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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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[ if he's not with alyssa, he's here. always here, head & attention & focus buried in books. but the genre of his choice has not changed once since alyssa fell victim to her ailment: medical books. encyclopedias. dictionaries. anything that may be of help (even if he knows that the root of the problem likely lay elsewhere, considering who (what) they are). or maybe it's to bring comfort & calm to his own mind, so that he may be strong for a girl so close to his heart.

-- & that's why it takes him a while to notice the knocks & intrusion. his head is slow to lift & the fading process of the glaze of concentration is even slower. but, eventually: ]

. . . Welcome home, baby brother.

[ shakes his head to dismiss that greeting, too busy walking right up to albert to set a (relatively small, considering the other ones he had been reading previously) folder on his desk. ]

No time for that. [ points at the folder and says, with a rather troubled look on his face. ] Read.

[ obeys without hesitation, setting aside his previous book of choice to pick up the folder. flipping to the first page, he begins to read, eyes swiftly running over the words, half-driven by curiosity of nathan's attitude. when he is finished, he closes his eyes briefly, then lifts them. meets nathan's eye. ]

Ah. This is the source.

[ gives him a long look, as if wanting to say something else. pushes it away for now before his gaze goes to the floor. ]

Yeah. That's the source.

[ leans forward in his chair some, expression blank. ]

Details have time. She may not. Have you found a solution?

Yeah. [ slips his hands into his pockets when it's taken, saying just one word to briefly explain: ] Sora.

[ tenses a bit. ]

What can he offer, in terms of treatment?

It's something that'll... restart her. Hotwire her mind in a different way.

[ pauses for a little, unsure of how to properly explain it. ] The treatment was apparently developed when Ansem was still alive, but it wasn't stable until about five years ago. It's been tested a few times before without any trouble, though this'll be a little more difficult since it's only a certain amount of memories that should be forgotten in order for her to function properly again.

[ there's another pause, averting his eyes a little. ]

He hasn't tested that kind of method before. But if we don't do this, there's a ninety-five percent chance that she won't make it. There'll be side-effects, of course, but... nothing as bad as this.

[ his eyes close. breathes out. the tension is still present, but it is of the submissive sort -- the rare sort, on him. ]

If this will allow her to keep her life, then that is what must be done. We can return her health to her afterward.

[ nods a little, not entirely surprised by albert's compliance. hesitates with his next words, mouth opening once before closing. speaks slowly, almost cautiously. ]

... he gave some specific guidelines and precautionary measures we should follow, though. After she has it done.

[ doesn't miss a beat: ]

And we will abide by them.

[ briefly thinks about saying more on that. in the end he just keeps it to himself, eyes going to the ground again. ]

Yeah.

[ places the files aside to rise to his feet. draws a bit closer to nathan so that he can raise & nestle a hand gently on top of the head. it's gentle, but there is weight behind it as he draws closer, head bowed above his brother's. speaks softly. ]

I thank you.

[ doesn't say anything to that, allowing albert to do as he pleases. feels his hands clench into fists, relaxing again when he's able to speak. ]

... I'm sorry.

[ draws back a little, an eyebrow going up a touch. ]

For?

Being so mad at you for so long. [ lifts his eyes a bit to look at him properly. ] I couldn't understand the situation then, but... now it makes sense. So I'm sorry.

You need not apologize for that.

[ bends nathan's head back down, feeling something tighten in his chest, twisting at his expression unbidden. ]

It does not change what has occurred, nor does it change what I had ultimately robbed you of.

[ expression falters slightly under those words, having to bite his lip for a moment, comforted by the fact that albert can't see his face. rides the feelings out perfectly, realizing that this isn't the time for that. just nod a little in silent communication. ]

[ takes that silence without thought, without judgment. holds their position for a little longer. evens out his breathing as well as ruling his expression back into semi-neutral before finally pulling away. moves back once step, studying nathan. ]

. . . You are relatively healthy. [ a statement, not a question. ] Will you continue to be so in the future?

[ finally looks up at those words, expression back to neutral as well. lips twitch up a tad, looking a little tired as he gives him a tiny shrug. ]

Probably.

You are uncertain?

Of course I am. I can't see into the future.

Is there no method that may allow for confirmation?

[ sighs a little underneath his breath, rubbing his eyes tiredly. ]

If I've survived everything up to this point, then I don't see why not.

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