Day 53: Intercom, Evening

[damned_intercom]

The commotion just after the intercom's jingle displayed the same kind of erratic energy that the Head Doctor had been exuding all day.

"Come on, get those papers out of the way - no, I don't...! Ah! Good evening, everyone, and I hope you all enjoyed the activities we had to

Comments

M16

[girlsandgadgets]

Edgar set his tray on his desk, waiting for the sound of footsteps to make it far from the door before he opened his closet. He breathed a sigh of relief- his new toy was still in there, unnoticed by the staff. He had to wonder why they didn't take the charade the whole way. After all, if they were going to bring in visitors and fill the days with activities based around rest and recovery, it seemed strange the nurses never thought to search the wardrobes or drawers when cleaning the rooms; however, Edgar wasn't going to complain if Landel let his staff slide on that for the sake of his own enjoyment. Any advantage for the patients was a good one at this point

Re: M16

[for_a_song]

The music room had been a nice diversion, even if he hadn't done any playing himself, and talking with Leela had been enjoyable, touch subjects aside. But by the time dinner rolled around, Gren was starting to feel exhausted again. Hard to tell if the fatigue was simply from the very busy nights he'd been having, or just mental, but he didn't even bother chatting with his nurse as he got his dinner and was lead back to his room.

Edgar was there when he arrived, so Gren made the effort to put a smile on his face, setting down his tray and waiting until the nurse had left to address his roommate. "You look like something's bothering you." He'd much rather hear about how Edgar's evening and day had gone than discuss his own.

[girlsandgadgets]

Edgar leaned backward in his chair as Gren spoke, a wry grin on his face. "Just the usual. Trapped in a place with drab clothes, few women, and even fewer people willing to work together toward a common goal. One would think that bringing down Landel and securing our escape would be a priority for some, but I'll be damned if I can find even a handful of allies like that. I'm lucky for the few I have." He stood, shaking his head. You couldn't force people into decisions- they had to chose their own paths. Still, certain alliances would have been convenient

[for_a_song]

"Unfortunately, there seems to be an 'every man for himself' mentality around here," he replied, settling into his chair to poke a little at his dinner. It looked fairly edible, at least. "I don't really understand it, either. We'd probably get much further if everyone would cooperate." Of course, he realized his own thoughts on the matter were a bit biased. He understood camaraderie, craved it. Not everyone did, and not everyone was capable of putting the welfare of the whole above their own personal well-being. "I'm glad you found someone who could treat your arm." He wasn't really sure what could have been done beyond what the institute had already done, but the proof was right there. His roommate's shoulder was undeniably better than it had been the last time he'd seen him

[girlsandgadgets]

With a silent nod in understanding, Edgar continued his work. He thought for a moment he might ask Gren if he'd had an encounter with his own shadow; however, he held his tongue. If said encounter was anything similar to the one he and Natalia had experienced, it was likely to be unpleasant, drudging up words and memories meant to inflict doubt. It was better to assume he was one of the unlucky ones and not mention it at all for now- not when the wounds were still fresh

[for_a_song]

"She said she had orders to keep us out, so I assume that's what it was," he replied. "We got involved to try and help someone out, but I think all we managed to do in the end was serve as a big distraction while other people went around her. Well, I say 'we,' but it was mostly the guy I was with. I don't seem to be very useful without a rifle," he admitted a little ruefully. Sure, he could hit things, if they were in range, but close quarters combat was something he wanted to avoid if he could. And he didn't think walking up and hitting the robot girl with his shovel would have ended in success. "They're probably counting on that hesitation. It's a good psychological tactic." Of course, not everyone would care whether someone had been brainwashed or not, but for those that did, hesitation to act could be the difference between a good outcome and a very bad one

[girlsandgadgets]

Edgar nodded again in agreement. For many, the nightly dangers of the institute were enough to wear on them; however, there were a number of people who wouldn't find the physical threat of a monster guarding the halls to be an obstacle, even when poorly equipped. For them, Landel had apparently learned to switch tactics, playing to their sense of morality instead as he placed fellow patients in the corridors. Being kept on edge with enchanted doors and living shadows only added to the madness

[for_a_song]

Gren nodded. "That's good to hear." He was probably right about firing it up while the nurses were still around. While they seemed to be fairly blasé about leaving the things collected from around the institute where they hid them, he really doubted they'd ignore a patient with a potentially very destructive weapon. "Although I hope you won't have to use it too often." Given the things went around this place, that was wishful thinking, but still.

He abandoned his dinner for the time being, getting up and gathering his things for the night, stretching his injured arm experimentally. It was definitely better than it had been, but it was still going to be awhile before that ache faded completely. Thankfully, it wasn't likely to slow him down much, either. "I'm definitely going to have to find myself something better than a shovel if I want to be of use to anyone out there."