xx3 voice

[angelskills]

[ The voice on the other end of the feed is shaky and weak. It's difficult to make out the words because of the hum of other noises -- clicks of cash registers and the squeak of sneakers, the shuffle of plastic bags. ]

Please... I....

[ There's more static and muffled noises - she's talking but it's not clear what she's saying, there are noticeably a lot of pauses and sharp inhales. ]

I can't -- it hurts -- please, help... some...

[ There's a crashing noise and the feed continues to run, all the noises that were there before sans Colette, who has gone silent. ]

[ ooc: Long story short, Colette has passed out in an alley beside a popular super market. Her bags are dropped on the floor and she's on the ground. I'd like for one person to find her!! If you'd like to just throw up that you're doing so in the subject line. Otherwise, Colette will be responding once she's come-to and probably been dragged to a clinic or hospital. ♥ ]

Comments

[angelskills]

[ No... nothing like that will escape her, ever again. She hears it but decides to keep silent on it. She'd never wish this on him -- not anyone, but especially not him. ]

Yeah... for a little while, at least.

Would you...

[ She pauses. He's probably busy, right? She doesn't want to bother him, doesn't want to keep him from anything. ]

Aah... um, never-mind! Eheh...

[argents]

[ Part of him is soothed over that she had the chance to recover somewhere, and part of his heart goes out at the thought of having to remain somewhere so clinical and unfamiliar. ]

Would I — what?

[angelskills]

Um...

[ Shoot. Well... she might as well ask. ]

Would you come visit me? When you have free time! If you have free time! It's okay if you don't want to.

[argents]

...You didn't have to worry about asking me something like that!

[ All in all, he actually sounds relieved. ]

I thought that maybe they wouldn't let you have visitors.

[angelskills]

I'm sorry!

It's all right. Only a few people are allowed to visit though, and I'd really like it if you were one of them.

[argents]

I'm getting ready to leave the library now, if you're up to it. Are visiting hours over anytime soon?

[ Because once he gets there, he's not going to be in much of a hurry to leave... ]

[angelskills]

I don't think so! You may have to ask at the front counter, though.

... Thank you.

[argents]

I'll see you soon, okay?

[angelskills]

Okay.

I'll be waiting.

( action )

[argents]

[ It's about an hour later, give or take, when Banagher steps foot in the hospital. Once he left the library, he couldn't quite decide if he wanted to walk quickly or slowly, and he ultimately ended up at a pace that wasn't quite either. Like a drift. A pace that cooped him up in his own head with a vaguely nervous feeling, like claustrophobia, which was a far cry from the clarity that'd struck through him earlier. A clarity she must have felt too — like a blare of sunlight, beautiful and golden and limitless, a recognition that suddenly intensified enough to burn, and hurt. Wax wings and such, a realization enough to humble him. He hadn't meant to react like he did, much less drag her right into the middle of it, and he's feeling foolish for it, but not enough to keep a distance.

Somehow, he thinks nothing will ever be enough to, now.

Once he's gone through the motions of checking in, he's allowed to go search for her room. The environment does little for his nerves, the cold and clinical white of everything. Once he finds it, he pauses, heel scuffing on the floor, before he steps into the doorway. ]

Hey.

( action )

[angelskills]

[ She's done her best to make herself look presentable. Brushed her hair, straightened the blankets, tried to pull on some clothes but ended up needed the help of the nurse to get everything right before climbing back into her bed, because she'd be too embarrassed if he saw her in the backless hospital gown. Even so, she's still hooked up to an I.V for fluids and sitting in the bed, everything around her just as cold and clinical despite spots of her things about. Her jacket, her bag.

From the lack of much else, it's pretty clear she's not had many other visitors.

When he walks in she smiles, a small thing, but genuine. ]

Hey.

[ It's too much work to proclaim anything loudly like she might have before; besides, even her own voice rings in her ears, along with each of his footsteps. ]

... Thank you for coming.

