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| A Room to Myself; Elixir, Cyclops | |
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| Topic Started: Oct 4 2008, 11:47 AM (378 Views) | |
| Elixir | Oct 4 2008, 11:47 AM Post #1 |
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Time of Day: 6:35 Place in the Timeline October 15th Looney Tunes played quietly in the background as Josh toweled off his hair, still shivering from the cold shower he had just received. Finally dropping the towel to the floor, he stood in front of his wardrobe, staring blankly at the different-colored clothes hanging there. Yosemite Sam and Bugs Bunny seemed to be arguing about something – he had turned the television on as soon as he had reentered his room, loathing the suffocating silence. It screamed Billy's absence. Just needing to get warm, he finally grabbed the first shirt and pair of pants his fingers landed on, shivering as he slid them on in a very robotic manner. Grabbing a pair of socks, he slammed the door shut and sat down on his bed, sliding them over his cold toes as pictures flashed through his mind of Billy laying on the shower floor in a pool of blood and water. Billy had to be alright; Josh had healed him, hadn't he? It would be the dumbest thing in the world if Billy died despite the fact that Elixir – the healing mutant – had been there and given it his best shot. Cyclops said I might have saved his life... but did you really? Josh... you tard. You freaked out. You saw him there and instead of doing something to fix him, you freaked out. You can't do that, man. When people need you, it's usually a serious thing and you gotta act fast. Didn't all the guys coming back from that little town messed up teach you anything? Josh finally looked up and glared at the TV screen, unable to stomach the antics of Bugs right now; it was worse than the deafening silence. Getting off the bed stiffly, he reached over to switch it off, only to feel something cold and wet creep through his fresh sock. The hell? He looked down to find he'd stepped on the wet clothes he shed; the were still laying on the floor. Something inside Josh snapped; he didn't care that his clean sock was cold and wet. He just turned around and fell back in bed, pulling his blanket over him. |
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| Cyclops | Oct 5 2008, 11:04 AM Post #2 |
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Scott had cleaned up the bulk of the blood from the boy's bathroom, but he'd have to send Jean in there to double check. His issues with color made it hard for him to see, the watered down blood blending in with the rest of the scarlet of his world. Locking the bathroom behind him, he placed a carefully printed sign on the door that read, "Use East Wing restrooms until further notice." He wanted to make sure things were taken care of before the students saw things they shouldn't. As he hurried about his grim task, Scott thought, not just about Mr. Kaplan, but about Mr. Foley as well. Neither of the boys had had the best intro the school, like so many of their classmates. Being a teenager was difficult, being a mutant was often painful, being a mutant teenager was double the misery. Keeping in constant communication with Jean, Scott headed to room M107, the dorm assigned to the pair of troubled young men. He knocked on the door, but entered before Josh answered, assuming that the boy had had adequate time to dress and would likely not be too interested in talking to his stern and unfriendly teacher. He saw the boy huddled miserably in his bed as he crossed the room to turn off the cartoons, and shook his head, "Mr. Foley, sit up please, and let's have a little talk, while we wait for Jean to tell us we can go down and see Mr. Kaplan. I'm not the school therapist, but I will do my best to answer any questions about what happened this morning and what you're going through, not only regarding this incident." |
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| Elixir | Oct 5 2008, 04:12 PM Post #3 |
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Josh felt sick... more than just shaky and nervous and worried... he felt nauseous... like he could throw up at any minute. One moment, he was sure that Billy was dead, the next he was full of hope... wanting nothing more than to spring out of bed and race down stairs to help get his roommate back on his feet. As the minutes passed, it became easier to follow his teacher's orders to remain in his room; Not knowing what was going on was eating away at him... making him feel worse about how he had reacted. A knock on the door made him flinch, but Josh couldn't bring himself to even call out for the man he knew was standing on the other side of that door. It didn't matter... after a few moments, the door opened anyway. The muffled sound of Elmer Fudd suddenly cut off, followed by Cyclops asking him to sit up and talk with him, promising him answers. Josh hesitated a few moments, trying to decide whether to just stay under the blanket and pray the man had enough intuition to take the hint, or actually ask some of the questions that had been going through his mind. He was reminded of a similar instance, where he had hesitated before having a pretty decent talk with Mr. Worthington. Looking back, he was glad that had happened... maybe this would be the same. Slowly sliding the covers down his head, Josh revealed his golden face to the man standing a few feet away from him; his blue eyes studied the visor, noticing how it looked different from the one he had seen in the past. He hated that he couldn't see Mr. Summers' eyes right now... you could tell so much by the way a person looked at you. Slowly, Josh scooted back on his bed and leaned against his headboard, “Mr. Summers... I'd really like it if you just called me Josh. It makes me think of my dad when you call me by my last name.” He looked down at his comforter then back up at Scott; this wasn't a question... this was a statement. “I don't think I'll be able to handle it if Billy dies. It's not a secret that I'm not really good for this Danger Room stuff. If things ever got crazy for mutants, there isn't a whole lot I could do to keep the bad guys off us. What I can do is make people better, and that's all... and I can deal with that. I still feel stupid doing this Danger Room stuff, but I'm starting to not mind so much... but if I fail at that... if Billy dies even though I was there. Mr. Summers, I don't think I could take that.” The very thought of failing to keep his friend from death nearly had Josh in tears, and it was all he could do to bite them back. |
