Jerrik sighs to himself, once more on guard duty but this time for the broken 
  Rykos. Tamber has come, and has helped Kevlan into the bathing chamber to 
  help the boy get cleaned up, leaving the sled tech to monitor the room 
  terminal for any urgent communications - and to keep an eye on the unexpected 
  visitor.
Jerrik deals another solitaire hand, wondering if he can demand bonus pay for 
  playing medic, and hopes the Hangar doesn't holler for his aid with another 
  sled before one or the other of his and Tamber's charges are able to be up 
  and about. He glances at Rykos's huddled form, consideringly.

Rykos shivers in the corner of the chair, the blanket still wrapped tightly 
  round him. Every so often he murmurs something quietly and either shakes or 
  nods his head in his sleep.
Rykos mutters in his sleep. "...darkness...darkness..."

Jerrik, not seeing the boy's mouth as he shifts, doesn't hear this particular 
  mutter - but he remembers the earlier ramblings, and Tamber has reported 
  hearing the boy worry about darkness. The sled tech considers, and murmurs to 
  the room computer, "Lights, low level. Soft intensity." Maybe if the light's 
  soothing, it'll help both Singers out.

Rykos huddles even closer into himself, trying to burrow into the corner of the 
  couch. "....please don't....Alysin...Tela..."

Obligingly, the room's wall-screen - Kevlan's answer to a window, this deep in 
  the Guild complex - shifts into a barely discernible pattern of colors in 
  gentle tones, speaking of a tapestry of sunlight through spring leaves.

Rykos shudders again and his eyes blink open. On instinct he whispers, 
  "Tela...?"

Tamber peeks out of the bathing chamber, and sighs tiredly, coming over to join 
  his friend. "Kevlan's soaking in the tank, but I have programmed it for water 
  instead of radiant fluid," he reports. "I do not like the look of him, when I 
  check with my lenses down... "

Jerrik shhhs a little to the Sorter, nodding at Rykos. Immediately Tamber's 
  green gaze shifts and he considers Rykos. "Has he improved any?" he inquires 
  of Jerrik.
Jerrik answers gruffly, "Not that I can tell. He keeps twitching every so 
  often, and muttering. Kinda like Kev, actualy."

Tamber ponders, then pads closer to the young Singer. "Not Tela," he answers 
  him gently. "Tamber."

Rykos whispers a little more urgently, his eys looking blankly at the arm of 
  the chair. "Tela....please..."
Rykos still doesn't look up. "T...tamber....Tela...who...?"

Tamber kneels beside the couch, and says gently, "Dear boy, my name is Tamber. 
  Do you know where you are?"

Rykos shifts slightly, pulling the blanket tightly again. 
  "I..in...darkness...dead...have to..to...find..them.." Still he doesn't look 
  up, his responses seemingly far away and automatic.

Jerrik speaks up: "Guess he doesn't, hey, Tamber?"

Tamber frowns, and nods absently to the other man, as he considers what to do 
  with both these traumatized Singers. Jerrik smiles halfheartedly, scooting 
  his chair a bit so that he can position himself to glance into the bathing 
  room every so often and go to Kevlan if he's needed.
Tamber, his lean face set with quiet determination, tells Rykos softly, "My 
  lad, it is not dark here. You are with friends, and Jerrik and I will stay 
  with you."

Rykos looks up suddenly, staring at Tamber. He blinks and his eyes clear, 
  though its as if he stares stright through Tamber. "How do I see in the 
  darkness?" He blinks again and pulls his chin back into the hollow of his 
  neck. His murmmers become faint again. "H..have to...to find..them...bring 
  back..." His brow furrows, "..or..stay.."

Tamber, like Jerrik, seems worn about the eyes as he studies this young Singer, 
  though his voice is calm and steady. "You are safe," he assures. "We will 
  help you, if you are hungry, or frightened, or if you simply need to rest 
  where there are other people. You are safe."

Rykos shudders again. "Fri..frightened...scared..all alone..."

Jerrik glances off into the bathing chamber again; from that room, just down 
  the little hallway, come occasional tentative sounds of water splashing.

Tamber shakes his head levelly. "Not alone, here. We are with you."

Rykos heads stays bowed, only his tangled and ungroomed hair facing Tamber and 
  Jerrik. "H..here...in...darkness..?"

Tamber says softly, "In Kevlan's suite, my lad. Do you remember? You came to 
  see Kevlan."

Rykos whispers, "Ha..had..to give..him..crystal..."

