[Open] At Least The Hospital Isn't Haunted?

[work_wife]

WHO: Robin Buckley, Open
WHERE: Temba Hospital
WHAT: Post Attack Threads
WHEN: September 12th Onward
WARNINGS: Discussions (potentially detailed) of strangulation and attempted murder

I. Bedside Manners Please | Daytime - Good for Interviews

The hospital room is at least a nice one. One with a window so there is light coming in from outside. Right now the dog that had come rushing up when Billy Loomis was helping her to the hospital was stretched out in that pool of sunshine. Robin watches the dog in his happy resting.

At least one of them was happy.

Robin's fingers come up o touch the swath of bandaging around her neck, holding the salves that the hot doctor had worked into her skin before putting the bandages on. It's still painful. At least breathing wasn't too much of a problem right now. She sighed, something she immediately winced over the pain over. Then she looked back down at the communication device in her lap. She should do something to entertain herself. Or maybe message her friends to let them know she could really use some company.

No, though. There were reasons not to do that. Maybe later. So she puts the device back down in her lap.

When she heard someone at the door, though, she turned her head slowly to regard them. Nods briefly to them, because pain for a greeting wasn't worth it right now.

II. Friend Time | Afternoon/Evening - For pre-existing CR peeps not after questioning her

If there was one time that Robin absolutely refused to put up with questions during, it was meals. The food was better than the hospital in Hawkins, so there was that. But mostly, she doesn't want to try both the strain of talking to people about the new trauma and eating at the same time. So when lunch and dinner happen, she glares hard at those she doesn't want around until they figure it out and head out for a while.

It's different with her friends. Different with the people she already knows and trusts and believes could have had nothing to do with hurting her. Then when meals come up she shoos Little Bear from the bed, pulls the rolling tray closer, and scootches over so her friend can join her in the bed. Because being close to someone so she can keep talking is nice. Especially when she has to whisper even more quietly while trying to eat. Nothing like trying to swallow with a damaged throat and still trying to hold a conversation. Especially with her hands too taken up to be typing on her comm or writing on paper to answer.

III. The Night Shift | Nights - For Guards and/or Comforting a scared Robin | Please No Additional Here - Have A Lot Of These Now

Fear was something Robin was used to living with. Had been since things went wrong back at the mall. But that had never felt personal. That had never been so direct. It had never made her so afraid of being alone in the dark. Not that the hospital is fully dark. The lights in the room are just down low. And she's not alone either.

The dog that used to belong to the clothes lady was lying in bed with her after all, carefully stretched out on her good side and resting his big head on her stomach. His tail beat a slow rhythm as she lets her fingers stroke over his soft, curly fur. But her eyes... they're always on the door. Wide. Watching. Fearful.

She hates this. Having a new reason to fear the night. It was better when it was monsters. It was better when evil people were the government or bigots. It was better when she knew what people who would hurt her looked like.

Comments

Night Shift

[farrahfawcetts]

Steve was so fucking torn. Eddie was being accused of murder and then Robin was attacked. He wanted to be with them both all the time. He wanted to protect them like he was supposed to. But there was one of him and Robin right now was the only one that had almost died. He hated being split in half, but he didn't regret his choice for a second. Especially when he pushed open the door and saw his best friend looking a second away from panic.

He offered a small smile and rested his mace next to the bat. Yeah, he had all the weapons here. He wasn't gonna take a risk.

"Robs, you not sleeping?" He crosses closer to perch on the edge of her bed. "Wanna talk about it? Or I can serenade you to sleep? What muppet do you want?"

[work_wife]

The door starts to open and Robin manages not to whimper in fear. Which is good. Because yeah, there's Steve. That's more comforting than anything else. Little Bear raises his big head and his tail thumps more eagerly in excitement, but he doesn't leave her side.

But she's got to figure out the most efficient way to answer. Steve's worth a bit of pain to speak to. Though her words come out as a very raspy, gravely whisper.

"No sleep. Fear. Hurts to talk."

She gestures to the nearby rolling table that her food had been put on before, where her communication device is. It can let her type out more serious thoughts.

"Laughing hurts I think."

[farrahfawcetts]

Steve winces, hating the sound of her abused voice. He reaches out and takes her hand, just holding it a second before going to get her communication device and handing it over.

