Sebastian Handsel (thedoctorisodd) wrote in horror_story, @ 2013-08-07 10:25:00 |
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It was technically dark still, though the sky was taking on that faded-in-the-wash black-turned-gray that always prefaced the breaking of dawn. Sebastian had been attempting to sleep when the call came to abandon ship, and was wearing his matched silk pajamas. They didn't exactly evoke professionalism, but they were better than being nude (even with mostly starlight to see by, Sebastian had noted the nearly-nude states of several other passengers). He was grateful that he had his normal hiking shoes on. More grateful that he'd grabbed his carry-on bag, which always had at least several pairs of socks and boxers. Emergency boxers. Just in case his primary luggage was lost. Being without clean slacks was one thing, but being without clean underwear was a whole other beast.
At first, he was selfish in his panic. Checking his phone for texts, but not seeing to it that he went to every patient's cabin. He didn't check on Adelaide Spinnet. He didn't check on his awkward assistant. That was time spent tying his shoes and getting his bag. There was guilt there, and fear, as well, though it was also tangled with a kind of selfishness. Would he be held liable for this? He'd selected the cruise, but he'd had no way of knowing that the ship would sink. No way of knowing that it was dangerous. That hadn't been in the brochure at all. He'd been on cruises before, and while they could border on dull if one didn't engage onself in activities, they'd never seemed risky.
When he heard a familiar voice muttering, Sebastian felt a surge of relief. Kesiah. She'd been on the lifeboat. Thank God. That was one. He hadn't managed to get every single patient killed. He squinted through his lenses until he made out the figure of her. She seemed unharmed, and was scribbling in the dark. The lit cigarette an red-orange beacon. Good, good. Upset, obviously, but not crippled by fear. Still operating within normal parameters.
"Kesiah," he spoke, trying to sound trustworthy as he approached, like he wasn't panicked, himself. "Are you in.... are you in... are you in... are you hurt? Have you seen the others? Sherlie, Adelaide, Ginnifer and Serena? We should stay together..."
He accomplished this by closing the distance between them, rather than making her move. Then he began scanning for the others. Adelaide would have been easy to spot, as pale as she was, with white-blonde hair. He didn't see her among those gathered on the beach. Serena could have been any one of the hunched, shadowy figures. She tended to hide in her clothes, and bright, reflective colors weren't exactly her thing. Should he start calling names? He wasn't sure. There were other people around, and he didn't want to draw too much attention to his group out of respect for the ladies' privacy. There were a few who feared the public spotlight more than they would a sinking ship, certainly.
Oh, hell. His priorities were scattered about. He didn't know what he was supposed to be doing.