SOTF Archive/SOTF Classic

Ian nodded vaguely at the others' agreement, caught between a mixture of relief and regret. Somehow, he'd expected an argument.  He'd hoped for one, even.  It really wasn't much of a plan, after all, never had been, but it had been all he'd been able to grasp in the moment.  There should have been a better answer.

Because Bella wasn't coming back.  He didn't know why, it made no sense and perhaps it never would, but it had been her choice.  Maybe they'd find her, more likely they wouldn't, but it did nothing to solve the underlying problems.  It gave them a direction, at least, bought him a little time to find something better, but it wouldn't last, and he still hadn't answered any of his own questions.

He lifted his free hand to rub gently at the side of his head.  His thoughts were such a mess, and the more he tried to pull himself together, the more his senses pounded at him.  The room was dim, the stench was nauseating, and his head felt like it was about to explode.

Heck with it.   If Juhan's tone had spoken volumes, and even Takeshi sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than anything else, then it still had to be good enough, at least for now.  

"Yeah."

With that, he turned to follow Juhan, hurrying past the bodies without daring to glance.  It was wrong, everything was wrong, time was running out, and he didn't have the energy left to care.  For now, all he wanted was a bed.

---

Takeshi picked up the bottle and set it back where he had found it, nodding to himself. He looked to the spear he'd collected, considering it carefully before sighing and following his friends, gripping it tightly with the tip pointed to the ceiling. He wasn't sure what he'd end up doing with it, but he knew that he was the only person that he wanted holding it.

((Takeshi Yoshikawa continued in And I'm Not Sleeping Now))