[Rainbowfox Ari]

It might have spooked her a bit as the instant the door shut, Kalson ran full-tilt at it again, and made a loud 'bang' as he hit it. Nursing wounded pride more than anything else, he meandered back to the mattress, and curled up, tails lashing some more. Thankfully, the next subject was anything but feral, and wore a very calm and pretty jaded expression as she entered. His ears perked a bit. "The Nurse has come to visit me?" he asked, not bothering to get up, since he was pretty tired, and preferred his place on the floor. If he sat on the bed, he'd just fall asleep, so he often chose the floor when he wanted to stay awake for whatever reason.

Emille had left this one completely clothed. He was wearing slightly-tattered jean shorts, and a large hospital-issue shirt. Heavens only knew where he'd gotten THAT. This one was slightly different, in that he was wearing a monitor around his chest - the silhouette of which could be seen underneath the backward shirt. He hadn't really bothered to do up the back of it, and showed no inclination to do so as Zerissa walked in.

"I didn't know he let you down here." he said quietly. "I'm sorry if Two hurt you. I'm sure he really doesn't mean it. My designation is Twenty One, but my name is actually Sonata."

[SpringsSong]

Kalson running at the door did spook her slightly, but after a few moments, she regained herself and moved onto the next cage.  When he asked if she had come to visit him, referring to her as "The Nurse", she offered a soft smile and nodded.

"I am here to visit you, yes," she said, sitting down on the floor across from him.  "After his last experiments, he needed some rest, so he asked me to give you your dinners tonight."  She noticed the heart monitor through the shirt, and tilted her head slightly.

"He didn't hurt me--he was spooked, and he reacted as a feral Kuhna would have.  If he had hurt me, it would've been my own fault, Sonata," she said, saying his name with hesitance, leaving it as an unspoken question as to what he preferred being called.

"You have a very nice voice.  Very... fitting of your name," she said after a moment.  "Do you mind if I listen to your heart?  I want to make some notes of my own."

[Rainbowfox Ari]

"Of course. Sonata is absolutely fine. It would make a change from being referred to as Twenty One all the time by Doctor E." He chuckled, and reached back to let his shirt slide off his body. The heart-monitor was one of Emille's works. Standard-issue, bastardized. It was actually attached inside of his body, instead of wrapped around the outside. If he took it off, there would be wires hanging out of his chest. "You'll pardon me for not moving, I'm quite..." He yawned, and rubbed his eyes. "Sleepy."

No wonder he was sleepy. His heart-rate was much slower than usual, but still in 'normal' range. It was also slightly erratic. His breathing was much the same - he was tired because he was being forced into sleep-mode constantly. Probably by whatever wires were inside of his chest, and whatever device Emille had attached to it. Could have also been the food, or whatever was in it. Either way, he was low on energy, and thus not entirely awake, and probably very, very tired.

"I came to the conclusion a very long time ago that I'm never getting out of here. I won't fight you. I won't tell you off. I won't blame you, or rage at you, or yell at you. Mostly, because I know it's useless. Well, that, and I was taught better than that by my foster-father... Who has no idea I'm here. I ran away a long time ago, and I doubt he's looking for me. I think I must have been here.... probably ten years?"

[SpringsSong]

"Ten years... that's a long time," Zerissa said as she observed the heart monitor.  She placed the stethoscope where she could listen to the boy's heart, mentally noting the heart rate before writing down on her pad, 021 -- Sonata.  Very pretty voice.  Very resigned demeanor.  Appears very tired, and both heart rate and breathing are slow, while still being within acceptable parameters.  Both are also slightly erratic.  Some sort of heart experiment connected to the monitor hooked up to his chest?

"It was nice talking to you, Sonata.  Thank you for letting me listen to your heart," she said.  She rose from her spot on the floor and gave him a genuine smile before she left the cage, closing the door softly.  She stepped away for a moment and looked at her notes before continuing to write: Possible subject.  Would definitely need approval from Emille, so not counting on it.  Still three others to look at and talk to.

Stopping her notes there, she moved onto the next cage--Subject 001, if she remembered correctly.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

001 was already curled back up on the bed when Zerissa came in, and although he did try and get up, he wasn't in any condition to do so. He'd eaten all of his meal, and drunk almost all the water, leaving the bowl neatly on the shelf. It looked as though he just wanted rest. Even so, he did roll over onto his back, and look to the side at Zerissa as she came in. Emille had this one in just simple white shorts with an oversize white t-shirt on top. His breathing was labored just sitting there. There were actually notes on this one, written on the back of the card in Emille's neat hand. Fragile. Trying antibiotics, but apparently no success. Definite health issues. along with the date he was picked up, and where from. It looked as though he was from the slums, and Emille had picked him up about three months ago. There was a name listed on the back of the card too, with a question mark after it. Name is Aura?

He really did try and get up when Zerissa came in, but was unable to do so - he hadn't caught his breath yet. So he remained lying on his back, mouth working and trying to say something that wasn't on the edge of a pant. Eventually, he did catch his breath, and managed a weak phrase or so. "H-hi... You're... the Pretty One that That Man talks about." Coughing followed the words, and he had to catch his breath again before speaking. "You r-really are... pretty... like he says."

