Hiding {open}

[logan]

stop there and let me correct it ,
i wanna live a life from a new perspective

[/color][/center]

Logan was hiding. He wasn't proud of himself for doing it, but he was doing it all the same. He stood at the back of the library, leaning against the wall next to a window over looking the lawn. The book shelves behind him met to form a very convenient corner. He was invisible to the patients and staff members reading and supervising on the other side of the shelf. The only way anyone would find him was if they knew where he was or had a sudden urge to read one of the dinosaur books that lined the shelves to his right. Logan felt pretty safe, no one had seen him disappear into the library, and the dinosaur books looked like they hadn't been touched since the Jurassic period.

Throughout his academic and professional careers, there had always been moments when he had needed to get away for a few minutes. And there was always something that set him off. Whether t be as small as a patient's hair color or as significant as the stabbing that had occurred at his previous job. This time it had been a visitor in the lobby. He had been moving from one wing to another and had happened to spot her as she came through the door. She had looked so much like his sister that he had asked “Marissa?” She had looked at him like he was crazy, clearly assuming that he was one of the patients, until he realized what he had said. He turned away immediately, hurrying down a wing chosen at random. The library had been the first refuge he saw. Logan had told himself that he only needed a few minutes, but that had been a lie. He was lucky he had just started at the manor, otherwise his schedule would never have afforded him the half hour that he had already spent staring at the same spot on the lawn.

Perhaps that was why it bothered me so much, Logan readjusted his position as he thought, leaning more of his body against the window frame and crossing his arms. I'm not used to the patients and the visitors here. I don't know them, and my brain fills in the gaps with Marissa. Ever since taking his first psychology course, Logan had found comfort in analyzing the reasons Marissa's death still bothered him so much, past the allowance of simple grieving. Maybe tonight I just need to get myself acquainted with the local bar and tomorrow, when I come back to work, I will be too hung over to give a damn about which patients look like Marissa and which ones act like Gabrielle. And maybe, after I've been here a few months, or a few years, maybe then I will be able to let them both go. That seemed doubtful. Logan wasn't very good at letting anything go, whether it be a death, a grudge, or a relationship. The closest he had come was when he stopped playing violin for 8 years and now his fingers itched for his bow as if he had never stopped. He set about making a plan. When he got off work he would lock himself in his apartment and play until the sun went down. Then he would make the short walk down the street to the bar and see about forgetting Marissa and Gabrielle for a little while. And what am I going to do until I get off, huh? Hide here and hope no one finds me? The idea held appeal, he had to admit. For God's sake, Logan, you're a doctor. What if one of your patients needed you?

He didn't remind himself that he had no patients. Not any for which he was their primary caregiver, anyway. If he consciously thought the words, he would remain hiding in the library all day. He was a good doctor, that's why he was here. If a patient needed him, he would get over himself and deal with it. That being said, he sure was glad he didn't have any patients at the moment.

you come along because i love your face ,
and i'll admire your expensive taste

[/color]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [/center]

[/color] Open
words 686
outfit click here
notes Gah. I'm not proud of it. Certainly not my best... Ah well. He won't always be so sulky! I promise!
template nixxy of CAUTION 2.0 (with modifications)[/font][/ul][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[maxiecat]

Being new here, David didn't exactly know his way around, and it was predictable that he would eventually get lost. That was the situation he was in at this very moment; lost, with no idea where he was or where he needed to be. He had a map in his hand, sure, but maps weren't much help if they didn't have a little 'you are here' dot, or at least David thought so. Slowly walking forward, he was on the lookout for any landmarks he could use to figure out where he was. It was then that he saw the library. Breathing a sigh of relief, David quickly checked the map and found the little box labeled Library. Problem was, he still didn't know where he was heading..."Okay, Library, free time... couldn't hurt." Dave mumbled to himself, sliding the map into his pocket and heading through the door.

It was a lot smaller than he thought it would be. Of course, Dave was used to a full-fledged college library, so anything would be smaller in comparison. He walked up one of the rows, his fingers trailing lightly on the shelf next to him. Children's books, children's books, more children's books. Not a single book about sparkling vampires in sight. Huh. Dave supposed that they were just sheltering the patients, and quickly forgot about it. It was then that he stopped a row about dinosaurs. They were even harder to pronounce than Edward Cullen. Or maybe those books were screened too... couldn't have patients getting frustrated with big words, after all. He headed back towards the dinosaur shelf, planting himself in front of it and gently taking out a book titled The Children's Prehistoric Encyclopedia. If it was for children, he could probably read it just fine.

