simon_doctor | (no subject)

(no subject)

[Immediately after this.]

Simon's late getting in to dinner tonight.

One thing about this place: it's conducive to thought. Introspective thought. The kind of thought that's occupying his mind right now, as he moves slowly down the stone hallway en route to the refectory.

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If you're River, it's also conducive to standing, one hand brushing lightly over the cool stone wall, and looking up at a wooden support beam. It's rough-hewn oak, surrounded by mortar and stone, lightly scratched with a few mostly illegible words. Biblical verses, maybe, or just workman's graffiti; it's hard to say.

That may or may not be what she's looking at, but at least for the moment it's quite distracted her from progressing towards dinner.

Simon pauses at the sight of her, one hand out to brush the wall in a gesture oddly like hers.

"River?"

"He holds up the ceiling."

Beat.

A sunny smile tossed at Simon. "In defiance of gravity."

By this time he's gotten to know what it sounds like when River makes a

(we need to resort to cannibalism)

joke.

"That's right," he says amiably.

Satisfied, River looks back at the beam.

And then blinks, her expression shifting into confusion and faint worry, and glances back at Simon.

"...What?"

His own smile fades, a little.

"River, what ... what do you see?"

River's hand lifts, a little, and falls back to her side.

"Talking," she says softly. "You're both talking."

Both talking --

(you're, you're shouting but you're not saying it, Simon -- Daddy--)

"...Yes."

The worried look deepens a bit.

She's not agitated, but the fingers of one hand shift against her skirt, and she looks away at the empty air over his shoulder.

"It's okay," she says helplessly.

"Meimei..."

He reaches out to touch the back of her hand, gently.

"It is. It's okay."

River looks at him, at that.

And something in her face and her shoulders relaxes.

"We just ..."

I forgave him.

"We talked."

"Okay."

There's a very small smile, now.

"Come on," he says softly, and tugs just a bit at her hand.

"We should go in to dinner. Everyone else is probably there already."

"It's a social gathering. The times are by consensus."

Still smiling faintly at her brother, River lets herself be urged along.

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