Jerrik glances off to check on Kevlan again, as Tamber agrees gravely, "You 
  did. We have put your note in a safe place."

Rykos nods very slightly, his voice still faraway and faint. "Ma..master 
  Kev..kevlan can sing...I..I can..go..."

Tamber glances over his shoulder at Jerrik; the two men frown very quietly to 
  one another. Jerrik closes his eyes, and bows his head.

Rykos says "..go..back..."

Tamber sighs, as he asks Rykos, "Are you sure you want to go, dear boy?"

Rykos whispers, "...have to...have to find...them...left them...there.."
Rykos continues, "..go back..into..into...darkness.." His eyes well with tears 
  as he cries almost silently.

There's a sudden loud sound out of the bathing chamber, like someone tripping 
  over something. Tamber starts, then looks at Jerrik, and reaches up to nudge 
  the tech off to see what happened to Kevlan.

Tamber then turns, and says calmly to Rykos, "You do not need to leave us if 
  you do not wish it, lad."

Rykos raises his head a little, looking at Tamber, 
  "B..but..they're..waiting...I..I belong...there.."

Jerrik ducks into the bathing room; his voice sounds softly from there. "Ah, 
  lad, you alright...?"

Tamber replies, trying to encourage the younger man to talk, "Who, my lad? Do 
  you want to tell me about it?"

Rykos looks at Tambar, confusion spreading acorss his face. "H..how..did.y..you 
  die?"

More voices from the bathing room, barely audible, but clear enough to enhanced 
  senses. "W-w-w-wan' walk." ".... alright, Galahad, you got it... c'mon, 
  now... "

Jerrik reappears, after a moment, moving slowly as he looks over his shoulder 
  back the way he'd come.

Tamber's dark eyebrows crinkle, but that is the only sign of his composure 
  rattling as he tells Rykos soothingly, "I have come close to death, my boy, 
  but it has not taken me, not yet. I am alive, and I am here with you."

Kevlan stumbles slowly into view after Jerrik, clinging to the walls as he does 
  so. Kevlan's hair is soaked, but he is clean, and swathed in a fresh robe. 
  Jerrik hovers near him concernedly, but allows the Singer to make it into the 
  main part of the suite under his own power.

Tamber glances up as Kevlan emerges from the bathing room, and his look softens 
  a bit. "Are you alright, Kevlan?"

Jerrik offers ruefully, "Found him on the floor, I think he tripped getting out 
  of the tank."

Rykos pulls back into himself. "H..have to..to..be..dead. 
  Only..dead..in..darknes..."

Kevlan glances with haunted eyes between his two friends, and roughly nods 
  before he comes close enough to see Rykos.

Tamber and Jerrik exchange glances again - both of them aware that this entire 
  situation is something that'll have to be played by ear. But at least Kevlan 
  is moving about on his own now....

Rykos shudders a little more violently. "H..have to..to go..back to 
  them...My..fault.."

Kevlan straightens with an effort, and pads slowly over to where Rykos is 
  huddled.

Tamber looks back at Rykos and tells him quietly, "You are not dead, lad. You 
  are here, with me, and Jerrik, and Kevlan."

Rykos shakes his head, still shuddering. "N..no..didn't..kill..you...you 
  can't..be..be..here." He buries his head in the blanket in a feeble attempt 
  to deny your existances.

Kevlan wobbles for a moment, his color draining briefly, before awkwardly 
  lowering himself down to sit on the other end of the couch. "A-a-a-ain't 
  dead," he mumbles.

Rykos whimpers, "Help..me...Alysin...Tela..father...help..me..back..it hurts..."

There is silence as the sorter and sled tech both try to think of an answer at 
  the same time, but it is Kevlan who finally asks Rykos awkwardly, "Wheah's 
  hurt?"

Rykos peers out of the blanket at Kevlan. 
  "H..here..hurts...eveywhere..Sh..should be dead...th..they've all gone..."

Tamber rises, to murmur to Jerrik, "Your turn to go get rest, my friend... I'll 
  watch them." The sled tech starts to protest, but Tamber is insistent, and he 
  nudges his tired friend out. Jerrik leaves, soundlessly.

Jerrik steps out into the hallway.
Jerrik has left.

Kevlan draws his arms around his knees as he murmurs to Rykos, "Know."

Rykos continues to peer at Kevlan, "W..was dead..wh..why did I..I come..back..?"
Rykos's eyes flicker and he blinks. "Y..you..n..know..?"

