Despite Haro's best efforts at charm and persuasion, the medical staff were professional to the point of cold clinical care. His every need was provided for, sometimes to the point of discomfort at how closely he was clearly being monitored. However, things seemed to mellow a bit as the day grew long.
His dinner, which was impressive for hospital food, was brought in by a cheerful brunette near-human who gave him a sympathetic smile. She offered to bring him his favorite candy bar from the break-room. She was certainly the only staff member who'd shown any hint of interest in him that was warm or personal.
"
My name's Bonnie by the way! I'll be right back with that candy."
Return she did, though it took her a bit longer than implied. Almost as if ensuring he'd finish most of his dinner prior to the secret little dessert she was smuggling in. Setting the treat down on his tray, she turned to tend to his IV and chattered amicably, providing him more context for his treatment than anyone yet had.
"
You're already healing well, all things considered. That was a wicked hit you took! Tomorrow you're scheduled for a follow up scan, so the treatment team has a better idea of what you're up against as far as recovery time and any possible complications you might face. For now, you really need rest ok? I know you're antsy."
She turned back, regarding him with kind eyes, and answered whatever questions he had — always redirecting to the fact that waiting was the hardest part but he was well on his way toward mending. Soon, Haro would feel the clear effects of potent painkillers taking effect and it was clear that Bonnie must've added something more to his IV when she switched out the bag. The nurse stayed just long enough for memories of her to become bleary, before she turned down the lights and left him to his rest.
All was quiet, calm darkness for a time. Even the lights and sounds on his monitoring devices has been turned down for nighttime and the medications in his bloodstream did their work. There was the faint
click-hiss of the door once or twice as staff members did regular rounds to check on him, but he went otherwise unperturbed through most of the night.
It was in that strange hour just before twilight, where the darkness of the evening is relinquishing its hold of true darkness and the promise of a star's light approaches. It was then that something shifted. Whether Haro was awake to notice was of no consequence.
A corner of the darkened room which had been inky with shadow the entire night, seemed to be growing only darker still. As the narrow windows of the hospital room seemed slowly to lighten with true twilight, the corner shadow
moved.
Long tendrils crept along the ceiling against the wall and neared the hospital bed. The form was still indistinguishable, inky black and amorphous aside from the many snaking limbs which seemed to propel it. Where first the thing crept slowly, as if maybe it could be a trick of the light, all at once it moved with terrible speed.
Launching itself from its vantage point, it suddenly landed with terrifying weight upon the hospital bed and wound itself about both Haro and the bed he was confined to. Several of those terrible snaking limbs wrapped like shackles about his arms and legs, while one appendage wrapped his head to block shouts of alarm. They struggled for a moment but it was hardly a fair match up, and if Haro struggled too much he could feel his damaged body protest.
A terrible stillness fell back over the room, with Haro well and truly constricted. An agonizing few minutes later, the door to his room hissed open and out of his restricted peripheral, the mechanic and
spy could see an unmistakable figure.
A'Mia approached slowly, her face serene as she glided to loom over him. For a long moment she just stared down at him, her nymph-like face a beautiful mask which gave no sign of emotion nor the terribleness which lurked within. Then she leaned over him, drawing very near so that she could calmly whisper in his ear. The Sithspawn holding Haro tightened its oppressive grip as if in warning.
"
You stole from me,
Haro Aven
. You came to us, to Kor'ethyr and I saw at once that you did not belong.
Darth Caedes
insisted you be left alone, insisted there was a plan for you…"
She paused, the very first hint of cold venom entering her voice.
"
But you've wormed your way too deeply into the minds of some of the Order's more valuable assets… You've surpassed even my estimations for treachery, and now I suspect you of having something to do with both enemy incursions on Brosi."
Another pause, eerie silence, the sweet smell of flowers from Madrona and a darker undercurrent of earthy decay, like recently tilled compost, which wafted from the beast ensnaring Haro.
"
You have stolen from me," A'Mia repeated vehemently, "
Now I will take everything from you."
She reached out to grip what part of his face she could, cruelly digging in the tips of her fingers and calling upon the Force to bid he
sleep. Once cast into a stupor, Haro Aven was bundled up but the shambling vines and spirited away.
Down, down, down… Deep below the lowest levels of the building, into the depths below Brosi's surface where A'Mia's vast underground laboratory sprawled like an ant colony. The well loved, roguish mechanic was MIA and all official paperwork later released would indicated that he'd left the hospital against medical advice. For now though… he was entirely "unaccounted" for in all databases.
Naamino Zuukamano
berating the medical staff when
Leshanna Dromar
wielding what influence she had, or just the natural elapsing of time, the half-kage was finally moved to a proper medical ward. It happened shortly after Naami was court martialed and the transfer had been a blur.
