Oschner Medical Center

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Yukito! I love you!" She laughed, a wave of relief still coursing through her like a tsunami. "You know what the nurse said outside? She said I could hold your hand and talk to you like normal. I guess she doesn't know what normal is!" She grasped his hand again, and he squeezed hers in return. God, the fact that he could do that for her now when she'd been preparing herself for the worst, for the nightmare, it was just wonderful.... it was like dancing in the stars. "Yukito, I was soooo scared.... I can't tell you how happy I am that I can hold your hand right now!"

Instead of a nod, Erin was sure of that, Yukito squeezed her hand. She smiled and lifted it to touch it with her lips.

Sighing for them both, she met his eyes evenly. "The nurse said you can probably talk tomorrow and get that god-awful thing out of your throat. And don't worry, I'll make sure they do it right. And I'm not going anywhere, so you don't have to be alone. This place smells too clean to be alone in it." Erin sent him a smile, and he gave a very slow, deliberate blink. She could at least assume he was listening. He was looking at her, after all. "And it'll make for an interesting thing to tell our kids one day," she added with a slight giggle.

Yukito moved to open one of her hands, taking his finger to draw circles in her palm. Erin smiled, taking in a quick, shuddering breath. Why shuddering? She hadn't been shuddering before.... now she was? Pent up fear releasing itself? Ach... it didn't matter. It was over and Yukito was here and alive and loving and breathing. They'd make it okay. Just like always, but better this time. Because this was bigger.

I already miss you talking.... You already don't talk enough....

Again Yukito blinked deliberately. I guess that's how he's talking tonight, like in the movies. "It's okay, Yuyukun," she told him softly, taking his hand and lifting the open palm to her cheek. "It's okay.... Hey, are you hurting? You can do the blink-once-for-yes thing since that tube thing's screwing up the talking tonight." Not that she knew what to do for him if he was hurting... but she would at least know that he was hurting after that. And maybe get help, or...something... "Daisuki, Yuyukun."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"Yukito, I was soooo scared.... I can't tell you how happy I am that I can hold your hand right now!" Yukito squeezed her hand. She smiled and lifted it to touch it with her lips. He was reminded of how cold hospitals always were, her lips so warm in contrast to the rest of the room and their conjoined hands.

Sighing for them both, she met his eyes evenly. "The nurse said you can probably talk tomorrow and get that god-awful thing out of your throat. And don't worry, I'll make sure they do it right. And I'm not going anywhere, so you don't have to be alone. This place smells too clean to be alone in it."

He blinked again, slowly and not sure she was getting it. At least he could focus on her. "And it'll make for an interesting thing to tell our kids one day," she added with a slight giggle. He didn't respond directly to that, instead taking her hand and tracing his finger in the little haven of her palm. Yukito could feel her shaking slightly, and she sighed in a broken breath.

"It's okay, Yuyukun," she told him softly, taking his hand and lifting the open palm to her cheek. You feel so warm. And none of it is okay. "It's okay.... Hey, are you hurting? You can do the blink-once-for-yes thing since that tube thing's screwing up the talking tonight."

He was tempted to blink once, to let her know his chest was aching, and he wasn't sure it was from the bullet wound, or the lung machine thing. He felt disoriented still from crap they were feeding to him, and he felt hollow and full, and just the sound of distant beeps was making his stomach churn and his head spin. But when he blinked, his eyes were suddenly filled with tears, and he had to blink once again to clear them, indicating a no. He couldn't cry now, he wanted to be strong and okay for her. If sucking up his fear of hospitals would heal him faster and do that for her, he'd be willing to do it.

"Daisuki, Yuyukun."

I love you too, Erin. His eyelids began to drop, acting as though they were intended to remain closed gates forever. I'm sorry I was so stupid tonight. His eyes closed. If you weren't here, I don't know what I would do, Erin. I would be so frightened. I'm still worried, but... He felt himself drifting off, floating off into sleep. But he could hear the nurse reassuring Erin, could feel Erin fading away. It was okay, she'd said... She'd still be there when he woke up.

