[[It's night by the time you make it to Michelle's apartment.
Coming out of the hospital had been a shock for you - the lack of openings to the outside combined with not thinking to ask for the time made the daylight startling. Not to mention the news and authorities from the city that had come far, far too late.
It's the same bureaucracy you've ever known. The same sun. Only moving your bandages while you're in Michelle's truck convinces you the whole thing hadn't been some…some…
Oh, who are you kidding, your nightmares are not this detailed. Or this horrifying. Or so…new.
"You uh, alright there, Blondie?"
You look up. Michelle's staring at you with plain concern on the unbandaged half of her face. You start to ask if she should be watching the road, or if maybe you should drive the rest of the way-
You're already here. You must not have noticed your arrival.
The apartment complex is…nice-ish. For a middle tier complex. It's a pretty green color at least!
Michelle laughs hard until she winces when you compliment the color of the building. "Blondie, that's mold! Fresh green mildew! Probably shouldn't be breathin' it in to be honest with ya. But it's home. Or at least comfortable enough to sleep in."
Oh.
She gives you another look, "Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home?"
It's…
You take a breath to try and get your thoughts in order. It's not that you want to impose on Michelle-
"Not that it's an imposition. I mean, you saved my life! I can afford to offer up a lumpy couch for that!"
-but you don't. Think you could handle being home right now. Not when you would have to cross tiers to get to it. Not… Not when you would have to face sleeping alone and waking to a reality of monsters.
Michelle nods, more somber than anyone her age has a right to be. Especially given that she's engineered.
"I getcha. You'd probably be safer in the upper tiers - but I getcha. Brains are dumb after trauma."
You can confirm this as a nurse. Brains are dumb after trauma.
"You good to walk up some stairs? We could check the elevator but uh…" Michelle gestures at the state of the building.
You nod. You're not too badly injured all things considered. Might be a side effect of you being weird?
Michelle giggles, "Yeah, you know. The weirdness. What with you being strange."
You smile, and start to come up with synonyms for weirdness, but all the things you can think of, eldritch, supernatural, unearthly-
You don't. Want to think about these things right now.
Michelle notes your mood change and reaches out to pat you on the shoulder, "C'mon. I got leftover mac and cheese. Nothing's bad when you're eating mac and cheese."
You pat her back, and get out of the truck to ascend the stairs.
The mac and cheese is good. You agree with Michelle. For the moment, nothing's bad and you can just.
Rest.]]