Colin's posts

Cain followed her to the couch and sat down beside her.

He was silent for a moment, before sighing.

"I..." he stammered.

"I understand that." he said.

"I mean, what with what's been happening and stuff..." he mumbled further.

"But... I mean... well..." he then said further, unsure as to what to say here.

"I don't know." he just admitted.

"You need sleep, but... I understand why you'd be scared." he told her.

"I see." Cain responded.

Hal then snapped his fingers.

"Ah." he said.

"I actually need to head out again." he commented.

"You do?" Cain asked.

"I need to get the script filled." Hal clarified. "Back in a bit." he finished, before heading out the door again.

"Ah... wait, what?" Cain mumbled.

"Script?" he asked Lunet.

"Think nothing of it, sweetie." Hal replied.

"I'll do whatever I can for you." he told her.

He then got to his feet as well, and paid for their meals before they left.

They then returned home, where Cain was, indeed, waiting for them.

"Welcome back." he greeted them.

"Hello again, Cain." Hal responded.

"...so... how was it?" Cain then asked Lunet.

"............." Hal was stunned as he heard this.

"I... ah... I see." he said.

"That's... I see." he repeated.

"At least you should be feeling better now." he commented.

"Anyway, let's go home." he told her.

"Cain should be there waiting for us." he continued.

Hal just sighed, but there was a lightness to it.

"Right, let's go." he said.

And so they did. And Lunet showed her father JUST how hungry she was. She ate more than he'd ever seen her eat at a buffer before. It was almost as though she would never be satiated.

But, eventually, she decided that it had been enough, after finishing some dessert she had grabbed.

"...wow." Hal mumbled.

"That was... that was actually quite impressive." he told her.

"I think that's a new personal best for you."

"........." Hal was silent as she said that.

"I know." he replied.

"I got the script for it." he told her.

"I am... admittedly, rather hesitant about it, as well." he then said further.

"....I want to do whatever it takes to help you, though." he went on, before pausing.

"But let's discuss that later." he continued.

"For now, let us concentrate on food, and eating." he suggested with a smile.

The drive to the buffet was generally quiet, as, more than ever, things were nagging at him. He just couldn't QUITE place it, though.

And it irritated and frustrated him to NO end.

But he swallowed it and put on a smile. For Lunet.

"We're here." he told her.

"Looks like it's not that busy right now." he then commented.

"Lucky for us." he said with a chuckle.

"So... how was your appointment with the doctor?" he then asked her.

"Oh?" Ryker asked.

"All right." he replied.

"Let's go get it, then." he told him.

"Where we headed?" he then inquired.

Hal just laughed when she said that.

"I understand." he said.

"We'll go there, then." he told her.

"And you can eat as much as you want!" he declared.

Still, something in his mind was nagging at him.

Even though everything that she had said could be adequately explained by her being a teenager, or otherwise, something was bugging him.

Something about this was familiar. But he couldn't place it.

Hal paused for a moment.

"Sweetie, that place closed down a year ago." he told her.

"Remember? It was in the news. There was a fire, and it demolished the building in the late hours of the night." he explained. "You were... well, practically devastated." he continued.

"But I suppose it's forgivable, seeing as you might not be in the best head state right now." he then reasoned.

"How about that other buffer? The Royal Selection?" he offered.

"Last time we went there, you said you liked it."

"......." Hal was silent, something nagging at his brain.

'Where the hell have I heard THAT before...?' he wondered.

That sounded SO familiar to him, but he couldn't place it. And he knew that was going to bother him for a while.

"Ah... right." he said.

"Right, fine." he said further.

"Ah, anyway, food. What do you want?" he asked.

"We can stop in anywhere on the way home. I have some more mandated time away from the office." he explained.

"Another 8 hours or so."

Hal froze when he heard that.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Weeks?" he asked her.

"That's... hold on, wait a moment." he muttered, shaking his head a little.

"Please tell me you're exaggerating." he said.

"Because if Cain's staying with us, then the least he can do is help out and such, and make sure you're fed." he continued, his voice sounding a little more than unimpressed with the thought of his daughter being starved.

"........" Hal was silent as he heard the side-effects.

"Right." he said.

"Thank you." he repeated.

They then parted ways as he left her office, and made his way to Lunet.

"Come on, sweetie." he said.

"Let's go." he told her.

"You want something to eat on the way back home?" he asked.

Hal looked at the script, before sighing.

"Very well." he said.

"Thank you, Doctor." he told her.

He wouldn't lie, he was still angry that no answers had been given, but he had to realise that people could only do so much. And this had been Lunet's first session. In the end, what did he expect?

"I'll see how this goes." he continued.

"..." he was then silent, wondering about the risks of putting Lunet on medication like this.