Yukito is asleep for the moment.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"It's okay, Yuyukun," she told him softly, taking his hand and lifting the open palm to her cheek. She wanted so much to hold him to her and somehow like in those stupid fantasy movies, her health would magically heal him. Fairy dust and pure love and all that stuff. But apparently one didn't work without the other, and she was pretty low on fairy dust. And Yukito was chained to a lung-puffing machine and an IV and all kinds of things... She couldn't hold him now, even if she did have a huge bag of magic to make him feel better again. But even so, Erin had to reassure him. Because at least she could know that the doctors and nurses would be working together to make him well again. See, they already were, even if it meant he couldn't talk for a little bit... He had to see, even a little, that there was a bright side to this, no matter how faint. "It's okay.... Hey, are you hurting? You can do the blink-once-for-yes thing since that tube thing's screwing up the talking tonight."

She'd expected a once sign, a yes, because he had a freaking hole in his chest for crying out loud. But he blinked twice. A lie, her instincts nudged, and she sighed. His eyes were really watery. Was it too cold in here? He was usually cold anyway.... And she couldn't even warm him up with a hug. Erin held tight to his hand in hers. "Daisuki, Yuyukun."

If he could have talked, she knew he would have responded. Not hearing him say it didn't lessen it, of course. But it did leave a slightly empty feeling in the air. Like you dropped a phone call just before the other person got to say goodbye. And now his eyes were closed, so he couldn't even blink-talk. Another sigh escaped Erin. His breathing, however heavy, was steady, and his hold on her had slipped. No scary beepings. He'd slipped into sleep. So now it would be okay to cry a little.

Even if he would be one hundred percent okay, she could still cry just a little, right?

But others were hurt, too. She had to see about them while Yukito was asleep, so she could be there when he woke up again. And she had to let them know he'd be okay, too. At least mostly. You couldn't escape that kind of thing one-hundred percent. Even if that's how it worked in the movies. They were lies, just like Yukito's second blink.

He was hurting, but he was going to be okay. He was still here, and he was going to be safe.

He already was.

[GGJ5]

OOC: Y'all, you are more than welcome to continue the drama from the Mardi Gras stuff here, and can also keep including Erin if you want, we just wanted to get this interaction started here, too! XD BIC:

Erin Spenser

When Erin offered to have a movie date in Yukito's room, he'd taken a while to respond. She was pretty sure he didn't get how it could be a movie date if they were in a hospital, but she knew it would make him feel better, whether he realized it or not. Plus, it would help him forget the roommate he now had in his room. Erin didn't mind him, but she knew Yukito preferred being alone, especially with the vulnerability that came with the hospital. After a bit more pressing, though, she'd gotten him to give her the name of a movie he wanted. Unfortunately, at the time he was falling under some painkillers and hadn't slept very well, and she was pretty sure she heard a Japanese word in there that she couldn't translate if she tried. But the hospital made him so irritable already, he'd get more frustrated if she'd asked him to repeat over and over. Plus, she could figure it out. It was all good.

So she went into the rental shop and started looking in the Es. It sounded like something that started with en- or in-. Hey, spelling, you'd be nice to have right now. "Hmmm..." It sort of sounded like Endeavor, but there was no movie called Endeavor, was there? Indiana Jones? Invader Zimm? Does he eve know what that is? She'd wandered from the Es to the Is by this time and stood in front of them, pensive.

"Can I help you find something?" A tall and lanky boy with a nametag stood a few feet from her.

Erin had nodded. "Mmmhmm, my fiance said he wanted to see this movie, but I don't really remember what it is, and he's in the hospital, so I can't hit him up on a text or something to see... I think it was something with invaders in it, now that I'm standing here, though. Or endeavor, but that sounds boring."

"Well, there's Invasion of the Body Snatchers." The lanky employee pulled out a couple of old-looking titles form the shelves and showed them to her, one in each hand. "Would this be something he'd like?"

Erin examined the retro-styled covers. One had awful eighties/seventies hair. The other was in black and white. She pursed her lips, thinking. Is that what he'd meant? Really??

"They're really cool films. Well, it's the same story, just this one is a remake." He gestured with the colored version. "It's about aliens that come and take on the form of humans but no one is sure what's going on, and they do something with the real humans whose disguises they take. It was one of the earliest science fiction movies to hit theaters. Definitely worth watching. Is your fiance into science fiction stuff?"

