Jailbird Tango

Part 14 - House Arrest

(TW: There will be discussion of Transphobia)

I wandered around the house as soon as all the movement seemed to stop. Chef Iplier was in the kitchen and I snagged some breakfast; crepes, before I was shooed out of the space. He really didn't like other people attempting to mess up his genius as he put it.

I heard my name being called quietly from the room with the recording sign above it, and I felt the dread settle in my stomach. Even though I had been in the house for just over a month, I had hardly seen anyone else. I'd met Wilford and Dark repeatedly and Chef Iplier, but all of the others I only caught glimpses of. I don't think the goose counted.

Shaking my head I headed into the mostly dark room. The Host swiveled in his chair, the blood soaked bandage soaked through, blood trickling down his face. My heart was in my throat. I almost wanted to vomit.

'Wh-What happened?'

'...The Host tells Evan, 'not to mind how it happened' and requests that he be walked to Dr Iplier on the third floor. The Host admits that narration is uncomfortable when the blood rushes trickles into his mouth...' I swallowed thickly, blood wasn't something I hated, but the way he described having to constantly talk with blood rushing into his mouth was something you could almost feel. And it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Nodding, I helped him out of the chair and took his arm, walking carefully. As soon as I closed the door of the recording room, the Host just stopped talking. It was like he completely changed, He went from lightly holding my arm to clinging onto it with a death grip as blood dripped down his chin and onto his trench coat.

He was dead silent, stiffly moving through the corridor. When we got to the stairs, I quietly mumbled about them, unsure if he needed guiding or not. Slowly, carefully, he gripped onto my arm as I made sure he stepped on each stair. If he fell, I could probably do nothing, but at least I was watching to make sure he wouldn't.

A single step, the gentle tug, another step. I waited patiently for him to grip the railing with his other hand in the death grip as we took each step. My arm was going numb inbetween spasms of nerve pain.

Carefully, I helped him up the last couple of stairs before opening the first door, it was empty. The second, shrouded in darkness. The Host tugged on my arm three times, I headed to the third door and was greeted with a medical office.

'NURSE! Sorry, how can I help?' A man, who unsurprisingly looked identical to all of the others in this house, burst out from behind a curtain in a doctor's uniform.The host looked in the direction of Dr Iplier's voice before letting go of my arm slowly. I squeezed my fingers and tried to get the feeling back, only to be confronted with pins and needles at the slightest movement.

'The Host, he won't tell me what happened but he's bleeding a lot.'

'Ah yes. I see.' He placed a gentle hand on the Host's shoulder before leading him behind the curtain. The doctor looked at me with a relatively pointed look when I didn't move. 'And what do you want?'

'Uh nothing. I was wondering what happens when the Host stops narrating?'

'It isn't obvious?' He pinched his nose in exasperation, 'Shut up Nurse!' He hissed under his breath for continuing, 'He is completely blind. Now, kindly, you aren't dying. I have a patient at the moment, Please leave.'

I nodded heading back out into the hallway. Maybe there as a bathroom on this floor? Stepping quietly across the hall I cracked open a door that I hoped was the bathroom. Surprisingly, I was hit with the bright white of polished tiles.

Closing the door behind me I walked over to the dividing wall between the toilet and shower, only to hear muffled sobbing. How hadn't I noticed it before?