necroslacker | seattle ; tuesday

Current Mood: guilty

Entry tags:

seattle ; tuesday

Sam had walked all the way back to his house after waking up completely lost yesterday. He still had no memory of what had happened and that was scaring him. But, he'd made it back after multiple people had offered him help and some food. He didn't know how he must have looked to them if they were offering him food and shelter and water.

But, he turned down each offer and kept walking. By the time he ended up back at the estate, his feet were bloody and sore, his stomach was growling and he was dirty and tired. It hadn't been a good day. There was fear clawing at him, deep inside his belly but he was ignoring it.

He stared at the door in front of him, almost not wanting to open it. He knew his friends would be on the other side, possibly angry, possibly scared and he wasn't sure if he wanted or even had the ability to face that down right now.

He needed help. He really did and he knew it. Maybe he could sneak in, pack a bag and leave. That's what it was coming too. He was going to have to leave and either find his uncle or...find Douglas.

Sam shuddered and turned the knob so he could slip inside the house. He'd shower, pack a bag quickly and leave.

[NFB again but open for interactions, if needed]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I'm fine, really," Sam said, already making to get back up and out of bed. "I'll eat something before I leave."

Still on that, yes.

Natalie reached out to give his shoulder a gentle but assertive push back. "Sam," she said. "Don't."

"Yes, Sam. Don't." That was a new voice and Sam looked past Natalie to see his mother standing there, looking more stern than concerned. Sam winced.

"Hi, Miss LaCroix," Frank said, nodding. "Thanks for coming."

"See?" Natalie said. "It's us against you."

She looked over her shoulder back at his mother, and gave her a little nod in greeting. That was better than starting to randomly feel guilty over everything in the past four months or anything.

"Mom, I'm fine! I'm fine," Sam pleaded, shaking his head. "I just haven't eaten in a few days and it caught up to me."

"Of course." Miss LaCroix came over and sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching for one of Sam's hands. "Your skin is ice cold, your eyes are bloodshot and you're gaunt. Yes, that's exactly what happens when you don't eat."

"Mom..."

"Stop," she said sharply. "This destruction you're causing yourself? It ends now."

Natalie agreed, even if she did so silently, watching them both while folding her hands in her lap.

Focusing on the present, instead of wondering how much of this was her fault somehow.

"I can bring my father here if it's needed," Brid said, having gotten here soon after his mother. Sam covered his face with one hand and took a few breaths.

"That might be necessary," Sam's mother said, still looking at her son. "Since I doubt a regular hospital would be helpful."

Brid shot a glance at Natalie but it wasn't out of anger or anything. Just...concern.

They could get back to their grudges once the reason they were having them stopped trying to be dumb. Natalie returned the glance with a mild one of her own before looking back at Sam.

"Not to mention how much wrangling would go into taking him to a hospital."

"Would you all excuse me for a moment?" Miss LaCroix asked, eyes still on Sam. "I need to speak privately to my son."

Frank and Ramon immediately started to shuffle out. Brid followed soon enough.

Natalie got up quickly enough too.

She gave Sam one last look, before turning to follow the others out the door and close it behind them.

"And here we are again," Frank said once they were in the hallway outside Sam's room. "I would say it's been fun but it hasn't."

"Goddamn Sam," Brid said, sighing and rubbing her eyes. "I hate this."

"Mm." Yeah, this was not Natalie's favourite situation in so many different ways. But the worry made her less awkward than she might otherwise have been. "I don't get where he's even intending to go."

"To find his uncle, would be my bet," Brid said, sighing. "Well, that would be my bet if I'm being optimistic. If not -- "

"I think he's just running away," Ramon said. "Just taking off and leaving us in the dust."

"Which I personally find a little insulting," Natalie drawled, because dryness came naturally. "I don't think we're very good at being left behind."

"He's scared," Frank said, trying to see Sam's side of things. "What would you do if you were this scared of what you had inside you?"

"I'd ask for help." She honestly thought that, despite what some of her past actions might have suggested. "But we're different people. We're all different."

"Yeah, but who can help him with this?" Frank asked, glancing at each of them. "Any of you secret necromancers?"

Ramon scowled.

"That doesn't matter, Frank," Brid said. "We still could have helped."

"Frank, I know you're trying to see Sam's side of things, and it's very sweet," Natalie said, brushing hair out of her eyes. "But you can't seriously suggest he'd be better off running from his non-necromancer friends than he'd be letting them help."

"That's not what I'm saying," Frank said, frowning. "Not at all. I want him to ask for help too but what I'm saying is that I can't blame him for thinking he has to leave. I don't want him to but I understand. He's scared and there's no one like him around to help him. His dad's disowned him. His uncle? Gone. What about Douglas Montgomery? Yeah, that guy's gone too. He's not better off but I don't blame him for thinking that he is."

"I do." She was honest, but kept it mild. Not trying to start an argument, still airing her frustration with a few words. "I think he should know better. I wish he did."

Frank was actually getting a little frustrated with them all now.

"And if he asked for help, what would you all do?" he asked, glancing at each of them. "Please tell me since you're set on blaming him for thinking he was doing what was needed. I seriously want to know."

"Answering that would actually require knowing what the hell is going on," Natalie pointed out. Maybe a liiitle bit more sharply. She reined that back in. "Has he actually told any of you what this is and how long it's been going on?"

Frank shook his head. Ramon did too.

"Just that he's not eating or sleeping much. And he's having nightmares," Brid said since she did know that. "Ramon said he spends time in the basement too. That's -- "

Brid swallowed at that memory. " -- yeah."

"The basement."

Sam had never been particularly forthcoming about the significance of the basement. But she'd gathered enough to know that...

"That's not good, is it?"

"It's where he was tortured," Brid said bluntly. "I don't know why he'd go back down there now."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject