Taking the long road home

[bloodyashes]

Characters: Anyone. Everyone.
Setting: The few days after the event, throughout the Tower as you will.
Format: Mingle! Assign your own dates/locations/etc, tag yourself, do as you do.
Summary: Jason's dead. So are a lot of other people. Fallout and picking up the pieces.
Warnings: Discussion of death and cannibalism inevitable.

[Catch-all for events following the Event. Discuss Jason's death and its consequences, come back from the dead, party?, quiver in fear?, take a long, hot bath. Whatever it is you do, do it here.]

Comments

immediately following Jasondeath, hidden floor - closed to first poster(s?)

[bashfulshifter]

[It's probably fortunate that Rick reverts to his human form when he loses consciousness--it's the only thing that guarantees that the chipped units are able to safely bring him to the hidden elevator and drag him somewhere out-of-the-way. Of course, blacking out in general is just not a good thing, particularly in the middle of trying to escape a near-fatal confrontation with Jason. He doesn't remember how he got here, or what happened to Amelia, Elena, and Xion--or Jason, now that he thinks about it. For the several minutes after he wakes up, all Rick knows is pain.]

[The bleeding is manageable now, if only because the scalpels causing it are still lodged in his side and arm, like a meaty pincushion meeting a particularly ornery porcupine; the hand on the same side was crushed for his attempts to strike back, and now rests awkwardly on his stomach shuddering with raspy, unsteady breathing. It causes him enough discomfort just to prop himself sitting, and those fresh spurts of blood leaking into his already soaked clothing make Rick understandably nervous about just how much is still left in his wireframe body. If his lightheadedness is any indication, not much at all.]

[Rick is, at least, too tired to scream. But in the meanwhile, he worries--enough to keep him focused, something to grasp onto along with his consciousness. Small victories, right?]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[The exit had been... less than what Veronica had desired. Ruana had appeared, and everyone was too weak to even think about putting up a fight. Veronica herself had been forced to flee with an arm covered in bleeding wounds and one or two scalpels still stuck. The sudden light-headedness she experienced as she got out of there and regained her abilities wasn't welcomed in the slightest.

She was bleeding out, but she could manage it if she got her first aid supplies.

The hidden room was where she came through first, just about to leave for her own room until she saw Rick.]

R-rick... o-oh, oh no...

[bashfulshifter]

[It's difficult for Rick to really pinpoint what he feels when Veronica appears in his immediate field of vision. There's the blanket pain, obviously, and all the dizziness and delirium that comes with it, and so far that's done a good enough job of monopolizing his attention. Now it just serves to confuse him, while his mind shuffles between being relieved that Veronica is alive and horrified by her state of affairs.]

[He settles on the latter. Thoughts of his own injuries drift to the back of his mind, present only in that he's incapable of standing up and carrying Veronica to the infirmary himself. For the moment, Rick can only manage bleary panic.]

V--V-Veronica-- [The blonde man gasps involuntarily; talking hurts, amplifying the burning pain in his side. But this is important!] --y-your arm...y-you c-c-can't...

[stitchedupbodyguard]

F-forget about my arm! [Her voice came out an octave higher than it should have. She was panicking.] Y-y-you're.... You're...

[To be honest, Veronica would have carried Rick herself. Her arm wasn't really in working order at the moment though, so...] You n-need help!

[bashfulshifter]

[Forget about her arm? How is he supposed to do that? She's bleeding so much! Rick tries to articulate his argument but ultimately finds his lungs incapable; what comes out are the starts of stammers, weak and wheezing, which rapidly devolve into pained gasps until he gives up and gathers his breath more effectively.]

[After some consideration: ] ...W-We...b-b-both d-do...

[His mouth twists up in an awkward smile, parted with a laugh that is impossible to voice. Rick isn't sure why he finds this so funny.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[NO STOP LAUGHING THAT MAKES THINGS EVEN WORSE]

I-I c-can go g-g-get help. You'll b-be f-fine.... I...

[She looks lost. Like, really lost. She doesn't even notice her bleeding arm anymore.]

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick winds down slowly with deep, careful breaths, wheezing and hitching with each unsteady rise of his chest.]

...Y-Yeah...I-I'll be... [Goodness, this talking thing is more taxing than usual. Rick squeezes his eyes shut and cuts that thought short, concentrating on more important things.] ...Y-You n-need...y-your arm i-is...

[Has he mentioned that before? Maybe, can't remember. It's important, though! Very important...]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Unfortunately, neither of them really seem to be very concerned with their own wounds at the moment. And Veronica's steadily growing more worried.]

I k-know about m-my arm. I-I'll g-get it healed later. [Geeze, she's only bleeding out, calm down.]

I... I-I'm sorry. A-about n-not leaving the m-maze earlier. I w-wouldn't b-be hurt if I'd j-just...

[bashfulshifter]

[He quickly shakes his head.]

--D-Don't...d-d-don't be, I-I... [Head spinning, need a moment.] ...I sh--shouldn't...h-h-hold you b-b-back...