fabrecation | 024 [Voice/Video]

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024 [Voice/Video]

[When the journal opens, there's a redhead who looks as if he wants to do nothing more than climb into a bed and sleep. A good explanation for that should show itself just as he opens his mouth to speak.]

Hey –

[Because he suddenly lurches forward and coughs harshly, though he tries ducking out of view of the camera. There's a slight sniffle before he leans in again, just after he wipes his mouth and nose with the back of his hand. His cheeks are slightly flushed, too, with signs of a fever.]

I'm back. Anyone know what day it is? [And he ducks his head again to cough, though not quite as hard as before. As for the question? Because he'd really like to know how close it is to that accursed Valentine's holiday.

... But now that he's got that journal open, he pauses, looks off with an expression of uncertainty towards the village and flexes his left hand, then squints slightly as he works on a filter. Ugh, it's hard to work with this stupid foggy ache in his head. Yet he knows that it'd be dangerous otherwise, especially with the topic of his questioning.]

[Filtered to Jade... and Dist//100%]

Could you take a look at me when I get back to the village? Something happened to me back there... [He does hate getting examined, especially for medical reasons. But this is extremely important.]

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[Ceasing to exist - what a terrible way to put it. He takes in a deep breath, trying to ease down that burning ache in his chest that makes him want to scream and cry and panic. Don't mind if his voice shakes a little, Dist - he's trying, he really is.]

No... No, it's just you. [He opens his eyes - overbright as they are - to look up at him.] Please - don't tell anyone else about this.

[As much as Dist dislikes whiny children, in this case...he wouldn't really blame Luke for breaking apart. It's quite a thing to take - knowing you may very well be on the last leg of life, waiting in terror until the day you just...fade. Dist would not blame the boy for crying, or being upset, or anything of the sort. As one of the two individuals that...more or less jump-started fomicry as a whole, Dist understands.

Calmly, and with a less stressed, quieter tone, Dist nods slowly and turns away to give Luke a moment to himself. He gathers his research and books, writing in what Luke said into a notebook. It will be recorded virtually and locked away later, and the paper destroyed, but for now he needs this written record.]

You have my word. ...I will tell no one.

... Thank you.

[And with Dist turning his back on him, Luke allows himself to hold his head in his hands and just grip his hair, trying to come to terms with this. Luke is... ceasing to exist. And he's not even sure what exactly that means. Is he coming back in a week, like all deaths in Luceti? Or is he really... not going to come back? He's not even sure what his death will entail. He's never seen a replica die before him.

And he doesn't even know how long he had. He could go to sleep tonight and not wake up tomorrow. It's a terrifying thought, especially after all this time... What's going to happen to everyone else? He promised Asch he wouldn't leave. He made tentative plans with Xion to move in together. He...

God, it's hitting him hard. Luke grits his teeth - he doesn't want to cry. Not here, not in front of Dist, not right now. If just thinking about it can make his hands shake in his hair, make him want to cry and look to the day he disappears in terror... He doesn't want to think about it. Doesn't want to acknowledge it.

He takes in a hiss of a breath as he tries to push it back. Of course it'll always be on his mind, but... As long as no one looks at him with sadness in their eyes, knowing that Luke is going to die, maybe it'll be better. He won't be like... this. Scared and nearly crying. This isn't how he wants to spend his last days, whether he returns or not.

It's after a few minutes that Luke slowly brings his hands down to entwine in front of him, though he still keeps bent over.]

Is there anything else you need to tell me about this?

[Dist says nothing to the boy's thanks, instead closing his eyes and letting a very quiet sigh escape his lips. There wasn't any telling how far the separation had progressed, though he knew that was the real fear here. Even if he did test, that would be the end result. Testing would only given then a very vague idea of just how long the replica had left. There was really no way to avoid it. Jade's research was absolute.

Luke would die, and most likely flow into Asch.

It's strange. He had first thought the opposite when examining Asch on Auldrant. He was the one dying, not the replica! Then again...Auldrant never had so many ways to interfere, unlike Luceti; unlike the Malnosso. His research couldn't be concluded here, couldn't be perfected. It was frustrating, but there's always a work-around - there's always something.

Luke's question makes Dist look up, and glance over his shoulder. He pauses, hesitates, then shakes his head.]

No, there is nothing more to discuss at the moment. I'll prepare the machines for testing.

[And off Dist goes, arms folded behind his back and head down a little. It was better this way, wasn't it? Not telling the replica about the real outcome. He'd only panic more, and what good would that do? It'd only make this all the harder, and pressure him more. What will happen will happen. Nothing can be done about it.]

[Luke doesn't say anything as Dist leaves, only looks down at the floor again. His gaze is slightly far away, and his eyes are a little wide. He still can't believe it. He's going to... He's going to die.

