text | un: m.cabrera

[naloxone]

[ turns out? space doesn't give a single fuck about your circadian rhythm. or maybe insomnia is just that attached to her that even the absence of a sun dictating her internal clock doesn't faze it, like an old friend you wish would just forget you already.

one night (?) late into the early hours (???) marta finds herself drifting out of the room she's come to assume will be hers for the indefinite future, passing through stark white walls with all the sterility of a hospital, but none of its familiar chaos.

she's still getting used to the earpiece. still getting used to hearing other people's voices in her head. she doesn't mean to add another in the void, but one of her own thoughts blares out too vividly as she stares out into an actual void: ]

—but where are the stars?

Comments

voice

[naloxone]

I'm Marta. A — nurse, but of the human kind, sorry.

[ the "sorry" really seems necessary, after hearing all that. ]

These missions... are they always so — [ otherworldly? but is everything otherworldly in this case? ] — much?

Re: voice

[groupiedrifter]

Hey, no, don't apologize; we sure could use some nurses who know what they're doing. I've been a makeshift nurse here, and I gotta admit, my bedside manner isn't all that great. Just ask our resident doc, McCoy.

[Look! He's self-aware!]

The missions can be a lot, yeah, especially the first go, buuut you don't have to worry about a thing; we're all gonna be there to help you swim through it, little duckling.

...

Not gonna lie, though, the last one was super out there.

[naloxone]

[ it's always comforting to know if you'll be useful in situations like these, so his words do manage to bring a small smile to her lips. ]

If you're doing all you can to help, sometimes that can be enough. Besides, you can't be that bad — you're the encouraging voice, remember?

[ marta's bedside manner? impeccable. ]

The — sentient castle? It sounds like it.

[groupiedrifter]

[He seems to puff up his chest a bit at that, as if he's bolstered by her words. Careful, Marta, he's a plant that thrives well under the warmth of supportive words. Makes him all big-headed in the long run!]

You got it. My encouraging voice with my encouraging guitar strums!

[;)]

It was a pretty crazy time. I kind of jokingly asked for the castle's hand in marriage, but as it turns out, the castle had no clue what marriage even was. Then we were all, uh, falling asleep from some sickness? I spent way too much time rolling people and making sure they were hydrated properly before Iiii ended up sleeping too.

[He punctuates this with a deep yawn. Still kinda sleepy, honestly?]

[naloxone]

[ he's a doctor of xenobiology and pretty damn good at peptalks; as far as marta is concerned, he's important here. so if giving him applause to his tinkerbell is what she needs to do to keep him going, then why not? ]

I haven't heard live music in a long time.

[ she. you know... is assuming he's Good. ]

...Was it just sleep?

[ no offense, newt, but compared to the other two missions he mentioned that doesn't sound so bad... ]

[groupiedrifter]

[Luckily for her, he is quite the guitarist.

... Vocalist, not so much.]

... I wish it was just sleep. Maybe I would've had a nice rest for once.

[Insomniac with totally confidential issues here, don't mind him.]

We were, uh. Stuck. In dreams. Dreams that mostly consisted of memories, memories other people could... walk into, either by purpose or by total accident. Either way, dirty laundry was everywhere to be seen. Not only that, but the deeper in the dream you were, the more likely you could really get hurt in real life.

[naloxone]

[ listening now, marta can't help but consider herself lucky she's arrived when she has. what would she do if she found herself stuck inside her memories... what would she do if others could see—?

she shakes her head. clears her worries. endeavors to focus outside instead of in. ]

People are hurt?

[ a pause. ]

Are you alright?

[groupiedrifter]

... Some people did get hurt, yeah.

[He scratches the back of his head as he considers it, especially that last bid to get the orb with Drift's sword and everyone's power. It had taken a lot out of them... and then there were people who'd gotten hurt just by being in the dream. How he didn't end up with more than a few little scrapes and bruises is beyond him, knowing his track record.]

I'm fine, though! I got lucky.

[Read: I'm gonna have a medical crisis in a couple days from this conversation.

But it's fine, that's something to worry about later.

