The sudden jump spooks him, and for a moment Richie wonders if his presence might be doing more harm than good. Nobody came back from these things with their heads fully on their shoulders. Then the man settles and uses his name, and he looses a sigh of relief.]
Hey. Yeah, it's me. [He smiles down at him.] You remember where you are?
Well, Yves thinks he's fine, but he's really not. Siffrin seems a bit agitated, but still badly injured. And Marcoh could barely talk when I visited him. No wonder, considering his neck...
[Richie's lips thin.]
It's bad. They're well patched up, but my god, you four must have been through hell. Are you feeling steady? I can grab a painkiller if you like.
[Richie watches his face closely. Fishing for the threads of what's frayed too far and what's needing to be teased out. His hand won't move away either. Not until he's given the brush off for real.]
Was it in you the whole time? Or just near the end, with the crash?
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he startles terribly when he hears richie's voice, looking in his direction. a beat, and then: ]
Hello. [ he sounds hesitant, at first, and then like he's shaking cobwebs away: ] Richie?
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The sudden jump spooks him, and for a moment Richie wonders if his presence might be doing more harm than good. Nobody came back from these things with their heads fully on their shoulders. Then the man settles and uses his name, and he looses a sigh of relief.]
Hey. Yeah, it's me. [He smiles down at him.] You remember where you are?
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[ a beat. ]
Which would follow, logically speaking. Are - how are the others?
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[Richie's lips thin.]
It's bad. They're well patched up, but my god, you four must have been through hell. Are you feeling steady? I can grab a painkiller if you like.
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a violent flood of guilt that rushes over his face when he mentions marcoh not being able to talk.
silence, for a long moment. and then he curls his tail a little closer to him and shakes his head. ]
... I don't need anything. [ maybe it's better to be in pain for a while. ]
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[Okay no absolutely not. Taking a seat half off the edge of his mattress, looking down at him furrowed brows.]
Tell me what happened, will you? I know it's rough. These things are always rough. You can lay it on me, it's no trouble.
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Their injuries are my fault. [ he glances down at his hands. ] Marcoh can't speak because of me.
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[Gently, putting a hand over his if he'll let him.]
Something got in your head?
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Yes. I caused the car crash. [ he drags in a breath. ] Whatever it was refused to let them go without a fight.
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Was it in you the whole time? Or just near the end, with the crash?
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[He looks down to their conjoined hands. Wondering what he could say that wouldn't seem trite, or obvious.]
I don't know that they would hold it against you, JQ. Even if whatever spells are on you four are lingering.
Still, it's...cruel. For whatever it was to use you, especially. When all you do is help people.