Room 238, Wednesday morning

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Aeryn hasn't really slept. Mostly she's been trying to sleep and failing because the thoughts won't stop. Not for the first time, she realizes how much easier this was when she didn't have to think for herself.

She finally gave up and got out of bed, and is now sitting on the floor near the door, back against the wall, distractedly plying with a thread on the knee of her sleep pants.

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"Please." She's not above that at this point.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"I don't mean..." He pauses. "You have to tell me if you want to do this, Aeryn. I don't want to bring you into a bad situation."

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Aeryn is pretty sure she knows what he's saying, but she still frowns. "What?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"I mean." He pauses. "I mean, there are a lot of other places we can go, if you'd like. I don't mean your home. I mean, here."

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"Everything's already set," she says, shaking her head. "You have school."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"I can make arrangements," he says. "We can go on a vacation before school. Go away and get used to not being here."

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It doesn't solve the problem, but at the same time, she doesn't hate the idea of some sort of adjustment. "Are you serious?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Yes," he says. "There'd be time to go somewhere, just you and me and a bed."

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"Like where?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Nags Head." It was a completely random place. "It's on the beach, just south of here."

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"Do you think it will help?" she asks, genuinely curious.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"It couldn't hurt," he says. "It'll give us both a break too. A week of adjusting to leaving here and getting ready to go there."

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"We could try it," Aeryn says after a moment.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Good," he says. "I'll make a few calls today, see what's the what."

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"See... what?" she frowns.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"It's a saying," he says. "It means I'll check it out."

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Yeah, the slang is never going to not trip her up. "Oh. Okay. Good," she says, and this time the smile's more genuine.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Good," he says and smiles back.

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"I think I want to take a walk," she says after a moment. "Did you want to come along?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

He'd started frowning at the first part but covered it with a surprised smile. "Yeah."

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"Let me change," she says with a tiny smile, and goes to the closet to do so.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John threw on a pair of pants and a shirt and waited for her to finish.

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As soon as she's finished changing, she goes to open the door, purposely letting her hand brush his, just because she can. "Ready?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Ready," he says and smiles. "Let's go."