Dayshift 42: Bus 3

[entaiho]

One second he was in the hallway, dizzy and sickened and barely able to focus as Youko picked him up (and he'd thought for a moment to warn her to be careful before remembering his shirei couldn't hurt her anyway, even agitated as they were) and then the next...in bed. Back in the sterile hospital room, with only the sharp scents of cleaners and

Comments

[rocksthecourt]

[Polly want a Klavier?~ :D]

Even though a good deal of time had passed, the stench of blood was still with Klavier well after he'd woken up. He could practically taste it in the back of his throat. He was left at a complete loss, trying to remember what had happened last night. Despite the fact that the door had been closed, the room had suddenly filled with a thick smoke; for a few moments, he'd actually thought someone was pumping gas into the room. But the smoke or fog or whichever took an instant backseat to the stench of blood. When he tried to move, he could feel the slickness of the floor, though by that point he couldn't actually see the floor. But that strong a smell... there was no doubt what it was drenching the floor. But before he could figure out what was going on, he'd woken up.

The same chipper nurse who greeted him every morning came in shortly afterward, oblivious anything foul had occurred the night before. Actually any signs of blood, outside that still lingering in his senses, were completely gone. At least to the naked eye. How he almost wished Fräulein Detective were here to sloppily spray every inch of the room for analysis. But for now the only Fräulein here was an ignorant young nurse, happily handing him a bag full of clothes.

Like an overenthusiastic saleswoman, she went on about this trip all the patients were supposed to be going on. A nearby town called Doyleton. Almost like she was talking to a child than an adult, she told him to change so they could get everyone on the bus quickly. And as a courtesy, the staff had decided to choose his clothing based on what he had been wearing when he was brought in, which he genuinely appreciated. At first. But once the woman left, he found he'd been left with tattered faded jeans which looked like it'd lost a three-way battle with a lawnmower and a bottle of bleach. A faded striped sweater in dreary brown and gray colors along with a black hooded sweatshirt with a broken zipper accompanied it.

He stared at the travesty of an outfit for a few long moments before actually laughing. Oh, Herr Doktor was funny. He must have gotten a good deal of amusement throwing little insults like this at people. Very cute. But of course, Klavier wasn't going to let something so trivial irritate him. After all, as anyone knows, it's not what you wear but how you wear it. And true he wasn't particularly fond of the thrift store, grunge rock look, but he would wear it nonetheless. And wear it well. He changed, tied the hoodie around his waist, and followed his nurse as though not the least bit put off.

He scanned the patients gathered in the loading area, spotting Kristoph after only a few moments. Thankfully, he didn't seem to suffer any injury after the bizarre incident last night either. But before he could even think of approaching, his nurse seemed to follow his gaze and and then quickly led him into one of the buses. He was even issued a seat and given a paper bag of food. Nothing like reliving early grade school, he supposed.

[mister_fine]

Apollo sat up in bed with a startled gasp, his eyes practically bulging out of his sockets. He clutched the sheets to his chest, as if that would keep his pounding heart from leaping right out of his ribcage. As much as he'd wanted to tell himself that the dark liquid he'd felt on the floor was something else, there had been no mistaking such an awful, metallic stench. That was blood!

Wait, blood...? He rubbed the back of his sweaty neck, eyebrows furrowing. That couldn't be right, could it?

His breathing leveled once he took a moment to gaze around his room. There weren't any windows, but the woman on the intercom was talking like it was morning now. Had last night been some kind of dream? It almost seemed like it, and yet he'd just been standing next to Kibitoshin and Dahlia, and--!

Apollo pinched the bridge of nose, reminding himself to just stay calm. Even though he was obviously being held here against his will. And he had no recollection of how he'd wound up back in his room in the first place. And now apparently blood came out of the walls. Ugh, this whole thing made his stomach turn.

"Hello, Mr. Fine!" a perky voice interrupted his thoughts, and Apollo sharply looked up to see the same nurse from before stepping inside. "Are you excited for the trip to Doyleton today?" She was carrying a bag of something, and Apollo was inclined to try to get a better look at it before he stopped himself.

"Um, ma'am, look, I think there's been some kind of mistake--"

"Oh, no mistake at all, Mr. Fine!" she cut in. "I understand you must be a bit confused since you just arrived yesterday, but you'll recover soon enough, and then--"

"But there's nothing wrong with me!" Apollo insisted as he finally threw the covers off of himself. "I'm fine!"

"Exactly!" she said brightly, pleased by his apparent progress. "At this rate, you'll be released in no time." She extended the bag to him. "Now, change into this. You don't want to be late for your trip to town, do you?"

To be honest, Apollo wasn't entirely sure what made him agree to change clothes. Maybe it was because he was starting to get creeped out by the smiley face on his shirt, or it might have been because he thought he could smell the blood's heavy scent clinging to his clothing. Either way, within a few minutes, he was wearing a pair of faded jeans, sneakers, a red T-shirt with the number "04" boldly printed on the front, as well as an old, somewhat heavy jacket that was a bit too large for him.

Apollo blew his bangs out from his face, inwardly grateful he didn't have a mirror. Were these people trying to rob him of his dignity?

Well, it wouldn't last long, he told himself. He was going to find a phone once he got to town, and then he was going to find help, and then he was going to press charges. This whole thing was insane.

"No need to be so prickly, Mr. Fine," his nurse told him once she led him outside, as if she'd picked up on his sour mood. "Anyway, why don't you get on that bus over there?" Within moments, Apollo had been herded onto said bus, given a paper sack, and told to take a seat and make "friends" with someone. It was hard not to get irritated, especially by the growing realization that he was being treated like a child. Honestly, just what in the world were they trying to--

Apollo's thought processes screeched to a halt once he caught sight of a familiar blond-headed figure sitting in one of the seats. Even if he wasn't wearing his usual outfit, the way his hair was pulled over one shoulder, and the unmistakable aura of cool even in the face of horrible fashion could only point to one man.

"P-Prosecutor Gavin?!"

[rocksthecourt]

Klavier turned his attention away from the bag at the sound of a familiar voice. A very familiar voice. Now it was his turn to freeze, both eyebrows shooting up in momentary surprise. Apollo... Justice? Yes, there was no mistake. No amount of disheveled hair could cover up that wide forehead.

Him too, then. How long had he been there? And how had Klavier managed to overlook this until now? Maybe a better question was what this meant in regards to his theory of how Herr Doktor chose his targets. What about Forehead would be even slightly desirable within this bizarre game the doctor was playing? Well, he could worry about that later. Right now he had an extremely dumbfounded rookie lawyer to deal with. His expression melted into a bright smile almost instantly.

"Ah, just in time, Herr Forehead. They look about ready to leave." It was said casually, like his presence was only to be expected. Honestly, he wasn't at all happy to see him here. Klavier would prefer all familiars remained in LA and far from this atrocity of a situation. Perhaps that was asking too much.

He gestured to the seat next to him in wordless invitation. Breakfast was forgotten. This was far more interesting than food. "And just how long have you been trapped in this madhouse?" He could say that without it being poetic for once.

[mister_fine]

It wasn't often Apollo saw the former rock star look so genuinely surprised by something. But the expression passed soon enough, and then the prosecutor was casually inviting him to sit down. Apollo threw a glance over his shoulder, feeling the need to check if the nurses would object, before he slid into the seat next to him.

"I, uh, woke up last night," he said as placed the sack in his lap. Part of him knew he ought to eat something, especially since he hadn't touched the dinner served to him last night, either, but he just didn't have the appetite for it right now. "My roommate started going on about crazy things like monsters and time differences, but that's--" Apollo rubbed his eyes, holding back a sigh. Okay, he was getting a bit ahead of himself. And anyway, it wasn't like he had solid evidence to refute his claims, not after last night. Maybe he was the one going crazy now. "...never mind."

He could get to the bottom of all that later. For now, Apollo turned to look at the other man, and he felt the ever-present knot in his stomach loosen just a little when he saw no visible injuries. "What about you, Prosecutor Gavin? Did you just get here, too?"

[rocksthecourt]

Last night. So he was 'newly admitted,' as the staff would say. Judging by the comment and the fact that he seemed to be in one piece, it seemed like he hadn't run into any trouble the night before. That was supposedly a rare blessing, especially since the nights seemed to be getting more and more dangerous every night. That was good. But unfortunately, that level of naivete could prove fatal in a place like this.

"I'm afraid not. This will be my... fifth day, I believe. Shame it hasn't been a particularly pleasant little vacation." Had he really been here that long already? Five days and still no closer to learning anything. That was incredibly aggravating. "From my experience, I can vouch for your roommate. He is likely... quite sane."

He paused to let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "I've had very limited exposure to them, but I can say I have seen one such 'monster' myself."

[mister_fine]

Wait, this was his fifth day? "But that doesn't make any sense!" he blurted. "I just saw you the other day!"