... Will it hurt? It sure sounds like it will. "Collapse and separation", that's what he said. It sounds like it'll be excruciating, and the thought makes him grip his shirt in front of his chest. A white hot pain builds like a growing fist around his heart, which beats frantically to fight it off. It's panic. He knows that's what it is. He doesn't... want to die, and he doesn't want to think about what it'll be like. This is, ultimately, why he didn't want anyone to know. He can barely breathe, and he doesn't want to live out however long he has left like this. It's painful. It's terrifying. And as long as they know, as long as they look at him with sadness in their eyes no matter how much they try to hide it...

He coughs harshly, and he bends over with a shaking hand over his mouth. Oh god, he feels lightheaded, and his stomach can't stop churning. No no, not here, he can't he can't - This is too much, he can't keep thinking about this, not here, please he doesn't want to die]

[Dist returns, just in time to hear Luke hack and get a good, yet quick, look at his face. Oh, Score, the replica better not faint, or vomit ugh, in the examination room. After hesitating, Dist moves over to Luke's side and gives his shoulder a firm grip, pushing him downward gently.]

Lay down. You're still effected by the miasma, and you mustn't move carelessly. [The poison will only spread that way.] I cannot remove it all at once, but I can provide you with an antidote to take daily to counteract the poison. Don't move, replica. I'll mix it for you now while the machines run their tests. They're ready, but if you need a moment to gather your head, I'll allow it.

[Seriously. Dist would rather a conscious, not queasy patient than anything else, thank you very much. And Dist is not picking up after your disgusting mess, Luke.]

[Nngh. Luke sure felt like throwing up, though being forced to lie down helps some. He gets on his side and curls up, arms around his stomach, and just breathes deeply while swallowing a few times. Believe him, the last thing he wants to do is to get sick right in front of Dist. For the moment the room keeps spinning, and Luke can't seem to escape it. He can hear Dist, and he can acknowledge what he's saying, but he can't really give an answer.

After a few minutes, though, he starts to relax. Though he's just a little sweaty from recovering, he seems to be doing better. He wipes his forehead with the back of his wrist, then does as he's told and does not move. He'd rather not get that started up again.]

I'm... I'm sorry about that. [He doesn't look at Dist - he really is sorry, and embarrassed too.] You had some tests ready?

[Dist sighs, irritated, but he gives Luke a moment to calm down and settle. He understands the boy's nausea, but he really would like to get to work as quickly as he can. If he runs the tests on Luke in a swift and easy manner, he could get the results he needed faster, and faster results mean a better way to begin the actual work of defining how much time Luke has left to live. That, and...m-m-maybe trying to find a solution, if at all possible. Dist's not holding his breath at all - Jade's research was sound - but he could still...try. Perhaps.

Seeing Luke hunched over and sweating, Dist grumbles and goes to fetch him a glass of water and that medicine he promised, to counteract the miasma. He approaches when he's absolutely sure the replica wouldn't collapse (or worse), and sets the glass near him - withing arm's reach. If he needs it, it's there for him to take.]

It's nothing, though I do hope you'll compose yourself well enough so as not to interfere with my research. I'd prefer that you remained conscious, you see. [Dist pushes back his hair, still waiting for Luke's color to return.] If you're too unwell to run the tests, I can let you rest here for as long a time you need to recover. There's medicine there, and water, if you need it. The tests will do a full scan of your entire body. You need only lay down, relax, and let the machines do the work. [Kinda like a CAT-scan.] I'll also monitor your heart and blood pressure, among other things. The test itself shouldn't take long at all.

[Though the data he should gain will take Dist quite a long time to process and decipher into something accurate and easy to read.]

Once that's done, you're free to go and rest your body. I doubt the work will be ready for some time, depending on my findings, but I'll report back to you as soon as I can. ...Rest assured however, this is my top priority at the moment. You should feel privileged.

[Luke takes the medicine and water and downs them both rather quickly. After nearly getting sick, he does feel rather thirsty, and maybe the water can help him with his ravaged throat thanks to all the coughing. Once he does that, he lowers his head and rests his hands on the bed he's sitting on for a moment, just to let the water cool him down and to get a grip on the spinning in his head. And he pretty much ignores the last part of what Dist says; he's pretty sure it'd only make him more stressed anyway.

He's scared. Sure, he's scared. Luke hates medical tests, always hated them, and now that he knows what Dist is doing these examinations for, he hates them even more. He doesn't want to hear more hopeless news, he doesn't want to hear more about how he's going to die...

But this is something he has to do, lest he walk into this illness of his completely blind. So, after a few minutes, he lets out a breath, lifts his head, and squares his shoulders.]

All right. I'm ready for it.