"A..aachenosaurus, Aard...onyx.." Okay, why exactly was this a Children's Encyclopedia? He put it back on the shelf a little more forcefully than he meant to, then sighed. He was turning back towards the door when he caught sight of the man leaning on the wall. What was he doing all the way back here? He wasn't even reading, just ... well, David wasn't exactly sure what the man was doing. Curiosity overcame his fear of speaking. "Uhm... hello? Sir?" he said slowly, careful not to make any mistakes. Mispronunciation on a first meeting never made a good impression, and if he was to learn anything here, he would probably have to make good impressions. "Sir, aren't you going to read anything?"

[logan]

Logan's eyes had been fixed on the same spot of grass on the lawn. He was barely blinking. In fact, he had been so lost in thought that he hadn't even noticed the other guy until he spoke aloud. He jumped, spinning around. He could feel his face grow warm. He had, after all, been caught hiding, even the other man didn't seem to know that that's what he had been doing. Reading? Why would I be- Logan had even forgotten that he was in the library. He needed to stop getting so wrapped up in his own thoughts and start paying attention to what was going on around him.

“Reading, yeah, of course I am, I was just trying to decide which book I wanted!” He said the words a little too excitedly, turning on one heel to grab the closest book of the shelf. He grabbed the book quickly, pulling it out without even thinking about it. Three fell off the shelf with it. He sighed and bent down to pick them up, putting them back on the shelf. He spun one of them in his hand for a moment before sighing and putting that one back on the self too. “I'm totally not reading,” he admitted, standing from his crouched position. He went to run a hand through his hair before remembering that he was wearing it in a ponytail. He usually did at work, kept it out of the way.

Logan didn't elaborate as to what he was doing, if not reading, instead he turned to the other man. “So, uhm, reading up on dinosaurs?” he asked, wincing as he realized how lame what he just asked was. “I just mean, the books here didn't really look like anyone had read them recently...” Wow, Logan, you're really just failing at speaking right now, aren't you? Just give up now. Logan really looked at the man for the first time. Logan himself was new, and he couldn't be sure if this other man was new as well, but he did know they hadn't met yet. “I'm Joshua Logan, by the way, but everyone just calls me Logan.” He stuck his hand out, shoving his other hand in his pocket.

tagged Open
words 377
notes It's short. It's so short. I'm sorry...

[maxiecat]

David was surprised by how fidgety the man was. Almost like he was guilty of something. He had seen a lot worse on the way here, though. "Um... are you one of the patients here?" he asked quietly. If he was, Dave probably shouldn't be talking with him. That was the doctors' job, not his. His job was only to follow the doctors around and learn things about insane people. Though this man didn't look insane, just uncomfortable.

He was almost about to turn and walk away when the man asked if he was reading up on ... dinosaurs? Dave had almost forgotten the reason he had come to this particular section; his mind was too full of thoughts that involved being sent back to college without his extra credit. "Oh, yeah. They're ... interesting." he said, not very committed to seeing the conversation through. "I guess that... not many of the patients are... interested in dinosaurs." It was his lame response to the fact that the dinosaur section hadn't been visited in a while. Dave was still making an effort to sound like a normal person, and it required he think about each and every word before he said it, causing his speech to sound choppy. When the man held out his hand, Dave grasped it in his own and shook it, but dropped it right after. This was awkward.

"Oh, um, my name's David... Stringer. People call me Dave." he said weakly. Stupid last name. It was so hard to pronounce. Logan probably thought he was an idiot, or something. Or maybe he just thought that Dave was another patient. Well, Dave wasn't sure about the 'another' bit... it could be that this man was part of the staff too, but him being a patient would explain the odd behavior when he first spoke. Of course, it would make sense for Dave to be a patient too, in a twisted way. He had been tentatively diagnosed with antisocial disorder once, though the records at the school still had little black letters that spelled out 'cured' next to the diagnosis itself.

"So, um... how long have you been here?" he asked. "I'm new here myself."

