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Post by Alister Rockwell on Aug 28, 2018 4:29:35 GMT
The sight of his own blood streaming from his forehead should have alarmed him - but instead, Alister relaxed. He was dreaming. He had to be - there was no other way to explain the impossibility of what he was seeing. As he surrendered his body, a fractal-web of lines spread throughout the world and then exploded outwards, leaving glittering glass shards giving glimpses into the real world revolving serenely in the air. He had nothing to worry about - he watched the entrancing flow of blood from one windowpane to the other, observed the sharp features of Doctor O'Connor reflected through multiple fragments. As if to reinforce his calm, he saw a dark figure weave together from multiple shadows that bled from dozens of panes. Alarmed, he suspected a nightmare again - but the shadows rose and took the form of his mother. Alister felt something well up inside of him, but was comforted that it meant there was truly nothing wrong. She only came to him in the grey instant between sleeping and waking from a nightmare, looking the exact same as she had the day he'd last seen her - plump and rosy and short, with soft flaxen hair and a black eye placed there by his father's fist. He watched her stroke the hand of the Alister that lay on the table below him, and lean in to whisper something in his ear. His blood froze in his veins. You're not dreaming.Alister spends a Willpower point to force himself out of the disassociation. A scream escaped his lips in a muffled, pained "Mmmmmmmmmmgh!" He wasn't dreaming and his mind started screaming at his body to move, to force his eyes to stay open and fight the urge to fall back to sleep. He felt blackness claw at the corners of his vision as an inexorable weight tried to drag his body back onto the soft table. With the raw, primal panic of a cornered animal Alister tried to move, tried to find strength in his legs, fight through the fog of anesthetic and find purchase to push himself off of the table, begged at his arms to move and yank the needles from his arms. |
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Narg
Independent Alliance
Posts: 153
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Post by Narg on Aug 28, 2018 5:07:39 GMT
Alister rolls to shake off the anesthetic, current willpower 3 + stamina 4 =7 difficulty 8, (it's one kickass drug).
6KynEnQlp_p_p_p_p_p_p_
you did it. By a hair. Alister rolled off the bed and got up with a rush of adrenaline, remaining strength, and sheer determination. He was already groggy from the drugs, but he was standing. He also was lightheaded as all hell. He felt sick to his stomach, like he would pass out at any time. Woozy and delirious he looked around and saw the two nurses from earlier, entirely unfazed by this development, and Dr. O'Connor, staring at him with a steely glare. The moment Alister caught Dr. O'Connor's terrifying gaze, she barked, " Sit!" Saoirse uses the command discipline on Alister. Difficulty 3 since that is his current willpower pool.
p_p_p_p_p_
5 successes Alister felt his ass hit the ground and sat, staring up at the redheaded woman before him. He didn't know why he sat down. He had been ready to run. His body just... moved. It moved because he was told to sit. He felt compelled to sit. He sat. She towered over him, his blood hovering in the palm of her hand. "Let's get back into bed Mr. Rockwell. We have work to do." ··········· |
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Post by Alister Rockwell on Aug 28, 2018 5:25:28 GMT
Like a good little schoolboy, he obeyed instantly. His arm bled profusely and throbbed with pain where he had inadvertently torn the IV line free in his mad scramble off of the operating table, and he became dimly aware of it as he dropped into a sitting position and folded his legs.
He felt faint. Really faint.
Not a dream, he realised. I'm in a nightmare. One arm moved to grab the crook of his elbow and try to put pressure on the welling blood - more blood dripped down his forehead, the coppery taste filling his mouth when it leaked over his lips, the smell of it making the man sick.
His vision felt distant, disoriented, but the shadows were ebbing away from the corners of it. For now. He was dimly aware that with all of the blood that was so desperate to leave him, he'd want to sleep again soon.
He managed to speak, his gaze still fixed on O'Connor's penetrating eyes but peripherally aware of the floating pool of blood in her hand.