Erin scoffed. "Oh yeah. He's a total closet nerd." She giggled. "Um, he probably wants the original one, soo... " She pointed to the old version. "I'll get that one. Aliens can't be that boring, even in black and white!" I bet it's no Independence Day, though, she thought to herself.

At the hospital, Erin proudly announced, "Kareshi, are you up?! I have our movie daaaaate!" She went to his non-wounded side and nudged him gently. "Hey, I think I got what you wanted. The dude at the movie store said this was it." She reached down and pulled boxes of candy out of her purse. "And I got M&Ms! Peanut butter, and chocolate, and peanut, and... that's it. But still. And I have cokes in here, but they aren't cold. I can get ice , though. How are you feeling?" She paused, kissing his lips briefly before waving to the other bed-bound guest in the room. "Hi! We're gonna have a movie date, okay? We won't bother you at all." Then back to Yukito: "Yuyukun, it's in black and white. Is it gonna suck?"

[Elda Forever]

Chance Savege

He paced nervously back and forth. Erin had gone back several minutes ago to see Yukito. He was worried about them both, of course, but he hadn't seen anyone with word on Liv yet, and Kagayaki hadn't heard about Amane, either. The two of them sat together, occasionally chatting as much as they could with the language barrier. Luckily, neither of them had anything cosmic or complex to say right now. Mostly offering snacks to each other and hoping for a miracle, and the safe return of their girlfriends. Wasn't this kind of ridiculous? Weren't the men supposed to protect their women?

Stereotypes are failtastic and useless, he thought bitterly. Screw what I was supposed to do. I'd do most anything for her now, just to make sure she doesn't hurt anymore. To make sure she comes out alright.

“Gummi bear?” he offered to Kagayaki, taking his own red one and tugging on it absentmindedly for a few moments, then grabbing another bag of snacks. “Somehow eating helps the waiting be not so bad,” he mumbled, tempted to kick his shoes off and shove them under his chair. “Seems like a stupid idea to be Lumiere now. I shoulda been Iron Man or something. Crap, this thing won't open!” He continued to tug on the tiny Cheese-Its bag, putting it between his teeth to try and tear open.

When it finally gave way, he let out a sigh and realized he didn't really want to eat anymore. They made him think of all the times he'd turned Cheese-Its into a game, peering through the miniscule hole in the middle of each cheesy square to grin at Liv and claiming it was the Idiot Picture Frame. “I gotta go check on Erin. I can't stand just sitting here. I'll be right back.” He nervously crept up to the nurse's desk, then decided against asking for the room number and just starting off down the hall, trying to walk as casually as he could manage. He'd find Erin. They always found each other.

”I can sense your AURA, Erin Chloe!”

“Don't be gettin' up in my aura's bu'ness, Chance!”

“Oh, fine. Only on Sundays, then. And any day you haven't eaten dairy yet.”

He peered into two hospital rooms, found one with a tall guy with irritated-looking eyes rushing past, and went into the room the guy had just left. Erin was in there, standing there.

“Hey!” When she turned, she made his heart ricochet around his chest cavity as he saw her expression, wanting to rush toward her. But something about the look in her eyes and the sound of the hospital made him want to be as gentle with her as a lamb. More quietly, he said “How is he doing?” He came up and threw his arms around her in a hug. “Heyyy...” he cooed, “It's gonna be alright. He's a fighter. You'd know just by looking at his country's video games. I mean, they grow up learning kung-fu or something there, don't they? Aw, look. He has one of those breathing-y thingies.” He moved with Erin back toward the bed, loosening his arm on her just enough to lean in and peer at one of the screens as it fed out some strange code. “I bet this says, 'Hey man, he's A-OK'. Can't you hear it? Beep beep, bee-BA-DOOP!'” He hugged her again, then turned to stand with his arm around her shoulder tightly. “You okay?”


