8/12/99

Clara arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Clara has arrived.

Niko is seated near the entrance to good ol' S4, situated such that he can see along the hallway to either end without much effort, and such that nobody can get into the room without getting past him. He's got a portable computer in his lap, but is unfocused enough that he looks up at your entrance. "Hey, Clara. How're you doing?" He grins impishly, then inquires, "Did you get dinner?"

Clara heads down the hallway, one hand holding a medical bag over one shoulder, the other rubbing at the bridge of her nose distractedly. Nearing the door of the VIP room, she doesn't go it, but rather leans against the doorframe and grins down. "Noooo. I figured I'd go on a hunger strike just to assert my stubbornness." She gestures at the computer. "Quiet shift?"

Niko rolls his eyes just a bit. "That better be a joke, Clara," he grumbles cheerfully. "And it's been quiet, yeah. Nobody tried to go in, no word from Riley. So maybe he's sleeping and such. I figured I wouldn't bug him, let him rest and all."

Clara buffs her nails on her lab coat, doing her utmost best to look casual. "Of course I'm serious," she replies, then snickers and reaches over for a hair-ruffling if possible. "Nah, Riley and I ate a late lunch, so I'll probably go get dinner later. Just depends on how he's feeling. He was napping when I left, so I'd have to agree. Poor guy...he had a rough night."

Niko is still seated on that chair, and so is shorter than you for a change, so the hair-ruffling is probably possible. "Rough night?" he echoes, track-laying tractor-eyebrows dropping in concern. "You know he can stay off-duty as long as it takes, right, Clara? Or as long as he -will- stay off-duty, I mean. Not that he's indispensible, of course, but we can manage without him til he's back on his feet."

Clara would be vastly frightened if his eyebrows were laying tracks and tractors right here in public. She nods slowly, obviously not worried given a quiet laugh. "Yeah, and it's hist own fault. Those headphones he had on last night? They were up on full blast when I walked in. He had one of the songs stuck in his head all night, something about splattering and exploding heads." Her expression softens then to a warm smile. "Thanks, Niko. I appreciate that. I think he'll be okay, but that's good to know."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko ahhhs quietly, expression clearing. "Yeah, I know that one. It's actually a really good song, though probably not really a great one for sleeping. So it was that, and not that he was feeling horrible? That's good. And being okay is really good, too. We all want him to be fine."

Clara tilts her hand from side to side thoughtfully. "He's feeling as well as a man who just had someone play tinkertoys in his chest the day before. You've heard the song?" Her brows lift with interest. "He said it was actually cheerful, which worries me, but I suppose it depends." She drops her eyes with a fond smile. "I'd like him to be fine too, very much so."

Niko's head bobs in a brief nod. "Kind of a new one, from the guys down at the Fruvous. It's a fun song, yeah. Cheerful, even though it's about heads exploding, yeah. I've got a recording of it upstairs somewhere. Neat accordion on it." He does, though, snicker just a bit at the mention of tinkertoys. "Okay, that puts shopping for toys for the kids in such a different light."

"Hmm, maybe Riley found some time to head down to the Fruvous," Clara muses, then shrugs and shakes her head. "Or someone got him the music. I'm not really sure, to be honest. I'm not going to worry too terribly much. Everyone gets a song stuck in their head from time to time." The latter comment gets a laugh and a shrug. "Well, maybe no -tinker- toys, but definitely tinkering. He seems to be healing fine, though."

"Good, good," Niko says quickly. "Healing's good. He just needs to take it easy long enough to get better." He gestures towards the door, adding, "But you probably want to get in to look in on him, right? And just let somebody know when you want food, okay? I'll be out here for another couple hours, so it'll probably be me."

"Aaaah, trying to get rid of me. I see how it is," Clara teases amiably, but nods. "I should at least peek in on him and give him a few hypos, with which I'm sure he'll be so thrilled. Or better yet, -I- can go get something for all three of us?"

Niko shakes his head at the teasing, looking just a little sheepish. "I just know how I'd be if it was Ela, that's all. And, hey, hypos can be good, sometimes." There's a pause at that last, and he says amiably, "Clara, I'm perfectly capable of getting food, and you'd rather be with Riley, right? Just let me do this? Please? It'd violate some knightly code if I let you go get the stuff."

