Night 55: M31-40 Hallway
Ritsuka had feared this would happen. When he returned to his room for dinner, the other bed had been empty. It wasn't the sort of empty that happened when someone simply wasn't there yet, but the heavy absence of a space mourning its owner. Ritsuka had felt this void before, far too many times, and it never got any easier. His roommate, whom he had never gotten the name of, was gone and now he ate alone. It was the first time since he'd arrived that he was actually completely alone in his room and Ritsuka felt the silence bite into him the longer the shift continued.
He missed Tamaki. He missed Nataku. He even missed the boys he hadn't been able to talk to for one reason or another. Their mere presence had been a comfort to him, but they were gone now and all that remained where the fading memories of the time they'd spent together.
He ate what little he could of his meal and then shoved the tray aside. It had taken some time until he realized what the metal container was for, but when he'd found his camera and backpack missing, he'd turned to the box - and found it. So they knew the patients had contraband. They knew everything and they did nothing. The realization made his heart ache and tears of anger burn his eyes. Why would they do this? Why would they keep hurting people?! What reason could ever justify this?!
Taking his pillow, he threw it against the wall and that was when the intercom turned on. His head snapped up to toward the speaker and he screamed at the man who sat silent on the other side. "Why do you do this?! What is wrong with you?!" There was no answer of course and Ritsuka deflated, hugging his knees to his chest, eventually forced to cover his ears with his hands - both ears, because as soon as the sun set, his feline features returned. The man spoke and Ritsuka screamed at him to no avail. There was no way the man on the other side could hear him, but that didn't stop him from screaming anyway. He hated him. He hated the people who forced his friends to go through this. He hated the people who'd taken Alfons and Miku and Soubi and everyone else away. He hated them...
But his hatred wouldn't change anything. It only brought tears that wouldn't bring any of his friends back or save anyone still here. It did nothing, and that was the worst realization of them all.
Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, Ritsuka grabbed the shears from the box and continued his usual ritual of cutting a hole for his tail in his pants. The beret had fallen off somewhere in his tantrum, but he let it stay wherever it had gone. With his ears back, it wouldn't fit anyway and he needed them to be unhindered considering where he was going. His hearing was back and the ache was gone, but the memories of the dangers that lurked in the halls would never leave him. Picking up the backpack and checking the supplies inside, he exchanged the shears for his flashlight and then stopped.
He wanted to leave this empty room, but he'd promised he'd wait for a bit for Ippo to show. He'd promised... With a heavy sigh, Ritsuka set the backpack down on the floor next to his desk. He would wait for awhile like he said and then he'd leave a note if things took too long. He had to keep his promises, since so few people here ever did.
[M35]
He missed Tamaki. He missed Nataku. He even missed the boys he hadn't been able to talk to for one reason or another. Their mere presence had been a comfort to him, but they were gone now and all that remained where the fading memories of the time they'd spent together.
He ate what little he could of his meal and then shoved the tray aside. It had taken some time until he realized what the metal container was for, but when he'd found his camera and backpack missing, he'd turned to the box - and found it. So they knew the patients had contraband. They knew everything and they did nothing. The realization made his heart ache and tears of anger burn his eyes. Why would they do this? Why would they keep hurting people?! What reason could ever justify this?!
Taking his pillow, he threw it against the wall and that was when the intercom turned on. His head snapped up to toward the speaker and he screamed at the man who sat silent on the other side. "Why do you do this?! What is wrong with you?!" There was no answer of course and Ritsuka deflated, hugging his knees to his chest, eventually forced to cover his ears with his hands - both ears, because as soon as the sun set, his feline features returned. The man spoke and Ritsuka screamed at him to no avail. There was no way the man on the other side could hear him, but that didn't stop him from screaming anyway. He hated him. He hated the people who forced his friends to go through this. He hated the people who'd taken Alfons and Miku and Soubi and everyone else away. He hated them...
But his hatred wouldn't change anything. It only brought tears that wouldn't bring any of his friends back or save anyone still here. It did nothing, and that was the worst realization of them all.
Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, Ritsuka grabbed the shears from the box and continued his usual ritual of cutting a hole for his tail in his pants. The beret had fallen off somewhere in his tantrum, but he let it stay wherever it had gone. With his ears back, it wouldn't fit anyway and he needed them to be unhindered considering where he was going. His hearing was back and the ache was gone, but the memories of the dangers that lurked in the halls would never leave him. Picking up the backpack and checking the supplies inside, he exchanged the shears for his flashlight and then stopped.
He wanted to leave this empty room, but he'd promised he'd wait for a bit for Ippo to show. He'd promised... With a heavy sigh, Ritsuka set the backpack down on the floor next to his desk. He would wait for awhile like he said and then he'd leave a note if things took too long. He had to keep his promises, since so few people here ever did.
[M35]