10. [Action] (slightly backdated)

[rewritethis]

[Towards the end of the break, when supplies are running low all round, is it any wonder the people working at the infirmary have chosen to prioritise the cadets who aren't going to head back to the Island and get themselves injured again in a maximum of a few days? And, for that matter, the cadets less inclined to vocally and incessantly gripe when they take longer to patch him up than he was hoping, which is to say five seconds.

From a purely intellectual standpoint, Ed can approve of pragmatism like this. On another, more immediately pressing level?]

Dammit, dammit, dammit...

[He sits back in the bed and, frustrated, thumps his right fist against the wall. It rattles alarmingly loudly. For once, he's glad it's not that arm he currently has trussed up in a sling, given the lack of decent mechanics around Garden... but knowing the medics could fix a broken bone pretty damn quickly doesn't help him in the slightest if they aren't doing it right now.

He hangs his head.]

No two ways around it. [He raises his voice slightly.] Guess I'll just have to bust out of here myself.

[Is he joking? It's really hard to tell.]

Comments

Action

[seethelanterns]

[Yeah, all that noise has attracted the attention of one of the resident cadet healers, namely this long haired wonder who peeks in on Ed at that racket. She doesn't look too happy to hear him planning to run off again so soon, frowning and her lips purse a little, hands on her hips.]

And just where do you think you would bust out to? Just stay here until we know you're all right, Ed. I know it's...frustrating, but we're trying our best here. And you are not leaving yet.

[That green chameleon at her shoulder? He is watching you, Ed.]

[rewritethis]

[Ed sees that lizard eyeballing him and raises it a scowl.] Easy for you to say, isn't it? It's all right for all of you guys. At least you have something to do.

[If she happens to glance to his side, she might notice that yes, he somehow badgered an intern into fetching him a book earlier today. And yes, he already wishes he hadn't relented after just one.]

[seethelanterns]

Well, if you really want, someone can get you another book to read, but you are not going anywhere.

[Very stern on this, which is not always something people bring out in Rapunzel for the most part, arms crossed at her chest.]

How is your arm feeling now, Ed?

[rewritethis]

It's great, thanks for asking. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if anyone around here was paying a scrap of attention, I could be out of here in half a minute and you could free up this bed for someone who needs it more. Just a thought. [He pauses, then adds, unconvincingly:] Not that I want to tell you how to do your job.

[seethelanterns]

You do know how many people we get here right now with everyone going to the Island? Of course things are a bit hectic with the infirmary right now. We're doing our best. I can see what I can do for you, but that doesn't mean you will be getting out of here within the next five minutes.

[rewritethis]

Okay, so what if I promised to come back here whenever the hell one of you does have five minutes? There's nothing wrong with my legs.

[seethelanterns]

You even think about leaving and I'll restrain you to the bed if I have to. I understand you're impatient to get out of here, but I'm not letting you go without knowing you're okay before you go running back off to the Island.

[She looks like she means it too, lips pursing again and that determined frown, with Pascal looking much in agreement.]

[elementofloyalty]

[Muttering something about another one that won't stay put and stop hurting themselves, two cadets tromp in with an extremely-irritated equine on a stretcher. Gently if not too gently, they slide her off into a bed in what has apparently become the inveterate reckless idiot section, then tromp off without a scrap of attention paid to the pony or the bandages wound round her body.]

[Seeing this, Rainbow shakes a hoof at their retreating backs.]

Oh come on! It's just ribs! You can cure th--ouch!

[rewritethis]

[Initially the ruckus attracts Ed's attention purely because it's something besides the ceiling and opposite wall that he can glower at as if blaming it for his current predicament. He doesn't look at all surprised when the cause of it properly comes into view, though.]

Good morning to you too. How'd that happen? [Nor overtly sympathetic.]

[elementofloyalty]

[She glowers after the cadets for a minute, then looks over at Ed -- not particularly caring that he's unsympathetic.]

Ochu. Slapped me right out of the air. How 'bout you?