~~

Yukito Maki

Roommates. If they weren't snoring or moaning or chewing or playing the TV full-blast, they were watching you like some sort of creeper. Most of the day he kept the curtain pulled over, but then gramps complained that Yukito was hogging all the 'sweet sunshine and soaking it up like a leech.' Any minute now he was going to jump up, take the senior citizen's bedpan, and thwack him over the head with it. Not to mention the numerous people coming in to poke at him or ask questions. If Erin had been there, it would be different. He could talk to her or listen to her jabber on and not focus on them touching his arm or his wound or checking his heartbeat, or the hundred and one other things. But having Erin there constantly wasn't logical, and besides, he didn't want to drag her down with his neediness. You're being selfish and spoiled. Shut up. He pulled out his PSP and selected Metal Gear Solid and starting it up.

”What?! You wanna make noise now?” came the mumble from the guy next to him. The curtain was pulled halfway across the room as a begrudged compromise, not allowing them to see each other's faces. Yukito's brow furrowed as he glared at his screen. So what if the geezer used hearing aids. You'd think he'd have a clue that his version of 'mumbling' was akin to regular people's 'croaking loudly'. ”Another one of those violent games...young people feeding trash into their brains and making it-”

“Gramps, don't you make me-” Yukito began, holding his PSP aloft and sorely tempted to throw it, but was promptly interrupted by the arrival of a cheerful voice that hadn't been shriveling in a bed and poked with needles all day. He fell back against the pillows like a guilty student when the teacher returns to the classroom, frowning.

"Kareshi, are you up?! I have our movie daaaaate!" She went to his non-wounded side and nudged him gently. He tried to offer her a little smile, but it was tight and tense. "Hey, I think I got what you wanted. The dude at the movie store said this was it." He took hold of the DVD she tossed onto the bed, staring at the cover for a long moment. He wasn't even sure he remembered talking to her about watching a movie...when did he ask for Invasion Of The Body Snatchers? It looked like a really old one.

While he read the back cover, Erin dumped her candies out on the bed, sharing the spoils and eager to boast them. "And I got M&Ms! Peanut butter, and chocolate, and peanut, and... that's it. But still. And I have cokes in here, but they aren't cold. I can get ice , though. How are you feeling?"

Yukito was staring with wonder at her treats, then back at her bag, now understanding why her purses and bags were becoming increasingly heavier. She was practically getting a week's rations for him every time she left the house. He wasn't sure what that meant, exactly. He looked up at her as she leaned in to him, and gave her a genuine smile. “I'm better now. My sanity just returned.” He moved closer and met her lips when she came in to kiss him, then she greeted the grouchy crap-mate in the other bed. "Hi! We're gonna have a movie date, okay? We won't bother you at all." Yukito heard a snicker. But the geezer liked Erin, at least as much as his wrinkly, hairy heart allotted him to like people.

"Yuyukun, it's in black and white. Is it gonna suck?"

He lifted the DVD up again, still staring at it in confusion. “I don't know this one, Erin. I don't even remember- Oooooh..” he let out a chuckle. “When you called this morning. I didn't say Invasion of Body Snatchers, I said The Mummy with Brendan Fraser.” He shrugged, “Oh, well. The cover says it's a classic. Might as well see it and then we'll know if it sucks or not.” He stared at her for a moment, then reached in and pulled her close, “Thank you.”

Thank you for saving me from murdering the geezer in the bed next to mine. I'll happily leech of off all this Sunshine.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

He was asleep, but it wasn't a comfortable sleep, at least not from Erin's perspective. He wasn't home. He wasn't happy. He was hurting, and had a foreign object shoved down his throat, and bandages and wires and IVs all up in his space. He had been so close to being lost, and now he had to be sequestered here until he was better.... Erin sniffled, glancing around for something that could work as a tissue and found nothing, so she sniffled again. "Yukito," she tried to say, but it sounded more like a croak. The croak was followed by a very loud sneeze, and then another croak: "Be better, Yukito..."

“Hey!” A bright voice in the dark room startled her, and Erin whirled around to see Chance standing there. Oh, god, you were there, too, weren't you? You're not hurt, but who else is? Oh, I really want a hug right now!

She wiped her eyes and cheeks to clear up her face a bit. He might be hurting, too, after all. "Hi." Erin gave her best smile, but at that moment it was hardly a smile at all.

“How is he doing?”

