FTEC, Friday Night

[drlambert.livejournal.com]

Seated at the front desk, Natalie frowned at the protein shake she was attempting to consume. It -- like everything else in the past week -- seemed even more flavorless and bland than usual. With a sigh, she set it aside and turned her attention to her lab journal. She made herself busy typing up her notes from the previous week.

[AFK till about 10 PM EDT or so. Back! ETA: Details of discussion between Bridge and Nat NFB.]

Comments

Front Desk/Lobby

[drlambert.livejournal.com]

...

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge comes in to the clinic, looking somewhat nervous. But, he owes to to Dr. Lambert to at least explain what he'd done while possessed, so. Here he was.

"Um, hi?"

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[drlambert.livejournal.com]

Natalie glanced up from her computer. She recognized the young man from the other night in the park and straightened a bit, involuntarily. A smile found its way across her features. "Hi again," she said.

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge gives her a tentative smile back, but then his expression is serious once again. "I'm not sure exactly how to say this, but- after you talked to me in the park the other night, did you um- go out and..." he trails off, not exactly sure how to say it.

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[drlambert.livejournal.com]

"Did I...?" She cocked her head to the side, pausing as she swallowed. Her hands clenched to fists in her lap. "Ah, that. You had something to do with that?"

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Not on purpose," Bridge says quietly. "There was... a demon. He called himself a djinn. He needed a corporeal form so he took mine. And my powers." Bridge explains. "That's how he, um. Influenced you."

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[drlambert.livejournal.com]

"I see." The smile this time was taut, strained. "Any particular reason, or was he just having a good time?"

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"He was trapped here, on the island. And I guess the more he made people give in to their temptations, the stronger he got..." Bridge tries to explain.

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[drlambert.livejournal.com]

"Well, I hope he enjoyed himself. Because I didn't." Her face contorted as she struggled for control. Crying right now wasn't a good idea, and she had done enough of that as she poured her heart out to Nick the previous weekend in a post that never got typed up.

"I'd never done that -- never given in. I suppose I was overdue, in the grand scheme of things. But recovering from that..." She shook her head, as if to shake off the melancholy she felt creeping up on her again. "It's not as though I can discuss this with a pshrink. It's bad enough that I'm discussing this with you..."

Maybe, if I'm lucky, I can keep it from being broadcast news, she thought bitterly.

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge nods. "I understand that, actually. I've always been careful with my abilities. I've *never* read someone's thoughts without permission. That he did that, that I'm *capable* of that. I don't want to be."

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[drlambert.livejournal.com]

"The sad thing is? I wanted to be like this." Nat glanced to Bridge. "I gave up everything -- my job, my old life -- on the belief that I could be what I am without giving in. To work on a cure, to be close to someone..."

Allowing her voice to trail off, she unclenched her fists and flexed her fingers before laying them in her lap. "And here I am, spilling it all to a near-stranger.

"I, ah...thank you for letting me know what happened. In some ways, it's a relief to know it wasn't just me."

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"For what it's worth, *I* think you can do it," Bridge says. "Find your cure, I mean. Someday. And... I'm not going to tell anyone. About you being a vampire. You're a good person, you've done nothing but help *save* lives since you got here... I don't have the right to ruin that."

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[drlambert.livejournal.com]

Natalie nodded slowly. "I appreciate that. While I know the island can be, well, pretty liberal in their view of vampires, I also don't want to end up on the business end of Mr. Pointy a stake." She gave a smile, this one a little easier. "Thank you."

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"You're welcome," Bridge says, smiling in return. "Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for last week, so, uh. See you around?"

Re: Front Desk/Lobby

[drlambert.livejournal.com]

"I'll be here."