Jan 15 17:35:25 106 PA
From Chronicles
The current game time is: Fri Jan 15 17:35:25 106 PA. Kingsdale - Kingsdale Enhancement Center
This is one of the many recovery rooms available in the KEC. Most rooms have two to four beds, though private rooms are available as well. Due to the nature of most of the clientele the KEC takes care of, most of the rooms are relatively spartan but feature miniature televisions with wireless headsets and offer an assortment of local shows and new to pre-rifts movies. Each bed has a simple bedside table complete with a stocked magazine rack. What few pictures there are on the walls are usually of assorted battle scenes, though these can be altered at the touch of a button to a wide assortment of views for those of a less war like nature. Meals here come thrice daily for most, though sometimes more or less for those with special dietary needs.
Atticus came in yesterday afternoon. He had to leave his weapons behind but has been in the room sitting - and sometimes dozing - in a chair near the bed, his hand on Cali's. Currently he's listening to the tv with the wireless headset on and turned low, a magazine in his lap and his left hand gently resting on Cali's.
For the first time since he came in, in fact since Kalvin picked her up and put her in the ambulance, Caliopa stirs. Her face is still pale, the freckles standing out against her skin and she seems to have tubes everywhere, from the fluids going into the back of her hands, to the tube in her mouth forcing oxygen into her lungs. Around her neck, a growing and colourful bruise is spreading from the grip of the robot's hand around her throat. Her hand moves slightly under his, and her eyelashes flutter.
Atticus gently, oh so gently squeezes her hand and tugs off the headset, letting it hang around his neck. "Hey," he murmurs softly down to her. "Don't thrash around. Just stay relaxed. You're going to be really sore," he murmurs. "Do you need anything?" he murmurs as he leans in to kiss her cheek slightly. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
Caliopa's brown eyes are more puzzled than anything, the sedatives doing their work on her as she manages to open her eyes to look, despite eyelids that persist in closing. The tube prevents words, and her consciousness level doesn't lead her to fight its intrusion. Her eyes ask the questions though, turning to Atticus, her forehead creasing in a characteristic movement.
Atticus strokes her cheek. "You were attacked," he murmurs. "You were attacked and Kalvin brought you here. You just need to rest and feel better. Just rest and let your body heal," he murmurs. "Just rest - I'm going to be here day and night until you can leave, okay?" he murmurs softly.
She shakes her head slightly, less a denial than a confused movement, one that matches her wrinkled forehead. For a second, she does let her eyes close again, leaning her head into the pillows, and it looks as if she may drift off again but she resists it, giving him a look of confusion once more.
"It's okay. It's okay," he murmurs quietly. "You were attacked. Coming back from talking to Kalvin," he murmurs. "They attacked you and he got you here and saved your life." he adds quietly. "You just need to rest for now. Do you want me to get you a pen so you can write?"
His words seem to take time to sink in and be processed, before he gets any response to his question. She makes a tiny movement of her head, cautious, afraid of the tubes, an assent. While he does, she closes her eyes again, the effort of this small interlude seemingly exhausting.
Atticus brings over a legal pad - from his bag, a fresh page with a big pen. He gently moves her hand around it and angles the pad so she can see it, letting her hand move as she wants. He'll wait for her to stop dozing before he'll try to let her move at all.
In the private room, Atticus is camping beside Caliopa's bed. His things are scattered there, but right now, he is sitting beside her, a large legal pad in his hand as he waits for her to wake from the brief doze that interrupted their 'conversation'. Her face is still pale, the freckles standing out against her skin and she seems to have tubes everywhere, from the fluids going into the back of her hands, to the tube in her mouth forcing oxygen into her lungs. Around her neck, a growing and colourful bruise is spreading from the grip of the robot's hand around her throat. As he waits, she does stir again, the faintly confused look returning to her face as if his brief explanation had gone during the doze.
Kid comes through the KEC at a swift sort of walk, a brown paper wrapped something held in her arms. It's a small, book sized object, it is. She's armored, though she left her weapons behind at the check on entry, letting them hang on to her helmet as well. Her expression is a bit tense and in that vague state of ambiguity that has been more common for her as of late. As she nears the door she was directed to, she pauses. Looking up at it a bit and hesitating for just a moment before she lifts a hand to knock. Lightly, the padded knuckles of her armor softening it up a bit.
