~forty-seven~ [Fixed(?)field]

[glowing_skye]

[Outside of the hospital]

[Ema comes to consciousness slowly, slumped up against the hospital's external wall. The fact that she's awake at all comes as a surprise, given that she's pretty sure she recently died in Edward's arms from months-old injuries. Has the regeneration system been put back into place?

If it has, it's still broken. She feels cold. Her wounds seem to have healed over, but the bullet wound in her forehead is still scabbed over. She's pale and almost lacks the energy to even follow through with simple actions that she wants to do. When she finally brings herself to check her pulse, she finds that it's weak and slow. Low blood pressure. Slowly-beating heart.

Scientifically speaking, then, she's only barely alive. And currently lacks the strength to pick herself up from the ground and walk home.

She's going to need some help. Unable to do much more than occasionally call out to nearby people ('Help?'), there's nothing much she can do except wait for it to come.]



[1492 Kramden; Phone]

[Somehow, Ema's made it home. She forces herself to take to the phone instead of falling asleep on the first horizontal surface she finds.

Her voice is quieter than usual, but it's unmistakably her.]

Things are really messed up, aren't they?

I just want to let people know that I'm all right. I'm alive again after... whatever restored me. But I'm weak, so I'm not going to push my luck. If anyone has new information that's come to light in the past few days, please share it with me. I was dead for awhile.

[A pause.]

Everyone? Scout? Sideswipe? Ai? Nina?

...Edward?

Please tell me you're all right.

Comments

[Phone] [1/2]

[questionauthority]

[Whoever this poor woman on the phones is, she doesn't sound good at all. Talking about being dead...? Figuratively? Potentially. He's about to offer his condolences when---]

[questionauthority]

[Hang on. She just asked for an Edward. Could she mean him? Edward is such a common name, after all. Still...]

Edward Nigma speaking. [Almost immediately he feels foolish.] Unless, of course, you're referring to another Edward, in which case I'll just---

phone;

[thegirltwin]

Ema... [It hurts to hear Ema's voice and know she's suffering. Especially since Nina still feels responsible for all of this.] You're back. I'm so glad.

I'm doing already. Nauseated, but alright. I've been lucky, compared to some people.

[glowing_skye]

Of course I'm referring to you. What other Edward am I close to here?

I'm glad that you're still alive. Did you... [No, that's a terrible question to start with.]

How's your head? Feeling any better?

Outside the hospital

[causesstampedes]

H-hey, are you okay?

[Kind of a dumb thing to ask, but Simba's mostly hid out in his new house while all this craziness was going on. He doesn't really understand anything that's happening except that a lot of people are getting hurt for some reason.]

[glowing_skye]

Thanks. I'm glad you're doing all right.

Now that I'm not dead anymore, I guess I'm okay. I'm not actively dying, I'm just... not very alive. Weak pulse. Low blood pressure. I had to have people help me home; I can't really muster the energy to walk.

But I'm conscious and aware. That's what matters, right?

[glowing_skye]

[Ema stares at the lion cub for several moments before answering. Is he really speaking to her, or is she hallucinating?

Finally, she decides that she wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway and goes with it.]

Kind of? I'm alive, for what it's worth.

I just can't really get up.

[questionauthority]

...ah. Of course. My mistake.

[She's close to him. Good. After meeting that lunatic of a police officer, it's nice to know Edward at least has a close friend he can count on.]

My head...? Fine, I suppose. I was more than a little groggy yesterday, but it's started to clear up.

[Just act natural for now. No need to spring the whole "amnesia" thing on her yet.]

[glowing_skye]

Groggy?

[That doesn't sound promising. She remembers how he was struggling with memory and moods and fine motor skills just before she died; this can't be a good sign.]

How so, exactly?

[questionauthority]

Clouded. Hazy. It's... er, it's a bit complicated. Where to begin?

[One thing Ema will notice that's immediately different about this Edward? His voice isn't dripping with nearly as much self-confidence as is characteristic of him.]

There was a hospital. I don't know how I wound up there---and I know this must sound crazy---but something must have happened there. I'm sure of it.

[thegirltwin]

Mmmm. That's what Karkat said happened to him, too. I wonder if people are going to come back that way from now on...