[SpringsSong]

"Well, I'm not necessarily sure that he used those exact words," Zerissa said, looking at the notes that Emille had written.  "But, thank you," she added, standing at the edge of the bed for the moment.  She furrowed her brow when he coughed, writing on her own notepad, Definite health issues.  Labored breathing, couldn't seem to sit up, though he tried to when I came in.

"Now..." she paused for a moment, and looked at the card with Emille's handwriting once again.  "...Aura, is it?  Or...?" she let this hang for a moment, and then continued.  "Do you mind if I listen to your heart?  I want to take a few notes. if you don't mind."

At this point in time, she knelt down next to the bed, waiting patiently for his response.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Aura nodded at his name, and smiled. "Y-yeah... It's Aura..." He paused here to cough, hard enough to curl him up, then relaxed again. "I don't mind. I don't th-think... I can get up, though." His eyes closed for a moment as he tried, then flopped back down, panting, and shaking his head. Even that small exertion had left him unable to move, unable to speak. Emille was right with the health issues. The man wasn't even experimenting on this one. The salad he'd been given was a plain one, and he had no marks, no scars, and no evidence of tampering. Emille must have picked him up out of curiosity, or eventually planned to experiment with him... but then decided to try and nurse him back to health instead, given the state he was in. Even so, Emille was a busy man. He obviously couldn't afford the time to be down here tending to the boy when he had other experiments to run, people to monitor, things to catalog, and research to do. It looked as though he tried his best with the boy, then simply gave up because of time constraints.

After a few moments of panting, Aura finally relaxed enough to lay still, flat on his back, with one arm under his head, and the other at his side. He still had that shirt on, but there was no way he was strong enough to sit up, take it off, and lay back down again. Shirts could be lifted, after all. This boy probably couldn't even lift HIMSELF, let alone anything else.

[SpringsSong]

"That's all right, Aura.  Do you mind if I lift up your shirt to get a better look at your chest, and listen at your heart?  I'll put it right back where it is afterwards," she said, lifting the shirt enough to see the boy's chest.  What she saw wasn't good, to be sure--his stomach appeared caved, and she tentatively ran her hand over the area, feeling each of the boy's ribs.  She frowned, and took a moment to write down a few more notes.  Stomach appears caved, and I can easily feel his ribs--maybe he's not getting nutrients from the food?  He's also wheezing--possible asthma?

After writing down these few notes, she placed the stethoscope to the boy's chest and listened.  His heartbeat was fast and erratic, which she made a note of.  She listened for a few moments longer, and then, she rose from her place, lowering Aura's shirt back into place.

"Thank you for letting me listen to your heart," she said.  Without another word, she stepped out of the cage and took a moment more to write a few more notes.  Heartbeat is fast, and erratic.  A pacemaker might help that--must research.  Possible subject, but would need to be nursed to health first.  His would be a long road to recovery.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

The next cage held the overly-enthusiastic 020, who was pretty much bouncing around the cage in hyperactive motion. Not literally bouncing - that was impossible with the chain in his leg. He might as well have been, though. When Zerissa opened the cage, he was already talking a mile-a-minute. "Hi there! Hi hi! You're that Zeri person! That nice person that E Man calls nice! Hi! Hi hi hi! My name's Prism! What's yours? Oh, you must be Zeri. Or whatever that's short for. I already said that didn't I?" He laughed, and jumped up onto the bed. "Sorry you couldn't hear me earlier! I was saying hi! Well, I suppose I'm saying hi now, but I was saying hi then, too! Well, and eating. Eating is good. I like eating. I don't know what it was that I was eating, but it was good, and tasty, and felt nice."

He finally stopped moving, and sat down on the floor near Zerissa's feet. "Did I already say I was Prism? I think I already said that. But I'm Prism. I've always wanted to meet you! You sounded nice when E Man described you. Pretty too!"

Apparently this guy was a little on the... super-energetic side. Emille had written a few notes on the back of his card. Won't shut up. Hyperactivity study. Stimulant diet. Sedatives at night. ... Invest in a muzzle. Given that the boy had greeted Zerissa in a few paragraphs in just as many minutes - Emille could be excused for that last note.

[SpringsSong]

Zerissa seemed a little taken aback with how... hyperactive this boy seemed.  When she looked at the card and saw the note about a hyperactivity study, she gave a slight nod.