Apollo knew for a fact that Prosecutor Gavin couldn't have been two places at once. Which either meant he was mistaken for some reason, or Apollo had been unconscious for a lot longer than he'd first thought. Either way, Apollo wasn't sure he liked the sound of it. Prosecutor Gavin was one of the few people here he felt like he could count on for not being insane, and the idea that he'd been unconscious for five or more days was just plain creepy.

He wasn't so sure whether he could call Aya 100 percent sane, though. Anyone who claimed to be from 1998 and could act so calm about all this had to have at least a few screws loose. He didn't dislike Aya, but he wasn't sure how willing he was to give him the benefit of the doubt about everything he'd said before.

"Y-you have?" he asked, eyebrows raising as he wondered what Prosecutor Gavin ran into. "I saw something the other night, too! Someone I was with...he, um, wound up taking a hit to the shoulder for me, and..." Apollo sucked in a small breath, willing himself to stay calm for now. The wound hadn't been fatal, but he was still worried about Kibitoshin.

"I guess 'monster' is the only word we can use until we figure out what's really going on," he added after a moment. Apollo hated it because it seemed kind of misleading (like he was going to believe monsters actually existed), but he couldn't think of any other alternative, especially after everything he saw last night.

[rocksthecourt]

My but Forehead was getting worked up. Not to say Klavier couldn't understand. He certainly felt as bewildered and put off upon hearing all this himself. He still felt that way at times. But for whatever reason, seeing him get so agitated just helped Klavier remain that much calmer.

"Funny you should say that. I haven't seen you in well over a month." Now wasn't that discrepancy curious... Let's see. If Forehead thought along a rational train of thought (somewhat questionable at times), he would likely blame that on short term memory loss or something similar. "Even if you were whacked in the head, I don't think you would have spent an entire month unconscious... without signs of head trauma, at least."

What he was getting at, of course, was that this would be a good example of said 'time differences.' How lucky he could prove such a personal example to drive home the point. As for the monsters, it seemed Justice had indeed run into something. Whatever had attacked him and his companion wasn't something Justice planned to categorize as a monster just yet. Even what Klavier had run across would be categorized more as a 'spirit' than a monster, really. He considered the younger attorney's words with a slight nod.

"Hm. That's a very good philosophy. I can't say what people are dealing with are really 'monsters,' per say, but for immediate purposes they are close enough." Klavier almost wished he had risked bringing his notebook along. It would have been helpful for this discussion. "I've yet to see it for myself, but supposedly there is a lab where animals are subject to gruesome experimentation. This is likely where the 'monsters' are coming from." Another pause. "...And unfortunately, animals aren't the only things used here."

[mister_fine]

"What!?" Now that was just a little hard to swallow. Five days was one thing, but a whole month? But why? And how? Apollo didn't think Prosecutor Gavin was trying to trick him, but that...that just couldn't be right!

"If this is supposed to be some kind of a joke, Prosecutor Gavin, it's not very funny!" he snapped, but then cut himself short before he could go further. Apollo sighed, shaking his head. "...Sorry, I'm just...having a hard time accepting all of this." He didn't need to take it out on other people if he could help it. It wasn't like being stuck here could be any easier for the other man, and he'd been here longer.

Apollo listened carefully as he told him about the possibility of a lab, and experiments on animals. As crazy and awful as it sounded, he'd be a little more inclined to buy something like that, but just barely. He'd still need to see the proof of it for himself, even if the idea sickened him.

Of course, once he brought up the possibility that these experiments went beyond animals, Apollo froze. He could feel the color draining from his face, and for once he actually wished Prosecutor Gavin was joking.

"Y-you don't seriously mean...?"

[rocksthecourt]

He paid absolutely no mind to Forehead's little outburst. If he got offended by every person who raised their voice at him, he'd be in desperate need of a career change. Besides, he could sympathize with the skepticism. Frankly, if Justice didn't raise any protest and just blindly accepted everything that came out of the prosecutor's mouth, Klavier would have been worried.

Any slight amusement that came from Justice's behavior, however, shifted with the younger man's expression. It was a horrible subject to consider, for anyone. And this certainly wasn't something one wanted to hear less than twenty four hours after finding themselves stranded here, but the more he knew, the better prepared he could be. This wasn't a game where Klavier could simply watch the defense attorney flounder in his ignorance. Lack of awareness was fatal.

