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Post by Emiko on Apr 8, 2018 22:33:28 GMT -6
Garret certainly had a lot on his mind. And even though Amber couldn't fully understand what he was thinking, she could still tell that he was heavily burdened by something... His stiff body and slow movements betrayed what his voice was trying to hide. Just by how he moved, Amber could see clearly how tense he was and knew he was taking the burdens he felt very seriously...
Despite how tense Garret was, he still had it in him to show Amber the appreciation that she certainly deserved. It was more than enough to bring a genuine smile to her lips. However, that smile just as quickly faded when he asked the question that she feared he was going to ask...
"...I had a feeling you were going to ask about her..." Amber replied before sighing sadly. "...I'll be honest with you, it's...not good. The doctors that worked on her aren't even sure how she is still alive after the injuries that she suffered..."
Not initially sure how to frame her words, Amber was forced to walk past Garret silently for a moment and put a finger to her chin trying to think about what to say. She wasn't initially sure how to convey the message to Garret in simple terms without throwing in all of the medical details that he probably didn't care to know. After a while, the words did finally come to her, though...she couldn't bring herself to face him as she spoke them...
"...They discovered that she had two significant injuries to her head... One was the large gash we saw that started from her forehead and went all the way to the back to the crown of her head. The other was an injury that we missed in the form of a heavy, blunt blow to the back of her skull. They...aren't sure if the injuries occurred simultaneously, but...they do know she suffered significant brain trauma as a result. They had to perform a small operation to prevent the brain from swelling too much and I helped to close the gash on her head with my healing abilities after it was over..."
With the injury report given to Garret, Amber was finally able to turn and face her partner. When he saw her face, there was a small smile on her lips showing that despite the negative report, she had something to be cheerful about. It wasn't but a moment after turning that she let it be known just what she was so cheerful about.
"...Luckily for her, the doctors were able to save her. Sapphire...I believe you called her? She's asleep right now because of a sedative, but she is stable now. I'll have to have a couple of healing sessions with her to close up that wound on her head some more, but she should be up and moving again very soon."
Hearing Sapphire's condition was surely a sweet tune to Garret's ears. The woman he had brought back was at the very least alive and most likely on her way to a full recovery. While...that didn't do anything to lessen his worries of the consequences of his decision to save her, Sapphire at the very least was alive. Despite the good news he received...there was still something Amber had yet to deliver...
"...While she's stable, there is unfortunately some strange side effects to Sapphire's injuries..." Amber went on, as a frown once more overtook her lips. "...As a result of her head trauma, various scans revealed that parts of her brain are somehow...dormant... They can't explain it, but it is almost as if pieces of her brain are no longer functioning, or are somehow in a coma... She can't use them and the doctors fear this will be a permanent problem for her... In short...she only seems to have access to half of her brain...as strange as that may sound..."
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 11, 2018 22:08:16 GMT -6
Garrett listened closely, his full focus and attention put squarely on Amber's explanation. While he could provide basic first aid in combat situations like any other soldier, it was far beyond him to be able to understand some of the complexities of the trauma inflicted upon Sapphire let alone the intricacies of her mind and its current abnormal state of being. Though relief had indeed settled in with his shoulders finally releasing the tension that had built inside of him, he still couldn't allow himself to fully relax given the gravity of the situation at hand. Garrett stood up and breathed a sigh, nodding as he continued to process all that she had informed him about. "Great work as always Amber," he said gruffly, clasping his open palm to her shoulder like a coach congratulating an athlete on a well played game. "I appreciate all that each one of you has done to contribute to her survival. You mentioned that she's stable, any idea how long she'll be out for?" he asked as she turned his attention to the sectioned off part of the base where Sapphire was housed. He considered their options carefully before speaking again.
"For now as she's being guarded, she may not require it...but if there's suspicion of her turning on us we might need to consider the use of restraints on her bed," he said in a low tone to avoid outside detection. "With her abilities they may not be very effective though. And this is considering the possibility of her even having access to her abilities despite her injuries and recent procedure," he added, his considerations rather clinical now. He ran his thumb under his lower lip as he contemplated his next move. "I'll be part of her guard detail for now. It'd be best if she saw a familiar face when she does come to," he added as he stretched, popping several joints in the process after having sat down for so long. "I don't know that we should discuss the severity of her brain's condition with her until she's given more of a chance to be lucid. Too much information at once in what's technically an enemy camp could push her over the edge. Last thing we needed is a frantic psychic who can't control herself wreaking havoc in here," he muttered. Now that he thought of it, her survival provided many variables now. But still, he remained steadfast in his decision.
