closed || In between the daylight hours

[hypoxic]

Who: Doctor Fitz and Doctor Fraser, with Doctor Moore sprinkled in later.
Where: first-floor clinic
When: September 01
Rating: Probably a light R for violence
Summary: Fitz has been faking an injury to cover up for his lack of knowledge as he settles into his other persona's life. He hadn't counted on being forced into a checkup.
The Story:

[Thus far, it's been easy to hide in plain sight among his enemies. He shares a face with someone else that they trust and respect, after all. It was a seamless integration, with just the slightest methodological hiccup. Eventually, concerned friends and hangers-on would challenge his stories and follow up on them.

He's arrived at the clinic under protest. He can no longer put off Simmons' incessant braying about his health and the possibilities that his medications might need to be changed. He'd decided to flat-out lie to her about his treatment schedule until she'd checked with Claire herself. Appointments were made largely without his consent.

He settles into a seat most likely designed for concerned hangers-on rather than any of the patient accommodations. Claire will find him sitting stiff and upright, fastidiously adjusting the buttons on his sleeve. This selection of unflattering cardigans and buttonup shirts would barely pass for a casual friday at a third-rate office. He aches for the day when he'll be able to dress himself properly.]

Good day, Doctor. I do apologize for the waste of your time. My partner is unnecessarily committed to chasing windmills and seeking impossible answers. I'm certain that further testing won't change my usual diagnosis.

Comments

[alsoagirl]

[ It's then that Jessica blurs into the clinic, going straight for Claire, fangs out and ready to attack anyone who might still be around. But the scene is still, despite the obvious violence it tells of, and the only sounds she can hear are voices in the nearby room.

One thing she definitely can't hear? A pulse. ]

No. No.

[ She shakes her head in disbelief, and the tears of blood begin flowing down her face in full force. It couldn't be true. It couldn't. She'd hoped she could get here, give Claire some of her blood, anything.

It's stupid, she knows, but she needs confirmation. Jessica reaches out to touch Claire, searching for any sign of life. There's nothing.

She breaks down into sobs. Suddenly? Wonderland wasn't so rosy anymore. ]

[livemoore]

[ Liv still doesn't know what to do. It isn't an event, this isn't something Wonderland conjured, and when she walks back in and sees Jessica, she kneels down next to her. Reaching out, she carefully closes Claire's eyes. ]

Jessica? Listen. We need to get her somewhere else. She'll come back. In twenty-four hours, she'll be back. I just, I need help. She deserves better than me dragging her.

[alsoagirl]

I-I know she'll be back, I just...

[ The tears come harder. She doesn't want to say it, but she feels like she's lost her mother. Not her human one, so much, but the same feelings are caught up in it. Claire meant a lot to her already, and to see her like this? The pain was almost physical.

She retracts her fangs, taking a few unnecessary breaths to get herself psyched up for the task. Though she hardly feels ready for it, she glances up at Liv. ]

Where you want me to take her?

[livemoore]

[ Liv hasn't let herself freak out, not yet, because once she does she has no idea how she'll pull it back together. ]

Just...just help me get her to a different exam room. I'll get an actual bed instead of a table.

[ She doesn't want to walk her body through the halls to her own room, they should keep this contained and it occurs to her - belatedly - that her panicked network post might have been a terrible idea.

Too late now.

Liv has Claire's legs, leaving her upper body to Jessica to carry. They could either one of them, do this on their own but it seems wrong to not support Claire as they carry her so they do it together. ]

[alsoagirl]

[ Jessica nods silently, afraid that if she speaks again, she'll completely lose it, too. She doesn't want to keep inhaling too much, anyway. The smell of blood is all around, and no amount of being upset is going to stop a constantly hungry vampire from wanting to react to it.

She lifts Claire's body easily, making a choked noise when she sees the way her head bobs. Her eyes squeeze shut for a moment before she readjusts her grip to cradle Claire's neck. Of all people, why her?

Jessica follows Liv's lead, placing the body where instructed. The moment Claire's settled, she backs away, arms crossed tight over her chest. She prays there wasn't any suffering involved. ]

What happened?