Atticus is about to murmur to Cali when the knock comes - and the elf must be -wired- because his left hand drops to his hip, as if to draw something and point it at the door - only the holster is empty and it ends up looking a bit silly. He turns it into a gesture through the window and murmurs to Cali as he turns to her. "You were hurt when you went to talk to Kalvin. Just rest. YOu can write, I can help you if you want. Just rest. I'm here. I'll be her."
The confusion in the brown eyes deepens, and Caliopa makes a small gesture of denial with her hand, before that dozing wins out again. Her eyelashes flutter down, and she sleeps again. Moments of barely awake seem to mingle with sleep and it is a pattern Atticus has seen for an hour or so, each time repeating to her what happened, each time needing to.
Kid sees the motion through the frosted glass, gathering a welcoming lean to it. Only hesitating a moment before she slips open the door quietly. She doesn't seem all that surprised to see Atticus as she steps in, one hand handling the door, the other keeping her package held against her chest in the crook of one arm. mutely she'll turn to close the door, taking a moment to do so in a deliberate manner.
Atticus murmurs to Cali again, "You were attacked when you left Kalvin. He kept you alive but you've been hurt. Just rest and relax. If you want to write something I can help you," he murmurs as he keeps his hand lightly on Cali's and has the legal pad angled - his stuff neatly arrayed around the chair he's been sleeping/sitting in - his clothes look lived in/rumpled from a day or so of this.
For the meantime, Caliopa is sleeping, the sleep of the drugged and damaged. The hand Atticus holds lightly is utterly limp under his and her eyes stay closed. Until the next moment of confused awakeness, the next pass with reality.
Vargus walks up to the door from the hallway, pausing a moment to check the nameplate before moving to the door itself. Finding it partially open, he makes to peak his head inside and comes face-to-face with Kid. He stops, blinking. "Hummm... hey there." His actually face says. Sans armor, Vargus straightens up and gives a little wave to the woman, then peaks inside again. As he does so, his eagle familiar leaps off of his shoulder and crosses the room with a few flaps and lands on the headboard thing of the bed, perching itself over Caliopa. Steelwind looks sideways at Atticus, one way, then the other.
Kid is just about to turn after a brief pause when the door opens and Vargus pops his head in. If anything, she seems displeased with his sudden appearance, but other than a bit of a dirty look, she doesn't actually say anything. She shies to the side slightly when the robo bird takes flight, then turns away to approach the bed herself. Her expression slides back into ambiguity as she does so, for a moment forgetting Atticus is there when she gets a look at Cali's state. Both arms are wrapping her package again and for at least a few moments she'll be looking at Cali. This much silence out of Kid isn't common.
Atticus leans over to brush hair from Cali's forehead and kiss it gently, still holding her hand slightly with the pen in it. He starts some when Vargus comes in, but gives him and the bird a wan sort of smile and nod.
Vargus closes the door gently, greeting both Atticus and Kid, even though the latter seems to snubify him. He looks over to Caliopa, then to Atticus. "Hey... how's she doing?" his voice is pitched low, so as not to wake he resting person. He points a finger at the familiar. "You. No biting."
With Cali visibly under, Kid can look to but one person for details. She half glances towards Atticus and murmurs, "What happened?" Right along with her expression, her voice is in that uncertain place without a strong emotional lean one way or the other. Yes, in this moment Vargus is given a general cold shoulder, in favor of the very tight focus the girl seems to have in this moment.
"She's .. coming in and out, the last few hours. Never remembers what she is told," Atticus says finally as he watches cali, his voice quiet. "One of the robots got to her. When she was coming home. Went through everyone else to get to her. They had to replace .. a bunch of stuff in her. She can't speak." Atticus finishes quietl.
Caliopa does stir again now, drifting back up out of the drug haze to opens puzzled brown eyes and blinks, her eyes seeking Atticus. As he said, she doesn't speak, giving him a look of pure confusion, from beneath sleep heavy eyelids. This time, it doesn't last long enough for his explanation, asleep again within moments, not even seeing the others.
Vargus shakes his head. "Actually, the robot seemed to go /straight/ for her. Like it was targeting her specifically. Came flying out of an alley and shoulder-blocked Joachim out of the way and picked her up off the ground by the neck. It said something about her, too... something about letting unarmed people like her into battle. But I don't remember the specifics."