"I've had to learn how to control myself from sitting at his side twenty-four hours a day," Clara admits a bit sheepishly herself. "I limit myself to sitting in there twenty hours a day." She exhales a sigh and shakes her head with faint amusement. "Okay, okay. I'll figure out what he wants, if anything. His eating's still a little spotty. I figure tomorro or the next day he'll be outeating me again. Thanks again, Niko...I seriously appreciate the guarding."

Niko shakes his head once more, though this time with a crooked grin. "It's okay, Clara. I'm just glad there's something I can do. I'm glad to be able to help."

"Well, yes, but I still am grateful," Clara notes with a warm smile, hand on the doorknob. "Bang on the door and come in to say hello if you want sometime," she offers, then lets herself on into the room.

Clara unlocks the door to room S4 and goes inside.

Clara has left.

[Lots of time passes.]

You say "Clara?" It's quiet. And it's not mindspeech. "Sorry to interrupt, but food's a good thing, and I'm heading off home soon, so if I'm to be your lackey for this evening, can you let me know what you'd like?" into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and says "Niko?" There's just a -hint- of panic to the voice, but she's evidently trying to be very, very calm. "Um, just a moment, let me ask." in Clara's voice.

You say "What's wrong, Clara?" into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and announces "Wrong? Oh, of course nothing's wrong...can I have a ham sandwich and chips? Riley's not hungry, so I'll give him a hypo for nutrients and glucose." Panic is gone, at least, replaced by doctorish calm. Mostly." in Clara's voice.

You say "Yeah, sure, Clara." His voice is crisp and professional, despite being tired. Sure. He believes you. Really. "Ham sandwich and chips, check." into the communit.

[More time passes.]

You knock on a door.

Clara calls, "Come in!"

You unlock the door and go into room S4.

Room S4

Contents:

Clara

Riley

Obvious exits:

Out

You come in from the Housing Hub.

"I don't -think- I hear it," Riley protests softly, his voice growing slowly more hoarse. He's tucked into the recliner chair by the window rather than the bed. "I -do- hear it." He's zoming enough not to really notice Niko.

Niko pads in with the aforementioned ham sandwich and chips, with some chopped raw veggies--they're healthy--and some iced tea. He moves to put down the food, brows lifting at Riley's location and his words. He doesn't comment, though. Riley's zoned. No need to make the poor guy try to focus on stuff.

Clara is seated in a chair near Riley, her laptop ontop of her medbag rapidly churning information, and her scanner on for examination. "Niko, hey," she greets with a faintly distracted smile then turns soothing againt towards Riley. "I know, darling, I know. You're hearing it, we'll find out why, certainly," she murmurs, then rises to head over to Niko, back to Riley, and drop her voice to a murmur. "He's -still- thinking he's hearing that splattering song."

Riley can't hear said mutter, and it's a good thing, or he'd probably get even more paranoid. As it is he seems mollified and settles into a half-doze, murmuring something vague about cuing the soundtrack music from the up and coming band.

Niko blinks a moment. "I don't think anybody's been singing it to him over the radio," he says slowly. "That would just be mean." At Riley's murmur, he can't help himself, and starts to hum the next line, though he cuts that off after a moment.

Clara gives Niko a purely exasperated look for the humming, shaking her head quickly, and looking relieved as it cuts off. "I don't think that's it," she explains quietly. "He says he's hearing the full intrumental accompaniment," she explains, then heads back over to the loony one to scan again. "I'm not seeing any pulmonary distress, though..."

Of course Niko's humming causes Riley to startle a bit, "Now it's doing it in -harmony-...no wait...it stopped again..." He sinks back down into the chair and his provate lunacy.

"Sorry," Niko murmurs, contrite. "It's a really good song. I don't know, maybe the drugs are really funky or something?"

"Nothing he's never been on before," Clara responds, shaking her head in bemusement. "Just the normal nutrients, post-surgical antibiotics, and cortrazime. I may need to add Edrini antibiotic to the mix again, though. Maybe that will help..."

"I really hear it," Riley insists quietly. "I know you people don't believe me, but I -do-..."

Niko edges over a few paces, maybe ending up in Riley's field of vision. "Hey, how're you feeling, Riley? Other than the music, I mean." And, no, he doesn't sound patronizing, just maybe a little bit confused. He peers at Riley for a moment, then asks, "Does it ever change volume or anything?" He nods at Clara, then. Drugs are good, as long as he's not involved in taking them.