"I'll let you know when she's up as well. After all of that you should get some rest, or at least refresh yourself after all this," he stated empathically as he knew this was all likely a heavy burden for her as well to see such atrocities committed on someone she was trying to patch up. Garrett walked through the surgical curtains and found Sapphire laying still in her bed, looking peaceful for the first time since he had met her. There was no trace of fear on her face nor of the scornful disdain that she had exhibited earlier. Garrett's eyes found an empty chair beside her bed that he slowly allowed himself to slide into to avoid waking her. Considering the anesthesia he figured she would sleep for a while though he didn't want to take his chances of waking her prematurely. Now he played the waiting game.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 12, 2018 0:43:35 GMT -6
As Garret commended Amber for the work she had done, all she could really offer was a tired smile his way. This day had really taken a toll on her in more ways than one. Despite how much work she had put in, her job wasn't quite done... At least, not yet as there was still a little bit more for her to do.
"The sedative they gave her, while heavy isn't long lasting. One of the trade offs of our limited supplies..." Amber replied, as she sighed in a bit of frustration. "...That said, when she wakes up is honestly dependent on her. The sedative should ware off within the hour and if we're lucky she will slip into natural sleep. We just have to see."
Just as she had finished speaking, Amber had no time to say anything else before Garret went on what she had came to call his 'soldier instinct' checks. He went through all sorts of things that needed to be considered as well as various scenarios that they should be prepared for. While he of course was right, Amber knew that staying in a heightened sense of stress wasn't going to do either of them any good. Amber did what she could to ease his fears to the best of her ability in her own sunny, joking way.
"Lighten up, Garret. I know you're petrified of little girls and ally cats, but you don't need to get worked up. Even though the sedative is out of Sapphire's system, she's going to be too woozy to do anything. We worried she might go into shock after the surgery, so the doctors administered a drug that is designed to keep her muscles loose and relaxed for the next few hours. In a sense, she won't be able to do any moderate movements for several hours yet, so the risk she could attack us is relatively low."
Amber knew full well that what she said wouldn't be enough to calm all of Garret's fears. She did hope though that what she said would be just enough to keep him from going overboard in his worries. Amber knew the toll that Garret's ability took on him and knew he needed his strength back just as much as Sapphire did. To help that along, she did agree to let Garret watch over Sapphire, though only because she felt he would fell better about it in the end...
"Go ahead and watch over her if you'd like. I'm going to go grab a plate from the cafeteria and bring Sapphire back something for when she wakes up. I really doubt she'll sleep long, and she'll need to eat something to get her strength back. I'll be back in a few. Try not to get too scared of the girl while I'm gone, hehe!"
With that, Amber walked past Garret and giggled as she made her way out of sight. She had mostly joked of course, but could only hope that her humor would be enough to bring a smile to her partner's face. She cared deeply about Garret and the last thing she wanted was to see him stressed to the hilt and suffering as a result...
As Garret made his way in, there sleeping peacefully on the bed was the woman whom he had saved earlier that day. Her former clothing being too bloody to keep on had been removed leaving Sapphire now in just a simple patient's gown. Wrapped around her head were the bandages that helped to not only conceal her wound, but seal it as well from any further damage. As Sapphire laid there, she did indeed look content and carefree...almost like she was sleeping peacefully for the first time in her life...
Garret was able to make his way over to the chair and sit down quietly without Sapphire one time noticing. In fact, he was able to watch her silently slumber away for another 15 minutes before the tired girl finally started to wake up. Through no fault of his own, Sapphire had started to come around most likely to the sedative fading out completely from her system. As her eyes gently fluttered open to awaking, her soft blue eyes gently began to glance around the room she was in trying to process what was going on and where she was...