[logan]

Logan blinked at the other man before bursting out in laughter. He covered his mouth so as not to disturb the patients and staff members on the other side of the shelves. Even so, it took him a minute to stop. “No, I'm not a patient here, I'm a doctor. I just...” he motioned to the general direction of the book he had just put back on the shelf, “I wasn't reading, I was sort of hiding, to be honest. I'm new here, too, and I was just a bit overwhelmed for a few minutes by it all.” He knew that he probably wouldn't be able to just let it go at that, but thought carefully before adding, “my last job was a bit... I don't even know how to explain it. A bit much, I guess you could say.”

He noticed that the other man seemed nervous. He was speaking slowly, and seemed to be unsure of what to say. Then again, this was sort of an odd place to meet someone and start up a conversation. Not many of Logan's friendships had been born among dinosaur books. Well, there was that one time, in high school, but he had been hiding then too; though that was for a game of hide and go seek, not because he was overwhelmed by a few patients and a girl who looked like Marissa. The thought coupled with Dave's question about whether or not he was a patient made Logan ask himself the same old question. What if he had been the one in the hospital instead of Marissa? Could he have fought off the man who stabbed her? Dammit, shut up, Logan, this guy is expecting a response, you need to stop thinking about her every ten seconds and get over yourself. Easier said than done.

“Yeah, I'm pretty new here, I've only been here, what, a week? Maybe less than that. That's why the overwhelmed thing, I'm not used to the patients here so it's all a little... new.” he finished lamely. “Not new... what's the word I'm looking for?” He had never been as eloquent at Marissa. He probably spent twenty minutes a day looking for just the right word in situations like this. “Fresh? Maybe? Does that make sense?” A wrinkle formed in his forehead, still looking for the word even though he was trying to move on. “How new are you? I mean, how long have you been here as a, well, I'm assuming, doctor or nurse or intern?” There was something in the way Dave had asked if he was a patient that told Logan he wasn't a patient himself, also he had mentioned the patients not being interested in dinosaurs, rather than including himself in the group. “And what brings you back here to the... dinosaur section?” He smirked as he said the word “dinosaur.” This was probably the only time he would meet someone in the dinosaur section of the library of an insane asylum. Might as well milk it for all it was worth.

tagged David
words 534
notes Seriously though, love that you asked him if he was a patient. XD

[maxiecat]

David didn't know exactly why Logan was laughing, but it was infectious, and a smile pulled on the edges of Dave's mouth. "Yeah, it was over... whelming for me, too. I didn't hide, but that was probably... because I was lost." he said. Dave was interested in the comment about Logan's last job, but it seemed like a touchy subject, and he didn't ask about it. He'd gotten in a lot of trouble throughout school, and most of it was caused by asking things people didn't want to hear. It was only his first day, and he didn't want to get off on a bad foot with the first person he met.

When Logan started looking for the right word to describe Lucid Manor, Dave had to admit to himself that it didn't make much sense. Though Dave wasn't at all annoyed; after all, he had to look for the right word every other minute, so he wasn't in the position to judge. "Uhm, I'm one of the interns. Just started today. It's ... extra credit for college." he said. At least, he hoped it would earn him extra credit. It better earn him extra credit. Because he wouldn't call Lucid Manor 'fresh', he would call it 'scary'. All the patients were so much worse than the only insane person he had ever met, though Jake had left him with an ounce more experience than the other interns had started out with. So he better get extra credit for dealing with it.

And now they had finally reached the topic of why David was here in the first place. An awkward topic, as Dave couldn't very well say that he was trying to pronounce dinosaur names without embarrassing himself. "Oh, well... like I said, I was lost. And I saw the library, and it was on the map..." Here he pulled out the now crumpled map from his pocket, smoothing it out and turning it to show Logan, his index finger resting on the Library box. "And I found out where I was, but I didn't know where I was supposed to go, so I came in here, to check out the new... environment." He said. For lack of a better word, environment was quite fitting. David hoped that Logan wouldn't notice that he hadn't mentioned dinosaurs once in the entire explanation, though with brains like his, he probably would. Dave changed his hope to simply; please don't let him call me out on it. That was at least plausible.

notes: Hurrhurr. The most dialog Dave's had so far.

