Day 54: Recreational Field

[lookslikeher]

Well, that was the most exhausting lunch Elena had ever experienced. And she didn't get around to eating very much either. Her headache was a least somewhat bearable now, but as the shift ended, she realized how stupid it had been to not get something in her system before the shift ended. But that apparently wasn't in the cards. In fact, just as

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[autophoenix]

Claire stared for a long moment, transfixed on the intercom. Were they serious? They were getting holed up in this institute and the mastermind behind it all wasn't even smart enough to realize he'd turned the intercom on? Of course, by the sound of what had accidentally been broadcast, it was safe to assume that Landel wasn't the top of the food chain. Considering they'd named the Institute after the guy, you'd think he'd be a little further up than to get reamed for some rioting and making a total idiot out of himself.

Apparently, that wasn't the case. After the shock of the intercom message wore off, Claire slowly shifted her gaze to the nurse that was heading over to begin ushering the girls to the recreational field and the boys toward the greenhouse. As exciting as the rec field sounded -- lord knew she wanted to stretch her legs after sitting with a certain degree of stiff anxiety all day -- she had somewhere else to be.

"Come on, you've got to go with the other girls to line up for roll," the nurse persisted, and Claire slowly let herself be led from the room towards the recreational field, though there was a visibly bewildered look on her face. Her brow wrinkled in confusion and she shook her head.

"Roll call? Seriously? Since when--" Unfortunately, the nurse wasn't going to let her finish.

"Now, now, let's not worry about that." Actually, it was more or less exactly what Claire wanted to worry about. That combined with the skittish way the staff had been acting all day … it was starting to seriously wear on her. No answers, just questions on top of questions, and things changing that had even Landel acting like a deer in headlights. As much as she wanted to hope it was good news for the patients -- an enemy of my enemy and all that -- she had this sinking feeling that it was just going to make things for them much, much worse.

"Look, I just want to go back to the sun room, I'm not gonna start flinging chairs or attacking people, I'm not --"

"Once we're done with roll call, I'll show you the way back." As if she didn't already know it by heart. Claire's lips pursed together, obviously unsatisfied with the dismissal of the conversation, but not about to turn down the offer to get her back to the sun room where, hopefully, she'd be able to catch up with Pete. Filing out onto the recreational field for roll call, she followed the nurse's directions to form an orderly line.

The names began to get called off and by the time the uniformed official got to the D's, Claire was already sure she was asleep on her feet. It was hard to get downgraded in the alphabet when she'd expected her name to be one of the first few called, so she almost missed it -- or, she would have, if it weren't for the military guy's booming voice.

"De Luca, Emma!" She nearly jumped out of her skin, straightening up immediately and clearing her throat.

"Uh. Here. I think." Mostly. Was Emma De Luca really there? No. Not in the slightest. But, Claire Bennet was supposed to be her, and she'd managed to show up, so she might as well cover Emma for now. Playing possum was the only way she was going to get back into the sun room to talk to Pete. Despite pleading looks in the direction of the nurse that she'd convinced to bring her back to the sun room, Claire had to wait until the rest of the names were called to make her narrow escape.

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