Day 52: Intercom, Evening

[damned_intercom]

The intercom jingle was slightly different for this shift, almost as if it had gone up in quality. The Head Doctor gave a sigh of relief, his own voice clear as a bell despite the usual electronic buzz

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[scarefaux]

And there Depth Charge went, predictably saying he was fine when he didn't look at all well. It seemed to be a running theme with a lot of the people the Scarecrow had met. While he couldn't speak for other people, he was sure Depth Charge just didn't want him to worry. It was understandable- he'd felt sheepish himself over causing a fuss on more than one occasion. Then again, that was when he could fall apart and put himself back together again with no trouble; things were different now.

"Didn't check in?" he asked, heading back to his desk for a bite to eat. He'd be sorry later if he didn't at least try the food. While he was at it, he fished his flashlight from his desk drawer. "Maybe they just didn't know to do so? You don't suppose something could have happened to 'em, do you?"

Oh, the possibilities! The Scarecrow didn't like to think of all the things that could have happened to someone who'd gone missing: Sleep Studies, Special Counseling, witch attack, or worse. His only hope was that there'd be something that could be done.

[scalyfishman]

"Maybe," Depth Charge answered, sounding completely unconvinced as he raked a hand through his hair for the ten thousandth time that night. There was the slightest chance that Hime had just missed his note, admittedly, but he was sure as slag wasn't counting on it. She was a girl with an eye for- well, forget details, just about everything, and he doubted she'd just walk past a note with her name on it without stopping for a better look. Too sharp for that. Never mind that he'd offered her a chance to rip into something new- and if Hime wasn't jumping at the chance for violence, something was definitely wrong.

Which meant that he was left with the Scarecrow's second suggestion: that something had happened. Something curdled unpleasantly in the pit of his stomach at the thought, all sour milk and oil- he'd been thinking it all along, yes, but there was something about the Scarecrow of all people suggesting it that didn't sit well with him. If even Mr. Eternal Optimist was looking that way...

Reluctantly, he nodded. "That's what I'm thinking." A pause, then he looked away, eyes steely. "We've got a couple of two-way radios; if she doesn't buzz me back when night falls, I'm going after her."

[scarefaux]

Having finally dug into his meal after fiddling with his utensils, the Scarecrow could only nod in response. Questions involving the radios- the Scarecrow couldn't think of a time he'd ever carried his, given he never could figure out what it was supposed to do in the first place- would have to wait. There were far, far more important matters at the moment: a friend of Depth Charge's was possibly missing, and that was never a good thing. At least she had someone willing to go after her- chances were there were a lot of patients like Scar, unlucky enough to have a roommate who simply didn't care or wouldn't try to find them.

"Would you mind if I came with you?" he asked after a moment, spinning around in his chair, feeling bold for even bringing up such a suggestion. "I promise I won't get in the way, and I won't try to manage things because I can't think, but if something did happen to her and you need to find her, I'm sure I could find a way to help."

[scalyfishman]

Now that he hadn't been expecting. Depth Charge had just opened his drawer to fish out the radios and demonstrate them to the Scarecrow- odds were he probably wouldn't know what he was talking about unless there was some sort of magical equivalent wherever he came from- when the guy came out with his offer. He stopped, blinked, then gave the man a slightly wondering look.

"You're a pretty strange guy, Scarecrow," he said, shaking his head slightly. But only part of that wonderment was aimed at his roommate, because Depth Charge suddenly knew what he was about to say and it felt pretty fragging weird. "Sure. Why not? Means I can keep an eye on you."

It wasn't just that, though. There was more to it, he was sure. Maybe it was that curdled milk feeling in his gut telling him he wasn't about to find good news in Hime's room, or maybe he was just going soft- either way, and as much as he hated to admit it, he wanted someone else to be there, because somewhere in the back of his processor he was still playing that breakdown from his second night over and over, and he couldn't let it happen again. Not when he had people to look out for.