(Untitled)

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The door opens. A muzzle pokes briefly through it somewhere around shin level, then withdraws with a whine. A moment later the door opens a little farther, and this time the muzzle (and attendant dog) are nowhere to be seen; however, there's a walker, and a human in baggy grey t-shirt and shorts leaning heavily on it instead. A pale and harrowed-

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[a_mere_child]

!!!

Alyx didn't think she could rise to her feet that fast.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Eep!" says Ellen, or something like it, although that may be more because Dogmeat just dashed past her leg a little too closely. Or, given that she's gone from pale to flushed, possibly because she's realized that she's wandered into a public area in her underwear. Hard to say for sure. It's just one of those days.

[a_mere_child]

Alyx is shuffling over as fast as she can manage. "Ellen?? What--what happened?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"A rad-pulse," says Ellen, doing her best to ... well, okay, there's nothing to hide behind on the walker, and Dogmeat doesn't offer much cover for much of anything, let alone the fact that she's not wearing trousers. "The- the purifier. It was malfunctioning..."

Dogmeat leans against one of her legs and whimpers again; she swallows and attempts a smile at the dog before looking back to Alyx.

"Um. I thought this was going to be the lavatory."

[a_mere_child]

Oh, God.

"Here--" Alyx steps over next to Ellen and wraps one arm around her. "The ladies' room is this way, c'mon..."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"'kay," says Ellen, and follows along. She'll manage on her own once she gets in there, although it might be a while; eventually she'll make her way out and just really, really, really hope no one other than Alyx is paying attention.

[a_mere_child]

Alyx has taken the time to procure a blanket, which she throws over Ellen's shoulders as the younger woman exits the restroom. (She's not concerned about the semi-nudity so much as the fact that Ellen looks cold.)

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

To be honest, gym outfits imposed on fifth-graders in 1980s public schools covered roughly the same percentage of skin or less. Ellen's just from a much more conservative mindset.

But she is cold, so she offers a grateful smile to Alyx at the blanket. "Thanks," she says. "Didn't- didn't mean to come here. It- just- you know."

It's Milliways. It's like that.

[a_mere_child]

"I know," Alyx murmurs back. Then: "D'you want to sit down?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Please. The autodoc- it- not supposed to be walking," Ellen says. "Sorry."

[a_mere_child]

"Okay, just lean on me..." Alyx gently guides Ellen over to a nearby booth. (She figures the booth seat will be more comfortable and harder to fall out of than a regular chair.)

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Thanks," says Ellen, and does the best she can to keep up. Dogmeat makes this a little more difficult than necessary- this is what happens when you're a herding breed- but she makes it eventually, and sits down heavily as she draws the blanket up around herself. "Hmgh. My head... sorry. Little bit dizzy. Give me a minute."

[a_mere_child]

"Of course." Alyx settles into the seat next to her. "Take all the time you need."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Thanks."

She gets her elbows up on the table and her face in her hands for a while. Eventually she looks up. "Sorry," she says. "Hate being sick. How- is- how long since....?"

Not that time in Milliways means anything compared to time back home, but it's something to check on, right?

[a_mere_child]

"It's only been like a week for me. I don't know how long it's been here."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"'k," says Ellen. "I... don't know how- how long it- back home. I've been unconscious. Just woke up a little while ago and the autodoc yelled at me."

To be fair, it's a Mr. Gutsy, and they don't know how not to yell. But she's not really in a fair mood right now.

"At least a day. I was awake at least a day before-" She waves a hand at herself. "That's the last I remember."