[logan]

Logan smirked again, “If you're an intern and you aren't hiding then you're a stronger person than I am.” Logan shrugged, “Ah well, I'm gonna stop feeling silly now. It's not helping me any.” Yes, hiding had been a stupid idea and he felt silly, but he had done it and he needed to stop beating himself up for doing so. And maybe next time he would remember that he felt like an idiot and wouldn't end up in a janitor's closet somewhere wishing that all the patients would just go away. “Actually, during my first internship there was a patient's room that they left empty because someone was wrong with the electrical wiring in there, and they didn't bother to fix it because it would have cost more than just leaving the room empty. I spent most of my two years at the internship in that room... Got very well acquainted with a nest of black birds just outside the window.” Logan chuckled at the memory. He wondered if the birds were still there. Probably not.

Logan couldn't easily relate to the whole being lost thing. He was very good with directions and had only had two or three moments in the past week when he had looked up and though huh, where am I? and even those had passed quickly. “Well,” Logan began in response to his comment about not knowing where he was, “This is the library. If you'd like I could put a little dot on your map that say's “you are here”, but as soon as you leave the room it'd be just as useless.” Logan looked around where they were standing before shrugging and turning back to Dave, “And, actually, this is a pretty good indication of the environment here as far as I can tell. Well, the lower level patients, and most of the mid level patients. The higher level patients... not so much... It's not a good indicator of that environment...” Logan still didn't understand why that had led him to the dinosaur section, but he figured he had just been wandering among the book shelves and had just happened to wind up among the dinosaurs. It made sense, that's what Logan had been doing.

notes: I don't even know why the lack of muse. I'm sorry. Like, I can write almost anything except this post for some reason. Gah. Ah well, it happens. Have cookies to make it better!

[maxiecat]

Hah, it's not exactly strong... when you don't have a choice," said Dave, smiling warmly. Logan was pretty funny, and Dave was a lot more comfortable than he was when the doctor and intern first met, though admittedly, he was still pretty nervous. At least he was able to avoid big words, so he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of the first kind-of friend he had made in this horrible place. It made the world a little brighter, to have someone that Dave knew wouldn't laugh at him. Though... he wasn't completely sure about that. But David would like to think that Logan wouldn't laugh at him. Dave nodded about the comment about the patients. "I haven't met any of them yet, only seen them from a distance. They... kind of scary," he admitted, his cheeks growing slightly warmer. Dave didn't like to admit he was afraid of things, even though he was terrified of his own shadow. It wasn't... manly enough.

David visibly relaxed when Logan didn't call him out on his lousy explanation, even though he had probably noticed it. But there was still the comment from way back then that confused him. Maybe now that they were on slightly better terms, he could bring it up without being rude. Dave bit his lip, unsure about whether it would trigger some angry reaction, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Umm... if you don't mind me asking, earlier you said that your first job was a bit much... what was your first job?" he asked, a nervous lilt to his voice. Please don't make him angry, please don't make him angry. He didn't want to make his first acquaintance at Lucid Manor an enemy, not on his first day. That would be horrible, his grandchildren would mock him, he'd be the laughingstock of the family. Not that he'd ever have grandchildren, and his family was too kind to do that. But David was still nervous as he waited for a response.

[logan]

“Nah, it's still being strong, even if you don't have a choice. At least you aren't hiding in the corner of the library among dinosaur books.” Logan readjusted his position against the window sill again. “Especially considering you're just an intern. I mean, I don't mean that in any sort of offensive way, just I was kind of a wimpy intern is all.” Logan really hoped Dave wouldn't think what he had said was offensive or anything. He honestly hadn't meant anything by “just an intern”, every doctor had spent time as an intern, it was a part of the job. He had seen interns get upset when doctors said anything that might be seen as condescending. Honestly, he thought interns who got upset over that were silly.

“Not all the patients are scary. The high profile patients can be a bit terrifying at times, but the lower profile patients are just depressed or angry. Sometimes they just need to talk for a bit. I'm not saying none of the lower profile patients get violent, I've seen a couple of fist fights among them, but for the most part they're not the ones you have to watch out for. The high profile patients are the ones that freak me out. With a lot of them, you never know what they're planning to do; for all you know, you're sitting there, just talking to them about whether or not they like the pudding the cafeteria is serving and they're planning your death.” Logan didn't mean to freak David out with the tail end of his sentence, but as he spoke he was reminded of his sister. She had been having a calm conversation with the patient that had stabbed her.