"What the fuck," he croaked. He was in a waking nightmare. Jesus - maybe if he went back to sleep, it'd all go away? She wanted him back on the operating table-
"-no, fuck you you psycho bitch," he managed to spit, crimson blood spraying all over the Doctor's pristine white clothes. "I'm sitting right here."
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Narg
Independent Alliance
Posts: 153
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Post by Narg on Aug 28, 2018 6:04:35 GMT
"That is no way to talk to your doctor, Mr. Rockwell." Dr. O'Connor said with a snarl. "I literally hold your life in my hands." She said, gesturing to the pool of blood suspended in midair by some unknown force. "I know some ways to make you a bit more... tame. Once you're done with your tantrum we'll get you squared away."
Just as Dr. O'Connor finished her threat, Alister heard crashing and tumbling. A loud slam, that sounded like steel hitting the ground, resounded through the large quarantine room. the doctor whipped around looking for what caused the noise.
"Go stop whoever is trespassing!" Dr. O'Connor shouted at the two nurses. Just as the two mindless drones began to make towards the exit to the quarantine bay, Alister saw Nurse young slide across the floor and scamper helplessly along the wall into the corner in fear. Moments later Solomon rounded the corner.
"Hello there, Saoirse. Took a mighty long time to find m'way down here. You might want to make it a bit easier for friends to drop by." Solomon looked terrifying. Nowhere nearly as kind seeming as the man he had talked with at the storage complex. This must've been the terminator that Eddy saw. His brow was furrowed, and his walk was wide an wild, like he was ready to pounce. His eyes were filled with fury and rage. His gaze burned as he stared at Saoirse, but strangely, when he looked over at Alister, the rage wasn't as fervent. The look almost seemed to ask Alister if he was ok.
"Get out of my Domain, Solomon. You have no right to be here. Loire will hear of this."
"Damn Loire, damn you, damn y'all. Ya think ya can keep slaves jus' cuz ya crossed the veil. I know a herd when I see one. These ain't no patients. These are blood bags. Ya might as well be a Ventrue sucker who sips on the sick. I ain't gon' stand for nunna that."
Alister could see Saoirse begin to shrink back from Solomon, her words no longer quite so convict.
"I have my domain you have yours. What I do for the tower has nothing to do with you. I study blood so that a mortal plague doesn't make us sick. Leave, please, this isn't your place."
Solomon beckoned Alister, Ignoring Saoirse's pleas as she began to curl up in fear underneath his terrifying gaze, "C'mon friend, it's time for us to go."
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Post by Alister Rockwell on Aug 28, 2018 7:14:40 GMT
If this was a waking nightmare, what was Solomon, then? A terrifying avenger, but one on his side - one that had come for him, to save him. Alister felt like crying with relief. He didn't understand what was going on, O'Connor, how his blood was floating like that, why she was taking it, what a herd was, what the tower was, so many things were crashing around him and all he could do was try to hold on to the vision of the world in front of his face. Alister's lost a huge amount of blood so far, so I'm going to have him start making Stamina rolls to try and stay conscious. Narg, feel free to overrule me here, but I'm thinking I'll start with difficulty 6 and increase by one difficulty step every two turns/posts until he either gets his blood back (if that's possible) or staunches the assorted bleeding sources. Tough as Nails applies here I think.
nvzzcvhEp_p_p_p_
That's two successes. The all-consuming mandate to park his ass on the floor seem to have shrunken with O'Connor. Solomon's gaze, thunderous and piercing towards the Doctor, seemed concerned and almost gentle when turned on him. He didn't understand a damn thing, but he understood that Solomon was here to save him, that right now he was literally his only fucking chance in the whole goddamn world, and that if he didn't leave with him he was sure as shit dead. Reaching out a bloody hand, he managed to get a grip on the edge of the operating table. Adrenaline and willpower were the only things driving him, but they were enough to let him haul himself back up to his feet. He almost slipped on his own blood, but kept his footing and lurched forward, grabbing a wheel-mounted monitoring device and putting his weight on it. His condition, his new injuries, his bleeding, and the lingering effects of the drug clawed at him, but he used the device to keep himself standing and staggered towards Solomon, and the exit. He spat more blood at O'Connor as he past her, a thick glob of it this time. If by some fucking miracle he didn't curl up and die in the next five minutes he'd "come back here and burn this whole fucking place down you psycho bitch," he snarled. The surge of rage gave him the push he needed to shove aside the support and stagger for the exit on his own power. ··· |
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Narg
Independent Alliance
Posts: 153
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Post by Narg on Aug 30, 2018 6:24:19 GMT
Alister rolls to resist bloodloss
95Je9TqFp_p_p_p_p_
two successes remains conscious.
