thewildone | 8th Note

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8th Note

[Accidental video post]

[The boy in the bed is smaller than Curt-sized and wearing a white hospital gown. He stirs and opens his eyes, only looking more confused as he becomes more awake.]

Where am I?

[He speaks quietly, to himself, but there's just enough of older!Curt in his voice that those familiar with him should be able to make the connection.]

Hello? Is there anyone here?

[He gets up and stumbles around the apartment, knocking over the device in the process, and it shuts off.]

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[Sounds more like those were the chips in Curt's apartment, not hospital food. But Penny can go along with this. She starts towards the Welcome Center.]

Then you definitely need dinner. And maybe dessert. Do you like cookies?

[She's curious about the mention of the hospital, but that's something that can be asked about after Curt's had something to eat. She doesn't want to scare him off without feeding him.]

[Curt smiles a bit. Because maybe this is just a dream, and if it is, it is clearly going to be a dream about food, and that is okay]

Sure, I like cookies.

Is chocolate chip okay?

[The Center isn't too far away. Once they get there, Penny invites Curt to make himself at home in one of the mismatched recliners while she finishes the lasagna. She puts a plate of cookies on a coffee table in easy reach.

Curiosity is getting to her. Hopefully she can ask a few questions without scaring Curt away now that the boy has food in front of him. She keeps her question casual.]

What were you doing in the hospital, Curt?

Yeah, chocolate chip are the best ones.

[He looks at the cookies as if wondering whether they are a trick before grabbing one and shoving it almost completely into his mouth. He mumbles through cookie when he speaks next.]

Wasn't the real hospital.

I can't argue with that.

[The cookies ~~are a lie~~ are definitely not a trick. Just cookies. The lasagna isn't a trick, either, although it's kind of hot right now.]

What kind of hospitals are there besides the real kind?

[He stares at the floor for a moment, but he's getting sick of hiding things. So he decides to tell her the truth, but this requires another cookie.]

It was the crazy people kind. I'm not crazy, though.

[In many ways this is a much more believable statement coming from 13-year-old Curt than it would be from 27-year-old Curt.]

[Fortunately, there are a lot of cookies.]

Really?

[Penny sounds somewhat surprised, but, knowing adult-Curt... well. It makes some kind of sense that he would have had a weird childhood. She touches his shoulder in what's meant to be a comforting gesture.]

I believe you. I've known plenty of people who've been in those kinds of hospitals before. ...I was in one for a little while.

They're making me get ECT, you know, where they fry your brain, but I don't think it's doing anything except making me forget stuff.

[Curt jerks away, an automatic gesture that he tries to cover by reaching for another cookie.]

You were?

[This gets an intense look, like maybe there's someone who could be on his side.]

ECT? Like... for depression? It's not that dangerous, is it?

[Oops. Penny pulls her hand back awkwardly. She is, however, encouraged by Curt's reaction to her information. This isn't something she talks about a lot, but maybe it'll make him feel less alone.]

Mm hm. I was a little bit older than you, I think... fifteen. Things were really rough and I wasn't dealing well, so the people watching after me thought I'd be safer in a psych ward. [She makes a face.] I don't think it helped. I'm sorry you're going through that kind of thing.

Everyone says it's not. And that the memory problems are gonna go away after it's over. Maybe for depression it works, but...

[He shrugs. Penny's revelation gets a sympathetic face, though he's not about to tell her everything, even though adult!Curt would probably tell her most of it.]

Oh. I don't like it and I tried to run away once, but now I think I'll just stick it out so I can go home.

What're you getting it for, sweetie?

[That's okay. Penny won't be offended.]

That's a good idea. They'll let you out sooner if you just go along with it.

[Thirteen year old boys do not like to be called 'sweetie,' especially when they are doing their best to toughen up. Except, well, it's not actually that bad. He doesn't answer though, just shrugs in a non-committal way. The second thing she says sounds like actual good advice, though.]

Yeah.

[It was involuntary! Penny puts a plate of lasagna in front of Curt.]

What do they think's wrong with you?

I don't think it's wrong.

[This is said after a pause and in a rush, but said very emphatically, even if it is to the lasagna and not to Penny.]

Sorry! Sorry... I don't really think there's anything wrong with you.

So where am I, really?

[Curt has been trying not to think about that too hard, but he's willing to as a desperate attempt to change topics.]

[That's disappointing. Oh well.]

Really? You're in the City. It's a... giant, interdimensional... thing. I don't know. A bunch of worlds mix it up here.

[Curt thinks about this. He doesn't come to any useful conclusion, but does begin eating.]

Like some kind of Twilight Zone thing? It's...there were notes in my handwriting. In the apartment.

[ooc: If you want a bit more explanation, there's this thread. And it's public, so Penny could technically have run across it. Well, I mean, after this conversation.]

Yeeeeah... yeah, it's kind of like the Twilight Zone. Weird things happen and you just have to shrug them off since weird's the norm.

[Penny goes to putter in the tiny kitchenette, making a mental note to talk to Curt about this later.]

[ooc: Thank you! I don't think Penny would've seen it, but I'll have her ask Curt. ♥ ]

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8th Note

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