[Video]

[luke_triton]

[The video feed turns on, and the screen is shaking so hard it's hard to make out Luke's face. When the screen is still enough to focus, it's clear Luke's not doing very well: his hat is crooked, his face flushed with a fever, and his eyes watering slightly against how much everything hurt. He eventually gives up and drops the communicator onto the

Comments

[Video]

[sojournsparrow]

[Haer'Dalis gives the young boy a worried look]

Are you alright lad? You look like you stared into the depths of hell, and were then sucked in and spat back out again.

[Video]

[luke_triton]

[In response to his worried look, Luke looks incredibly confused.]

I...I d-don't un-underst-stand wh-what you are t-talking a-about.

[Now would be a good time to use small words and short sentences, though if Luke could understand what Haer'Dalis said, he would have agreed that some really scary stuff had happened in the last week or so.]

[Video]

[sojournsparrow]

[Now he's genuinely concerned.]

Are you okay? Are you sick? Do you need help?

[Video]

[luke_triton]

I th-think I'm s-sick...i-it's r-really c-cold and e-everything h-hurts and I d-don't r-remember how I g-got here.

[Even gentlemen get scared and Luke is almost beside himself and, somehow, Haer'Dalis is the first person to ask.]

[Video]

[sojournsparrow]

Do you... do you have anyone there who can help you? You should try to find yourself a blanket to wrap yourself in at least.

Re: [Video]

[luke_triton]

I d-don't k-know i-if anyone's h-here..

[He glances around him and shivers. He starts to process that he is inside, in a room that is white. Ish. He's in the hospital, but has not caught on yet. He does identify a blanket, though, and gingerly tugs it around himself.]

St-still c-cold...

[Video]

[sojournsparrow]

Where are you lad? You should try to eat something hot... or maybe drink some tea... Soup or tea are definitely advisable.

[Video]

[luke_triton]

I'm n-not sure where I a-am.

[He turns the communicator around, still functioning under the idea that if he can't figure out where he is, maybe someone else could.

At the suggestion of food--even tea--he cringes and shakes his head.]

N-no...I don't think anything t-to eat or drink is a g-good idea..

[Video]

[sojournsparrow]

Ah, you're nauseous too?

... do you know what happened to you?

[Video]

[luke_triton]

[He turns the communicator screen back to facing him, having given a brief and shaky view of the room in the hospital he was deposited in, and then nods weakly.]

I th-think so..

[Video]

[sojournsparrow]

Can you talk about it?

[Video]

[luke_triton]

[He shrinks from the screen, and winces, sniffling.]

D...do...

Th-that shadow...the ones th-that have been following us...

It attacked...a-and...

[He shudders, and it's not from the cold or the fever, and then shakes his head.]

Do I h-have to?

[Video]

[sojournsparrow]

Ah! [Haer'Dalis winced knowing now what had happened to the poor boy.]

No, no that's alright you don't need to tell me. I think I know now what it was that happened to you. It happened to some of my other friends too... I just knew them well enough I could save them. Truly, I am so sorry I had not known you well enough to know you had been possessed by a doppelganger.

[Video]

[luke_triton]

[Luke stared at the communicator, eyes wide as saucers. Possessed by a doppelganger? He remembered being killed--violently, at that--but he didn't have any idea about the doppelganger-ing.]

Doppel...g-ganger? Like someone p-pretending to be me?

I didn't know...b-but I was talking about it...

[Articulation skills failing him, Luke fell silent. With the thoughts of the shadow killing him, his stomach turned unpleasantly and he pushed the communicator away from his face, retching off the video feed. A minute later, he turns the communicator back so he can see Haer'Dalis, shivering.]

S-sorry..

[Video]

[sojournsparrow]

If anyone should be apologizing, it is I.

[Video]

[luke_triton]

[He shivers and coughs, confused.]

W..why?