Day 29: Waiting Room/Lobby 1

[forgot_it_all]

When the nurse suddenly appeared after the intercom's announcement, Ritsuka could only stare at her. He had a visitor? He knew that Miku had one, but to think that he would get one? He couldn't imagine who would come to see him. Seimei was gone, Soubi was here... Or so he hoped. It had been almost two shifts since he'd last seen the older man

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[secret_orchard]

How could he have a visitor?Armand stared at the nurse in blank incomprehension until she frowned and repeated herself. "Come along, Gilles, you have a visitor coming today." Her broad American pronounciation of his fake name made Armand wince

[damned_visitors]

A woman was escorted into the waiting room, the nurse that led her seemingly in awe of her. And with little wonder. She was beautiful, quite tall and slim, and dressed as though she were a movie star in a tailored women's suit that looked as though it belonged on a runway in Milan or perhaps Paris. Her auburn hair was swept back from her delicate features, and there was a tight smile on her cupid's bow lips.

She looked as though she held the institute - or perhaps the awe-struck nurse who escorted her through it - in contempt. Most likely that could be attributed to the staff - surely this woman was wealthy, if not well known, and had no time for gushing and fawning.

But that melted away soon enough, as soon as the woman was able to scan the waiting room.

"Gilles!" she exclaimed, happily, as she caught sight of the young man sitting and looking less than pleased. She rushed over, eyes bright and smile warm as she tripped easily on her high heeled shoes to greet her beloved brother.

[secret_orchard]

The hope that Armand had been carefully nurturing flared when he saw his own dear sister walk into the room. His eyes went to her, drinking in the details, almost basking in the knowledge that she could set this all right again. Then she spoke his name, the wrong name. At least she pronounced it correctly.

Even as he rose to catch her tiny hands in his, a little voice in his head scoffed at him. You were warned, it said. He tried to keep his smile on his lips, even as he knew hope was fading from his eyes. On some level, she still was Marguerite, and he had no intention of hurting her if he could help it.

"You came to see me, M--" He bit off the rest of the name, since now he had no idea if it were hers or not.

[damned_visitors]

"Madeleine," she prompted, with a gentle smile. "Oh, but you very nearly remembered! And of course I came to see you!" The woman was practically glowing with joy, clasping her brother's hands tightly. "I've missed you terribly! Oh, you cannot imagine how I've missed you!" Though this woman called him Gilles and spoke as though the institute was real, there was honest and true emotion in her voice.

"Are you well? I can't help but worry, of course. Though they do say that true relaxation is only the luxury of the institutionalized - it must be so terribly calming here. But come! Sit! Tell me how your stay has been. I wish to hear everything - and do take your time. I cannot bear to think I must leave you again soon."

[secret_orchard]

"Of course, Madeleine. T--It's silly to forget my own sister's name." Her hands were very warm and real in his, but he let go of one to sit back down as she suggested. "I've missed you too, so very much."

He couldn't tell her the truth. Nor could he ask the questions he wanted to ask. "We're well taken care of by day. I've made a few friends." He wanted to keep her smiling, but more than that he wanted to hug her. He wanted her to tell him that everything would be fixed.

"I hardly know where to begin. I haven't met any of the doctors yet." He almost smiled as he continued. "The nurses think I'm afraid of water." How could he tell her about the other patients, the monsters that roamed the hall at nights, nurses who turned into monsters at sunset? That sounded crazier than whatever pretext they'd used to explain his being here.

"It has only been a few days, hasn't it? How is... your husband?"

[damned_visitors]

"It isn't silly, dear." Madeleine shook her head. "You've suffered such terrible stress... but I'm so pleased to see you seem to be getting better! I knew you wouldn't need to stay here long." But she frowned a bit.

"A doctor hasn't even seen you? Inexcusable! I was told quite clearly that this institute offers the greatest care in all of the world." She would have to have a word with them on that. How on earth could Gilles recover if he wasn't receiving round the clock attention?

"Patrick? He's fine. Sends his well wishes, of course - and I know it hasn't been long, but it feels as though it's been months. Now tell me about these friends of yours. I'm dying to hear what other sorts are staying here!"

[secret_orchard]

"All sorts," he said softly. "There are even doctors among the patients." He wanted ask what kind of stress he was supposed to have been under. "At least they say they're doctors. This one man is very smart. If he's not a doctor, he should be." That was not something he'd ever been able to claim. "There are far too many children here. I met a sweet boy in the chapel today. He had a stuffed bear named Roger."

