InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "We are the champions!"

Shannon Rutherford (ballerinadreams) wrote in vas_captio_rpg,
@ 2009-04-06 00:05:00

Entry tags:

!complete, day 03, location: pharmacy/liquor store, shannon rutherford, shizuka domeki

Day Three - Daybreak
Who: Shizuka Domeki and Shannon Rutherford
Where: The Pharmacy
What: Looking for an inhaler and anything else that might provide useful
When: Sun up
Rating: PG-13 for language
Status: Complete

Between having frozen her ass off all night - hey, it had seemed like a good idea at the time to get so cold she'd never be able to sleep - and being under so much stress, by the time Sam woke up the following morning, rendering Shannon's shift complete, she could barely breathe at all. She croaked a hurried explanation to Sam as to where she was going and breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth as calmly as she could manage while writing to Domeki that she was leaving. She hoped he'd be awake.

The sunlight was a nice surprise and it felt amazing against her bare arms and shoulders. The tank top wasn't so bad in this weather. A little chillier than it had been on the Island, but she barely noticed because it felt infinitely warmer than she'd been feeling the past two days. Shannon took her time, keeping a slow pace and occassionally stopping entirely to gasp and wheeze after looking around to make sure no one could see or hear her. If she didn't find an inhaler in the pharmacy, she'd be so screwed at this point. Domeki would have to go fetch the Doctor or Martha or something, because she wouldn't be able to walk anymore by then. Panic would only put her into full blown attack mode and she'd probably be too close to passing out and crying to do anything for herself. She really, really hoped it didn't come down to that.

When she reached the thrift store, she was still alone and she frowned as she leaned against it, exhausted. It wasn't a hideously long walk, but it had felt like miles and miles. Hopefully he was up, around, and would show up in a few minutes. The sooner the better. ...and he'd better fucking keep the knowledge of her asthma to herself. Domeki would be the first person to learn Shannon's weakness, but he would also be one of the last. He and the Doctor had exclusive knowledge and the Doctor had already promised to keep it to himself. There'd be hell to pay if Domeki told, that was all Shannon knew. He'd be sorry, that was for sure. That was Shannon's biggest secret and she'd almost spilled it for the whole town to see. Stupid move, but she wouldn't make it again.

Shannon looked up the road and then down it again. If he wasn't there in another fifteen minutes or so, she'd leave without him and drop him a line to have him change course, complete with directions on how to do it. It wasn't like she was impatient (okay, she was, but that wasn't the problem this time); she just didn't know how long she could hold out before the panic started to set in and made things exponentially worse.

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throughyoureye
2009-04-06 01:45 pm UTC (link)

"You're the first person to ever tell me that," Domeki responded to her suggestion that he look into becoming a poet with a slight grin. It was a bit absurd of a thought, he supposed, since he rarely spoke so much at once and he really wasn't doing much more than remembering the things which he had been told - but the suggestion was welcome and kind, regardless. He naturally allowed Shannon to hold onto him as much as needed as she calmed herself and he never showed any real sign of impatience - just calm waiting for her to return to a more regular breathing pattern. "Maybe I should start by composing odes to the natural wonders of interdimensional ghost towns..."

It was dark humor, and perhaps not entirely called for, but this was the sort of thing which seemed to come naturally to Domeki. Still, he didn't have much time to reflect on the appropriateness of his speech for the pharmacy laid just ahead and the much more important matter of finding Shannon's medicine was at hand. He followed her back through the musty darkness of the place and passed through the small door to the open room beyond. He nodded to both her question and her description of the medicine box - but he couldn't know if she'd see it in the faint light.

"Albuterol in a white box with a red label," he repeated mostly for his own sake. Domeki noted, as he began to sort through the various boxes, that the labels were all very difficult for him to read but he thought he could make out some of the characters - enough that he could dismiss a good deal of them offhand, at any rate. It seemed like an eternity until his hand happened to fall upon a small white box with a red label. Pulling this from the shelf, he quickly fumbled open the top and he sighed relief when he spotted a white plastic contraption inside.

"Here, I think I found something," Domeki called. Standing, he walked over to Shannon and held the box out in offering. "Is this what you meant?"

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ballerinadreams
2009-04-06 02:02 pm UTC (link)

In spite of herself, Shannon allowed herself a smirk and an airy huff in place of laughter at his suggestion that he start by composing odes to the dump they'd been, well...dumped in. "Cute...our first...inside joke," she teased weakly, giving him a small smile.