"He's--" And the tears rushed out, her hands shooting up to cover her eyes. "He could've died, they said he barely missed his heart and his lung collapsed so there's a tube stuffed down his throat so he can breathe right and he can't even talk to me and I know he's hurting and I was so scared!" Erin hugged Chance fervently, almost collapsing into him when he put his arms around her. "It's really scary..." she cried, sobbing. "I'm trying to be quiet because he's asleep but it's hard..." Her cries were, in fact, not loud, but very strained from the effort to keep them that way.

“Heyyy...”Chance cooed, “It's gonna be alright. He's a fighter. You'd know just by looking at his country's video games. I mean, they grow up learning kung-fu or something there, don't they? Aw, look. He has one of those breathing-y thingies.”

Erin let go a bit, still sniffling. "Y-yeah, that's what makes him can't talk," she muttered. "I don't like it... but he gets it out tomorrow, hopefully."

She walked with him back to Yukito's side as Chance peered up at one of the monitors. “I bet this says, 'Hey man, he's A-OK'. Can't you hear it? Beep beep, bee-BA-DOOP!'”

In spite of herself, Erin gave a short laugh mingled with another cry, giving him the slightest of shoves. "Guess I needed subtitles."

He hugged her again, then turned to stand with his arm around her shoulder tightly. “You okay?”

"Me?" Erin asked, and looked herself up and down, pajamas and all. "I'm fine..." she said sadly, giving a cough as punctuation. "I still have a cold, but I'm not wounded or shot or laying in a hospital bed..." Once more her face fell and quiet tears returned with a vengeance. "You were there, and you weren't hurt.. I'm glad about that, Chance," she told him as she hugged him again. "Really-really. But you're here.. so.. Liv?" She has to be okay. She has to... she can't be hurt too bad.. she can't be hurt like that.

--------------------
Erin Spenser



"Kareshi, are you up?! I have our movie daaaaate!" He had a game out, so Erin gave his non-wounded side a gentle nudge and smiled at him. Gosh, he was looking more and more his real self every day! "Hey, I think I got what you wanted. The dude at the movie store said this was it." She laid the DVD out with the "concessions" she'd picked up, too.

Yukito picked it up, not saying anything. So Erin drew his attention to what else she'd brought. "And I got M&Ms! Peanut butter, and chocolate, and peanut, and... that's it. But still. And I have cokes in here, but they aren't cold. I can get ice , though. How are you feeling?"

He smiled. Finally. It made her own smile that much brighter. “I'm better now. My sanity just returned.”

"Oh, yay!" she chirped happily, then leaned forward to kiss him, equally as happy. A glance to the other side of the room showed Erin it was still occupied. She waved. "Hi! We're gonna have a movie date, okay? We won't bother you at all." The old guy gave a little laugh, so Erin took that as assent and, chipper, turned back to Yukito. She glanced again at the movie in his hand and commented, "Yuyukun, it's in black and white. Is it gonna suck?"

He lifted the DVD up again, still quiet. “I don't know this one, Erin. I don't even remember- Oooooh..” He gave his own little laugh. Erin, however, cocked her head to the side. "What?"

“When you called this morning. I didn't say Invasion of Body Snatchers, I said The Mummy with Brendan Fraser.”

Now Erin laughed, but strong and not little, because there was no way the word "mummy" had been in that conversation, she knew that much. "Um, I love you, but you so[ said nothing about mummies. At least, not in English. What's Japanese for 'mummy'?"

Giving an awkward shrug, Yukito brushed it off. “Oh, well. The cover says it's a classic. Might as well see it and then we'll know if it sucks or not.”

"Hmm... Okay. But book classics usually suck, so I dunno about movie classics... Maybe it'll be okay with you," she told him with a smile, scooting onto the very small bed.

He stared at her for a moment, then reached in and pulled her close, “Thank you.”

Giggling, Erin gently put one arm around him. "Aw, you're welcome, kareshi!" Then she realized she hadn't put the movie in. "Oh!" Hopping back up, Erin hastily inserted the DVD and once it was up on the screen she hopped back down next to Yukito. She plucked up one of the yellow bags of M&Ms and tore the corner off, sprinkling them into her hand and then offering to do the same for him.

