[Kara reads the message, the corner of her mouth ticking up in a smile at it, and she gives Max a nod and a thumbs up. She turns then, headed towards the in-patient because some small part of her is giddy at the idea of ripping a tv off a hospital wall and taking it home.
uh, quietly ripping it.
it's slow going, though. There's no sand on the third floor, so Kara resorts to floating across the floor, keeping an ear focused on Max, making sure her footfalls are light enough that if Kara can't pick it up, she's hoping a Sound Eater can't either. She also turns every now and again to x-ray behind her, check on Max, a sigh of relief escaping her the first few times when nothing bad immediately happens.
Soon, she's to the in-patient hallway. The first two rooms are a strike out - the tvs are both smashed, the screens jagged and broken and sharp. but the third room, on the left, has Kara pumping her fist in the air. Score!
The tv is a flat screen, sleek and black and covered with a thick layer of dust. At least it's not red. She puts both hands on it, jiggles it a little on the stand, but it's mounted securely. She doesn't want to make any noise, so she takes to unscrewing each screw carefully with her fingers, turning them quietly, and then she slides the television off its mount and hoists it under one arm. It's not the biggest thing in the world, but it'll definitely suit her purposes!
She turns to dig up the remote then, and that's when she sees the body, lying in the bed, decomposed. Mostly bone, with tattered cloth lying haphazardly on top of it. There's oxygen tubes lying across the skull, positioned just under the nose, and Kara's breath catches in her throat. She can't stop staring, and that's probably impolite. It's definitely impolite, disrespectful.
She tears her gaze away, her eyes stinging as she thinks about how scared this person must have been. Had they made sound? Or had the hospital just sunk into chaos around them. Had they been old, unable to call out for help? It was obvious they had died alone...
Kara has to leave. She snags the remote off the nightstand in a hurry, holding it in a grip so strong that the plastic creaks, in danger of breaking. She has to calm down; she has to leave. She can't tell Max about this.
Once she's out of the room, the tv and remote on the floor next to her feet, she leans against the wall and focuses on her breathing, mouths a prayer to Rao for the person in the room and for her own strength, to put this aside, to pocket it for later, along with everything else. The back of her neck is damp with sweat, and she leans over some, one hand on a knee while the other lifts her curtain of hair up off her neck as she continues to breathe.
no subject
[Kara reads the message, the corner of her mouth ticking up in a smile at it, and she gives Max a nod and a thumbs up. She turns then, headed towards the in-patient because some small part of her is giddy at the idea of ripping a tv off a hospital wall and taking it home.
uh, quietly ripping it.
it's slow going, though. There's no sand on the third floor, so Kara resorts to floating across the floor, keeping an ear focused on Max, making sure her footfalls are light enough that if Kara can't pick it up, she's hoping a Sound Eater can't either. She also turns every now and again to x-ray behind her, check on Max, a sigh of relief escaping her the first few times when nothing bad immediately happens.
Soon, she's to the in-patient hallway. The first two rooms are a strike out - the tvs are both smashed, the screens jagged and broken and sharp. but the third room, on the left, has Kara pumping her fist in the air. Score!
The tv is a flat screen, sleek and black and covered with a thick layer of dust. At least it's not red. She puts both hands on it, jiggles it a little on the stand, but it's mounted securely. She doesn't want to make any noise, so she takes to unscrewing each screw carefully with her fingers, turning them quietly, and then she slides the television off its mount and hoists it under one arm. It's not the biggest thing in the world, but it'll definitely suit her purposes!
She turns to dig up the remote then, and that's when she sees the body, lying in the bed, decomposed. Mostly bone, with tattered cloth lying haphazardly on top of it. There's oxygen tubes lying across the skull, positioned just under the nose, and Kara's breath catches in her throat. She can't stop staring, and that's probably impolite. It's definitely impolite, disrespectful.
She tears her gaze away, her eyes stinging as she thinks about how scared this person must have been. Had they made sound? Or had the hospital just sunk into chaos around them. Had they been old, unable to call out for help? It was obvious they had died alone...
Kara has to leave. She snags the remote off the nightstand in a hurry, holding it in a grip so strong that the plastic creaks, in danger of breaking. She has to calm down; she has to leave. She can't tell Max about this.
Once she's out of the room, the tv and remote on the floor next to her feet, she leans against the wall and focuses on her breathing, mouths a prayer to Rao for the person in the room and for her own strength, to put this aside, to pocket it for later, along with everything else. The back of her neck is damp with sweat, and she leans over some, one hand on a knee while the other lifts her curtain of hair up off her neck as she continues to breathe.
Just stay calm, Kara.]