(no subject)

[river_meimei]

River's in her room, curled up on the floor between bed and wall. There's a piece of paper in front of her; she's been scribbling something. She's not right now, though.

Right now her hands are curled between thighs and chest and her eyes are closed and damp, and her face is tight with misery.

Comments

[simon_doctor]

"Meimei?"

The door to her room slides open, and Simon looks in.

[river_meimei]

River pulls in a slightly shaking breath. Her head bows, and her eyes open just enough to stare down at her knees. (One more tear rolls down at the motion.)

She doesn't look at Simon.

[simon_doctor]

"...River, what is it?"

He steps closer, goes down to one knee next to her; one hand goes out to touch her shoulder.

[river_meimei]

"Simon," she whispers.

Her head does turn now; her eyes lift to his face, and drop.

"Simon, I, I want to help. The odds are numbers, they hide in the walls and the masks, it's not relevant--"

[simon_doctor]

They hide in the walls and the masks. A deep chill goes through him at those words.

"Help who, River?" He moves his head, trying to catch her eye. "Who needs help?"

[river_meimei]

"Mary."

Frustration in her voice; frustration, and misery.

"Mèimei." Her head turns away again, to glower tearily at the wall in front of her as though the closet and its assorted clothing and boxes might hold any answers. "Doesn't. But she does. I promised, Simon, she doesn't want it--"

Her voice is twisting upwards with agitation, and her hands twitch and curl in her lap.

[simon_doctor]

He shifts position to sit on the floor next to her, and reaches to take her hands. "River, shh. It's okay. Tell me what's going on with Mary."

[river_meimei]

River doesn't pull away, and after a moment her hands relax a little in his grasp. She closes her eyes for a moment, tears glittering on her cheeks and reddened eyelids, and reopens them to stare at a point near Simon's elbow.




"School," she whispers finally, and doesn't quite flinch.

"No doors, and, and she doesn't like it. It's not but it isn't."

[simon_doctor]

"She's at school," he repeats. "Away at school?"

A slight frown creases his forehead.

"River, is ... is something wrong there?"

[river_meimei]

"Hates it!"

That's sharp, fierce and angry, and River flinches a moment later.

"No," she whispers, tears thick in her voice again. "I, I don't know -- Simon, she doesn't want it, and, and I know but I don't--"

[simon_doctor]

He puts up a hand, and brushes a tear from below her eye with his thumb.

Quietly: "Is she in danger?"

[river_meimei]

River's head tips sideways: negation, or uncertainty, or some confused mixture of the two.

"Not now."

"I don't know -- got no doors, insufficient escape contingencies. She only sees the walls and I don't know."

[simon_doctor]

And that's something he's familiar with: the uncertainty, the terrible suspicion based on the flimsiest of hints, the hateful feeling of having no proof.

Simon takes his sister's face in his hand and turns it gently toward him.

His voice is steady. "Then we'll have to find out."

[river_meimei]

River's breath hitches.

She nods against his palm; a tiny gesture, and then another nod, steadier.

"Okay," she whispers.

"Reconnaissance."

[simon_doctor]

"Yes."

He has no idea how, but there'll be time to work that out.

"Have you seen Mary at the bar recently? Talked to her about it?"

[river_meimei]

River nods.

Swallows. Her voice is a clogged whisper when she says, "Wants to stay."

[simon_doctor]

"Instead of going back to the school?" he hazards.

Because the other guess is that she wants to stay at the school, which doesn't jibe with what River's already said.

[river_meimei]

Another nod -- delayed, and a little hesitant, but that seems to be because of River's usual distractability rather than any uncertainty about Mary.

"Call it a leave."

[simon_doctor]

"We can ask her more, then. Find out what it looks like to her."

Find out if perhaps there's any need to go take a closer look.

[river_meimei]

"Okay."

[simon_doctor]

"Okay," he echoes.

After a moment, more quietly, "Come here," and he draws her into a hug.

[river_meimei]

River doesn't resist; neither does she hug back, though, for a long moment.

And then she sags against her brother, and her arms slip around his waist, and she turns her wet face into his neck and shuts her eyes.

[simon_doctor]

"Shhh," he murmurs, and rubs her back soothingly, as he's done countless times before.

"It's going to be okay."