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 13, 2018 21:39:28 GMT -6
Amber had given Garrett a small breath of fresh air, one that he was grateful for, though he couldn't bring himself to verbalize it. She had gone above and beyond the call of duty and him saying anything else to her felt like it would be patronizing. A good deed didn't require verbal recognition as far as he was concerned, the act alone showed enough character and moral standing that any words from him felt like it would only tarnish her good works. Garrett gave a small, sad smile and nodded his head in response as she walked away, not turning his head or glancing over his shoulder as he felt that if he did so, it would admit to too much of his own weakness. Instead, his eyes remained on the waiting recovery area as he made his way inside.
Garrett had waited those fifteen minutes in complete silence, hardly moving a muscle though after the extended use of his powers it was debatable if his immobility was to prevent himself from accidentally making a noise and rousing Sapphire from her sleep or from the fatigue that naturally set in following his ability's activation. His stamina had indeed taken a hit and his stomach had been empty for hours now. It wasn't that he didn't want to eat, rather he felt a knot in his stomach that he couldn't hope to untie until he had seen some semblance of recovery from Sapphire. As she began to glance around the room, he waited until those blue eyes found him to avoid startling her in her groggy state. When he did speak, his voice was soft and even to give comfort to her. "Welcome back to the waking world. You've been patched up pretty good as promised," he said to reassure her, a small smile on his face as he nodded his head towards the entrance.
"Amber and a few others worked diligently to get you feeling better and helping that wound. She's grabbing you some food, I'm betting you're hungry enough to eat for two people considering," he said almost conversationally as he poured a cup of water for her from a nearby pitcher. "You thirsty?" he asked, continuing to show hospitality as she began to process what was going on around her once more.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 13, 2018 22:01:20 GMT -6
Sapphire was so dazed from the drugs that had been used on her that it took several moments for anything to really enter that tired brain of hers. Even when her eyes laid on Garret, she didn't seem to show any sort of response to him right away. It honestly wasn't until he finally spoke to her that she finally seemed to recognize him. That became evident as her expression changed from one of confusion to a more peaceful, contented look.
While Sapphire was in some form of peace right now, Garret's words as to what had happened to her didn't initially register to her. Garret could probably tell by the peaceful, but nearly blank expression on the poor girl's face. It seemed that Sapphire at least recognized Garret along with his voice, but other than providing her familiar comfort, nothing else seemed to be getting in...
This behavior only continued as Garret went over to pour a glass of water. Not one time did her blank expression change. She just quietly watched Garret go about, her blue eyes never one time leaving him. However, when he did make it to her bedside with the glass of water, Sapphire's gaze finally went to something else other than Garret. She stared towards the glass of water for several moments seeming to process what was going on before finally doing something other than just staring...
Very slowly, Sapphire gently sat up on the hospital bed. As soon as she was up, a slight sway in her upper body hinted that what Amber had said about the drugs slowing her muscles down was indeed true. Sapphire didn't seem like she had full control over her body just yet. This was further displayed when she attempted to lift her arm to take the glass from the kind man before her. She was only able to lift her hand though about halfway before it seemed impossible for her to move any further...
"...I...I can't...move very well..." Sapphire softly replied as she gently looked at her trembling hand that was struggling to rise up. "...W-what happened...to me? W-where am I...?"
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 13, 2018 22:31:20 GMT -6
Garrett noted the struggle that Sapphire was experiencing and decided to oblige her, moving himself closer by sitting on the edge of the bed and lifting the glass to her lips. He gently pressed the edge of the glass to them and tilted it to allow the water to slide naturally into her mouth, "Let me help you Sapphire," he said kindly, though compared to all that he had done for her up until now, this was a more gentle gesture, far removed from defending her on the battlefield. Here they were far removed from any carnage or suffering. There weren't sides or agendas. Simply a woman who was in need of help and someone who was gladly to be there. It was a rare moment during a war like this but still a quiet scene of peace that could only be cathartic after such a blood soaked day. "You're in our headquarters but I can't give an exact location. After the earlier events and your...encounter with that sniper, you collapsed. We brought you here as I had promised you. Amber and our medics fixed you up the best they could," he said as his eyes looked from her head back to her face.
