Post by The Madness Menagerie on Nov 12, 2020 19:52:27 GMT -5
November 4th 2020
Still the hospital
With every step toward Zephyr’s room that Mia took, it felt as if gravity was increasing. Each step was heavy and Mia could feel herself being pulled back to that waiting room, say that she was full of shit and she honestly had no idea what she was doing. But there was something about this, about saving Zephyr from the clutches of The Institute that Mia felt was part of an important part of her destiny.
Not that she really believed in destiny.
Finally making it to the room, Mia softly knocks, always trying to be polite. Of course Zephyr doesn’t stir, still hooked up to all of the dreaded hospital machines that make all the beeping noises that drove Mia up the proverbial wall. She plops down heavily in the chair and looks over at her sister, eyes still closed and unresponsive. Not even a twitch. Mia sighs, choking back her own tears and as she sniffles, she notices that she isn’t the only one in the room. Trent Steel comes out from behind the door, his eyes on Mia. She glances at him briefly as a janitor makes his way by outside the door, idly mopping the hallway. Her voice felt foreign to her but to say that she was surprised to see Trent was an understatement.
“I thought you were under house arrest?”
Trent shrugs before heading over to the bed and taking Zephyr by the hand and squeezing briefly, a very human gesture for a man like Trent, but again, Mia has seen the best and worst of people, so Trent acting with sympathy wasn’t outside the realm of possibility, just not one that Mia considered.
“Got bored and some things are more important. As much as I’ll deny it if it ever comes out afterward, Zeph grew on me. She brought out the best in people… She brought out the best in me. I should have been there more Mia, I’m sor…”
His words are cut off by Mia shooting her hand up and shaking her head, a smile on her face.
“If it weren’t for you and Mac, this conversation wouldn’t be happening right now Trent. What happened to Zephyr isn’t on anyone but me. You and Mac gave me my sister back and what better way to repay you both than to bring her back, right?”
Mia provides another hopeful smile but Trent could tell that she wasn’t all about it. Her gaze is drawn back to Zephyr.
“I’m not good at this Mia, never have been. But as important as Zeph is to me, Mac, Belle… You, and don’t you dare give me that look.” He scolds her as she scowls at him but it’s playful in nature. It’s almost painful to watch though since it’s two people that had no idea how to be touchy feely, “You’re right up there with her in terms of importance to people. The uncertainty of all of this… It’s a lot to shoulder and if anyone was going to do it, make it look easy, and come out on the other end better than before, it’s going to be you.”
Mia smiles at his words and gets up, patting him on the hand and giving him a brief hug.
“Thank you, Trent. Now, if you’ll pardon me, I have a life to save and less awkward things to do.”
The two share a laugh as the janitor comes back in… Pauses as he watches Mia and Trent, and then continues on his path. Trent gestures to Mia behind them, “You do realize that janitor was just checking you out right?”
Mia smiles knowingly, “Yeah, might want some kind of autograph of something. So many employees have tried while I’ve been here, just never really stopped to pay them any mind. What’s one before I head out into the unknown?”
Mia heads to the door and peeks out, unable to find anyone in the abandoned hallway. She turns back toward Trent and shrugs her shoulders, just as the janitor reappears behind her and smacks her over the head with a bedpan! A loud clank can be heard as Mia goes down to a knee, dizzily grabbing at her head before turning slightly. “Hello love, thanks…”
Ataxia, dressed in a janitor costume, doesn’t let her finish as he delivers another blow to the crown of her head, Mia goes down unconscious as Ataxia tosses the pan toward Trent who only sidesteps it, letting it clatter to the floor as he helps Ataxia get Mia onto a fold up cot that Belle used to sleep on. Once they get her on the cot Ataxia removes the latex mask he was wearing to hide who he was, and puts the brown burlap mask on. Together they push the cot next to Zephyr’s bed and bring Mia’s hand so it rests lightly on Zephyr’s. Ataxia then leans down and gives Mia a light kiss on the forehead, a peck on the nose, and then one on the lips. Trent scoffs.
“Romantic much?”
Ataxia sighs, “She’s been through a lot, probably more than we even know. Even if it’s something small, she deserves to know that she isn’t on her own anymore.” He shrugs as Trent observes the two sisters.
“A bedpan though? Explain why that part was necessary?”
Ataxia laughs, “Because imagine the stories! There’s no such thing as a bad story that doesn’t start with getting hit with a bed pan and…” Ataxia sighs, knowing what Trent meant, “And in order for Mia to successfully make it to a place she can help her sister, she has to be unconscious. Physical contact should help the process. Thanks for your help by the way. Know you didn’t have to…”
Trent shrugs, his eyes still on the two women, and then on Ataxia, the closest thing he’s had to an adopted family in a while, “Yeah. I did.” Trent shrugs again and goes to leave, Ataxia following behind and shutting the door lightly on the two of them. “By the way...it’s best I keep my distance from you and her for now. I dunno if whoever did this to me is watching us.”
“I’ll keep an ear out through channels...might be time to call in the last of us.” Ataxia says as Trent stops. The two glare at each other. An unspoken secret that they don’t want to get into. Trent, being the first to speak, does not seem amused at the thought.
“I’ll be damned if I call that asshole in Jersey.” Trent spits out as he puts his shades on. Hoping to avoid anyone else from the Carnage locker room.
“You may not have a choice in the matter Sensei.” Ataxia says smiling a big red toothed grin at Trent as the two go their separate ways. “If you need me...you know how to call.”