[rewritethis]

[He half-shrugs with the shoulder that doesn't hurt.] Something similar. I wasn't looking. But you should've been.

[elementofloyalty]

I WAS looking. I just...

[Well, here's a bitter admission to make. She looks down and away.]

Wasn't fast enough.

[rewritethis]

[Since he's not really in the mood for poking at her insecurities, he tries to crack a smile.] Well, there's always next time, right?

[It doesn't stay a friendly smile for long.]

Speaking of which, I had an idea...

[fotlenke]

Are you certain that is wise?

[ And standing near the center table of the infirmary is Sigyn with a tray of tea she'd prepared for the injured in the infirmary. Tea is just one of the wonders Sigyn has discovered upon coming to Garden, and while it is often bitter tasting, it makes her feel good, and it helps her sleep easy as well.

Since the mission has sent a lot of injured, anxious cadets to the infirmary, Sigyn thinks that perhaps something hot and soothing to drink would be happily accepted. It certainly helped Gakupo to relax, so why not? ]

[rewritethis]

[Ed eyes the tea with not entirely unwarranted suspicion.]

If you don't like the sound of it, go find someone who can get me out of here the easy way and tell them to hurry it up a little.

[fotlenke]

[ Sigyn turns her head to look to the left -- at all the filled beds and the medics tending to those beds' patients. She frowns. ]

If I do that, then I will be interrupting a procedure.

[rewritethis]

Then too bad, you'll just have to turn a blind eye.

[Not that he expects her to. Actually, he's huffily settling back into the bed, waiting for her to leave.]

[fotlenke]

[ His selfishness irritates Sigyn, and if she weren't balancing the tea tray, she would be balling her hands into fists at her sides. ]

You would let someone in pain go untreated just so you can feel better?

[rewritethis]

No, I'd let someone else in pain make better use of this bed so I can maybe do something with my time other than waste all of it sitting on my ass like this. Get it right.

[tiamat_shot]

[Emias is stuck running the duty of pretty much any cadet who didn't qualify for the training, so naturally those sharp moogle ears catch escape plans. It doesn't take long before there's a fuzzball nearby, staring up at Ed, skeptical.]

Bust out to where, exactly? A monster's stomach? Let me tell you, even if you survive, digestion is not fun, kupo.

[rewritethis]

[A while ago, Ed would have been considerably more fazed at the sight of a moogle working in a school than he appears to be right now. He gives Emias a long, hard look before turning his head away.] No, just out of here. [He drums his metal fingers on the side table. That's another thing - they didn't let him hang onto his gloves.] If I had all the time in the world, maybe I'd be happy to kill some of it sitting around and doing nothing. But I don't.

[tiamat_shot]

[Gee, maybe because those gloves are how you alchemy, Ed?]

I dunno; sounds like you do have all the time in the world. [Because obviously it revolves around you. That part goes unsaid.]

Listen. A Judge - or a GF, or whatever - only keeps you from dying, kupo. It doesn't stop everything else from getting torn to pieces, it just makes sure you get to experience all of it. It's all fine and good to not be afraid of pain - I figure that's what this is about, kupo - but... actively looking to cripple yourself is just dumb, kupo.

[rewritethis]

[As if he can't be plenty awesome without gloves! He's not Mustang, sheesh. ...And he likes those gloves!

Ed looks back round rather sharply. Seems like the fuzzball touched a nerve, and not the one triggered by short jokes.]

Thanks for the concern [he says, every syllable weighed down with acrimony], but you're way off target. Better save the figuring and lecturing for someone you actually know.

[tiamat_shot]

I've seen enough hotheads like that, kupo... both back home and a few here. I'm just basing what I'm thinking on similar experiences. If I'm off target, why not point me in the right direction?

[He's calling your bluff, Ed. Even if he doesn't know it's a bluff yet.]

[rewritethis]

[He leans back and frowns off into space again.] Well, here's a tip - you're never the only person in the world who cares about what you do, one way or another. Now, you could go chew on that for a while if you're so desperate to philosophise at a time like this, or you could help a guy out and find me a damn pencil.