week 8, sunday post-execution

[socloverit]

[Clover's quiet on the way back to her room—not that she isn't quiet most of the time recently; this trial was an odd burst of energy on Arumat's behalf and now she's back to struggling to find it in her to do much of anything again.

But—she waits until they're past the conference room, when the halls are empty, but this is worth the effort:]

Jessie? Um. I'm sorry I didn't come to see you at all the other week.

[But wanting to check in on the woman who defended her at the trial ended up outweighed by, among other things, how much Clover couldn't bear to be around the medbay.]

Comments

[toprotecttheworld]

Oh. That again. You don't need to apologize for not seeing me. I didn't want anyone to see me like that. You were doing me a favor.

[She assumes Clover is talking about the week where she was more wounded than helpful and not the week after. Jessie had made herself very scarce after losing Shelley, at least as best as she could.

But thinking about the medbay does remind her that Arumat stopped by. Stupid Scarface, calling her a "guiding light" in that letter. Just who does he think he is?]

It's all in the past. Don't think anything of it.

[socloverit]

...All right. [The past still matters, Clover doesn't say, but if Jessie can put this aside, so can Clover. Dismissal is close enough to forgiveness.

Her room is far enough down the hall that she can spend a few more moments in uncertain silence, but she pauses along the way, glancing around to make sure the area's still clear.]

Jessie? [Her voice isn't much more than a whisper, and she's watching where the blades of her scythe almost touch the floor.] The other...um...when I was—was a suspect... [a slow, shaky breath, still struggling just to speak about this,] ...I...didn't think anyone would stick up for me.

[but you did, she also doesn't say, because talking is hard.]

[toprotecttheworld]

Oh. That, too.

[She feels a little uncool for saying "oh, that" twice, but here we are. Jessie will just lean against a wall near the door. She's not sure how long Clover wants to talk to her, but this is a conversation they need to have, apparently.]

It was obvious to me. He was important to you. Even if it meant getting off of this spaceship, you'd never hurt a single hair on his head. If no one else could see that, then it's their fault for not being as sharp as me, isn't it?