Trent nods and heads down the hallway. Alone again. Story of his life.
Still the hospital
With every step toward Zephyr’s room that Mia took, it felt as if gravity was increasing. Each step was heavy and Mia could feel herself being pulled back to that waiting room, say that she was full of shit and she honestly had no idea what she was doing. But there was something about this, about saving Zephyr from the clutches of The Institute that Mia felt was part of an important part of her destiny.
Not that she really believed in destiny.
Finally making it to the room, Mia softly knocks, always trying to be polite. Of course Zephyr doesn’t stir, still hooked up to all of the dreaded hospital machines that make all the beeping noises that drove Mia up the proverbial wall. She plops down heavily in the chair and looks over at her sister, eyes still closed and unresponsive. Not even a twitch. Mia sighs, choking back her own tears and as she sniffles, she notices that she isn’t the only one in the room. Trent Steel comes out from behind the door, his eyes on Mia. She glances at him briefly as a janitor makes his way by outside the door, idly mopping the hallway. Her voice felt foreign to her but to say that she was surprised to see Trent was an understatement.
“I thought you were under house arrest?”
Trent shrugs before heading over to the bed and taking Zephyr by the hand and squeezing briefly, a very human gesture for a man like Trent, but again, Mia has seen the best and worst of people, so Trent acting with sympathy wasn’t outside the realm of possibility, just not one that Mia considered.
“Got bored and some things are more important. As much as I’ll deny it if it ever comes out afterward, Zeph grew on me. She brought out the best in people… She brought out the best in me. I should have been there more Mia, I’m sor…”
His words are cut off by Mia shooting her hand up and shaking her head, a smile on her face.
“If it weren’t for you and Mac, this conversation wouldn’t be happening right now Trent. What happened to Zephyr isn’t on anyone but me. You and Mac gave me my sister back and what better way to repay you both than to bring her back, right?”
Mia provides another hopeful smile but Trent could tell that she wasn’t all about it. Her gaze is drawn back to Zephyr.
“I’m not good at this Mia, never have been. But as important as Zeph is to me, Mac, Belle… You, and don’t you dare give me that look.” He scolds her as she scowls at him but it’s playful in nature. It’s almost painful to watch though since it’s two people that had no idea how to be touchy feely, “You’re right up there with her in terms of importance to people. The uncertainty of all of this… It’s a lot to shoulder and if anyone was going to do it, make it look easy, and come out on the other end better than before, it’s going to be you.”
Mia smiles at his words and gets up, patting him on the hand and giving him a brief hug.
“Thank you, Trent. Now, if you’ll pardon me, I have a life to save and less awkward things to do.”
The two share a laugh as the janitor comes back in… Pauses as he watches Mia and Trent, and then continues on his path. Trent gestures to Mia behind them, “You do realize that janitor was just checking you out right?”
Mia smiles knowingly, “Yeah, might want some kind of autograph of something. So many employees have tried while I’ve been here, just never really stopped to pay them any mind. What’s one before I head out into the unknown?”
Mia heads to the door and peeks out, unable to find anyone in the abandoned hallway. She turns back toward Trent and shrugs her shoulders, just as the janitor reappears behind her and smacks her over the head with a bedpan! A loud clank can be heard as Mia goes down to a knee, dizzily grabbing at her head before turning slightly. “Hello love, thanks…”
Ataxia, dressed in a janitor costume, doesn’t let her finish as he delivers another blow to the crown of her head, Mia goes down unconscious as Ataxia tosses the pan toward Trent who only sidesteps it, letting it clatter to the floor as he helps Ataxia get Mia onto a fold up cot that Belle used to sleep on. Once they get her on the cot Ataxia removes the latex mask he was wearing to hide who he was, and puts the brown burlap mask on. Together they push the cot next to Zephyr’s bed and bring Mia’s hand so it rests lightly on Zephyr’s. Ataxia then leans down and gives Mia a light kiss on the forehead, a peck on the nose, and then one on the lips. Trent scoffs.
“Romantic much?”
Ataxia sighs, “She’s been through a lot, probably more than we even know. Even if it’s something small, she deserves to know that she isn’t on her own anymore.” He shrugs as Trent observes the two sisters.
“A bedpan though? Explain why that part was necessary?”
Ataxia laughs, “Because imagine the stories! There’s no such thing as a bad story that doesn’t start with getting hit with a bed pan and…” Ataxia sighs, knowing what Trent meant, “And in order for Mia to successfully make it to a place she can help her sister, she has to be unconscious. Physical contact should help the process. Thanks for your help by the way. Know you didn’t have to…”
Trent shrugs, his eyes still on the two women, and then on Ataxia, the closest thing he’s had to an adopted family in a while, “Yeah. I did.” Trent shrugs again and goes to leave, Ataxia following behind and shutting the door lightly on the two of them. “By the way...it’s best I keep my distance from you and her for now. I dunno if whoever did this to me is watching us.”
“I’ll keep an ear out through channels...might be time to call in the last of us.” Ataxia says as Trent stops. The two glare at each other. An unspoken secret that they don’t want to get into. Trent, being the first to speak, does not seem amused at the thought.
“I’ll be damned if I call that asshole in Jersey.” Trent spits out as he puts his shades on. Hoping to avoid anyone else from the Carnage locker room.
“You may not have a choice in the matter Sensei.” Ataxia says smiling a big red toothed grin at Trent as the two go their separate ways. “If you need me...you know how to call.”
Trent nods and heads down the hallway. Alone again. Story of his life.