morphogenia | inbox - quiet place

[ he stumbles back a fraction at the tap, letting the fridge door close on its own. he ends up nodding and flashing her an OK sign rather than digging out his device. he finds himself staring at her though, has she always lived here...? ]

[That staring is going both ways. His face is completely healed. While she never asked, he seemed normal enough. She's pretty sure he doesn't have a healing factor. Kamala bites down on her lip anxiously before typing out another question. The concern on her face is impossible to miss.]

PB... what happened to your face?

[ pb. faith calls him pb. how does this girl know...? frank puts a hand to his face, it doesn't hurt for once, and he frowns, pulling out his device at last. ]

i don't remember

[Kamala resumes her staring. It's a combination this time of concern and real fear. Not remembering how your body changes rarely leads to good things. Sure she's an exception, but a very rare one. After a few tense seconds, Kamala works up the courage to write up another message.]

You're not okay. [What is she going to do?]

[ frank is never okay, but kilgrave told him to pretend he is, and so he's happy to do so. which is probably suspicious, but he also told him not to raise suspicion. for a moment the two collide, contradicting a mess of 'do i act like my regular sad sac self or do i act chipper and fine?' fuck. ]

i'm good. [ he flashes her his famous OK symbol, but then scrubs a hand over his face and shrugs a little helplessly. ] or as good as i ever am.

[ hopefully that's the perfect marriage of the two. ]

[It is ironically a perfect marriage. That doesn't do anything to alleviate the knots in Kamala's stomach. Something is wrong about this. She can't settle on what aside from the sudden change and the memory loss. Isn't that enough though?]

Do people normally forget what happens to them here?

[ slowly he shakes his head. he's never heard of it happening anyway. but none of them knew there would be new arrivals either. ]

no one really knows dick about this place

[She can't argue that. Kamala looks at her feet, visibly depressed. She wants to help, but what can she do? Something funny is happening here. She can't solve it. Eventually she just types out a miserable admission.]

I'm really worried about you, PB. I'm glad the bruises are gone, but this doesn't seem right.

[ kilgrave told him to act normal, but he doesn't remember this girl. he doesn't know how to act around her at all. his wires are all crossed, and it's making him feel confined, like a rabbit in a cage. ]

don't worry about me, sweetheart. i'll be fine. [ he hates it when people worry about him, but especially kids. they have enough to worry about in a place like this without tracking whenever frank gets into trouble. that would be a fulltime job for an adult. (spoilers: we know bc it's micro's job.) ]

[Kamala shakes her head in frustration. That isn't good enough, but what can she say or ask in this situation? Her helpless is annoying.] Adults always say that when they're not fine.

[She'll just point that out even if it doesn't change anything.]

[ he tips his head to concede her point. she's smart, whoever she is!! ] what would convince you?

An explanation. Why is your face suddenly okay? Why are you staring off into space like something's really bugging you? But, I don't think you can answer those questions.

[Which is why she's so worried about him. He should know what's wrong, shouldn't he?]

nothing's bugging me. [ it's quick, almost defensive. kilgrave's orders are confusing when he doesn't know which way is up. they jumble his head and make him look even more miserable than usual. frank moves over to a chair and slips onto it silently, hanging his head in his hand. this is totally the look of a fine dude. ]

[This is the opposite of fine. Kamala watches him helplessly for a couple of seconds before she decides to just do what she can. She goes to grab him something to drink and taps his shoulder once she has it. Maybe she's trying too hard here. Maybe she's being an annoying kid who should just mind her own business. Frank has helped her since day one. She's got to return the favor even if it doesn't seem welcome right about now.]

Hungry?

[ the tap to his shoulder has him taking a shuddering breath and looking up. oh... she got him a drink. he takes it with a near degree of reverence, typing one handed after taking a sip. he's so thirsty. why is he so thirsty? ]

you don't have to do that sweetheart [ feed him, like he's an invalid. though he supposes it's not so far off the mark right now. he had been about to make himself a sandwich... if she wants to do that for him... ]

[He is doing absolutely nothing to convince her not to treat him like an invalid so she keeps at it. Kamala pats his arm supportively and goes back to the fridge. She's got experience sandwich making with Bruno. She figures if it works for an Italian teenager, it will work for PB. It takes her a few minutes, but she makes something passable with what they have and hands it over to Frank. It's only after he takes it that she explains herself.]

You've been looking out for me since I got here so let me help you at least this once, okay? Please?

[Even if she's out of ways to help after this really. What else is there? Send him to bed? She sucks at this.]

[ he's relenting easily, setting his device and cup down so he can take the sandwich with two hands. he remembers making jess a sandwich, why can't he remember this girl? he takes a bite and closes his eyes, the instant blood sugar spike putting him on a new level. after a long moment of just chewing he nods at her. fine. do your worst!!! ]

[Kamala is quickly encouraged by his acceptance. She grabs herself to drink so she'll have something to do while she waits for him to finish. It's good that she does because it gives her time to think. He's acting the way she does when she burns herself out. If that's the case, she knows how to fix this.]

Okay so when I'm not feeling well sometimes I'll eat a ton of food then sleep or just sleep. Which feels right to you?

[ if he were himself right now the response would be automatic. 'nothing feels right to me right now.' or ever. but kilgrave's orders churn up his insides again, and he forces out a smile once he's finished that doesn't look forced at all. which by virtue of frank being frank means it doesn't look right at all either. ]

do you wanna help me move my bed [ the last thing he wants to do is sleep out in that garage alone. david will know how to fix him, he always does. ]

[The smile actually succeeds in freaking her out even more. By not looking forced it comes off kind of forced. He's giving her something to do which is all she wants so she downs her drink and nods.] Sure! I can do that.

[ he nods, moving to put his cup in the sink because one thing he can't tolerate kilgraved or not is a mess. then he's leading her back towards the garage to grab his cot silently. he grabs the back of the frame to steer and waits for her to pick up the front -- and he starts to remember. carrying her bed the first day, helping her set up her room. the red dust clings unpleasantly to the back of his mouth just like it had that day when he'd seen the monsters. he remembers swimming in the river. he remembers, but her name is still fuzzy. and now he has a headache to top it all off with.

even without remembering, he knows the room he needs to be in. he leads them to the third bedroom across from the dining room bedroom he'd helped her set up. there's already a bed in there facing away from the door. he sets his the opposite way a few feet apart from david's bed and places his pillow so that his head will face the door and anyone who tries to enter the space. he flashes her a grateful look and picks up his hand in another OK symbol. see you around sweetheart. he's going to curl up now like a stray dog, able to fold himself in tight despite his size. ]

[It brings back memories for her too. She remembers how they moved her bed and a few knick knacks back here. She thinks back on how terrified she felt. It doesn't even seem like her now that she looks back at it. She never pictured herself as someone who would beg to be allowed to stay in a strange place with men she didn't know. She never saw herself as someone who cried in a corner until a pretty superhero came to rescue her from her sadness.

That's what losing her family, home, and security did to her. When she thinks on how easily she could have been hurt during such a vulnerable time by the adults around her, well, is it any surprise she's trying so hard to help him now? He was the hero back then. She wants to be one now too even if she isn't sure how.

She supposes it's enough to put him next to his partner. That's what they are for, right? Kamala nods in response and without warning goes in for a hug before she leaves. It's the best she has to offer. She wants to be a hero, but she's out of her depth. At least he can know that she cares even if she can't fix whatever happened.

She pulls back just as quickly to offer him a cheerful wave as she leaves. The dishes will be cleaned and put away whenever he gets the chance to notice. They'll see each other when the dust from the battle Kamala doesn't quite see just yet settles.]

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