♻ 008 | audio/spam

[tucky]

[audio]

Um-- hey. I was wondering if a warden could go to my room, and get me my iPod and my Bible-- 'cause I ain't in there right now, I'm in the infirmary. Maybe a pack of cards, too; that'd be good.

[She sounds woozy and tired, but surprisingly calm; in good spirits, even. She and Merlin were both killed by kaiju, it had been traumatic, and she's death-tolling-- but she's tired of panicking and stressing about death. Even though she's more used to the idea now, it still bugs her a lot when she thinks about it, so she's actively trying not to do that. It's working pretty well, all things considered. She's not in denial about it the way she used to be, but she's careful to keep her mind focused on other things.

The toll itself sucks, though. It feels kind of like getting the flu after being run over by a steamroller.]

My head ain't right for poker or anything, but if anyone wants to play... I don't know, like Go Fish or something, you can come on down. I wanna see y'all, 'cause I think I'm gonna be stuck in here for a little bit. But that's only if I like you; if I don't, you can fuck off.

... And I also want everybody to know that my warden saved my life.

[And then she'd died right after, but that's not the important part.]

When we were still normal, he said he'd fight monsters for me, and he did. I know we thought we was different people and everything, but I think it still counts for something. He's a hero. A real hero.

[There's a smile in her voice; there's pride. She's been called a hero herself before, by her misguided fan club back at home. But she's never had anyone be a hero for her-- at least, not in the traditional way, where they physically defended her in the face of evil. She doesn't consider herself defenseless by any means, but being protected-- being valued like that-- is such a good feeling, and she's tickled pink by it. She's pushing the fact that he actually died in the process out of her mind, and just focusing in on the good.]

I just wanted to say that. That's all.

[Feed off.]

[spam, all week]

[She'll be staying at the infirmary throughout the worst of her death toll, spending most of her time in bed. For the first few days, she'll be lying down a lot: listening to her music, occasionally chatting up visitors and clinic staff, and when she's not too sore or nauseous, trying to recruit people to play cards with her (simple, easy games that don't require a lot of thought or quick movement). As the days go on and she starts feeling better, she'll sit up in bed more, and even get up and move around some. By the fifth day, she'll still be feeling the death toll's affects, but they'll be lessened and she'll be ready to go. But if by that point Merlin's still in and doesn't feel the same way, she'll stick around until he's ready to leave too. Solidarity.]

[OOC: Merlin gets blanket rights to pop into action threads and overhear her side of audio/video phone stuff, even locked conversations! Others who are working/staying in the infirmary can do this too, if they want. If you want your character to talk to Tiffany but want them to say something Merlin/others shouldn't overhear, we can have them do it in text, or set the conversation at a time when people are sleeping and/or not around.]

Comments

[punched_hitler]

I can if you still need someone to. Anything else you want?

[He's got a shift in the infirmary shortly anyway, so he was already going to be on his way, but he would've done it anyway.]

[tucky]

Nah, I think that's it. Can't think of anything else.

[punched_hitler]

Okay. I'll be by in a little bit with your things. [Including cards; he knows how to play just about anything, if she wants.]

Are they sitting out, or is there someplace in particular I should look?

[tucky]

Yeah, I got a nightstand. They're in the drawer. You know where my room is? I don't know if they tell y'all where the inmates' rooms are.

[broughtwhiskey]

[Philip turns up eventually on her second day. It's not out of any sense of sentimentality or concern (at least not mostly; to a certain extent, he doesn't mind Tiffany much), but it gets him out of his room. Somewhere else. Oh, and it lets him continue avoiding his warden. That's always a positive.]

How are you holding up?

[tucky]

[Tiffany is surprised to see him-- she blinks a couple times, then looks to the side, wondering if he's talking to Merlin instead.]

I'm okay. Yeah, I'm okay. Feeling pretty sick, though.

[broughtwhiskey]

You will for a few more days. [He gestures to the chair near her bed.] May I?

[tucky]

[She nods, scooching up a little in her bed.]

Did you wanna talk to me?

