[Log] An apple a day keeps the doctor away [closed]

[exequies]

Characters: Bucky Barnes, John Watson, Steve Rogers, and Undertaker (walk into a bar...)
Location: Building 131 (the hospital)
Date: Day 208, midday
Summary: Undertaker revives at the hospital after being dead for several days. He's found by both Bucky and John. Also I suck at summaries.
Warnings: Suicidal ideation and mentions of suicide.

131: The roof of a large, square hospital. At first, it seems like this is as far as you can go--but actually, there's a door on the rooftop. It's locked, but there's a card key reader attached. As for what spared it from having its parts stripped? It was frozen over with ice, though not any longer. The building can now be entered from the rooftop.

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 hospital 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. While you can explore and remain on most of the floors of the hospital at night, you cannot travel between them until it's daytime once more, as the lobby seals itself up at curfew.

The first floor has both more and less relaxed areas. There's an operating room down here, too, as well as another sort of laboratory, and a large section of this floor is taken up by labor delivery. The hospital has a generally oppressive atmosphere, but this area is marginally less so. Only marginally, though. The rooms in the delivery wing are larger than the rooms upstairs, with a more private atmosphere, but there are extra beds in here, and even VIP delivery isn't private on first blush. A closer inspection reveals the rooms only really seem fit for one of the beds. Others must have been added later for some reason. The lobby is very large here, with plenty of seating available for waiting. There's a door that works, also, opening to the south into a small, empty parking garage and finally revealing the rest of the ice tunnel area. During the day, at least. It's locked at night like everything else. There are finger-sized slits cut into many of the mattresses. One of the bathrooms on the first floor has signs of a fire having been set, with scorch marks. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO, CONTACT @LELRIC FOR ANY ASSISTANCE" is written on the wall. "ALFIE SOLOMONS, 1922. Camden Town, London, England, UK, Europe, Earth. Day 165, February 24." is carved into the wall. Underneath the RECEPTION sign is the following, scrawled in black crayon:
"NⓍ NIMA
where is it?
73 74 69 6c 6c 20 73 65 61 72 63 68 20 69 6e 67"

Comments

[exequies]

[Bucky might as well have not even intervened. Undertaker's hair is grabbed, and his head follows the movement the necessary few inches. But his pain tolerance is too high; the discomfort doesn't even earn the soldier a wince in response. Instead, his eyes turn imploringly upwards at Watson before he delivers that horrible joke.

He was trying to laugh. It didn't matter what kind of joke it was, he'd laugh at it.

Instead, he feels nothing. Not even a hint of amusement or mirth, and it's with the pause after the delivery that has him letting out a small wail of anguish. Not over the joke's terrible punch line, but because he absolutely can't make himself laugh.]

[advanced]

[He freezes with the command, only for a moment, but it's there. Undertaker isn't attacking, and so he lets his fingers slide out from long hair pretty quickly after that.]

I don't understand.

[He glances to Dr. Watson for explanation. What is wrong with this man? What has he lost?]

[jumpthegun]

[John's expression is pure confusion as he looks up at Bucky, then back down at Undertaker, who now seems set to start sobbing on his leg. The joke was bad, but it wasn't-]

He can't laugh.

[The insight hits him like a bolt, the pieces slotting into place. Is this what it feels like for Sherlock constantly? There's a momentary (very momentary) pleasure at having got it before he's frowning once more.]

Mr. Undertaker, calm down. Is that it? You can't laugh right now?

[exequies]

[And Undertaker's too preoccupied to respond. Instead, he just gives a faint nod and thunks his forehead against Watson's thigh above his knee, like a child would. He's still holding onto his leg, but his grip isn't quite as strong.]

[advanced]

That's it?

[Surely that can't be it? Not being able to laugh is not a death price, it's a mild inconvenience at best. Bucky can't actually remember the last time he laughed anyway.]

[jumpthegun]

[And if Undertaker were a child, John would be more okay with this. As it is, he's a grown man, and this is intensely awkward.]

It's important for him. [If it's something the MN Poisoning would take away, then it's something far more important than John realized. He makes an aborted motion to pat Undertaker's head comfortingly, and instead tries to extract himself from the other man's grip.]

It's all right. It'll come back in a day or two.

[exequies]

That's it? [His tone turns a little more offended, grip loosening further so that he's just barely clinging to Watson. He'll have little trouble extracting himself from his hold, now.]

Don't trivialize such a crucial thing. [He lifts his head, mouth set in a very serious line despite how silly and melodramatic it sounds.]

There's nothing greater in the world than laughter, you know.

[advanced]

[Sorry, but no matter how important laughter is to someone, it's still not one of the more major death prices. He still has all his senses, all his memories, all his faculties.]

You don't need to laugh to survive.

[Ergo it is so trivial.]

[jumpthegun]

Okay. [John raises a hand toward Bucky and pulls his leg fully out of Undertaker's grip. That accomplished, he offers his other hand down to Undertaker to help him back up.] We know what your price is. And it looks like we're stuck here together for the night, at least. Not too much time to be running anywhere else.

No one's going to attack anyone else. Are we good to start searching around for supplies? [Or using the loo. John would like to be able to. He can still feel Stein's blood on his hands.]

[exequies]

Perhaps you don't...

[It doesn't come out particularly angry, just a bit accusatory. But at Watson's offer up he simply shakes his head and stays sitting where he is.]

You two go if you want. I'm not feeling up to it.

[advanced]

[It's a good idea.

Bucky wants to explore this place before lockdown shuts off the various floors, and he wants to talk to Dr. Watson alone. So he just nods and turns to stalk off.

Catch you later, losers!]

[jumpthegun]

[John runs a hand down his face. Good. Okay. Fine. To Undertaker:]

If he comes back before I do, just try... not to talk to him. I'll be back in a little bit.

[That's the safest option. That said, John lowers his hand and, with one more concerned glance at Undertaker, goes to start searching, himself.]