An Unexpected Review [Limited]

[standalonehuman]

WHO: Togusa, with specific prompts for Gentiana and Koutarou and Lucian Trevelyan, a limited-open prompt for Togusa's fellow police officers and Dante Rantanen. (I can add more top-levels for more phone calls if needed.)
WHERE: Togusa's apartment.
WHEN: 4/3, morning.
WHAT: So much for avoiding all of Retrospec's changes. Togusa wakes up with a scar that he knows he's never gotten. Panicking ensues.
WARNINGS: Non-graphic description of gunshot wound scars. Lots of possible medical stuff.


Togusa can feel that something is wrong as soon as he wakes up. He is usually very aware of his physical state, and something is different about it, something that shouldn't be. He opens his eyes, and nothing is wrong. Still in his bed in his apartment, still a miniature schnauzer curled up on the body pillow because the dog refuses to sleep in the nice dog bed Togusa bought for him.

He takes in a deep breath, and there it is, an extra tightness in the skin on the right side of his rib cage. It's not pain, not discomfort, just something that shouldn't be there. His face forms a look of utter confusion, and he half-sits up and peels back the blanket. That breath leaves him in one sudden rush.

There is a scar on his chest, the unique marking that only a gunshot wound leaves behind.

The cold sensation of adrenaline runs down his spine as he bolts to the bathroom, throws on the light to look at himself in the mirror. The color has drained out of his face, but the mark is still there. He puts a hand to it, and his mind seizes up on the impossibility of this. It's there, he can't deny it, or ignore it, but it absolutely can't be there.

He's never been shot. He's never even fired his weapon in the field. How? Is he hurt? Is he injured? Did something happen to him while he was out? How could he not remember getting shot? He needs...he needs to go to the doctor. Now.

A concerned 'woof' from the bathroom door brings him back to himself. He blinks, and looks down at his dog, Daisuke. The pup just seems to know something is wrong, and looks up at him in a doggie version of concern. Togusa runs a shaking hand over his rib cage. Focus, Hitori. Look at what's really there, stop jumping to conclusions that aren't here. Sensitive to the touch, but the mark is old, it shows signs of having healed. There's no pain in his ribs, breathing is...still too fast to judge. But that mark is right over his lung, that has to be a concern.

This all feels even more impossible. He closes his eyes, stop looking at it for a second, and he tries to calm down. Breathe. This isn't an emergency, but there is still something wrong with him.

And as much as he wants to ignore it, he knows this is somehow Retrospec's fault.

So much for keeping his head down.

Comments

For Gentiana

[standalonehuman]

There is a part of Togusa's mind that blows past all the panic to be sorry that he is bothering Gentiana with this, bothering her so early in the morning. But his instinct is crying out to reach out to her. She would want to know. He is going to the hospital, one way or another, and if she didn't know before the fact, it would make her worry more.

So, it's all right, just push the damn button on your phone, Hitori, why is this so hard?

He calls.

"Gentiana?" Try as he might, his voice still shakes. "I- there's something wrong. Can you come to my apartment? There's."

Get to the point already. But the fear of not understanding what is happening shines through in his words. A breath in, out.

"I think one of those reality changes finally hit me."

[glacian]

It's a good thing that Gentiana was near her cellphone at the time. She muted it earlier when she was teaching her morning class and is currently on break when the screen flashed on. "Hitori...?" She whispers once she sees the name upon the screen. Without any hesitation on her part, Gentiana answers it quickly upon the third ring.

"Ah, good afternoon--" Her greeting falters the moment she hears the shakiness in his voice. Gone is the officer's usual confident tone now replaced with such nervous uncertainty. She grips the cellphone closer to her ear. "Hitori." Her voice is sterner now, urgent. "What's a matter? Did something happen to you?" She's honestly worried but she can't let her worry show now. The two of them spoke briefly about this the other day. If something was to suddenly happen to change what he perceives as real, then Gentiana vowed to be there for him. She's quite aware that there's something odd going on as of late, that much is true given but she didn't expect anything drastic to happen to him so soon.

