091 - [VOICE]

[thatlibbychick]

Neil, get back to me please. I need to know if you're okay.

I'm helping out in the infirmary, and I want you here with me.

Comments

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

Why? I'm not sick.

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

Because there are very dangerous people roaming around in the dark, and I'm armed. I can protect you here, if need be.

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

What, you're a shrink with a gun?

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

I'm a shrink who's survived large-scale disaster long before this.

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

[MANLY SCOFF.] This is a fucking blackout, not a disaster. I'm staying with Paddy.

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

No, you're not. If someone panics and decides they need to hoard food...

I'll take you to the kitchen for work each day, at which time I'll stand as an armed guard, but you're staying with me. End of discussion.

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

... [BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO WORK; HE WANTED TO HANG OUT.] Fine, I'll go to the infirmary.

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

Okay. Be here in ten minutes or I'll come looking for you.

It's not that I don't trust you, Neil--it's that I don't know everyone who can't be trusted. I only want you to be safe.

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

I don't need a mom. Seriously.

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

I'm not trying to be your mother, but what can I say? I'm maternal by nature.

You can laugh at me once this has all blown over without anyone being attacked, but until then I'm taking precautions. Okay?

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

[GRUMBLE GRUMBLE, he's walking over without talking to you.]

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

[Libby says he doesn't need to be happy about it as long as he's not dead!]

FORWARD-DATED to after Clapet's victims have been identified.]

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

[After excusing herself to use one of the infirmary bathrooms, where she could be sick and cry privately, Libby wipes her face, smooths her hair and rejoins the others. It's still obvious that she's been crying, but she doesn't look gross with it anymore.]

Neil, I need to speak with you. Something's happened.

[She places her hand on his shoulder and gently leads him into an isolated corner. She will not and cannot keep him in the dark about something like this, as much as it might scare him. A healthy level of fear might keep him alive.]

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

[Neil's sitting on one of the cots, looking bored as hell as he looks through entry after whiny entry on his communicator. When Libby comes back from the bathroom, he looks up, thoroughly disinterested expression on his face.]

Yeah?

[Okay, so he's slightly worried, now that he sees her face. He lets her guide him to a corner.]

What's going on?

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

Things have a taken a turn for the worse. An inmate by the name of Clapet apparently panicked over the food shortage, and decided to take matters into his own hands.

[She bit her lower lip, and took one of Neil's hands in both of hers.]

I assume you already know Billy, or Doctor Horrible, because you both work in the kitchen. Billy and another man named Emil Blonsky were found murdered in Clapet's room.

[Her mouth quivers, and she tilts her face away as she utters a harsh, dry sob. She won't let herself completely break down in front of the person she's sworn to protect, though.]

They were butchered, and some of their remains were cooked.

[She wills herself not to vomit again. It's hard; even when she and the other tail-section survivors of Flight 815 were left without food, none of them had even thought about that. Sometimes, they were able to catch a few fish or a small wild fowl, or locate some fruit--but when they had nothing, which was most of the time, they all just went hungry. And this isn't even life or death yet! There's still food in the kitchens, and none of them are close to starving. It makes her feel like she's never NOT feel sick again.]

I wish that were the end of it, that nothing could be worse than what was done to them...but the dead aren't coming back to life anymore. It seems as though revival vanished along with everything else, and we're only finding out now.

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

What... [Neil recoils away from Libby, as though by bringing him this news, she's somehow endangering him. He doesn't even know the men who died, really. Seen Billy around, sure, but barely ever talked to the guy. Blonsky was barely even a face to him. But still, he'd seen them, practically daily. These were people he shared this stupid, fucked up boat with, and they were butchered and cooked, like this was a scene lifted from a 70s cannibal movie.]

No. No. [He looks away from Libby, at some dark wall, his expression grim, before cracking the smallest of smiles and letting out a bitter, humorless laugh.] They were cooked? [He looks at her.] What kind of fucked up nightmare is this place?! What am I doing here? Seriously, what the FUCK am I doing here?

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

[Libby doesn't know how to answer that, because sometimes she wonders the same thing. Sure, he needs to break a cycle of self-destructive behavior, but he's not prison material!]

Neil...

[She steps towards him again and enfolds him in a hug. She can't answer his question, not to his satisfaction or even hers, so there's no point in trying. It's not the time for philosophical debates.]

I'm sorry...but I'm going to keep you safe, I promise. Nobody will hurt you.

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

[He stiffens when she hugs him, but doesn't shove Libby away. Instead, he just sort of endures the physical contact, although he doesn't really welcome it.]

Oh, what, with your gun? [He scoffs, but the bitchiness is mostly half-assed. He doesn't really have it in him right now to push things.]

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

[She continues to hold him, and maybe it's as much for her as it is for him.]

With my life.

[getlostforever.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well... [He's a little deflated. All of his walls seem kind of pointless right now. They're not about to come down, but he's not in the mood to scoff at her, either.] Hope it won't come to that.

[thatlibbychick.livejournal.com]

I am, but if it does...

[She can't die here when nobody's coming back to life--talk about being cut off from home--but if Neil's in danger, she'll give everything to save him.]

You'll be alright, no matter what.