Solomon rolls to cut the shit out of four nurses difficulty 6 spends blood to use celerity and gain extra actions.
nurse 1
p_p_p_p_p_p_
4 levels lethal damage mauled -2 barely hobbling.
nurse 2
p_p_p_p_p_p_
2 levels lethal damage -2 half move
nurse 3
p_p_p_p_p_p_
two levels lethal damage at -1
nurse 4
p_p_p_p_p_p_
2 levels lethal damage -1 As they ran towards the exit, where the door had been ripped off it's hinges and thrown aside, five nurses charged at Alister and Solomon with Zipties in hand. They prepared to pounce, but before they could, Solomon turned into a blur. He struck them with incredible speed and strength. Alister barely noticed the blade gleaming with blood. When had it been drawn? One nurse hit the ground with a resounding thud, blood pouring out onto the floor, he stood up though, ready to advance again. Two had large gashes torn across various limbs, one a leg, the other a barely connected arm. Another had a horrid cut across his face though. The sanitary mask fell away to display a totally blank expression, save for a small glint of fear in the eyes. These nurses seemed to have been... trained, or conditioned in some way. After seeing what Alister just saw, he wanted to get as far away from here as possible even more fervently than before. nurse rolls to hold
p_p_p_p_
botch
The last nurse jumped at Alister trying to get a hold on him. But Alister stumbled aside avoiding the full body tackle which would have brought him to the ground. The nurse hit his head on the floor and seemingly fell unconscious. For how long Alister could not tell. ················································ |
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Post by Alister Rockwell on Aug 30, 2018 7:22:41 GMT
"Get the fuck away from me," Alister snarled. They looked afraid, maybe even doing this against their will, but right now he was too angry and scared to give a shit. He wanted to plant a kick in the ribs of the fallen nurse, or one of the others, but even in his current state some small part of them told him that would be needlessly cruel - even Solomon, striding forward unflinchingly like he was Arnie and the Nurses were police officers, was drawing blood and getting them out of the way and not cutting them to pieces like he clearly could. Even so, Alister clearly needed a weapon. As much as he wanted to borrow a knife from Solomon, things were a bit too hectic for that - instead he settled his eyes on a nearby Mac keyboard which he snatched up and brandished like a wide club. Stamina roll at difficulty 7.
