[FIN] The Fallen

[Suudonym]

"Figured as much," he confirmed. "Didn't seem like anyone else was living in that apartment, at least." Though that didn't necessarily discount an older sibling who had moved away, huh? Her words had already discounted that directly, though, so it wasn't really any kind of matter for concern.

He pocketed his hands with a sideways frown, "Eh, nothing new. ******** parents came to mind, is all." Anywhere else, he would have felt inclined to drop it at that, but it felt like an injustice to Ellia to not take the opportunity to slander them in her presence. "They dropped her like a dead weight as soon as it started to look like she wouldn't wake up any time soon. Not visiting or even paying a piece of the expenses. Woulda done them proud if I'd denied all relation to her."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Of course he wouldn't think that, her apartment was far too small even for the three people living in it. Or even if she was there alone, it would be too small, although she didn't bother to voice any of that. However, she obviously wasn't expecting any sort of admission as the one he gave her, and the surprise was evident on her face. "That's... that's awful," she finally said. She couldn't even imagine - what if she were comatose, and her parents ditched her like that..? They wouldn't though, not ever. Still.. Nate's parents had. Ellia was their daughter though, why didn't they even care? "Why would they do that..?" Wait. Not paying for it either -- that brought to mind the one-sided conversation he was having with her before she interrupted (and she pointedly avoided thinking how weird that was, talking to a comatose person), and the mention of different jobs and knights in shining armor taking over, whatever that meant.. Except it was making a little more sense now. If his parents weren't paying for her, that meant.. "So you're paying for everything...?" Wasn't hospital stuff really expensive? Like, that's why people had health insurance and stuff, to help take care of the costs associated with hospital visits.. Surely he couldn't be paying for all of it, that would just be silly. Silly and stupid - he was only 20. Clearly his age alone exempted him from that kind of s**t.  

[Suudonym]

"They're ashamed of her," he said in a low voice, bright eyes dim. "'Cause she let herself go completely off the deep end and got herself into this mess. She'd been jerking my parents around forever, and this was the last straw." Neither of them were anything close to a golden child, but even Nate was often frustrated by Ellia's inability to hold a job and her flippant attitude towards her responsibilities. At her inquiry about the bill, he raised a hand to scratch absently at his head, "Yeah, I am now. Cory, a mutual friend of ours, helped out in the beginning, but it wasn't really his responsibility in the first place, so…"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Oh, that made it a little different if it was her fault, though she didn't really know how anyone could get themselves into a coma that would last two freaking years... "What'd she do?"

Okay so no, he actually was paying for everything himself. "Isn't hospital s**t expensive though?" She asked with a soft frown. Man he looked pretty different from how he looked in clubs. And from how he looked while drugged. Then again, she guessed, she probably looked a lot different too, so.  

[Suudonym]

He half turned away from Seraphine - or rather towards Ellia, as if to ask her permission. "She kind of drifted away from everyone," he said distantly. "Stopped acting like herself. No one really understood why. At her diagnosis they said it was because of drug abuse, but…" But he hated the thought. How had Ellia ever gotten so far from him?

He took the opportunity to laugh at her evaluation of the expense, using it as a chance to return some of his usual self to his disposition. "Yeah, if you wanna make an understatement out of it," he replied. "I've got one of those payment plan deals set up, but it's always kind of tight." A shrug. "Not much I can do about it, though. I'm not gonna just abandon her, that's for damn sure."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

When he spoke and looked to Ellia, Sera did as well, trying her best to take in his words. "That sucks.." Yuck, drugs. Maybe that was one reason why he was so pissed off when that vodka was drugged?

His laugh drew her attention back to him and she offered a small smile in response. It was a little empty though, considering the topic. "That's good I guess, but you still shouldn't have to deal with s**t like that.. Your parents sound like total assholes."  

[Suudonym]

He shrugged noncommittally, "Eh, I mean I'm not gonna say they aren't assholes, but they at least haven't kicked me out." And there was something to be said for that, given that his disposable income once the hospital fees were paid for the month wasn't anywhere near enough to cover rent even for some cheap-a** little hole in the ground.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Oh, well, that's good then," she admitted. She wasn't at all sure how housing worked in regards to costs, all things considered, but it sounded like he was spending all of his money on Ellia, which meant little left over after that. Probably not nearly enough to get an apartment with, if he did end up getting kicked out. "I hope they don't turn into complete assholes then," because getting kicked out would be bad. He sure as hell wasn't going to stay at her apartment.  

[Suudonym]

"Heh, yeah," he said with a lopsided smirk, "though I could do without even the partial a*****e bit." There was a short hum from his pocket, and he withdrew a cellphone to check the screen - an alarm notification - and frowned. "Gotta head out for work," he declared with a dramatic sigh.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Her lips quirked up into a small smile, "Yeahh, that would be best. Perfect world and all that s**t though, I guess," she said with a shrug. The soft noise that turned out to be his buzzing cell phone, coupled with his announcement of work, made her nod slightly. "Alright." A pause, then, "Do you always come here before work?"  

[Suudonym]

He tilted his head slightly at the question, curious as to its origin, but his only response was a direct answer, "Not always, but if I have a good shift I try to make it by."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

At Nate's response, Sera glanced briefly back to the unconscious woman on the bed. So he came to visit fairly frequently - which was sort of what she expected, if he was paying for her hospitalization. "That's good," she replied as she turned and passed through the doorway again. Briefly she debated asking if that was also the reason why he was a little disappointed while at her apartment, but decided against it.

Being out in the hallway of the hospital again was a very quick and slightly painful reminder of the reason for her visit in the first place, even if Nate had been a brief but welcome distraction from Luke's unfortunate situation. "I'll see you later I guess," she offered in quieter tones that mimicked the change in her disposition now that she'd realized she had to go focus on terrible things again, things she still wasn't sure how to deal with.  

[Suudonym]

Nate placed a hand on his hip as they left the room, frowning at his company's disposition. "Text me whenever," he said, raising a hand in farewell as he started down the hall. "Lemme know what's up." He didn't really know anything about the guy in question, but he wasn't just going to shove Seraphine off to handle it all alone.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera nodded in response, raising her own hand in a wave coupled with a soft "later" before she turned to wander around the halls more. Maybe just leave and go home to try and deal with it there. Something like that, perhaps.