"Yes, I'm Zeri.  Or Zerissa.  But, Zeri is fine," she said, smiling slightly.  Prism's hyperactivity and overall attitude seemed infectious, as the smile on her face could indicate.  "I'm flattered that you've wanted to meet me.  But, Prism..." she said, her voice turning serious for a moment.  "I'm going to need you to sit still for a couple of minutes so that I can listen to your heart.  Make a couple of observations.  Could you do that for me?" she asked.  She looked down at her pad and quickly scribbled, 020 -- Prism.  Very hyperactive.  Emille's notes say that he's on a stimulant diet with sedatives at night--perhaps in the salad he was given tonight?  Talks a mile a minute, and seems very friendly.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

"Still? I can do still." He moved over quickly to plop on the bed, and waited for Zeri to follow. Emille had him shirtless, but he had long gray leggings on, and socks for some reason. Even though he was super-hyper, he moved gracefully, and had a sort of elegance to him despite his situation and incessant talking. "So, you work for him, huh? I don't think E Man is very nice, but that's just me. Maybe he is, and maybe he isn't, and maybe I'm just seeing things, but whenever he visits, I get this real big burst of energy, and it makes me really, really tired when I have to go to bed. He hasn't fed me meat in a while, either. I got sad about that. I like meat. Like, hamburgers and stuff." If Zerissa was going to listen to his heart, he had to SHUT UP too, or else she wouldn't be able to hear anything at all over his voice.

"Okay, okay, I'll shush now so you can do the examiney thing." To his credit, he did shush, and he lay down on his back, although considerably less lethargic than Aura had been. He couldn't help just one more blurb. "I wanted to tell you that you look pretty, though. 'Cause you do. You look really pretty, and I like the way you look, and you look like you'd be a good mom. Mama. Mother. Thing. Yup."

[SpringsSong]

"...thank you?" Zerissa said, uncertain of how to take Prism's last comment.  She finally pressed the stethoscope to his chest when he stopped, and listened closely.  She did the best she could to keep her eyes from widening noticeably as she heard the fast pace of his heart, and the lack of any discernible rhythm.  She listened a little longer, and she noticed that his heartbeat began to slow a little bit.  As it slowed, she became aware of two other things--a murmur in the heart, and a whirring noise.  Taking a moment, she wrote, Heart beat fast, no discernible rhythm.  Started to slow slightly after listening longer.  Picking up a murmur--not sure from where.  Would need further examination.  Also some slight whirring sound?--possibly something put inside by Emille.

She listened for a few moments more, and then, she stood up and offered Prism a smile.  "Thank you, Prism," she said after a few minutes, and then, she walked outside of the cage and wrote one more note.  Murmur would need to be looked at extensively.  Possible subject, but less likely than Aura.

And now, she had come to the last cage--the one with the boy who had taken longer than the others to get to his food, and had been curled up on his bed when she came down.  She swiped the key card and walked in.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

The last boy, 010, had finished his salad, and was curled up on the bed again, facing away from the door. He didn't even seem to notice Zerissa come in, and appeared to be either asleep or unconscious. One of those ears pricked when Zeri pushed further into the cage, though, and he rolled over to face her, still lying on the bed. He was lethargic, and barely seemed able to stay awake, but he was looking at her regardless. Emille had written a few notes on the back of his card. Health is Unstable. Stopping current experiment. Goes by 'Ten', doesn't appear to have any other name than the designation I gave him. There were a few crossed-out words after this, then one that Emille had underlined. Fragile!

Ten knew that Zerissa was in there, and tried to get up, managing to sit up on the bed, staying there with his arms resting on his knees, bent over, and staring at the floor. He was either very tired, or very sick. Or both. Emille had marked him as Fragile - along with Aura - so there could be complications to his health that had acted against whatever experiment he had been doing on him. He had surgical scars on his throat, his shoulder, his stomach, and across his left side - almost where Emille had opened Ildor up to take pictures of his heart. There were also bruises that looked like places where Emille might have affixed clamps.

[SpringsSong]

Lethargic, but responsive, Zerissa wrote after a moment before approaching the boy.  Looking at the card again, she noted the name--or lack thereof--and said, "Excuse me, Ten?  I'm Zerissa.  I'd like to listen to your heart quickly, if I can.  ...can you speak?" she asked, noting the scar on his throat.

Scars on throat, shoulder, stomach, and left side.  Bruises were clamps might have been affixed.  Perhaps Emille took pictures inside? she wrote.  She waited for him to reply--in whatever manner that may have been--and prepped the stethoscope.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Ten shook his head a bit, and motioned to the scar on his throat weakly. Perhaps he could speak, but it hurt to do so? Whatever the case, he didn't exactly answer her. As he was shirtless, and was only wearing a pair of shorts - like most of the others - examining him wouldn't be difficult. The fact that he also lay down, and moved his arms out of the way showed that he was at least obedient.

Close-up, he was a mess. Very, very thin - despite the food Emille was giving him. Not quite to the level of Aura, but dang close. There were places where his skin was incredibly dry to the point of flaking - but nothing Emille did would do that. He also seemed extremely fatigued, and his muscles trembled a little when Zerissa drew close. It was simply a reaction, not a conscious drawing away. He was very weak. What's more, the bar through his leg looked infected. The tell-tale sign of disinfectant and antibiotic cream close to the wound showed that Emille was attempting to treat it, but it wasn't having much effect.

The boy seemed to be in poor spirits, as well as currently mute - so there wasn't that much to work with in terms of personality. There was sort of a hopelessness in him, a sign that he'd just given up. Not that unusual considering his situation, but not helpful for Emille, either... which was why he was down here.