From:	Date: 09/18/2007 10:55:18

*sits down next to you*

*keeps pretty still, partly out of habit, partly since you seem more on edge than usual*

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 10:59:48

*gives you a frown as you do so*

*thought you'd be off doing that mojo thing of yours*

*which really freaks her out, to be honest*

*pointedly* What.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 11:04:31

*moves just his eyes to glance around him* *looks back at you* Nothing?

*counts to five in his head* You seem tense.

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 11:11:03

*shifts around in her chair* *you'd think they'd make these things for comfort. seriously, Kindreds* :\

*levelly* I'm fine. Let's just do this. :| *looks around watching the exits*

*with a nod of her chin* Aren't you supposed to be checking the mortal's brain already?

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 11:14:51

*with a special patience reserved only for former-Aratar capable of beating the snot out of him* It could take a while. We don't know when it'll appear again.

*half-surprised* Oh! Oh. No. Visiting hours aren't for forty more minutes yet.

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 11:17:53

*under her breath* Yeah, that's what makes me nervous. :\ *half-irritably, trying to be nonchalant in front of the mom at the end of the row with a kid who's complaining his ear hurts* What are our aliases again?

*oh, come on* Well can't you just-- *lowers her voice* --go in? You're you, you know.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 11:31:54

*simply* I'm me. *pulls out some sunflower seeds from his jacket pocket* *nibbles one* *can see you want more than this, by the glare you start to give him* I mean the me I always am down here. You're my friend, I'm Beleg's friend, I just came to say hi to Mablung. Keep it simple, the mortals accept it.

*firmly* We don't break their rules. They're there for their reasons. *with a little internal frustration* We just have to work within them.

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 11:37:51

*sighs* Fine. Just... keep it quick, alright? There's already two entrances I can't get a sightline on, and if Ulmo got in through the ladies' I don't even want to talk about what kind of extra security cameras they've installed. Mortals get paranoid.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 11:42:55

Mortals get paranoid

Not unlike certain Ainur :-"

*stands up* I'll get us some food.

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 11:48:13

*has seen the way you eat* *isn't optimistic about the results* :p

*picks up a magazine from the next chair over*

*finds herself promptly offended at what people expect females to stoop to for beauty's sake*

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 11:51:11

*returns and empties out his coat pockets with sandwiches, brittle, an apple, and three packets of M&Ms*

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 11:54:00

*takes two of the candy packets, and thinks you darn well better have got something veggie-friendly in the rest* :p

	From: elrondmd	Date: 09/18/2007 11:58:29

*has made a good couple days of fielding frantic phone calls and resisting the temptation to see what the heart attack patient is actually like, being so closely related to someone that...challenging*

*glances at you two as he's passing through the waiting room and does a double take* *tries to remember where he's seen Irmo before*

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 12:06:03

*leaves Irmo with the thrilling magazine to entertain him while she goes to take a number from the little ticky-tape dispenser near the counter*

*seriously, people. taking a number?!?!?*

	From: elrondmd	Date: 09/18/2007 12:13:55

*walks over to Irmo after a moment*

*amiably* Excuse me. Have we met? Only you seem so familiar and I can't quite place you...

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 12:22:38

*flipping through the magazine in his lap* *tears out a bit of the advice column that Estë has got to see*

*looks up*

I can't quite place you...

*placidly* I sort of have that effect on people. :] No really. I have that effect on people. I'm Beleg's friend? You're Mablung's doctor.

	From: elrondmd	Date: 09/18/2007 12:30:29

I'm Beleg's friend?

*half to himself, surprised* Ah, right. That was a rather hectic day.

Me? *holds up a hand* Oh, no, I was just consulting on a couple things. Some teams of other doctors are seeing to his primary care. ...Are you here to see Mablung?

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 12:38:07

*stands and shakes your hand* It's busy here a lot, I guess.

*is both fascinated and impressed by how hard you work in your processes of healing*

*nods* How is he doing?

	From: elrondmd	Date: 09/18/2007 12:45:01

That it is, my friend. *easily* But today's been a good day so far. Quiet.

How is he doing?

*smiles warmly* Much better. He's proven more resilient than I'd dared to hope. But you're welcome to see for yourself. He's in—well, now, I don't recall the room number but if you just ask at the nurse's station down that way? *points*

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 12:58:35

Yeah. We'd have noticed if it wasn't. :s I like that myself.

*follows where you're pointing to see Yavanna doing her best to not antagonize the staff* Oh. Sure. Yes. Thanks.

*conversationally, curious* Even if he's not awake, sometimes having someone friendly there helps? Do you believe in that sort of thing?

	From: elrondmd	Date: 09/18/2007 13:05:18

*nods* Not a problem.

Do you believe in that sort of thing?

*his tone serious* I do. Absolutely. It sounds silly but I think sometimes a good friend is the best medicine of all.

*lightly* I wouldn't worry about Mablung, though. In the short term, anyway. *looks at his watch* He ought to be awake and sweet-talking nurses as we speak.

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 13:13:32

*returns from the desk wearing an unnaturally wide smile*

*is so freaking demure it's killing her*

They said visiting hours are up?

*sees Elrond* Hi. We're here to visit? :)

	From: elrondmd	Date: 09/18/2007 13:17:24

*looks at you a little curiously* So I heard?

*couldn't explain the strong hunch he has that Irmo is someone he can trust* *sotto voce* If the nurses harass you just have them give me a call.

