#// vash got his rambling question habit from her : >

[mortesmariae]

Thankfully, her guide does not prod about her emotional state when she returns. Complying with her directions was an easy task, she barely flinched as the ointment touched her sunburned skin. Rem's attention is fully glued to her words- Mona Coulter.

Plant sciences, huh? She wondered about the little baby and how identical he was to the twins when they were born. They were the only independents she'd ever seen as infants, so she wasn't completely sure if Independents just shared features by nature of being plants or if it was more than a coincidence here.

...Perhaps there was no coincidence after all. Mona and...Knives (she would struggle not to call him Nai) were close by her account. A smile ghosted Rem's face as she listened, imagining him growing up and having a family. If they were close, and this was their farm they tended together...then was the child...?

Rem takes the offered medication to cope with the pain gratefully. She wasn't looking forward to the physical crash she could feel coming.

"You've seen...he still has it, then? I- yes, I understand that it may be difficult to believe at first, but I am that person in the video, and I am fully aware of what he is. I can explain the story if you care to hear it," Rem's eyes brightened a little as she looked at Mona, the temptation too great to hold back her own questioning.

"I take it the child you held at the market is an Independent like him? What is his name, if you don't mind me asking? Is he...a child that you and him care for together...? Forgive me if I overstep in any of these questions, I-I just...I worried about him and his brother, but he was a sensitive boy. I didn't know what the future held for him. To see him have a little unit like this... It eases the heartache."

Mona is swift, closing the guest room door behind her before heading to her and Knives' shared one where Luca's cot lies. The baby is unwrapped and rested within, waiting a moment to ensure he does not fuss as he settles, before she heads to the bathroom, then kitchen, to gather what she believes she may need. A lesser worm, small and flitting about her head, is swatted at lightly, lacking intent to actually cause harm to the creature among its concerned buzzing. A quiet 'everything's fine' is murmured to it, but she still does not dismiss it fully. Just in case.

The door is reopened slowly, with caution as one hands holds a basket of supplies, a glass of water in the other. The chair that had been nestled beneath the desk in the room is pulled over to the bedside as she places the water down by Rem. The tears are noted quietly, causing a moment of pause as she glances over the woman before her, but Mona decides not to dwell. Probably wouldn't do her any good to ask on it.

"I'm going to remove your cloak, alright..?" Her hands are slow, both not wanting to move too suddenly or cause any further discomfort as the linen is removed from Rem's shoulders. At a quick glance, there are no glaring injuries; must just be sore or bruised. But the earlier breathlessness and sluggishness clearly means something is wrong. Start simple, maybe.

A small glass jar is plucked from her basket, screwing the top off before scooping some of the ointment inside onto two fingers. "You have a pretty bad sunburn, this should make it feel much better." Mona hesitates a moment, silently ensuring she has time to brace for the contact before lightly dabbing the almost lotion-like medication to her reddened cheeks. No better time to inform her, she supposes.

"My name is Mona Coulter. Doctor, to some. I am-- was a researcher in Plant sciences." Eyelids rest just a bit lower as she recounts some recent events, as well as trying to decide what else to tell her.

"I've known Knives... two, perhaps getting closer to three years now. We're... close. We both live here, tending to his... our farm." The idea of them living together is still foreign to her tongue, having only been sheltered by him for a month now. Her hand is wiped clean, replacing the lid on the jar as she finishes tending to the blemishes on Rem's face. A small capsule is offered to her.

"For the pain." She waits patiently for the medication to be taken before she pulls free her worn and rudimentary stethoscope to take a listen to her breathing a bit better.

"I've seen the video... I take it you know what he is..?" Seems like a redundant question, but it's also a veiled form of making sure this is actually Rem, the original one, not just a distant relative that happened to know about her, what she did on the ship.