[ she doesn't push for his answer, even when the silence that follows her question drags on for long enough that she almost worries he hadn't heard.
when he finally does speak, she's surprised by the sheer honesty of the response. that single word so heavy the small room feels more like a confessional than an infirmary, and despite all the white noise of the medical equipment around them, that little whisper of his pierces through like a knife.
a deal for a price. it makes sense. she knows firsthand now how cruel these orbs can be, and yet she still isn't expecting to hear what he tells her. isn't expecting to feel the weight of it like a punch to the gut.
memories are precious even to a regular person. but to a man who can't even rely on the comfort and consistency of his own face, his own voice, let alone those of the people around him — what else but his memories could he hold onto to keep him afloat? to remind him of exactly who he is? ]
How many months?
[ she doesn't mean to sound so harsh. aggressive, even. but she's already back up, on her feet, moving to rummage through one of the drawers in a nearby cabinet beside the bed. she glances up briefly when he doesn't answer her fast enough — which at this point could be as short as a second. ]
no subject
when he finally does speak, she's surprised by the sheer honesty of the response. that single word so heavy the small room feels more like a confessional than an infirmary, and despite all the white noise of the medical equipment around them, that little whisper of his pierces through like a knife.
a deal for a price. it makes sense. she knows firsthand now how cruel these orbs can be, and yet she still isn't expecting to hear what he tells her. isn't expecting to feel the weight of it like a punch to the gut.
memories are precious even to a regular person. but to a man who can't even rely on the comfort and consistency of his own face, his own voice, let alone those of the people around him — what else but his memories could he hold onto to keep him afloat? to remind him of exactly who he is? ]
How many months?
[ she doesn't mean to sound so harsh. aggressive, even. but she's already back up, on her feet, moving to rummage through one of the drawers in a nearby cabinet beside the bed. she glances up briefly when he doesn't answer her fast enough — which at this point could be as short as a second. ]
Kovacs. How many months has it been?