7/1 Instance: Visiting Hours

[Ferguson]

Timelined after Birthday Suits

<@Jean-Paul> Jean-Paul relaced as Reed fell asleep again, heading towards his own bed that Scott had brought in for him and flopping down bonelessly. The food had helped, of course, but Jean-Paul was still pretty sure that he had never been quite this tired before.

<Clarice> All Clarice wanted to do right now was crawl under her bed and never come out again, but before she did that there was someone she had to see ... and apologise to. She itched her bandaged arms as she arrived outside the door.

<Clarice> She stared at the door for a few moments, raising her fist to knock and then dropping it again three times before she eventually, and very gently, rapped on the door.

<@Jean-Paul> Jean-Paul looked up at the knocking, seeing Clarice through the quarantine wall. "Clarice? You're all ready up and around?" He smiled, glad to see that as he sat back up in his bed.

<Clarice> "H-hey Jean-Paul," he looked so tired and worn out ... her eyes wandered over to Reed sleeping, and he looked like hell, she could already feel her bottom lip start to quiver and she'd only just arrived, "H-h-how're you f-feeling?" She asked carefully, one hand still pressed up against the glass door.

<@Jean-Paul> "I'm fine," He assured her, putting on a smile as he leaned against the wall. "Just tired, I had quite the run. How are you though? i have to admit, when Noriko and I found you down there I was pretty damned worried."

<Clarice> "I ..." she trailed off and gently scratched at her bandages again, "P-physically I'm okay, Dr. Summers managed to take the things out and he-he says that most of the drugs are o-out of my system and stuff ..." she trailed off again, unable to look at Jean-Paul anymore and gnawing on her lip.

<@Jean-Paul> "Yeah, you definitely look much better." And Jean-Paul looked completely thankful for that as well. "Reed's still...a little in and out. I think it's everything in his system that's keeping Scott's cures from working too quickly. He's going to be fine though." He added the last bit to make himself feel a little better about the situation."

<Clarice> "Is he ... is he Reed again yet?" Clarice asked nervously, her fingers clawing a little on the glass.

<@Jean-Paul> "Sometimes, as I said, in and out." Jean-Paul got out of the bed, going to the door and patting the other side of the glass. "You don't need to be on edge anymore, you know."

<Clarice> "Don't I?" Clarice blinked rappidly to try and stop the tears without having to wipe her face, "I ... I hurt you, and all the o-others, 'cos I was weak ... people died," her face creased up unhappily, "m-my momma and daddy ... th-they're gone ..."

<@Jean-Paul> "I was hoping I'd get to tell you about that." He winced, letting himself frown now. "Clarice, you didn't do any of that. You know that, right?"

<Clarice> "E-everyo-one thinks it w-was me th-though," she had to wipe her face now, "I ju-just ... I w-wanted to b-be a hero, n-now everyone th-thinks I'm b-bad," she sniffled.

<@Jean-Paul> "Shh, no, no, nobody thinks that." He wished he could come out of this room right now. As much as he needed to stay with Reed Clarice needed him as well but he wouldn't leave Reed even if he could right now.

<Clarice> "I-I'll n-never be able to go o-outside again," she sobbed, "e-everyone w-will think I'm st-still th-the Herald ... an-and th-they're r-right ... m-maybe if I'd ne-never c-come here Un-uncle En Sa-sabah wo-wouldn't e-either ... I br-brought hi-him here. It's all m-my fault!" She really wished that she could be allowed in the room with them right now, she really wanted a hug.

<@Jean-Paul> "Okay Clarice, you need to take a breath and give yourself a minute, yeah?" Jean-Paul found himself smiling a bit again despite the conversation. "You're just working yourself up and it's not how it has to be."

<Clarice> Clarice sniffled some more and tried to do as he asked, forcing herselff to take slow, deep, shuddering breaths, but it was hard, "D-doesn't it?" She managed to get out eventually.

<@Jean-Paul> "Well first off, you can go outside whenever you damned well please I'd say." Jean-Paul chuckled. "If people still think you're Herald you prove them wrong by being just who you are. The'd be completely wrong and you know that and you know none of this is your fault. He was working with someone who had all ready taken people from this school before, you just happened to be here too and he took you."

<Clarice> "Y-you really th-think so?" Clarice pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose noisily, "D-do y-you think th-the other'll blame me ... for it? He w-was my Uncle?"

<@Jean-Paul> "Why is what your uncle did your fault?"

<Clarice> "It's not, b-but people mi-might thing 'cos he's my Uncle ... th-that maybe I was in o-on it," she started to tear up the tissue nervousy in her hands, "I-I me-mean ... I t-took the o-others didn't I?"

<@Jean-Paul> "If they think that then they're idiots and they'll learn soon enough. I don't think anyone can think that of you, okay Clarice?"

<Clarice> "... Promise?" She sqeaked.

<@Jean-Paul> "I'll swear it on Reed and bagels."

<Clarice> For the first time Clarice managed a smile, it was wobbly, but still a smile, "Well ... if it's bagels ... m-must be true."

<Clarice> She shoved the tissue back into her pocket before she destroyed it utterly "H-how much l-longer a-are you gonna be in there ... d-do you know?"

<@Jean-Paul> "Don't tell him but Reed tops bagels...it'll inflate his ego beyond all control if he were to know."

