[log] Did the devil say to you, you can make it through [closed]

[spoileralert]

Characters: Stephanie Brown, Zach Spencer, Alphonse Elric, Gabriel Grey, Greg House, Tony Stark, Stephen Strange
Location: The Hospital, 4th floor
Date: Night 199, Morning 200
Summary: A meeting about drugs
Warnings: Drugs

The hospital is eerie in its silence, and snow presses in against many of the windows, keeping much of it in sterile darkness. It still smells like a hospital; the antiseptic is fresh, and there isn't much dust. Someone must be cleaning it, and yet it's clear no one is here. The hospitalsital is four stories high with one basement, all connected via the elevator lobby and staircase. Unfortunately, the wall of the elevator lobby has been torn open all the way down, exposing it to the bitter air outside.

Floors four and three are identical, large waiting areas lined with rooms. There are seven four-bed rooms, ten two-bed rooms, eight split rooms, and two VIP rooms. Each room is in pristine condition, although not decorated, but all of the rooms have been obviously gutted of their electronic components with surgical precision. As it is, it seems more like a very peculiar hotel without all of the standard equipment you would find in a hospital. The nurse's base on each floor is essentially identical in design, although there are a few different things scattered on each that seem to vary day by day.

Comments

cw: unintentional self-harm/blood

[rubikscomplex]

[Those entering into the hospital from the northern side will find one Gregory House at the top of the stairs, cuffed to the railing. His wrists are bleeding from where he's tried to twist them free ever since lockdown ended, but he'd made sure the cuffs were good and tight, per orders. And now he can't reach for his tablet to give Alfie status updates on his movements and he can't get out, and he's trying to comply with orders that he doesn't want to, but has to.]

[definingfuture]

[After their conversation, Tony is determined to help House out. He gave poor, exhausted Stephen his feelings on the matter (which were many) the night before as the trouble escalated, and he might be pushing to arrive quickly despite the fact they are bringing along a microscope. He leads the way in, finding House cuffed on the stairs. It's not ideal, but what else can they do?]

He's still there.

[That is to his traveling companion, whom he turns back to talk to before facing House again.]

I guess your night went about as well as I thought. Sorry.

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen hadn't been thrilled to be woken, particularly not for something involving Dr. House, but once he understood the situation there was no question in his mind but that he needed to come back here and do what he could to help. He could have kicked himself for leaving at all the day before, frankly, and told Tony so several times.

First things first, Stephen is putting the microscope down. He's beginning to loathe the thing already. Second things second, he lets out a curse under his breath as he comes closer and sees the state of House's wrists in sharp contrast to the smoothly healed skin of his face.]

Those wrists should have been wrapped before the cuffs went on. Are you hurt anywhere else?

[rubikscomplex]

No. But you need to get me out of these things. I have to check-in. I have to head north. [There's a manic edge to his voice.]

The keys are on the landing right there next to you, Stark. I have to go. I have to. [He twists his wrists and strains at the cuffs, eyes on the door leading out of the hospital.]

[definingfuture]

[Tony looks down, finding the key House tells him about and holding it. He keeps his distance, letting Stephen approach him instead.]

You don't have to go yet. We're here to help.

[He looks over at Stephen with concern. They need to help House and get the Vicodin away from him, but his physical well-being comes first.]

[armoured]

[That is really not a sight he wants to see. He might not get on with House even at the best of times, but that doesn't mean that he wants to see him cuffed and suffering.

He jogs over, feet a loud crash on the hard floor, and kneels next to him.]

Hey-- hey, look at me. Dr. House, stop, you're going to hurt yourself more.

[armoured]

[He hasn't really spoken since Ed died the day before, he's pushed it all down inside to make sure that he can carry on and do what needs to be done. But it's so hard, and he's so tired of losing the people that he loves.

Some time after seeing House, Al retreats to a corner of one of the big rooms of the hospital and just sits like an inanimate statue, even the glowing lights of his eyes dimming to almost nothing.]

[rubikscomplex]

[House is up and at the door to the hospital the moment lockdown ends. He'd been held back from following through with Alfie's order yesterday. He won't be deterred today, especially not when he has to go before Alfie can give him some order to the contrary. He runs directly into a group coming down the tunnels, though, even before he gets to the pharmacy.

He sees Alphonse, back in his armor, and terror spikes inside of him, the memory of the armor with the little boy's voice strangling him, cracking his head...

His croquet mallet is in his hands, held ready to strike as the group approaches. House moves to the side, trying to get out of the way, but tunnel isn't really that big. They're not going to be able to miss each other. He does, at least, look healthier than any of the group who's seen him in-person will remember. Dying has a way of temporarily fixing some problems, anyway.

The doctor is silent, allowing the others to just pass if they will. He doesn't expect they'll return the courtesy, but these things do happen.]

[spoileralert]

[ Nobody in their party has been in a particularly good mood the last couple of days. Steph has been anxious to get a move on since House came back, and it doesn't help that the journey here took longer than she was expecting.

