[log] Day 046 | Silence in the School Yard [closed]

[rubikscomplex]

Characters: Clayton, Dio, House, Miranda, Ellana, Dorian, Beckett, and Brian.
Location Building 29 (aka the Party Shed).
Date: Day 46, evening, probably after lockdown.
Summary: There are a lot of people packed into an equipment shed. There's bound to be friction. Or maybe they'll get along. Sing Kumbaya... Yeah, that's probably not happening.
Warnings: Gross mold lungs, House being his general insensitive self, and so forth. Please note specific warnings in the headers!

[The shed is really not meant for eight full-sized adults. It is meant event less for eight full-sized adults who have only met for the first time that day or even just that week. It's close quarters tonight, but at least the equipment shed has some minor forms of entertainment. There are hurdles, various sports balls, giant mats to potentially sleep on, and the like. Of course, if you make any noise, everyone in the place will be aware of it. Better mind your manners.

Or not. That's always entertaining, and after a day of near absolute silence in the school, most everyone is probably starved for at least a little noise. Something other than that weird piano music coming from more than one piano. One good thing to come of all of this is that they are well stocked up on food. It's a veritable bounty!]

((OOC: This is a mingle style post. Put up a top-level and tag around to others!))

Comments

[dr_unconscious]

[hELLO]

[Clayton springs to his feet; the only thing keeping him from sprinting across the room is his own backpack sat in front of him and all the feet and legs around it, but he sure gets to the other side in a hurry. How long has this been happening? That's what he gets for trying to distract himself from the claustrophobia with other people, he thinks. You start to miss things.]

I'm up, I'm up!

[He stops short, though, crouching down on the floor with enough room for Brian to move around. It seems like a bad idea to try and pin him into a corner--not unless they absolutely have to. He'll wait, see how Brian reacts to his advances.]

Brian? C'mon, look here a bit, deep breaths... [Clayton passes a wide, curious glance at House. Fill him in, please?]

[0thingsonmymind]

*Ugh, this happens all the time, why are people making such a big deal out of it?

He tries his best to ignore the doctors, but at least the coughing seems to be getting better.*

[rubikscomplex]

[It's the spitting blood everywhere that really bothers people, Brian. Learn to be more discreet or swallow.]

We need to see inside you mouth, kid.

[House pulls out his penlight from his inside jacket pocket.]

Anything hurting right now? Just point to it if you're not going to talk.

[dr_unconscious]

[That is not filling him in, House. He looks back at Brian.]

C'mon, bud. It'll only take a sec. We ain't gonna take off yer mask 'r nothin'.

[Then, more discretely and back to House: ]

--How long's this been happenin'?

[0thingsonmymind]

*He shakes his head; nothing's really hurting...well, aside from what's normal for this.

After a moment the coughing fit let's up and he turns back to face the doctors. You can go now, he's all better.*

[rubikscomplex]

[That's really not all better. And he gives Clayton a look at the 'not taking off the mask' comment.]

Couple of minutes. We were shooting the breeze about the Operator.

[Which he's going to assume Clayton knows about. The glance House casts at the other doctor is less annoyed and more significant this time.]

Kid, coughing up blood isn't normal. I just want to get a look at the back of your throat.

[And probably feel his lymph nodes, check his pulse, check his eyes... you know? Standard things that go along with throat-checking.]

[dr_unconscious]

[Clayton makes an impulsive noise of agreement on that, which he realizes a second too late is a mistake because now he's clued House into his understanding of the less pleasant side of the harbles conundrum. He scowls in a moment of frustration at his own gullibility. God, he hopes this doesn't come back to bite him in the ass later. Inevitably it will, knowing House, but a man can dream.]

[At least this means he can bring up the pills without feeling too guilty, he thinks. Maybe House knows about it. Well, he's about to.]

Could be a side effect a the meds, bud. I gotta check 'fore I feel comfortable findin' more for ya.

[0thingsonmymind]

*He tries to push himself further into the wall, away from the doctors, but it's futile. He's already right up against it. He shakes his head, then grabs his tablet and adds Clayton to the messages.*

no
pills medicine drugs make itbetter
not worse

*God, don't you people know anything about medicine?*

[rubikscomplex]

[House looks down at his tablet, annoyed that the kid is still resisting. They could force him, but he's made some tentative progress in understanding what's going on with him along with maybe gaining some of his trust. There's also discussion to be had with Clayton about what he knows about the Operator, but that can wait.]

How long have you been coughing up blood like that? Before you were on the meds?

