Phase Eight: Recrimination

[emorangerpink]

[Laura's in the brig.

It's at her own insistence, as soon as she was awake enough to insist. Once the medics were okay with letting her out of their sight, she went in to a cell. She's staying there until as much has been done to confirm she doesn't have any more surprises buried in the back of her mind as was done for Cheng, and then some. And it's noticeable to anyone who's used to her appearance that her ever-present amplifier is not on her wrist.

If you want to talk to her, it might take a while. Aside from the exhaustion of the fight, she's spending some of her time awake curled up in tears or otherwise unresponsive. Still - if you're patient, or time your visit right, she'll be able to speak, if you have something to say.]

Comments

[emorangerblack.livejournal.com]

[Devon is going to stand there wordlessly, waiting and staring until she gets Laura's attention. Which may take a while but... she has time to spare.

She holds Laura's amplifier in her hand.]

[betterthnaliens.livejournal.com]

Laura? Jeez, what happened?

[She'd heard what happened in that battle, especially with Frank, but seeing Laura putting herself away in the same place she was in a few months earlier?]

[minorbeat]

(Seiren is there and is trying to help Laura the best she can. Seiren isn't the best at this kind of thing but she is willing to be there as long as it takes. Seiren softly puts her hand on Laura's shoulder as she herself doesn't really know what to say.)

[emorangerpink]

[Laura's sitting on the bunk with her legs drawn up, arms around her knees, face in her hands. Hands and hair muffle her voice.]

I'm sorry. I'm... I'm so sorry.

I shouldn't have come here. You were right.

[emorangerblack.livejournal.com]

Roger Dantoinne planned this all along.

All of it. Not just you getting on board.
Me, Frank. Our paths crossed with White Chalice's - all a part of his plan, from the beginning.

[howling-alone.livejournal.com]

[Alexei just strolls into the brig.]

I don't know you... I just know that you and Devon worked together... So why shouldn't I?

[He pulls out a pistol, deadened eyes behind that sight.]

Why should I not pull this trigger?

[emorangerpink]

[Laura's sitting on the bunk, leaning against the wall. She looks... calm, for all that her face is tear-streaked and her eyes are red. For now it seems she's nothing left in her to pour out in grief. Her voice when she answers is level, leached of emotion.]

The people who sent me here. They were the ones behind the cult fighting us. I was their plant and I didn't know it. We... won our fight, but I handed them the thing they need to start the killing again.

Frank died. Protecting me.

[betterthnaliens.livejournal.com]

[Christine let that all sink in and she can only grimace.]

Shit. That's... Laura, I'm sorry...

[Just like Cheng. This was getting ridiculous. She's going to approach Laura and join in on the bunk.]

...this wasn't your fault, Laura. At least, I don't think so. You didn't know. You had no way of knowing. I...

[yeah, this was awkward.]

[emorangerpink]

[Laura's unresponsive for several minutes. It seems as though she's aware Seiren's there, but doesn't know how to react or doesn't have the energy to. Eventually she gives the smallest turn of her head toward the hand on her shoulder, not enough to actually look directly at Seiren.]

You shouldn't be in here.

I don't know if... if I'm safe.

[minorbeat]

(Seiren squeezes Laura's shoulder gently to show that she isn't going anywhere.)

I don't care. You are my friend Laura. I want to be here for you, as long as it takes. And nothing you say is going to make me change my decision.

[emorangerpink]

He told me I was needed. That you needed help. That this could be the purpose I needed to keep me going, to recover.

He sent me to make you do what he wanted. Everything I've said, I've done... he may not have been controlling me, but it was all because he wanted it.

...He said... this was what Yelena would have wanted...

[It'll take a while before she can speak again.]

[sunshine_maiden]

[Sora was there. She knows full well why Laura's here. And yet.] Laura... why did all this have to happen? The crystal earlier, Frank... you being in here now?

I don't know what to think anymore.

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

[Resnick is unused to the sight of a brig. The clan system is self regulating. Military punishment is rarely needed. But the function is obvious enough, so when he sees Laura checking herself in there, he has to investigate.]

Why are you in here, Laura Ericks? [he says from outside the bars.]

[emorangerpink]

[Laura's on her side on the bunk, staring out of the cell. Her gaze slowly lifts to Alexei and the gun, and her eyes do widen slightly, but overall her reaction is... muted. After a moment her mouth tightens and she simply turns on her side to face the wall instead.]

[emorangerpink]

No, it is.

I believed them when they told me I should come here, keep trying to fight. That somehow it would... that it would be the right thing to do after I... failed, before.

I should have just stayed in the hospital. I should have never woken up. This time I didn't just get someone killed, I've probably signed a death warrant for a few million people. Just to start.

[howling-alone.livejournal.com]

I SAID TELL ME WHY!

[He pulls the trigger... The hole against the wall smoldering.]

[emorangerpink]

[Laura's simply lying on her back on the bunk, exhausted. For the moment, she's cried herself out and is simply staring at the ceiling. Resnick's question is straightforward enough that she can actually answer it.]

I had some kind of programming. The enemy were able to... activate it.

I don't know what else they may have done to me, so until we can find out, I'm keeping myself locked up.

[mecha_eihwaz]

Laura...? Why did they put you in here? You haven't done anything wrong...

[betterthnaliens.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, no. I've been through this before, Laura, alright? I know how it feels to think that something was your fault.

[she looks to the side.]

I know it because Julia spent a good five minutes beating my machine with my own arm trying to kill me. Then I spent a while feeling the same way you did.

[She turns back to look at Laura.]

It's not over yet, Laura, trust me on this. The jerk might have gotten the drop on all of us, but he hasn't won. You got time to fix this.

[2hell-weride.livejournal.com]

Uh... [[Yup, that's MarKus.]]

Hey... [[Wait... so what if she's sad. MarKus isn't some empath.]]

HEY! QUIT CRYING!

[emorangerpink]

[Laura's response is muffled by the arm she's resting on. She doesn't bother to lift her head.]

Because if they confirm there's nothing else buried in my head... I have someone to kill. And a few million lives to save doing it.

[emorangerpink]

I put myself in here.

[Laura's in dry-eyed sitting-upright mode at the moment. It's better than sobbing or dead to the world, but she looks terribly drained.]

I don't know whether they can make me do... anything else. So until I can check...

I don't want to get anyone else hurt.

[howling-alone.livejournal.com]

[He lowers his gun. He's still holding it, but he's no longer looking intent to actually fire. A clang is heard... clip of the pistol drops onto the floor. A few more clicks and his pistol is safe as he pulls a nearby chair and sits on it.]

And how do you plan on doing that?

[emorangerpink]

[Laura continues crying. It's not clear if she even heard MarKus, but if she did, well, why would she listen?]

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

[He nods] Programmed? Yet you are a human being...Your decision is smart. Many here would not have your discipline.