R R I - REHABILITATION & REINTEGRATION INITIATIVE

Characters: Cal and Kyle
Setting: medical bay, evening

Kyle looked at his watch. Eight on the dot. Taking a breath, he headed into the medical bay. “Cal? Doc?” he called, trying not to let any nervousness sound in his tone. Sure, he felt more stable now than he had that morning, but still - having a talk with the doctor remained a good idea, he thought.

Cal had prepared for this, as much as he could. He’d seen to his appointments for the day, meeting with Jun-he in the library and seeing to matters in the clinic through the day, but through it all Cal knew the clock was ticking down. Upstairs, there’d been a cookout and a memorial for Caroline, as well as what he hoped was kinship forming among the others in the wake of these new tragedies. But down here? Cal was just waiting.

He’d bagged up a pair of sandwiches, sealing them up and tucking them in a little cooler downstairs with some bottles of water before settling in to wait. Really, the clinic’s sterile conditions weren’t as welcoming as Cal would’ve liked for a therapy session, but everywhere else was public space. He would just have to make do. Which he was doing when Kyle stepped in with Cal’s name on his lips. “C’mon in,” Cal answered from his desk, slipping out of his seat and turning the chair. “How’re you feelin’?”

( Talking the Talk )

Characters: Cal and Kyle
Setting: Clinic, evening

With Caroline’s remains put away in one of the patient rooms and the clinic itself cleaned after tending to her, Cal was wishing there was more to do. Granted, there was plenty if he wanted; notes on the others, details of the schematics for Leandro’s breathing devices, even just the general update of his inventory list, to track what had been used. But really, Cal didn’t want any of that.

It was all too silent, too intent and isolated. He hadn’t needed to deal with a corpse in some time now, and returning to such work had left him somewhat restless. If he could’ve, he would’ve left the clinic with Violet or Becka and walked the rest of the facility, but at some point Cal knew he’d get what he wanted. He’d have company if he waited, someone he could try to directly help. Sooner or later, an appointment with Kyle was due.

Kyle entered the clinic nervously. He had been mostly avoiding all day, but as evening had drawn in, he couldn’t any longer. Still, there was part of him that would have preferred to pretend that reality didn’t exist. He knew he couldn’t do that though, and he had never been that kind of coward, so he tried to hide his emotions as best he could behind a blank mask. “Hi - are you the doctor?” he asked, coming to a stop in the middle of the room, posture poised and impeccable.

( Professionalism )