The cafeteria was all but empty when Zelnick got there. He was a little disappointed; he had gotten the impression that patients usually ate dinner in their rooms, so he hadn't arranged to meet anyone, and there really wasn't anyone to sit by and engage in conversation yet.

Quietly, he collected dinner and a big glass of orange juice, and chose a seat near the food-serving counters. Talking for so long had made him thirsty... and, well, fruit juice was a luxury he had missed.

[Stalk away, my dearest Admiral. <3 ]

River's feet were finally beginning to catch up with the rest of her. Movements didn't come in slow, painful motions, at least not so much, and there weren't any hot coals left to fear. Where they lay, sprinkled in the earth, they were just as easy to see as she was quick to step around them. Her tightrope was taut, and she wasn't falling anymore. Or yet. It was hard to tell in the middle of the storm when there were so many other things to see and not.

Lightning. 1...2...3...4... Thunder.

Under the watchful eye of the nurses, the firestarter stepped into the showers, among the first of the cattle to step up for cleaning. Efficiency was the key. A record time to let her sins be washed away before they pulled her out for taking too long.

At least her hair would be softer once all the tangles were out.

Burly orderlies and agile Calm Effect nurses flooded the cafeteria from the Courtyard while regular hall nurses filed in from the Sun Room and ushered out those not involved in the rebellion. It indeed seemed as if Landel was sending out all the cavalry, and an effective cavalry they were: The riot didn't continue for much longer after the alarm sounded, though it seemed strange just how quickly all of the mutinous patients fell, even the ones who hadn't been injected with anything.

The hall nurses were quick to escort their well-behaved charges back to their rooms, praising those who hadn't joined in and chiding those who muttered under their breath in response. There were some exceptions, of course: One nice young man had even defended one of the nurses from the violent patients! Now, wasn't that exemplary behavior? Dr. Landel would be so proud to hear about it...

Within half an hour, all of the so-called "loyal" patients had been safely deposited in their rooms, and it was then that the alarm finally stopped and the true difficulty of the situation was tackled. There certainly weren't enough rooms in solitary to accommodate such rampant disobedience, and yet measures would have to be taken to ensure proper consequences for each and every patient involved. After all, something like this couldn't be allowed to happen again!

Different options were considered. Perhaps they should make an example out of the girl who had sparked the riot, but then again, perhaps not. This certainly wasn't the first case of patients attacking nurses or their peers in a crowded area, but what had been different this time was the sheer support that the other patients had shown for her. Should the staff then make examples of all those who had tried to "protect" her from the well-meaning nurses? No, there were too many for that...

In the end, it was decided that the best immediate solution would be to treat the rebellious patients in the Medical Wing while they were unconscious and then move them back to their rooms to await punishment. To ensure the safety of both their roommates and the patients themselves, however, the staff decided to securely fasten their limbs to their beds and keep them heavily drugged. Such a sad sight they were to see, but... it was necessary.

Finally, when each and every patient had been escorted back to their respective rooms, the staff hurried off to an emergency meeting upstairs. Strangely, Head Nurse Lydia was the one taking care of the proceedings in the Head Doctor's stead. She calmly told them that he was preoccupied with more urgent matters, and as she began to speak to the crowd, the staff could only wonder what could possibly be more important than an unprecedented patient riot...

[ Comment to this post with separate threads for each patient room, and please put your character's room number in the subject line. Thank you! ]

"Good morning, Landel's!" The Head Doctor's voice blared over the intercom with a little more feedback than usual. He seemed rushed, and his voice was far less calm and controlled as it usually was during the daytime. He seemed rushed, tired. "I don't have much time at the moment, unfortunately; some troubles last night have forced the staff to convene an emergency meeting, though I hope your usual schedule won't be interrupted. For breakfast, the cafeteria has baked for you a delicious choice of hot cinnamon rolls and muffins - blueberry, banana nut, chocolate chip, you name it. We also have yogurt and fruits as sides, along with our usual choice of cereals and drinks. I hope to speak to you again soon!"

The intercom clattered, then clicked off. After a few seconds, it clicked on again.

"Oh, and nurses, could you please escort our new patients into the cafeteria along with the regular population, as per usual? Thank you very much!"

The intercom jingled again and turned off, this time for good.

[ All character introduction posts should be made in response to this post with your character's room number as the subject line. If your character has a roommate who has already been introduced, act as if that roommate has already left when your character wakes up. If your character has a roommate who is being introduced during the same shift, act as if that roommate is still asleep/has already left, depending on whether their player has posted their introduction yet or not. If you are unsure of your character's room or roommate, check here. Thanks! ]