As she searched through the labels on the boxes and pill bottles in the aisle she'd wandered into, Shannon tried to keep calm when she saw nothing she was looking for. Anxiety medication, anti-depressants, pain killers, sleep aids...nothing she recognized as helpful for her asthma. But she heard Domeki and looked over as he approached holding out a box that Shannon had known as part of her life since she'd been little.

Eyes widening, Shannon threw her arms around him in a brief, frantic hug and then stepped back, snatching the box and ripping it open. "Yes! I could...fucking kiss you!" she gasped as she dropped the box and shook the inhaler. Taking the cap off, she shoved the mouthpiece in between her lips and took a puff, using her free hand to hold onto the shelf nearest to her. Shannon held her breath and closed her eyes, feeling her head begin to swim slightly and she let the breath out in a huff before repeating the process.

Then, she paused, frozen in place as she tried to breathe normally, testing herself to see if it worked. In her excitement and relief, she hadn't bothered to check the expiration date on the box and if it was old, she'd need to double her dose. But, it worked and her lungs opened up again immediately. Shannon let out a sigh of relief and gave Domeki a tired, grateful smile. "Jesus, you're my hero," she laughed, holding up the inhaler briefly before bending to pick up the discarded box. She deposited the inhaler back inside and let out another sigh, looking around the pharmacy and chewing her bottom lip as she squeezed the box in her hand.

"Shit, I forgot my journal...Martha had a list," she muttered, looking back at Domeki. "Do you have yours with you? She gave me a list of things to get and bring back," she explained as her eyes moved away from him again to scan the back of the counter. Grinning slightly, she moved past Domeki and grabbed one of the plastic baskets back there. That'd work to hold everything, she supposed. "Oh," she added, looking over her shoulder at him again. "Where'd you find this?" she asked, holding up the box again. "Was there more?"

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throughyoureye
2009-04-06 02:57 pm UTC (link)

Domeki grinned at the briefly frantic hug and he suddenly found himself rather glad that he had offered to come along with Shannon on her hunt. There was something intensely pleasant in being able to take even a bit of control in as seemingly helpless situation as this and it was also comforting to know that there was what appeared to be a fairly well stocked pharmacy at hand should the worst befall any of them. It occurred to him that it likely wouldn't hurt to take an inventory of the store's stock, but that could likely wait for another time - one when there wasn't the pressing matter of a severe asthma attack.

"Kissing can come later - once you know you have the breath for it," Domeki joked easily but his expression was cautiously concerned as he watched Shannon make use of the inhaler. Absently, he realized that he didn't know of any back up procedures should the medicine not work but that only led to the fact that he didn't know if asthma medicine could go bad - or sit so long that it'd become entirely ineffective. If such a thing could happen - and had happened - he really didn't know what he could do for Shannon. He'd probably have to hurry to find one of the doctors and even that could take a bit too long...

Domeki released a breath he hadn't quite been aware that he'd been holding once it became evident that the medicine had worked and that Shannon was again breathing normally. He allowed his own relief to show in a slight smile as he crossed his arms and leaned back against one of the tall shelves. "That's me - a hero poet. I am glad that the medicine worked, though."

At the mention of needing one, Domeki nodded and tugged his journal from the back pocket of his jeans. Idly, it occurred to him then that it might not be a bad idea to look into finding a pack of some sort so that he wouldn't have to abuse the few pockets he had but he dismissed the thought - it could wait until he returned to the thrift store. "Here. Do you want me to read it or would you rather see it yourself?" He held out the book in offering - using this same to point to the section of shelf where he had earlier found the inhaler. "I found the box over there. I think there were a few more just like it but I didn't take the time to look at them very closely."

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ballerinadreams
2009-04-06 03:21 pm UTC (link)

Shannon gave Domeki a grin and a playful roll of her eyes. "You know, you remind me of someone from back on Craphole Island," she told him. The grin faded away and she chewed her bottom lip as she looked away from him again.

Domeki's comment about the kissing and the jesting tone in his voice made her think of Sayid when they'd been working on her shelter. The teasing he'd given her about being a spinster spending her Saturday nights alone at home tying knots and how she'd suggested that they get some rope and spend a Saturday night alone to see what happened. Even as she felt a tug on her heartstrings and a downward draw of her mouth into a frown, she could feel herself blushing and was glad when he broke her thoughts with another joke.

"Hero poet extraordinaire," she agreed with a renewed smirk, happy to be able to put up her wall again and keep her feelings and thoughts to herself. "You and me both, buddy," she added. "Thanks again for finding it."