[Dist raises a brow, and gives Luke a long, hard, judgmental look, up and down. He looks ready to faint...that or be violently ill (preferably the former, Dist muses to himself). Pursing his lips, the older of the two exhales and nods. He takes Luke by the arm, guiding the boy carefully but quickly toward a room a few doors down. Inside that room is something much like a mechanized dome, with a bench for an individual to lay on.]

Please lay down. This will scan your body completely, providing information of your internal organs and other things. [Brain waves, heart beat, abnormalities, etc.] It'll only take a moment. ...You may close your eyes, if need be. In fact, I recommend it.

[Seeing how sickly he looked already, a light scanning Luke may be a bit much for him currently.]

... Right.

[Luke doesn't feel like saying anything beyond that, and the fact that his tone is softer and more hesitant than normal speaks volumes about how he's really feeling. Scared, so scared. But he can't just break down here... Not in front of Dist. Not in front of anyone.

He does as he's told; he lays down on the bench and shifts slightly to get comfortable, then stares up at the ceiling for a moment before shutting his eyes. He takes in a deep breath, and then he relaxes himself a little. He's ready. As ready as he can be, at least.]

[The silence persists well after Luke has spoken, broken only by the quiet whirr of the machine as he's pulled - drifted, more like - into it. A light passes over him with the same quiet sound, but other than that, the test runs for a few minutes in the same fashion. Quietly. Both doctor and patient have much to think about, despite how vastly thought thoughts may differ.

After the tests run their course without incident, and Dist saves, resaves, and resaves again the data he gathered, Luke is brought out of the machine. Again, the only thing that breaks the heavy quietness in the room is the sound of Dist's footsteps as he goes over to Luke, nudging his shoulder a bit, in case he fell asleep.]

...We're finished. There's a rest area here if you feel it necessary.

[Luke had not fallen asleep, though it might have seemed like it. Instead, he shifted his wings to get into a more comfortable position, then just stayed still with his eyes shut and let his mind drift.

It was quiet, and Luke isn't sure if he welcomes it or desperately wishes Dist would talk and let him focus on something else. The noise of the machine helps a little, but it also just makes his thoughts run faster.

He'll die sometime soon. He might come back, yes... But what will it be like? Will it hurt? Will he be aware? Will he be alone, or will there be people with him? He isn't even sure what he wants in that regard. For that matter, how is he supposed to tell anyone? He doesn't want anyone to know. Does Asch know? God, what's Xion going to do? She's already lost Axel, so -

It's about that time that Dist nudges his shoulder, and Luke opens his eyes and snaps out of his thoughts. He looks at the other man for a moment, as if he isn't sure what he just said, before he turns his gaze to the ceiling again.]

... Thanks.

[It was uncomfortable, lying there and thinking while light passed over him. So, he wastes no time in getting up, even though it makes him cough and want to lie back down, and looking around for the rest area. Ah, there... A question hits him as he slides off the table and heads toward it.]

Do I need to wait for the results, or...?

[It's strange, being thanked by the replica. Considering their last run-in regarding fomicry, it's doubly strange. That, and Dist sees Asch every time he's around the replica. The perfect mirror image, yet worlds different. How very strange indeed... Dist doesn't respond to the thanks, though he nods to show he appreciates and heard it nonetheless. He's not doing this for thanks, or even because he wants to save the replica's life. No, he wants to see how far he can stretch Jade's theory.]

No. [Dist watches Luke as he wobbles toward the bed, and takes a few steps towards him, in case he falls.] The data I received needs to be reviewed and compiled into a more managed and readable form. Normally, it'd take me a few days to complete...but because this has interested me to such a degree...mm, I'd say I'll have it by the end of tomorrow, if not sooner.

All right. [All business. At least, that's what he hopes he's going for as he slides onto the bed, not even bothering to get onto his back. He just stays on his side, slightly curled up.] I'll contact you tomorrow night. Or... should it be the other way around?

The other way around. I'll present my findings, however imperfect, to you come tomorrow. I also want to inspect your health regarding the miasma you inhaled. If need be, contact me at your convenience regarding the latter, though I'm certain the hospital staff here could assist with treatment as well. I'll leave information regarding the medicine with them.

[He also wants to, maybe, schedule an impromptu appointment with your original sometime afterward. Dist needs to check his health soon, too. But first things first - this information needs to be compiled. Dist leaves Luke relatively quickly afterward. He has a lot of work to begin on, and the sooner he gets home, the sooner he can begin.]

[Luke doesn't answer, though he glances at him as he leaves. And now he's alone.

He has a lot to think about. Things he doesn't want to think about, lest he leaps into a downward spiral of depression and fear. So, after about ten minutes, after he actually feels the tug of that spiral, Luke shuts his eyes and pushes himself up, then slides off of the bed and heads out. He's a bit pale, and not quite steady, but - he needs to see someone else now. Now it's Jade's turn.]

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024 [Voice/Video]

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