Paige and Amanda, medlab lounge

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Paige and Amanda meet up in the medlab staff lounge. They square off and come to an astoundingly Zen sollution to their spat earlier in the year. We were just as surprised as you are.


Paige was beginning to loathe these walls; white on white with a side palette of white. She understood that it was to promote cleanliness, and under any other circumstances she was sure she'd adore it – her labs were white, after all, as well as her coat on the back of the door – but it was beginning to represent something else entirely, like long hallways to the bathroom. Luckily, the small kitchen type room, with it's deep chairs, was just in sight and would provide a nice, slightly coloured resting place until she got up the energy to continue her trek.

Paige wasn't the first to have that particular idea, however. Amanda had been in medlab often enough to know just how long that hallway was, and she was taking a welcome break in the staff lounge herself, curled away in a more dim corner in a battered arm chair, away from the harsh lighting on white walls. Her eyes were still sensitive to the light, and playing tricks on her, making her see shadows where there weren't any. Still, with any luck she'd be able to talk her way out of the damn place tomorrow morning. Then movement caught her eye, and she looked up, squinting a little until she was able to make out light glimmering from a blonde head. For some reason she thought it was Illyana, but then she got closer and Amanda realised it was the other blonde student. "Look at you," she said quietly, preferring to give the other girl warning of her presence. "Up an' walkin' an' all. 'S good t' see."

Jumping, Paige latched onto the chair she'd been making her way to, shoulder blades raising like hackles as she searched the room for it's other occupant. Finding Amanda there, she relaxed, if only a hair, and gave her something resembling a smile. "Walking but still a little twitchy, it seems," she answered, circling around to slowly ease herself down, wincing as her muscles screamed in protest and euphoria simultaneously. "Didn't expect to see you don't here."

"Sorry, didn't mean t' startle you." Amanda curled a little more into the chair, tucking her knees up underneath the over-large t-shirt she was wearing. One of Manuel's - he'd brought her down a change of clothes to get her out of the hated hospital-type gown she'd woken in. "The usual," she said with a shrug. "Big spell, brain go boom. Been sleepin' it off - Grey's a bit stricter than the rest an' won't let me go back t' me room until she's sure I can make it there under me own power." She glanced down, not really sure what else to say. Apart from the obvious. "'M sorry," she said softly.

"Why do you think I'm still here? She's a bully, that woman. A big, psychic bully. But she saved my life, so I suppose I owe her," Paige replied easily, surprising even herself. She'd expected something colder, something crueller, out of her, but this would be okay too; it wasn't as if she was playing pretend. Idly rubbing her temples against a headache that never seemed very far away, Paige considered the other girl a moment. "All right. Thanks for saying so."

"Seems like the only thing I do say lately," Amanda said with a brief laugh, trying to make a joke of it and half-managing it. "But doesn't mean I don't mean it. I was out of line, an' you were right t' tell me so. I shouldn't've taken things out on you, 'specially when you were... you know." 'Going crazy.

Smile straining a little at that, Paige pushed back her hair, fingering out the tangles that never seemed to end since she couldn't get the arm strength to braid it tight enough. "Don't beat yourself up over the question of my mental stability at the time. I'm not planning on using it as an excuse," she finally answered, having managed to get through her hair. Maybe she could teach Kylun to braid her hair tomorrow when he came down. "And consider your apology accepted."

This was a lot different to the Paige she'd expected. Harder, somehow, but without being nasty. Just... firm. "Yeah, well, as it's been pointed out, I'm the beatin' meself up type. Tryin' t' stop doin' that." She began twisting her shirt hem between her fingers, feeling awkward and unsure of what to say. "So... when do they think you'll be ready t' get out of here?"

"Well, every time they try to tell me, with that firm look on their face, I plug my ears and hum My Bonnie very, very loudly. I'd rather choose my own exit. And hey, at least this way I can honestly claim I had no idea I wasn't supposed to try to make it up the stairs on my own." There was a sparkling underneath Paige's tired calm of her sunshine and gleeful madness in her current way of speech. She smiled again, showing a thin line of her white teeth. "And you? When are you planning on sneaking out when no one is looking?" she asked politely.

That startled a snort of laughter from Amanda. "That predictable, am I?" she asked, then she shrugged. "Tonight, probably. If I can make it up the stairs meself. Manuel don't like it down here, an' Meg's not fond of it either. An' they need me on me feet, not malingerin' down here when the usual handful of aspirin'll take care of things."