... When he's on the floor, half-conscious.

Anyway!]

Good to see a nurse focusing in on if people are hurt or alright. That just means you're super good at your job, you know? Totally one of those bleeding heart types, I just know it.

[naloxone]

[ because this is audio, newt doesn't see it, the way marta's expression crumbles slightly. what was it detective blanc had initially asked her? does having a kind heart make you a good nurse? she never did get to answer him.

she never did figure it out for herself.

so. moving on. ]

...You mentioned having trouble with sleep usually. Have you tried warm milk?

[groupiedrifter]

[He snort-laughs on his end.]

The only time I ever even touch milk is if it's chocolate or in Lucky Charms.

... That really works, huh?

[naloxone]

It can. But not everyone has the taste or stomach for it, so some herbal tea is also good.

I can make some for you, if you like.

[groupiedrifter]

... Actually, I'm kind of having the opposite problem now.

I can't seem to stop sleeping. I feel like a big fat walrus snoozing on a dock half the time.

['Voice' helps mask the fact that he looks kind of janky right now. No amount of rest seems enough; he's just doing the very smart thing and not actually addressing it with anyone who might be able to say if something's wrong. This can't blow up in his face, not at all.]

Go figure, the time I finally start sleeping more, I'm overdoing it.

[naloxone]

[ it's a little difficult for marta's nurse side not to switch on when he explains his issue, too enabled by her inherent nurturing side to ever be completely turned off anyway. ]

Is that all you're having problems with? No dizziness, change in vision..?

[groupiedrifter]

Um...

[To lie or not to lie... (L I E)]

The occasional sulking?

Getting grumpy because people keep waking me from perfectly good sleeping spots at the mess hall table?

[This will all, of course, bite him on the ass later.]

[naloxone]

[ it may not be easy to spot lies on pure tone alone, but marta can at least recognize when someone is deflecting. for what reasons, she doesn't know.

because it's not truly in her nature to pry, newton can breathe easy for now... ]

I see. That's good it doesn't seem to be anything serious.

[ ... ]

It would be a shame to miss something while we have the time to tend to it, then have to struggle with it during a mission.

[groupiedrifter]

Oh, yeah. I mean, obviously!

Nobody should go into a mission without being at the top of their game. Health-wise and head-wise and all that.

[Lucky Newt, he doesn't barf when he's dishonest. :)]

Besides, a little sleepiness isn't a big deal compared to people who got actually hurt. You just cure that with oodles of Red Bull and maybe sticking your finger in a taser.

[is he kidding, marta

you decide]

[naloxone]

Rest is important, [ says the insomniac, ] and injuries aren't a competition.

[ but. they did just meet. she doesn't know newt from atom, and for all she knows he's fine. fine, or has his reasons for not admitting to it.

so she relents, for now. ]

But either way, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't stick your finger in a taser.

[groupiedrifter]

[He says, like the little imp he is:]

Nurse's orders?

[You can practically hear the sight of him batting his eyelashes.]

[naloxone]

If that helps you.

But it sounds a little bit like you're a troublemaker.

[groupiedrifter]

What on earth gives you that idea?

I'm an absolute saint! I've only ever been arrested —

...

On second thought, the number is high enough that it's not a good representation of my sainthood.

[naloxone]

Plenty of saints got arrested or persecuted.

But I'm pretty sure none of them stuck their finger in a taser.

[groupiedrifter]

Only because tasers didn't exist back then.

[checkmate]

[naloxone]

Mother Theresa.

[ though, lol. maybe not the best example... ]

[groupiedrifter]

... I probably would have stuck her finger in a taser myself.

[naloxone]

[ —okay that's. yeah she has to laugh at that. a little bubble of laughter that just bursts right out of her, made all the more loud by the emptiness of the hall she's in, and the absurdity of the situation that this, of all things, is what finally gets a true smile and laugh out of her since waking. ]

You'd have to get in line, I think.

[ it feels strange, to want to thank someone for something like this... but marta's never been one to hold back on gratitude. ]

Thank you, Newt. I needed that laugh.