Chapter 7:
Arriving by the entrance to the cafeteria was especially hectic now that Rhodes Island is on its rush hour during this time of the day. Nevertheless, that did not stop the Doctor from his vital meal of the day to keep him ready for the operation later on. Well, that and because Amiya, his assistant, insisted that they should eat together in the cafeteria.
He entered the chattering cafeteria filled with Rhodes Island workers, operators, nurses, and doctors. They all seated differently. Some seated alone, not minding other people who also wanted seat alone at the same table, and some seated in groups, talking away and eating together. He wondered where he could even find Amiya in this sea of people.
Walking beside the occupied tables, he began scanning each one for a long, brown-haired girl with bunny ears. Hardly at most of the people seated inside even had long, brown hair with bunny ears. After a few minutes of on-looking and walking around, the Doctor finally gave up and decided to find an empty table, not being occupied by a single person. He'd thought that if he ran into someone else again, he'd ought to invite them instead to his table. If they want to anyway.
Watching people walk around with food on top of trays on both hands made the Doctor quite starved. He, unfortunately, forgot to walk to the counter to order food for both of them and Amiya since she is still not present. However, luck seemed to be by his side. The Doctor noticed someone odd among the crowds, someone, that seemed to walk back and forth from the counter to any random table. The person seemed to be asking the ones on the table whilst holding pen and paper listening to them as they say something.
It may not have been clear what they were doing but what was clear was the person who was doing it. The person had short dark-violet hair just near the half of her neck and a pair of wolf-like partly bent down maybe due to her stylish cap. They also wore a black jacket and somewhat baggy pants. When the person turned to their side, he realized and muttered facing away a bit. "If I just could get Dur-nar's attention..."
Lost in thought, the Doctor continued to look around aimlessly, not noticing a familiar person standing just beside him. The person called out to him, even leaning near his head until he finally snapped when he hears someone speak his name just near his ear.
"Doctor?", Dur-nar looked quite confused. "You feeling all right there?"
He curved left, having been startled from her sudden appearance beside him, "O- Woah! Dur-nar, didn't expect you to approach me next".
"Looks like I spotted you a few tables away after taking up a bunch of orders", she smirked, looking back at the ones she came to.
"Hehe, you saw right through me".
"Mhm, lucky you, Doctor. Right then, what'll you have?". She pulled out a notepad from one of her pants' pockets and grabbed the pen that hung by her collar. Then she stood by, her hand holding the pen placed just on the notebook she held on her other hand; waiting to be written by what the Doctor opted to eat.
Feeling the sense of awareness of why she did, the Doctor began to think of what he and/or Amiya might want for the meal of the morning. He then slightly turned backward to have a quick look at what would be served by the counter. But even with all the squinting, he couldn't make out what people got from there.
"Uhm..", he turns to her instead. "What did you guys whip up exactly for today's breakfast?"
"What? Were you in a hurry?", she tried not to giggle.
"Mm, more or less", he nervously answered.
"Well... what Matterhorn and the gang cooked are what's usually served for morning meals. Poached eggs and bacon, waffles and syrup, baked bread that's fresh from the oven, omelet with rice (usually called by some 'omurice'), cooked sausages and hash browns, and pie on the side."
"I think the pie is complimentary, especially for Exusiai", he softly commented.
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing."
"So, have you thought about what you want to order?", Dur-nar asked once again, feeling that this time the Doctor might have something in mind.
"All of them sounds pretty tasty though but... I think I'll have the sausages and hash brown, please".
"Sure thing, Doc", she gladly writes down on her notepad and begins slowly walk away.
However, she could even walk away from his sight, the Doctor suddenly realized something. He accidentally forgot to order for Amiya. Not long before Dur-nar was out of sight, he called out to her, startling her as she walked while deep in thought. She then rushes back to him, asking what was the matter and if he forgot something from her. Supposedly, he was to order for Amiya but was distracted by which one from the following meal choices Dur-nar spoke to him about. She then flips through her notepad on to a blank page and waited shortly as the Doctor thought about what Amiya might want for breakfast.
The Doctor eventually made up his mind, telling her that poached eggs and bacon would be a somewhat ideal choice for Amiya. Though he slightly doubted that Amiya might protest at why this is going to be her meal. He just hopes that she would gladly accept. In addition to Amiya's order, the Doctor even requested for coffee for both of them, as Dur-nar wrote down as well.
After the sudden call for her, Dur-nar began to walk off once again while she counted the number of orders there were. About ten of them to be exact, meaning that she is to come back to the counter after gathering ten of them. However, as she is about to slowly approach the counter where Ethan stood by, Dur-nar suddenly had a realization. Earlier, she spotted Amiya conversing with Gummy just by the kitchen doors. Then Amiya handed her a piece of paper similar to one of the papers Dur-nar had on her notepad. It might've been a trick of the eye but she passed it off as it is.
Coming back, she then heard Ethan calling it to her saying, "Dur-nar, you got the orders, or did you lose them again?"
"No I-, what do you mean again?", she snapped, continuing her way to the counter to hand them to him.