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 13:20:33

*brightly enough* Oh, don't worry. I'll keep him out of trouble. :)

*punches Irmo on the shoulder* ;)

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 13:21:56

oW.

*to Elrond* Thanks. :)

*slips down the hall with you*

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 13:28:22

*is playing cards with—who else?—a heartbreakingly pretty young nurse*

*("resilient" apparently meaning "sitting up with the aid of an adjustable bed")*

*narrows his eyes* You're bluffing.

*...*

*attempting to use telepathy* Got any sevens? *sighs and goes fishing*

	From: yavannapalurien	Date: 09/18/2007 13:31:37

heartbreakingly pretty young nurse

*...* *allows said smile to remain fixed*

I'll wait outside and keep out of trouble.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 13:33:52

*taps on the door*

*also raises his hand to wave, for good measure*

*gives the nurse an obliging smile*

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 13:37:48

*looks up*

*points to the nurse while she's looking away* *mouths the words* Totally legal. Wait. I know all the cops. *cheerfully* Are you looking for Gallstone? He's next door.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 13:47:33

*facepalms*

*good-naturedly* Oh, no. He's in way better shape. I'm a friend of Beleg's? I heard what happened to you, I came to see how you were doing. *adds after a moment* I was just concerned.

*tries, tries to send the nurse a hint that no, he doesn't need to be dealt in*

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 13:52:34

I'm a friend of Beleg's?

*every bit as mildly as before* Yeah? Huh. I thought I knew all of Beleg's friends. *sizes you up a little more closely as he stacks his cards*

*nonchalantly crushes a soda can with his [mechanical but deceptively human-looking] hand and tosses it to the [very much impressed] nurse* Chuck that for me, will you, doll?

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 13:58:36

*watches her leave* *is pretty confident she won't get past Yavanna on the way back in*

Oh. Sorry. You can call me Rick? :] *would shake your hand but is a little too confident in Vána's handiwork :D*

*takes a seat next to your bed* *becomes much more focused* You had a pretty rough go of it.

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 14:05:09

*laughs* Oh, I can call you Rick? No offense, mate, but I've heard that one a time or two in my line of work.

You had a pretty rough go of it.

*with forced lightness* Just you wait. *nods toward a wheelchair in the corner of the room* They can't keep a wild card like me off those streets forever.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 16:07:09

I can call you

AhahaHAH wow did you know that part doesn't turn off when you're sleeping? Interesting, that.

*takes the deck of cards from your bed table* *starts to shuffle them in his hands*

*casually* Hey did you ever look at the kings and queens in this deck? Did you notice the way they're facing? That sometimes changes. Like on this one---

*holds up a face card in front of you hypnotically* *does this with a manner that makes you want to keep looking at the card*

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 17:19:45

...changes? *frowns* *with thinly-veiled suspicion* You've been smoking the good crack, pal.

*drops his gaze to the card nevertheless*

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 17:32:25

*slowly drops the card when he's satisfied your attention's held*

*passes a hand in front of your eyes to be sure*

*in gentle tones* I'm going to ask you some questions about what you remember. I'm not going to hurt you.

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 17:37:41

*continues staring straight ahead, eyes vaguely glazed*

*distantly* Remember? I remember a lot of things.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 17:46:04

*takes out his data recorder and puts it on the bed*

*folds his hands in front of him*

What about the day you came to the hospital? What happened that morning?

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 17:53:13

*doesn't speak for a long time*

*a line creasing his forehead* I got in a fight. It hurt. A lot.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 17:58:47

It hurt. A lot.

I know it did. Do you want me to help you with that?

*quietly, as though he's stepping around the border of your mind* Who did you fight with?

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 18:04:54

*in that same detached tone* The doctors say it's good I can feel my toes. Who knew toes could be so important?

*looks as though he's struggling with something* *truthfully* I don't know if I have the right answer to that question.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 18:10:02

*puts a hand out just next to your forehead* If it's easier, close your eyes.

*frowns* *listens to narrow in on some rough, fragmented thoughts* Why is it hard? Who did you see that day?

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 18:17:11

*does close his eyes, more because you told him to than because he's processed it as a helpful technique*

*semi-coherently* I thought I saw my best mate. Túrin. But it's like I said. I don't think that's right but I don't know what is right, either.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 18:29:22

*gives you reassuring thoughts as he steps a little further around the rough patches*

*can't think why you'd be so confused about what you saw, but can certainly see the traces of damage* You don't have to worry. You know what's right. We'll find it.

*presses the record button as he talks, taking the memory signatures*

Would you like to sleep?

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 18:34:57

Would you like to sleep?

*flatly, visibly wilting* Yes. I'm still broken. *doesn't phrase the next as a question* What's the point of remembering things I'd rather not remember.

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 18:43:17

*lets a hand hover over your forehead, making sure you're relaxing*

*simply, like he's told many people this before* So you let me worry about them instead.

*keeps recording until he's satisfied you've turned over as much of the rough patches as you can*

	From: mablung	Date: 09/18/2007 18:47:19

*sighs* *mumbling* Put the bed down, doc. My back's singing the blues.

*thinks he sees blue, cloudless skies in his half-dreams*

	From:	Date: 09/18/2007 18:52:01

*does so after finding the button on the side of the bed* *hey, cool*

*pockets the recorder and chews on his lip, thinking he's gonna have a hell of a report for Ulmo once he gets through*