(no subject)

[amicably_absent]

Glitch had swum for hours, chasing fish and insects and bubbles and sunbeams. Eventually, worn out and tired, he had swum to shore and curled up on the bank on the sun warmed pebbles, grumbling about his lack of coat until he fell asleep.

He woke up with Rennie shaking him, a scolding voice telling him he had to come in, he was all wet and dirty and needed a bath and clean clothes, and was she going to have to strap him in the chair.

Glitch reacted predictably.

He screamed at her, judo flipped her while sitting down, dove into the water, swam to a far edge and took off.

Rennie asked Cain to go find Glitch and bring him in before he froze or hurt himself.

Glitch had retreated to the rotunda, sitting on the seat and swinging himself back and forth, watching the sun setting on the lake. He was soaking wet again, but his trembling didn't seem to worry him at all.

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[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"No. Should I?" He sat on the edge of the bath, lifting one foot to peer at it. "I don't like all the flowery." He slid into the empty bath and started rummaging through things, sniffing a bottle and then throwing the offending item out the window when it proved to smell flowery.

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"She's your caretaker. A nurse from Central City Hospital."

He picks up the by now damp coat off the floor, takes it out to hang on one of the hooks by the entrance. "She asked me to come get you before you froze to death out there."

His tone of voice should more than fill in the gaps on what he thinks about incompetent nursing staff.

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"I don't need a caretaker. I've been taking care of myself for ages. For as long as I remember."

Another bottle and a bar of soap go out the window, so does the potpourri.

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

Returning to the bathroom. "You're on the mend, Glitch. The Royal family wants only the best for you, and that includes being cared for, for a little while."

He sits down on the edge of the tub, looking down at his friend. "Even if she is incompetent. And a fancier of cheap, flowery crap."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"I've got you keeping an eye on me." The last two bottles and another bar of soap went out the window, then the shaving cream. "There's a woman I don't like. She wants to strap me in a chair. Strap me in a chair. Strap me in chair."

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"Glitch, no, not the shaving cream, you have to keep someth-- She said what?!"

The nerve... Of all the wrong things to say, she had to go there. There, of all places, and Cain wonders once again if she hasn't been taught anything at all about empathy for your fellow man.

"You," he jabs one finger at Glitch, already on his way out the door. "Take a bath. I'm gonna go find that woman, give her a piece of my mind."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Glitch pouts when Cain snaps at him, but obediently turns on the taps.

And then turns them off.

And then turns them on. Not glitching, just interested in taps right now.

"Hey, Wyatt," he turns to look. "Wyatt? Don't give away bits of your mind, you need them!" he hops out of the bath, padding after his friend.

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

But Cain's already stormed off on his spike of adrenaline, searching for the silly little girl who shouldn't be working with other human beings at all. If he notices that Glitch is on his trail, he doesn't show any sign of it, too focused on his current objective. Find Rennie. Wring her neck.

If only figuratively speaking.

He finds her in the kitchen, preparing a late snack, presumably for her patient.

"Nurse!"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Glitch trails after Cain, tracking mud in footprints as he follows, dripping water occasionally.

Rennie looks up from her work. "Yes, Mister Cain?"

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"A word. Outside. Now."

He's boiling, thundering on the inside and thrumming on the outside like a contained force field; like magic burning just under the skin. And yet, he's never felt more calm than right this moment.

He leaves the kitchen, fully expects her to follow him, and doesn't even look back to make sure that she does. That Glitch is there is unfortunate, but maybe he needs to be. Maybe he needs to see this.

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Rennie sets down her work and demurely head outside, skirts rustling softly.

Glitch trails them to the outside door, peeking out.

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

Hands clasped behind his back, he waits for her to come stand before him. Then, and only then, does he speak.

"First of all, you're here to tend to Master Ambrose's every need during his convalescence, correct?"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Sir? I am here to provide the care he needs, even when he doesn't want it. For his own good."

Ambrose is chewing on the sleeve of his shirt.

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"And does that involve treating him like an invalid? Threatening to strap him down?"

Everything about him is set in hard lines, and there's nothing in his eyes to reveal the outrage within.

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"He is an invalid, sir," she said firmly. "And I said it in a light and teasing manner." Just like the text books probably told her to.

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

The hinges of his jaw tense, and stay that way. "He's a man who survived years on his own, with nothing but half or less a brain to guide him. I get that you want to do your job right, but even if you use a light and teasing manner, you should have been informed not to talk about strapping him to anything."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"He was injured and should have been in the chair anyway. I understand that he has shown tenacity and an amazing ability to survive, but he recently went through major surgery." She drew herself up. "I was top of my class at nursing school, I know when I patient needs care."

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"But you don't know how to see the man. All you see is the patient. You didn't even stop to think that a man whose most horrifying moment in life involved being strapped down, wouldn't just smile and come along if you said something like that."

He's standing his ground. Maybe he doesn't have a medical degree, he knows all about dealing with people, even if he's perfectly livid beneath the surface. Most of all, she's young.

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Rennie does pale a bit at that. "I- I hadn't realised that." It's possibly something like an apology. "I didn't think of it. I just wanted to get him in before he wound up sick or with his feet infected."

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

Cain inclines his head, the expression around his eyes softening by increments as the young woman goes on.

"He just had his brain partially reinserted. He isn't going to react to things the way you think. Half the time I say the wrong thing, and we're friends."

...and with that, his resolve weakens as he realizes his own mistake. "There's no text book on how to deal with headcases, because they usually don't live long enough to get to know people." He takes a step closer, unclasping his hands and letting them hang at his sides.

"Which is why we need to treat him like an individual. He isn't going to react like your regular patient."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"No. No headcase has survived past five years, let alone go through and survive rebrainment." She sighs and brushes off her skirt. "I'm sorry I scared him. I don't know how to treat him though. He is a patient. I should treat him as one."

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"Try listening to him. Figure out what he likes or doesn't like. Gain his trust so he can start remembering who you are."

He gestures at the door, for them both to head back inside. "He's fond of red apples. It's as good a start as any, don't you think?"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

There's a flash of white shirt and muddy feet as said patient takes off running. Then a shriek and a crash from inside as his wet, muddy feet make him slide on the tiles and he skids and crashes into a cabinet and hit the floor.

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

Cain does sigh this time around, but sets off not even a second later. "Glitch?"

He skids to a halt beside the clumsy former Advisor, kneeling on the floor to check him over. Nothing broken, he hopes.

"Glitch, are you all right?"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

His legs were tangled against the wall, on his back and rubbing his head. "Ow. I think I bumped my head and my bum hurts."

Rennie stops behind them and sighs.