Zompania Draft: Coming Home

[frost_jewel]

Who: Anyone drafted to Zompania, or recruited as reinforcements, or left behind in the village. SO. Everybody!
What: The draftees and reinforcements return to the village.
When: May 26, early early in the morning
Where: Back in Luceti
Summary: Most draftees and reinforcements return to Luceti in the very early hours; now, instead of a medevac site for the draft, the village is a welcome (?) refuge from the nightmare of Zompania for its own. There's a high likelihood it still looks a lot like it has in the past few days; those in the fight didn't even get a chance to shower before returning.

(This is the place for all your post-draft trauma and reunions and every other thing. Have fun! And don't forget to entry-tag your character.)

Comments

[tearmeanewone]

[Elizabeth narrows her eyes at Booker, though she knows it's not going to do much to chastise him. If Gai weren't right between them, she might've tried out a 'Daaad...' on him, just to see what would happen.]

[But at least the walk continues in focus and relative silence. Elizabeth opens the door and carefully maneuvers herself so they can move sideways into the house.]

Just bring him into my room.

[amonglions]

Fine.

[When they get into Elizabeth's room, Booker couldn't be happier. He sets Gai down on her bed because he's pretty sure the kid isn't up for sitting either.

He doesn't know whether or not he should linger after that, mostly he just wants to leave but he hasn't been told to yet. Booker shifts awkwardly from foot to foot, eyes shifting from the open door to Elizabeth as he if were waiting for her to tell him to do something.]

[voidseeing]

[Booker's assumption would be correct: no sooner does Gai make contact with the bed than he's lying back against the pillows and going utterly slack from exhaustion.

Much like after the mission, there's sweat trickling down his face and plastering his hair to his skin, though at least this time he's still conscious.

Conscious and miserable, if the expression on his face is any indication.]

[tearmeanewone]

[Elizabeth tries to help as best she can with guiding Gai down onto the bed with Booker's assistance. Once Gai's there, Elizabeth takes stock of how he looks. She doesn't like what she sees, but she's not going to fall apart over it.]

Booker? [She knows he doesn't have any obligation to help, hell he might even hate Gai now for marrying his daughter, but Elizabeth is going to try anyway.] Can you get me a washcloth and a bowl of cold water? I'm going to get him out of his coat.

[amonglions]

Alright.

[He sighs it and shrugs off the gun from his shoulder - almost relieved he doesn't really need to have that on him anymore. Besides, the more he has to do the less he has to think about things right now. Which is a blessing.]

[voidseeing]

No, I can...

[Already Gai is struggling to sit back up again so he can start wrestling off his coat. But it's slow going with arms that don't seem to want to support his weight nor move properly, and he ends up looking more frustrated than anything else at his own weakness.]

[tearmeanewone]

[Elizabeth lets him try, of course, but she's not surprised when Gai still can't move his arms enough to get the coat off. She pushes his shoulders up and slides herself behind him, to act as a backrest, sort of.]

It's alright, Gai. Let me help.

[She gently guides one of his arms towards her so she can get the sleeve off, then does the same to the other. Next is his holster, because if there's one thing Elizabeth is uncomfortable with, it's Gai sleeping on top of a gun.] Do you want your shirt off too?

[amonglions]

[Booker comes back with a cloth and a bowl of cold water some time later. He might have stopped for a quick drink but since Gai wasn't bleeding out he thought he could get away with it.]

Here.

[He sets on the table next to the bed and stands near it, waiting for more instructions or whatever else Elizabeth needed from him.]

[voidseeing]

Just the coat is fine.

[It was enough of a struggle to get that off; after that, he isn't sure he wants to attempt trying to lift his arms enough to pull a shirt over his head. Lying down is his main priority at the moment.

There's a distinct sense of guilt at being so utterly helpless, dependent on Elizabeth to do all of this for him. He wants to apologize-- and he would have had Booker not come back into the room. That cuts off any thoughts of apologizing right there for the simple reason that he doesn't want to show any further vulnerability in front of the other man. Bad enough that he can't even sit up without Elizabeth to prop him up.]

You don't need to worry about me.

[tearmeanewone]

[Well, Elizabeth was going to offer to cut it off of him with her trauma scissors, but if he wants the shirt he keeps the shirt. When Booker comes back with the water, she offers a faint smile in thanks.]

[That statement, though... Elizabeth goes through a range of emotions in a second, between disbelief, concern, then just plain amusement. 'You don't need to worry about me'. She married him. That statement is ridiculous.]

[Elizabeth puts her forehead to the back of Gai's head, then turns to look at Booker. As much as to say 'He's a little dumb, but I love him anyway.']

[amonglions]

[It might be exhaustion talking or the fact that Elizabeth knows things she didn't before; but for a short, fleeing moment he's reminded of someone else. Someone that had Elizabeth's blue eyes and dark hair and her little bemused smile while she takes care of her husband.

It has an adverse affect on Booker and he seems to forcibly make himself more alert. Not so part of this...weird moment. He needs to leave.]

If you don't need anything else.

[Booker keeps himself from snapping it at least - only just - and flees the room to go find a bottle of...anything.]