Kid hunches her shoulders a little at the brief assessment, her lips tensing at the last bit. About the internals. She remains silent, her eyes fixing on Cali when the woman stirs. Briefly. Kid's fingers tense on her little package. And when Cali goes back under, Kid steps closer to the edge of the bed and lays the paper wrapped something on the edge, near to the foot. "'scuse me." The words low spoken and followed by an immediate turn and tense stride towards the door.
"Kid," Atticus calls quietly as he touches Cali's head as she awakes, just murmuring to her soothingly until she passes out again. "I'll need you to help me watch over her. This week I may ... be going to take care of those robots. Once and for all. And I'll tell you came by. Thank you for coming by," he says quietly. He nods to Vargus, his face drawn.
No more stirring, Caliopa is sleeping now, again. Her breath comes as the machines dictate and whatever movement there is in her face is down to drug ridden dreams.
Vargus nods to no one in particular. "Well, I just wanted to make sure she was alright. Sounds like she'll make it and that she's in good hands." He motions to the eagle, "C'mon.. lets get out of their way." The eagle doesn't move, it sits where it is. "C'mon, Steel.. we should leave." The brid cocks his head to one side. And Vargus sighs, looking over at Atticus. "Would you mind if he stays for a bit? Just open the window for him when he hops off the bed." He asks a bit sheepish.
Kid pause briefly with the door half opened as Atticus speaks. At the very least, she heard what he said. But she doesn't reply one way or the other. Rather, she comes out of the pause and exits the room, the door closed a bit too firmly as is proper, but not enough to truly disturb. Atticus will have to see what happens when he calls.
Atticus shakes his head at Vargus, "I don't mind. The window may not open - they take security seriously here - but I can make sure he gets safely escorted out when he's ready to go," he says with a small, wry smile. He watches Cali, stroking her hair again as he moves to take a seat in that same chair.
The hair stroking soothes whatever the dreams are and Caliopa surfaces again, less briefly, to look up at Atticus with recognition appearing in her eyes for the first time. The puzzlement is still there, but her eyes take in the man at her side, and the bird on the top of her bed, returning her gaze to him with a question in them. Vargus is too far to see, if you are lying on your back...
Vargus bows his head to Atticus, "Thanks..." he looks back to his familiar and points to the man. "He's a good guy, and he cares about her too. No biting." Looking back to Atticus, "The beak is fine.. if he gets bitey, just whack him on the head. You won't do any damage to him. Just huhh.. watch out for the claws, they can rip open military armor. And he shouldn't have too many darts regened by now." He eyes the bird, then gives a wave and slips outside.
"You were attacked leaving Kalvin's," Atticus says again for about the twenty seventh time, smiling at Cali softly as he does, holding her hand - and nodding to Vargus, murmuring 'Thank you' to him. "You were hurt. Just rest and relax. I'm going to be here and you're going to get better, just rest.'
Caliopa doesn't doze off again this time, her forehead wrinkling at the voice to the side but not turning her head from Atticus' eyes. There is a moment of processing and a flash of frustration before she shakes her head again, closing her eyes this time from emotion rather than sleep.
"You can write if you want to. I have a pen and paper here," Atticus murmurs. "You just need to rest and relax. And get better," he notes as he brushes some hair from Cali's face with a smile.
She opens her eyes again, responding to the touch and his words, a small nod at his offer. Her fingers do seek the pen, using the wrong hand to write clearly, the other occupied by tubes and tape. The badly scrawled word is simply, "Who?"
"The robots," Atticus says finally, quietly. "They wanted to hurt you. And me, I think. ANd probably Kalvin, and Carl too. They wanted us to crack if they could kill you," he notes as he strokes her face again. "But you made it through it," he murmurs.
The puzzled expression deepens, before a look rapidly becoming familiar does take her eyelids, turning them into lead and sliding them closed again, her face relaxing into the light doze that seems to be the standard.
Atticus leans in to kiss her cheek, smiling at her fondly - and sadly - before he strokes her hair again and goes quiet as he settles in next to the chair, stroking her hair as he watches her sleep. Tags: atticus, caliopa, kid, vargus
