[FIN] It Didn't Work

[Gwennythe]

The day after the raid and Tambrey was still in the infirmary. It would be another night and then she could see about leaving. With crutches and a cast. She wasn't entirely looking forward to that.
She'd asked for a book but it didn't seem like anyone had decided to provide her with one just yet, so she sat back, looking to the ceiling and gently petting a curled up Treestar.

He'd been refusing to go back in his ball ever since she'd gotten her pokémon out to check them for injury. A few scratches but they seemed physically fine; she had noticed something changed in Treestar's behaviour though.
The little Chikorita was clingy but sulky. He hadn't done anything but stay curled up on the bed, despite all the sites and smells of a room he'd never seen before.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

It hadn't taken long for Inigo to find out that one of his friends was on the mission and ended up in the infirmary, and despite knowing she was alive, he still couldn't help feeling apprehensive over her well-being until he went there himself and saw with his own eyes. Aila's death still hung over him like a dark storm cloud that refused to dissipate, and it made him fear for the rest of his friends that any of them could suffer a similar fate at any time.

Thus, the grunt knocked lightly on the door to Tam's room in the infirmary before he sidled in uncertainly, hoping he wasn't interrupting anything. It took but a glance to see no one else was in though, and he took a few steps further into the room, looking more certain now. "Hola," he greeted, visibly relieved that she was alive and alright, despite the cast, "how're you feeling?"  

[Gwennythe]

The knock was received with a blink and a quick shuffle to sit up as suddenly she had company. It was a welcome distraction from doing nothing but thinking, as much as she had on her mind.
"Inigo. Hey." She smiled a warm welcome; company at all was welcome but she was genuinely pleased to see him.
"Um. I'm okay. They gave me drugs and now 's got this thing on it. Just aches a lot and itches at the moment. Not too bad." A little bit of an understatement, sometimes it still hurt quite a lot but it was better than when she'd first done it, before painkillers and before treatment.
"How are you?"

Treestar looked up and sadly flicked a leaf, huffing, and then putting his head down again. The Chikorita looked depressed and apathetic, despite Tambrey's hand still stroking him and the appearance of the nice man with who was usually with Leilani.
The plant type frowned. Leilani wasn't out of her ball though... Where was she? He raised his head again and had another look just in case he'd missed her and she was outside the door or something.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Inigo closed the door behind him, indicating that none of his pokemon had followed him or were out of their pokeballs. "Ah, that's good then. I mean not good you got hurt," he amended quickly, "but it's good they've fixed it up and gave you painkillers and stuff. I remember some kids at school with casts like that would use a pencil to get rid of the itches under them," the grunt suggested idly as he sat down next to the bed.

He reached up a hand to pet Treestar's head, offering the small grass-type a lopsided smile. "Hola amigo. Lookin' for someone?"  

[Gwennythe]

"Heh, I know what you meant. 'S fine and, the injury is kind of good anyway; I mean in the sense that it's, uh, just a leg that'll mend." She smiled and shook her head. "Pencils, yes, but I haven't got one; 's... hrm.. bearable. " She settled on, then watched Treestar as the two interacted.
Her expression changed to concern immediately and she sighed a little.
"He's been mopey since we got back and I first got 'im out... Refuses t' go back in his ball but just... doesn't do anything. Stays here on the bed and curls up with me; doesn't play or anything." Clearly out of the ordinary, from her tone.

Treestar blinked up at Inigo and was about to huff and try curling up in an anti-social jellybean posture, when he realised that Inigo had asked something he wanted to respond to.
The Chikorita didn't seem to mind the pat, though his leaf stayed 'wilted', but he leaned forward, trying to 'sniff out' the right pokéball.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Yeah," he said with a lop-sided smile. "It could've been a lot worse; I feel kinda bad saying that, but with the kinda stuff we do, it's kinda hard not to think about..." The grunt finished as he focused down at Treestar, briefly reminiscing about his first large mission and its repercussions, and the death of an agent that had been his friend. The Chikorita's behavior kept him tethered to the present though, and he patted the grass-type's head with a half-smile before he pulled a ball from his belt and released its occupant into the room.

Leilani crooned as she appeared in the room, looking around briefly before she spotted Tambrey in the bed. Her expression morphed into one of concern as she nuzzled Treestar's head, but quickly moved over to lay her head at the girl's arm and gave her a sad croon.

"I can go find you a pencil if you want," Inigo offered as he focused back on Tambrey again. "Shouldn't be too hard to find one around here, and if all else fails, I know I have some back in my room." A hand was raised and curled into a fist, and he stuck his thumb out to point it over his shoulder. "And that's curious," he said thoughtfully in response to Treestar's behavior, and his gaze shifted to the grass-type. "Well, maybe Leilani can see what's up with him."  

