It was hard to see much of anything in the dark, just the odd, vaguely furniture-shaped blobs, and the bed against the far wall. The carpet was soft underfoot, steamed, but the room lacked the same sterile smell of the medical ward. It seemed that someone had stopped whoever had come to clean it. 

Light from the common room struck in, carving a thin slice through the shadows, onto the bed. The weeping ceased, suddenly, sharply, as a figure looked up from the pillows. The light didn’t reach them, but it did reach the jacket clutched tightly in their hands. Safie’s jacket. 

Their eyes sprung to life with electric-blue light, scanned her for a moment. A small, choked sound reached her ears. 

“[color=skyblue]Q-Quinn…?[/color]”

Dahlia crawled to the end of the bed, slunk down to the ground, practically dragging herself into the light. She looked awful. Her eyes were wide, red, set into dark pits that must have taken days to dig so deep—the artificial light in them flickered out, left them dim and puffy. Her face was dirty, tear streaked, her hair was dried and fraying. It fell over her like a tattered veil. 

She stared up at Quinn, held Safie’s jacket closer. Unwilling to let it go, her face screwed up and she just leaned forward into her, head against her shoulder, then down to her stomach as she crumbled to her knees. 

[sub]“[color=skyblue]I’m so sorry I’m so sorry.[/color]”[/sub]

She gulped down air unevenly, frantically. Her words dribbled onto the floor. 

“[color=skyblue]I should’ve gone I should’vefaster—I wasn’t—I thought you were gone they didn’t tell me you wereyouwereasleep theydidn’t…[/color]” A violent sob curled her, her forehead dropped to the floor. “[color=skyblue]They’re all gone everyone’s gone Quinn everyone’s—Lucis and Ghaust and, and S[sub]aa—[/sub][/color]” her fingers gripped the jacket so hard she could’ve torn it. “[color=skyblue]And my dad Quinn they killed my dad. They killed my best friend and my dad and they killed everyone. Everyone’s gone. I wasn’t fast enough. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. [sub][i]Pleasehghh—[/i]I’m[/sub] sorry, I’m so sorry.[/color]”