Logan wasn't sure how to answer David's question about his previous job. He didn't want to go into the whole story, but at the same time, it wasn't like he was trying to hide it or anything. “It was a mental hospital, a lot like here, except it catered specifically to patients that would fit into the low profile status here, not dangerous to each other, and not overly dangerous to themselves. I had a patient there, Gabrielle, and I lost her.” There was a moments pause before he realized how that sounded, “I mean, I didn't really lose her, she didn't die or anything, but she was released. Well, not so much released as her uncle came in and insisted she wasn't depressed over losing her brother.” Logan stopped there, going down that road led to Marissa and he wasn't ready to talk about her yet. Instead, he chose to change the subject.

“So, if you haven't been interacting with the patients, what have you been doing here? I mean, what's their protocol with interns? I don't really know. Is it just an observing thing? Because that can actually be really helpful. I learned a lot just watching other doctors, still do, actually. Where are you studying, by the way? I'm assuming somewhere near here?” Logan felt a bit safer with the conversation on David, rather than Gabrielle. It wasn't that he minded talking about Gabrielle, it was Marissa he didn't like talking about. And conversations about Gabrielle invariably led to conversations about Marissa if he didn't cut them off before they could get there.

notes: I don't know if you have an idea where he's studying, if not feel free to be totally vague. XD Sorry this was long coming! Concussions are icky. Also, I realized I created a huge contradiction within my character. Now he's laid back, but holds on to grudges and such. Awesome.

[maxiecat]

Dave shrugged. He never disagreed on the same topic more than once. If that didn't make sense:

It's x!
No, I think it's o...
No, it's x!
I'm ignoring you now...

So there, seeing an example had always helped Dave with harder concepts. He wasn't at all offended when Logan said that he was 'just an intern'. He was an intern, he had just started today, and he had come here for completely selfish reasons, so he had no right to get upset about the truth.

Dave was comforted with the fact that not all the patients were scary, but didn't the the sound of 'a bit terrifying'. It was a living contradiction, and a not a funny one. That contradiction, in fact, sounded a bit terrifying itself. "Well, then. I'll just stay away from the high profiles." he said. It seemed simple enough, didn't the high profiles always have guards with them? David would probably be able to notice a big burly guy walking behind someone dressed in hospital-like clothing, and give them a wide ark. "P-...plotting your death? Isn't that... a bit extreme?" he asked. Logan had been lying, that wasn't just a bit terrifying! Dave didn't want to die! Not yet, anyway. He was just 24! He hadn't even had sex with anyone yet (though he still didn't see why it would be that great anyway).

A mental hospital that only catered to low profiles sounded a lot more inviting than this one. He wished his school had been invited there, instead of this hellhole. Maybe he wouldn't be so jumpy if he worked there. But the time to pick and choose was long gone; now he just had to make sure to get his extra credit and go back to school with all his limbs still attached. And hopefully in the right places.

Dave scratched the back of his head. So far, there hadn't really been much of a protocol except "don't talk to the patients" and "maybe if you do well we'll stick you in a room full of them and see how you do". It scared Dave, but hey, everything scared Dave. "Um, they don't really tell us anything much. Just to learn and if we do good we'll... get out of here alive?" he giggled weakly at his lame joke, but shut up after a few seconds. He hoped Logan had a really good sense of humor, because otherwise he would be in trouble. "Oh, yeah, it's a local college, a few miles into town. I can stay with my family, so it gets rid of the dorm hassle and everything. Saves a lot of money." He nodded like he knew what he was talking about, when really, he was just winging it. Dave's normal schedule was work at Lucid Manor, school in the evenings, homework, a few hours of sleep in his own bed, and repeat. He only really saw his family a few hours a week, and it saddened him. He should probably make more of an effort to spend more time with them, from now on.

notes hah, it wasn't just dave that was winging it. sorry for spouting random crap all over the thread XD

[logan]

Logan could easily see that his comment had made David uncomfortable, “Yeah, I guess plotting your death is a bit extreme.” That wasn't entirely true, but he knew that, as an intern, David would be pretty protected from the patients that were that extreme. At least until he was more comfortable with the patients, and even then, even the most experienced doctors were protected against the dangerous patients by guards. “Just let yourself slide into it, I guess, deal with the low level first, then the medium, and once you get used to them, you could probably handle the higher profile. And if you decide you want a job somewhere with just the lower level patients, I can probably write you a great recommendation for the hospital I worked at not too long ago. I did pretty well there, I think they would be impressed if you had a recommendation letter from me.” Logan paused for a minute, and then realized how egotistical that sounded. “And by that I mean, I'm a very modest guy and may or may not have been one of their better doctors, depending on who you ask, and I'm not full of myself in the least and a letter of recommendation from me wouldn't hold any higher importance than a letter of recommendation from anyone else that had worked their in the past.” There. Now David wouldn't feel like Logan was bragging about what an awesome doctor he was. Even though that was exactly what he was doing.

