My eyes are open wide

[pythianjudgment]

Who| Terezi, open to visitors.
What| Making it across the finish line means no reset for her. Terezi spends a few days in medical care to recover from her injuries.
Where| Hospital/medical room, etc.
When| Post Mini Arena.
Warnings/Notes| Talk of injury, etc.


If there was any situation that Terezi could point to and say that dying would have been the better option... This is probably it. Being stabbed was bad enough. The grueling trek to the finish line was worse. Did she really need so many medical staff poking and prodding at everything that hurt on top of that? Not as far as she's concerned.

That might be a lie, but anyone would be hard-pressed to get her to admit it. After regaining consciousness, Terezi spends most of the first day fading in an out of sleep. When awake and in the days after, most of her time is spent trying to keep up with the events going on outside of her room--or alternately, trying not to think about how that arena had ended. Not if they wanted her to keep food down, anyway.

There are times throughout the day when visitors are allowed in. She's not certain who she expects to visit her, but she tries to be awake for those hours nonetheless. Sometimes she is, sometimes she isn't. Either way, what will be immediately noticeable to any who know her is that the brand on her cheek is gone.

There is also a stuffed dragon seated on her bedside table. The Thank You card that it came with can be found dropped on the floor somewhere. She has a good guess who it's from, and she didn't bother to pick it back up again.

Comments

[carnagecarnival]

Deaths like what he just experienced were difficult. Not to wake up from, exactly, no. But to suddenly awake to everything being fine, with only the ghost sensation of dissolving flesh and bone and watching it happen to his ownself through a veil of green. When he woke, he could still feel the faint pricks of it all.

But more pressing still, was finding Terezi. She'd been injured. He remembers that. He'd carried her on to the end, a wound in her bleeding warm upon his back. He remembers letting her go. She'd crossed the finish line. He doesn't remember seeing nothing come down on her, thank Messiahs, but he didn't know what that meant for her survival. Especially when he hadn't found her immediately in her room. He'd been two seconds from losing his mind before the escort caught him (perhaps they'd been told what happened the last time he came through District 2 in search of his moirail). At the hospital, he was told.

Now, all this time later, he was here. The place makes him think of where he was Avoxed. It's full to the brim with docoterrorists all moving about left and right and he has to restrain the hiss that wants to escape each time they come near.

She's asleep when he comes in, and she's clearly unwell, but he's still relieved enough to weep. He refrains from doing so. He turns over the dragon plush, the thank you card, then he's slipped out again. His return is marked by the bringing of chalk pieces and paper. He sets them down with her other things and settles in the chair to wait. He lets his eyes close in the meantime.

[pythianjudgment]

Gradually, Terezi drifts back to consciousness. It's always a strange feeling to come back around and realize that she's lost an hour here or two hours there. Most of the time, there's no change around her to let her know that time has passed other than the angle of the sun.

This time, there's a person at her side.

She nearly jumps, but her reflexes are more lethargic than she thinks. She only manages to shift in her reclined position before she smells who is seated at her bedside. She's on a small dose of Morphling at the moment, but it doesn't stop her chest from hurting in that funny way. It also doesn't stop her from feeling ill at the thought of where she had left him last. Being disintegrated on the finish line.

Her fists curl in the same way that her toes do. She shoves the memory away as she reaches out to clasp his closest hand in hers. The reality of how solid he feels is like a grounding rod for her relief.

"Hey," she manages a quiet call, shaking his hand a little.

[carnagecarnival]

He twitches when he feels he hand. His eyes open with a start and a small gasp, but then immediately, he recognizes it's her (just her, and this isn't where he keeps thinking). His hand curls around hers and he sighs in relief.

"Hey Pyrope," He says, a note of teasing in his voice. He lifts her hand up and presses his lips to it for a short second, before lowering it back down. "GOOD TO SEE YOU UP. Sorry I missed your grand victory. YOU DID GOOD."

He's so fucking grateful. In a way, he himself feels victorious. For fucking once, he actually managed to save someone. For motherfucking once, he didn't have to watch her die.

Even if she's here and hurting now. That part sucks.

[pythianjudgment]

You did good. It feels so good to hear those words from him. Too many times, it feels like she's been forced to disappoint him or scare him--sometimes in ways that she never meant to. But this time, she made it. This time, she lived. Even if he wasn't there beside her in the end after she crossed that finish line.

He kisses her hand, and she holds onto his tightly. She's so glad to have him here that she can't even feel embarrassed at the affection. She wants more than anything to hug him, but that is going to have to wait.

