Room 239/240

[notcalledlizzie]

Elizabeth is lying, curled up on her bed with a stuffed bear.

A small, neatly wrapped box is sitting on the bedside table.

She's trying to read; the same book she's been reading ever since she was in the library after Speech class.

Her mind keeps flashing back to the trip she made to Mali and the Ivory Coast. She can hardly believe how young and naive she had been. How back then she thought that she could help change the world.

She seems to reread the same paragraph over and over again

"A tumble? Oh, yes - out of the swing," said Katy, as it all came slowly back to her. "Did the rope break, Aunt Izzie? I can't remember about it."

She always reached for books from her childhood whenever she felt down.

Comments

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*she looks at him*

Cam, I think we need to stop talking hypothetically, and you need to give me some details here. You know I won't tell anyone what you said.

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

IwenttoseeDrusillaandkindatriedtoblackmailhersosheforcedmetobecomeherTA.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*her mouth drops open*

*and stays open*

What. The. Hell?

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam puts her other arm around Liz and begins rubbing circles in her back.

"I know. It's not a game. It's a travesty. No, I didn't see, but Janet and Parker gave me the overview. I'll look later."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

*groans* Vala's going to kill me.

I don't know if I'm her TA, but she made me apply and would she make me do that if she doesn't want me to be? *looks desperate*

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth relaxes slightly under Sam's touch.

"There are reportedly 12.3 million people living in slavery in the world," she says, her voice calm, with no emotion, as she recites the facts. "15,000 Mali children, starting from six years old to sixteen years, are thought to be working as slaves in plantations along the Ivory Coast. They're regularly beaten, starved and locked in tiny dark huts to keep them from fleeing."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*nods* Oh yeah. You're dead, buster.

*looks skeptical*

How many lunatics do you think would apply to be her TA?

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Just me? *groans and slides down the bed, hitting his forehead repeatedly on her feet*

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Hey!

*pulls up her feet and tucks them underneath her*

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Sorry. *behaves*

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

You need to tell Vala what you've done, you know

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

I can't hide and hope it goes away?

*sighs* I thought I could get her to back off, I just ended up giving her more ammo. *closes his eyes*

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam feels the muscles of Liz's back loosen a little, but doesn't stop making the little circles.

"There are also hundreds of thousands of Jaffa and millions of Earth's human descendants living in slavery to System Lords across the galaxy. That abomination of an assignment makes a mockery of the slavery here and out there. But you worked in Mali, helping some of those children. You, maybe better than almost anyone, understand what slavery does."

She pulled back an inch so she could look at Liz's face. "You tell her that. If you need help getting some pictures together, or some video commentary, or some first person accounts, I'll be happy to help. Show her that you understand exactly what slavery is, and explain how you have more respect for human life than to trivialize their suffering for a stupid class project that makes no logical sense."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Not so well, I'm afraid. Bury your head in the sand, and it'll come back to bite you in the ass.

*leans down and pets him*

Lesson learnt from this... stay clear of her unless absolutely necessary.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth nods. Well, as best she can. "I know... I'm just focusing on the non-classified stuff," she almost grins.

She looks at Sam. "Thanks," she says, with a half-smile. "I might take you up on that offer."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

*annoyed* She's a teacher, she's supposed to make us feel safe with it. Instead she's mindfrelled with Crichton and me, and now with Vala and the rest of the entire psych class. Who the hell is allowing her to keep her position? Students should not be scared to go to class.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*pets him soothingly*

I know, hon, believe me, I know. But look around this place. You can't say the teachers are normal here

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

No. *groans and looks up at her*

You wanna read to me?

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*looks down at the book, and then at Cam*

You want me to read "What Katy Did to you?

*raises an eyebrow*

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

[ooc: Moved to here

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

*smiles sweetly* Sure.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*looks at him even more skeptically*

Shall I start from the beginning then?

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, and I'm trying to show you that it's not just us, horrible as that sounds."

"You're welcome." She smiles. "And anytime. I probably owe it to you anyway, for making Janet learn about wormhole physics during a math class, but I would have offered regardless. It's not worth it--you, Janet, Parker, Cameron, I'm assuming Vala...you're all upset and heartsick. It's not worth it, no matter what it's supposed to be teaching you."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

If you want. *gets comfortable*

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"I do know that, and I realize that it's a lot worse for a lot of them than it is for people here. Well. Worse when defining layers of slavery."

"Janet's learning about wormhole physics? Rather her than me," she says with another weak smile.