She perks up the moment she saw House and went running after him. She doesn't think she can stop him, but it isn't too late to help. ]

House! You can keep walking if you have to, but show me your vicodin.

[termineur]

[ It's true this has been a particularly terrible couple of days here in Norfinbury. At least they made it to the person they'd been traveling to find.

He sees the fear on House's face, and that's interesting. For Al? Al was kind of hesitant to come this way. He walks behind Steph and raises his hand for a lazy kind of wave. ]

Hi, there. Are you still in danger?

[armoured]

[He sees the fear on House's face and he feels immediate regret for coming this way. It was the wrong decision, clearly House is still scared of him no matter how nonchalant he appears over the tablets.

He holds his hands up, voice soft but tired.]

I'm not going to hurt you.

[Let the others make of that what they will.]

But please, I need to talk to you.

[spoileralert]

[ Steph makes no preamble before plopping down on the floor next to Al. ]

Hey. What was that thing you needed help with?

[armoured]

[He glances over at her, before wordlessly winding an arm around her shoulder. He just needs the comfort right now.]

Just something Winter told me, she said I needed a doctor to help me find something in the hospital or one of the morgues, some kind of machine.

[spoileralert]

[ She leans into the hold. Honestly, she could use some comfort too. ]

Does it have to be a doctor? I have more medical training than most, maybe I could help.

[armoured]

She said it's kind of similar to an MRI machine, could you work that?

[He's not really sure he wants Steph in on this.]

[termineur]

[ Well, that exchange could've gone better. Sylar settles himself on the floor across from Al and looks up at the armor. ]

This place sure seems focused on breaking you down, kid.

[armoured]

[He snorts, shaky and bitter.]

Not just me, I think it wants to break everyone.

[termineur]

[ Sylar closes his eyes in a long blink. He supposes he should feel vindicated- he hadn't believed anyone could continue being as optimistic about things as Al was. But...Al shouldn't sound that bitter. ]

Yeah.

What do you wanna do, now?

[majorlazer]

[Zach takes his time before going to Al. He's got nothing good to say. he tried. He tried so hard to get them back together, and he managed, for a moment, just for a moment. It wasn't good enough. It didn't save Ed.

Zach's heart feels like it's been pummeled to a little, shriveled beating thing, full of hurt. Even Steph's presence doesn't really relieve much of it. He loved Kesara. He liked Ed - the two of them had grown into a fun, weird little friendship, but Zach liked him. And now he was gone, too, like Kesara was gone.

It was like looking at the obituaries all over again. Tifa's name, to start with - they may not speak anymore, but it still hurt to see her name there. House, Ed, Toushiro. So many names, so many people he'd spoken to and liked and wanted to keep around. So many people he couldn't protect.

So he feels bad when he finally goes to Al. He doesn't know what to say, what to do - just thinks of how Al must be feeling. Zach walks over at some point, when Al is alone again, and sits next to him, close enough to touch.]

I'm sorry, Al. It's unfair that you got so little time with him.

[armoured]

[Unfair seems like such a little word, so inconsequential. He might say that Ed getting the larger dish of stew when they were kids was unfair, or that an accusation levelled at someone here in the heat of the moment was unfair. But the loss of family? The horror of death? Unfair seems so paltry.

It takes him a long time to look over at Zach.

So many people are mourning these days, it seems like grief has become a physical presence here in the town, and Al hates it. It's suffocating.]

I guess-- I guess he's not in pain now.

[majorlazer]

[If he could, Zach would agree with the suffocating thing. Everything seems harder than ever these days, every step more difficult. Mustering hope that they can make it feels more and more pointless.]

But you are.

[Zach's voice is just a whisper, hoarse, like he started to talk but he needed to cough midway. Ed might not be in pain right now, but Al is. Steph is. Zach is. And they're still here. They're the ones dealing with it.

Unfair. The word comes back to him.]

He was a cool dude.

Morning 200

[spoileralert]

[ Steph and company arrive early in the morning, and she immediately starts looking for House. She's more or less taken responsibility for this whole mess, and it's about time she cleaned it up.

After the vicodin situation is dealt with to her satisfaction Steph has a toy to deliver to Tony Stark. That's priority number two.

Even once her job is done she doesn't really stop moving. In the last week she's lost not one but three people she cares about deeply. Each one of them stabs her in the heart every time she stands still long enough to think, so her solution is to not stand still at all. ]

[definingfuture]

[Tony goes to meet Steph when the others arrive. The situation with House has him feeling bad, and he's grateful for someone else around. He approaches her with a thin expression, stopping a short distance away.]

I wish we could have a week without disasters for once.

[spoileralert]

[ Steph smiles wryly, but her heart isn't in it. It's just one thing after another after another, it seems like. ]

Clearly that's too much to ask.

I've got something for you, if you'll wait a second.

[definingfuture]

Oh. Okay.

[Tony as forgotten the little action figure for the moment, so he's actually surprised to hear she has something. He's been so worked up over House that it's slipped his mind entirely.]