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| Cyclops | Oct 5 2008, 10:45 PM Post #4 |
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Josh made the plea that so many of the students had made in the past, and Scott nodded, "Josh, then. Understand that it's not intended as disrespect. On the contrary. I want you young men and young ladies to realize that there is more to being a mutant than codenames and uniforms and that some day you will become valuable members of society." He quirked up one side of his lips and said, "And, perhaps it's my way of distancing myself away from the students because you may or may not have guessed, I am not the most sociable of men." The boy rolled up into a sitting position, staring at the comforter, before confessing his fears and Scott wished for a moment that he could be like Jean and Warren, tell this troubled child that the world was a better place than it was and believe in it, tell him what he wanted to hear, comfort him. But Scott who had spent much of his childhood uncomforted, didn't know how to do that, well. It was becoming easier with Rosie, but she was a four year old. Josh was a teenage boy. Scott tapped on his temple and said, "Well, first off, Jean will let me know what the situation is with Mr. Kaplan the moment anything is known, and I would be lying if I told you that it was not serious. You might have been too late to save him, we don't know yet, and even if you did save his life, there are going to be complications. I'm being honest with you because I think you can handle the truth. If Billy dies, or there are problems because of this, you'll survive it, and you'll learn from it. You'll learn to act quicker, more effectively or you'll learn definitively that you don't have what it takes to do something with this power besides healing papercuts in the safey of your home." He took a seat in the desk chair, not moving it closer to the boy, remaining a couple of arm distances away, so that Josh would know that he was not going to force anything on him. "However, Josh, you took it on yourself to do something that you're not comfortable with, because it was the right thing to do. You put your hands on another person to help them, in their blood, in their misery, and you made a choice to try and be a hero at the moment. Not all of us were born fighting the good fight. I, myself, when this all began, thought I would most likely end up just the team pilot and back up range fighter. The thought of being a leader was the furthest thing from my mind, until I started to realize that it was what I needed to do, and so I took it in full force and I did it. When you used your powers on Billy and attempted to save his life, you made a choice about who you want to be. Are you going to run with it, or are you going to decide this is too much for you? Either are valid choices, but you can only make one." |
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| Elixir | Oct 6 2008, 01:12 AM Post #5 |
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Josh listened in silence, not tearing his eyes off Cyclops for one second; a lot of what he said made sense... about making a choice and acting on it. The only thing was... he hadn't consciously made that choice, had he? It'd really just happened. Did that mean it was a fluke? Did he just accidentally stumble into helping someone with his powers? Or was it that since he acted instinctively, his very nature desired to help people. Maybe that's who he was. I have this ability to fix people... according to what everyone says... I was born with it. It kinda makes sense that I'd be born with the desire to help 'em as well. Maybe that's why I don't really feel like I fit in with all that Danger Room stuff. Maybe I'm just trying too hard to fit in with some of the guys in there... Jason and Billy and Static... maybe I just want to be badass like them because it'll make me feel more part of things. But what if I'm meant to stand with them, but just do what I'm meant to do? Should I be a pacifist? Does this mean I have to become a vegetarian? Do I have to give up martial arts movies? Eh... I'll think about all that later. “Mr. Summers,” Josh finally said after being lost in thought for several moments. He still had things he wanted to say about his abilities, but something else needed to be asked before he could continue. “Something's up with Billy. I know... he... I found him like that, so it's pretty obvious, but I'm talking about before. He's been doing a pretty good job of hiding it for a while, but I'm his roommate. I can tell. Something's really wrong with him. Has he said anything to you guys? I mean... I don't wanna sound like I'm being totally nosy or anything, but I wanna help. Is it something to do with his powers? Do you know if something happened?” |
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| Cyclops | Oct 6 2008, 08:31 AM Post #6 |
