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[lastgunslinger]

The door opens, and Roland enters, bearing Kaylee.

The bed is made; Roland sets Kaylee down carefully, and stands there looking down at her for a moment.

He reaches for the blue blanket that stretches across the foot of the bed -- the one made by the hand of Rosalita Munoz -- and covers Kaylee with it.

Then he sits on the edge of the bed and puts his face in his hands.

Comments

[lastgunslinger]

Roland looks up at Simon.

Simon's in command here, and that is very well.

He nods to Kaylee. "Something...happened. Black rose. Like with Nyarlathotep. She attacked me -- pulled a sword out of my chest -- then...dueled River, near as I can tell. Only River says it wasn't Anthy who did it." Pause. "If you says it's all right -- he's on his way -- I mean to hypnotize her when she awakens. To get the whole story." And he nods to Alain.

Behind him, Kaylee stirs.

[gonna_live]

And her eyes open.

"Simon? I -- "

She pushes herself up, looks around --

"Where am I? And -- "

Kaylee looks at Roland and blinks, utterly confused.

[simon_doctor]

Dueled River --?

Simon puts a hand on Kaylee's shoulder and gently presses her back down. "Shh. You were unconscious there for a moment. Does your head hurt at all?"

[river_meimei]

River's looking down at Kaylee with an intent little frown, from her perch on the bed next to Roland.

"Doesn't remember," she says, softly.

She glances up at Simon. "Hid it away. Flowers go and she forgets."

[gonna_live]

"No -- arms feel kinda stretched out, though -- that why I don't remember? I was goin' down the hall, and after that...I was here."

She sounds confused, and a little distressed.

[lastgunslinger]

Quietly: "Kaylee, I'd help you remember what happened. Hypnotize you. Bring your under-mind to the top. If Simon says you're able."

He looks at Simon.

His chest hurts.

[simon_doctor]

Simon looks at Kaylee, misgiving clear on his face.

"It's going to have to be your decision, Kaylee."

[gonna_live]

She remembers Simon in the engine room, saying, It was...odd. And a little, ah, unnerving. But it worked. I remembered ... everything.

Kaylee looks at Simon, and then at Roland, and nods. "Okay."

[lastgunslinger]

Roland nods. "Sit up, then."

A hand on River's shoulder. "My dear. I'd have you find Anthy, and see to her." Pause. "Now." It's the kind of tone that will brook no argument, and River gives him a flat look -- but she goes, after a moment, closing the door behind her.

Roland turns to Alain, and says quietly, "You know what to do." Alain nods, and approaches the bed.

Then Roland looks at Kaylee, who is sitting up in the bed, and he takes a shell from his belt and says, "All right. Simon will be here the whole time. You've nothing to be scared of. I'd have you watch the shell, and carefully."

He begins to make it dance.

It doesn't take long to put her under. Not long at all. And that also makes Roland wonder.

He catches the shell, when he's sure, and he says quietly: "Now. Kaylee. Tell us what happened -- in detail -- from the time you stopped remembering to the moment you woke up."

A look at Alain, and Alain takes her hands in his, and closes his eyes.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee speaks.

The elevator, with the firefly in the box on the wall. The voice, telling her to go deeper. What she told the voice, about River and Simon and Anthy. Finally admitting her deep fright and desperation. The elevator crashing, and Mikage standing there.

(Alain has to work, for the next part.)

The black rose piercing her chest.

Taking the elevator up to the duel arena to find Roland. Taking Roland's sword --

-- and here Roland's face gets very set, and his hand goes to his chest --

-- and waiting in the arena for River. River coming. The fight, with Anthy yelling and River defending Kaylee's attacks with a branch and finally River taking the sword and slicing the black rose into nothing, and --

" -- and then I woke up."

Her voice is a little tremulous. "Tell Simon not to hate me. Tell him I'm sorry. Tell River I'm sorry."

[simon_doctor]

"All right."

Simon's knuckles are white, but his voice is low and quite calm, and only a little thin.

"We've established what happened, and I think that's probably enough poking around in her brain for one day -- can you bring her out of it now?"

[lastgunslinger]

Roland nods.

He's met Mikage.

Mikage had a milk carton.

Mikage spoke of an Academy.

Now he truly believes River -- it wasn't Anthy.

Alain sits back, and looks at Roland.

And Roland leans forward, wincing slightly, and says, "Kaylee. I'd bring you out of it. Do you want to remember all of this?"

[gonna_live]

"Yep," says Kaylee. "Better than you lookin' at me and lookin' like you know somethin' I don't and me not knowin' what, or why."

[lastgunslinger]

"All right." Pause. "Count thirty. When you reach thirty, you'll wake, and remember every word of this. Remember everything that happened."

Roland rises, and nods to Alain to stand away as well. He crosses to his favorite of the two armchairs, and sits in it.

"Go."

[gonna_live]

Thirty heartbeats.

Her eyes open.

And then her eyes widen, and her hand comes to her mouth, and her knees come up to her chest.

[simon_doctor]

Simon's reaching out to her with both hands, in a half-wary, half-comforting gesture she's seen countless times before, but never directed at her --

"Kaylee? Kaylee, it's all right --"

only it's not all right, not even close, because the idea of somebody tampering with Kaylee's brain has reached deep within him and laid a cold finger directly on a knot of fear and outrage.

And he's shaking.

[gonna_live]

"Simon -- I pulled a sword on River -- I didn't -- didn't know -- "

But hadn't she known?

Hadn't she wanted to, at least a little?

And yet now -- how could she have wanted to?

Tears now. "I'm so sorry -- "

[simon_doctor]

He takes her hands, and holds them.

If she hasn't already noticed him shaking, she can probably feel it now.

"Kaylee, no -- it's okay. You weren't ... you weren't yourself."

[gonna_live]

She can feel it -- and she reaches out, hugging him tightly. "I -- Simon -- "

She doesn't know what to say.

There's nothing to say.

[lastgunslinger]

From his chair, Roland says quietly: "No. Not your fault, Kaylee. Never in life."

Any more than the Nyarlathotep's actions were Lord Morpheus's fault.

He stands. "We'll talk later, I think, you and I. Not today, though. For now..." He looks to the both of them on the bed. "I've business to take care of, and you need to rest."

[simon_doctor]

Simon nods, and his voice is gentle and calm and only shakes a little. "Kaylee? Do you want to come back to the ship, or stay here for the night?"

[gonna_live]

"I ain't goin' back." Kaylee is definite as she passes her hand over her face, wiping the tears away. "Have to explain, then. Might as well hide out here."

[simon_doctor]

Still very calm: "There's our suite here, it's just down the hall. I'll stay with you."

He glances up at Roland, then back at Kaylee.

"Will you be all right here for a little while if I go back to get a few things? And is there anything from the ship you'd like me to get you?"

[gonna_live]

"I'll -- yeah. I'll be okay."

Pause.

"In -- in my bunk. Over the chair. There's pajamas. And my toothbrush."

[simon_doctor]

He nods. "And I should tell the captain that you're staying here tonight -- I won't tell him why, though. If, ah, if you'd rather I didn't."