When Domeki pulled out his journal, Shannon reached out for it. "I will, if you don't mind," she replied, "just because I know right where it is - I made a doodle on the page so it would stand out. I imagine that'll show up in your journal too." She took the journal slowly in case he changed his mind about handing it over at the last minute, giving him the option to take it back without having to snatch it from her.

"If there's more, I want them all," she said, completely aware of the selfishness she was displaying. Even if she wasn't here for as long as the inhalers would last, she didn't know how long it would be before she could get back home and even then, when she'd have enough money to go to a doctor. Sabrina wouldn't give her money to take the chance of a lifetime even when Boone had asked for her; Shannon doubted that she'd hand over money now with Boone dead.

Flipping through the pages of Domeki's journal, she found the right one and smiled. "Okay. She said...penecillin, needles, bandages..." Shannon read, "cotton balls, and peroxide. And whatever else might be helpful." She closed his journal around her finger to keep the page and looked back up at Domeki. "You think we should just peruse and grab whatever we can find?" she ventured curiously.

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throughyoureye
2009-04-06 05:02 pm UTC (link)

"Hm?" Domeki raised his eyebrows questioningly in response to her comment that he reminder her of someone but the her expression changed soon after informed him that it was likely best not to press the issue. Instead, he allowed her to walk her memories as he moved to study some of the various boxes and bottles on the shelves. It was a bit difficult to guess what might or might not be useful - especially since he was still having a bit of trouble reading the labels - but there were a few sure bets in amongst the rest.

Taking a cue from his companion, he took a small basket from the collective and into this quickly went the rest of the boxes with the red and white label. Domeki was just reaching for what appeared to be bottles of some sort of antiseptic spray when Shannon spoke again. "If I'm a heroic poet extraordinaire, does that make you my muse?"

"I found some more of those same boxes," he replied, showing her the contents of his basket. "These were all I could find right there but there might still be others around - or even in the back, if this place has a supply room of sorts."

Domeki was content enough to let her have his journal. He hadn't written anything private in it, after all, and even if he had he likely wouldn't have been too upset about handing over the book - what secrets did he have to keep, anyway? In a situation such as this, it was likely best to be forthcoming and it was obvious that Shannon knew just where to look in order to find the doctor's orders.

"Mm, I think you might be right," he nodded and turned back to his curious study of the contents of the various shelves. "We can use what she wrote as a guideline but pick up anything else that might be useful. I don't know about taking any of the other prescription medicines though."

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ballerinadreams
2009-04-06 06:39 pm UTC (link)

"Your muse?" Shannon asked, grinning and raising an eyebrow at him. "I don't know...I've never been someone's muse before..." she said pensively as she plucked up bottles of Penecillin and Naproxen, depositing them into her basket. She looked over her shoulder at him. "I kinda like the sound of it, though," she admitted, wrinkling her nose as she grinned to herself and went back to scanning the medication for anything else that sounded familiar and looked useful. By the time she was finished, she'd taken a few familiar-sounding antibiotics as well as some anti-anxiety medication. Could come in handy, after all, might as well grab it while she was there.

Abandoning the medicine shelves, Shannon started back out from behind the counter when she heard Domeki addressing her again. "Oh, awesome, thank you," she beamed. "That'll be enough to last me for months, actually, so that's probably way more than enough."

The idea that she might end up stuck here as long as she'd been stuck on the Island vaguely crossed her mind, if only because she'd been so sure that the rescue boat was coming and still, after over a month, it never came. If she was going to be stranded here, there came with the inhalers Domeki was taking peace of mind for Shannon. Or at least, as close as she could get to it in a place like this.

"Sounds like a plan," Shannon agreed as she started to peruse the other shelves, taking things as she saw them that looked like they might be of use. Ace bandages, Icy Hot patches, enough gauze to make three mummies, every box of Band-Aids on the shelf; all of it went into Shannon's basket.

"Whatcha got?" she called to Domeki as she turned the corner of one of the shelves and came face to face with an air cast and a pair of crutches. "Score," she breathed, putting the air cast into her basket. She'd tell Martha about the crutches and she could take them when she came; Shannon didn't feel like carrying them and anyway, they were bulky. They'd get in the way.

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throughyoureye
2009-04-06 07:34 pm UTC (link)

"It'll be a new experience for the both of us then," Domeki responded to the fact that she had never been a muse with a faint smirk but this was lost as he crouched to get a better look at some of the boxes arrayed on the lower levels. Unsure what would be absolutely useful, he finally chose to add some insulin pens, the syringes which were helpfully placed nearby, some strong antihistamines, and a few allergy pens.

