Colin's posts

It was not long at ALL before Nate showed up, practically rushing into the room.

He saw Erica, her broken nose, the bruises around her neck, and almost dropped everything he had been holding, he was so stunned.

"Wh.. wh..." he stammered.

"Erica, what the HELL?" he almost outright exclaimed.

"What happened to you!?" he asked her.

"Who assaulted you!?"

The guards looked confused for a moment, before one started to go after her... only to have the one that was guarding the door place a hand on their shoulder.

"Let her go." he said.

"I get the feeling she's returning to the medical wing." he told them.

"Phone it in, tail her if you must, but let her go back on her own power." he continued.

"I'm not the most brilliant person, but... something tells me she needs to just do this on her own. Return on her own power and volition."

The guard was about to answer, when they both heard several footsteps headed their way.

"My guess? They sent out all available security to quickly patrol the areas." he said.

Sure enough, a couple of them showed up after a few seconds, and looked at her.

"Agent Windsor, you are supposed to be resting in the medical wing." one told her.

"...right." Bast responded.

He then just sighed and slowly climbed into bed, as Erica left the room.

"If anyone asked, I put up more of a fight." the guard mumbled to her.

"Anyway, how was it?" he asked.

"Were you able to help him?"

"....I think so." he responded.

"Should be. In time." he said further.

"Really just... need time to process all this." he admitted.

"But now I'm capable of doing it, at least." he then reasoned.

"...will YOU be ok?" he asked her in response.

"...yeah, I know." he replied.

"I just... really wish I hadn't undone all the hard work and effort she's put in, and the progress she's made." he said.

"But... all I can do is wait." he lamented.

"Anyway, I heard the APB for you." he then commented.

"You should probably go."

Nate watched her go, before shaking his head slightly once more. He then headed off to make the call, having mixed feelings about the situation. Erica seemed to be getting mentally better enough to disappear like this, but surely this put a strain on her. And if they forced her to stay in the room, and in her bed, that would surely just make things even WORSE for her, mentally speaking.

"Ugh." he groaned. "So many unknowns and grey areas." he said.

'...guess all I need to do is follow my heart, and not let my mind overcomplicate things.' he then thought.

Meanwhile, after Erica had asked her question, Sebastien was still silent for a moment... which could easily have been taken as a bad thing... until he just nodded. A little more quickly than he had been before.

"...yeah." he answered, his voice a little more stable now.

"I do." he said. "I don't feel ready to just curl up and wither, anyway." he added.

Nate just let out a groaned.

"You do that." he said.

"And it's fine, it's fine." he then mumbled dismissively.

"If anything, it shows that she's getting better, mentally speaking." he reasoned.

"I just wish she'd let herself PHYSICALLY heal."

Nate looked at the one that had just arrived, and shook his head.

"I don't know." he said.

"Well... I mean, it's clear she's physically healing nicely, if she can continuously fly the coop like this." he commented.

"Don't know about mentally." he admitted. "Don't have that training." he shrugged.

"All right, gotta put out the word to find Erica." he sighed heavily.

Sebastien was quiet again, but she could see him shaking slightly... before he slammed his fists to the floor.

"I was given a position of power and trust here!" he exclaimed. "And I may have ruined a life over this!" he continued. "...ok, I was used as a tool to do so, but still!" he then quickly clarified.

"Hazel was doing SO well! She was getting SO much better! And what happened!? She was abused by me! I don't know if she'll EVER recover from it!" he went in, before collapsing to the floor and outright crying.

"I can't work her any longer..." he told her. "Hazel deserves to be here more than I do, and how could she ever look at me again?"

---

Nate sighed quietly as he checked the papers on his clipboard, and looked at the door he'd stopped at.

"All right, last one." he said, opening it slightly and peering inside...

...and seeing nobody was in it.

"Oh, god damn it all." he cursed. "Can Erica just NOT stay still now!?" he exclaimed quietly.

"...maybe." he replied.

"I hurt them, though." he told her.

"Especially Hazel." he said further.

"...I hurt her so badly..." he whispered, almost full-on crying now.

"Damn it." he cursed softly.

"Sorry. Feel free to leave me if you want." he finished.

"....Encrae..." Bast echoed.

"...she always seems to be the one causing us misery." he said.

"..." he was then silent again, before biting his lip.

"If... if you see Hazel..." he then said further, pausing a moment, his breath catching slightly.

"Tell... tell her I'm... sorry..." he went on.

"The same with... Dr. Remmington and her sister..."

"..." he was silent again as she said what she did.

"A copy." he said.

"An imposter? One that can mimic a soul?" he asked further.

"Seems so." Erica responded.

Again, Bast was silent, before he spoke again, this time a little more sad.

"...you sound not very good, either." he commented.

As she started walking towards the door, she heard something from him. Something that almost sounded like... sobbing?

"Miss Erica..." he said, sounding FAR more humble than she was used to.

"What happened back there?" he asked.

"Why did you cause me to act like that?" he asked further.

It seemed like he was, indeed, NOT aware of what had happened... but it kind of made sense. He had been in isolation, so he wouldn't have been getting the news and updates, and he seemed to have been in a bit of a strange half-there state.

But it seemed like he was more sad than anything else, and just wanted answers.