The camera lit the screen, and Erin already had a sinking suspicion she wouldn't make it through this movie. "It's all grayscale..." she complained quietly to Yukito. "You think it'll be like Wizard of Oz and get color halfway through? Oh, wait, a crazy guy! That makes it better," she finished with approval. Someone claiming to be a doctor was on the screen, screaming and ranting about something that made him sound totally insane. So of course, he had to defend himself by going into a flashback. "Two bucks says he lived in Podunk, USA," Erin joked as the scene switched. "HA! He totally does! I win!" Her voice had risen quite a bit for a hospital room in her excitement, and so, catching herself, Erin repeated in an exaggerated whisper and a smile, "Oh, sorry... I win!"

[Elda Forever]

Chance Savege

“How is he doing?” The simple question somehow could earn nothing but a complicated answer.

"He's--" And the tears rushed out, her hands shooting up to cover her eyes. "He could've died, they said he barely missed his heart and his lung collapsed so there's a tube stuffed down his throat so he can breathe right and he can't even talk to me and I know he's hurting and I was so scared!" Erin hugged Chance fervently, almost collapsing into him when he put his arms around her. "It's really scary..." she cried, sobbing. He nodded, though she couldn't see it, holding her tighter. I know... "I'm trying to be quiet because he's asleep but it's hard..."

“Heyyy...”Chance cooed, “It's gonna be alright. He's a fighter. You'd know just by looking at his country's video games. I mean, they grow up learning kung-fu or something there, don't they? Aw, look. He has one of those breathing-y thingies.”

Erin let go a bit, still sniffling. "Y-yeah, that's what makes him can't talk," she muttered. Chance's eyes widened at the idea of what that must feel like to have a machine breathing for you. ”I don't like it... but he gets it out tomorrow, hopefully."

“I don't like it either. It covers up his sexah lips.” Chance pouted, then went over to peer curiously at one of the monitors, Erin still safely tucked into his side. “I bet this says, 'Hey man, he's A-OK'. Can't you hear it? Beep beep, bee-BA-DOOP!'”

He was glad she laughed. Chance couldn't do much to help. But he wanted to make her laugh a little bit. Because hey, Yukito was going to be alright. It was okay for her to feel the relief, in some form. She gave him a little shove, showing her own strength in the strangest of ways. "Guess I needed subtitles."

He shrugged, then gave her another hug and held onto her tightly. “You okay?”

"Me?" Erin asked, and looked herself up and down. He smiled – she always looked so effortlessly cute, even with bedhead and mussed pajamas. "I'm fine..." she said sadly, giving a cough as punctuation. "I still have a cold, but I'm not wounded or shot or laying in a hospital bed..."

“True... But you know Yukito would get his panties all up in a bunch, so take care of yourself, Sexy,” he chuckled, reaching up to brush her hair from her face and feel her forehead.

Tears once again threatened to return, her fragile barrier beginning to crackle again. "You were there, and you weren't hurt.. I'm glad about that, Chance," she told him as she hugged him again. "Really-really. But you're here.. so.. Liv?"

