[MINGLE] Worried/Sick 1: Symptoms Manifest & Reaction

[sixthiteration]

WHERE: Anywhere; multiple locations
WHEN: Apx. 13-18 November
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Serious illness and reactions to such

IMPORTANT NOTES: This is the first of two mingles. Please see the timing and general event details here.

Illness Presents and Putting Heads Together will have their own top-levels in this post, but you may make separate top-levels for whatever you like! Anything is welcome, as long as it tangentially relates to the Worried/Sick plot.

Please keep in mind the established plot details, but creative license is welcome and encouraged as long as it doesn't step on toes.

Comments

7 - OTA & Locked to Eddie

[to_defend]

Early On - OTA

It had been a slow, subtle rise of various symptoms that 7 originally dismissed. She wasn't certain that anything was really wrong until the cough started. She tries her best to continue in her routine despite that, taking quick and quiet meals at the Inn, scouting a perimeter of the village, and spending some time sitting on the roof of her house to watch the goings on of the other residents.

Catch her here anytime to question her healthy lifestyle habits.

Grounded - Locked to Eddie

The symptoms get progressively worse, until she's lost the energy and motivation to make it out to the Inn for meals, and eventually gives up her routine entirely to spend her time in bed. Early on she'd dragged the mattress over to the fireplace in the living room in an attempt to keep warm, but now she was even running out of wood for that.

She's hot, but she's cold, there's little pink spots dotting her neck and shoulders, and she's been coughing so much her ribs hurt, which compounds the abdominal cramping that keeps her curled up in a tight ball. She keeps hoping that it'll turn around - that all she needs is a little extra sleep - but denial starts to slip into realization that she's in deeper than she can manage.

At this point, she's not even sure what to do, so hearing the knock at her door is something of music to her ears. She tries to croak out a reply, tries to rise, but she feels leaden and distraught.

"Come- in."

Hospital - OTA

She's resting at the hospital now, and she's got access to fluids, including the springwater, but she's not out of the woods yet. Though stable for the moment, the symptoms persist and she's nowhere near her house-scaling, bola-throwing, tree-hopping self.

Still, on top of the symptoms, she's vaguely uncomfortable being here with other people around and not able to return to her own, familiar space. She could use a distraction, before she tries to crawl herself away.

[imareporter]

Eddie checks on 7, (odd name still) because he understands what it's like to be from a place that's different and strange and have...less. Have no control, be suddenly moved. When he noticed she stopped meeting him for meals he hadn't given it much thought. This is a big place. She needed friends.

Then she stopped all together.

Is this a thing humans do? Take care of the weakest in the group

"...Yes." He keeps his voice low. "She's not weak but if she hasn't been here something might be up. Soup is a good excuse."

...You should just eat her. It will save on resources.

Silence for a moment. Then.

But when we're not bonded to you we're weak. We're weak here because Is that why you are taking care of us?

"Yes."

Her cough makes him pause, "Under the weather?"

[to_defend]

So far, there hadn't been a person here that she would have openly regretted showing up at her door, but hearing Eddie's voice was definitely preferred. She manages to push herself up into a sitting position, though it starts another coughing fit, but she remembers to answer once she's done.

"I ... guess? If that means --- I think I'm broken."

Hair hangs in greasy ropes, sticking to her forehead and neck, and she tugs the linen closer around her even as she sweats.

[imareporter]

Wow.

She smells like death.

You don't fucking know that What the hell was going on? Rushing forward he paused.

Venom we're not gonna get sick right? If I touch her?

No. I can still keep you healed. Though not to the amount I should be able to. You...should be all right.

Fuck it. Looking at her reminds him of Maria and he raises a hand to her forehead, "Lie back down, lie back down you're not broken you're just sick. You've never been sick before?"

He nearly spilled half the soup he was bringing her before setting it down on the table, "...You look like shit."

[to_defend]

She follows his order, appreciating the chance to lay her head back down on the bed and sink again into the mattress.

"Broken, before, but not sick." Everything felt a little far away. She just wanted to sleep; sometimes she could forget it felt this bad, when she slept. "Lost my back, Flying Machine - stabbed my leg, but never sick."

It had hurt, those moments, but not nearly in any way that she ached now. She would happyily take another needle to the leg and have two friends hang off of it than this.

She watched him, moving her eyes more than anything else. She wondered if this is what the humans in her own world had experienced - it had been faster for them, certainly. gas choking everything as it rolled over the city in a thick green fog. "Is this how humans break? They get sick?"

[imareporter]

Both Eddie and Venom freeze, "...yeah." his voice is slow, "That's how humans break. But their limbs can break too. They're fragile creatures. You should...know that."

He pauses, "Since you're a human."

Or perhaps not? It's not one of us. We are worried eddie.

[to_defend]

She closes her eyes and sighs. "Only here."

So far, she wasn't a fan of being human. There was so much upkeep, something was already bruising or going wrong, and now this. She coughs, "Don't like it."

[imareporter]

I don't like it either, but we have to do what we have to do. Eddie can't tell if Venom is being contrite or mean or kind. It's so weird. He hesitates before tilting his head to the side, "...I'm going to go find you some cool water okay?"

This place.

He stands, "What were you before?"

[to_defend]

"I was small ... swift. Steel and canvas ..." Helpfully, they never really had a name for what they were. Her expression goes wistful as she thinks back. She missed that. She missed the hunt, she missed her friends. She hadn't been dragged here during the best of times, and she worried.

"They need me." She starts to slip off to sleep again.

[imareporter]

Swift and Steel and Canvas.

She might be ill in the head. Like Maria was. Like many humans are. Like you are when you think of your mother and father, when the darkness creeps in.

Eddie wants to scream at him to stop before he rises, "Cool water okay? Try to cool you down you are burning up."

