You Poor Unfortunate Souls

[Isolde Moore]

Healed as Isolde may be, she was confined to her hospital bed by the Carer who knew about her condition....thanks to Scott. She had forgiven him but she was still pretty upset by it but in the long run she guessed it would help.
Besides they had the nicest pain med here.
Morphine.
The battle, although the fighting had ceased for now, was far from over. It wouldn't be until Madeleine came home. The school was drained and the only people who had energy were the Carers. Still fixing broken bodies and healing what was left of the forest. The Head was none to pleased.
She went round and looked at anybody who questioned her orders with daggers. Without a doubt, Isolde bet if she was pushed any further she would hit somebody. And hard.
Sighing Isolde looked out through the glass double doors.
"That's it. I'm going outside." getting up she dragged herself out of bed and started walking down the isle with her morphine drip.
The wonders of it. Feeling the pain but not caring. Not paying attention. A carer, who looked like she was about to break with all the pressure, started to walk towards her. Probably to reprimand her but she was called over to another patient.
Finally, stepping out into the patio she went over to one of the marble benches and sat down and looked at all the flowers.
The smell of smoke started to pass her and she looked to her left to find a boy...Russ, smoking.
"That's bad for you. Though i suppose you really don't care about that right now...or possibly ever. How are you holding up?" she was about to get up and walk over to him but decided against it.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Russ leaned back against the outer wall of the hospital wing, exhaling a long stream of steel blue smoke into the vaguely warm air.
This would probably get him into trouble, but he needed outside, and needed to smoke, without wanting to leave Lynn on her own at Kennedy's bedside in there. So this was the compromise, being just outside the hospital...
God, it was awful in there. Better than being in the rest of the school because at least there was (ironically) a sign of life in there, somewhere in the incessant beeping of cold monitors, the gentle breathing of the sleeping and sedated, the murmurs of the concerned Carers, the whispered prayes and clandestine tears of those who waited at the besides of their loved ones, in a constant vigil.
Of course, not every ward was as ... peaceful as this. The other wards were filled with those who were awake and alert, people who had had bones shattered and physical traumas. Those rooms were filled with love and laughter, tears of thanksgiving and cries of relief and the ever-present possibility of what might have happened, and the complete grief for the loss of their friends, and the constant reminders of those who were lost.
Kennedy was still out of it, still struggling against the trauma of the pneumothorax, so, obviously, he was in the first ward, the quiet ward. Totally unresponsive to anything, he lay there, hooked up to monitors and showing the occasional loss of control of his mimic powers. And Lynn sat there constantly, waiting for her brother to pull through and wake up. Neither he nor her friends wanted her to be alone here, so it was like an unsaid rota had been taken up, someone was always there. He hated leaving her there, though - he hated it that she was upset, so he tried his best to stay with her as often as possible, whether to talk to her about random things to give her a break from her own head, or just to sit with her so that she knew he was there. Metaphorically holding her hand, since, with the bandages covering her charred arms, physically holding it wasn't possible, especially if it was going to cause her pain. He'd almost gone ballistic after seeing those bandages... letting her go out and get hurt in battle went against most of his instincts, especially after all the hurt she'd been through before. But then again, that hurt was the reason that he knew that the battle was where she needed to be. So... yeah.
In any case, Russ didn't mind being here. He preferred to be with Lynn, and the hospital wing, depressing as it was, was infinitely better than the rest of the dámn school. Talking to her got him out of his own head for a while - making sure she was okay gave him something to focus on other than his own worries. Sometimes, though, it was unavoidable. In Kennedy's still, unconscious state, Russ was sometimes reminded of Madel's coma and, even though it was before they had become close, automatically flinched at the thought of that. And of course, that in turn brought him to Madeleine.s whereabouts, which put him back to where he'd just come from-
Oh, thank Christ, a distraction. A girl attached to an IV or drip of some sort was making her slow, painful way into the garden, going straight to a bench that would give her a view of all the probably-fung-shuied-or-something plants, as well as the gentle, supposedly-soothing water feature.
She was a Warrior. Isobel... no, Isolde, he remembered that name. A Warrior, a friend of Madel's, and almost another gravestone in the grounds of Orchid Hill. But she'd pulled through, she was here. She was okay.
Completely oblivious to him, she said down on the bench, and Russ was surprised to see how frail she looked still. Deciding it was best to leave her to her own peace, he sighed imperceptibly and took another drag of his cigarette.
She did notice him, though, twisting towards him.
"That's bad for you."
Aw, Christ, not now.
"Though I suppose you really don't care about that right now... or possibly ever."
Dámn straight.
"How are you holding up?"
Now, there was a question, how was he holding up? What a question. Holding up was coping. Russ was coping, Russ was holding up pretty well, he thought. It wasn't time to start grieving yet. What else was he supposed to do but cope?
"I can't say I haven't been better," he said, with a sardonic smirk. "But I could be doing worse. I could be in there," he added, jerking his head towards the wing, unaware of the lack of tact there. "What about you - how're you doing? Better?"

