Things don't always look better in the clear light of morning

[runmakitarun]

Makita sleeps for nearly sixteen hours before her eyes snap open abruptly. She's in a bed. That isn't right. Her mind casts back, trying to figure out how she got here, but the memory she finds first stops any search for an explanation.

Now she's curled up on the bed, tucked into as small a space as she can manage, whining brokenly.

Comments

[runmakitarun.livejournal.com]

A little twitch of her shoulders is all she can muster in the way of a shrug. She knows Alex doesn't really understand. That he can't. And while she might never say it, she dearly hopes things stay that way.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"So...Raps told me to send her love. She's worried, too." They decided just one of them should descend on poor Kita. "But she's okay."

[runmakitarun.livejournal.com]

That draws a small reaction. Makita looks up and offers him a little twist of her lips that could almost be a grin. If one were being charitable. "Good."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"Mel been taking good care of you?"

[runmakitarun.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Makita's voice is still rough, but she nods at the (still untouched) cinnamon buns on the table beside the bed.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"You probably should eat. Or I might eat it for you." It's a stab at humor. He's sure it won't work.

[runmakitarun.livejournal.com]

It doesn't. At least if Makita's vague wave and "Go ahead" are any indication.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

That didn't work. He doesn't touch the food. "I think I can leave it for you."

[runmakitarun.livejournal.com]

She nods numbly.

"Glad you're fine," she eventually manages to say.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"Thanks." He takes a deeper breath. "Kita, do you need to talk? I figure you don't, but I had to ask." Rather, he figures she desperately needs to, and can't, and isn't ready. But he has to try.

[runmakitarun.livejournal.com]

"'m fine," she tells him. It's a lie, and a very obvious one. She might even believe it herself.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He tries to smile, but it's not real, either. "Kita...I don't know what happened. Maybe I shouldn't know what happened. But you aren't fine. And we know that, and we are here to help. Got it?"

[runmakitarun.livejournal.com]

For the first time since he walked into the room, an emotion other than dull pain flashes across Makita's face. And it's rage. "I'm fine!" she snarls.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

Well, it's something. It's also unnerving since Kita is scary when she's angry. "Then I should go, right?" Because if his presence isn't going to help, he maybe should be someplace else.

And the whole thing is just not something he knows how to handle. (Maybe he should just leave it to Mel or Steph. Or send Rapunzel.)

[runmakitarun.livejournal.com]

Her face collapses back into an expression of vague lostness. She looks up at Alex for a while before nodding jerkily.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He wants to hug her. He figures she might just karate chop him if he tried. So he gets up slowly. "If I can do anything, just let Mel know, okay? I'm around."

[runmakitarun.livejournal.com]

She nods again. This time the gesture is somehow a bit softer, but only a bit.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

And off he goes, likely to worry and to wonder...