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Ah, this was the question that Scott had dreaded, though he had known it would come. Why? The biggest question someone had at the death, accidental or not. He'd asked it more than once about his parents... was trying not to ask it about Alex. But they'd died unexpectedly... Billy had attempted suicide. There were reasons, and Scott, while not the therapist his wife was, was more than certain what those reasons were. He'd lost control once and people had died. Obviously Wiccan had been attempting to regain control over his life, by making the drastic decision that had ended with him bleeding out on the bathroom floor. Scott couldn't very well tell his roommate all of this private information, but the boy clearly needed to be told something. "Well, Josh, I'm afraid that is something that concerns Mr. Kaplan, and I wouldn't want to violate his privacy, " Scott said, running his hand through his hair to comb it, realizing that he was still in his night clothes and was probably quite disheveled. "But let me say this, so that you might understand a little more about your roommate. There is a reason we paired you two up together. Mr. Kaplan made a very bad mistake with his powers and people got hurt. Because of that, he withdrew a great deal. You, Josh, came from an entirely different background all together, and have your own problems to deal with, but you're a sociable young man. You are exactly the friend that Billy needs, and I'm certain that he is going to need you more than ever once this is over. Someone who is going to support him." He sighed, "There is a responsibility each of us hold as mutants, Josh, and sadly it tends to be the most superficial of duties. But, frankly, as representatives of a hated race, we are not going to get the chance to prove our characters before our appearances have been judged. Take for example the obvious mutations of Mr. Worthington and Mr. Wagner. Warren looks like an angel. He could easily turn that into a selfish advantage, using people's first impressions of him to gain profit or favors. But because he is aware of the responsibility he carries, he is for the most part a law abiding citizen, who uses his magnificent wings to help the world. On the other hand you have Kurt, a stereotypical demon complete with the smell of brimstone. He has to live down his mutation. There are those who would think him a monster, and who would blame him if he had run amok. Kurt's decision to live a righteous and upright manner, belies his appearance and helps people to realize he is a good man and not a denizen from Hades. You, young man, have skin like gold, a precious metal, and can heal the sick and injured. You will be looked upon by some as a savior, by others as a false idol. Your road is going to be harder than some of ours, but if you can find it in you to help people like Billy along the way you'll find your path smoothing out." He looked the boy in the eye, conveying that impression even from behind his glasses, "You are needed to heal, Josh, and sometimes that's more than just the body. I'm going to want you to talk to Jean about what's happened today, but I think what is going to be more helpful to you, and to Mr. Kaplan more than anything second to some of Warren's healing blood. You are a healer, and Billy is in need of healing. I'm very proud of what you did today, though I am sure you think it was merely instinct. It's those times that the true character of a man shows. But your work is just beginning, because healing the body is much easier than healing the mind. Are you going to be able to do this for Billy?" |
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| Elixir | Oct 6 2008, 12:48 PM Post #7 |
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Josh nodded, “Yeah Mr. Summers. I can. I want to. Mr. Worthington and I kinda already talked about this some and I been trying to really understand my place here. I don't like people hating us and seeing people come home all bloodied up like everyone did a couple weeks back, and I want to do my part to help people get over all the crap they gotta deal with. I don't know... sometimes I feel like I've got no choice but to be a second stringer... a bench warmer or something, but I think I'm ok with that because I can help keep people alive if I can just learn to do it better.” “That's... I guess that's why I want to know about Billy. I knew there was something up, but he doesn't talk about it, and I wasn't gonna push it, but Billy's got some crazy powers Mr. Summers. I'm just a little concerned about him maybe doing something insane next time... if there is a next time. I just don't know exactly what to do for him. Do I keep talking to him? Get him to open up? Do I give him his space? Do I watch him in case he tries to hurt himself? It's all just a little... I don't know... I just feel like I'm shooting in the dark a little.” Josh paused... unsure how to go about the next part of his statement. He didn't want to seem like a little kid who was trying to bite off more than he could chew, but at the same time... he was tired. Tired of feeling like he didn't fit in here. He felt he was finally coming to terms with who he was and how he looked and what he could do... like Mr. Worthington and Mr. Wagner. Like Cyclops had said... they looked really weird, but they seemed to be doing pretty ok from Josh's point of view. He wanted that too. “Mr. Summers. I want to heal Billy, but I can't do it very well if I don't know what's really goin on with him.” He shrugged, “I get it you can't tell me, but it's just got me to thinking. In the bathroom, I didn't know what I was doing. It was the same in the infirmary when everyone came back from that thing with those guys from that island. I really didn't have a clue what I was doing... just making people better, and I'm tired of feeling like a spaz all the time.” He hesitated... unsure exactly how to continue. Dude... just go for it. “I think I need to just learn everything I can about medicine and anatomy and stuff. Is there any way I could get some special help with that? I'm an ok student and everything, but I wanna learn this stuff fast and... and I need help to do it.” |
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| Cyclops | Oct 6 2008, 06:32 PM Post #8 |