Clara doesn't answer Riley, as she's vastly worried that he's gone off the deep end, but taps at the results on the laptop before uttering a soft sigh and rummaging in her supply of medicines. "It's that same infection he had a few years ago, just not as bad," she murmurs. "Fever," she adds to Niko in quiet explanation.

"It was quieter earlier," Riley looks rathere relieved at Niko's question. See! He isn't looney, Niko believes, him, right!? "It got louder, and clearer. And I feel fine."

Niko pads over to hunker down next to Riley. That's easier than standing up, after all. "Kay," he says. "Well, where's it coming from? Anywhere in particular, or everwhere, or what?" He nods as well to Clara. "Yup," he says, though he doesn't elaborate further. After all, he believes Riley. Right?

Clara is quietly doing doctorish things by now, like adding the new medicines to the IV, and looking rather vastly relieved. This all has an explanation, right? Fevers cause hallucinations.

Riley is not hallucinating! He hears this! He -does-! He rubs absently at one ear, "Kind of everywhere, it's making my ears itch." He seems to trust that Niko believes him. Niko's his brother, he's trustable, right? As the medication creeps into his system though his eyes start to droop towards shut. "Kids in their PJs, big bowl of nachos..."

"Resonating, maybe," Niko murmurs thoughtfully. With a glance over his shoulder to Clara, he inquires, "Should he get back to the bed? I can lend a hand with that. And I can ask if you want fries, too."

"Tinnitus," is Clara's hypothesis before she offeres a terribly grateful smile. "He really should be back in bed, yes," she agrees. "Fries even unnecessary, but the help would be great." She comes close to the side of the chair again. "Love? Wake up a bit, darling. It's time to go back to bed, now."

Apparently the drugs have made Riley docile as well, as he attempts to drag himself far enough into wakefulness to haul himself properly upright in preperation for standing, "Another perfect day in Rhodedendron Park..."

Niko takes a step around to offer himself as something upon which Riley can lean--he's convenient--which also puts him in a good spot to catch Riley, should that be necessary. He does -not- hum, though his expression suggests that he just managed to catch a hum. "Hey, at least it's a -good- song. And it's relatively long. Imagine hearing Johnny Saucep'n over and over again..."

"Or Pisco Bandito." From his knee? Clara scoots over to pull back the bedding, which yes, she changed while Riley was napping earlier, and make a comfortable place for him to lie down. "It's just...it's just a disturbing song," she murmurs, worry returning a hint. Her lifemate was singing about the best teenage girls and perfect heads exploding. Yes, she's concerned.

Riley manages his feet, but does take some advantage of Niko's offered leanability, just enough to keep himself aimed in the right direction. His own weight is on his feet. He sinks onto said bed, tugging his legs up as well, "Again and again and again..."

Niko shakes his head. "Very weird," he murmurs, once Riley's settled in bed. "He's hearing it in the right sequence, at least. Pretty coherent."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Clara gives Riley a patently concerned look, but goes about pulling the blankets up over him and smoothing down the tubing. "Yes, well, aural recall can be excessively precise at times," she murmurs. "I'm sure that's all it is..." Yeah, right. Sure she is.

Riley is out like the proverbial light within moments, and for the moment not even a vague murmur continues to occur to indicate he's still hearing said music.

Niko rubs at his eyes for a moment. It's been a long day, and that's starting to show. "He's fine, he'll be fine. See? He's sleeping. I've got to get home, but give me a yell if you need anything, okay? Or Kayce. He insisted on taking this shift, so none of the rest of us would have to."

Clara glances up from various smoothings and fussing at Riley's blankets and suc, and offers a somewhat weary smile of her own. "Of course, Niko, of course. Get home and crawl into bed. It's been a day, hmm? Sleep well," she suggests amiably.

Riley snoozes. Yes people. Dizz sleeps.

Niko starts for the door. "Eat," he instructs, on his way out. "Eat before you sleep. And it's been two days, actually," he adds, with a rueful grin. "Sleep well, Clara. G'night, Riley." Never mind that Riley's asleep. It's polite to say it.

You leave the room, pulling the door shut behind you.


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