IMDb Flu EP | Kate Barlow | Main Bar

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate hasn't been feeling like herself.

Her wound seems to be healing just fine, but she's been having hot and cold flashes, and headaches, and strange dreams. She dreams about cities -- New Orleans she somehow recognizes, even though the city looks nothing like the way she remembers it -- and people she doesn't know. They call her by two unfamiliar names, but any similarities stop there. One moment she feels uncomfortable in her own skin, the next she feels outrageously at ease. One moment she feels no greater pull than to sit and fuss over a small collection of stuffed animals, the next she itches to find a stage and a microphone and sing. When she's lucid enough she's left with veritable whiplash.

She wanders downstairs wrapped in a horrendous sweater-coat that looks like it could have been made out of your grandmother's bedspread, squinting hard and leaning on tables to make her way safely to the Bar. A pair of over-sized glasses are waiting for her once she sits down.

"Oh! I thought I lost these," she beams, putting them on. "Thank you!"

She can't resist the urge to spin on the bar stool -- but only the once -- and, already on the subject of things she's lost, touches her nose to discover the little diamond stud she thinks she recalls having is not there. Hmm.

Someone might need to stop her or encourage her before she tries to play with the wait rats. Or gets a tattoo.


[Tiny not-so-dippy-hippy tag: IMDb Flu, Bridgette Dubois]
[note: Thanks to a lot of enabling, Kate currently thinks she's both Valerie Veran from Little Nicky and Scarlett from The Badge. This will either be hilarious, or confusing (or both). She'll hopefully get another EP soon, but this one is open all weekend!]

Comments

[guppy_sandhu]

"...Kate?"

Guppy approaches, cautiously.

"You look... interesting, today. Are you okay?"

[ikissdhimbck]

"Hm? Oh."

She touches one of her pleated pigtails, twirling the ends around her fingers.

"Well, you see, first I was hot, so I wanted to get my hair off my neck. And then I was cold."

She adjusts her glasses, and smiles shyly.

[guppy_sandhu]

"I didn't think you wore glasses." Guppy says, eying her.

He reaches over to gently feel her forehead.

[ikissdhimbck]

"I've always worn glasses! I used to get teased in school all the time."

She's definitely running warm.

She furrows her brow.

"Well -- I mean, I think I did."

[guppy_sandhu]

Hm.

"I think you may have flu. Do you know where you are?"

[ikissdhimbck]

"I remember."

The infirmary, the antibiotics, the flu.

"I'm not that confused. You don't see that even in New York City."

She gestures to the Window.

"...Or New Orleans."

Or... what was the other ... Texas?

[guppy_sandhu]

"Sorry." Guppy says. "Have you had anything to eat or drink?"

[ikissdhimbck]

"I had breakfast."

She furrows her brow.

"Why are you so serious all the time?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"I am? Sorry." Guppy says, going a bit red.

"I guess it's a personality fault."

[ikissdhimbck]

"It's okay," she laughs, still nervously playing with her pigtails. "I wasn't saying it was a fault! You're just always worried about something. Don't you ever just want to, um. Let your hair down?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"Like I have time." Guppy says, with a wry smile. "I'm better than I used to be."

He gets the portable scanner out of his pocket and runs it over her.

"You're burning up." he says. "We should get you tucked up in bed with soup."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Isn't this a magic bar? You should have all the time in the world."

She giggles again, and pushes the scanner away.

"If you weren't so busy worrying."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Well I'd have time if people didn't keep getting sick." Guppy says.

"C'mon, infirmary or upstairs."

[middle-dubois.livejournal.com]

"Mom?"

This isn't the cowboy lady. So it's probably Bridgette's mom after all?

Oh, shoot.-

[ikissdhimbck]

If Bridgette's mom starts rattling around up in Kate's head too, the men in the white coats might have to abandon their table in the corner and take her away.

She adjusts her glasses.

"Hi," she smiles, shy. "I don't ... think so."

She doesn't look very sure about it, though.

[middle-dubois.livejournal.com]

"What's your name?" Bridgette asks, wondering if that's her mom before she was her mom. She looks too young and silly for her mom.

Perhaps she's still being Allison Benoit, not Allison DuBois?

[ikissdhimbck]

"Oh, I'm sorry--"

She brushes her palms together just to make sure they're clean, and offers Bridgette her hand.

"I'm Valerie Veran."

Um.

For the moment.

[middle-dubois.livejournal.com]

Bridgette earnestly shakes her hand.

"You look like my mom," she says. "But the cowboy lady does, too!"

[ikissdhimbck]

"Oh."

Cowboy lady, right. She nods.

"I think we've ... met."

She's a bit confused on that count.

"What's your name?"

[middle-dubois.livejournal.com]

"I'm Bridgette DuBois!" Bridgette says. "The cowboy lady looks just like you, doesn't she?"

[ikissdhimbck]

"Oh."

She touches her glasses, absently adjusting them again, and simpers.

"I don't know; I don't look like much. That might not be a compliment."

[middle-dubois.livejournal.com]

"My mom is nice and we love her," Bridgette says. "I'd rather have her than one that looks like a model and is stupid!"

[ikissdhimbck]

She smiles.

"Well that's sweet!"

Children have that gift of getting away with saying things an adult might not be able to.

"She must be real nice to have a daughter like you."

[middle-dubois.livejournal.com]

"But my big sister is a pain," Bridgette says, "and she's her mom as well! But my mom is brilliant. She works for the district attorney solving murders."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Oh."

Well, that does throw a wrench in her formula, doesn't it?

"Well, maybe your big sister was a practice run she didn't get quite right until you."

She laughs conspiratorially.