Hal just shrugged.

"Who knows." he said.

"Maybe a smidgen of good came from you being taken and experimented by Lindsay and Kiah." he suggested.

"Maybe it's something that your body just got used to." he said further.

"Sadly, there's truly only one person that knows, and... well... as you've proven, they actually... DON'T." he went on.

"So, I'm sorry, but I have NO ideas." he apologised.

"If YOU gain any clues, let me know."

Hal returned the hug and held her close for a moment.

"It's good to see you again, Hazel." he told her, before breaking the embrace as she stepped back.

"See you later." he replied as she left.

He then sighed after she was gone, and shook his head.

"...help." he muttered. "This world may very well be beyond help now." he lamented.

"Unless we can find a way to stop those two... I fear they'll turn all manner of animal, human, and creature into... things..." he mumbled further, a bit of a dejected tone to his voice.

Meanwhile, Hazel made her way to the room, and found the number had been painted on, as Hal said. The cardkey still worked, and when the door was opened, she found things a little more spartan than she was used to.

The room had a comfortable bed, a dresser, a desk, and a chair. Seemed there was little else, though. It looked like showering and eating were far more communal and shared events at this point.

There was silence on the other end for a bit, before she heard his voice.

"...it's not locked." was all Ty said.

She knew that voice. That was Ty. Undeniably so. But there was... something else there. It sounded... hoarser... more defeated... raspier. Almost like he was sick or something. But she didn't have time to dwell on that. She opened the door, and as soon as she did, she heard clinks and clunks that sounded like bottles and cans.

It wasn't hard to tell what they were, as the room positively REEKED of alcohol.

However, from what she heard, Ty didn't sound drunk, at least.

...though, odds were that he was miserable that he wasn't drunk.

She looked into the room and saw various bottles and cans strewn about... and saw Ty sitting on the bed, his back to her. He was wearing a tattered and dirty white tee-shirt, and faded jeans, it looked like... and from what she saw, his hair was an absolute mess, and he had some serious rough stubble going down his cheek.

She felt him tense up when she started to brush his hair, and his gaze sharply snapped towards her, anger in his expression... before it all seemed to come crashing down when he saw it was her.

"....." he was silent for an extended moment, before blinking.

"...you're real?" he asked quietly.

"I am." she confirmed.

"...continue." he then said, turned away again, but so his hair was more accessible for her.

She could see the brief relief in his eyes in that one moment, though.

"...." Ty was silent again for a moment, before exhaling slowly.

"Don't know." he said.

"Part of me doesn't care." he told her.

"...small part." he then said further. "...medium part." he clarified. "...half of me." he then admitted.

"Hazel, I don't know." he muttered.

"Just seeing you again though is helping." he then told her.

"......oh." Ty said after a long pause.

"So you're not the Hazel I know." he said further.

"Or knew." he corrected himself.

"...whatever." he then muttered in a defeated tone.

"You're -A- Hazel. That's enough. I guess." he mumbled further, slumping down slightly.

"Until you leave. Like everyone else seems to."

"....talk." Ty mumbled.

"Okay." he said.

"About what?" he asked her.

"What IS there to talk about?" he asked further.

There was a heaviness and definite depression to his words and tone, but she couldn't deny that the tension that she had felt when she started brushing his hair had significantly melted away. That was undeniable.

Whether his mind knew it or not, or wanted to admit it or not, his body was definitely more at peace now.

"You're in a doomed, shit world. And you'll be leaving it soon, more than likely." he said.

"And I still don't know what's happened to MY Hazel."

"...I see." Ty responded.

"Well, I'm sorry you came here." he told her.

"This world is no place for... anyone, now." he said further, clasping at the empty bottle that was in his hands.

He then sighed quietly, and let the bottle drop to the floor with a loud clunk, before glancing at Hazel.

"So... why come to me?" he asked.

"Surely Hal told you I was a right miserable wretch, yeah?" he asked further. "Or whomever it was that directed you to here." he then clarified.

"Can't be good for you to see me as I am."

"..." again, Ty was silent, but she felt something. She felt him... shaking slightly. Quivering.

"Hazel..." he said, his tone a whisper now.

She then looked and saw a few tears running down his face.

"Hazel was... is... one of my closet friends." he confirmed.

"I guess... proving that MY Hazel is still alive IS helpful..." he then admitted.

"I just want to see her again." he went on, before looking at her slightly.

"...you work, though."

Again, he didn't say anything for a moment, before looking at her... then himself.

"I guess..." he said.

"Haven't really eaten in... a while." he admitted.

"Haven't eaten properly in... longer..." he went on.

"..." he paused again, before just shaking his head and looking around the room.

"Yeah... I guess... food would be nice..."