Colin's posts

Nathan did not know the man on the table, and so he was not personally attached to him. He had no real deep reason for saving him, other than it was his medical and moral duty to. And also, he knew that if Rose went through with her intentions... everyone in Alicja's body would suffer the consequences. Even if it meant Alicja herself wouldn't be able to work her any longer, due to the unpredictability of her other selves.

So for those reasons, he did what he did.

As she started to recite whatever it was she was doing, he planted his feet and launched himself at her. He intended to tackle her down to the ground and try and interrupt what she was saying. If she continued, he would gag her with his hand if he had to.

He rammed into her and sent her flying back, the two of them landing on the floor.

"STOP IT, ROSE!" he yelled.

"It's not worth it!"

"...excuse me?" Nate asked. This was not something he expected to hear today, at all. However, he had no time to be shocked or stunned, so he hardened his gaze a little, and put the chart he was holding down.

"Right, it's clear you know who this is." he said.

"And it's clear you don't like them." he went on.

"But this is the medical wing. The equivalent to a hospital." he told her.

"And no harm shall come to these patients while they are here. That is the vow we have taken." he continued.

"...or, rather, I have taken it, that's for sure. And if I were to allow you to have your way with him, then I would be guilty of causing harm to him. I am here to heal, not to judge." he told her further, sternly.

"So if you are prepared to take ME down as well, then that is what you have to do, Rose."

Unfortunately for her, she had taken just long enough, that she saw the door to the room where her target was... was open. When she peered inside, she saw Nate there, checking over the one in the bed, shaking his head.

"Dear, dear, dear..." he mumbled.

"I don't know what you did to yourself, but at least you're not about to just up and die." he said further, before realising that someone was watching him. He then turned around and smiled at her.

"Hey Alicja." he said, before pausing and narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, uh... sorry, Rose." he then apologised.

"Hi, Rose." he greeted her. "Just getting in?" he asked, making polite conversation.

Hal paused for a moment, pondering her query.

"...an interesting moral quandary." he said. "One can argue it depends on the individual." he went on. "But in this situation, the individual is unable to say what they prefer." he went on.

"I so suppose that awareness of such a situation IS particularly torturous." he then admitted.

"Or... to put it more bluntly and broadly... ignorance is bliss." he muttered further, sighing heavily afterwards.

"Sadly, that decision may very well be up to you, once you see how they are faring." he lamented.

"My apologies for it coming down to that, however." he then apologised to her.

"Is there anything else?" he asked. "Or was it to tell me that Erica and Olivia are back, though still under the influence of Encrae?"

Hal was silent for a moment, and then sighed quietly.

"I'm sorry." he apologised, sounding more subdued, and a little guilty. "If I could, I would." he told her. "...or, rather, I'd tell you I could, and you would 'allow' me to." he muttered in clarification.

"If you want, I can lessen the burden, but that's about all I can do." he lamented.

"...at least they're back." he mumbled quietly, before looking towards the ceiling.

"And... well... if there's anyone that's not a dark elf that can remove mana like that, it should the ones related to Ezekiel." he reasoned, though she could hear unsureness to his tone. He seemed to notice this however he cleared his throat quickly before she could potentially say something.

"I know next to nothing about Celestials and Infernals." he clarified.

"Celestials are 'known' for literally working miracles." he reasoned with a shrug. "I'm sure they'll be able to do more than I."

"I'm sorry." Hal apologised. "I may be able to alleviate a little of it, but I won't be able to solve the issue." he told her.

"I can do SOMETHING, but it won't be a solution." he continued.

"The best I'll be able to do is probably get the 'voice' of Encrae to calm down inside them, but it'll still be there." he lamented, shaking his head a little, and looking at the ceiling.

"...only thing that can remove dark elf mana is another dark elf." he muttered.

"And even then, might be a crap-shoot." he said further, before pausing.

"...feels like there should be more to that, but it's not coming to me at the moment..." he then admitted.

Hal was silent for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"While it IS unfortunate that Encrae's mana still has a hold on them, at least they are HERE now. And that is improvement." he said. "HERE they can potentially receive treatment to help them." he reasoned.

"So... I'm going to call this a bit of good news. Comes with a caveat, but still good news." he sighed.

"The question is... HOW do we deal with the dark elf mana inside them...?" he wondered aloud.

"My mana can work miracles, yes, but... it can only go so far. Dark elf mana is seeped with natural energy, so it's very difficult to break from one such as me, whose mana can be seen as... well not UNNATURAL, but has less connection with the planet itself." he reasoned.