"I do," he said simply. All amiable pretenses dropped and Prosecutor Gavin looked quite serious suddenly. "It isn't unheard of for 'patients' to find themselves forcefully taken from their rooms and essentially tortured. Some people disappear completely and are never heard of again... though whether this is experimentation or something else is impossible to confirm."

There did seem to be a distinct difference between the two instances, but he had yet to pinpoint anything significant. "It's easy to spot a lot of people with injuries from these 'monsters,' but as far as I've seen the most dangerous thing here are the higher staff doctors and a portion of the patients themselves. It's the people that make this place dangerous. It would be wise to watch what you say and do."

[mister_fine]

Apollo grew still as he sat through the prosecutor's explanations. With each word he spoke, the danger they were all in began to seem more real. Suddenly, the stupid, over-sized jacket he was wearing felt too hot and suffocating. He swallowed hard and pulled the collar away from his neck.

To be honest, if he'd heard this same story from anyone else, Apollo would have felt inclined to call them crazy, to blow them off -- a little like how he'd acted with Aya the night before. But he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Prosecutor Gavin would never lie to him, much less about something as serious as this. The "monsters", the experiments, the blood, everything -- they were in serious trouble, and Apollo couldn't deny it any longer.

Forget thinking this was like something from some bad horror movie -- this was like something from a nightmare.

"Oh, well, this is just great!" Apollo didn't care that he was raising his voice again, because his frustration wasn't directed at Prosecutor Gavin this time. "So not only do we have 'monsters' and crazy doctors to worry about, you're saying that a bunch of the patients here really are nuts?!" And all this time he'd just thought he had to worry about getting stabbed in the hallways! Wonderful.

For a moment, it seemed like he'd vented enough to calm down a little, but then another wave of indignation washed over him, and he felt the need to continue. "What I don't understand is why no one's done anything about this yet!" Just what was the government spending his tax money on anyway?! A place like this should have been shut down way before anyone had gotten a chance to grab random people and just...just experiment on them like guinea pigs!

[rocksthecourt]

Likewise, if it had been anyone else but Justice getting this agitated over his story, Klavier probably wouldn't have found it the least bit amusing. The serious atmosphere around the prosecutor proved momentary as he let out a brief chuckle at the other's reaction.

"Calm down there, little attorney. Getting worked up is hardly going to help matters. How about you direct a little less energy toward yelling and a little more on thinking, ja?" He spread an easy smile in Forehead's direction. "The head doctor is a brilliant, crafty man. Everyone but those privy to his scheme are completely oblivious. The nurses and likely the people outside have no idea what is going on. And with this sort of set up, anything we claim will be written off as the ramblings of madmen. ...If you were approached by an asylum inmate who claimed they were attacked by monsters every night, would you think any differently?"

There was more to it than that, but even Klavier didn't want to admit to it just yet. This matter of alternate realities and times... Even if they were to somehow convince outsiders of what was happening and shut the place down, it would likely be impossible for them to return to their respective places. The only way back was through the same means they arrived... which only Herr Doktor would be aware of. Thus, seeking aid from outside was counter productive. The patients needed to do this from inside and handle this on their own. If people were actually capable of working together, that is, which seemed less and less likely every day. But there was no point in bringing up such matters now. Even Forehead deserved only so much in one sitting.

Klavier ran a hand through his hair once in obvious consideration. "...Even so, it is hard to believe this has been going on for such a long time without anyone finding out about it. I've been trying to figure out exactly how it is he's contained all information as well as what his motivations could possibly be. ...It's more productive than panicking, in any case."

[mister_fine]

Apollo's eyebrows furrowed at the chuckle. Well, at least someone thought this was funny! Honestly, he never did understand how Prosecutor Gavin could keep his cool over things like this, and then turn around and whine about something like a missed cue during a concert.

Still, he was right about one thing. Yelling wasn't going to get him anywhere. Apollo let out a small breath, in another attempt to calm down for the time being. It was then he was able to process what Prosecutor Gavin was saying, and realize that it made sense -- no one around here would believe them simply because they were being held in a mental institute. He had to admit that he wouldn't believe any of the people here if he were in their shoes. Heck, he still didn't believe a lot of the people here were completely sane.

"That doesn't mean we don't know people back home, though!" Apollo pointed out. "Surely someone like you has all sorts of connections back in L.A. If we could get you to a phone somehow, couldn't you make a few phone calls and get help?"

Still, at least someone here had been investigating all this. He knew trying to get to the bottom of everything was going to be a lot better than yelling like some crazed idiot on a bus, for everyone involved. That didn't make any of this easier to deal with, though.