"You didn't miss much. After... After I crossed the finish line, I think I passed out. I don't remember much until I woke up here." And even that much is a bit of a blur. What she remembers most is the acrid scent of that green liquid washing over him, and crippling horror that came with it. She couldn't scream, she couldn't do anything. One minute he was there, the next minute they were killing him.

She grips his hand tighter, trying to fight down the panic that threatens to overwhelm her every time she thinks about it. Maybe it's a bit of a lie to say that she doesn't remember much. She certainly remembers that, and she knows it won't be leaving her memory any time soon.

"What about you? Are you okay?"

[dead_black_eyes]

The medical professionals working at the hospital side-eye Linden every time they see him; if he's not horizontal on a stretcher, they've learned to expect that he will be, soon. A nurse tries to gently suggest he leave, but he's firm, saying that he's here to visit an injured Tribute. They have no choice but to let him by, and no choice but to turn a blind eye to anything short of murder. He's a Victor, which means he gets a pass for a hell of a lot.

He slips into Terezi's room, and is fairly sure she's sleeping, so the first thing he does is go for the second drawer from the bottom in the supply case. It isn't locked; he slides it open and palms three vials of Morphling, slipping them into the pockets of his loose clothes where they clink promisingly. Then he turns back toward Terezi, glancing around for a place to sit. If he came here to visit, he might as well visit... otherwise, it'll look like he came here for another reason.

[pythianjudgment]

The best part about Terezi's sort of blindness is the fact that she doesn't need to open her eyes to "see". She's tired certainly, and sleep might be welcome, but she's not quite asleep. Her eyes are closed, but she smells Linden come in. It's strange because she's pretty sure that they didn't hit it off nearly well enough for a friendly visit.

No, the reason for his visit becomes a little clearer when she hears him pocket the little vials. It's tempting to say something, to show that she's caught him red-handed... But she really doesn't care that much. He can have whatever is in the vials if he wants, she thinks--and she expects him to leave as soon as he does, but once again he surprises her by staying. Weird.

On cue with her fake sleeping, Terezi takes a deep breath and exhales a small noise, stretching her limbs as much as she dares as she shifts in her bed. Her eyes open a little, blind though they may be. She furrows her brow at him, finally letting her mouth pull into a tight frown.

"What are you doing here?" Not the most charitable greeting, but she doesn't think he has any reason to expect better. Carefully, she tries to sit up and slide herself back against the headboard for support. It's a little painful, but she manages with only a small wince.

"Did you not get your fill of pressing personal inquiries? They should hire your for that Celebrus magazine. You could be their best interviewer to date."

[dead_black_eyes]

He finds a chair and settles into it, drawing his bone-thin legs toward his chest, but then she's stirring and, clearly, waking. Though he has a feeling maybe she's been alert longer than this, he doesn't say anything, willing to look the other way if she'll do him the same courtesy regarding his Morphling and his sticky fingers.

Putting his feet back on the floor and straightening in his seat, Linden bites his lip as Terezi pulls herself upright and berates him. A shadow falls over his pale features when she compares him to a Celebrus interviewer, but rather than comment, he reaches for a medium-sized paper bag he carried in with him, where three takeout containers are stacked on top of each other. He removes each one carefully and sets them on the bed one by one.

"I didn't know what you like, so I got several things. Sort of a variety... the first is a whole game hen with apple chestnut garnish, slow roasted over a hickory fire and complemented with a mushroom skewer and a selection of edible flowers. The second is a strawberry escargot salad with eucalyptus essence vinaigrette, with a side of cherry creme pastry shells. The third is lemongrass salmon with couscous and parsley medley with white wine sauce."

He pauses meaningfully.

"I don't really understand the customs where you're from, but I'm hoping that buying you three dinners will make our future conversations less upsetting for you."

[pythianjudgment]

Terezi is aware that something in her comment struck a nerve. It isn't one that he wants to show her, but she can guess well enough what it was. She doesn't think that anyone who has been subject to these Games would enjoy being likened to one of the interviewers that hound after their personal lives. Still, if the shoe fits, then she doesn't feel so bad.

She does start to wonder if there's something a little... off about him, though. Especially when he deposits three delicious smelling meals on her bedsheets. She gives him the oddest look until she realizes exactly why he brought her this much food.

"Oh my god, I told you it was a joke. I didn't expect you to actually buy me food. Nor is food suddenly going to make your probing okay!" Though she is mighty tempted to take it as a bribe for answers. The nurses at the hospital have been reluctant to give her anything too spicy or flavorful for fear of upsetting her stomach. Despite the number of times she insisted that she could handle it.