That gave her more than enough reason to raise her eyebrows, issuing Amanda a slow blink that spoke volumes. "Manuel is a big boy, and Meggan has a lot of family here; they can find someone else to lean on for a few days. You deserve just as much recuperating time as anyone else," Paige said in an even tone, lowering her eyebrows a hair as she tilted her head. "If it were your patient you would knock them out yourself to keep them down here."

"I didn't mean it like that. 'S just... magic hangover. It happens. I deal. An' I've let down enough..." She paused, not wanting to open that particular can of worms again, even though the memory of Charlie was still fresh. "Just get twitchy down here," she finished lamely. "Too bloody sterile an' white an' there's too much metal. Makes things feel... off."

"Ah," was all Paige said for a moment, not nodding in agreement, but not shaking her head either. It was only a quiet stillness, unreadable. "There isn't much to do but sit and think, no."

"Been doin' that too much lately," Amanda said with a small sigh. "But hey, least there's thinkin' - I haven't been known for that. Tend t' shoot me mouth off first an' then have t' do damage control later." Another small, wry snort. "But yeah, they need more in the way of entertainment."


"There needs to be a balance between the thinking and the doing," Paige pointed out casually, as she absently twirled a piece of hair around her fingers and tucked it behind her ear. There was nothing accusing in her tone, and she was managing to surprise even herself at her control. Perhaps it just wasn't worth getting angry over any more. "Just like everything else, hm?"

Balance. It sounded nice, instead of this insane rollercoaster ride of emotions she was usually subject to. It sounded... normal. But balance was what she'd tried to find with Charlie, and look where it had gotten both of them. "I'll try an' remember that," she said softly, resting her chin on her drawn-up knees, no anger in her tone either. She wasn't angry at Paige, she was realising. Even for what she'd said to Angelo. They were both still alive, which meant there was a chance to fix things. To talk. And she wouldn't foul that up by taking umbrage on Angelo's part. "How 'bout you? Workin' on that balance thing yerself?" she asked, voice still quiet.

"You surprisingly learn quite a lot of things spending several weeks by yourself," Paige remarked, allowing herself a somewhat wry grin. She didn't specifically talk about it, about what happened; she didn't know how much everyone knew and would prefer to keep as much about it to herself. Her knee was beginning to protest it's current position, and she stretched the leg straight out, rotating her ankle while she was at it. Making a face, coupled with a sheepish smile was Paige's apology as the bones cracked. "There's no where to hide from the patterns that keep popping up."

Amanda nodded. "'S why I make meself scarce when stuff happens, like..." She trailed off a little sheepishly. "Well, like when Pete left. Helps t' sort meself out, if I have the space." Another shrug. "But then there's overdoin' it. Sometimes you need t' remember t' talk t' people too." There was no expectation, no accusation in her tone - Amanda was meaning herself more than anyone.

Paige chuckled, pulling her leg back to tuck it up under her. "Well, I had collected a very large amount of self reflection time that needed to be used up. I wouldn't suggest using my method, though. If nothing else, it's rather messy."

It was the chuckle more than anything that reassured Amanda. Paige wasn't about to break, and that meant... all sorts of things. "Yeah, well, from what I saw of McCoy after cleanin' up the iso lab, yeah, it is. 'Sides, wouldn't want t' steal yer methods. Like me face the way it is." She surprised them both by winking. Several months ago, if she'd been told she'd be making jokes about this? She would have... well, laughed. "But in the end... 'm glad you're back with us, Paige. Just... next time I'm pissin' you off? Tell me before it gets t' meltdown stage? I'm not that much of a bitch." Again her voice was edged with humour, the way it used to be when they were sharing a room. "Won't even put a frog in yer bed this time."

"Oh, you'll definitely know next time you're pissing me off," Paige answered with a lopsided grin; she was being honest, she hadn't promised to be nice. "But don't give yourself quite that much credit. My absence wasn't because of you, that was just what fights with me look like. If you've reconsidered your offer, I understand." There was nothing vindictive or boasting about that, just plain fact. Guthrie's went for the throat.

"Oh, not givin' meself credit for anythin'," Amanda said, far more comfortable with the not-nice honestly than she had with the oh-so-polite terms of months ago. There was perhaps a small stab of hurt pride, but really, she didn't factor in Paige's life that much and she knew it. "Just... I dunno if we can be friends, or even if we ever were. 'M not good with that stuff, so I can't tell. But if there's a chance, then... I'd rather you tell me that sort of stuff. Early on, while it still can be fixed. Not tellin' means things build up, get worse, until they can't be fixed any more." Shades of Charlie again. "I'd rather honest than nice, in the long run. An' if I get offended after sayin' so, you can kick me around the yard as much as you like."

"Where's the part where I lose?"