Satisfied with his take, Domeki moved to join Shannon on the other side of the counter and he began to idly walk the aisles in search of the odds and ends which might be useful to them. He did linger a moment over some ice packs but the fact that they would have no way to actually keep them frozen caused him to regretfully replace them on the shelf.

"I've got almost a full basket," He called in answer to her. "I picked up some throat lozenges, cough syrup, something called pepto bismol, a few packs of safety pins, a few packs of latex gloves, some aspirin, some neosporin, some aloe vera gel, some cotton swabs, and some tissues."

Domeki paused a moment to consider a display of some more basic needs but the assumption was made that these would be found if anyone had a basic need for them. Leaving those behind, he followed the sound of Shannon's voice. "Can you think of anything else we might be forgetting?"

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ballerinadreams
2009-04-06 08:36 pm UTC (link)

Smiling and nodding to herself, Shannon looked up in time to see him drop down out of sight. "Lots of new experiences as of late for you guys, huh?" she asked, the smile fading slightly but not falling away entirely.

It was weird to say it like that, but it felt about right. While it was definitely new waking up somewhere unfamiliar, Shannon was experienced, now, with the whole survival aspect. Going through this pharmacy felt a little like having watched Jack go through everyone's luggage after it had washed up on shore. Having Domeki by her side calming her with his words felt like Jack and Boone hovering over her in the caves trying to relax her until Sun had found the eucalypus for her chest. The inhaler Domeki found was better, though, without a question.

The torches were familiar, the rain was familiar - as was the quick change in the weather entirely - and sleeping in shifts with Sam was familiar. It made her a little sick to her stomach when she made the realization of just how like the Island this place was.

Vas Captio: glass cage, Sam had said. The Island was similar in its own way. Prison océanique: Oceanic prison. Rolling her eyes, she let out a soft huff of derisive laughter to herself. Oceanic in more than one sense.

Her thoughts were given a welcome interruption when Domeki answered her question. She smirked. "You got Pepto? That's awesome," she laughed. "I think stomach upset is probably the least of our worries, but it'll definitely be nice to have on hand," she added with a smile.

The rest of his cache sounded pretty good. Between the two of them, Shannon felt like they had most of the bases pretty well covered, if not all. Especially if he hadn't grabbed the same sorts of medication that she had. If there was variety in the prescriptions as well as the other finds, they'd be all set. Then again, that was just Shannon's opinion; Martha's may be very different.

Pausing as she scanned the store again in thought, her eyes caught on the selection of liquor on the other side of the store. "Yep, hold this?" she asked, holding her basket out to him and then heading over to look at the selection. "Dr. McGillicuddy...oh how I have missed you," she breathed, snatching the large bottle of peppermint schnapps from the shelf and heading back up toward Domeki.

"Oh! Peroxide, she said, I think," Shannon exclaimed as the realization hit her. She walked past Domeki and peeked down the aisles until she saw the familiar brown bottles lined up neatly, however dusty and dingy they were. She tucked the liquor under her arm and took all four bottles of peroxide off the shelf making her way back to Domeki and dropping them into her basket.

"I'm so getting drunk tonight," she said with a smirk, holding up the liquor before taking her basket back and then dropping the bottle into the basket amongst the medical supplies. "I haven't gotten drunk since--" she cut herself off and cleared her throat. Since I seduced Boone in the hotel room the night before we got on the plane, she thought. "In a long time," she finished awkwardly, giving Domeki a small smile. "And fuck knows I could use something to get numb," she added in a low voice, looking away from him again as she started toward the door.

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ballerinadreams
2009-04-06 08:36 pm UTC (link)

Why wait, Shannon? Your stupid antics were the reason you were even on that plane. Your brother died less than a week ago. You're stuck in the middle of goddamn nowhere with a bunch of fucking strangers you can't even trust. And on top of it all, you're trying to fill Kate's shoes? Why wait until tonight? Crack that bitch open now; the sooner you drink it, the sooner you stop feeling things. It's better that way. The answers and the escape are always at the bottom of the bottle, so get to it.

The last sentiment wiped the smile off her face and put her back into the same disgusting mood she'd been in when she'd realized that the rescue boat was probably not coming back on the Island. No need to take it out on Domeki just because he was there, that was for sure.

"C'mon, we gotta take this stuff to the gym," she added over her shoulder, shoving the door open and uncapping the bottle of schnapps she'd taken back out of the basket. Shannon wasted no time breaking into it, taking a deep pull on the bottle and only pulling it away when she needed to gasp for air. Capping the bottle again, she dropped it lazily back into the basket and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, waiting in the doorway for Domeki.

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