[Isolde Moore]

"I can't say I haven't been better," he said, with a sardonic smirk. I'll bet.
"But I could be doing worse. I could be in there," Isolde frowned at that. She was in there but she didn't mind it, one bit. It kept her mind of not being able to do anything...well she couldn't but she had an excuse.
"What about you - how're you doing? Better?" ugh.
"I suppose if I wasn't attatched to this," she jerked her head to the drip, "In a hell of a lot of pain. It's such a weird feeling. The pain's there but I'm not paying any attention to it that or I can't care...never had morphine before." she did a hiccup laugh and sighed. When this wore of, which would be fairly soon she reckoned, she was going to be in so much pain she'd be begging to die. She knew it.
She hoped Scott would be there when it did get like that. He was her anchor and held her down and helped her cope when it got to that point. She was wishing he was there now.
She looked up at Russ who also seemed deep in thought. Poor guy, he must be so frustrated right now.. she reached up and patted his shoulder tentively before quickly taking it back.
"I'm sorry. We all are. But you've got people here who can support you and we know she's going to come back. She wouldn't abandon us and we won't abandon her. Maybe somebody should take it into their own hands to get her back...." she furrowed her eyebrow and started to think about it. "It'll all be back to normal fairly soon. Anyway, what made you come to Orchid then? No offence but you don't really seem like the guy to come here...or any school for long."
She smiled and looked at the fountain in front of them. They really had gone to the trouble to make this a one-of-a-kind school. It was just so breathtaking. She loved it.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Isolde patted his shoulder, and Russ automatically stiffened. Sympathy. He didn’t need anyone’s sympathy. Madeleine was in the enemy barracks, and he was her cousin, sure, but he didn’t need sympathy from anyone. Why would he? Madeleine was going to fine, and in any case, Russ could cope. He wasn’t going to say he was fine, but he was in a hell of a lot better shape that a lot of others here. So sympathy wasn’t needed.
But she was just trying to be nice, he guessed. He sighed imperceptibly, because he knew this. He didn’t need to get all proud about it. Isolde was a warrior, she’d lost her too. So…
Yeah, she meant it well.
"I'm sorry. We all are. But you've got people here who can support you and we know she's going to come back. She wouldn't abandon us and we won't abandon her.”
No, we wouldn’t abandon her, and she didn’t abandon us. And wouldn’t. If she had a choice. But if she’d had a choice she wouldn’t be in the dámn place as it was.
“Maybe somebody should take it into their own hands to get her back... It'll all be back to normal fairly soon. Anyway, what made you come to Orchid then? No offence but you don't really seem like the guy to come here...or any school for long."
Tactful change of subject.
Russ frowned on that one. “Madel would kill someone if they took this into their own hands, you know that. If they didn’t get killed first, it’s a suicide mission anyway. She wouldn’t… wouldn’t want that. Besides, what good can one person do, really? We know shít all, there’s nothing to go on.”
But she’d been decent enough to change the topic for him, so he’d be decent enough to go with it.
“And yeah, no, I’m not, this is the longest I’ve been in school. I didn’t really have much choice about it, but if I’d been asked I’d rather have stayed put doing what I was doing. I had a bit of a tendency to get into fights” - the stories of his temper here got passed around quickly, so Isolde probably already knew about that - “and my family just got sick of me, so I came here. Family ties and all that.”
No need to go into details why, right now.

[Isolde Moore]

"Yeah. I can understand that...more than I would like to." she gave a slight smile and stretched, "Being stuck in bed can take a lot out of you, I really don't like it! Deteste it in fact," She stared at the cigarette while she said this but that was only because her eyes had wandered.
What was going to happen next? Would anything happen?
He was right. Madeleine would kill them if someone took it into their own hands to get her back but she was going to go through Jack enough as it was so what did it matter. Flickering her eyes back to the fountain she saw blackbirds rise, from what was once their home, into the sky and soar away. Poor birdies.
Sighing, she lifted herself up of the bench and made her way over to the leadge which was covered in big marble box thingies which the Carers had planted multicoloured tulips and daffodils and the such. Such a pitty.
"Russ, what is it like to wander the world alone and have no ties or anything to worry about? Is it strange? Wonderful? Scary-ish?" she couldn't think of anything to actually ask but that seemed pretty.....ordinary?
She turned back to face him. He looked bored and kind of worn out. But that was to be expected. Madeleine was lucky to have him as a cousin. And he was lucky to have her.
I wish Satine and Aries were here....speaking of family, where the hell is that Lemur?! Julian you better get your furry butt back here sometime soon.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

"Russ, what is it like to wander the world alone and have no ties or anything to worry about? Is it strange? Wonderful? Scary-ish?"
Okay, that's weird.
Russ started at the abrupt subject change and stared at Isolde for a second. "What, you mean how I live?"
God, that was weird.
"Um... it's... kind of normal," he said, slowly. She was probably just trying to turn the topic away from the hospital wing. God knew they all needed a mental break from it. "I dunno. Living in a house seems 'scary-ish' to me, because travelling is... it's just normal for me. I've never lived any other way - well, except for here," he corrected. "But I've distanced it from life, it doesn't feel like I really live here."
He paused for a moment, thinking over her word choice. To have no ties? And nothing to worry about?
Well, that was romanticised.
"To me, it's the best way to live, but to say there's nothing to worry about... everyone has worries, whether they live in a house, a castle or a trailer. And there's still ties, but, not in the way you mean, I guess."
Maybe this wasn't the best time to go into this.
So he grinned. "Why? You and Scott thinking of running away and being gypsies or something?"

