Dents

[+] Désolé

Noodle was already waiting for us in the common room.

She sat stiffly upright on the sofa. As we stumbled through the doorway her head snapped back to us anxiously. She looked like she was overflowing with things to say. When she saw how drained and lifeless 2D was, her mouth hung open loosely. No words came out.

I held him to my side. He slumped tiredly over my shoulder. I carefully guided him upstairs to his room.

I led him to the cramped bathroom, kicking clutter out of our pathway as we went, eventually setting him down on the toilet seat. He stared forward listlessly. His expression was apathetic and hollow.

I went back to his room to rifle through his drawers for something warm to dress him in. The dresser was disorderly. Nothing was folded. It ended up being a task requiring an insurmountable level of patience that I was completely incapable of presently. After some frustrated searching, I settled on a pair of worn sweatpants and a long sleeved sweater with some kind of monkey-like creature sewn on the front.

Having nowhere else to set them that hadn't been soaked in water from our tracks, I placed the clothes in the basin of the sink. I closed the shower curtain and kneeled down to turn on the water. It sputtered out sporadically from the tap, winding in rusty orange spirals around the drain. Watching it made me dizzy. When it was hot, I switched the lever to the showerhead.

I was significantly more exhausted than I thought I was. I depended on the wall for enough support to stand again. I approached 2D carefully, as if too abrupt of a movement would scare him off like a wild animal.

I rested a hand on his trembling shoulder. He faced me nervously, his pitch black eyes catching a brilliant glint of light from above.

"Do you need help?"

"I... I don't fink so," he mumbled, "Fanks, luv."

"Sure. When you're done, we ought to talk all of this over, alright?"

"Alrigh'."

I patted him lightly as a gesture of reassurance. I planted a soft kiss on top of his mop of hair. The door thudded shut behind me to the plop of 2D peeling the soaking wet shirt off his back and tossing it to the floor. 

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before I'd be forced into conferencing with everyone else downstairs. The whole scenario was starting to feel unsettlingly akin to an intervention. I wholly sympathized with 2D's apprehension if that was how it was going to play out. I rested my head against the door and closed my eyes, stalling as long as I could manage to.

2D probably assumed I'd gone downstairs already. A low melody resonated off the walls of the compact bathroom. Through the crack of the door jamb beside where I stood I could hear the bewitching skeleton of a song seeping out.

"Désolé, désolé quand tu mens,

Désolé, c'est une long file d'attente,"

Beneath the humming of the showerhead and the downpour of rain pounding upon the window, I strained to hear him. I couldn't understand what was being said. I could tell that it wasn't English or Mandarin. It was probably French, from how it sounded. I was bewildered. I'd never heard him speak in French before.

"Désolé, tous mes fantômes sont bleus

Désolé, try to hold on to you,"

"Saoirse-san."

I pretended not to hear her. I wanted to avoid the inevitable confrontation downstairs for a while longer. Her quiet footsteps creaked upon the floor as she paced over to me. I didn't open my eyes. I wanted to stay like this, listening to the harmonic trilling of 2D's vocals and the drumming of the rain outside.

"Saoirse-san," she whispered tentatively, "We will wrap things up downstairs."

I finally willed myself to meet her gaze. Her emerald green eyes shined like jewels in the dimly lit room. The curtains were drawn, casting a long black shadow that created the illusion of a dividing line between us.

Noodle breached through it and pulled me in to a hug. Her hair smelled like tangerines. Her small frame seemed more brittle than usual. Without letting go, she spoke.

"Russel has explained enough. 2D is in a very fragile state right now. We should avoid further upsetting him."

My heart sank.

"Okay. I can go to my room."

Noodle backed away from me. She left one hand resting on my arm, shaking her head vigorously.

"No, no. You stay. Keep us informed. Russel has already contacted Father Merrin. They are discussing it now. We will take care of this," she assured me, "But you need to take care of him."

I was speechless. 

"Please, Saoirse-san. You are very close to him. I think you can help, and perha - "

I latched onto her. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I couldn't have asked for a better friend.

"Thank you. I'll stay. D - Do you know when we'll be going?"

She patted me on the back.

"Not yet. They are still talking. Hopefully soon."

When I pulled away, she was pouting.

"The conversation sounds worrisome. I will let you know, yes?"

"Okay. Thank you, Noodle."