Eighth Number

[milliondollarpipes]

[Oh...oh dear. That's a rather unpleasant retching sound coming from that bathroom. Cambot hovers uncertainly, before slowly drawing closer, making some solicitous beeping sounds.]

Cam? [Harvey staggers to the door, leaning against the frame. He looks awful: flushed and feverish, with his hat and jacket missing and his bowtie undone. Nonetheless, he still manages to summon a half-decent glare for the robot, who quails backwards.] You ever film me doin' somethin' like that again, I'm gonna -

[He breaks off in a hacking cough, doubling over with his face in his sleeve. Something clatters to the ground, and he and Cam both look down at the shiny silver harmonica for a long moment.]

...I think I need to go lie down.

Comments

/late

[thirteenth_brat]

... A harmonica?

[milliondollarpipes]

I don't even know...

[punsofiron]

...well, maybe now you can sing harmony with yourself.

[...yeah, her heart wasn't really in that one. She looks at Harvey, concerned.] You don't look so hot.

[milliondollarpipes]

I don't feel so hot. [Too ill to snark back, even.]

[punsofiron]

You need some help there, chief?

[milliondollarpipes]

No, no...

[He waves a hand in Cambot's general direction as he staggers off.]

[punsofiron]

[What's that? She couldn't hear you over the fact that you clearly need help.

She starts simply by meeting him at the door of his room and extending a bottle of water in his direction.]

[milliondollarpipes]

[He looks like death warmed over when he shows up, taking the water bottle before stumbling into his room to sit heavily on his bed.]

Think I must've ate somethin' I shouldn't... [Well, he knows he did. And the less said about that, the better.]

[punsofiron]

I think we all did.

[She busies herself grabbing a solid trash bin and bringing it over, as well as a chair to sit with him.]

[milliondollarpipes]

[He flops over on his side, completely undignified, as she turns away. When she returns with the bin, he bestirs himself enough to drag it closer to his bedside; he has a sinking suspicion he's gonna need it before this is over.]

I hate this place.

[punsofiron]

Just try to rest. I'll be here.

[milliondollarpipes]

Alright...

[He lays there for a few moments, eyes shut, but he doesn't feel like he's gonna be fallin' asleep here anytime soon.]

Guess we're goin' home soon, huh?

[punsofiron]

Looks like it.

[milliondollarpipes]

You gonna miss it?

[punsofiron]

[She smiles a little sadly.] It'll be nice to see Linkara again. But...I kind of grew to like this place.

[milliondollarpipes]

Yeah...

[He thinks she's fonder of it than he is, but there's a few people up here he's gonna miss. Hell...he's gonna miss her and the kid for sure, if this is the last time he's seein' 'em.]

Been a pretty wild ride.

[punsofiron]

Yeah...

Hope it didn't treat you too roughly.

[milliondollarpipes]

Ahhhh, it ain't been all that bad. Better than the alternative.

[punsofiron]

[...oh. Yeah, that.]

So what happens now?

[milliondollarpipes]

...I dunno.

[punsofiron]

[Well that sobered quickly. She'll just sit in quiet contemplation and watch Harvey.]

[milliondollarpipes]

Guess we'll find out soon enough, huh, kid?

[punsofiron]

I guess so...

[A pause, then she awkwardly reaches out and puts her hand on his shoulder.]