[silberfuchs]

Albert's not surprised Terezi is in the hospital instead of the Tower after her ordeal. He'd seen what happened between her and Felicity and it felt like his own family fighting to the death. Neither had actually died, but for that he can't be certain he's grateful. True, if they die then there's no guarantee of the Capitol returning them, but to actually have to convalesce and recover normally from such terrible injuries is a trial in itself.

He taps the rubber bottom of his cane against the edge of the door, hand without his cane full of a bouquet of red and teal snapdragons, which is what appears in the door as it swings open slowly, obscuring his face save for a shock of silver hair above it.

"Terezi?" His voice is hushed to make sure he doesn't wake her if she's not, but he hopes she's awake enough to say hello at least. It might ease the worry at the pit of his stomach that irreparable damage has been done to someone so dear.

[pythianjudgment]

Terezi isn't sleeping when Albert comes in. There's a bit of paper laid out over a small low table placed over her lap, and she's seated upright with her torso bandaged tightly beneath her hospital gown. She's scrawled a number of images in both crayon and chalk on the paper--clearly she's been at this for a while.

When the door opens and her name is whispered, she lifts her head to sniff at the door. The voice sounds very familiar, but... Well, there's nothing but a blur of red and teal where Albert's face should be. It's actually rather confusing, until she realizes what's going on.

"I have had a lot of strange visitors today, but a talking bouquet of flowers takes the cake."

[silberfuchs]

There's a quiet chuckle as Albert steps inside, moving up beside her bed and resting the bouquet on the bedside table. "I thought you might like them. This color is yours, isn't it?"

He's referring to the teal, but red always comes to mind with her too, for whatever reason. Probably the glasses. Albert pulls up a chair and sits next to the bed, clearly intending to stay for at least a little while. "How are you feeling?"

[pythianjudgment]

"Yes, the teal is mine. The red is not--but I love it anyway. They smell delicious." It's probably a good thing that she can't lean far enough over to reach the flowers with her face. She might be tempted to lick them, and then his pretty bouquet would be ruined. Instead, she's forced to just smell them like a normal person.

"I am feeling okay, aside from the fact that my walking around privileges have been revoked for the time being. Apparently, the Capitol is concerned about my health now that I am not in a children's death arena."

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy felt awkward shuffling into the room. She knew she probably should have brought someone else with her here...but making poor choices seemed to be her hobby these days.

Clutching a homemade card in hand she knocked on the door to get Terezi's attention.

Second on the list of things she should have done was stay away, because they still didn't want to be linked in the crime they had committed but at the same time Sandy liked this girl and knowing that she was in hospital felt like the sort of thing she shouldn't let just drift by.

So here she was in an oversized sweater that acted as a dress on her tiny body. A knitted hat with flowers on it...and this hand drawn card of Terezi riding a motor cycle over a rainbow with color pouring from her fingers.

[pythianjudgment]

Terezi has has a lot of unexpected guests during her stay in this hospital. A lot of people that she didn't expect would show up at her door. Sandy is certainly one of those people on that list.

She's awake when Sandy knocks, and the girl is almost instantly greeted with a startled expression. She almost asks what she's doing here, but the answer to that is obvious: Visiting her, of course. What she can't ask is why she felt the need to take that risk. That would be a little too telling. There's still nothing out there to link them, right? Nothing that she's aware of anyway.

"Hey pipsqueak. You smell well. Did they put you back together already?"

[justoutrunyou]

"Yeah, seems that way."

Having been greeted without hostility Sandy came further into the room relaxing just slightly.

"Looks like breaking my neck at the finish line might have been the better option if this is where you ended up."

And even if Sandy knew it wasn't REALLY her fault...she still felt guilty for it.

[pythianjudgment]

"I ended up here because some human girl got fresh with a knife," Terezi retorts, though she doesn't sound incredibly mad about it. It's hard to be when she attacked the girl first--even if she wasn't intending on killing her.

"I think it's still preferable to dying. Maybe. Probably." Kurloz certainly seemed happy about it. And a few others, despite the pain and frustration from getting stabbed and being in a hospital bed respectively. There's something to be said for not having to face the idea that you died again.

"How did you break your neck that close to the end? That sounds pretty dumb." No offense, of course.

[earthborn]

Shepard's not, in a general sort of way, fond of hospitals. Tactically, they were necessary, they made sense, and they were good... but subjectively, it was different. Hospitals had always been places of trauma and death, where the concentrated suffering of the population went to be either expelled, or extinguished. She's lost a lot of people in white walls with muted colors, people she cared about, people she loved. The saying goes, that hospitals see more heartfelt prayers than any church, and in her experience it was true.

But you didn't leave people in that limbo alone, not if you cared about them, even a little.

