http://nobleobliged.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] nobleobliged.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] damned_institute2010-09-22 02:40 pm

DAY 52: BREAKFAST

How one's body could maintain a waking schedule when sleep came unnaturally and in a room without windows, must surely be a mystery. Yet, as if working on cue, Natalia stirred well before her nurse arrived. That was normal. Less so, the weight that sought to press her eyelids closed again, the heaviness of her limbs that made lifting her hands to her face an effort. She put her wrist to her forehead with a frown, then attempted a jolt of energy – to swiftly dig her hands into the mattress and shove herself into a seated position, and from there, to her feet.

Not to overexert herself once again, but to refuse that it could be possible after sleeping. Happily, though all still felt leaden, her head did not swim. Encouraged, Natalia put on her slippers, rearranged the bedding, and waited. There came the announcement (reminding her, suddenly, of what she had last heard, and the guilt that had twisted in her gut, Jill--), and her face wrinkled with disgust at the hacking sound. Therapy and breakfast. Food would surely help.

Natalia did not wait long before her nurse opened the door, and after exchanging cursory “Good Morning”s (with rather more enthusiasm on the other woman's part), they began the walk to the Cafeteria. With, of course, the essential rest room stop, where water was splashed and scrubbed over her face, and her hair toyed with to no great satisfaction. At least the shower had renewed its body.

Separating in the Cafeteria, Natalia took her place in line and loaded her plate: eggs, fruit salad, fried “tater tots” (potatoes?), and curious meat wrapped in cooked dough. Some of everything, with juice and water. She thanked her servers, collected utensils and napkins, and found a seat at an empty table. It was early yet.

Sparing a brief look around to be sure no one she recognized had arrived – though she remained eager to greet every patient, at the moment she chose to focus on the possible strength gained from the meal – Natalia began to cut up the items and eat with a refined gusto. Entirely possible!

[Claude!]
toxicspiderman: A photo of an irregular spiderweb. (this is your brain on coffee)

[personal profile] toxicspiderman 2010-09-28 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"Blame it on the lack of coffee. Never known a hacker who didn't go a little misty-eyed at an empty case of Jolt." Or a grad student, or a chemist, or anyone under 40 not on some holier-than-thou duck-squeezer diet. "Now we just need someone to be the muscle and the girl and we've got ourselves an action movie."

He shrugged. "I'm not bad with computers, but the graphics on the one in Doc Boy Genius's office made my PC look like ENIAC. Evidently I'm an anachronism. From the land where cars don't fly and there are still hydrocarbons left for them to burn."

[identity profile] gamingsostfu.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
Matt's smile widened at that one. Muscle and a girl, eh? he thought, chuckling. "I think I know someone who might fit the remaining requirements - though I'm not sure if he'd count as the muscle or the girl." Okay, the chuckle became an outright laugh at that; the idea of just how hard Mello would hit him for that one was almost as amusing as the crack itself. Guess he'd be the girl, the scrawny bastard. Then he could go get the muscle.

Yeah, it was fortunate that his friend couldn't read thoughts, or Matt would have a constantly bleeding nose for a week.

Still smiling, he let his laugh fade off, sobering quite a bit at ST's next statement. "Doc Boy Genius?" He couldn't help asking about it; it was quite the unfortunate nickname. He'd keep Matt, thanks.
toxicspiderman: A photograph of cars stuck in a traffic jam on I-93. (stuck in traffic)

[personal profile] toxicspiderman 2010-09-30 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah. Kid doesn't look old enough to buy his own Playboy, let alone talk to patients. His name's -- hang on." It was a melting-pot name, but not like the ones all the Vietnamese parents gave their kids to fit in. Jimmy and Jonny and enough all-American names to fill out a very short football team.

Right, that was it. "Daedalus Yuno? Yuumi? Something like that. They dragged me in there once for therapy, which turned out to be even more boring that it sounds. At least it wasn't as exciting as the late-night version." The last words came out more bitter than he'd intended. Oops. Well, it wasn't like everyone didn't know about the torture routine. Twitchiness came with the territory.
Edited 2010-09-30 02:11 (UTC)