DEFEATISM

12

They end up calling 911. After walking through the location and the cut, the operators tell Maverick and Galilee that the steri strips will do fine for the next few days. The snow is too intense; a helicopter wouldn't even be able to pick them up. Fortunately, it is Galilee's non-dominant hand. It looked like more blood than it was because of the water. She's okay.

The others are not nearly as good.

Benedict, after taking an hour-long cold shower to get his body under his own control again, is more serious about going outside. With the help of Ro, he gets into a lounge on the first floor. Marcellus tags along. He unscrews the stopped on the window so that it opens fully. There is more than enough space to climb through, if not for the screen.

Ro brought a knife up from the staff kitchen. She tries to pass it to Marcellus, but his hands don't take it.

She rolls her eyes, "whatever, chicken shit."

Then, she begins to cut out the screen door. The activity is more laborious than she thought it would be. Dinner has come and gone, and its dark outside now. Benedict has already brought up flashlights. They have enough for all of them, plus two extras; one for the resident assistant who should be working half of Darlington's floor, and the other for the super who has already fled town.

"How's Callie?" Benedict swallows.

Ro shrugs, "I saw her half an hour ago. She's fine."

"Did you asked her why she freaked?" Marcellus swallows. He is trying not to fiddle with his screwdriver.

"No," Ro's voice is dull. "Didn't think it was appropriate to ask why seeing an unconscious friend made her have a panic attack."

"The operator told Maverick that Galilee only passed out from the sight of blood," Marcellus shrugs.

Benedict hopes they shut up about the whole thing. Galilee is fine. He'd rather not anyone call him dramatic for finding an unconscious coworker on the floor and then panicking, whether or not she was fine, or in danger, or whatever. To help himself ignore them, he starts to send out the same text to everyone.

Hey. Come to the 1W lounge, with your coat, boots, gloves and snowpants if you have them. It's non-negotiable.

He even sends the same message to Galilee. It's non-negotiable for her too.

Everyone begins to make their way to the lounge of 1 West. Most of them are hanging out together in the staff lounge at the time, so they separate to get their stuff from their rooms. Jerry accompanies Galilee since they live on the same floor. Maverick and Tempest laugh as they grab their stuff, both in the mood to at least feel something other than the anxious pulls of the day. It takes two texts to coax Callie and Moonie out of their rooms, three for Elodie, but soon enough the eleven resident assistants of Pearcher House are gathered in Ro's communal lounge, staring at the window.

"Okay, so the snow is over three feet deep," Benedict warns everyone as he passes out the flashlights. "Do not push anyone down into it, even as a joke. Don't decide to be funny and try to hide in it. Don't be stupid."

"He's talking to you, Jerry," Ro tries to hide her smirk.

Jerry smiles, "if the super shows up, I make no promises."

"I was actually talking to you, Ro," Benedict cuts in, his voice dead serious. He sighs, "but also Jerry. Really, I'm talking to anyone who is going to push anyone under."

Galilee smiles next to Jerry. He seems happy lately, so at least someone is, she thinks.

Across the room, Callie turns her head. It's hard to look at Galilee without seeing her on the ground again. The image is stuck in her head. She's always been such a visual person.