[Isolde Moore]

Ok, yes. Family ties and such...
"Why? You and Scott thinking of running away and being gypsies or something?"
Hmm...now there's an idea...running away...., "No, not at all...I haven't seen Scott recently...considering I was being put under...ugh, I think some of these meds make me sick anyway. No, but it seems pretty cool.." she smiled back, "No, I was just asking because it sounds rather cool. I don't know what it's like and it seems pretty nice. I think I'll shut up now."
She swung her legs while she thought about having the wind blowing on your face and leaving things behind...she'd long to get away from her family, taking only Aries and Satine with her.
"I want to talk to Scott actually, I'm not that pleased with him at the moment, though I suppose he had to tell but still- how're you and Lynn?"

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Oh, you mean while she's currently holding a vigil for her brother, who, let's face it, could be circling the drain at any moment? Yeah, it's great. We couldn't be happier.
Let's face it, that question had been a bit unexpected, to him.
"We're good," he answered slowly. "As good as we can be. She's under a lot of strain at the minute, I'm just trying to be there for her as best I can, y'know?"
She was coping though, and he was realising more and more that Lynn really was a coper. She'd coped with her childhood, and now she was coping with her brother's condition. She was a fighter, and Russ... well, he was proud of her.
They just all had to keep hoping that Kennedy was going to be alright, though.
"She'll be alright, though."
Yeah, she would.
"And you and Scott?"
Crap, she'd just said she was annoyed at him. He shouldn't have said anything, but he just hoped this wouldn't turn into a long drawn out discussion.

[Isolde Moore]

Her and Scott...they were, bloody brilliant. No sarcasm in Isolde's thoughts. She couldn't be angry at him for telling them. She loved him too much to be even slightly annoyed at him.
"Well, he saved me...and s'far as I know, and the last time I checked, he said he loved me and I know I love him more than anything." she paused, "I guess that sounds totally cheesey but-"
she sighed and drummed her fingers on the bench.
"I'm sure he'll be fine, and as long as she knows you're there for her, so will she," she gave a small smile.
They sat in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't comfortable but it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable either. It just was. Thinking their own thoughts and the such. The smile slipped from her face. How anyone could keep a smile on their face these days, was beyond her.
There was nothing to be happy about.
To be happy for.
Isolde wasn't happy. She couldn't be happy.
Russ wasn't happy. Of course he wasn't bloody well happy. His cousin was being held hostage and God only knew what was happening to her. His girlfriend's brother was critical and so he was carrying her stress as well.
It was just empty silence.
Void of anything.
Just, deep, dark, depressing, nothing-ness.
Isolde frowned and sighed. She didn't like it at all.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

"Well, he saved me...and s'far as I know, and the last time I checked, he said he loved me and I know I love him more than anything," Isolde said, before pausing. "I guess that sounds totally cheesey but-"
Understatement.
But, well, that was a change from “not being pleased with him”. Russ sighed, feeling a little unable to keep up with this. Women.
But then she changed the subject, drumming her fingers.
"I'm sure he'll be fine, and as long as she knows you're there for her, so will she," she added, with a gentle smile.
Assumedly, she was talking about Kennedy, there.
And yeah, there was hope that he’d be fine. But for God’s sake, the guy had just had a bullet shot through his chest. Most people were dead straight away after that, so if he was fine, it’d be nothing short of a bloody miracle. Especially since they’d had to have a go at fixing the lung the non-magical way.
And if Kennedy was fine, then Lynn would be too – Russ knew that. He may not know Kennedy, but he knew Lynn and he knew how much she relied on her brother, whether she’d admit that or not.
“Yeah, they will. We’ll all be fine in the end after this” he said, half-heartedly, before bringing his cigarette to his mouth, but taking care to make sure that the smoke was blowing in the opposite direction from Isolde.

[Isolde Moore]

“Yeah, they will. We’ll all be fine in the end after this,” he wasn't convinced and she couldn't blame. She was very happy when he blew his smoke in the other direction. Her respect for him grew. With all that was happening with him he still had thought about what other people would want. Russ was decent. Russ was kind. But Russ was exhausted. Worn.
It was frustrating to see so many people like that.
To see them so defeated.
In the end after this.
Was the end ever going to come?
Was after-this going to happen?
She had no idea.
"I'm glad I have Scott to rely on. He's decent. He's a friend. And Jude. Jude is...my History buddy. He's my friend to. And-and...Tamika and ARihant! Dear love Ari, he's a funny one. And you Russ, you arrrre....kind and, and erm, decent and friendly. You're my friend to." she started to babble. Everything seemed so light and....weird.