CHAPTER TWO: Cecilia: Searching

[Seon]

"Heh," Jack managed to breathe out. The wound that he received from the nurse continued to pour out blood, staining his clothes. "I think I'm starting to really like you..."

[Kadael]

Cecilia raises an eyebrow, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling she just got. He's really hurt, not to mention his still-shaky mental state. It's hard not to think about all the disturbing things he could mean by that.

Still, liking her is probably better than trying to kill her. Probably.

"We'll find Katie and then get you some bandages, okay?" She slips her arm away from his, not sure if the blood on her hand is his or hers. "I don't like the look of that shoulder."

That is, unless Katie argues that they should keep him in pain and leave him behind. Again. When did she start thinking like that?

[Seon]

"It's Fine," Jack muttered. "Worry about your own damn problems...shit, I totally forgot about Ash. Hope she's okay..."

A guarded, but still somewhat sad and also somewhat dark look passed over his face.

"She and I need a little talk."

His expression quickly changed back to a normal smile. "By the way, is that Rochelle's coat that you got blood all over on? She's going to charge you for that."

[Laraqua]

They escape into the car park without any further problems though the car park seems ... different now. The water easily comes up to their angles and the surrounding fence that blocks off the ambulance now looks sepulchral, like those cast iron fences that surround cemetaries. They slosh out onto the car park.

[Kadael]

"Fine, have it your way," Cecilia mutters, sweeping the car park with her flashlight. Jack's disregard for his well-being is unnerving - is this because he's dead? Or at least thinks he's dead? It's so hard to be sure of anything now.

It reminds her of the Jack she met in the bar, which may be the greatest discomfort of all.

She wonders what he needs to talk to Ash about, but decides against asking. The possibility of dredging up more memories is too dangerous. Especially now.

"Uh, it's probably hers." The water is freezing as it creeps inside her shoes and soaks her feet. She shivers lightly. "It's cold out here. I needed something."

"Which way?"

[Seon]

"Only one way out of the car park, lady, to the Canyon Street," Jack muttered.

"Say, you read Rochelle's diary, right? What did it say about me? I didn't really have the chance to read it in...eh...much...detail..."

[Kadael]

"It was pretty vague. I thought it would mean something to you." Cecilia bites her lip, considering what to tell him. It might be connected to his death, and bringing that up can't be good. "She, uh, said that you're a ditz. And that you're too good for 'this place,' whatever that means."

"Some guy named Wolfe came up a lot. And... the last entry was dated three days from now."

Unless it's been a whole day. Has it? It's still so dark.

[Seon]

"Really?" Jack said, his voice slightly cracking. "She said that? Too good for this place? I..."

His face fell. "I... thank you for telling me..."

[Laraqua]

They can hear another scream coming from the hospital. The nurse again. She doesn't seem to be following them, however.

They walk through the icy cold water out onto the street, passing through the broken down cemetary-like gates that block off the car park. There's no sign of the giant chasm that circled the place like a moat nor any sign of street lights. In fact, even when they're crossing the street, there's no drop to a gutter or anything like that. The ground beneath their feet feels uneven, too, like a mixture between rock and sand, though it seems to be more or less firmly in place but for a few specific spots.

There's absolutely no light out here.

[Seon]

"Hey..." Jack whispered to Cecilia. "You okay in the dark? And... Uhhh..." Jack shook his head.

"Ever thought of what you are going to do after you find Katie and get out of here?"

[Kadael]

"I'm all right." She really isn't - her small, shaky voice makes that clear - but it feels better to pretend. Here, the dark has a way of making her feel sad and alone.

Cecilia gives him an odd look. What's with all the questions? Is he trying to distract her? "Katie and I will go home," she says flatly, "and try to forget about all of this."

We'll bake cookies and build a fort in the living room. I want to give her the best day of her life before she's gone.

Her eyes fill with tears at the thought, but she takes a deep breath and manages to retain her composure.

[Seon]

"That's it?" Jack mumbled. "Nothing other than that?"'

Jack chuckled. "Well," he said sadly. "At least... At least you know what you are going to do. I... Don't know what I'll do after I am done helping you. Hell. I don't even know for sure if I am dead or not. No..."

He shook his head. "That's not true... I know... I know I am dead... Heh... Hahaha... It's kind of funny if you think about it. Or is it? I am not sure anymore. Wait... No... No... It's probably nothing."

He seemed to have remembered something, but also seemed to be unwilling to share it with Cecilia for some reason.

"Probably nothing."

[Kadael]

"Yes, that's it," she snaps, clenching her fists so hard that her fingernails leave marks in her palms. There's the question of what she isn't telling him - is it that she doesn't want him to know, or that she can't handle hearing herself say it?

Cecilia softens once he starts talking again. "You're sure it wasn't some other guy with your name? I just don't understand how you can be..." She trails off on the last word. "You remembered something just now, didn't you?"

[Seon]

"Oh it's probably nothing," Jack said cheerfully. "Say, I don't remember you wearing a wedding ring. What happened to Katie's father?"

[Kadael]

She's about to press him for more information, but his next question shakes her. The empty space on her left hand seems to taunt her again. "That's none of your fucking business--"

No. Stop it. Stay calm. It's about time she stopped having that knee-jerk reaction to questions like this. Jack doesn't sound like he's about to mock her or start a pity party. Besides, Katie did mention daddy...

"I'm sorry," she sighs, shaking her head. "We've been divorced for two and a half months now. He lives with... with an old college roommate, and Katie goes over there every other week."

[Seon]

"Oh, I am sorry," he said, turning right towards the general direction of the amusement park. "He... Moved on fast, didn't he?"

He sighed. "What are you going to do with Katie though, Cecilia? You can't just go on exchanging her every couple of weeks. It's... Going to be terrible for her. You going to fight for custody rights or something?"

[Kadael]

"Yeah. Yeah, he did." Because there was nothing to move on from, right? She curls and uncurls the fingers of her left hand. "As... far as he's told me, it started out as him just needing a place to stay, and... then they..." Cecilia goes quiet, dragging her feet in the water.

When she speaks again, she sounds almost happy, but there's a deeply bitter tone to her voice. Almost like she's mocking herself. "Oh, I know. It's... been hard on her. But I'm not going to fight. I'm..." She sighs, and just comes right out with it. "I'm giving up."

[Seon]

"You're moving on too?"

[Kadael]

"In a sense? I don't know." She stares at the water, wondering where it came from. Did it rain? "I know now that... well, I'm not fit to be a mother."

Her voice drops to a slow, meek whisper. "So I'll give Nathan full custody. He was always the... the better parent. And... it would make Katie happy, right? She loves her daddy..."

"I- I don't know. What did you mean?"

[Seon]

"I'm... just... sorry that you feel like that," Jack whispered. "I...never had a child of my own. Or a real girlfriend for that matter. I wouldn't know anything."

He grabbed onto Cecilia's arm and tugged it lightly. "I would have given you a hug there before, but I don't think it's a good idea to dirty Rochelle's coat further. She's going to burn my body if she finds out. And I liked my trenchcoat too. Come on, we have a dau- your daughter to find."

There's something so familiar about that voice...