[argents]

[ Visibly, he unwinds right then and there, all the tension falling right out of his shoulders and crashing somewhere at his feet. As if he'd been preparing for the worst, and what he'd received was a smile. He'd anchored himself to the doorway by resting his palm on the jamb, but it doesn't take him long to abandon it in favor of entering the room. It still looks new, as if it could have been anyone in here.

But it wasn't. ]

You don't have to thank me.

[ It's hard, but he minds his voice, not knowing if it was even of any help, in the long run. But it was better to try than to risk doing more harm than good. Even for a hospital room, he notices that it's abnormally quiet, no monitors blipping or beeping softly in the background. ]

I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see you at all.

[angelskills]

The staff has been really kind to me, they've been letting me get away with all kinds of stuff!

[ She sits up and rests her hands on her lap, eyes following him as he moves into the room to join her. After a second she gestures to the foot of the bed; she's not tall enough to fill out the entire thing, so there's plenty of room for him to sit with her. ]

Want to sit with me?

[argents]

[ Well, look at that face, how can they not. Though he'd rather be seeing her in any other circumstance... anywhere else but here, if he could have a choice. But there's only one choice he has to make right now, so he smiles in response. ]

I'm not surprised, not one bit.

[ Banagher shrugs his shoulder bag off and sets it down gently. ]

If I knew that, I would've brought you some real food... hospital jello is the worst.

[ His footsteps stay gentle and even as he crosses the room and goes to perch himself at the foot of her bed. Though he'd just been joking moments before, his gaze catches on her when he looks over — an open expression of relief and empathy and a little bit of fear still. ]

[angelskills]

Heheh... It's not that bad. I think the mashed potatoes are a lot worse.

[ The look doesn't escape her and all she can do in return is give him an encouraging smile, one she hopes tells him that really, she's okay, and that he really needn't worry. ]

It's really not that bad, anymore. The hearing! I'm getting used to it.

[argents]

[ Her smile speaks volumes, so he does look away, his gaze falling into his open palms. ]

I know, I know. If anyone could take it on and be okay, it'd be you, but...

[ Briefly, his fingers flex, before he lifts a hand to drag his fingers down over his brow, towards his temple. No matter what he tries, he can't get rid of the tightness in his voice. ]

The feeling doesn't go away so easily, or quickly. So if you could bear with me, too.

[angelskills]

[ After watching him for a second she bows her head, blonde hair pooling over her shoulders following in the gesture. ]

I'm... I'm so sorry. Does it bother you a lot?

[ It's one thing to have her own pain to deal with; she can't imagine actually dealing with the pain of others. ]

[argents]

It... [ He pauses, has to think of how he's described it in the past. ] No, I wouldn't say it bothers me. Sometimes I feel like I'm intruding, actually, but even so, I get —

...scared for you, sometimes. Scared for a lot of people.

[angelskills]

I see...

[ Only she, you know, doesn't, but she's certainly trying to understand what that must be like. ]

You're very strong, Banagher.

[argents]

[ While her assessment shouldn't catch him off-guard, it does. At least for a second, where he shifts, like there's something else that goes unsaid. ]

Feeling like that so often, being scared or whatever... it doesn't seem like it.

[ Strength. ]

[angelskills]

Mm... you know, I don't think being strong means not being scared, or upset, or worried. I think it means that you're able to move past those feelings, and that you keep going when you do have them.

And I think you do that.

[argents]

[ His expression is even, but no more sure than it was before. ]

Because I feel like it's my responsibility to.

[angelskills]

[ That she can understand -- the weight of responsibility -- even though she doesn't know why. After a pause she smiles. ]

Some people might run away from that.

[argents]

There's just no way I can do that now. I'm still scared, but if I run away, it means forgetting. Or trying to.

[ And he can't stand the thought, no matter what. ]

[angelskills]

You don't think that's strong?