Meanwhile, the table the Doctor is sitting by felt a bit colder by the passing second. With the silence around his own area, he'd thought of placing his head down the table to catch a bit of sleep. Maybe it was because of how empty the seats, or how not many people thought of seating with him. Maybe it was because of how many times he'd stay cooped up in his office that not everyone, especially the new recruits, knows what he looks like. The only people who recognized him well or who knew what he wore is his squad of operators and some of the higher-ups, like Kal'tsit. The usual black hood over his head and some sort of mask just under his jaw. He basically stood out like that, being all secretive under his cowl. But even so, if people don't exactly come near him, then the operators in his squad do.
Not long after a few minutes, someone walking by his table decided to stop and make out who he was. The person's white peach hair swayed a bit to her right while she leaned down on the Doctor. She seemed to be eagerly intrigued who it might be sitting alone on a table with their hood still over their head. And with a short tap on the shoulder, the Doctor straightened up, completely relieving himself of his drowsiness. Once awake, he didn't know if it was supposed to be anyone other than Amiya to wake him up, but now he was mistaken.
"G-gitano? I mistook you for someone else there", he fixed his hood nervously, facing her.
"No worries, Doctor. But more importantly, are you doing well?", she asked with some concern, looking over the still empty table.
Noticing her peeking eyes, he shook his two hands just by his chest, meaning that it's nothing to be of any concern. "I was just waiting for someone, or well, I'm still waiting for her".
"Hmm~? If I may, it sounds as if they're running a bit late".
Curious, the Doctor responds, "What makes you say that?"
"Quite obvious isn't it? Hehe", she sweetly grins.
"Well..-" he stops to think -" What brings you here actually".
"Why to eat, of course, my tarot cards say that if I were to come a few minutes early, then I would have gotten to a good morning".
"Seems that your fortunes never disappoint you", he smiles in relief.
"Am I right?", she agrees with no hesitation. "But alas, it would've been a greater morning if I were not watching over two odd ladies".
"Odd ladies?"
"Mhm, yes. Madam Kal'tsit caught me in the nick of time, asking if I were free to watch over them. I couldn't exactly decline the offer but I think Madam Kal'tsit has no more time to run into people".
In the Doctor's head he thought, 'Well, that's Kal'tsit for you'. "If you're like babysitting them, where are they?".
"They are..-" She looks behind to see, and then gets startled -" Oh and here they are".
"I have.. ordered waffles and syrup, Miss Gitano", a mellow voice said.
Looking behind him, the Doctor met two ladies (certainly odd as Gitano previously said) standing in front of her while they held their food trays in both hands. The lady on the left is dressed in a white fancy dress or gown with black straps all over while a book, strapped closed, slung just by her waist. Her light blue seemed to show no life and her face felt like it was expressing any delight seeing Gitano again. The lady on the right, however, was the total opposite of her. She wore a black dress and a nun's headwear that covered her long light grey hair. Her red eyes, however, seemed to show some kind of terror and a bit of craze. Her expression felt like she had just grinned a while ago while hiding a much more sinister smile. When she turned to look at the Doctor, she somehow blushed and his left eye looked like it shone a bit. This spooked the Doctor quite a bit while trying not to be as he scanned both of them.
"Good Morning, Specter, Nightingale", he finally greeted both of them.
The two, instead of greeting back, just bowed their heads at the Doctor. Specter seemed to even grin as she did, making him startled and a bit terrified at her gestures. When she noticed, Gitano just told him off to just not mind it as Specter hadn't been able to roam out in the rooms and halls of Rhodes Island due to some complications. She even says that she's starting to be a bit more comfortable without any social contact which the Doctor just suddenly felt a bit more pity than fright by now. He eventually invited them to sit with him instead of on his table, telling them that there aren't many seats right now if they wanted to eat right away.
Gitano felt relieved, "And that's all right for you, Doctor?"
"It's fine, really. Besides, I'd be thankful enough for accompanying me while I wait".
"Then we're glad to take up your offer", she says as she walks by the seat opposite of the Doctor then sits down, propping down the tray she carried on the table.
The two girls then followed by, shuffling carefully as they sat down as well next to each other, just like Gitano. He didn't exactly notice but it seems that the Doctor's order was the same as Nightingale's, and Specter's is the same as what he ordered for the Amiya.
"Something the matter, Doctor?", Nightingale asks politely in a monotone voice.
"Ah- it's nothing really". He eventually broke off those thoughts and eased up a bit. "It's just weird that you two have the same meals as I ordered a few minutes ago".
"Then would you want a taste, Doctor?", Specter teased, fixing her two hands on the sides of her tray as she slowly moved it to him.
"I-it's all right", he nervously declined.
"Mhm.. is that so~", she put up a pleased expression, looking down on her tray.
"Don't worry, you need your food too. Mine's gonna get here soon".
By that, Specter seemed to be a bit touched. Somewhat like a parent to their child. She bowed her head a bit, smiling. Seeing her smile again, the Doctor didn't even feel a bit of uneasiness from her. He thought, 'So she can smile pleasantly after all'.