"For now, it looks like you'll be in the clear for the most part. Amber says you'll need some healing sessions with her but she's happy to oblige. I'll stick by you for the time being though. I made the decision to bring you here so it's only right that I be the one to watch over you," he said as he leaned back a bit, laying on the edge of her bed as he let more of the tension he was holding melt away. "It's been quite a day Sapphire. Feel free to ask anything else you want to know, though I can't guarantee I can answer everything," he said kindly, not realizing how meaningful all this could mean to her. Her eyes following his movements wasn't lost on him, he had taken note of her careful and consistent watch, unsure of how to interpret it quite yet.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 13, 2018 22:44:44 GMT -6
Sapphire continued to try and lift her trembling hands until Garret came to sit next to her and offered to help her with the water. At first, all she could really do was look at him with a small blush forming on her face like she had never experienced this kind of kindness before. Without any hesitation or resistance, Sapphire did indeed allow Garret to help her get a drink she desperately needed.
As the glass came to her lips and the water slid into her mouth, she quietly drank the glass empty. All the while, she listened carefully as Garret talked about what had happened before and where she was now. This time around, she finally did seem to grasp at least some of what Garret was saying. It seemed like that glass of water helped to clear her foggy mind and give her some of her senses back. Despite becoming more aware...her words seemed to reflect something different...
"...The sniper encounter...?" Sapphire quietly responded as she tried to think back to just before she lost consciousness. "...I...I don't remember... I remember stopping that man from shooting you and...him trying to attack me... But...I don't remember anything else..."
...It was very possible that Sapphire was still out of it from the medication that was yet in her system. However, if what she said was true, that would lead to a puzzling situation... How was it possible that she COULDN'T remember what she did to that man? Or for that matter, how could she forget practically begging Garret to save her from death as to not disgrace her 'master'? All of this didn't quite add up... True, there was always the possibility that those parts of her brain Amber said weren't functioning could be to blame... This surely left Garret in the position of needing answers just as much as Sapphire did...
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 13, 2018 23:12:03 GMT -6
Garrett had closed his eyes as he allowed himself to lay on the hospital bed. He felt some of the tension leave his back and shoulders as the hospital bed felt like something fit for a king after the day he'd had. Still, this didn't make his ears or mind any less sharp as he listened carefully to Sapphire's assertions that she didn't remember what Garrett spoke of. Though his body language didn't change, his mind was doing what it could to rationalize what he'd been hearing. Unfortunately it was failing to do so as the pieces of the puzzle didn't appear to fit together. Was this a calculated move on her part to lower his defenses and take him by surprise? Playing on his generosity until she could strike? It certainly seemed possible but he wasn't sure if she could possibly keep up that kind of long con in her current state. On the other hand, if this was indeed genuine, she was practically saying that she couldn't remember any of her almost zealot-like behavior back there. Her claims of Calvert being her master, her wish for an honorable death at his hand as an act of mercy, and those screams of pain. Surely it wasn't that easy to forget.
"I guess it'd be hard to remember some of that since it was so close to the point where you lost consciousness," he said simply, offering her a way out for the moment though he knew that he would address what had happened when she was in a more lucid state of mind. Questioning her about it now would have been far too soon and would have the unnecessary effect of getting her guard up. For now it seemed like she trusted him and he didn't intend to jeopardize that. After all, maybe Amber's healing sessions could aid her in recalling some of the events that they had experienced. "The moral of the story is that we're both okay and they're all no longer among the living," he said, talking about the casualties like he was talking about the weather.
He sat up and began to edge himself off of the bed as he looked at her, "Forgive me for being so selfish, you should really be laying down as we talk Sapphire. Save yourself any unneeded additional discomfort," he offered as he fluffed her pillow for her. "It's insensitive of me to bring up all that traumatic stuff as soon as you wake up as well. Obviously I'm not a doctor because my bedside manner is atrocious," he said with a smile, that self-deprecating humor showing itself once again.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 13, 2018 23:43:23 GMT -6
Sapphire carefully watched as Garret laid on her bed and closed his eyes to think. She hadn't the faintest idea what he was contemplating, but...he was taking it very seriously. After a while though, he sat back up and addressed her just to let her know that she should be resting and that all of this could wait until later. Sapphire gave Garret a gentle nod and was just about to lay back down before Amber made her return to the room.
As Amber came back in, she was carrying a fairly large tray with three different plates on it. On one of the plates was a chicken dinner with a variety of sides included. Resting on the center of the tray was a simple bowl of soup. And the last dish on the tray contained three pieces of cake most likely a dessert of sorts. It might have been missed by both Garret and Amber initially, but when Sapphire laid her eyes on the tray of food, her eyes seemed to sparkle with incredible anticipation for...some reason...