[Gwennythe]

Tambrey nodded simply. The thoughts he was paddling the edges of were of a subject that hadn't been far from her mind since they'd gotten back. She really needed to have a certain talk with a certain someone soon... She sighed a little, both at that thought and at the uselessness of laying in the bed, unable to even find a pencil herself.

She still smiled, though, as Leilani appeared and she reached to see if Leilani would let her pet her snout. "Hello."
The grunt blinked as Inigo offered and seemed to wrestle, only a tiny amount, with actually making the request.
"Well... Only if 's easy to find. I mean. It's a pain, sure but I could probably be alright 'f I had to..." She looked down at Treestar and then to Leilani.
"I hope so."

Treestar's heart lifted a little as his friend appeared, but now she was hear then he'd have to admit what had happened... He needed to talk about it but he felt... He looked down as she nuzzled his head, then watched, quietly as she looked over Tambrey.
He felt ashamed. How could he talk about that?  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Leilani of course allowed the hand to pet her, even nuzzling into it happily, before she moved her head over to nuzzle Treestar again. Tambrey obviously had been hurt, but the Chikorita seemed physically okay...

"Yeah, it's no problem at all," Inigo said as he stood; apparently his offer to go find one meant he would go find one right then. "Just give me a few minutes, I can probably find one pretty quick. Leilani should be fine in here," he added from the doorway, although he lingered briefly in case Tambrey had anything to say or add before he left.  

[Gwennythe]

"Well y' don't have to go /right now/ but... Uh, thank you." Tambrey blinked, then found herself smirking, a little amused by the fact he'd been thoughtful enough to offer /and/ then decide to do it right away. Well, if he was going anyway...
"Hey, um... I don't want to ask too much, but if you see anything t' read near the pencils could you maybe, please, pick that up too?" She wasn't sure if it was rude or ungrateful to add to the list, but something other than her thoughts while she didn't have company sounded like a welcome idea.

Treestar looked alarmed as Inigo moved to go, but seemed to understand after a moment that Leilani wasn't going anywhere just yet. He realised, from his reaction to that, that he really had to talk to her, but he still wasn't sure how to begin.
The Chikorita turned big sad eyes up at the older pokémon, forgot what he was supposed to start with, so shook his head and huffed, looking down at the bed again.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Inigo waved off the thought of not going immediately, but chuckled at her request for reading material. "Sure, whatever you want," he replied with an amiable grin, then disappeared through the door to procure the items.

Leilani did indeed stay put, and after seeing that he was indeed gone, she turned a small smile onto Treestar. She asked, tilting her head at him curiously. He certainly didn't seem alright, despite looking to be fine physically.  

[Gwennythe]

Tambrey smiled after him, then sat back and glanced at the grass types. Good, they seemed to be communicating, maybe... Hopefully it improved Treestar's mood.

Treestar poked gently at the bedclothes with a tiny foreclaw, seeming to consider his words, or if he even could speak, before letting out another huff, as though he had all the world on his back.
<> He managed to utter out, part in sulk, part in distress, his eyes moist with the thought of the recent events.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The Meganium looked confused at the heartfelt confession, and continued the head-tilt. She asked, looking more concerned. Tambrey seemed alright, despite her leg, and Treestar wasn't hurt physically... Regardless, the larger grass-type nuzzled the Chikorita reassuringly, despite not knowing exactly what was bothering him just yet.  

[Gwennythe]

<> Treestar muttered, then, perhaps realising he needed to explain after all, or perhaps having just taken the time to get up the courage to speak it aloud, began to tell Leilani what had happened. <> He felt himself begin to sniffle, but was determined not to cry properly in front of his friend <> Somewhere his distress had turned to frustration, anger, with himself. That was better than tears though, maybe, he thought.
<>  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Leilani replied softly. She listened attentively as he elaborated, feeling bad for the poor thing because he was so obviously upset about it. When he finished, she gently pressed her large forehead against his small one so she could peer at him closely with her similarly large, golden eyes. whoever that was, she explained, and though her normally light tones were there, there was a firmness to her words that held conviction.  

[Gwennythe]

Treestar raised his eyes as Leilani came down to press her forehead against his and peer at him. He seemed shy to do so at first, and clearly still upset, but was quiet, though looked as though he might have been about to argue a point early on in Leilani's words.
He waited, though, listening, until she finished, then looked back down at the bed, quieter, calmer, but still upset.
<>