[hearrrtofgold]

[Duke came out of the breach unscathed, although his counterpart had been injured. He's never tolled, only observed how bad it is, and immediately decides to spoil Tiffany with some hot cocoa made from scratch.]

I can get you a pack of cards, and a board game if that sounds good. Do you know how to play mancala?

[tucky]

Yup. I know how to play everything.

[There's not a lot to do in Earth prison.]

Board games do sound good.

[hearrrtofgold]

Everything? That's a pretty bold boast, sister. [He smiles a little.]

Which ones do you like?

[tucky]

Right now?

Something easy, I think. My head ain't so good.

Spam

[takeyouapart]

[Merlin is a reasonably compliant patient but his main problem is, well, patience - or at least a need to severely reduce his expectations of himself. He tries to get out of bed on the second day, makes it to the bathroom and back, attempts to stay on his feel for a while longer and - can't, really. It's all he can do to stagger back to bed, in fact.

So that's embarrassing.

Regardless he seems to be getting better a little faster than Tiffany, which could be attributable to a number of things - his magic, the fact that he died before she did, and who knows what else. By midway through the third day he could probably leave, albeit if he was prepared to take it slowly and miss a few more shifts, but Tiffany doesn't seem up to it yet and so he tones down the pace of his recovery so he can sit with her.

She teaches him a game called Go Fish, because he asked about it based on her network post, and it proves easy enough that to play despite his (their?) headaches and exhaustion. After dinner on Wednesday he's sitting at the end of her bed with a handful of playing cards.]

...Any threes?

Spam

[tucky]

Mm-hm.

[She pulls a card, accidentally dropping two others face-up onto the bed as she does so.]

Oops. Don't peek; don't cheat.

[She scoops up the errant cards and slides the three over to him.]

Re: Spam

[takeyouapart]

[Merlin very studiously looks away until she's gotten her cards gathered.]

Thank you.

[He tucks the cards into his hand.]

You...you didn't need to say what you said, Tiffany. About me.

Spam

[tucky]

Yeah, but I wanted to, though. I still can't believe what you did for me. It was... you know, selfless.

[spam]

[termofendearment]

[Tig doesn't bother checking in. Maybe he should, maybe he shouldn't, but he's fucking sore, he's too old to be getting into fights with giant monsters in tin buckets regardless of the circumstances, and he'd really rather waste the energy walking there. Hoping muscles will warm up and ache less on the way.

He makes his way to her bed and gingerly eases himself into a chair nearby.]

Hey, kiddo.

[spam]

[tucky]

[She lolls her head in his direction and smiles.]

Hey.

How old do you think I am? I ain't a kid.

[spam]

[termofendearment]

Young enough your mom could have crawled out of the woodwork at some point threatening to cut my nuts off if I didn't pay child support.

[He offers a lopsided smirk with the comment.]

So how're you doing?

Spam

[maced_eggs]

[Mason takes some time to show up to the infirmary. Mainly because he has a bad habit of going a long time without checking his communicator.

Around the end of the second day, his head pops in and he looks around until he spots Tiffany]

Spam

[tucky]

[Day two of death-tolling has been mostly good to her-- she's still feeling it, no question, but the headache has lessened some and she's only thrown up once. She's still spending a lot of her time dozing, which is what she's doing when Mason drops by. She's only half asleep, though, and the sound of footsteps is enough to rouse her. She turns her head and sees him, and gives him a little smile.]

Hey. How about that flood, huh? Damn.

Spam

[maced_eggs]

[Mason, edging into the room with something held behind his back, plops down on his knees next to Tiffany's bed. He grins up at her, resting his spare arm on the bed with his chin on his forearm, the other still hidden out of sight]

S'not a flood. Breach, I think. You get floods, breaches, an' ports. Haven't been to a port in a while.

How you feeling, love?

[anewlanguage]

Good to hear he'll keep a promise, even with his brain scrambled.

[But that doesn't really surprise him. He never had more than a word with Merlin before, and doesn't really want to start now, but he checked the kid out way back when Cassandra had been close to him. He's a good sort.]

[tucky]

He did; he will. And I would trust him with my life now, even right here on the Barge.

[anewlanguage]

What's got you in the infirmary?