"Garret, I'm back!" Amber joyfully said before smiling at seeing her partner and Sapphire doing ok. "...I'm sorry I took so long. I was so hungry that I decided to eat in the cafeteria. I figured you'd be hungry as well, so I brought you a plate back. You need to eat and keep your strength up!"
With that, Amber took the tray over to an empty table and rested it there. After setting the tray down, she grabbed the plate containing the chicken dinner and carried it over to Garret. After handing it to him, she smiled gave him a pat on the back to show she was always thinking of him. Then her eyes returned to Sapphire. When she saw her though, the injured girl was glancing at the table with the remaining food.
"...I take it you must be hungry too, huh Sapphire?" Amber asked before smiling and moving over to the tray. "...I know you're past the danger zone, but I don't think you're ready for solid foods just yet. I'd like to start you on a bowl of soup right now and then we'll go from there if you can actually keep your food down."
Very gently, Amber reached over and grabbed the bowl of soup and made her way over to Sapphire's bedside. She was just about to sit down and offer to feed the injured girl when Amber was met with the most perplexing thing... Despite grabbing Sapphire's dish, the strange girl was STILL looking at the tray Amber had put down. Amber was at first confused by what Sapphire was looking at and couldn't help question the obvious...
"...Sapphire, what are you looking at...? Are you looking at the cake...?"
Just as Amber uttered those words, Sapphire started to smile ever so gently. Neither Garret nor Amber could tell exactly what she was smiling at. However, they wouldn't have to wait long to hear what it was... No doubt her response would be enough to make both of them laugh when they heard it.
"...C-cake...? Oh...cake... Real...cake? Really, real cake?"
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 16, 2018 20:10:16 GMT -6
It was like he had forgotten that he even had a stomach until Amber had given him the chicken dinner. His body had been so tired and he had assumed it was from all of the adrenaline leaving his body, though now he realized that part of his trouble was possibly due to low blood sugar. Now that Sapphire had come out of the procedure alive and seemingly okay despite the medical mysteries that Amber had detailed earlier, that not in his stomach was starting to untie if only a little. He wouldn't be able to finish it as quickly as he normally would with a full appetite but he was certainly to pick at the meal and eat it slowly. he anticipated that he would have more of an appetite as his body was given more nutrients and would naturally crave more. Utensils in hand, Garrett listened carefully to Amber's explanation as he looked up at Sapphire, noting that oddly anticipatory twinkle that was shining in her eyes. Was that....excitement? Over soup? He couldn't blame her he supposed, after all it was a long day for the both of them. He took a bite of the chicken on his fork and chewed slowly, savoring the taste and causing his stomach to growl lowly, his body clearly taking in the flavor and anticipating more.
Finishing his bite, he took a scoop of one of the sides on the plate and placed it into his mouth as well, enjoying the meal like it was his first in days. He swallowed the morsel to allow himself to speak, looking at Sapphire inquisitively. "You heard her Sapphire? You gotta make sure you can have the soup so you can keep eating," he reaffirmed, unsure if Sapphire was maybe daydreaming in spite of herself. It was only when Sapphire started voicing her focus on the cake that Garrett laughed a small, appreciative laugh. "Of course it's cake, what else would it be? Surely you've had cake at some point right?" he asked with another small laugh as he took another bite of the chicken.
"You heard Amber though Sapphire, you gotta make sure your food will stay down first in order to have the cake," he said as he pointed to the soup. "Gotta make sure you keep up your strength after all."
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Post by Emiko on Apr 16, 2018 21:28:08 GMT -6
Amber was just as puzzled as Garret was about Sapphire's blank stare and gave a nod in agreement with him when he spoke. However, when Sapphire went on to exclaim a calm excitement over the cake, Amber couldn't help but burst into laughter. Here she thought the injured girl may have been having some mental processing issues due to her injury, but nope. She was apparently excited about the cake.
"Garret's right, Sapphire." Amber exclaimed between her laughter. "It's real cake. Maybe not the best cake you've ever had, but cake all the same. And if you can eat and keep some of this soup down, I promise that you can have some. That's why I brought three pieces instead of two."