Tamber comes back from escorting Jerrik off, and he regards the two young men 
  thoughtfully. He goes to the catering unit and dials himself up a beverage, 
  settling down on another chair to listen quietly, and be a supportive 
  presence.

Kevlan nods, wordlessly, his blue gaze still on the other Singer. Then: 
  "Ah-Ah-Ah know. Hurt.... " He frowns, frustration creasing his brow as he 
  tries to find the words. His hand thumps his chest, then his throat, very 
  briefly. "Heah."

Rykos nods again, his eyes slipping out of focus, his head dipping again. 
  "..hurts..hurt everyone...hurt Alysin...hurt father...hurt Tela...all 
  gone...empty and cold.."

Kevlan swallows, tears glimmering a little in his gaze as he hears his own 
  emotions voiced to him. "Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah know," he answers. "'Sgone."

Tamber watches the pair, quietly considering. Both of them unable to sing. Both 
  of them seemingly heartbroken... but if they continue to take to one another, 
  that might help them both, he thinks...

Rykos looks around the room, his eyes fixing blankly on the guitar, "so 
  cold...so quiet..."

Tamber's gaze follows Rykos's to the corner where not only Kevlan's battered 
  seven-stringer but Bernadette's newer instrument as well, stand propped 
  against the wall. His eyes sharpen.

Kevlan mutters, "Yeah... " He does _not_ look where Rykos is, his face suddenly 
  coloring.

Rykos continues to stare blankly, not seeing anything aas his shudders 
  uncontrollably. "I..it's quiet..i..in..the..darknes too..."

Tamber continues to watch the pair - like a pair of scared small boys 
  whispering in awe about the awful monsters under their beds. He almost smiles.

Kevlan scoots a little closer, regarding Rykos plaintively. "Ah-Ah-Ah 'membah."

Rykos nods, whispering quietly. "P..people...there..can't hear..them...and 
  creatures...spiders.." He shudders violently, but doesn't seem to notince.

Kevlan blinks. "Spidahs?"
Kevlan shakes a bit, and nods, eyes pressing closed for a moment.

Rykos's shivering is even more consistent at this time. 
  "S..sp..spiders...hurt...kill...people..watching...died.."

Thoughts of your claims pass through your head every once in awhile.
Non-singers around you see: You get the feeling that something is slightly 
  wrong as you gaze upon the worried face of Kevlan.

Kevlan confides awkwardly, "G... got hurt, too."

Tamber nods very quietly to himself. _Yes_. Speak of it, Kevlan. The sight of 
  Kevlan opening up to the other boy pleases him more than he can express, and 
  he doesn't dare interrupt the fragile rapport.

Rykos's voice is almost inaudible. "H..how..?"
Rykos continues to stare blankly, his head still but his eyes drifting, 
  unfocused.

Kevlan pauses, feeling as if that plascrete lump in his throat solidifies as he 
  thinks of what happened. Across the room, Tamber leans forward slightly, a 
  hopeful look in his green eyes.
Kevlan finally, thickly mutters, in a sudden rush of syllables, "Th-they hit 
  me.... an' it was real dark... hurt bad, they hit me. Spidahs g-git you?"

Rykos shudders, "Sp..spiders.." His eyes well with tears, his voice cracking 
  even more so. "G..got...i..inside..me...killed..me...li..like...others.."

Kevlan clutches at the other young Singer reflexively, his eyes wide, 
  wounded... and understanding. "An'... ever'thin's... all quiet... "

Rykos reflexivly tightens as Kevlan clutches at him, though he doesn't move any 
  more than shuddering where he's curled up. Tears start to run down his 
  haggard face, "...all quiet..y..yes...dark..and quiet..and alone..."

Kevlan nods heavily. The resonance his symbiont can feel in waves off the other 
  Singer nudges him to just lean against him - a strange kind of lifeline, 
  along with the deep gut reaction to the desperation in Rykos's uttered words. 
  He mumbles, "Know. Ah-Ah-Ah know. Song's all gone."

Rykos nods again, hearing Kevlan's words even if doesn't acknowledge Kevlan 
  saying them. "N..no..music...no..song...left...in..darkness.." His shivers 
  and shudders lessen a little as Kevlan leans against and he doesn't pull away 
  any further.

Every now and again your mind wanders to thoughts of freshly cut crystal 
  humming in your hands.
Non-singers around you see: Kevlan peers off into the distance occasionally.

Kevlan tells Rykos plaintively, "You gotta stay heah. Not 'lone heah."

Tamber starts to smile, just a little.

[End log.]