[[ Prompt given by the mods, modified for Alex's reactions. ]]
(cw: body fluids, disorientation, hallucinations, dehydration/desiccation, death)
Alex wakes because of thirst. His jumpsuit, the sheets of his bed, his hair are all drenched in sweat. He stumbles to the bathroom unit to pour himself a glass of water, hits his hip against the sink because he didn't quite calculate the distance right, because he stumbled again. Just how much did he drink last night?
He looks up into the mirror, and something's wrong. His cheekbones stand out more than usual, his eyes hollow, lips dry and tongue heavy inside his mouth. There's a voice inside his head. Talissa? "You should've stayed with us," she's saying. "You should've been a better husband. It was your duty to Mars. To us."
"Why didn't you stay, Daddy?" Melas asks, plaintively.
Alex pours himself some water and finds that his hands are shaking. That the bones of his wrists stand out more than usual, the tendons in his hands in stark relief. He's still sweating -- sweating enough that already, sweat is running down his arms, his neck, his legs.
Something is definitely wrong.
"Why didn't you stay?" Melas asks again.
He tries to take a drink, but his hands are shaking so hard that he can't get the glass to his mouth, and instead he spills it on himself. He swears, the glass slipping from his hand and shattering on the sink.
He stumbles back, but he's still sweating. Talissa's voice haunts him, Melas' doubly so. Again and again and again. He fumbles for his comm, but his fingers don't work, so he tries to make for the door - but doesn't make it before he ends up on the ground, legs no longer able to carry him. Lifting a hand to his face reveals the skin hanging loosely off bones and some muscle, not nearly as much mass filling out his hand, his arm, his legs as before. Calling for help is no use; he can't get out more than a raspy sound, throat completely dry.
It gets harder to keep his eyes open.
"Why didn't you stay?"
Alex falls unconscious and some time later dies of dehydration in a pool of his own sweat. He wakes again, unsure how much time has passed. There's no sign of Talissa or Melas, but there is dried sweat on his skin, his clothes, the floor. He lays there for a long time, shivering, breathing hard, focusing his eyes on the shattered glass across the room. Get up.
Get up. Get up, Kamal.
He gets to the door, and it's locked - but it opens for him, stumbling out into the hall.
CLOSED PROMPTS: REVERIE ACTION
(cw: body fluids, disorientation, hallucinations, dehydration/desiccation, death)
Alex wakes because of thirst. His jumpsuit, the sheets of his bed, his hair are all drenched in sweat. He stumbles to the bathroom unit to pour himself a glass of water, hits his hip against the sink because he didn't quite calculate the distance right, because he stumbled again. Just how much did he drink last night?
He looks up into the mirror, and something's wrong. His cheekbones stand out more than usual, his eyes hollow, lips dry and tongue heavy inside his mouth. There's a voice inside his head. Talissa? "You should've stayed with us," she's saying. "You should've been a better husband. It was your duty to Mars. To us."
"Why didn't you stay, Daddy?" Melas asks, plaintively.
Alex pours himself some water and finds that his hands are shaking. That the bones of his wrists stand out more than usual, the tendons in his hands in stark relief. He's still sweating -- sweating enough that already, sweat is running down his arms, his neck, his legs.
Something is definitely wrong.
"Why didn't you stay?" Melas asks again.
He tries to take a drink, but his hands are shaking so hard that he can't get the glass to his mouth, and instead he spills it on himself. He swears, the glass slipping from his hand and shattering on the sink.
He stumbles back, but he's still sweating. Talissa's voice haunts him, Melas' doubly so. Again and again and again. He fumbles for his comm, but his fingers don't work, so he tries to make for the door - but doesn't make it before he ends up on the ground, legs no longer able to carry him. Lifting a hand to his face reveals the skin hanging loosely off bones and some muscle, not nearly as much mass filling out his hand, his arm, his legs as before. Calling for help is no use; he can't get out more than a raspy sound, throat completely dry.
It gets harder to keep his eyes open.
"Why didn't you stay?"
Alex falls unconscious and some time later dies of dehydration in a pool of his own sweat. He wakes again, unsure how much time has passed. There's no sign of Talissa or Melas, but there is dried sweat on his skin, his clothes, the floor. He lays there for a long time, shivering, breathing hard, focusing his eyes on the shattered glass across the room. Get up.
Get up. Get up, Kamal.
He gets to the door, and it's locked - but it opens for him, stumbling out into the hall.