[dr_unconscious]

[Trying to grapple with Brian in the middle of a cramped shed filled with other people just trying to eat and sleep sounds like a very bad idea, yes, along with several other possible complications that Clayton would rather not deal with right now. Further negotiations it is; he just hopes that having two persistent voices against Brian's one will get him to back down peacefully.]

[...On the other hand...Clayton stares at the message he's just been sent for a few quiet moments, then passes House an odd, curious look.]

...You took some jus' now t' stop the coughin', didn't ya? That's what you use 'em for?

[0thingsonmymind]

He ignores House, in part because he doesn't know the answer but mostly because House is being annoying. He nods to Clayton's question, though. Why else would he take a pill when was having trouble, anyway?

[rubikscomplex]

[Prescription cough medicine like that doesn't usually work so immediately. Not unless that was a lozenge, and the kid isn't sucking on anything. It still doesn't explain the blood, either.]

Do you use them for anything else?

[dr_unconscious]

[Naturally Clayton knows the answer to this question. They're Tim's pills--anti-seizure, antidepressants, apparently also some pretty heavy-duty cough suppressants. Now he knows.]

[He can't tell House.]

Gotta be some kinda heavy prescription, whatever it is. Seen 'em carryin' the bottle around--right type, label's torn off. He don't want nobody knowin' what he's got goin' on.

[0thingsonmymind]

*They aren't leaving anytime soon, are they? Ugh.*

pillsare for
coughing
seizures
theyhelp

yes, prescription.

*He pauses to stare at Clayton for a moment before continuing.*

youhave not seen
me
withthem

*Unless Clayton saw just now, he guesses, but otherwise he keeps them very close. He can't have someone else stealing his stolen drugs.*

[rubikscomplex]

Seizures?

[Clayton doesn't need to tell him. House makes the logical connection himself.]

Did you take those from Tim?

[Fuck.]

[dr_unconscious]

[If Clayton were the cursing type, now would be a good time to let one go. Goddammit Brian, he was trying to help!]

[He's too flustered to answer. Instead, Clayton rests his chin in his palm, hand over his mouth, and tries not to look too frustrated with how this is turning out. Go on, Brian, he's done everything he can--it's your own funeral now.]

[0thingsonmymind]

theyare mine

*Well, they're his now, at least.*

[rubikscomplex]

Yours? [House's gaze sharpens. Clayton's right to have been worried. Now would be a very good time to find some means to distract House.] You have what Tim does?

[dr_unconscious]

[shit fuck shit come on Epps think faster]

[He cuts in abruptly.]

--Naw. I've seen Tim's pills. These ain't the same. Casing's all wrong.

[0thingsonmymind]

*It was nice of Clayton to try and run damage control, but as he sees no need for it he's just gonna screw that over.*

timis like me
but not

[rubikscomplex]

[House casts Clayton a withering look.]

You really suck at lying for someone who's supposed to be good at it, Epps.

[And then his whole attention is back on Brian.]

What are the differences? You mean his symptoms or how he got what he did?

[Tim's certainly more lucid. Able to still talk when he's not in his Other Tim mode.]

[dr_unconscious]

[Oh goddammit. Clayton's back to putting his face in his hand and, murmuring mostly to himself: ]

...Helps when they know how t' play along...

[He swipes his hand over his eyes, takes a deep breath to recover, and this time addresses Brian. He's already lost this battle with House. Time to try and divert from the other side.]

--Brian, don't ya see what he's doin'? Fishin' fer info on yer buddy. [Slight eyebrow raise. You know, that buddy. The other guy.] Why d'ya think he's doin' that for?

[0thingsonmymind]

heis diff er ent

*That's all you get, House, but not because Clayton asked him to stop. Simply because that's all he's got on the subject. He does pause to consider Clayton's words, though.*

itdoes not matter
why
just that he
is

ihave no ans wers for you.

[rubikscomplex]

Oh, please. Trying to bump up the paranoia, Epps? I'm trying to help Tim. [For a... given value of 'help.'] If you've got something similar to your buddy, I might be able to help you, too. Stop the bloody cough.

[That's not really his main goal here, but he can work with it.]

[dr_unconscious]

[In spite of himself, Clayton sputters a laugh. Brian's answer has more or less cemented for him that he won't say more than he should to get him and Tim in trouble, so keeping up the ruse really isn't an issue for him anymore. Relaxing a little might be a bad idea in that case. But hey, it's not like active damage control's been helping, either.]

Lord, doc. You ain't got no idea, do ya?