"I'll be there within forty minutes or so." Gentiana says with no hesitation as she starts packing her things. She'll have to send a email out to her students and colleagues but for the most part, Gentiana should be fine. "May I ask what sort of change happened?"

[standalonehuman]

Gentiana's voice, his name, it is a grounding, focusing point. He closes his eyes, and a breath comes through, deeper. See, she'll be here, it'll be all right.

"A scar," he just blurts out the answer, he can't really say it any other way. "It's an injury that I know I've never gotten. And, the mark doesn't look brand new, it's like I've had it for a while."

"This is impossible," frustration, but he's calming down a little, talking to someone else is helping. Talking to her. "But I should go to the hospital. It's not an emergency, but I don't know what this has done to me."

[glacian]

A thoughtful hum escapes her as she listens. Gentiana quickly finished packing her things into her purse and is already out the classroom door. She did pause for a moment too grab a book from a nearby shelf. Togusa would recognize this book to be Salinger's most famous novel, Catcher in the Rye. She taken it upon herself to read it again after their brief conversation the other day.

"If you're in no immediate danger, then you should stay home." Gentiana says calmly as she hops down the stairs quickly. "Doctors are quick be judge and jury both. They will not hear you out if you confess the oddity of this wound. The doctors will only question your mental state and claim it to be stress." She nearly collides with a few students during her descent but she's nimble. The woman races down the staircase without breaking a sweat as she speaks with Togusa. "The wound you have might be...one that was forgotten." She hints once she finally make it to the main floor.

"What perceive to know now might not be the truth. Maybe that wound was always there but your memories of it haven't surfaced."

[standalonehuman]

Tougsa's eyes close, he leans his head back against the wall behind him, and he just listens for a minute, lets Gentiana's words wash over him. She's right, of course. A thought stays in his mind that he at least wants to go to Dr. Trevelyan, eventually, but he doesn't bring it up.

"But I've never been- shot," voice cracks on the word, on the admission. "I know it. I've never shot anybody else. I've never been in that kind of a situation. Recolle just doesn't have it." He pauses, a breath, to try to stem the flow of words. His mind is just going to keep spiraling up into panic again if he lets it.

"I'll stay here. I promise. I'll wait for you. I just-" Shakes his head, but she can't see it. "I don't know what to do." This is not a state he finds himself in that often.

[glacian]

Gentiana does her best to suppress a gasp once Togusa mentions what sort of scar he has. She tenses a bit. Just the thought of him being injured angers her in a way that makes her hands quiver. The thought alone triggers something of a dark memory for Gentiana, one that is shrouded by shadow but a deathly chill clings to her. She's quiet for a time as she does her best to suppress the anger. Gentiana isn't mad with Togusa but rather with the situation as a whole.

This sense of powerlessness she feels is utterly foreign. Gentiana feels as if she should be in control of everything, almost she's suppose to be guiding him. It's an odd feeling that she can't shake off. She really feels as if she's suppose to be doing more but what? Gentiana isn't certain how to approach this.

"We will unearth the secrets that hides with the lies." Gentiana answers once she starts heading off the campus. It will be a lengthy walk but she'll manage. If anything, Gentiana might splurge on a taxi.

"That I can promise you, Hitori." She whispers sweetly with such confidence. "I will not fail you." A strange feeling constricts her chest when she says that.

For Koutarou

[standalonehuman]

Koutarou was going to find out, one way or another, the man's still listed as his emergency contact at work. Is he going to understand any better than Togusa does? Probably not. Will he drive Togusa to the hospital anyway? Yes...so long as nothing's happened to him, either.

It's the sudden fear that maybe these are happening to everyone at once that spurs Togusa to call Koutarou.

"Koutarou? I- hope I didn't wake you, but, I need your help. Are you all right?"

[wordcarvings]

Koutarou was already awake, had been so for a few hours, sleep schedule as random as ever, and he had been at home for most of them, doing some quiet cleaning-up so as to not disturb his neighbors. He always thought better when keeping his hands busy, but zoned out too much to do so if he drew.

