(no subject)

[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

[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."

[gonna_live]

Kaylee's quiet.

Either way, Mal is going to worry.

"Don't tell him. Or...tell him I'll talk to him, later. If he asks."

[simon_doctor]

"I will."

He squeezes her hand once, then stands up and turns to Roland.

"Is it all right if she stays here until I get back?"

[lastgunslinger]

Roland nods. "Fine." Gently -- for Roland, anyhow. "Go on. We'll be here."

He's aware of Alain standing there, quietly observing all of this.

There'll be time to answer questions later. For now...there's Kaylee to deal with, and then...

...Paris.

God and the Man Jesus.

[gonna_live]

Simon slips out of the room, and the door closes behind him.

Kaylee's alone with Alain and Roland.

She can't look at either of them.

[honest-johns.livejournal.com]

Alain's hand rested on Roland's shoulder while he was sitting, a silent You all right? and a grounding presence. He let his arm fall when Roland stood, but both messages are still there, passing wordless between them. But he doesn't say anything, yet -- not with Kaylee here, and still upset. He doesn't want to do anything to make her feel worse, and he doesn't need words, with Roland. Not for the important things.

So he speaks to Kaylee instead, after a minute, soft and compassionate. "Nobody blames you, Kaylee. None of us. Not your fault -- spell-mazing's nothing to be ashamed of. Say true."

[lastgunslinger]

Roland nods. "I've seen the work of black roses before. The Lord of Dreams himself couldn't stand against one."

Only hesitating a moment, not sure if it will be a welcome gesture, he steps closer to Kaylee and rests a light hand on her head.

"No lasting harm's been done. Not to me, or to River or Simon, or to Anthy." Pause. "And what passed doesn't have to go beyond these people. I'll not speak of it, and I know that Alain won't -- unless you allow it. All right?"

[gonna_live]

An audible sniff, and a shaky sigh.

And she nods.

"Feel kinda stupid. Met him. Kinda...creepifyin'. But...I didn't know that's what he did."

[lastgunslinger]

"I met him, too. And yes. As you say. Creepifying."

Quiet. Soothing.

"We'll sort it out."

Sort him out.

[honest-johns.livejournal.com]

Only a quick flicker of a glance at Roland -- all that's needed, for understanding and full agreement -- and his face is again calm and soothing as his eyes return to Kaylee. He crouches, near the bed. Not so near as to impinge, if she still wants to avoid looking at them, but he doesn't want to be towering over her.

Gently, "He'd have worked hard to make sure no one did know. We do now. It will be well, Kaylee."