Come Clean (Origin Story)
Recap: Harvat was in his room after making it away from the fire, he may, or may not have started. After he changed he got back to work. Runish came to visit and noticed something was off about him and sent him to the med bay to get checked out.
The Doorway opened automatically when he got close enough. Medical devices rang out with solid beeps, chimes, and hums. There was an oxygen machine pumping air like an artificial lung. If the halls of the cruiser were sterile, is there a word for this place? Pure. Pure? Why then does it smell like death? It's the kind of room people go to and never leave, his mind wretched at the thought of it. Can it make me better? Should I even follow the word of Runish? Runish, the one who made him kill all those people.
You did it! A whisper in his own mind told him. It wasn't him saying it or thinking it and the mere sound of it froze him on the spot. Harvat felt a fit coming. He collapsed, pounding the floor face first. His nose opened and he curled up into a ball on the ground quivering and frothing at the mouth. Feeling a sting he realised that his tongue had wandered and was caught under his teeth. Unable to control or move it, he clamped down. The foam became red and people raced to him. A med bay is the best place to be for something like this to happen.
Harvat felt his legs go warm and once the smell hit him he know what happened. Piss. The fit took total control of him and he couldn't think straight. He was looking down at a man wincing in pain and totally alone. Watching this going on and not being able to do anything about it, really made Harvat feel like a ghost. What was worse than the feeling of helplessness, was the fact that the medical staff weren't moving fast enough. They all ran to him, but now, they all just stood there, staring at him. He could only think of his waking nightmare, the daydream of all the people he killed. The fire. They stretched for miles. Harvat could only look into his own eyes. Dull, lifeless, without any spark of emotion. Then, his eyes shifted. Evil is the only word he could use for the glare being cast at him. "Are you okay? Can I help you?" He heard the echo of a woman's voice bounce around his head. He could only stare at himself on the ground, then, nothing.
The sounds of the med bay came back, everything was normal, he was standing still and staring at the woman's chest. She must have felt uncomfortable as she closed her lab coat. But, her eyes didn't judge him. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" He asked, in a gasp.
"You were away for a moment. Don't worry, we've been seeing a lot of that recently. Everyone seems to have a lot on their minds. Come with me, let's get you seated." He could feel her hand touch his back as she gently guided him into a small office, like some lost child. The others in the bay just looked at him, but, they didn't stare for too long. Each was too busy to worry about some daydreaming lunatic.
The office was bright, he sat across from the woman's desk. The desk was stacked high with paperwork and the room was more than a little bit cluttered. It was a relief in a way. Harvat had grown tired of everything being in its place. "Where's doctor Dacus? I saw him last time I was in." Harvat asked in a distant voice, devoid of any emotion. The woman leaned forward slightly. "Doctor Dacus has been given some leave from the bay. Personal issues. I'm Doctor Senge Wens. Can I help you with anything?" She asked, in a tone that radiated compassion. Senge was warm, but, her eyes left a cold patch on Harvat. There was a shimmer of sadness protruding through her outward projection of happiness. "I don't know. I spoke to Dacus about a few things." She nodded to that, with a look of concern. "Would you like to tell me about these things?" She asked as she sat back in her chair. Harvat's hand trembled as he stared at her, he rested his shaking hand on his knee and discreetly placed his other hand on top of it.
"If you don't mind me saying. You look tired. Have you been sleeping much? I know you must have a lot on your mind." Tell her, tell her what's on your mind. The whisper came in. Harvat shook his head slightly. "How do you know I've had a lot on my mind?" He asked in a hesitant tone.
"You're Harvat Gnush? Director of the Ordinance Hall, am I correct?" He nodded slowly. "I've been speaking with a few Directors, Officers, and in general, people of a higher rank. It's not easy. The pressure from positions of power can be hard on the mind." She spoke in a free and absent tone.
He wasn't speaking to a doctor. It was more like talking with an old friend. Can I trust her? Harvat asked. Yes. He heard his answer. She will be sickened by you. Another voice spoke too. Harvat raised a hand to his head, hoping to quell them.
"I'm in trouble," Harvat said. "I haven't slept in days. I feel like I'm losing my mind." She instantly started to type on her computer. "It's okay. Just give me a second." Senge continued to type. "It says here that you were prescribed medication for sleepless nights." She looked at him. He could only nod in response, he then reached into his pocket and produced the container of pills. They sang and danced as he handed them over to her. Her expression dropped as she inspected the bottle. Opening it, she took a rough count and looked back at her computer. "Did you take all of these?" Senge asked as she stared at him.
"Yes." She shook her head and stood up. Instantly tension built in the room. What was once laid back and peaceful. Was now unclear and dark, the lines were muddled and Harvat felt like standing up and running. "These can have some minor side effects. Nothing life-changing. But, if you take these and fight your tiredness they have the opposite effect. Instead of putting you to sleep, they'll keep you awake. Have you been asleep at all since being given them?" She asked as she ruffled through some paperwork. "No. I mean, I don't know for sure." Harvat's mind was blank, and a little bit of panic set in. "Have you been experiencing anything unusual?" Senge asked as she turned around, with a clipboard in hand. "I mean." Harvat shook his head softly and he sat up straight. Be honest. He rubbed the back of his head, trying to comfort himself. Murderer.
"Yes." Harvat took a deep breath of air. "I've been, hearing voices. Please, don't lock me up!" He pleaded. "You're not going to go to prison for it. Sleep is so important, what you may be experiencing is temporary insanity. The longer you go without sleeping can have some bad side effects. Lapses in time, audible hallucinations, and in severe cases even visual hallucinations." Senge sat back at her desk. "We can fix this and you'll be okay. But, I will ask that you stay in, for overnight observation."
"What? Why? I don't want that. I'm actually okay." He started to sweat and the leak made his shirt stick to him. "Everything will be fine. We just need to ensure that you'll get some rest and we want to make sure you're okay." Harvat walked around the desk to Senge and she shifted in her seat and stood up. "What are you doing?" She asked louder than she had been. "I just want to talk. Please." He said. "I've alerted security already. They'll be here any second now." She said in a threatening voice. Harvat looked at the door, then back to her.
Run! Harvat sprinted to the door and it opened as he got close. The med bay was full of people in lab coats, but, none paid him any mind. He walked slowly to not raise any suspicion. Behind him, he heard the doors open. "Stop him!" The familiar sound of Senge's voice called out. Every eye was on him now.
Nothing else to do. He bolted for the main doors, which weren't too far from him. A few people tried to get in his way, but, he evaded them deftly. Knocking over some tables and random pieces of furniture in his escape. The doors opened to freedom and the sterile halls of the cruiser were his once more, to wander in solitude.