream. The nurses had already filed up to escort the patients to the lunchroom, and one bustled over to walk Ashton those few feet from one room to another.

"You're not looking very well, Mr. Pritchett," she said cheerfully. "Didn't you enjoy your shower?"

Ashton replied with a small, forced smile, then shook his head. He didn't feel like talking now. Though the nurses were pushy and downright annoying, he figured he owed this one at least a little explanation. They didn't know - or didn't believe - what went on after dark, but he owed them the benefit of the doubt. "Bad day," he decided on telling her.

Bad day indeed. The showers and the music had done nothing for his nerves. But then again, what could get that graphic image out of his head?

He glided ghostily through the taco line and settled on two chicken and bean tacos, with chips, a scoop of guacamole, two churros on the side, and a glass of apple juice. He wasn't used to this sort of food (save the juice) and he wasn't even sure he'd eat it, but the chances were high that he'd be able to pass it off on someone.

He was on the verge of tears again, too. What he would have given to just sit down next to a barrel and eat a hamburger.

Thank goodness the cafeteria was bare just now, too. It left all the corner tables open, the tables that shouted 'Don't talk to me, I'm brooding over here.' He sat at one, pushed his food a little away from him, and buried his head in his arms.

Comments

[somekinda-lady.livejournal.com]

"Again?!"

It took Tifa a moment before she realized her jaw was hanging open. Shaking her head, she answered, "I...I just heard that he died a few days ago...then he showed up and disappeared again."

[bigshotbarret.livejournal.com]

Barret frowned deeply, suddenly much more frustrated than he was a minute ago, and it showed. He hadn't seen Cloud for days, and it would have explained a lot if Cloud had been killed a second time.

This piece of info simply fed the fire of fury. His fists balled upon the table before him as he shook his head in disgust.

"We're getting outta here tonight Tifa. We're getting out no matter tha God damned consequences."

[somekinda-lady.livejournal.com]

"...Yes." It was all she could say. Just as she'd done when Aerith died, her sorrow was slowly being transformed into anger. Anger she could use.

"We need some kind of plan. How well do you know the layout of the hospital?" We could use some explosives, she added mentally.

[bigshotbarret.livejournal.com]

Barret shook his head a little bit at that, untightening his fists only to repeat the motion over and over again, "Not well enough. I been confined to a wheelchair most o' my stay here. There was a door me, Vincent and Cid found that probably led to the outside, but we didn't get a chance to use the key that they found." He sighed. "We jus' gotta do some explorin', I think."

[somekinda-lady.livejournal.com]

"Yuffie, a girl named Momo, and I were going to try it last night, but we didn't get a chance either. It was guarded. I can get the key from Yuffie tonight, though."

Tifa paused, considering. "I wonder what's on the second floor. Anything we can use to cause some damage would be good."

[bigshotbarret.livejournal.com]

The mention of Yuffie left a little sting. His last argument with the young girl didn't end well, and left him feeling guilty about the whole thing. It seemed silly in comparison to everything else going on around them. He didn't mention anything about it to Tifa, however. That's one detail that didn't need touching on.

"Might. Ain't no harm in lookin'." Something else was still bothering him, and he knew it wouldn't stop bugging him for a very long time. Best to warn her, "Tifa...yesterday was the day some of us got visited by folks from our lives to further fool us into believin' we all crazy..." it was clear he was getting a little choked at the remembrance, but he fought past it, "I was visited by Dyne and Marlene..."