Tron: Deliverance

NEW PLAYERS?

Lora Bradley was dealing with a lot at the moment.

"Are you...OK Lora?" Roy cast her a sideways glance from where he sat at the expansive console. At least, she figured he was shooting her a sideways glance. She didn't look up to see.

She was curled up with her knees to her chest, seated on the cot they had shoved into the basement. Her forehead was pressed into her kneecaps. The posture was already making her lower back ache. But she really didn't feel like moving.

"What do you think Roy? Do you think I'm OK right now?"

"I guess it would be weird if you were" Roy said awkwardly.

Classic Kleinberg.

Man couldn't sympathize to save his life.

"It's just...I froze up Roy. I couldn't do anything so I froze up. I couldn't help. I STILL can't help" she muttered into the shadows of her lap. Like a crazy person.

"I mean, your husband was having a heart attack. No one really expected you to automatically fix the situation"

"Please, YOU have just as much first aid experience as I do and you were still able to help them get his heart going again. I just dissolved into a puddle of tears" her voice was getting progressively more rough and watery as she went. She snapped her jaw shut to prevent another round of sobs.

"Don't be like that Lora. It's not like I did much either. It was unexpected and we all dealt with it the best way we could. Now all we can do is try to deal with the fallout"

Lora pulled an arm out of her huddled position and pointed to herself.

"This Roy. This is part of the fallout. I need to stew in guilt and helplessness for at least ten minutes"

"I'll set a timer" Roy said helpfully.

Lora sighed, she wanted to shriek at him for his blasé attitude. But she knew that, eventually, she would probably thank her old friend for letting his unflinching logic prevail.

Initially, she had demanded Roy send her in to the Grid to find Alan. Make sure he was OK. It didn't matter that she could be of more help on the outside. It didn't matter that leaving only Roy out here increased their chances of something bad happening and everyone getting trapped inside. It didn't even matter that the entry point for the laser was over a day's travel from where Alan and the rest were in the Grid.

She had shouted at Roy to fire up the thing and send her in.

And damn him, he would not budge.

It was too dangerous, Alan had help and people looking after him, and if they had to pull Alan out he needed her there to ensure the laser was working correctly.

He had levied all of these perfectly logical arguments against her.

Finally she had collapsed into a ball and sobbed for awhile. Now she had to admit that having the hour or so to fall apart had left her tired, but marginally more reasonable.

She exhaled a long gust and swiped at her swollen eyes with her hand.

"Ok" she started "ok ok what are our options? Fine I'll admit I shouldn't go in to check on him. But what can we actually DO now?"

Roy shot her a doubtful look, one caterpillar eyebrow disappearing into his messy hairline.

"You sure you're good now? You can...have your ten minutes to stew if you need it"