035 [VIDEO

[worksmart]

[A few minutes off midnight and Chase is at a desk in the Diagnostics office. The papers spread out in front of him imply that he's at least been making an effort to catch up on charting but, bored and weary, for as long as the monitor has been on it's shown him doing nothing but tossing an oversized tennis ball from hand to hand

Comments

audio;

[adamantined]

[Silence on the line at first, considering the possibilities, then -]

Where's the fire?

[From her tone, someone might actually think she believes there is one.]

audio;

[worksmart]

[Having fielded a few of the same sort of questions by now he's getting snappier.]

No fire. [And then, as if aware of it] I can't talk right now.

audio;

[adamantined]

There's a big difference between can't and won't.

[It's imperative to break down that difference in one way or another.]

So there's no fire. Where are you going?

audio;

[worksmart]

I don't know yet. I'm trying to-- hello?

[That's obviously not to Claire, too quick and urgent and loud enough to be heard along the hallway. He's not running, but his steps quicken.]

audio;

[adamantined]

I thought so.

[It's small and quiet and half to herself, turned away and suffocated under the sound of her spitting some short distance from the receiver. Her voice is probably louder than is necessary when it returns.]

You're just following voices? Don't. It's not gonna get you anywhere but a bunch of dead ends and out of breath, especially in this place.

audio;

[worksmart]

Hello? Hello?

[He wants to say more, to call louder, but he's self conscious of the location and the listener. Going back to the phone, he's climbing more stairs.]

I'm not just following voices.

[A voice.]

audio;

[adamantined]

[Claire false-starts, breaking off as if listening, then letting a wash of silence separate what she wanted to say and what she does say.]

I'm guessing you're not following breadcrumbs either. [Another pause.] Any idea where you're going yet?

audio;

[worksmart]

Nope.

[Not unless his footfalls are audible, in which case they give their own answer - up]

I didn't realise I had to report in-- oh that's impossible.

audio;

[adamantined]

[Her shoes scrape against pavement - lucky to be wearing them - as she stands.]

You don't have to report in. I'm just...

[Trailing off to twist around, adjust something with a soft settling sound, and then back to paying attention again.]

Wondering what's impossible, wondering where you're going. [She exhales.] Wondering what you're hearing.

audio;

[worksmart]

[Whatever those noises might have meant to him, they go unheard along with her questions. He presses the device to his side and anything else is heard faintly through the rustle of cotton.]

You're not where you think you are. There's nothing-- He's not here. There's no office through here, just a block being renovated. Hole in the wall and entrance to the roof, it's not safe.

Look, it--it's Robert. It's Robert. I'll explain if you'd let me. Please mum, just calm down.

audio;

[adamantined]

[After giving words the necessary time to register - just a beat behind their delivery, really - Claire doesn't say anything immediately, and her automatic sigh is probably lost in the shuffle but hopefully the semi-alarmed quality of her tone comes through.]

Chase? [A beat.] Chase. [Again.] Hey, hello. Are you there? No one is -

[She is far enough from the hospital that getting there - going there - seems stupid, and Claire has to check herself because it's not actually her own voice telling her that but one that's just as familiar. Her steps are aggravated mostly out of defiance.]

Are you there?

audio;

[worksmart]

[He catches that last as he lifts his device to provide the only small patch of light in the entire dark, tarpaulin draped wing. Rain has blown in and the floor is slippery, all uneven surfaces and discarded equipment.]

This is insane. If I could find the damn light...

audio;

[adamantined]

Not that kind of light, shut up.

[Said as if from far away, addressing someone behind her, and as Claire steps out from the rat-a-tat shelter of an awning, the rush of rain easily drowns it down. Pretending someone who doesn't exist actually doesn't exist when you're focusing on something more singular is difficult.]

You're right about that. This is insane. Chase... [She trails off to wipe rainwater out of her eyes and mouth, practically having to shout to feel like she's being heard.] Finding the damn light... it's not-

Why would she be wherever it is you think she is? Just... think about it, okay? [A conversation rife with pauses.] Are you listening to me?

audio;

[worksmart]

[Yes, he is finally listening, albeit with the better part of his concentration devoted to exploring this wide, dark space where every guiding noise is washed out by the sounds of the driving rain. There really is a hole in the wall somewhere, where a tall window has been taken out, and the rain drums on the metal door up to the roof. But with the phone to his ear he can pick out the differences between this place and where she's speaking from.]

Are you out in this? [And of course that's his concern.] You should get back inside.

audio;

[adamantined]

Or what, I'll catch a cold?

[Her voice isn't mocking if only because she's still shouting. After a few seconds of just her breathing, the rain sounds more distant from under the outstretched hand of a shop's doorway.]

Ha ha very funny. [To Chase,] You should go back downstairs.

audio;

[worksmart]

Right. You get inside, I'll go downstairs.

[It's easier to lie than argue, however obvious, and she's right that the rain can't hurt her. ]

I'll call you. [He mutters sharply into the device, turning in a new direction now.] You're not lost, I've got you. Can you walk towards my voice?