[ he thought about shooting her down just to see her face crumble. pros and cons weighed, he might have more fun watching her lose an eye. that's the thing of it, skipping the bullshit. he could ask how she's doing, who she's seeing, what she ate for lunch but the truth of the matter is he won't listen or care, or offer any of his own. it's pointless chatter. he'd rather say what he means and be done with it.

in a perfect world, everyone would function that way.

Brian doesn't smile or glare any harder, he shows nothing, gives her nothing to absorb. her smart mouth is a source of entertainment to him but his eyes are hard and his lips remain straight. he waits her out because he knows Wichita's aware that he has more than a rock in his skull, bouncing around. ] Funny, I've never heard that.

[ he tries to remember things he's seen on the network, anything she's said while on shift and he's drinking himself into oblivion. he can't. ] You mean you never shot one of those flesh-eating whatever the fuck they were supposed to be in the maze? Or.. the pod people? [ it's wrong to be condescending of the two most alarming events he's aware of, has been here for but if he doesn't pour salt in those memories, she won't see the truth. people don't just do shit because they want to stay on top of it. they do it because there's a fire under their ass, of some kind, and he wants to know what it is. wants to make sure she does. ]