His soft smile faded now, “I still haven't heard yet. It seems like I should have, and it's like..'ohmigawd, at least tell me she's gonna be okay or something', you know?” He looked at the floor. “It was bad, Erin. She was so drunk and so angry, and with the gun...” his voice began to shake at the very memories. “I should have done more,” he whispered, his voice thinning and becoming more and more frantic. “I should have gotten her out of there. I should have gotten them all out. But I stood there like an idiot.”

~~~~~

Yukito Maki

“When you called this morning. I didn't say Invasion of Body Snatchers, I said The Mummy with Brendan Fraser.”

Erin openly laughed at his explanation. "Um, I love you, but you so said nothing about mummies. At least, not in English. What's Japanese for 'mummy'?"

“Miira,” he responded automatically, giving an awkward shrug at the mis-communication. “Oh, well. The cover says it's a classic. Might as well see it and then we'll know if it sucks or not.”

"Hmm... Okay. But book classics usually suck, so I dunno about movie classics... Maybe it'll be okay with you," she told him with a smile, scooting onto the very small bed. He liked how she did that.

“They only seem to suck because you never sit still long enough to figure out what's going on,” he teased. Looking over at her for a moment, he randomly reached over to pull her close to him, appreciative of her presence. “Thank you.”

Giggling, Erin gently put one arm around him. "Aw, you're welcome, kareshi!" Then, "Oh!" She sprang up with all of her usual, never-ending enthusiasm, slipping the movie in and then flopping back down at his side. He smirked at her while she dove in for some snacks, offering him some. He held out his hand then leaned in for a little kiss to her cheek.

"It's all grayscale..." she complained quietly to Yukito. He plopped a few M&Ms into his mouth, his smile faltering. He didn't know how many times he had tried to convince her of how good an old black and white could be. Who really needed colors, anyways?

“Don't be racist, Erin. Black and white is good,” he teased, nudging her with a shoulder. She didn't need to know he'd stolen the little joke from someone else.

"You think it'll be like Wizard of Oz and get color halfway through? Oh, wait, a crazy guy! That makes it better," she finished with approval, making him shake his head in disbelief.

"Two bucks says he lived in Podunk, USA," Erin joked as the scene switched, her volume already going up several notches. He leaned forward to check the volume. Nope. It just couldn't outdo Erin. "HA! He totally does! I win!"

“Shhh!” he corrected her, putting a finger to his lips.

Erin gave a smirked and stage-whispered, "Oh, sorry... I win!"

“Yes, you win,” he chuckled, reaching up to shove the rest of his M&Ms into her mouth, holding her mouth closed and leaning in close so he could whisper, “Watch out, I hear insanity is contagious like a virus.” When he pulled his hand away, he looked appallingly at his hand, seeing the smear of the many-colored M&Ms imprinted on his palm. Reds, greens, browns and blues all in little circles as he looked around for something to wipe his hand off on. “Your breath is hot. It makes my snack melt,” he complained with a pout, leaning over to reach for a tissue on the counter. It ached his entire torso to move that way, and he grimaced as he came back, swiping at his hands with irritation. “Now be quiet and watch the film, or I'll just have to keep your mouth full the whole movie.” The screen showed the doctor-guy speaking to a little boy's mother, and she was acting strangely. The little boy had been racing away from his mother in a frenzy, and the woman brushed it off like it was nothing, as did the doctor. You don't do that. The kids know better, he thought bitterly, mentally noting the words used and trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Of course, there were body snatchers, and he could already list at least one person as an alien or whatever they were. And the nurse lady had mentioned about a dozen people at least, hadn't she? If he hadn't known the title of the movie, he would have suspected a significantly spread epidemic.

After a second, he turned to Erin, head tilted curiously and queried, "What do you conclude of that? How the boy ran away and all?"

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

A small bit of the Jason's Knot in her chest loosened with Chance's efforts. She knew he was trying to make her feel better, and it was nice that it could actually work. He knew she needed a hug. It would have been better from Yukito, but then if he could hug her, they wouldn't be here... “You okay?”

"Me?" That struck her as an odd question. Clearly she had no bullet holes...right? "I'm fine... I still have a cold, but I'm not wounded or shot or laying in a hospital bed..."

“True... But you know Yukito would get his panties all up in a bunch, so take care of yourself, Sexy,” Chance teased as he reached up to brush her hair from her face. She hadn't even realized it was there. A strange combination of a sniffle and a giggle emitted from Erin. "But Chance, he doesn't have panties... He has boxers..."

A realization surfaced, and Erin's thoughts shifted to a different sad story. "You were there, and you weren't hurt.. I'm glad about that, Chance," she told him as she hugged him again. "Really-really. But you're here.. so.. Liv?"

The missing smile told her enough. Oh, no.... “I still haven't heard yet. It seems like I should have, and it's like..'ohmigawd, at least tell me she's gonna be okay or something', you know?” He looked at the floor.

"Yeah..." Erin nodded in agreement. How could they not have told him yet? Why would you hold out that way??

“It was bad, Erin. She was so drunk and so angry, and with the gun...” It must have been awful, like a nightmare you couldn't wake up from.... She felt her eyes start crying again, silently, bitterly. “I should have done more,” he breathed. “I should have gotten her out of there. I should have gotten them all out. But I stood there like an idiot.”

Immediately Erin's hands held his face, one hand on each cheek. This way she could really, really meet his eyes. "You did not act like an idiot, Chance, and when we find Liv she'll tell you the same thing, and you know we couldn't have planned together to say that so it has to be true. The idiot was the one that hurt you. Hurt all of you." Hot tears. Were they hot because she was angry? Angry at the evil woman? Absolutely. "You can't be Superman, but you are not an idiot, and if you keep insisting on it I'm gonna find a hypodermic needle somewhere and sedate you so you get some sleep and you can start thinking straight." She smiled at him softly through her hot tears. They weren't a lot of tears, but they were hot. "It's not a threat, it's a promise," she added in a quiet tease.

A glance back at Yukito showed Erin he was still slumbering. No, slumbering was too peaceful, but he wasn't awake... She looked back at Chance and clasped his hand in hers. "Let's go find Liv and make them tell us how quick she's gonna be out." Feeding off his positive aura from earlier, Erin took Chance out the room with her and down the hall, peeping in every open room. Lots of people in scrubs ran around, but that was the problem-- they were running. She couldn't catch anyone long enough to ask about Liv. Finally when she found someone relatively still, Erin asked, "Where's Liv?" The fact that she had a last name had evaded Erin at the moment.
~~~~~