"R-right..." He guessed the only thing for him to do was to find out whatever he could about this place. "So, uh...what kind of leads do you have so far?" A pause. "And where is this place, anyway?" Apollo rubbed the back of his head, looking just a tad embarrassed to be asking something so basic.

[rocksthecourt]

"Ah. The phones," Klavier droned a bit carefully. Yes, he recalled asking yesterday if there were such things in town and received no clear answer. There were none to be found in the institute as far as he had seen, so the town was the best chance there was regarding that idea. But... "I'd certainly like to see if there are any accessible phones in town, but to be frank... I'm not terribly optimistic. As sad as it is to say, there are people who have been trapped here as long as a month." And apparently lasting that long was nothing short of a miracle. "Surely these people have tried this themselves. Yet they remain here. Why do you suppose that is, Forehead?"

He didn't actually expect Justice to answer. This fact could mean several things, all of which were frankly nerve-wrecking. Unfortunately, he would have to throw out the stupid, idiotic theory he'd been forced to face repetitively. He paused a bit longer than he should have before continuing.

"Heh. Listen. You are free to believe or disbelieve as you want. I expect you'll be investigating this place plenty yourself, ja?" Because that's what a good lawyer would do. And despite your mentor, that IS what you want to be, correct? "You'll likely hear a good deal of things that make no sense. Ridiculous ideas and theories that you really have no choice but to listen to over and over. It truly is a bother." Klavier didn't normally make a habit to forewarn before an explanation, but he felt the need to in this case. Sigh.

"One such theory is that of alternate realities. ...In the literal sense." He smiled, knowing full well how absolutely ridiculous he probably sounded. He'd only spent the last few days thinking so himself when he heard it from other people. "Unfortunately, between consistent testimony and my own investigations... it's beginning to seem that's not such a ridiculous delusion after all. Many people here come from cities and even countries that simply don't exist. And others still come from places we know but have reported significant events or details that are either impossible or have never happened."

He kept a careful eye on Justice's face as he spoke, more to show he was being absolutely serious rather than to gauge a reaction. "One must wonder... If this theory is correct, even if we get to a phone, will there be anyone in Los Angeles to receive our call?"

Yes, they might not be exactly 'home' themselves. How he hated that idea. He hadn't wanted to being this up, but if he were to explain his theories and reservations, it was best Justice comprehend this concept first.

[mister_fine]

((Sorry for being slow. DX))

Apollo was silent at Prosecutor Gavin's question, though the cogs in his mind were turning rapidly to put together some possible explanations. Maybe if people just didn't have the right connections to get out of here. On the other hand, if they weren't afraid to kidnap famous people like Prosecutor Gavin, then maybe that wasn't really the case after all. Still...a whole month without sending any word to the outside world?

He was about to ask whether the older man thought the situation was really so hopeless, but stopped short when he began to explain some of the leads he'd found. And, boy, were they some leads. Apollo tried to keep his expression neutral as he listened, but the more he heard, the more his eyebrows began to knit together in obvious confusion.

Alternate...realities? It sounded like something from a movie, and all Apollo could do was let that bit of information wash over him without entirely soaking it in. He heard what Prosecutor Gavin was saying, understood his words, and realized that the man was being completely serious. But it didn't make any of this easier to swallow.

"Maybe people who come from places that don't exist really are crazy, though!" he pointed out. "I mean, you said so yourself that we can't trust a good portion of the patients here. Who's to say they aren't lying, or at least delusional?" It would make sense for whoever was running this place to grab individuals no one would miss, and, unfortunately, people who couldn't be functional members of society probably fell into that category.

Then again, that wouldn't really explain why perfectly sane people like himself and Prosecutor Gavin were stuck here. Apollo knew he wasn't terribly well-known, and so could possibly slip under the radar for a short time if he wasn't on a case, but Prosecutor Gavin? There was no way no one would notice his absence. At the very least, Detective Skye would wonder why there wasn't anything shiny distracting her while investigating the latest crime scene. That wasn't even touching all the other contacts he had from work, or all the fans he had from his music.

Apollo rubbed his eyes, holding back a sigh. Finally, he added, "Either way, we won't know for sure unless we try. That's the only way we can find out, right?" Could they really just take other people's word for it?

Still, it was unnerving to hear Prosecutor Gavin talk like this. Whether either of them believed it or not, this alternate universe theory obviously had a prominent presence among the patients here, and Apollo was going to have to learn to deal with it.