When Sapphire heard these statements from both Garret and Amber, she looked at them both a bit confused. However, her glances to them would only last a moment before she turned her head away in what was an obvious pout. If the pair didn't know any better...it was almost as if she were a child pouting because she couldn't have her sweets... Naturally, these thoughts did enter Amber's mind, but...she reasoned that there was no way that this psychic soldier that scared her half to death earlier was pouting over sweets. It just didn't seem like that was a possible answer.
Sitting on Sapphire's bedside, Amber gently stirred the soup she had around getting it ready to feed the injured girl. As she lifted a spoon full up towards Sapphire's head, she saw that the girl was still looking away in a pout. The longer this went on, the more Amber came to think that maybe she actually WAS pouting over the sweets...
"...Sapphire...I..." Amber tried to say, unsure if she was addressing a soldier, or a child at this point. "...I know you want the cake, but you've got to try eating something else first. Give the soup a try and if your head doesn't hurt eating it, you can have the cake afterwards, I promise. I'll...even give you my piece if you want it."
When Sapphire heard this, she looked over at Amber very slowly. At first, her face was still puckered up in a small pout, but as the time went on, that pout started to fade. Very gently, the injured girl nodded her head in agreement and opened her mouth finally allowing Amber to feed her...
"...I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't something more wrong than we first thought, Garret..." Amber softly replied to her partner as she watched Sapphire hesitantly eat each bite of the soup. "...I know that parts of her brain aren't fully functional, but this behavior isn't anything like what I saw in her before... You've spent more time with her than I have, is this behavior of hers normal from what you've seen...?"
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 19, 2018 20:48:02 GMT -6
Garrett pondered Sapphire's behavior and the almost night and day change in her demeanor and personality. This just simply couldn't be the same woman who was threatening his life only hours ago. His eyes narrowed only slightly, his chewing slowing down to a stand still as he considered all that had transpired. Her interactions with the two of them right now looked so far removed from that bloodlust that she had shown to that soldier that he was beginning to feel that there was indeed something far more complicated at play within the inner workings of Sapphire's mind. That, or she was one hell of an actress on top of being a psychic as well.
When Garrett responded it was in a low tone, allowing Sapphire to eat her soup in peace "If anything it's....inconsistent." She went from this seemingly innocent and confused girl to saving my life from a sniper. Of course, right before that she toyed with him like a tigress plays with its food before she eats it. Then she started acting like she would take me out as well while talking about Calvert like he's some kind of Messiah. It was almost like listening to a cult member when I think back to what she was saying. After that she was suddenly asking me to put her out of her misery so that she didn't die a shameful death. After all this, now she was acting like a stubborn child that wanted to skip dinner and move straight to dessert? This just didn't add up at all.
"There's definitely something else going on in there," he said as he nodded his head towards Sapphire's as he gave it more thought. She was clearly blocking something out, or rather she had somebody in her head already. Subliminal messages, conditioning, sleeper agents. There was no telling what sort of psychological programming was potentially at play within the confines of her mind. Luckily, there was a way for them to be able to get an idea of just what was happening. "Maybe we should introduce her to Dr. Stroud when she feels up to it," he suggested as he took another bite of his food. Dr. Stroud was well versed in hypnosis and the neurosciences. He had joined the resistance a while back and had done well to help with the trauma that some of their allies had experienced. It would certainly not happen overnight but he wondered if maybe with multiple sessions the doc could give Sapphire some help with....whatever was happening.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 19, 2018 21:15:51 GMT -6
While Garret spoke about what he had seen and was seeing in Sapphire now, the injured girl seemed to just ignore him and focus on the soup she was trying to eat. Judging by her facial expressions, it was clear she didn't like it, but she was still gulping it down as best as she could. Two pieces of cake must have been quite a motivational factor for her...
As Sapphire continued to eat bite after bite from her feeder, Amber DID listen to what Garret had to say. Somehow, the parts about what the woman had done to the sniper earlier had eluded her earlier. Hearing this pretty much for the first time from Garret made her feel very uneasy...
"...You should probably know that as soon as you left to fight Calvert's search party, Sapphire attempted to go after you. When she did, I tried to stop her, but...she scared me to death... She spoke in such a sinister way and glared at me with the most evil expression... If I didn't know any better, I would have said I had seen the face of a demon on her..."