"No one is gonna get to you, Robs. I know you're scared, but I got you. And I'm not the only one patrolling. You got a lot of people who love you. None of us will let you down again."

He reaches for her hand again but lets it rest on her knee so she can type.

[work_wife]

The hand is welcomed. They'd been through so much together. Through nearly dying together. But all the times she'd been in her greatest danger, there had always been Steve at her side. And somehow this was scarier without him having been there.

But then he's gone. She whimpers briefly, but then Steve's back with the device. Smart guy. Anyone who thinks different is an idiot. She opens the notation app and starts typing in it. And when she's done she triggers the text to voice. Better enjoy Jon talking at you, Steve.

'You didn't let me down. I did a stupid thing.'

Night Shift Guarding

[playingtough]

Another attack. This one felt personal. While he and Buckley weren't great friends or anything, she had stood up for him at the volcano ordeal. Actually talked stuff out with him to get the why rather than just the sentencing that Harrington had jumped to. So he had temporarily moved back into the city and into Tommy's room so he could take up a shift.

They were long shifts, with Billy's stubborn streak shining through as he took up a spot on a chair between Robin and the door. He kept his axe ready for use against the side of the chair, right hand curled a little around the handle of it.

Was it boring? Yeah, of course it was. But it kept his friend safe, didn't it?

Billy gets up to stretch carefully, always keeping his weapon in grabbing distance as he does so. The low lights of the room move over him and he looks behind him to check on her. "Oh. Did I wake you, Buckley? Was trying to be quiet n' stuff." Of course presuming he woke her up.

[work_wife]

Trying to be quiet was actually almost as bad as being noisy. She frowns and shakes her head at him. He hadn't awoken her. She was already awake. Sleep was harder.

The room was too shadowy after all. And she kept seeing things coming out of the shadows now.

[playingtough]

If anyone knows what it's like to need rest, Billy Hargrove does. So he figures she wanted quiet to try and sleep. He didn't even realize she hadn't gotten to the sleep part.

"Good. Last thing I wanna do is that."

He goes to the door and quietly opens it so he can peek out. Once he's determined that the halls are clear, the door is shut. Billy goes over to the bed, axe ready in one hand. Until he leans it against her bed for the time being. "Trouble sleeping?"

[work_wife]

"Yeah," she agrees, her voice a raspy, low whisper. One shaped by her pain from the damage to her throat. "Strangulation sucks."

And she would know. It's happened twice to her.

III

[cactusy]

Shaw's no good at comforting people, and she knows it - and so when she sticks her head into the room and verifies that all is well, she almost heads right back out again, even though she can clearly see that the kid is terrified. She's not in danger, and she has a dog. She's probably fine.

But there's this game that she plays in her head sometimes: what would John and Finch have done, what would her mom and dad have done, what would the fireman who'd saved her life when she was a kid have done. Not walk away from a scared teenager who'd just been attacked, that's what. That would be more than just unkind, it would be wrong, probably. So she hesitates, pausing in the doorway.

"You good?"

[work_wife]

Good? Robin wants to scoff, but that hurts. Though she's definitely not super familiar with Sameen. Which means she's very confused by the stranger here to protect her. The latest in a series of them.

At least she's less scary than the other Doctor's dog.

But the best answer she can give is to shake her head. No. She's not okay.

[cactusy]

"Yeah. Figured as much."

Good job, Shaw; very smooth. She shoves her hands into her pockets.

"Well, any bad guys trying to come in here are gonna have to go through me, and if they try it they'll regret it. Plus, you got this guy--"

She jerks her chin at the dog.

"-- so I'd say you're doing pretty good."

[work_wife]

Thing is, Robin doesn't know Sameen. So is that really all that impressive of a thing for the attacker to do? And does this woman even know what real danger is? Fuck, even people weren't that scary most of the times. It's the darkness. And stranger.

"Little Bear," she rasps out as she pets the dog's head. "Found us. When Loomis did."

II. Friend Time | Afternoon/Evening

[madginger]

Max can't deal with the rage running through her at the idea someone hurt one of her friends, and the worry and concern over Robin's condition. She doesn't go there with the intention of running her mouth. She does at least start off by asking how Robin is doing, then frowning when her friend can't even be heard in her response.

Someone needs to pay for this.

