Turquoise.

Blisters spread out across the floor, pieces of plastic among the crumbles of paper, pieces of cardboard and prescription notices. A few spilled droplets of liquid. 
A groan echoed through the empty space, short-lived and empty. There wasn't much for the sound to cling to, being swallowed by walls and lonely silence.

Days had passed since he had last stepped into 01's hideout. A glassed roof apartment in Arcadia District, where he had set up base for a couple of months, claiming it to be a temporary home and handing Jay a key card to "check in on the necessities" every now and then.

He hadn't had a need or want to use it, until this overwhelming feeling of regret had taken over his chest. It started small and easy to brush off. It was a small pain, quieter, sharper than the usual. Until it wasn't.

Jay wanted to call out for him, but the trace led him through the rooms. Decorated in silver and black, yet empty and sterile. It seemed as if nobody had really lived there, not now, not ever. A decorative room, taking up space where there could have been. Should have been. Something else. Something... more.

"Jay?", he mumbled into the dimly lit hallway, to the best of his ability.

"Smile?", Jay replied, unsure of whether or not he had really heard the door and noticed him. Hallucinations can be tricky business.

The other fell silent again. No sighs, no sounds.

Jay made his way to the bedroom, where 01 was lying, sprawled out on his back, limps stretched out, a glass in one hand.

"I didn't mean to show up out of nowhere, I just-", Jay began, but was cut off immediately.
 
"You were worried, huh?", he had expected him to reply, or "It's ok, you want some?"

But instead it was quiet, except for 01's deep breaths and slow, yet steady heartbeat against his chest. Rising slowly. Falling slowly. A candle burning in reverse. 



"Turquoise does that to people."

ــــــــــــــــ


Doc's voice echoed through his head. It wasn't an observation he needed to make of 01, both of them knew just too well about the effects and affects of Turquoise, Hybernia's favourite tranquilizer off the main market.

Jay could feel the Doc's eyes darting over the edge of his horn-rimmed glasses. He knew the cold glares he had delivered to the mercenary not too long ago, but this was different.

A glimpse of a spark, a hint of joy. 
A clipboard hitting the ground with an audible clank.


"Listen here, you little punk", Jay huffed, pupils narrow, hand on the doctors' collar, lifting him off the ground ever so slightly, "I know you Hybernia shits only care about one thing, and you are not using him again."

A smile, docile, pacified, smile spread across the Doc's face.

"No worries.", he hissed through gritted teeth, without adding the anticipated "I wouldn't touch this thing with a 10 foot pole in the dark."

Beyond the glass wall separating them from 01, steam began to rise, engulfing the propped up body in his skin-tight suit. Jay barely allowed himself to blink, not taking his gaze off of his partners silhouette in the fog.

He was going to be alright. He had to.



⋘ ↻ 02/12 ⋙