His phone fell off the kitchen since it was both on vibrate and sound, but at least he caught it before it hit the floor.

"Morning, Hitori. Don't worry, you didn't. And I'm alright. What's wrong?"

There's a tone in Togusa's voice that tells him that there's something wrong on his end though, and he's instantly worried.

[standalonehuman]

A sigh of relief, a loud sound of a breath out over the phone's speaker. "I thought- maybe this was happening to other people, too."

"I need your help," you're repeating yourself. "I woke up with a- mark, a scar, something that I know I've never gotten before."

"This is impossible, it can't have happened, but I'm looking right at it. I- can you come over?" There's regret in his asking, but he sounds like he doesn't know what else to do.

[wordcarvings]

As he listens to Togusa explain what's going on, Koutarou puts aside the dishrag to dry and heads for the hallway to get his coat and keys.

There is no hesitation in his reply. "Of course, I'll head over right now." It won't take that long to take the bicycle. Though he has to get it out of the bicycle storage in the basement, that's faster than walking and there's clearly a level of urgency to the matter. "That sounds incredibly odd. You're not feeling unwell? The scar does not show any other damage or injury?" He wants to know the extent of what's going on, and to keep Togusa on the line for a while longer. Help him calm down some, as he's clearly rattled.

[standalonehuman]

Togusa is shaking his head even though Koutarou cant see it. "I don't know how to-" the words stumble over themselves, before he cuts himself off. Focus. Breathe for a second, Togusa. He takes one long breath out, and he is speaking more to himself, "No, I do know exactly what to look for."

Take a second. He is trying to keep his breathing even. "It- actually, doesn't hurt." Like he's making really sure that's actually true. Hurt is different than panic. "It's..healed some, sensitive to the touch, but it's, old." His words are still hesitant, but trying to be more deliberate, hanging on to some sort of calm instead of letting his mind take off running.

"I- this kind of wound could only come from a gunshot." Say it out loud, and maybe he'll be less afraid of the reality it represents.

For Lucian Trevelyan

[standalonehuman]

When Togusa thought 'go to the hospital' what he really meant was 'go to Dr. Trevelyan's.' Because at least after a few minutes, the reminder is there that if he goes to a regular hospital, people will ask questions, and, oh yeah, he'll have a medical record that contradicts his police record.

So. Since he's not actively bleeding to death, let's not commit career suicide. And call Dr. Trevelyan.

"Dr. Trevelyan?" The panic is still evident in his voice. "I'm sorry to bother you, but- if you can see me, the sooner the better."

"I've, it's- not an emergency. But, I need to get seen." Why does he keep stumbling every time he tries to explain this? "It's- definitely one of those physical changes we were talking about."

Catchall Misfired Phone Calls! For Police Officers and Dante (may open up to more people later.)

[standalonehuman]

This is awkward. Togusa was supposed to work today. So now he has to call out of work, but not explain exactly why, but say that he is going to the hospital, so that has to count for something? He isn't the type of guy to call out of work often, so he hopes that his own history is also going to help.

Unfortunately for Togusa, he is trying to make these calls on his cell phone, and Retrospec is still Retrospec. So instead of the front desk? He called your extension.

"Hello?" He is trying to calm himself back down, but that panic might come right back when he realizes he got the wrong number.

[outpunch]

"Hey, sup?" Contrary to him, Juzo's not stressed at all, just slightly annoyed that he's stuck at the station, filling some paperwork. But that's nothing new, so there. "You need something?"

Is it just him or does Togusa sound nervous? Now, that's something unusual.

[standalonehuman]

"I- Sakakura?" What the hell just happened? Confused, Togusa has to try to scramble to get back on some kind of even level. "I- was calling in for dispatch, are you on the front?"

A quick breath, trying to hide the fact that he doesn't sound good. "I was trying to call out, I'm not getting in today."

