(Untitled)

[latino_menace]

Ramon comes out of the elevator looking like he's stoned or something. Which is, as it goes, exactly what he is. It occured to him at some point this morning that after his accident the other day, his horse is still on the loose and he should probably do something about that. It took a while to psych himself up to it though and now he's meandering

Comments

[ostro_goth]

"Greetings, Ramon Salazar," Teja says, quite pleasantly.

Something is off with the man today.

[latino_menace]

Teja is both observant and completely correct.

Ramon's eyes open almost fully, then he blinks slowly.

'Teja.'

He speaks a tad slower also, his accent a little thicker because he's not putting as much energy as usual into his voice.

[ostro_goth]

"How are you faring?" Teja asks, pleasantly again.

He will remain quite polite, at least until he determines just what it is with Ramon.

[latino_menace]

He is indifferent to this question and knows that Teja is indifferent to the answer.

'Fine.'

Just fine. Everything's fine, when you're like this. He doesn't even show the usual annoyance at having the man around.

[ostro_goth]

"What made it so fine?" Teja asks.

Who knows, the man might just tell.

[latino_menace]

He blinks, not ready for this question.

'Painkillers.'

It doesn't cost him anything to tell the truth. But although this particular painkiller makes you just about incapable of feeling anger or anything like it, a blank part of his mind reminds him that he thinks Teja's an asshole.

'Strong painkillers.'

[ostro_goth]

Teja sits.

"What caused the pain which needed to be killed?" he asks.

[latino_menace]

'My horse.'

He thinks of the incident as though it happened to someone else, and a long time ago.

'He spooked and trod on me.'

The last comes out in Spanish but no doubt the bar translates easily enough.

[ostro_goth]

It does -- Teja hears it as Latin, not Gothic as usually. But he understands Latin just as well as his mother tongue.

"That must have been truly painful," Teja says. "Did you go to the infirmary here, or merely take these pain-killers to forget about your wounds?"

[latino_menace]

He wonders, objectively, if that's sympathy he's hearing or maybe the man is enjoying this information?

He couldn't care less either way.

'Don't need a doctor.'

This is a big lie but he couldn't bring himself to go before he took the drugs and can't feel it hurt now that he has, so it has ceased to matter.

[ostro_goth]

"I am sure Guppy would help you," Teja says. "He is a good doctor, and even helped Urquhart, when he was seized by madness. He would make sure, one assumes, that the places your horse kicked you in would not heal skewed."

[latino_menace]

He tries to place a face to the name and can't, though he has the notion they might have met at some point in the distant past.

'No.'

Can't feel anger, can't feel fear. But he did this morning, before he picked up the needle again. The idea of permanent damage scares the shit out of him. Or did, a few hours ago.

[ostro_goth]

"It would be a great pity," Teja says, "if something healed wrong, and needed to be broken again, to heal straight. I have seen it, with battle wounds. Such things would cripple men worse than the wounds themselves."

Pause.

"You can trust Guppy, no matter who you are."

[latino_menace]

Ramon just looks at him, almost completely devoid of expression.

'What does it matter to you?'

It's not like he wanted any more kids anyway.

'I don't need a doctor.'

[ostro_goth]

"Must you keep taking those pain-killers, then?" Teja asks. "And will they make you as placid as you are now?"

No snarl. No tequila. No death threats.

Good.

[latino_menace]

'I'll take them until I don't have to anymore.'

Later, he'll be pissed at himself for staying down here like this.

'And you should have learned by now that I'm never placid.'