projectroxas | (no subject)

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[ day five without sleep had been kind on him for the most part. research was finally going smoothly after two weeks of being locked indoors, barely allowing himself to get up for breaks that did not include making a new pot of coffee or a quick trip to the restroom. sure, the first week he went outside for said coffee--which could explain why there were so many Starbucks cups stacked on every table around the place--but now he couldn't be damned to step outside, too engrossed in his work to do much else but read and pick up his coffee mug every now and then when the compulsion hit him.

thus his surroundings are a mess, his (& caleb's) apartment littered with books ranging from medical to spiritual to supernatural-- anything and everything to cover all his bases in hopes that he'll find something that would answer all the questions their family had been asking ever since alyssa fell into a state that they could not quite discern, even with the help of their go-to doctors. this is why he's been hunched over his desk for as long as he could remember, though at current he's occupied with a bunch of files he had "borrowed" from someone he had yet to meet, but feels like he should know very well.

at this moment he's completely immersed in this new found fascinating material, finding himself both relieved yet feeling something pinch the pit of his stomach when he flips to another page of one of the hundred-something folders that is stacked on his desk. when his eyes start to blur and go unfocused he sits back in his seat, slapping his cheeks a few times to wake himself up. realizing that he's going to get nowhere without taking a break he eventually pushes himself away from the desk, moving to go to bathroom to splash some water on his face before wandering to the kitchen to grab another cup of coffee.

with the fresh cup in hand he heads back to his workspace to reposition himself in his seat, staring down at the material as his shoulders droop a little in exhaustion. nonetheless he's back to work after a split second, completely and utterly focused on that and nothing more. ]

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That's true... [ drums his fingers on the tupperware lightly in thought, lips eventually quirking into a soft smile again. ] Thanks, Albert.

[ lifts his now-free hand to ghost it lightly over nathan's head, giving the upper part of the hair a few, gentle strokes. ]

You are very welcome, baby brother.

[ that smile stays when he feels his touch, basking in it for a while. it's only until a thought strikes him that he slowly begins to drop his expression. ]

... how is she doing?

She is. . .

[ it's a rare moment of faltering. undisguised worry. a struggle to put what he continues to see into words. ] She is slow in her responses. It takes her time in recognizing me.

[ looks down at the tupperware in thought, slowly setting that down on the table nearest to them as he speaks. ]

Is she still not eating?

[ closes his eyes tiredly. ]

Not often. She spends her hours mostly asleep.

...

[ lifts a hand at that, letting it hover in the air uncertainty. lowers it to tug briefly at albert's sleeve, jerking his head towards his desk before moving in that direction. ]

I might be closer in finding a solution. I've... found some interesting stuff recently.

[ eyes open lazily & for a moment, he looks a touch disoriented. but recovers soon enough to follow along dutifully, the exhaustion suddenly palpable in his stride as he follows. ]

Oh?

[ pulls up a chair for albert, not taking a seat for the moment as he's too busy shuffling around for a certain folder that's buried underneath the others. offers it to him wordlessly when it's located, hands slipping into his pockets when they're free again. ]

[ taking up on the silent offer, he settles himself into the chair before taking the file. he glances down at the name -- roxas -- & stiffens. barely noticeable, but it's there. then he adjusts his posture into his usual reading pose, taking comfort in the routine as he begins to read. his eyes do not skip over even one word, taking everything in. ]

[ also takes a seat on his own chair, his eyes not leaving albert's form until his eyes shift over to the rest of the piles on top of his desk and the box of them on the floor. idly starts gathering the rest in silence, preparing them in chronological order for albert to continue reading if he so chooses to. ]

[ when he is finished, he lets his head in a hanged position for a little while longer. then slowly, slowly it moves upward to glance at his baby brother with both comprehension & confusion marring his expression. ]

. . . This disease. Do you believe it to be the cause?

[ sets the files on his desk slowly, gaze staying there for the time being as he speaks. ]

... I don't know. I haven't gotten through the rest of them yet, so I can't say for sure. But I've been considering it for a while now.

[ lowers the file onto his lap & folds his hands over them. ]

These files are old. [ spoken hopefully. as hopefully as a taut line. ] If this. . . is what is ailing her, is there a way to a cure?

[ lips form into a thin line, averting his eyes over at the books stacked near his desk. ]

No. Not that I've found. I've looked everywhere for any record of that illness, but nothing's come up. It's almost like nobody else knows that it even existed.

[ closes his eyes again for a moment. then opens them, breathes out. ]

I see. But many of these symptoms are specific. I will. . . keep watch for them.

[ gives a tiny nod to that, closing his own eyes for a brief second. then quirks a small (sad) smile, giving a tiny shrug after looking at albert again. ]

It doesn't mean that this is the cause. Like you said, it's pretty old, but I'd rather be cautious and let you know everything instead of springing it on you at the last moment. [ gestures to the boxes on the ground. ] I'll read the rest of these tonight and call you if I find anything else.

[ eyes the boxes & extends a hand for another report. ]

There is much here, baby brother. May I be of any assistance?

[ blinks, handing him the next one despite what he says next. ]

I've probably got another twenty-four hours before I feel like I have to sleep for a little bit. It's no problem.

[ doesn't take the file. instead, reaches forward to grasp lightly at the underside of nathan's wrist. ]

It will do her no service if you fall ill.

[ sits up a bit straighter in his chair, almost proudly. ]

I never get sick. I'm built tough.

Ah. Is that right?

[ grips the wrist a bit more firmly & turns it. ] Yet you have lost weight, it seems.

[ grumbles a little. ]

That's nothing new.

Your physique is fine, baby brother. A few extra pounds will not harm you.

[ says a bit jokingly: ]

But I wanna be pretty and skinny forever.