Erin Spenser

Just as she'd anticipated from that totally retro cover, it was all black and white. "It's all grayscale..."

Yukito popped in some M&Ms before he answered her mid-chocolate. “Don't be racist, Erin. Black and white is good,” he teased, nudging her with a shoulder.

The joke made Erin snicker, then giggle. "Did you forget you're neither? So this movie is racist against Asians!" She stuck her tongue out at him before pouring a handful of M&Ms on the bed in front of her. She picked up two orange ones and squeezed them together until the shells broke. "You think it'll be like Wizard of Oz and get color halfway through? Oh, wait, a crazy guy! That makes it better." The crushed M&Ms were put out of their misery by the gnashing of Erin's teeth. "Two bucks says he lived in Podunk, USA." A brief moment passed, and the tiny town appeared on the screen, probably with a grand total of 300 villagers. "HA! He totally does! I win!"

“Shhh!” Yukito's finger went to her lips.

Crap, stupid hospitals! "Oh, sorry... I win!" she whispered with a grin.

“Yes, you win,” he chuckled. Suddenly his hand was against her mouth, little chocolates tumbling onto her tongue. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she tried to keep her laughter from sending the M&Ms back out. But Yukito was leaning in close to her, and she stopped the giggling enough to hear him whisper, “Watch out, I hear insanity is contagious like a virus.”

She finished enough of the M&Ms to be able to voice, "Through the TV, Yuyukun?!"

Yukito was busy staring at his new rainbow hand. Erin snickered. "Pretty!"

“Your breath is hot. It makes my snack melt,” he observed.

"Aw, poor Yuyukun... Don't lick it and wipe it on me," she ordered, and thankfully he attacked his hand with tissue instead.

“Now be quiet and watch the film, or I'll just have to keep your mouth full the whole movie.”

Erin gave another laugh at that. "You'll run out eventually."

She did good for a while, like Yukito asked, all the way through the kid running out, and then, she wasn't even the one to break the quiet game. "What do you conclude of that? How the boy ran away and all?" Yukito asked her.

"What, you already have a theory? The lady's an alien, cloned to look like his mom, but kids know their parents, like parents can tell twins apart, so he knows that's not her. Like in the sci-fi movies where a guy tries to disguise himself as another dude but a dog freaks out at the scent and gives him away. Oh, that happened in Freaky Friday, too!! Lindsay Lohan's British character was all, 'I'm so American!' but the dog knew from right away. That's like that kid. But I bet the kid'll be the next one to go. Just watch." A few moments of conversation passed in the film where of course everyone acted like they were all right, then Erin turned to Yukito, quizzical: "Wait, how can you use the word 'conclude' so friggen perfectly and I can't hardly make a decent sentence when I had my appendix out? Not even fair!"

Next thing, a new character was claiming her uncle wasn't her uncle, only she wasn't a kid. So that took the kid=dog sixth sense theory out. "Maybe you have to be really close to them emotionally to get it," she mused aloud. "Because that dude cutting the grass is that girl's dad, but she doesn't think he's weird. But the other girl does. So Yukito, that means if you ever become an alien clone, I'll know it, so don't get crazy!"