eGKOHsfbp_p_p_p_
Still on his feet. Feeling slightly more confident with his new weapon, he forced himself to keep moving forward and keep near Solomon, swinging the light-weight item edge-on at the faces of anybody who got too close. ··· |
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Narg
Independent Alliance
Posts: 153
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Post by Narg on Aug 30, 2018 7:37:27 GMT
stamina roll difficulty 7
Ixg_gjmsp_p_p_p_
my my my. He's still goin "Jus' keep runnin' Alister! Don' stop! The way is clear! Jus' keep goin'!" Solomon shouted standing in the way of the nurses, who kept charging at them. He was clearly trying to give Alister a chance to run. The nurses didn't look like they could move that well, after getting cut badly with a large knife, and with his rush of adrenaline Alister could keep a wide berth around them. "Go, Go, Go! I can handle 'em! Go!" Alister ran as best he could through the quarantine area. Once in the locker room, he noticed his coat was on the floor near the door into the hall. It looked like it had been dropped there suddenly. All his stuff was underneath it. He picked up his jacket and ran with it till he reached the left turn that would eventually lead to the stairwell upwards. As he climbed he heard shouting behind him, and eventually Solomon tore through the door at the bottom of the stairwell. He slammed the door behind him and held it with his back. "Don'chu quit on me, Alister. These Medical professionals sure ain't!" Even in the hottest scenario, when talking to Alister, Solomon kept a light and jovial attitude. He growled in rage as the door was pounded on behind him. Alister heard creaking of metal before looking back and watching Solomon bound up the stairs after him. "C'mon don't slow down. That shouldn't hold 'em for long." Alister knew that, once they got to the top of the stairwell, if the usual staff saw a profusely bleeding man running from the basement they would most likely try to stop them and ask questions. He would have to think of a way of getting by without being noticed. ··· |
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Post by Alister Rockwell on Aug 30, 2018 13:25:41 GMT
Oh christ, Alister thought as he entered the stairwell. Stairs.Everything felt numb and distant now. He didn't so much climb the stairs as he did use the steel bannister to haul himself bodily up it, praying that his feet would find purchase with each tug. Stamina for bloodloss at difficulty 8.
qj4gw|DMp_p_p_p_
His luck's holding, barely. Somehow, Alister reached the top of the staircase. He heard distant banging from the bottom, Solomon yelling at him to keep going. He just needed a moment, one moment to catch his breath. He leaned against the stone wall and drew in a deep, shuddering breath; the action left a smear of blood on the cold stone. Keep going. He reached the door, and placed a hand on the cool metal - but he still needed a way to get out of the hospital without the nurses or doctors trying to stop him. He leaned his weight on the door handle, trying desperately to think of something, anything, any idea. Wait. Wait...He reached a hand into his jacket pocket and touched something small and plastic. Yes, yes! YES!He pulled his lighter from his pocket, and knew what to do. Wrenching the door open, he staggered through. Even with his coat on he was dripping blood everywhere, and there were a few people in the hallway who gasped in shock and backed away. The only person who didn't was a nurse who took a moment to compose herself before she approached him slowly. "Sir, what happened to you? Come with me, I'll get you to the...sir?" Alister wasn't paying attention. As distant as the ceiling seemed, he scanned it and managed to pick out what he was looking for - the fire sprinklers. Hold a flame up to that and all of the sprinklers nearby would go off too - and so would the fire alarm, he prayed. Ignoring the nurse, he grabbed a nearby chair, somehow got his legs off of the floor and onto it, and held the lighter up to the sprinkler. Chk. Chk.
Come on, please, Alister begged, trying to get the lighter to live up to its name. Chk. Whumpf!···
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Narg
Independent Alliance
Posts: 153
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Post by Narg on Sept 1, 2018 18:20:47 GMT
|nS6zccEp_p_p_p_ Difficulty 8, tough as nails applies so that 10 is two... He's still goin Alister felt himself teeter. He could barely see, as his face was so covered in blood. He saw the dark rings round the edge of his vision. He almost gave out, but managed to stand for just a while longer atop the chair. dex check to stay on the chair in a bloodied and ill state difficulty 7 Dex 3 -1 for the shakes + 2 Athletics.
p_p_p_p__Botch. Alister teetered under a sudden spell of dizziness, he could feel his legs give out underneath him. He slipped and fell off the chair and hit the ground with a resounding thud. The lighter fell onto his fuzzy, frayed, wool coat and in a moment came ablaze. The fire moved quickly but did not get through the thick coat immediately. On the plus side, the black smoke coming off the coat triggered the fire sprinklers in a way that the small lighter never could. An odd mixture of relief and panic welled up through Alister. The fire alarm was going off, people were running each and every way, trying to get patients to safety. The downside? Alister's coat was very much on fire, and if he didn't act quickly, he would be too. Solomon tore through the doorway, ready to break for the exit and saw Alister lying on the ground, almost ablaze. He recoiled in shock and looked for a fire extinguisher. Solomon rolls survival + wits to find a fire extinguisher difficulty six.
