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[heyboss]

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[heyboss]

[Sheehan just laughs.]

Objectively ridiculous can be a good thing.

Crozier, though. You enjoyed his company, didn't you?

[tarakan]

I did. There are very few people who have ever been on Barge that I could call friend. He is one of them.

[heyboss]

[Sheehan smiles a little, off to the side.]

He was easy to like.

Who else would fall in that category?

[tarakan]

Mandrake. Eiffel. John Silver. Trevor Belmont.

[ A small pause before, ]

That is it, I suspect. I enjoy company of Ken and Allan, but as one is my inmate and the other is inmate's long-term right-here normal-commitment full-time boyfriend, relationship is a bit different from 'friend.'

[heyboss]

[That gets a little laugh from Sheehan. KenandAllan are - odd to him.]

It is, of course.

How have they taken the news of what happened?

[tarakan]

Poorly. Eiffel was livid, Silver and Trevor were just as angry.

[ Ken and Allan...who knows, man. ]

It felt nice to have my own anger validated.

[heyboss]

It helps when we can normalize those feelings.

[He links his hands together.]

Alright, I want you to try something a little - risky for me. I'd like for you to start reading over those conversations from friends in the safety of your room, and then play the song. Focus on their words for as long as you can. Whatever strong emotion that you feel, I want you to feel it.

I will stand outside of your room to ensure no one enters.

When you come back to yourself, you can open the door.

[tarakan]

[ Hilbert's hesitating. But there's a moment, after he pauses, before he decides, ]

Alright. Shall we go to my room now?

[heyboss]

If you think you're ready. If you need a few days, that's fine, too. We're doing this at your pace, Doctor.

[He rubs the back of his neck.]

[tarakan]

No. Let us do it today. I do not want to hesitate on matters like this.

[heyboss]

[He stands.] Alright. Then after you, boss.

[tarakan]

Just 'doctor.' Not 'boss.'

[ But Hilbert will stand, assuming Sheehan will follow, as he starts to make his way back to his own room. Though he's keeping his voice calm, it's obvious Hilbert is a little nervous about all this. ]

[heyboss]

[He laughs a little sheepishly.]

Apologies. It's a habit I formed. [He does follow along behind him, not wanting to contribute to his nervousness by making him talk.]

I'm going to be right outside the door. No one in, no one out.

[tarakan]

[ Hilbert nods. When they reach his room, he takes a moment to gather himself before looking over at Sheehan. ]

Suspect I will be finished in...ten or so minutes?

[ And he steps inside. He does just what the doctor instructed: he listens to a few conversations still saved on his device. One from Eiffel, one from Crozier, one from Silver. He focuses on his friends. He focuses on their words. And then, Hilbert hits play on the trigger.

About five minutes later, once the song has stopped playing and Hilbert's snapped back to normal, he opens the door and steps outside of his room. With a little frown, he admits, ]

I...do not know if anything happened.

[heyboss]

[Sheehan had been looking at his watch, timing the moment Hilbert entered to the moment he leaves.]

Maybe not, but we have a starting point. We can keep trying this, trying different pairings, until we find something that decreases that time.

[tarakan]

Besides, would be poor experiment if we stopped with only one point of data.

[ As far as Hilbert's concerned, trying random things is the best way to go about this. ]

[heyboss]

[While Sheehan wouldn't consider it random, he is rather pleased with Hilbert's attitude.]

Then give it a week and we can try it again.

[tarakan]

In that case, next week, same time, I will be at your cabin.

[heyboss]

I look forward to it.

[Sheehan gives him a nod, then starts to walk away before he remembers:]

Try and rest, Doctor.

[tarakan]

I shall.

[ which...honestly, he's gonna try and rest right now. After all, he doesn't have a shift for a while. ]