Despite how much he loved his job, it was nice to step away from Medical and contagion for a few minutes. It was exhausting, and draining, to simply be able to watch and not do anything to help them.
This at least let him feel proactive, even if the gathering of mundane details would likely prove useless in the end. He paused at the edge of the property, taking the moment to observe the dark haired woman and her seemingly single-minded task of weeding. She seemed almost...manic, if he had to put a name to it. And why not, her son was sick with something they didn't know how to cure. Family always had the very difficult job of simply trying to stay out of the way. And with this illness, it was even harder.
"Mr. Williams," she says flatly, not looking up from the pointless hole she's digging. The ground around her is strewn with upturned soil and plants ripped to ribbons. "You can come onto the property. I'm sure you can't damage it any more than I already have."
She takes a deep breath and finally looks up. "How is he?" Her voice cracks a bit.
He didn't comment on the damage, stepping up to the garden and watching her for a moment before he responded. "He's doing well, it seems to have stabilized for the moment and given us time to gather information. I think for the most part, he seems bored. He's rather...reticent with sharing information, though. Which is why I contacted you. You raised a very independent and intelligent son, Ms. Salazar. Don't worry, we will fix this."
He kept his voice level, confident and polite. That was one of the first things he'd learn, the ability to express confidence to patient's family that he lacked himself.
"What happened? Is it just his memories? Does he have a head injury?" She barely forms a half-smile at his compliment, ducking her head instead of meeting his eyes. Being complimented for raising him feels almost like a slap in the face, now that all the years she spent dead or hidden in her own head are so fresh in her memory. She pulls her arms from the earth and wipes a wrist over her forehead, leaving a muddy trail. She sits back on her heels and knees, eyes closed. "Can I see him, or is he still convinced that I'm not myself?"
Zouichi watches for a moment as Eva digs; she did say she was willing to talk to him, but the dirt, weeds, and flowers she's uprooting don't seem to be following any particular pattern. It's not exactly the gardening style he would have expected from the poised, gracious woman leading the book club.
"I can come back if this is a bad time," he says softly, so as not to startle her. Partially because he doesn't want her to hurl a trowel at his head in surprise, partially because she's no doubt got something on her mind and he doesn't want to add to that.
She sits back, taking in Stacy's fake sky for a moment. "No, this is as good a time as any. Better, even. You just...well, now that it's all over the front pages I'm sure you know my son's in the Med Bay with this memory loss thing."
She wipes her hands on her jeans, standing up slowly, as if her body hurts. She doesn't yet face him, instead examining the wreckage of her previously perfect rows of plants. "You can come into the garden. It's fine."
"Yes. Marco. I might have even met him before, although not in human form. However, I know several people in Medical. I know they won't rest until they find a way to help him."
With her permission, he steps forward, picking one of the flowering plants gently from where it had been hurled from its prior resting place, cradling it in one hand. "You have quite a few talents."
"Ooh, good to hear about Medical. Once I know persistence can cure cancer and strong work ethics are better than morphine, I'm sure I'll feel better," she snaps, turning her head to glare at him before she softens and looks away again. All this anger and frustration has nowhere to go, and so she's not only upset, she's downright cranky. Lashing out at innocents only provides relief for the half a second it takes for her to realize she's being inappropriate. "Sorry. It's been a long day."
She drops her eyes to the flower in his hand. Somehow it surprises her that someone from Security - or that anyone in this angry situation - can be so gentle, treat something with delicacy.
"Well, obviously this isn't me in my most professional attire-" or state of mind- "but what questions did you have? What did Iniss tell you?"
Kang had been meaning to check on Eva that day, and of course, that meant that Karen had to go with him. He knew she'd probably like being around another human, especially one that was a mother herself, and that Eva would like to see the girl as well. He thought he remembered seeing a VCR and a few Disney movies in the living room, too, so that'd keep her occupied for a bit. There really wasn't much for a child to do on the ship beyond going to one of the parks in the City or the Sensoriums, and he'd done both already. Yesterday, she'd wanted to go to the circus, so he'd obliged and imagined it up for her.
He walked beside Karen, keeping a little bit of distance since she still hadn't quite stopped being nervous around him, and smiled when he saw Eva in her garden. "There she is, Karen."
Karen had finally gotten more or less used to being around Kang. He was still scary-looking, but she knew he wasn't going to do anything. So she was all right, now. Ish.
She hung back when Kang introduced her to the woman. She waved a little. "Hi."
Eva's in the side of the yard, gathering all her dead flowers and weeds into a big pile and smoothing the upturned soil back down. It's less satisfying work than just ripping everything up was, but now that the garden's been ravaged someone needs to take responsibility for fixing it again. As probably the only person who cares about the garden, and as the person who caused all this damage, she takes the task on without complaint.
She looks up when she hears Karen's little-kid voice. She smiles and waves one hand. She feels a pang of sorrow at how young Karen is to have lived through infestation. "Hello, you two. Karen, it's nice to meet you. I'm Eva."
The state of the garden didn't escape Kang's notice, but he didn't say anything, instead just quirking an eyebrow ridge at Eva curiously. If she wanted to talk about it later when Karen wasn't in earshot, he'd listen.
He knelt down and motioned toward Eva, smiling at the girl reassuringly, "It's okay. You'll like her."
Comments 153
This at least let him feel proactive, even if the gathering of mundane details would likely prove useless in the end. He paused at the edge of the property, taking the moment to observe the dark haired woman and her seemingly single-minded task of weeding. She seemed almost...manic, if he had to put a name to it. And why not, her son was sick with something they didn't know how to cure. Family always had the very difficult job of simply trying to stay out of the way. And with this illness, it was even harder.
"Ms. Salazar?"
Reply
She takes a deep breath and finally looks up. "How is he?" Her voice cracks a bit.
Reply
He kept his voice level, confident and polite. That was one of the first things he'd learn, the ability to express confidence to patient's family that he lacked himself.
Reply
Reply
"I can come back if this is a bad time," he says softly, so as not to startle her. Partially because he doesn't want her to hurl a trowel at his head in surprise, partially because she's no doubt got something on her mind and he doesn't want to add to that.
Reply
She wipes her hands on her jeans, standing up slowly, as if her body hurts. She doesn't yet face him, instead examining the wreckage of her previously perfect rows of plants. "You can come into the garden. It's fine."
Reply
With her permission, he steps forward, picking one of the flowering plants gently from where it had been hurled from its prior resting place, cradling it in one hand. "You have quite a few talents."
Reply
She drops her eyes to the flower in his hand. Somehow it surprises her that someone from Security - or that anyone in this angry situation - can be so gentle, treat something with delicacy.
"Well, obviously this isn't me in my most professional attire-" or state of mind- "but what questions did you have? What did Iniss tell you?"
Reply
He walked beside Karen, keeping a little bit of distance since she still hadn't quite stopped being nervous around him, and smiled when he saw Eva in her garden. "There she is, Karen."
Reply
She hung back when Kang introduced her to the woman. She waved a little. "Hi."
Reply
She looks up when she hears Karen's little-kid voice. She smiles and waves one hand. She feels a pang of sorrow at how young Karen is to have lived through infestation. "Hello, you two. Karen, it's nice to meet you. I'm Eva."
Reply
He knelt down and motioned toward Eva, smiling at the girl reassuringly, "It's okay. You'll like her."
Reply
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