So, here's Shepard, crossing her arms, looking down and taking in the details. The cheap knit 'blanket' and the bandages and leads, the clean skin on her cheek. They'd somehow wiped off the scar as if it were only so much magic marker, the bastards. That was a hell of a trick. It's a staring match with a blind girl, is what it is.

You first, Pyrope.

[pythianjudgment]

The staring and not speaking is a little intimidating. Everyone else has at least knocked or made themselves known in some manner. This is just... unnerving. Terezi is honestly starting to wonder if she's about to be scolded.

Her shoulders hike a little as the silence stretches on between them. If Shepard isn't going to say anything after entering the room, then maybe Terezi should.

"...Did I do something wrong? Commander?" She tacks the title on the end as an afterthought that her brain helpfully supplies. Maybe it will mitigate whatever trouble she might happen to be in, if she happens to be in any trouble at all.

"I am pretty sure that being an invalid grants me lecture-amnesty. For the record."

[earthborn]

It's that honorific that pulls her out of it. Commander, as if it were her name, as if it were her right. It had been a long time since someone spoke to her with real respect.

"No more than usual. Got a little guilt ridin' you, Private?" that's a joke, because if we're gonna start using formal ranks, then Terezi needs one too, "Relax, if anyone deserves a lecture, it's me."

[a_minute_younger]

It takes a couple of days for Gary to figure out where Terezi is. He doesn't linger around medical wards--too much sadness, too much suffering. But he can't avoid it when he's actually looking for someone. Gary can do pretty thorough research when he's dedicated to the cause; after wandering the Training Center and discovering that Terezi wasn't present, it only took a few passerby inquiries to narrow down possible locations, and then the hospital staff were happy to confirm. He leaves, gets sidetracked, then returns sometime late into visitor hours by happenstance.

Gary opens the door to Terezi's room first and knocks on it second. "Hey," he whispers loudly, a wide smile painted on his face. "Miss me?"

[pythianjudgment]

By this point in time, Terezi isn't so surprised at the visitors she's getting. It's starting to sink in that her presence has been missed and that people want to make sure that she's okay. It crosses her mind that she could probably check in on the network, but that's a bit too hasslesome for her. More attention than she really wants to deal with.

So when the door opens, she's expecting another friendly face to peek in, or maybe one of the nurses. She is not expecting the guy that she shoved off the rope bridge. Almost instantly, her hand goes for the call button, holding the little device in her hand with her thumb hovering over the button to summon the staff. She's not taking any chances with this one, not outside of the arena and injured as she is.

"Not really, no," she answers warily. "What do you want?"

[a_minute_younger]

Gary's hands immediately go up, palms out, regardless of whether or not Terezi catches the defensive gesture. "Woah! Woah, wait." He lets out a nervous chuckle, eyes flickering between Terezi's finger by the button and her blank gaze. "I wanted to congratulate you! You beat me. You won the bet. Maybe like--buy you dinner or something, I dunno." Gary shrugs and bites his lip. "I didn't think you'd be all wrapped up in a padded room and shit. Sorry it took me so long."

[gunshiptotheface]

Garrus doesn't know Terezi very well, but he respects her for not telling Shepard about the space-time parallel realities theories. Watching the last arena had been about as fun as getting hit in the face with a rocket all over again, but he knew that people did well when they were recovering if they had people visit.

Maybe it wasn't something that most people did, visiting people they barely knew in a hospital room, but he felt that Terezi deserved a little recognition and maybe some reassurance after the hell that arena had been.

"How are you holding up?"

[pythianjudgment]

Garrus is certainly not a person that Terezi expected to visit her. They've barely spoken more than a few words together--mostly on the network in some various fashion. But visiting was a new level of concern that she wasn't really prepared for.

"Okay, all things considered. Those things being a hole in me, I guess."

She sniffs at Garrus curiously, frowning in thought. "You're not still drunk from party shenanigans, are you? I didn't think you had any particular reason to be here. Unless you are going for the alien solidarity angle, in which case I offer my appreciation for the gesture."

[gunshiptotheface]

"Us aliens need to stick together, too many humans, not knowing our customs." He shrugged and had to chuckle about just how adept he was becoming with human social norms. "But I'm completely sober, not sure everyone else is yet."

It had been a hell of a party, certainly on he wasn't about to forget anytime soon. He was pretty sure what he and Shepard had been done in the closet was about to be all over the Capitol. Not that he really cared, maybe it would rattle a few cages out there.

"At least here in the capitol you won't have to worry about scarring after that." Not like his poor face, scarred up terribly and one of the few things that the Capitol doesn't fix for all the times he's died.