...Why are you caring? Her resources could be used to fuel us.

"That's what people do."

[to_defend]

"What's what people do? They fight ... that's what people do. They make things to fight better then they fight those things and ... leave the rubble for everyone else."

Delirium begins to set in and the world around her - when she chances to glance at it through bleary eyes - is starting to look more and more like the broken stone and cracked wood of her own home. There was a familiarity and comfort to it. She drifted off to sleep in earnest as he went to grab the water.

[imareporter]

This was bad. This was very bad.

"Hey. Hey Seven? I need you to stay with me." Returning with cool water he gently touches her cheek, "Wake up. I'm gonna try and cool you down and take you to...somebody."

To where? This was bad.

"...c'mon." One delicate hand traces her face, her cheek with the water, "C'mon. Stay with me."

[to_defend]

It was so far away, though. She heard him, dimly in the background, and then the water on her cheek and it's cool and soothing. He sounded worried. She struggles against the pull of sleep, for a moment not sure if it was going to happen, but then her eyes slowly blink open and she looks at him.

He looked worried.

Don't look worried.

His one eye, the way his brow furrows and pulls at the stitches of his patch. She smiles at him, wan but sincere, and reaches to lay a hand on his arm. It's an easy, familiar connection. Dear friends, history, she gives him a light squeeze with what little strength she has.

"5 ... don't look so worried, I'll be fine."

[imareporter]

He doesn't know this 5.

"...It's Eddie 7. Stay with me kiddo." He frowns, "Listen. I'm not gonna leave you okay? I promise. I'm gonna stay by your side."

Eddie we can't

His features scrunch and he ignores him, "...But I may have to take you to somebody. To the Inn."

Stark or Banner might know what to do. Wanda too.

[to_defend]

"Hey - hey," she croaks, pausing to cough, "I've got you. You'll take care of me - you always do."

But the ease on her face washes away as she sees his expression shift, and she glances behind him at the broken rubble and looming cars. "Is it close? The Beast, is it here?"

If it was still a threat, she had to be ready. 5 wouldn't be up to it. She struggles to stand, her demeanor going cold immediately.

"Where's my spear."

[imareporter]

"You're not going anywhere." Spear? Not human and now spears?

...We can't help her if she assumes there is a beast. She might become dangerous.

"There's no beast. I can help you I promise." he frowned, holding her hand, "I'm keeping you safe."

[to_defend]

She wavers where she sits, watching him with concern. 5 had heart, but he wasn't the type to take on the fight on his own. She gives his hand a squeeze.

She coughs, this hurt. Why did this hurt?

"It'll be back. We've got to be ready." She squeezes his hand a little more tightly. "Don't listen to 1, okay? 5?" She coughs again, looks like she wants to continue, but has to give in to the overwhelming coughing fit.

[imareporter]

Eddie winces, "...Sure. I won't. He's a rotten egg." It's completely random. I can't let her stay here.

"Listen I don't think there's a beast here but I want to take you to someone I think could help."

[to_defend]

Random, yet true.

Everything in her is screaming to get up, to move to run, find her spear, find the Beast, and end it. She didn't want to keep living in fear. But, she's currently nearly double over coughing; her ribs ache. Something's wrong and she can't quite put a coherent thought to it.

She doesn't let go of 5-Eddie's hand, leaning into it as she finally quiets, the vigor spent. Her head swims. She has to fight, but she can't even sit upright, and she swears she can feel it just beyond the crumbling walls; stalking, scanning with its red eyes, picking apart the debris to find them.

Sagging against Eddie's chest, she grips a fistful of his shirt, speaking without looking up because she can't find the strength anymore to hold her head up.

"I'm not going back. I won't let him lock me up."

[imareporter]

"That's not happening." Who is she talking about? Eddie? What is she doing? Who is she talking about? His chest twitches, visibly twitches and Eddie puts a hand over it and swallows hard.

"I'm not going to let anyone lock you up kid. But we are gonna go to the hospital. You want food? Maybe we could-"

Yes Food!

"...Shut up. Food. For you Seven. You want some before we walk over?"

[to_defend]

The hospital? There was nothing in the hospital. There was the Cathedral and the Library.

"Food ... I don't ... no, I don't need it." But at the same time she felt like she did.

"We're not safe here ..."

[imareporter]

"That's why we're going to the hospital." He hesitates, "...Listen. I'm gonna ..." He paused, "I'm gonna wrap you in blankets and carry you over there okay?"

Hell with Venom augmenting his strength he could carry her easily couldn't he?

I can't do that.

"...we'll try."

Eddie we can't.

Fuck it.

"...Okay so we're gonna take all these blankets and wrap you up and uh...uh...help you out."

[to_defend]

"Okay ..." She takes a deep breath and tries to steel herself to attempt standing. Her legs felt loose and wobbly, but she does her best to get them under her to stand, still heavily leaning against Eddie.


There's a rush and her head swims, and as it settles the world bleeds away and she's back in the village. She shivers, looking around, disoriented. "No ...nonono, where'd they go? Where's 5? Eddie - where's 5?"

She's living between the two realities with no context, she still feels the Beast is close. The world isn't making sense!

[imareporter]

"He'll be back."

This is the tragedy of Eddie. He is a good liar. The best of the best. That isn't what this situation calls for and Venom is silently growling inside of him but...

"Listen, I have to take you to the hospital okay? I'm going to help you. You'll all right. You'll be all right."

[to_defend]

She pauses a moment,starting her breathing and trying to resist coughing. She nods. She was worried about 5, but Eddie was right; she was in a bad way.

"Alright ... okay, hospital." She looks up at him, face pale and slick with sweat, brow furrowed with concern. "Please find him. He can't do this on his own."