[livemoore]

[ Liv covers Claire's body with a sheet, deciding not to cover her head because when she comes back, she doesn't want her to feel trapped. Then, she steps back beside Jessica. ]

I don't know. I came in and I could tell right away something was wrong I just...I had no idea. I walked in and her patient was laying on top of her, he...he has a black, swollen eye.

[ She closes her eyes, thinking about what else she saw in the room, then looks at the covered mirror in this room. ]

The mirror. The mirror in the room was uncovered.

[alsoagirl]

[ She blinks rapidly, shaking her head in confusion. None of this is making sense. ]

The mirror? What would that have to do with anything?

[ Mirrors were in the realm of something she didn't ever want to think about, so she very well tried to ignore anything to do with them, aside from the usual advice of keeping them covered. Was this really something they could do? It's making her feel more helpless. ]

Where's the person she was seein'?

[livemoore]

I helped him to another room so he could rest. He said...he said it was a man he'd never seen before.

[ Liv looks up at Jessica. ]

What if one of them crossed over and...killed her?

[alsoagirl]

[ Her hands twitch under her arms. She has a burning desire to immediately go to this guy and bombard him with questions, demand him to tell her all he knows. Anything. She'll fucking glamour him if she has to. This bullshit can't go unpunished.

Jessica grits her teeth, squelching the urge. ]

If that's the case, I need to go find 'em and snap their fuckin' neck, see how they like it. [ Her hands twitch harder. She's feeling absolutely murderous right now. ] Bet I could find 'em eventually. Can't've gotten that far.

[livemoore]

[ Liv would very much like to go into full on rage mode, find the person who did this to someone who's spent nearly every day here looking out for them. Even when no one saw or appreciated or cared, Claire was here, trying to come up with ways to keep them all safe when Wonderland went to hell. ]

It didn't have to be a mirror. That could be totally wrong, I don't know. But even if it was, we can't cross over to that side. It's impossible.

[ Now, Liv sinks down, sitting against the wall and swallowing heavily over and over again to keep from crying. ]

[alsoagirl]

[ Seeing Liv upset quickly makes her anger disappear. She's been so caught up in the idea of revenge she's not keeping sight of what's important.

Lip trembling, she goes over and settles down next to her, wrapping an arm around her. There's a sniffle as she softly starts crying again. ]

I-It's gonna be okay. Like you said, she'll be back.

[ It's a feeble attempt at comfort, mostly said to convince herself of it. ]

[livemoore]

[ Liv lets her head rest against Jessica's shoulder, closing her eyes tightly for a second. ]

What do we do? Do we...do we sit here with her until she wakes up? Should we...leave? I don't want her to wake up alone.

[alsoagirl]

I don't wanna leave her. [ She wipes her cheeks with her free hand, rubbing the blood that comes off onto her jeans. ] I'm not movin' till she's back.

Fuck, I... [ She thumps her head back against the wall. ] If I'd've gotten here sooner, maybe I could've done something.

[livemoore]

I was late. This morning, I was late, if i'd been on time...

[ Liv brushes her own tears away, knowing they can't do this, so she shakes her head. ]

It's not our fault. Whoever killed her, that's on them.

[ She pauses, swallowing hard. ]

I could try to figure it out, I could...

[ No. No, she can't. She can't saw into Claire's skull and eat her brain. ]

[alsoagirl]

[ She presses her lips together at the implication there. It was tempting, she had to admit. A clear cut answer? Or at least a clue, anything?

It's not difficult to sense Liv doesn't want to do it, though, and she can understand why. She glances over at Claire. ]

I'm...I'm gonna go to talk to whoever it was she was seein'. Maybe he knows somethin' that can help.

[ Jessica pushes herself up to her feet. She can already feel the tiredness sinking into her bones at being up at this godawful time. Whatever. It was probably a good thing she stayed up past her usual bedtime for once. ]

I'll be back. [ She smiles, just barely. ] I'll be gentle, promise.

[ And before she Liv might try to protest, she walks out. ]