p_p_p_p_p_p_p_failure. Everyone was panicked running every which way looking for a fire extinguisher to put Alister out. There seemed to be a nurse running down the hallway with one but it would take a while for her to get there. Time is something Alister didn't have. ·············· |
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Post by Alister Rockwell on Sept 2, 2018 2:25:47 GMT
"Oh shit oh shi-fuck," Alister gasped as he crashed down onto the ground. Somehow the flame stayed lit as the lighter fell, onto his jacket, where it caught a few loose wires near an old scotch stain- "Oh fuck!" Alister shouted as he caught fire. Alister rolls Courage at difficulty 4
3LxeIduRp_p_p_p_p_
That's a solid pass. Alister got very warm, very quickly. The old jacket burned fast - but the excess of blood elsewhere on his body ended up helping him, because the slippery red liquid wasn't exactly flammable. A fire alarm began to wail as the sprinklers in the ceiling gouted disgusting black water down on him, but most of the jacket was alight. Alister rolled to try and smother it, then had a much better idea and simply yanked his jacket off and threw it where the water was coming down hardest, panting. Stamina check, difficulty 8.
p_p_p_p_
Botch! I'll let you decide if there are any mechanical disadvantages or anything. That last surge of adrenaline was too much, the panic and energy overwhelming him. Alister's vision swam, then the world seemed to elongate and then shrink, becoming a distant window at the end of a dark tunnel. Alister felt a few sensations running through his body - he felt himself retch, the taste of copper in his mouth, his knees hitting the floor. Cold water washing over him, a burning in his head, in his chest. Something sticky against his cheek, echoes shouting at him from far away. And the foul stench of blood. Everything else faded, but the stench of blood was the last to go. His blood. ········ |
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Narg
Independent Alliance
Posts: 153
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Post by Narg on Sept 2, 2018 4:01:51 GMT
Alister awoke in a strange room. He didn't recognize it but he could only assume that he was near Roeststatd Medical. He stood up and stretched, stiff as though awakening from a long slumber, and looked about the room. There were no windows, and all that greeted him was a door and a dirty mattress. The walls were stained with water damage and a lone roach scurried into a crack in the baseboard. He walked over to the wooden door, reached out and turned the handle.
But before he opened the door he stopped. Something was... off. The door knob did not feel cold like steel. It felt as if he were grasping a temperate piece of wood, yet the handle was clearly rusted brass. He then realized something odd. He had reached out and grabbed the door handle. He had done it. He had done it like he used to. It was easy, as natural as walking. He had walked to the door with ease. He had walked without the stumbling. He had walked without the pain! He had walked. Alister had risen to his feet just a moment ago as if his disease had been a horrible, horrible dream. The shakes were gone, and his head felt clear. Had he lost so much blood that the disease was no longer within his body? Had that psychopath of a doctor actually inadvertently cured him?
He finally, with glee and bemusement, opened the door that his steady hand rested upon. He walked into a shabby apartment, fitted with a couch, an old tube TV, a small kitchenette, and one window that lead out onto a fire escape. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting the shadow of a man into the living room that Alister looked in upon. He walked up to the window and saw Solomon standing on the fire escape, looking out towards the moon, over the tops of crowded buildings.
Hearing the footsteps behind him, Solomon turned around, looked at Alister, and said quietly, "My God... It worked. Oh, thank the lord it worked..."
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Post by Alister Rockwell on Sept 2, 2018 4:36:09 GMT
"Solomon...where am I?"
Confused. That was how Alister decided he felt. It had taken him a while to realise how good he felt. Muscles that had been sluggish and slow now felt...coiled, taut. Strong. The pain was gone, his vision was firm and clear, crystal clear. He felt like he could run a marathon or win a barfight.
