In Need of Assistance? (TF2)

Seventy-Two: Conspiracy or Just Plain Crazy?

        It's been two days. I haven't left the house, not even for mail. Salvador does all of that. I'm on some sort of unspoken house arrest, but it's not even like I want to go outside. Then I'd have to put on makeup over my bruise, and if I do a shoddy job, someone's going to suspect I'm being abused. Who am I kidding? My eye is the size of a golf ball, so I'm not fooling anyone. May as well be abused, though, getting smacked and slandered like it's just office gossip. As per usual, Engie and Neuro were the usual suspects when it came to visiting me. They're the only ones let in the house, and Salvador was strict on a 'talk no work' policy like at Darlene's. I don't know what happened with Soldier nor do I care.

All I know is that I have a black and purple bruise crawling up my face and an eye that's swollen shut. I feel ugly. Neuro didn't come until this morning with Engie in the early hours before they had to head out for work. She promised to heal me as she looked me over like Baron hasn't been babying me this entire time, but I can't tell them about him yet. And speaking of him, he's getting increasingly fussy about Medic's return, and I can't tell him if or when he's coming. Everything's blurry and my schedule's smudged. I don't feel anything, I'm just suffering from my own actions over the past five months.

It's all Sniper's fault. Wish he fucking died.

Midnight. I sent Salvador to bed already, and it's just Baron and I sitting in near darkness with warm milk with honey mixed in. I was genuinely about to lose it at first because I thought he took from the jar I got from Engie, but apparently, he's amassed a collection of condiments and tiny snacks by stealing from people's homes. He has an affinity for twinkies in particular, and it would behoove me to buy more later to keep myself on his good side.

He sits on the floor despite my offer to allow him a space on the couch. Baron prefers things a certain way, and he's set in them, too. He's an older man, I don't mind his close-minded tendencies, but it makes it harder for me to find some way to dissuade him from killing Medic. He tears another clear twinkie package open, and I gently clear my throat. He's as still as a statue and makes no sound, not even from the wrapper. "Where are you from?"

"Deutschland," he shortly tells.

"The city?"

"Frankfurt."

"Family?"

He side-eyes me and continues on to eating his twinkie, speaking with his mouthful. "Sieht es so aus, als wüsste ich es?" He waits a few seconds. "Do not know. It has been years."

"Do you miss them?"

"Ja. When is Ludwig coming?"

I shrug. "I don't think he's coming by anytime soon, Baron."

"Make him."

"Look, I know you want to kill Medic for doing those things to you, but you can't. He has a family. He has a wife, a child--"

"Ich habe auch Familie. Ludwig ist es egal. Er hat mir mein Leben gestohlen!" All of that flew over my head, but he's refuting the statement I made. Baron also has family, and that's motivation enough. His eyes are daggers. "Steal. Ludwig steals." He straightens his posture. "What have you lost?"

I drink from my mug, and he asks me again. I take a deep breath. "My period." I gesture to my abdomen. "Menstruation cycle...? I don't know what you call it in German. I can't have babies."

"Why defend him?" I open my mouth to speak, but there are no thoughts behind it. He moves to his knees and gets closer to me. "Why let him go unpunished?"