With these words, Amber fed Sapphire another spoon-full helping of soup before watching the injured girl struggle to swallow it down. Sapphire certainly didn't seem like some sort of demon now as she was clearly struggling to get through the soup to get to cake. That didn't change the fact that both of these two had seen something in her that wasn't normal at all...
"...Hard to believe this is the same woman we both had weird instances with." Amber commented before feeding the final bite to her injured patient. "...I do think you are right though. Dr. Stroud may not be world renowned, but he's the best we have here. Maybe...he can crack some of the mystery and help us learn more about her and the other psychics. Anything we can learn from Sapphire would surely help in our war efforts."
While Garret and Amber were talking away at what Sapphire had done and what they were planning, all of it seemed lost to Sapphire. She no more cared about their conversation than the soup she was scarfing down her throat. When that last bite DID make it's way down her throat, you can bet she had her fill of it. With a soft gag of disgust, she looked towards both Amber and Garret as if to plead not to torture her anymore. If it wasn't for the fact that she was seen as such a potential danger, what she might have done may have seemed cute. A far cry from the so called 'demon' Amber was thinking she saw...
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 22, 2018 20:57:15 GMT -6
Garrett's lip pursed slightly as he considered the thought. Stroud wasn't somebody whom he'd had too many interactions with upon his recruitment to the cause but for the most part he seemed to be on the level. The doctor was just a little older than Garrett though from what he recalled, the man seemed a little high strung at times, hence some graying of his hair. Though Garrett supposed it was hard to blame somebody who wasn't combat trained to succumb to the insurmountable levels of stress that could plague a man's mind and body in times of war. Stroud had gone through an extensive interrogation-style induction to be absolutely sure that he wasn't some kind of spy. His flummoxed reaction to having a gun held his direction was enough to let them know that he was indeed originally a civilian. Poor man stumbled backwards and fell right out of his chair. Though Garrett wasn't there personally he did recall the report.
Garrett continued to ponder their options as he finished his food, watching Sapphire choke down her soup like it was the most distasteful cough syrup. Again, this complete contrast in personality was enough to leave him confused and uncertain. Could this all really be a genuine shift in her personality? As cute as she was acting, he still couldn't allow his guard down. After finishing his last bite he gave a small chuckle and sighed, "It's okay Sapphire you did good. You get the cake as promised," he said as he handed the small plate to Amber so that she could continue feeding Sapphire. He placed his empty plate to the side and made a call on his radio. "This is Heinkel. I'm gonna need Stroud to free up some time the next few days for our guest, over."
A voice rang in shortly after, "Copy, Doc's been informed. Over."
Garrett nodded his head and took a sip of water from his glass, "We can plan his sessions around yours so that she can get both physical and mental rehabilitation. We'll need to debrief Stroud so that he knows exactly what we're working with here. Maybe he can give her some sweets for when she does well," he said, a clear joke though he wasn't sure if she would realize that or not.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 23, 2018 20:49:08 GMT -6
Garret wasn’t the only one who was taken back by Sapphire’s strange child-like personality. Amber was equally surprised by almost everything that Sapphire was displaying up to this point. Unlike her partner however, Amber was a lot less cautious about the entire situation. In fact, she was honestly beginning to think that she had severely misjudged the girl she was feeding… Lest the brain damage was severe enough to shift her personality, Amber couldn’t help but reason that how this girl was acting was…who she truly was… Was that truly the case…?
It took everything Amber had not to burst out into laughter when Sapphire treated this simple bowl of soup like the foulest thing you could possibly eat. The humor only seemed to increase the moment that the injured girl was informed that she could finally have the cake. Hearing the permission from Garret, Sapphire’s eyes almost immediately sparkled with joy as if it were a special holiday or something. Her reaction only became more priceless when she was actually fed the cake.
Receiving just a single bite of cake was enough to make Sapphire giggle in delight. She joyfully closed her eyes, smiled, and moaned through the bite savoring its taste. As she did, Amber just couldn’t hold it back anymore. A small giggle escaped her before a genuinely happy smile spread over her lips. Sapphire was indeed…unique, but one of her most humorous patients she had met in her very young career.