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The boy asked and Scott smiled, a small reserved smile, but a smile nonetheless. He nodded and said, "Absolutely, Josh. If you think you're ready for this then I think it's time." He was a firm believer in this. Some students needed their hands held, and every action, reaction dictated to them, ordered. Others rushed ahead too fast and injured themselves or those around them. But there were a few, like Josh, who said, 'teach me more, show me how to use my powers properly,' and those were the ones who usually, when their education was done and they had grown into the healthy and whole adults that the school strived to make them all, who stayed around to become members of the staff, to become X-Men, to make the sacrifices that were necessary when you tried to make a difference. Was that going to be what Josh did? Scott didn't know, but this boy had come from a family torn apart by violence, that had condoned mutant hatred, committed hate crimes. For him to take this step was a remarkable 180 and it was exactly what this school was about. "Your grades have been good enough that I see no problem with setting you up with some medical training." Scott told the young man, "The Danger Room has educational programs besides just battle scenarios, so we'll start you on regular classwork in there, monitored of course by either Dr. McCoy or Nurse Doyle. If you continue to improve, I think we can start you interning in the infirmary a couple times a week. I'll work out a schedule, but remember this hinges on your grades in your other classes. If they start to slip, we'll have to cut down your training. We're not just training you to be a mutant hero, we want you to be a whole person." He checked on Billy's progress through the rapport he shared with his wife, "Jean is still with Mr. Kaplan, and it seems as if what you did with his wounds has taken his life out of danger. Now, she's working on restoring his will to live. Don't worry, she's extra-ordinarily well trained in that, She does it for me every morning." That was a small comment, almost a joke, Scott's voice showing just a flicker of the deep love he held for the woman. "You aren't going to be able to heal his conscience and his mind with your powers, Josh, but you're going to find out that there are ways to make a person better by simply being there for him. Once I get the all clear from Jean, would you like to come down with me and see Mr. Kaplan? I think Billy is going to need you to be his friend right now. I think that's going to be the best thing you can do to help him." |
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| Elixir | Oct 7 2008, 11:24 AM Post #9 |
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Mr. Summers' words made the golden mutant's heart leap in his chest; what the older man was suggesting was more than he could have ever hoped for. He'd just been planning on reading some books and maybe getting Mr. McCoy or Ms. Doyle to tutor and quiz him, but to work in Danger Room simulations and possibly take an internship with the infirmary? This was way beyond what he had imagined and he couldn't help but smiling at the possibilities that lay ahead for him if he worked hard at it. He listened intently as Cyclops gave him the update on Billy's status... lifting Josh's spirits a little higher as he learned that his roommate was out of immediate physical danger. However, he was warned that the warlock still needed to regain his spirit and that Jean was working with him now in that area. “Once I get the all clear from Jean, would you like to come down with me and see Mr. Kaplan? I think Billy is going to need you to be his friend right now. I think that's going to be the best thing you can do to help him." Josh looked down at the alarm clock beside his bed, Ten to seven. The cafeteria would be open, and Josh wouldn't be able to get back to sleep today – time to eat. He looked back at Scott, hesitant with a reply. It would be a little awkward seeing Billy so soon after what had just happened. What am I gonna say to him? 'Hey Billy... good to see you. Glad you didn't die, and hey... by the way... what was that all about? Still... Mr. Summers said he needed the support right now. “Yeah... I'd like that, but I'm kinda hungry. I was thinking of getting something to eat while Mrs. Summers is helping her out. Maybe I could bring Billy some cereal or Jello or something,” Josh finally said as he tossed his comforter the rest of the way off of him and began sliding out of bed. |
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| Cyclops | Oct 7 2008, 07:31 PM Post #10 |
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Scott was pleased to see a smile cross the boy's face. He'd seen through Jean's telepathic rapport that Josh had turned a golden metallic shade once his power had manifested, and he found that very interesting, wondering the physics behind that. He wasn't a biologist or a genealogist. The whys and wherefores of mutations only went as far as his having been told that the every last mutant ability stemmed from am undetectable quirk on the 23rd chromosome, usually carried by the mother... well, that and how to take down mutants of all types. That didn't take scientific genius though. But no matter what this boy looked like, Scott remembered what it was like to be sixteen and out of your league. He'd turned sixteen just a few months after arriving here, and in between learning how to put his developing engineering skills to use, and putting up with the arrogance of his newly arrived roommate, he'd been learning how to function with his powers, a different sort of issue than Josh had, but basic at its core. One's manifesting ability changed one, sometimes extremely dramatically. The true test is to learn how to remain yourself because of it. Josh got out of bed and suggested food, and Scott, who was still dressed in the sweat pants and t-shirt he wore to bed, nodded, "That sounds like a good idea. You head on to the cafeteria and I'll go up and get dressed. If you don't mind having breakfast with your math teacher, I'll meet you downstairs and we can discuss your new curriculum... or maybe just talk. I don't know you students as well as I should. I might've forgotten what it's like to be young... if I ever knew it in the first place. I'm not Jean, and can't promise I'll know what to say and when to say it, every time, but I'll try and keep the lecturing down." |
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2:51 PM Jul 11