1 . VOICE . four calling birds

[onset]

[Hello, City. You have acquired +1 hopeless human being, complete with a very English accent and no sense of direction. His voice sounds pleasant enough, at least.]

He - [wait is this thing working

okay, we'll just assume it is] Hello? I'm sorry, I have no idea who I'm talking to, but nothing else will work, and - I need help.

[yes, this pause is meant to be a silent expression of how awkward he feels, and this is why:]

I think - I hit my head. [he's actually pretty sure he did that, if waking up with his cheek pressed against concrete and a nasty headache followed by what he assumes is amnesia are anything to go by.] I don't know where I am or how I got here, and... I seem to be hearing things? [voices coming from a random assortment of birds and a clock ticking, to be exact. With a very pointed exhale (he may be feeling sick in addition to everything else):]

Could someone take me to hospital?

Comments

[eiremagic]

Yeah you'll see a church nearby, right? If you go over there, and look up, you should see the top floors of the hospital.

[onset]

A church? [That should be easy enough to find.] All right - thank you.

What's your name?

[eiremagic]

Eden.

[onset]

Peter. Nice to meet you. [there's a brief pause, maybe sounding just a little awkward.] I assume you're from here?

[eiremagic]

No, I'm from Belfast.

[onset]

Oh! Belfast. I've never been to Belfast.

[eiremagic]

Where have you been?

[onset]

Me? [no the tree you're standing next to Peter] Well - I'm from London, but I've visited a few other cities - countries. In Europe. Usually France.

... I'm not sure where I've been for the past twenty four hours, though.

[eiremagic]

It's called the City.

[onset]

'The City'? A bit vague, isn't it?

[eiremagic]

Didn't name it.

[onset]

Oh, no, I didn't think you did.

[After a moment -] There really aren't any street names...

[eiremagic]

Not a lot of those about, no.

[onset]

I can see vagueness is a general characteristic around here.

[It takes him another pause to speak again, like he just realized something.]

Oh, God, I'm sorry - I'm not keeping you, am I?

[eiremagic]

Keeping me from what? Hasn't been much traffic in the phlebotomy lab lately.

[onset]

Well, I don't want you to feel obligated to stay connected if you've got something else going on. I'm sure I can find this hospital - [wait] - this church, I mean. Then the hospital.

[eiremagic]

I'm not busy.

[onset]

Okay. [Sounding a bit too perky to not be facetious:] Glad to hear it.

[eiremagic]

You don't have much of a life, do you?

[onset]

I'm sorry-?

[eiremagic]

Why're you apologizing to someone you don't even know?

[onset]

More like I don't think I understood your question.

[eiremagic]

Nevermind it.

[onset]

[... Okay.]

Neverminding it.

[Slightly awkward silence is go.]