agirllost | (no subject)

"Aye, Kim. You take care with the black files. I'll deal with these green. They're numbered, I believe, and we can put them in order before putting them away."

Very carefully, Elaine sets about putting Kim's false memories in order and placing them in the filing cabinet.

She's reluctant to actually touch them. But, she can do this - she has to. And looking at Elaine's calm face she's not as afraid.

She picks up a file and...

In a parking lot and talking to dad and asking him about someone's death and I knew it was necessary but I don't know how I feel about the choice but they had to go because they'd gotten a lead on the virus...

She blinks and places the file in a drawer.

They work together, in silence, while they put Kim's disjointed and confused memories in order.

"Are you well, Kim?" she asks, about midway through the task.

Saunders has been shot and everyone's scrambling to find that last courier and Chase oh God Chase and his hand -- his...

"As...well as I can be."

Elaine nods. "It's going to be all right, Kim," she says quietly, and goes on carefully putting things away.

On the phone to Chase and I'm so scared for him and dad's been taken by Salazar and Chase is going to rescue him and he makes me promise not to say anything...

Kim nods and keeps going.

Elaine is careful. She thinks about her own memory library of trees and river, and of the black mangled tree beneath the waters where Dream placed the nightmares Nyaralothep had given her--still accessible upon occasion (and upon occasion, still coming to her in dreams), but seperated from herself.

She has known madness, and would not wish that upon another living creature.

Kim keeps going, putting things in order.

Listening to a phone call and they're trying to tell Chase how her dad hadn't really let Salazar out, that this was a sting and that he was endangering it.

She almost drops the file.

Elaine sees her fumble and looks over at her. "Kim? Is something wrong?"

She looks at Elaine with wide eyes, "I...I know what happened." And her other memories of talking to Chase at Milliways flood back and then she knows.

"Things are becoming clearer to you?" Elaine is quite pleased.

"I...oh God, Meg was right, I shouldn't have told him..."

Elaine comes over to Kim and puts a hand on her arm. "Whatever it is, we can fix later...but you cannot change what is done. We can work to solve the problem after we've accomplished what we need to now."

Elaine can feel herself beginning to tire, and though her eyes are closed as she sits on the bed and she is relaxed for the most part, her brows are knitted together and she just might be breaking a sweat.

She nods, 'Fix it, must fix it,' she thinks.

Kim notices the job is almost complete.

Watching Angela sleep and Chase comes up behind her, an arm around her waist, his other arm still in a sling, keeping his hand safe.

"Hey," he whispers, "Sorry that I'm late."

"It's okay, she fell asleep pretty easily."

Elaine is done with the filing of the green coded folders, and she closes the drawers. There's a key on the side of the cabinet, but Kim will have to lock it herself.

She looks over to see how she is doing.

Kim puts the last file away.

Sitting in the house and waiting for the phone to ring. I know he's going through things but it's not fair that he's pushing me away again. I want to call him but I'm angry and Angela's playing and our next door neighbor's in, I could get her to watch Angela for an hour so that I can take in a run, clear my head.

Chase is off getting therapy again and his hand needs a lot of therapy and he's been so distant and between him and dad, I just feel so alone.

A run. That will make me feel better.

She sees Kim close the filing cabinet, and beckons for her to come over to the other filing cabinet.

"You have to take the key and lock your false memories in here. You'll remember them, but only as you would remember a vivid dream or memorable nightmare. You will know what is real, and what isn't."

Kim nods, "I...Elaine, thank you. I..."

Elaine smiles. "If I hadn't finally figured it out tonight, I think I would have gone mad from those dreams, so I am glad to help."

"How do I lock this?"

"There's a key on the side of the cabinet. I can't really touch it."

There's a small hook where the key is hanging.

Kim reaches out for the key and when she touches it she's assaulted by the memories of the other place. She knows it's another place, she remembers leaving the bar, remembers entering it.

Before she can get sucked back in, she puts the key in the hole and turns it, locking the drawer and takes a step back.

Elaine takes a deep breath. "Are you all right? Are you ready to go back?"

"I...I think so."

She nods.

"All right. Take my hand again."

Kim does and Elaine closes her eyes.

One...two...three...

There's a lurch again to the side, and Kim is once again in bed, sitting against the headboard.

Elaine smiles. "Welcome back, Kim."

Elaine herself is trembling a little. She's extremely exhausted.