milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

kate bishop,
teja

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Vacation was over. That much was obvious after speaking with Inari, and then finding a small stack of notes and letters for her at the bar. A quick glance at the infirmary just confirmed it more. She was sitting by the fire with some vanilla chai while she glanced at the letters, and made some more notations on fresh sheets in her notebook. Previous ones she had already copied, and left for Security previously.

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"Greetings, Kate," Teja says, turning up beside her. "I see you got my notes."

"Hello, and I did, Teja. I ran into Mary as well. But not this Antubis yet."

"It is an odd creature; I do not know what to compare it to. Like a big animal with a long snout," Teja says.

Pause.

"When you spoke to her -- did you share my impression that we are not dealing with a place of healing that would heal sick bodies, but with a place of the mad?"

"That could describe a couple of animals offhand. I'll ask around more about it."

She added, "She was there briefly, and I sort of had that impression already when the damn doctor tried to attack me. He's obviously no kind of doctor that helps people. But this doesn't surprise me."

"She mentioned another patient, by name of Paul, and that he worked for the doctor," Teja says. "And then, there was a fire, and those mad people were not let out; that Paul died inside one of the tanks that the doctor used to put his patients in, during the fire. It must have been an incredibly cruel death, and he is a mad, angry spirit now."

Died trapped with only options to slowly suffocate from smoke inhalation, or be burnt alive. And tanks... probably would have been boiled alive.

"God... all those people," It made her angry and sick to even think about it.

"Yes," Teja says, very grimly. "All those people may have been mad, but that makes their pain no less real. I have been nigh-mad, at extreme times in my life; in those future time, men might have sent me to such a place to cure my despair. And their spirits are still trapped there, and angry. Mary is but one of them; the one that speaks for them, one might think. We are to help her; we must free them all. We must find the great wrong that was done, and set it right; then it will unravel, I understand, and the nightmares will stop."

Kate considered that, and grimaced as she realized.

"Which means I might have been going about this wrong. Was focusing on the doctor, figuring that fighting him would stop the nightmares. She did mention something about the voices. That must be them."

"Yes," Teja says. "The voices -- that are the other spirits. That is what she said. We must help them; that way, we would needs fight the doctor, but to free them all!"

Pause.

"I would suggest that we should assemble all that are involved in this in council, together, to share our findings. We should include the one soul-healer in this place, a man I have not met that people keep mentioning, by name of Doctor Crowe. He holds the science that might provide us with answers."

Kate nodded, "We need Mary, and also I need to speak more with Doc when he's feeling better. Since he was one of the three that was in the hospital the earliest. Before all this happened. And I know Dr. Crowe, he's a psychiatrist. He's usually in later when he stops by. Probably why you've missed him. One way or another we'll find out how to stop this thing for good."

"Yes, we will," Teja says. "If we get all of those around one table, to speak and share what we know, then we will see much more clearly where this is leading."

Pause.

"And yes, I am not down here in the evenings much; I prefer to be in my room. I do not sleep long, all through the night; it is a habit I fell out of, in the wars of my time. Instead, I stay by myself, play music, draw things I would make, ponder what I have heard, or doze for a while."

"No offense? But holing up in your room's not the safest place to be right now."

Teja nods. "I know. But, to be honest, I could not sleep among other people. Not really. I can doze in a chair by the fireplace, unnoticed, but under the watchful eyes of volunteers? No. I will risk it, and have my solitude."

"I shouldn't have to tell you what you're risking by doing that."

"I know what I risk," Teja says. "But between that, and not sleeping?"

He shrugs.

"Just because you're already dead... it doesn't make you immune. You might even be more vulnerable."

She sighed, "Just want as few casualties as possible with this. No need to encourage them."

"I know," Teja says. "I fully know. Still, I would rather sleep at times then squirm awake all night under another's watchful eyes. It is not a choice I make lightly, or out of stubbornness -- believe me!"

"All right, but you're the one mentioning stubbornness, not me." Wry look back.

She added, "Well, Will and I are back again, so getting back into business on this."

"I mentioned stubbornness," Teja agrees, almost amused, "and I know that, should I have another such vision, it is wholly my own fault. Still, I would sleep and wake and sleep by myself, and not be a victim that needs the protection of others."

Pause.

"Yes, now you are back, I approach to suggest assembly and council. It would be a great loss if one knew something that only another can make sense of, but knew not who to tell it to. A war council is important for any battle or campaign."

Pointed look back at Teja as she remarked, "I just got back from a war, I know what's involved with councils and strategy meetings." Cap held several in their secret headquarters.

"That's why I think we should have one," Teja says, quietly. "I do not wish to tell you what to do, Kate; truly not! But I would wish to contribute all that I can -- my axe, my work, my experience, my knowledge."

"Just watch the tone around here, most people don't like being ordered around. You're not royalty here, just a person like the rest of us."

She added in a quieter tone, "But thank you for the advice and suggestions."

"I know I am not a king here, just a dead man in a place full of many different people," Teja says. "It is sometimes difficult -- I was used to men looking to me for answers, for decisions, for third ways out of dilemmas. Here, I am out of my depth in several respects, but would still do what I can."

"We're all frustrated by this, and trying to do everything we can."

"I would rather help solve the problems," Teja says, somewhat ruefully, "than contribute to them on top of all else."

"That's all we ask from everybody," She agreed.

Teja nods. "I will do my best," he says.

Rem leaned back on her chair.

She saw the woman Kate.

"Hello," Said Rem looking at the woman upside down, "I do believe I have been looking for you."

Kate blinked at her idly, "Perhaps, and you are?"

"I am Rem," she said, "I left a note for you."

Rem turned around and crouched in the chair.

Kate then brightened a little.

"So you did. Have you spoken to Security yet? I've passed some information to them as well about this."

"I would not know who to speak with," she said, "Malcolm suggested I speak with you."

Rem was not big on words.

"There's a Mr. Byers also looking into this as well, there's things up on the noticeboard. And Security's got an office down the hall from the infirmary, and the gym. Can leave a note there."

Kate then asked, "Now, could you please explain in more detail about how you'd be able to help with this?"

"I am not sure," said Rem, "I do sleep, but I am not sure if I dream. If I do, I would like to investigate these nightmares."

She hoped this explained well.

Not really.

"Well, you either do or you don't remember them? And how? The nightmares are pretty personalized."

"I would not know," said Rem, "At any rate I am offering my help in any way it can be used."

She smiled a creepy smile.

......

Kate was wary at that.

"...Uh thank you. We'll contact you if something comes up."

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