Logan laughed at David's comment about getting out alive before reassuring him, “I think chances are good you'll get out of here alive either way. I mean, the security team is phenomenal, from what I've heard. I mean, obviously the more you learn, the better, but even if you learn nothing, I'm sure they'll let you get away with nothing more than a few scrapes at most.”

“That's great, that you get to stay with your family. I mean, it is if you're close to your family. I wasn't close to my family, personally, so I was more than happy to go far, far away to school.” Another dangerous road to walk down, talking about his family. He cringed inwardly, but decided that he could answer any questions David threw his way without mentioning Marissa. He had been doing it for years.

[maxiecat]

A bit extreme... oh yes, Dave supposed plotting someone's death with only a bit extreme for the patients here. Could staff like Logan really get used to it that fast? It was disturbing to think about, how someone could adjust to such a horrible environment in a matter of weeks. To tell the truth, it terrified him; he didn't think he could adjust that fast, would he fall behind? Would he take so long adjusting that he wouldn't learn anything, and would have simply wasted his time here? It was a simply horrible thought, and Dave neglected to think about it. There had to be some way he could adjust, and he would probably (maybe) find it in the near future. David liked Logan's plan about sliding in gradually. It seemed like a good plan, something that Dave never would have come up with himself. Good for Logan.

"Um... it's fine. I think I'm pretty good working here for now, seeing as the other place probably wouldn't get me extra credit." He grinned foolishly. That was the only thing that mattered, right? The extra credit. He endured this hellhole for it only, then he would be able to get a good job far away from here and maybe keep in touch through email with the few friends he might make. Though, if he had a choice, the other place really did seem more appealing. David didn't think that Logan was bragging when he said he had been doing well there. If he had been doing well, it was a fact, and therefore fine to say in front of others. Now, if Dave too had worked there, and had done less well, it might have hurt his feelings, but he didn't even know the name of the place, so he couldn't complain. Really, it was very nice of Logan to offer writing something up, not at all offensive.

He giggled weakly. "I was checking out the infirmary earlier today, and compared to some of the stuff in there, I think a few scrapes is pretty good." he said, the smile fading from his face. Some of the stuff in the infirmary had been truly horrifying, though probably only to Dave, seeing as none of the nurses or doctors that worked in there had had to run to the nearest bathroom and puke in the toilet. That hadn't been a pleasant experience, and he didn't plan on going back there anytime soon. The infirmary OR the bathroom.

He guessed it was pretty good to stay with his family. After all, he knew that a lot of the staff here saw their family little to none, which probably broke their hearts or something. Well, Dave, too, saw his family little to none, but at least he had the option to see them. Reflecting upon it now, it was kind of heartless to see them so little when not many other staff here saw their families at all. "Er... yeah, I mean, I have my own room and everything, but I don't actually see my family much... I should definitely try to see them more, though."

[marnie]

Marnie headed into the library. Thankfully it was opened . She was dressed in her blue nurses scrubs. Her blond hair was fluffed aound her shoulders. Her stethescope was wrapped around her neck and gently bounced against her chest. She entered the library and spied a doctor and another young man standing talking. Marnie hesitated as the section of books she needed was right near them.

Marnie slowly approached them and stood at the end of the bookshelf, using her finger to trace the spines of the books, reading the names. She found a few books and pulled them from the shelf, but her hand slipped and she dropped them. She looked up at the men sheepishly.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to disturb you guys" Marnie apologized ruefully. "I'm such a klutz sometimes it's not funny" she said as she crouched down, trying to gather up the books.

Some of her blond hair fell forward in a veil shielding her brown eyes. She frantically grabbed the books that were splayed. Some were landed normal.

She felt her cheeks flush a bit. Marnie was looking for some medical books, along with some recreation reading. The section she was at had both, but on two separate shelves themselves. The medical books were on the top two, while the other ones were on a whole different book case. She looked up at them, smiling and waited for them to respond