Shalimar sat quiet in the corner of the lab, watching the movements around her. She wondered what amazing power the Soft Voice had over the others that the Other could look at her without anger after what she had done. Physically, he didn't seem intimidating enough to have such complete control - but then the knife had not been physically imposing and she had been much more scared of him than the others. She studiously avoided their eyes while they spoke, instead taking time to examine her surroundings more carefully. This had been the room she had awoken in, she knew. The raised bed was in front of her, the Other laid on it. She had watched the bright beam flicker out of the box on the roof while the other lay silent and still, and wondered what it did. She knew she had been healed while she had lain there, even recent cuts and bruises fading as though they were weeks old. Her cheek was barely tender to touch now, whereas before every movement of her face had been near agony. But whether the light healed, or that was some magic of the Soft Voice's hands, she couldn't tell.
She jumped as the Soft Voice's hand on her shoulder, as he spoke a single word. 'Shalimar', he had said it before, the first time she had heard his voice. He had made it a question then, but she had heard it again since. Much she may have forgotten, but she was not a slow learner. This she took as her name, or at least the one these people had given her. Her name in that other place had been different for each of those who visited her, and so she had named each of them. Looking up at the Soft Voice she found a hand outstretched.
She watched it curiously for a moment, glancing at its partner - she wouldn't be tricked again - and then took it with her right. A gentle tug brought her to her feet and she was led to the chair in the middle of the room.
Jesse watched Shalimar's face with curiosity as she was led across the room. He could see that she was infinitely more relaxed than she had been before, and hoped that Adam was right, that finding some kind of protection that they could offer her was enough to help her begin to understand and trust them. Sitting up again, more slowly this time, he slipped from the bed, making room for Shalimar. Keeping one hand on the bed for balance, he waited until the world reoriented itself.
"Take a seat on the mattress, Jesse. I don't want you upright for too long right now."
She watched as the Other stood, obviously off-balance. The bruise on the side of his face was obvious - bright and discoloured skin. The Soft Voice spoke to him and he nodded, moving towards her vacated seat in the corner. Even as he made his first step she saw his eyes glaze and knew that he must be feeling as she had when the Fist had hit her. Almost as if the world itself was spinning around her head. She grabbed hold of his forearm as he staggered, eyes wide as she was torn between not wanting to be too close if he intended to take his anger at falling out on her and not wanting to let him fall. Eventually he gathered himself, and pulled his feet beneath him again. As soon as he was upright she released his arm and backed away, pulling away from Adam as he reached out for her. Moving for the door.
"God Shalimar, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" There was nothing in his eyes but regret as he spoke her name again.
No anger. Where was the anger? Where were these people hiding away the anger that she had felt in them when she had first arrived here. She looked to Adam. What magic could this man hold or was there something else someone else for them to hand their anger onto. Did they have someone locked away somewhere. Someone like her.
Adam caught hold of her shoulders as she continued backing away, and she looked up at him with eyes full of fear. He led her back to the bed, and gestured that she should sit, leaving her beside the bed. Not forcing her.
He walked over to the scanner, glad to see that Jesse had made it to the mattress, head in his hands, though whether it was from pain or from regret at seeing Shalimar's fear again, he didn't know. When he turned back to the medilab bed he found Shalimar sat there, but not laid back into the chair, just balanced on the edge. He moved back over.
"You have to lay back, I'm sorry." He said, resting one hand on her shoulder to guide her down. She let herself be laid back into the chair and stayed where she was, still and tense as Adam moved away again.
Moving to the console he activated the scanner and turned to watch as it scanned over her body. There was a beep and he turned back to the computer. He fought not to express his annoyance with a noise as he saw that - as expected - Shalimar had displaced the bone in her wrist again through its mistreatment. Even the cast hadn't been able to keep it in place. He was amazed that she didn't seem to be in any considerable pain, such an injury would have most laid out, or at the very least expressing their pain vocally. But she seemed to have too much else on her mind.
"I'm going to have to remove this cast." He told her, searching her eyes for some kind of sign that she was understanding his words. "Because you seem to be making more trouble with it on than off, and if you do any more damage to your wrist I'm going to have to pin it and you really wouldn't like that. Ok?"
Not understanding the words obviously meant for her, she heard his voice raised in question at the end of the sentence and nodded in desperate hope that this was the right answer. His eyes searched hers.
"Ok then." He moved closer to her, taking her arm in his hands. There was something sharp. "You just sleep, I'll see you later." And darkness closed around her.