And he was thirsty. So thirsty he could barely concentrate. And...tired. So tired. There was a deep weakness inside of him despite the newfound strength he felt - once, he'd gone more than a day without drinking water, and he felt much the same way now, a deep, deep exhaustion brought on by the absence of something vital.
Alister spotted a sink in the small kitchen area beside Solomon's window and beelined for it. He found a mug, filled it, drained it - and promptly retched the water up, gasping. He felt like he'd been drinking liquid smoke! Throwing the cup aside, he tried to scoop water straight from the faucet into his mouth - this time he nearly vomited, gagging and doubling over the sink. Christ, he was so thirsty! The pain was gone, but he felt a pounding ache begin to build in his skull. He needed water! He turned to face Solomon again, leaning against the window sill.
"Where am I? How did we get here? And what the fuck's up with the water here?"
As preoccupied as he was, he still noticed how easily that sentence had come to him - no stopping to think, no pauses, no need to catch his breath, no sudden lapses in focus or words that dropped out of his mouth before he could say them. He was...better. He had to be. That medicine the psycho doctor had fed him, maybe it had helped him - maybe this was a side effect of it, shit, maybe it was withdrawal.
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Narg
Independent Alliance
Posts: 153
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Post by Narg on Sept 2, 2018 4:52:57 GMT
"We're at one'uh my havens." Solomon said quietly, and calmly. There seemed to be something in his voice though. A tinge of worry and regret hung on Solomon's words. "I carried'ja here. You fell unconscious. You was losing blood, Alister. I..." Solomon sighed, breathing out heavily, and looking down at the city below with a sullen gaze.
He paused, and spoke again, "There's nothin' wrong with the water, Alister. Water's jus' wrong now." The cryptic proclamation floated in the air between them, hanging inside the windowsill. Alister almost started to speak, before Solomon took out a flask, and tossed it to Alister.
"Here, drink this. I'll explain everythin' once the Beast is satiated." Alister caught the flask with ease, and took a long swig, expecting the familiar burning of Alcohol. What he got, however, was different. It was exquisite, exemplar. Smooth and rich like the darkest stout, savory and salty like a bloody mary, sweet and tangy, with the slightest hint of burn, like a perfectly mixed G&T. Alister gulped all of it down, taking in the perfect liquor. A small bit of red dribbled down to his chin. He didn't notice it's color and wiped it off his face, satisfied and satiated.
"Betta'?" Solomon queried. "Come on out here onto the ledge. You'll like it out here."
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Post by Alister Rockwell on Sept 2, 2018 5:11:06 GMT
"Jesus, what's in that? It's fantastic," Alister said as he wiped the trickle of liquid away. The thirst had gone, the pounding had gone, the rising frustration at not being able to drink had gone. He handed the flask back, and climbed through the window onto the fire escape - the motion felt fluid and easy, like he'd never been sick. No, that wasn't quite right - it felt even easier. He'd been sure-footed, but he'd never have described himself as 'agile' - now it seemed like his body moved of his own accord to go where he wanted it.
Stepping into the pale moonlight, Alister felt a cool breeze ripple over him - but it didn't make him shiver. He didn't quite notice that fact, but he felt like a new man. Everything seemed crisp and sharp again. He leaned against the railing, and looked at Solomon - and paused. Alister felt great, better than he had in...longer than he could remember. But there was no joy in Solomon's eyes, just a sullen weight, and...guilt? How the hell could the man feel guilty from saving him from that psycho doctor?
Alister tried to consider his words.
"Look...I don't know what the fuck was going on in that hospital. It feels like a...like a bad dream. I remember what happened, but I just... I can't comprehend how that could have been real. They must have had me on some hardcore drugs, man. Shit, until I drank that I felt like I was relapsing from some. But I do know that you came down there and saved me. I...I guess I don't know why, seeing as you only met me once. But whyever you did - thank you. I'd have died down there, I know that."
He hoped the words got across how he felt. He was standing side by side with his saviour, a man who had met him once and then busted him out of a nightmare. He'd just never been good at saying 'thank you' - he'd never had much practice at meaning it.
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