But seeing as Robin is at least well enough to eat, Max scoots in close to her and tells her something that's been bugging her since she found out about this.

"This," she gestures to Robin, "is just another reason we need a buddy system. So from now on, you're not going anywhere without me, right?"

[work_wife]

Robin's doing her best at eating this space mushroom soup (so tasty, why does it taste like bacon?), and Max goes and says that. Talk about the most exaggerated eye roll ever. Come on Max, are you kidding?

"Sooner alone than take you to get hurt."

Simple as that.

[madginger]

"Really?" She rolls her eyes right back.

"Then at least pick someone else to team up with. But we clearly need a buddy system," Max insists.

"All of us. Me included."

[work_wife]

Yeah, they do. Except...

"It was late," she whispers. "And no one lured me."

III

[out_of_order]

As someone who had lived in fear of his life for several years, Cal knows far too well how bad it can be when you're alone with that sort of paranoia.

He isn't really a common sight around the hospital, and he feels a little bad for not being around Temba in the past weeks that he'd been spending over in Sh'Ka, trying to deal with helping thin out the bolder Deleons that had seemed to increase in number. After telling the hospital staff he'll handle this night's watch, and any others as necessary, he begins his rounds, BD-1 at his side. One would be hard-pressed to get the drop on a Jedi, especially one with an ever vigilant droid.

While Cal hasn't spoken a whole lot to Robin, it doesn't mean he's any happier to hear what's happened. He can sense the anxiety from her without even entering the room, so when he comes to the door, he knocks at the frame with a knuckle before he pokes his head in.

"Need anything?"

[work_wife]

Cal isn't someone fully known to her. Of course he isn't. So the face of someone she doesn't know peeking in at night? Into a dark room and thus his face was in shadow? You better believe that anxiety is spiking into a fear. To the point where she whimpers and curls to the side of her bed.

And Little Bear just starts to growl, low and warning. The human he is watching is upset. He doesn't know what else to do.

[out_of_order]

It's an unsurprising response, and so Cal doesn't go any further than where he is, though he holds up a hand.

"Easy. I'm just checking in, that's all. Everything's clear, nothing's getting past me or BeeDee."

The droid peeks his head over the Jedi's shoulder, beeping affirmatively.

I; probably a full day or so after the attack

[faceguy]

Once it becomes clear to Leo that Donnie is still hesitating on visiting Robin, he decides to do it himself. Someone needs to get information, after all, and he told Tae he would come.

So now he is showing up at Robin’s hospital room, giving a knock on the doorframe as he peeks in. He has a gift with him: a travel mug that seems full.

“Knock knock,” he says, like he didn’t just knock for real. “Okay if I come in?”

[work_wife]

Robin catches the glimpse of green and looks over, sitting up a bit more. She had been looking forward to seeing Donnie. And... instead it's Leo. Not that she's really disappointed. Just confused. Leo and her talk, but Donnie was more her friend.

But she still nods to indicate he can come in. Something tells her this will be a serious conversation, given she's heard from Steve about Eddie's interrogation.

[faceguy]

Leo nods back, coming in and over by the bed. He holds out the thermos, hoping she can at least take it. He didn’t learn much about her exact injuries before coming here.

“I brought you hot tea! I have no idea if you like tea, but it always makes me feel better when I’m sick… Not that you’re sick but you know.”

He gives it a little wiggle. Thankfully not enough to splash out any of the contents.

1.

[crystalmaster]

Radley is furious over not just another attack happening, but it happening to a kid at that! He'd been trying to do what he could to investigate the attack on Richie in between his regular duties, but now his protective side is coming out and he wants all the more to be involved in this.

He comes to see Robin both to hopefully learn more about what happened and to check on her. He puts on a kind smile as he knocks on the door, not wanting to show his anger at what happened.

"Hey," he greets. "How are you doing?"

[work_wife]

Oh. The guy from the diner who is sometimes there when she comes in for meals. Well, he's probably safe, right? He could just poison people if he wanted to kill them. Probably. Maybe.

God it's hard to just be so suspicious of other people like this.

"Bad," she says, her voice straining to even get that out.

[crystalmaster]

"I'm sorry," Radley says. "I don't want you to strain yourself. I brought you some food and I was wondering if you could tell me what happened. But you could just type it so you don't have to talk."