|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:23 pm
It was only a little past seven in the morning when Robert received the rare, near mythical, actual phone call. Almost as rare, the doctor's voice on the other end held no mockery, no leering innuendo or vicious criticism for the trainee. Instead it was simply thoughtful.
"Hello, Robert."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:34 pm
Robert did not like being woken up this early; didn't matter who, didn't matter why, and it certainly didn't matter what-
He sat up straight after he'd slapped the phone to answer it, and heard the faint, far away voice of the good doctor on the other line, even if it was still four inches from his ear. He grabbed for the phone, fumbling several times before finally picking it up, and putting it on his ear.
"Yes-"
It was upside down. He flipped it around and held it up again, clearing his throat.
"Ahh, yes, hi, Robert here. What's up sir?"
It was too early to realize he should be a little more formal. He heard shuffling behind him, and gently crawled out of bed before his talking woke Petra up. He briefly considered putting a pillow over her head.. but that might end up looking like he was trying to kill her.
He never was to come up with the brightest ideas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:45 pm
"I feel that it's time to discuss what happened in my office while I was away."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:54 pm
He'd just closed the door of his dorm after walking outside of it, when he heard the words that inspired dread in his heart. The dorm room door clicked closed with a soft sound, and he leaned against it, turning to slide down to the floor.
On his lips twitched a little smile. He was glad the man on the other line couldn't see it.
"Yes sir, go ahead sir."
He was awake now - and maybe a little respect could go a long way towards saving his life.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:15 pm
"Go ahead...yes, I supposed I will. But first, just to verify that we are, indeed, on the same page with this: do you know where you went wrong?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:26 pm
Robert wiped the smile off his face and leaned his head against the door, trying to sound serious.
"I had a pajama party in the Life Labs." Straight, honest, to the point - and trying very hard not to sound proud of it. "In my defense, sir, there's nothing against it in the manual."
... what manual?!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:10 pm
"I quite honestly couldn't care less about your clumsy attempts to see young women in their sleepwear. No, the mistake is in the fact that you went into my office, disturbed my work, and played on top of my desk. You ******** with my property, Robert, and by extension, myself. You ******** with me." Throughout the conversation the doctor's voice maintained that quiet thoughtfulness. As if carefully evaluating both the situation and the young man on the other end of the line. "So now I need to ask, is this going to be a problem, Robert? Do I need to concern myself with you on a personal level?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:17 pm
Robert had generalized, considered the entire party to be the problem, but it was in fact the specific actions within the party that seemed to bother Dr. H. He paled considerably as the man listed off exactly what Robert had done wrong, and all traces of humor left his face.
"Ohhh... oh yeah. I thought I was gonna have time to clean all that up but then.. s**t happened and.. s**t happened." He could have gone on and on about the events of that night, but he knew when to shut up and take the hit. "Yeah. Sorry, Dr. H. I won't ******** with your desk anymore. I promise."
It sounded sincere, at least. And maybe a little like a reprimanded child.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:08 pm
"I'm not asking for any apologies or promises, Robert. I'm just making sure you understand the situation you've placed yourself in." The doctor paused for a moment and when he continued it was with a definite note of amusement, "Now, I suggest you pay a visit to the eastern sparring grounds. Clarice mentioned the desire to have a little heart to heart with you today and it would be best to avoid making her hunt you down."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:12 pm
Robert paused, took an audible breath, and his next words trembled slightly.
".. Couldn't you just kill me, instead?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:15 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:37 pm
Robert pulled his phone away from his ear, stared at it for a moment, and whimpered. Then he crawled back up to stand, and walked into his room. He slid back under the covers of his bed, wrapped his arms around Petra, and turned her around to face him whether she was sleeping or not.
"Pet, baby, I gotta go talk to Clarice. If I don't come back from this, I just want you to know, I always loved you. Give my shoes and top hat to Jerry, and my porn mags to Leon."
He cuddled her tight, as if this was the last time he would ever see her again.
Maybe it was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interesting Conversationalist
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:46 pm
Petra didn't even look up when the door opened again, barely moving at all when Robert's arms curled around her. It was only when he turned her over that she made a grumbling sound and cracked her eyes open to slits, staring at him for a second blearily before judging that he wasn't serious, and that she could go back to sleep.
"Ok, tell Clarice I said hi," she mumbled, her voice rough and garbled with sleep, her lips barely moving to form the words.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:51 pm
Robert let out the most pathetic whimper, before untangling himself from Petra and getting dressed. He put on his cleanest set of underwear, because you should never die in dirty underwear, and made sure his shirt wasn't white - blood stains never came out of white shirts.
When he was finally dressed, and made sure Jezebel was in his pocket, he leaned down and kissed Petra's once-more sleeping forehead, before heading out to his doom. He took his sweet time heading towards teh eastern sparring grounds, because every second of his now shortening life counted.
But eventually he got there, looking appropriately contrite.
"Claaarriiiiice?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:21 pm
Dressed in simple sweats and a tank, earphones on, and sipping from a bottle of water, the Life assistant didn't notice Robert until he called her name. Turning, Clarice quirked an eyebrow and put her bottle down on a nearby bench. A moment later her mp3 player followed.
Hraegar remained unsummoned, a metal cuff a her wrist.
Were things were looking up for Robert?
"You may want to warm-up a bit first. You're going to be in pain today, and I'd like to be the cause of it rather than a pulled muscle."
Nope.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