[outpunch]

"Nope, but you know how it is lately." Juzo isn't even surprised to hear that Togusa attempted to call the front desk and yet ended up like this. Maybe he would be puzzled, but with all those weird stuff happening with Retrospec or in the city itself...just no, there's nothing shocking about that.

The second piece of information, however, it's another thing.

"Something happened? I can't even remember the last time you were absent last time."

[standalonehuman]

There is a hesitation. If this were actually just a health-related problem that was actually none of Juzo's business, then Togusa would just gloss over this.

But Juzo is on the network, too.

A shaky breath in. "My friend, Koutarou, he's coming over to take me to the doc. You know how- some people have been getting, changes? Eye color changes, strange marks they didn't have before?"

"...fuck." A quiet swear as Togusa looks down at his side again.

"Get...somewhere nobody can look over your shoulder."

[judicatus]

"Togusa?"

In Gabranth's mind, it's odd enough that Togusa was apparently nowhere to be seen today — odd, but not necessarily worrying. Taking a call from him at his desk, however, changes things considerably.

"What's the matter?" Because something has to be up, right? Gabranth's brow furrows as he sets aside whatever he was working and gives over his full attention to whatever Togusa's gotten himself into now.

[standalonehuman]

"Detective?" The startled realization that his call didn't get where it wanted to mixes with the automatic reminder to show respect to a senior officer. He swallows hard, audible over the line. "I- was trying to get to the front desk."

It's hard to beat around the bush with Gabranth, because Togusa can just envision that glare through the phone, so he closes his eyes, "I need to call out, my friend's on his way to pick me up, take me to the doctor."

[judicatus]

Gabranth might not be glaring in reality, at least not yet, but there certainly is a frown on his face. If Togusa really did put in the wrong number... Either Retrospec's technological glitches are reaching far beyond its network and devices, or something really is terribly wrong with the man.

"What are you seeing the doctor for?" He keeps his tone quiet, just in case any nosy busybodies might be trying to listen in, and level — but what counts as level for him might easily come off as aggressive to anyone else. Still, he's not going to drop it until he gets a more specific answer.

[standalonehuman]

Oh, Togusa does not want to admit this out loud. His eyes open, and he looks down at the dark mark on his chest, the undeniable reminder that he has stopped being so lucky as to apparently avoid Retrosepc's interference in his life. "I woke up this morning with an injury-" A hard swallow, and then he breathes out. "Mark like this could only come from a gunshot wound. You know my record, I've never been shot. So how the hell-"

Togusa cuts himself off, runs a hand over his face. "It's old. Not too faded. So it's not an emergency, but I need to know what else is wrong with me."

[darkinferno]

"Yeah, this is Dante. Who's this?"

One of the last things Dante's expecting is for his phone to go off while he's out on his morning run, much less for it to be an unknown number. But hey, stranger things have happened, right?

[standalonehuman]

"I- what?" Startled and distracted. "Uh- Hitori Togusa, I was trying for the front desk at the Department."

There's a pause while Togusa tries to think this through. "Dante? Rantanen? How did I get you?"

Togusa's breathing is uneven, and there's an audible thunk over the line as Togusa leans his head back against the wall behind him. "Fucking Retrospec strikes again. Can I just get one phone call to go where it's supposed to?"

[darkinferno]

"Togusa?" Dante's just as flummoxed as Togusa is, though he's able to sneak in a "Yeah, that's right," when he questions his last name.

He doesn't know why Togusa was redirected to him, especially considering that he's said again. But he does understand the uneven breathing, the note of surprise in his voice, if only because he was in the same position so recently.

"Something happened?" he asks, and though his voice is casual he's furrowing his brow. "What's going on?"

[standalonehuman]

Togusa hesitates, and for a second, all that's audible is his breathing over the line. He shouldn't spread this around, but Dante is on the app, too. This could happen to him. The overbearing urge to warn him keeps Togusa from just keeping silent.

"Did you- wake up with anything strange, today? A couple of people have been getting, changes. Strange marks, eye color changes? Things that should be impossible?