Room 209, Sunday evening

[can_be_more]

Aeryn lets John get some more sleep, and makes a phone call like she said she would. She's not sure if it'll do any good, but she's willing to try it. And hopes John is, too. At least maybe then they can find out of this chip actually exists or not.

And once John's awake again, Aeryn ends up listening for the knock a lot.

Comments

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge knocks on the door. "Aeryn? It's Bridge. I got your message."

[can_be_more]

Aeryn opens the door, says, "Hi," and lets him in.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"So, um..." Bridge says. "A chip?" Because wtf, who would do that? *Why* would someone do that?

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Maybe a chip," John says from his place on sitting at the edge of Aeryn's bed. "Or I'm just losing my mind. Hoping maybe you could tell which one is happening to me."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Well, if there's a chip, that'd give off energy that's obviously not normal." Bridge says. "Uh, same thing if you're losing your mind, essentially, but, you know... *different* kind of not-normal."

[can_be_more]

"Enough of a difference to definitely tell the two apart?" Aeryn wonders.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Bridge says, "a chip would feel... artificial."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"So, if you...do this, would it hurt?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"No," Bridge says. "It's... I'd just be looking. But with a different kind of sight."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Okay," he says and nods. "I'm good with it. If this will help, let's try."

[can_be_more]

Aeryn lets out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. And is really relieved she didn't have to argue.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge takes off a glove and holds his hand out in John's direction, concentrating. There was definitely... something. He narrows his eyes, focusing on the dark spot and the energy emanating from it.

Finally, he pulls back.

"You're not nuts, dude. Something's definitely been put there."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John's...well, he's not relieved but it's nice to know he didn't just snap.

"Oh. Um." He shakes his head and says, "Thanks, Bridge. Good to know I'm not batshit insane."

After Bridge

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

When Bridge leaves the room, John lays back on Aeryn's bed and stares at the ceiling.

"This doesn't mean you're not insane."

"Shut up."

Re: After Bridge

[can_be_more]

Aeryn looks at him funny, because she'd just been about to open her mouth to talk. "Oh-kay..." she says.

Re: After Bridge

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"No," he says immediately. "Not you. Him."

Re: After Bridge

[can_be_more]

"Oh," she says, and tilts her head a little, watching him. "Does knowing help?"

Re: After Bridge

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Some," he says honestly. "This just means...I'm like him now. The other me."

Re: After Bridge

[can_be_more]

"No. It doesn't," she says, and pauses. "When I first got back, knowing that what happened to me had also happened to the other me... It made it hard to not associate with her. But circumstances are different, motivations are different... That changes everything."

Re: After Bridge

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Aeryn, you're almost but not quite boyfriend has a chip in his head that, in another reality, made him kill you," he tells her. "I just can't ignore that, no matter how different we are."

Re: After Bridge

[can_be_more]

"You don't have to ignore it, but if you dwell on it, you really will drive yourself insane," she says. "About the next step..."

Re: After Bridge

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"No surgery," he says quickly, sitting up. "No."

Re: After Bridge

[can_be_more]

"I wasn't going to say that," she says quickly.

Re: After Bridge

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Oh. Um. Sorry." He shuts up.

Re: After Bridge

[can_be_more]

"Isabel mentioned something the other day about something she does, where she can go into your subconscious and... She could explain it better than I can," Aeryn says. "It doesn't hurt, I asked."