"There's a library, though I haven't managed to see it. We went to visit the town yesterday. Was it only yesterday?" He almost didn't catch that he'd asked it out loud. "I haven't been sleeping very much. Up all night most nights, so the days run together."

He finally decided it was worth asking. "Can you tell me what happened?" All she could do do was refuse to answer the question, after all.

[damned_visitors]

"Even children need help," Madeleine pointed out, logically. "Better they be here, getting that help that they need." Though it was a sad thought. The poor things must have missed their parents horribly.

"Perhaps you should ask someone for something to help you sleep. You need to take care of yourself, dear."

When he asked her about what happened, Madeleine looked sad, pained. "Oh I'm sorry, but they told me it's best that I don't. And they do know what they're doing, so I must trust them. But you do know that you didn't hurt anyone....?"

[secret_orchard]

"No, I don't know. I don't remember anything." He tried to sound sad, instead of bitter. What kind of "stress" could they possibly think was enough to make a man think he was someone from two centuries in the past? Of course, that was who he was. It was so hard to turn this around in his mind and not get taken in by it.

That sad look tore at him. "I'll ask," he promised. "And I'm sure I'll be allowed to see a doctor this week." He'd vaguely hoped any doctor he got would be able to explain things, but the bulletin board didn't seem to support that ambition. "I don't think any of the patients sleep unless they're sedated."

"What do I have to do to be allowed to go back home again?"

[damned_visitors]

"Not sleeping? But whyever not? That doesn't sound healthy to me - you're here to balance yourself mentally. Sleep is imperative!" She would most certainly be mentioning these things to her friends. Word of mouth could make or break any business. And reputation was everything for places like this.

"What do you have to do? I'm afraid I don't know." Madeleine shrugged, delicately. "I only know that you're on a splendid treatment plan. Oh I assume once you've gotten over this silly notion you're a historical revolutionist or whatever it is that's gotten into your head, they'll send you home immediately! And really, it's perfectly all right. Besides, rehabilitation is all the rage these days. I can't count how many of my actress friends are doing it."

[secret_orchard]

"How can I give it up if I don't remember anything else?" There. He'd said it. "I don't recognize anything." That wouldn't please her, he knew, but it was the truth. "I recognized you," he added.

[damned_visitors]

"Medication and therapy, I'm sure." Madeleine's pretty little mouth tightened into a thin line. "I've been told these fugues are very common in traumatic breaks, so we shouldn't worry about muddled memories." Though she clearly was worried. She loved her brother so very much, and it was impossible not to worry for him through his little trouble.

"You see? You must be getting better, then. I do have some photographs - oh, nothing terribly exciting, just some pictures from my wedding. Perhaps they'll jog your memory some?"

No one had told her that she couldn't show him pictures.

[secret_orchard]

The near misses in meaning and intention horribly frustrated Armand. He and Marguerite used to know one another so well they could finish each other's sentences. That he had not forgotten. Nor would he ever. To him, it seemed as if she was the one who'd lost her mind.

Traumatic breaks. And earlier she'd felt it necessary to assure him he hadn't hurt anyone. What did these people think he had done?

Pictures could tell him something. He'd get to see Percy, whom she'd called Patrick. But Jeanne wouldn't be in them. He had not met her yet.

"I would like to see the pictures. Perhaps I'll remember something."

[damned_visitors]

"I do hope so!" Madeleine took out a wallet and opened it, taking out the plastic picture holder inside. She passed it over to her brother. The photographs showed her in a couture wedding gown, in some strange ballroom, with her handsome - but somewhat dull-eyed looking - groom. The couple seemed happy, if perhaps there was a condescending look in the brides eyes when her gaze turned to her new husband.

"Oh, but you must remember my wedding!"

[secret_orchard]

Armand's fingers tried to touch the faces through the plastic, as if that would make the pictures make sense. The groom certainly looked like Percy, almost like one of his disguises. This looked entirely like the kind of wedding Marguerite would like, if there'd been time to plan one.

"Was it sudden?" he asked, wondering if that would be the same.

[damned_visitors]

"Sudden? Yes, I suppose it was." Madeleine smiled and laughed some. "I daresay all of my friends were surprised! They just didn't understand what I saw in him." She shrugged and leaned back, crossing her legs as though getting comfortable.