[Nina is worried by the thought. Though she tries to keep the worry out of her voice, it might be noticeable in the way she trails off.]

It's better than the alternative. I wouldn't want to lose you. I know I'm not the only one who wouldn't, either. Please tell me if you need anything at all.

[glowing_skye]

[He woke up at the hospital? Based on evidence she's gathered (i.e., her own experience), that suggests he probably died. Damn it.

Also, Edward's behaving a bit... strangely. She remembers the sobbing mess he was before she passed away. Yes, he's an insensitive prick, but she's sure that even he wouldn't approach her revival without at least a comment. No surprise to hear her voice, no relief that she's alive, no distrust that this is some sort of trick. The way he's speaking to her, she might as well be a stranger.

Actually, he doesn't even seem like the insensitive prick that she knows.

Something's wrong.]

You... don't remember much of anything, do you?

[glowing_skye]

I wonder, too. I suppose it's better than not coming back at all, but I can't say by how much.

I might... I might take you up on that. Doing anything more taxing than sitting up is exhausting, so I might need some help doing things around here and around town.

[questionauthority]

Not a thing.

[He winces. She sounds almost disappointed. Understandably so, given the fact that they're apparently close to one another. After a moment, he continues.]

I've learned plenty about myself in the past day or so, but... I'm still mostly in the dark.

[Then, finally:]

I'm sorry.

[That's the right thing to say in a situation like this, isn't it?]

Phone

[shallbeavenged]

[small gasp. Then grabbing of the phone.]

Ema.

You're back.

[thegirltwin]

We have that to get that machine fixed somehow. Or get them to fix it. I doubt they're even trying. Maybe they wanted this to happen so they'd have another excuse to torture us... [Nina sighs. It seems to get harder and harder to know what to think in Mayfield everyday. But she has to focus on Ema right now, not her own troubles.] I'm sorry. I am glad you're back.

[She brightens a little as she offers.] Any time! Just let me know what you need, okay? I'd be happy to help. It'd be good to take my mind off some of this, too.

[Telepathy]

[have_your_lives]

Ema... [Schuldig's telepathic voice sounds exactly like how Ema feels - barely alive. But he sounds...not relieved, not triumphant, but oddly satisfied to know she's alive. Of course, under the circumstances, it's rather reassuring for him to know the revival machine is fixed...]

[causesstampedes]

[He nudges her arm with his head, knowing full well he's too little to actually be of any use.]

What can I do to help?

[He looks pretty worried.]

[glowing_skye]

[There's a long pause before Ema replies. This shouldn't bother her--it's not like it's his fault--but it still feels like a kick to the stomach. He doesn't remember her at all.]

No, no, it's fine.

[It's not.]

What have you been told? I can try to fill in some more blanks for you.

Starting with this: my name is Ema.

[glowing_skye]

I imagine they're trying. They... they have too much to lose to have a town of broken guinea pigs.

The torture is just a bonus. [There's a dark wryness to her voice that suggests she and Nina are not that different when it comes to how to feel about the town.]

Do you mind coming over and stopping at the grocery along the way? I need something to munch on to soothe my nerves, and some company would be nice.

[glowing_skye]

[Ema pets him without really thinking about it. He offered, and he's being a very nice possible hallucination.]

Well, scientifically speaking you're not strong enough to haul me home.

So I guess you can keep me company until someone finds me? Or you can help me flag down someone larger.

[glowing_skye]

Ai. [Oh, the relief.]

Yes, I'm back. Are you okay?

[glowing_skye]

[Ema jumps a bit at the mental intrusion, but in a weird way it's not totally unwelcome for once. She sighs, thinking a reply back toward him. He's not there, so talking would be a precious waste of energy.]

Yeah, I'm back. So much for being dead forever..

[She sounds mostly relieved by that fact.]

[action]

[catechize]

[Enigma comes creeping down the stairs at the sound of Ema's voice. She's been hiding out the entire event in a giant pillowfort in her room, surviving on cheeri-os and cold chef boyarde meatballs.

She peers around the corner at the foot of the stairs]

...Ema?

[glowing_skye]

[Ema looks up from where she's curled up and gives the girl a (very relieved) smile. She looks like she's okay.]

Enigma.

[She waves her over.] How are you holding up?