The time is now 2:53 AM

[onlynothuman]

It's long after lights out when Simon's slight snores stop, with an abrupt indrawn breath. The only light in the hall is the red exit sign, picking out details in rich crimson, leaving everything else in deep dark shadow

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[myownluck]

It's been a bad night for Harvey. The restless steel-wool scraping in his limbs out full-force, insufferable unless he jerks his legs and flails his arms, every few seconds, or gets up and paces around his 8x9 cell, fighting to move through the antipsychotic haze, still twitching and rubbing his arms. He always wondered why some of the homeless down at the bus stops, or at soup kitchens, rubbed their arms like that, moved the way they did. Now he knows.

While preoccupied with his own troubles and thoughts, he's been aware enough to hear Simon talking to himself. But he hasn't worried about it. Hell, he's been guilty of the same thing, more than a few times.

When he starts shouting, though, when he burrows under the bed and pounds at the wall, Harvey finally starts to consider calling someone.

But he hurts, and the noise grates in his already thin nerves, and even through the medication, the temptation to (don't let him go mad let him scream and scratch his fingers raw) comes through

[edsidlemirth]

Eddie, meanwhile, has been sleeping, and pretty soundly, thanks to what they give him. Sleeping is a good way to hide from boredom. He's been doing that more than usual, lately. He's gotten pretty good at sleeping through lights and conversation and such, but the shouting cuts through, and he wakes up with a start.

Wait, what's going on? He tries to push aside the disorientation and focus. There was -shouting-.

[agent_m0thman]

Someone on night staff knew something was going on. With Patient I-44 back in residence, Dib's got Joker-Cam again.

He's scrolling by the other cells when Simon hits floor and watches for a few moments as he scrambles under the bed. Because it's a slow night.

He's reaching for the radio to contact the hall's guard when Harvey hits the call button. Oops, to slow.

[redshirtatwork]

Outside the hall, the guard looks in through the window before opening the door. And only then radios Kid Kontrol Room.

"Gotta disturbance in here, looks like Garoux." Whee. "Davy, meet me at station two?" Because this particular guard's shirt is not red, not today anyway, and he's not going into the cannibal's cell alone in the middle of the night. Let him make a ruckus, he's waiting right here.

[onlynothuman]

Simon can still hear him, them, claws and laughter receding on the other side of the wall, and there has to be a crack, a hole, a chink if he can just find it. "Wait!" again, just as loud. Clawing at the wall, testing every tiny irregularity with his nails, clawing at the mortar between the bricks, pushing and trying to pull and pounding at it with his fists.

[myownluck]

Jesus Christ. This isn't good. Harvey slaps the window, trying to get the yougn cannibal's attention, or at least get it away from -- whatever it is he's pursuing. "Simon!"

[edsidlemirth]

Okay, okay. It's not another riot. Simon's having an episode. Eddie stays quiet, but this late at night, all hazy... that's scary, okay? Man.

[agent_m0thman]

Kid Kontrol Room has already radioed the infirmiry. Because with that hall, someone will need it at the end of the night. Morning.

Whatever.

[redshirtatwork]

Davy takes his sweet time, but eventually arrives, looking like he's debating a transfer somewhere with less cannibals.
After confirming that they're being monitored in case there's a problem, they head down the hall to Simon's cell.

Knock knock on the glass. "Garoux! What the hell's your problem?"

[onlynothuman]

His eyes are wide when he looks out from under his bed, looking from Harvey to the guards and back. Humans. Humans don't matter, not when he's finally finally finally come face to face with one of his own.

Except that they can stop him. His mouth presses shut in a thin line, and he goes back to it, frantic now to find the opening before they come in.

[myownluck]

Harvey knows better than to be hopeful when Simon peeks out, and the wisdom of his pessimism is soon confirmed. He sighs, and leans against the window, not trying to catch his attention again.

[redshirtatwork]

Well, okay then. On go the lights and into the cell they will go, moving to stand on either side of Simon's legs.

Grab and pull or tase, grab and pull? So many options.

"Garoux! Get out from there. Now!"

The other guard, Davy, is less ready for this to go violent. "Did you see something? Hear something?"

[onlynothuman]

His only response is to pull himself all the way under, disappearing under the cot.

[redshirtatwork]

Fine, just make their job more difficult.

A brief conversation occurs. Eventually, Davy is sent off to get a nurse with a sedative and some of the equipment they use to handle patient I-44 with. The other guard will wait outside, glaring alternately at Simon, Harvey, the other sleeping patients, and the camera, which he's sure that creepy kid is watching.

[myownluck]

Harvey, for his part, alternates between glances at Simon's bed, and at the guard, calmly raising his eyebrow at the glaring. Really? Do you really think you're being at all intimidating, here?

[onlynothuman]

Simon is using the extra time to...

You guessed it.

Keep trying to dig his way out. But he's less frantic, doggedly testing and retesting every crevice. None of them are going to give. He's going to have to get out another way.