“…I certainly hope that Stroud is up to the task.” Amber replied as she fed yet another bite of cake to Sapphire and continued to observe her humorous reactions. “She’s…something else that is for sure. And I don’t see why we couldn’t entice her to work with us so long as we give her what she wants…in moderation of course! Seriously though, if we could find out her secrets, imagine what a difference it would make in our war efforts. Only time will tell if she proves to be an asset to us, I suppose…”
After these final words, Amber said little more for the remainder of the feeding session. Considering how loud Sapphire was being enjoying a simple piece of cake, it was probably pretty hard to get a word in edgewise. When the session did come to its inevitable end, Amber made sure to give Sapphire a small sedative to help her sleep through the night and tucked her in to rest. With a full belly and medication to help her sleep, it didn’t take long for the raven haired girl to slip into a silent slumber.
Once Sapphire had fallen asleep, Amber did what she could to convince Garret that he too needed rest. Whether he accepted her words or not didn’t matter to her now. She at least attempted to give him some friendly advice to rest up before ultimately turning in as well. It had been an incredibly long day for all of them, and a good night’s sleep was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Over the next few of days, things around the rebel base were unusually quiet by war standards… There was a strange sort of peace that came in that time. Though most likely caused as a result of the massive casualties both sides had suffered, an involuntary ceasefire seemed to establish itself for the time being as both sides of the conflict began to reassess their tactics carefully… The peace was undoubtedly a time of tense waiting for most, but for anyone who happened to be involved with Sapphire…that was hardly the case… In fact, for Garret and Amber in particular, that same stretch of time made the base seem more like a daycare than a military facility…
Thanks to the surgery and a couple of healing session with Amber, Sapphire had miraculously managed to get back on her feet just a mere 36 hours after suffering what should have been a life-threatening injury. It was a great accomplishment that the young girl could recover so quickly! However, her impressive recovery soon became a mere afterthought when she was able to move about on her own…
Over the next three days, poor Sapphire ended up getting into all sorts of trouble. Her curious, child-like nature made her wonder about the world around her which…of course meant a lot of exploring. That got her into places she wasn’t supposed to be, or doing things that put her at odds with the other soldiers. It was never anything serious or threatening, but her curiosity of pretty much everything was a nuisance to most. As Garret and Amber were the ones who brought her in…they were responsible for cleaning up or soothing over any of the problems the curious girl had caused.
Strangely, in that stretch of time, the only thing that Sapphire displayed to everyone was that child-like demeanor and curiosity. It was almost as if she were a young girl who was seeing the world for the very first time rather than a psychic-soldier of Calvert’s forces. In fact, the only time Sapphire even remotely used her psychic powers was to bring something to her that she wanted which…of course caused problems. She only used her powers though to satisfy her curiosity and never one time used them to hurt anyone. Also strangely absent was that sadistic, arrogant side of her Garret had witnessed in her before first hand. There were certainly a lot of questions that everyone wanted answered, and the day did finally come when hopefully they would get some of those answers…
As the morning came when Sapphire was scheduled to see Dr. Stroud, she wasn’t initially thrilled… She was required to come alone, but being the shy and timid girl that she was made going a little scary for her. However, she did agree to see the good doctor only after Garret gave her a stern talking to and Amber offered her a special treat if she went… It was anyone’s guess which one of the two convinced her most to go…
Wandering down the hall towards Dr. Stroud’s workspace, Sapphire hardly looked like the soldier she was just days ago. Thanks to Amber loaning her some clothes, Sapphire was able to dress casually with her attire that consisted of a short-sleeve navy blue shirt along with a pair of blue jean capris, and a pair of white socks and sneakers on her feet. Her shoulder-length hair had been tied back mostly in a ponytail with only her bangs free that rested side swept behind her left ear. With this casual look, Sapphire appeared more like an innocent civilian than some military soldier... In fact, aside from the bracelet with her numbered-identity still locked onto her wrist, there was nothing that would indicate otherwise.
As she made it to the doctor’s ‘office’, Sapphire nervously gulped and gave the door before her a very gentle knock. When no one came to answer, she gently turned the unlocked knob and poked her head into the room to see if anyone was about. As she glanced around lurking from the doorway, she couldn’t help nervously speak out to the seemingly empty room wondering if anyone was actually here.
“H-hello…? D-doctor Stroud, are you…are you here? I was supposed…to come see you today…?”
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