"Hm." he mumbled again, thinking about it.

Just as she finished knocking on the door, it opened, revealing Hal to be in his coat. It seemed like he had pulled a late-nighter as well, and was just getting ready to head out for the night... morning, technically.

"Oh, Angela." he said.

"Hello." he greeted her, before pausing.

"...come on in." he then mumbled, stepping back into the office and sitting down behind his desk.

"What brings you here?" he asked.

"Has there been another unfortunate development?"

"..." Zeke was silent for a moment.

"I... I see." he said. "At least she and Erica are back. They're no longer in her physical clutches." he reasoned. "We can potentially start to actually HELP them." he mumbled.

"But I understand." he then said. "I'll talk to my Dad, see what he knows about this." he told her.

"I'll call you back when I have more info. And I'll try to get it ASAP." he promised her.

"I know that-" he started to say, before suddenly stopping.

"No. I'll clam up. Less talking, more action." he said.

"Talk to you later, Angela." he finished.

Zeke was silent for a moment, hearing her question.

"Uh... me? No. No, not really." he said. "Mostly because that half of my mana is pretty inferior, in the grand scheme of things." he muttered, almost lamenting it slightly.

"But my Dad? Maybe." he said.

"I don't know about HIM, specifically, but... I think I've overheard something about elven mana and the archangels and such." he then informed her. "I'll find out more info for you, if you want." he said.

"Please do." Angela responded.

"Why?" Zeke then asked.

"...have there been some developments?" he asked further.

Nate was silent, before taking a small breath.

"Right." he said.

"Your daughter, we don't know much about yet." he told her. "Erica told us to make sure she was under strict lock and key, so I have a feeling she'll still be trying to escape, or cause harm to those here." he said. "Odds are she is still under the control of that dark elf." he lamented.

"Erica has been taken to a special restraint room. She is barely maintaining herself, however, she says she can still feel the dark elf's presence in her, trying to take her over. I sedated her so she could be restrained properly, so she can't hurt herself or others, and I will be trying to find some way to relieve her of the presence inside her." he continued.

"The other two... I don't know what to make of." he then admitted.

"One is a female elf... wood elf, if her aura is anything to go by, and what I remember... and she just got here. Her life aura seems... weak, but stable, so odds are she'll need some careful TLC before she's back up to strength." he continued.

"...and the other one is a male that came in alongside her. A male... uh... well, I want to say dark elf, but his skin tone is nothing like what I've been told dark elves look like.' he informed her. "It was more...ashen...? I guess...?" he went on.

"But HIS life signs were alarmingly weak. So much so, his survival may very well be in question unless we can stabilise him post-haste."

"...Dr. Edwards..." Nate said quietly, knowing that she was at her wit's end right now.

But maybe this would help. Maybe.

"Dr. Edwards, we've had 4 patients come in recently." he told her.

"2 I do not recognise, but 2 I do." he went on, before pausing.

"One is Erica Windsor. It seems she's back." he told her further, biting his lip a little, and stepping out of the way. He knew she would be moving quickly as soon as she heard the next part.

"The other is your daughter. She's in Room E-2." he informed her.

Room E-2 was one of the rooms where patients that were a danger to themselves or others were placed, and possibly restrained. He knew she'd want to see her, but he didn't know how she'd react to the second part of that. He'd gotten out of the way, just in case.

"..." Nate was silent as he witnessed this, before sighing.

He needed to get a team in here to take here somewhere in the building, and properly restrain her. Only then could they work on some way to help her. Because he refused to kill her.

That was NOT an option right now.

And as that individual went to find her brother, he got the team together, and as they worked on Erica, he made his way to Angela's office, noting that two more individuals were coming in... one with a VERY weak life aura.

He made a note of them, before knocking on Angela's door.

"Dr. Edwards?" he said.

"We have some new developments." he told her.

Nate's eyes widened when he heard the emptiness in Erica's words. He was silent for a moment, before biting his lip and shaking his head.

"Wait." he said. "I know." he mumbled. He then quickly made his way to a supply cabinet and opened it. He prepared something in an injection needle, and made his way back towards her.

"First things first." he said.

"Knock you out." he told her, grabbing her arm and injecting the solution into her.

"Give it 10 seconds." he said. "And you should lose consciousness." he went on.

He had no plans to kill her, not even close, but he DID intend to tell the right people about this, so that she could be properly restrained in such a way that she couldn't hurt anyone... mostly herself.

"Just let it happen." he finished, not liking seeing her in pain like this.