<@Jean-Paul> He bit his lip a bit, looking back to Reed. "I'm not really sure. It depends on how soon Scott can declare Reed clear of all contagions really."

<Clarice> Clarice gave the sleeping boy a sad look, "I ... I don't remember th-the Herald ... I h-hope she wasn't too mean to him, she seemed really m-mean."

<@Jean-Paul> "I've got to say, she wasn't my favourite pink person."

<Clarice> "She's ..." she frowned, "I ... I think she's d-dead, though Dr. F-farouk said she wasn't a-alive to start with ... b-but he said she's re-really gone," her first experience of the astral plane had been bizzare, she figured that if she tried to tell JP she'd battled her alter-ego in a giant teacup before she'd turned into a pile of sugar he might worry that she'd cracked under the stress.

<Clarice> ... Though of course she might have done so already, but JP had enough to worry about right now.

<@Jean-Paul> "She wasn't real at all, only what someone forced onto you." Jean-Paul nodded in agreement at that. "I imagine Farouk knows what he's talking about when it comes to such things. I think his mass is made up of alter-egos between you and me."

<Clarice> Clarice felt a little better about 'killing' the Herald hearing it from Jean-Paul. While she was grateful to Farouk for fixing her she still found herself a little ... unnerved by him, "He said h-he's had to do something like th-that before, with a f-former student," she nodded.

<@Jean-Paul> "The important thing is that what they created in there is gone from your mind, yeah?"

<Clarice> She nodded, "Y-yeah, it's gone. I don't ... I tried but I ca-can't remember anything she did ... it's like I've b-been asleep this whole time," she rubbed her face, "I ... I was thinking m-maybe I s-should ..." she took a deep breath, "I should watch the ... the news footage of her ...?"

<@Jean-Paul> Jean-Paul cringed and shook his head. "I think you should at least let yourself rest and come to some terms with what happened before you go digging that up."

<Clarice> "... You're p-probably right ..." she nodded quickly, for once glad to be running away from facing something, "Umm ... Professor Kent s-said that you had s-some of Uncle's ... like ... minions here? Umm ... d-do you th-think I should ta-talk to them?"

<@Jean-Paul> "I'm always right!" He declared as arrogantly as anyone could, grinning wider at that though it slipped a bit once Clarice brought up Lukas and Fabian. "Well, if you're up to it. I mean, they probably dealt with you in there so they might wake up some memories or something. I just want to make sure you're up for it when you do talk to them but it probably would be a good idea eventually."

<Clarice> "... Maybe when I'm feeling a little better then," she fiddled a little with her fingertips, "... Jean-Paul ... w-we're like ... family, arn't we? Y-you and me?" She asked him hopefully.

<@Jean-Paul> "You're my sister just as much as Jeanne-Marie is." He nodded, not a doubt in his voice.

<Clarice> That earned him a much steadier smile, "It's jus' ... I ... I need to decide wh-what to do wi-... with my parents ... arrange the fu-funeral and all ... I ... I can't do it by myself Jean-Paul I can't- ... I just can't ..." she looked down at her feet, eyes starting to water, "W-will you help me?"

<@Jean-Paul> "Of course I'm going to help you." Jean-Paul nodded. "That shouldn't even be a question, you know I will. I imagine everyone here will."

<Clarice> Clarice nodded again, "Th-thanks ... Ummm ... I'm go-gonna go see them now actually," she sighed, "... say goodbye and all, y'know?"

<Jean-Paul> "I'm sorry I can't go with you." Jean-Paul nodded though. "and I'm sorry, Clarice."

<Clarice> "... I think I'd rather do it alone anyway, thank you though," she said quietly, pressing the palm of her hand against his through the glass, her voice starting to sound a little steadier, "why're you sorry, y-you weren't a supervillian for a while."

<Jean-Paul> "I'm sorry for what happened." Jean-Paul answered, giving her a smile and patting her hand through the glass. "You'll let me know how everything goes until I'm out?"

<Clarice> "You ... you can help me make it right then," she was almost tempted to risk contamination and port in there for a hug ... but Dr. Summers could be so scarey when he yelled!

<Clarice> She gave him a firm nod, "I will, I promise," she dropped her hand, "And ... and thank you, for saving me, for not giving up on me."

<Jean-Paul> "Of course I can." He promised, "and don't expect me to ever give up on you, okay? You saved me and now I've saved you finally. We can call ourselves even."

<Clarice> "I never worry about keeping score with you, Jean-Paul," she smiled and after a little hesitation pressed a kiss to her two fingers and pressed it against the glass, "I'll come back and see you real soon, okay?"

<Jean-Paul> "Right, I'll be here. Don't let things get to you too much, okay? None of it was your fault."

<Clarice> "I'll try," she nodded, then took a deep breath to steel herself and, squaring her shoulders, turned and made her way into the improvised morge.

[PsychoKez056]

Omg and now I'm crying with sadness from it all ><

[puppygirl]

Awwww Kez, here, look at this, it'll make you feel better *cuddles*

[tears~fall~like~glass]

That gif totally made me feel better, but poor Clarice. However, her and JP's friendship makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, despite the sadness.

[Slarti]

D'aww, Clarice is so cute... poor baby.

And poor kitteh!

[Chaos]

[Murphy]

I second Chaos' image. All the feels!

[Scumfish]

^ What he said.