Leroy in the End Game

[Laraqua]

One of the lights in the men's toilets flickered, sending shadows skittering across the unusual amount of graffiti that sprawled across the pale blue walls. The graffiti was written in a dark blue texta, across the walls, the ceiling. The floor was covered in a fine film of dirty water that had spilled from the sinks. Someone had filled the drains with a substance that had long since hardened. That very same person was likely responsible for turning the taps on.

Several patients had complained about the mess, though no one had any idea who had done it and so Carson Boyd had been sent down to clear it up. It was likely going to take several hours to do so and he couldn't be sure the substance in the drains could even be cleaned away without something more heavy-duty then what he had on him.

[OathinBlood]

Carson Boyd gave a weary sigh as he looked at the filthy washroom. He was forever cleaning, forever fixing...no matter how many times he scrubbed the floors or rinsed the walls, they would always be dirty again. His efforts were futile, his struggles worthless...and he knew it. The only comfort in his life now came from the blank white pills in the bottle stored in his pocket, and the open but unseeing eyes of his vegetative father. Even the latter was now not much of a relief. No matter how many times he visited him, no matter how many hours he stayed by his side...not a single movement out of gratitude. It wasn't his fault, Carson knew, but it's hard to love someone when all they give you back is the sound of their machine-assisted breathing.

Carson stopped reminiscing, and snapped back to his dull reality. His hands searched his cart, and he picked up a large white bottle, whose label has long since been worn off. Opening the cap slightly and giving the chemical inside a slight whiff, Carson quickly identified it. White vitriol. Closing the cap and grabbing a small grubby flashlight from his cart, Carson Boyd entered the flickering darkness of the first floor toilets.

[Laraqua]

The dry chemical smell that permeated the toilet was familiar and vaguely unsettling. He could still hear the low sounds of chaos coming from the hospital corridors, the footsteps and fragments of speech, but he felt somewhat cut off now that he was in here. The barely legible scrawl that covered the walls contained a few bits and pieces that caught his eye as he entered the toilets:

uncoiling above us ... my favourite was always Law and Order ... call the Nurse for me ... I didn't like to do it ... tuna fish sandwhich ... my love ... is it the Nurse? ... better watch my step

Boyd remembered how his father used to love tuna and cheese sandwhiches with a bit of jam on the top of the cheese. He had also loved a lot of crime and punishment shows, though Boyd didn't think Law and Order was his father's favourite.

Lost in his reverie, he barely noticed that one of the toilet doors was slightly ajar as he passed it. His eye was caught by movement. It was just a flicker of shadow beneath the door that was possibly caused by the movement of his torch but it had seemed almost purposeful.

[OathinBlood]

Being naturally jittery, Carson backs up slowly and shines his flashlight on the mysterious stall.

[Laraqua]

Through the three-inch gap between door and doorway, Carson can see that the stall is empty. There is something written on the back wall, however, in larger lettering then what was on the rest of the walls. Only some of what is written can be seen.

"...did you put it, Carson? ...is it hidden?"

[OathinBlood]

"Leroy?", Carson mutters to himself upon seeing the words. Leroy might've left a message...but he wouldn't make it so obvious, and he wouldn't flood the washroom just so Carson could see it...

Carsons nerves are aflare, and he leaves the washroom to take a breather.

[Laraqua]

"Attention emergency personnel," says an unfamiliar voice over the intercom. "An emergency situation has developed. Will everyone who is not otherwise occupied, please go down to Accident and Emergency. I repeat, an emergency situation has developed. Will everyone who is not otherwise occupied, please go down to Accident and Emergency."

There is no real need for Carson to go down to Accident and Emergency. Unless they specifically ask for people like him, he's free to go about his usual chores. Like dealing with that toilet...

The two most obvious choices were to find Leroy or to finish off cleaning that toilet.

[paradys]

Leroy is helping one of the male nurses move a mobile xray unit into the emergency room when the call goes out over the intercom. The nurse looks up sharply.

"Are you going to be alright with this Leroy?"

Medical staff on the first floor are already starting to rush out of the wards and head down towards A&E. Leroy sees Carson standing outside the washrooms at the far end of the corridor. He looked jittery, but then again Carson always looked jittery. If he didn't learn to relax he was going to blow the whole deal.

"Yeah, i'm going to be alright man, it sounds like you better hustle."

As the nurse heads off, Leroy tries to get Carsons attention.

[OathinBlood]

Carson looks over, and sees Leroy motioning to him. "Leroy! It's a relief to see you, man. Did you write that thing in the toilets?"

[paradys]

"What thing's that Carson?", Leroy says, parking the xray unit in the nearest corner.

[OathinBlood]

A confused look crosses Carson's face.

"The writing in the stall. Anyways, what's the 'emergency situation'?"

[paradys]

Leroy shakes his head, "I dunno, but most of the staff have gone downstairs. Hey Carson, what say we make the most of the situation, check out the dispensary. If we move fast, we can get enough scripts to last us the next few months."

Carsons acting strange he thinks, maybe its time to make one last score and bring their 'scam' to a close.

[OathinBlood]

"Yeah. Yeah. Let's go." says Carson, rubbing his head to get rid of the headache that just came up.

[Laraqua]

The First Floor is busier than anticipated. Nurses hurry to and fro. A few doctors talk animatedly near the reception desk before disappearing into another room. The waiting area, as usual, is packed with people looking for a place to sit or a vending machine to buy from, or just a little space to be alone with their pain. The throng of people is a little thicker than usual, though, particularly around the dispencry. There doesn't appear to be any staff members hanging around the Dispencry, though, and knowing strangers consumed in their own pain, the likelihood of them even noticing something is amiss is slim to nothing.

[paradys]

Leroy doesn't like to take chances. "What do you think Carson?" he asks "I don't think we should go in there unless we have an excuse ready, case somebody walks in."

[OathinBlood]

"There's an emergency, right? We'll just say we're trying to look for someone. Grab a doctor's name off one of the lists over there." says Carson, pointing vaguely in the direction of the receptionist.

[paradys]

"okay, okay..we'll go in, you stand by the door as a lookout and i'll have a look around. Anyone asks, one of the doctors sent me up here to find his clipboard or beeper or whatever."

Leroy already knows the names of the doctors, anyone asks questions he'll improvise.

[Laraqua]

The nurse who usually works in the dispencry must have been called away, the metal roller window has been shut but the door is unlocked. When they open the door, they find that someone has affixed sticky tape around the edges of the door. The walls are covered in locked cabinets, some with glass fronts, some with steel fronts. The desk has only a clipboard with several forms attached on it. This is where people who are getting medications from the dispencry are meant to sign.

[paradys]

Leroy walks over to the desk and looks in the drawers, for something obvious like a pad of blank prescriptions to steal. Failing that he looks for a paperclip, something he can use to pick the locks of the cabinets. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realises what he is doing is crazy, but the empty room, the closed shutters make it all too tempting..

[Laraqua]

There is no pad of prescriptions in the drawers. It seems that this is where some of the prescriptions were filled out or where medications for those residing temporarily in the hospitals were stored. There are, however, a number of paperclips and other suitable potential lockpicks. He succeeds in unlocking one of the cupboards, having chosen one full of sleeping medications and pain killers.

"Would everyone please remain where they are?" asks a calm voice over the intercom. It sounds like the hospital administrator, Arnold Dullard. "A chemical incident in London Central has caused massive storm clouds containing high quantities of dangerous substances. Could everyone please remain inside and, where possible, find a secure place to stay until the all-clear is called? Thank you and have a good day."