Healing Omega

[a_gentle_boy]

[action, 846 Goldberg Street]
[Three days after the escape from the carnival, Lucas reappears on his bed, head thankfully fixed back in the correct position.  His sleep is troubled as he constantly tosses and turns, his quiet murmurings punctuated by the occasional cry.

At about six o'clock in the morning, Lucas wakes himself up when he unconsciously shoots a blast of PK Love at the ceiling and drops a piece of plaster on his head.  Whoops.  Hope that blast didn't bother anyone.]

[phone]
A-Ah, this is Lucas!  Is everyone OK?!  Did we all make it back?!

[He didn't really think it was likely, but the thought of anyone being devoured for good by that fog was too terrible to consider.]

I'm not sure what happened there at the end.  I don't know, I'm so sorry I couldn't do more.  ...It really all happened, didn't it?  It wasn't just a strange dream?  I feel as if I've just been having nightmares for days...  Miss Natalie - Is Miss Natalie here?  Henry, you made it back with the notebook?  And... And Rin, there was that... thing we found in the house about... about the murder, right?

Have we all had a chance to recap yet?  The papers say it's already the 12th, so it must have been... two weeks.  How is everyone?  Did anything terrible happen back here?  There was the 4th, wasn't there?  That was when... all of that strange stuff happened last year.

[Lucas trails off a little, sounding a little unsure of himself.]

Ah, I'm sorry.  I shouldn't be rambling so much.  I still feel awfully... foggy.  Foggy in the head.

...Has anyone seen my paddleball?

[action, park]
[Lucas can be found standing in the park, idly practicing yo-yo tricks and staring up at the perfect blue skies.  ...Things like this were always a stark reminder not take Mayfield for granted.  It was terrible in many ways, but... well.  Clean air, food, and shelter was all anyone really needed to survive.  The sky wasn't falling apart, there weren't monsters hiding around every corner....  There weren't even chimeras or Pigmask Army soldiers to worry about.  For the majority of a month, Mayfield was, if not a perfect place to live, at least tolerable.

After an hour or so of this, Lucas will meander over to a more isolated area of the park.  The bodies weren't there anymore, he knew, but... a grave was symbolic.  To have a body interred was only the physical manifestation of what it truly meant.  He spends a few minutes quietly contemplating the two small markers he and Tiffany had erected for Samantha Achewood and Evan Olney.]

Comments

Phone

[crazyclownwoman]

Lucas! You're alright!

[a_gentle_boy]

Miss Harley! Yes, I'm fine! ...It feels good to finally get back here.

[crazyclownwoman]

Good!

Yeah, that place got real nutty on the last day. I'm still surprised those guys in the suits didn't show up. But hey. Not complaining.

[a_gentle_boy]

I guess I do prefer the monster clowns. There's something about at least having a body...

Park

[witchofthechalk]

[Someone else is visiting the graves.]

At least they left these.

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas slows as he approaches.]

Yeah...

I wonder if it was them we ever really buried at all. If that makes sense.

[witchofthechalk]

I think they were. If only because I don't think they were supposed to have died in the first place.

[roadroller]

I still have the clipping. Do you want to see it again? ♪

[a_gentle_boy]

Great! So we really did find something important, then...

Ah, I'll take a look a little later. I think I need to clear my head a little first. How are you feeling, Rin?

[roadroller]

I'm okay, if a little stressed. I was really worried when I found out I couldn't go back to find Len and Miku-nee. ♪

Hmph, I should have made him work harder for that dumb prize jewelry.

Anyway, I'm glad it's over. ♪

[Phone]

[ceasetoexist]

Some people started clearing out the hospital to take care of people when they got back if they were still injured.

If your friends aren't answering on the phone they're probably there.

[a_gentle_boy]

Still injured? So nothing healed by itself when we returned... I guess that's to be expected.

I'll go right now. ...Are you there, Pokey?

[ceasetoexist]

No. I wasn't wherever you were or hurt like a loser. Why would I be there?

And some injuries did, some didn't. It seemed to depend. They had been planning on setting this up for people before anyone got back anyway.

Park

[gezellig]

A woman who said she knew him had said the park made him happy. Holland will ask for directions, then once he's reached the park he'll sit on one of the benches and take out the envelope that Ilsa had given him. And then he'll start to read.

He'll walk past Lucas with only the slightest of glances, noticing somebody there, but that's all.

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas doesn't notice at first, preoccupied with staring at the sky as he is. When he senses someone passing by, though, he'll turn and start with a smile.]

Mr. Netherlands! You're OK!

[gezellig]

Hallo.

[He'll raise his hand in a wave.]

I think I'm mostly okay.

Phone

[theboywiththebook]

Lucas! You're okay! I was so worried! But yeah, the note book is fine I'm sharing the intel already actually.

[a_gentle_boy]

Ah, yes, I'm fine! I'm glad to hear that.

[Lucas still doesn't know what happened apart from that he was in the middle of bringing Natalie back when he blacked out.]

Aha, did you get a lot to eat yesterday to make up for the last few days?

[theboywiththebook]

Yeah, I made sure to eat. But I was still better off than you were. What about you? Have you eaten at all?

846 Goldberg

[mute_mystic]

[A startled Silence is rushing into the room about ten seconds later. He stares at Lucas for a few long moments, obviously not having expected to see him there...but then he's striding across the room and giving the boy an impulsive hug.

He's been worried.]

[a_gentle_boy]

[It's good to see his family again. Lucas will shake off the lingering nightmares the moment he sees a familiar face in the doorway and beam.

Lucas hugs are always very enthusiastic hugs, but this one seems a little more clingy than they usually are.]

[mute_mystic]

[If Silence notices, he's certainly not complaining. He squeezes the breath out of Lucas for a few long moments before pulling away, looking baffled still but nonetheless deeply relieved. He strokes the boy's hair briefly, kneeling down beside the bed with a questioning look - it's an obvious invitation for Lucas to tell him what happened, and how he got back.]

[PHONE]

[thepurpleway]

I'm glad you made it out safely. You're not injured, are you?

[a_gentle_boy]

No... I don't think so. I still feel a little light-headed, but that's probably pretty normal for what we just went through.

Did you get back alright, Mr. Gakupo?

[thepurpleway]

I hope you feel better later on, then.

I got back alive, which is the important part. I...seem to have misplaced that prize you gave me, however.

[Darn carnival took it away since he didn't win it!]