Jean and Madelyn
Sep. 5th, 2005 12:00 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
x-jeangrey.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsAfter attempting to scan Nathan's mind, Jean comes back to let Madelyn know the truth of what's going on.
Still stable. Madelyn made a few notes on Haroun's file, tapping briskly away on the laptop. She still had to shower after stripping off the hazmat suit (and wasn't the disinfectant gloop drying the crap out of her skin?), and sweaty hair stuck in tendrils on her forehead, her braid damp with it. From time to time she glanced up, looking through the iso lab window at where Haroun hung suspended in a vat of gel, tubes and wires and sensors covering him, and then to the readouts on her screen - Forge had hooked the machines monitoring Haroun directly into the medlab mainframe, accessible from every doctor's laptop. Given the readings, it was almost time to start the next stage of the treatment, alternating the immunosuppressors and boosters in an effort to disrupt the spore. It would be hard on his system, but she had faith in him. Haroun was strong.
Madelyn finished her notes and closed the laptop, getting up to lay her hand against the glass. Strange how things ran in cycles. Almost a year ago she had been in the same place, doing the same with Alison. Only this time there wasn't the sense of helplessness she'd felt before. This time, they were on top of things. "Hang in there, buddy," she murmured, wishing she could see more of his face past the breathing apparatus.
"Hey," Jean said quietly, stepping into the medlab. She looked less drawn after her brief nap on the way home, but there was still a trace of... something in her face. "Sorry I'm late." Jean glanced in through the window. "How's he doing?"
"The same. Which is a good thing, considering the circumstances..." Madelyn gave Jean a tired smile as she turned from the window, but frowned slightly when she took in the other woman's expression. "How's Nathan? Not too badly hurt, I hope?" Since they were stretched already, and of all the people who didn't need to be in medlab again, Nathan was top of the list.
Jean sighed. "He's going to be staying in the hospital for a while," she said. "He needs care too much and we don't have the resources here between Haroun and Tommy." Scrubbing at her eyes, Jean added, "I've got to tell you... Moira already knows, of course, and apparently Scott posted something for active team members only, so Hank knows, but..." There really was no good way to say this. "Nathan's in the hospital because he had a run in with Wisdom."
"WHAT?!" The word burst out of Madelyn before she could stop it, and it echoed around the room. Realising whichever helper watching over Tommy would have heard that and be wondering what was going on, Madelyn moved to close the door between the observation room and the hall. "You're serious? Pete...?" She didn't doubt that he could, and she'd heard enough of Remy's fears regarding Wisdom's defection to know that maybe he would, but still, the implications... "Shit," she said with feeling.
Jean had been careful to pitch her voice so it wouldn't carry, but she hadn't expected such volume out of Madelyn. Which, really, was probably a sign that her brain wasn't necessarily firing on all cylinders. "I am serious," Jean said. "Faraday sent him... well, manipulated him, really, into trying to intercept something, without telling him who would be at the other end. And Pete was, apparently, rather better prepared for the eventuality than Nathan."
Faraday? Oh, this was just getting better and better... Madelyn pinched the bridge of her nose wearily, trying to think through the fatigue. "Jesus Christ, this is such a mess," she muttered, unable to help the stab of guilt. That damned birth certificate - she should have left well enough alone. "I'm guessing there was no sign of Pete when Nathan was retrieved... how bad is the damage? The virus? And how's Moira?"
"Such a mess sums it up nicely, yes." Jean sat down with a sigh. "I don't know a lot of the details. Hell, Scott doesn't know a lot of the details, which is why I was gone - he wanted me to try and scan Nate's mind." And the look that crossed Jean's mind suggested just how well that had gone. "The burns were fairly extensive, and Pete... pulled a rather nasty trick that's put Nate into psionic shock, so the virus is flaring up, but he'll be ok. Eventually. Moira is... Moira is coping. And scaring the living daylights out of the resident docs at the hospital, which helps, I think. At least she can do something for him."
"She really didn't need this, not on top of everything else..." Madelyn flopped rather than sat next to Jean. "Whatever Gideon used as bait must have been important - Nathan's been dropped on his head a lot over the past year, but he's not stupid." A wan smile showed she was attempting a joke. "I take it you didn't manage to get anything?"
"Nothing more substantial than a headache, no," Jean said. "God, Madelyn, it never rains but it pours. This is me, devoutly refusing to say anything at all about whatever's going to happen next, except that whatever it is, I don't want it." Her eyes strayed back to the window into the isolation room. "I just want to be able to make them better. All of them."
Madelyn followed her gaze, and nodded slightly. "You sound like me last October. Between Alison's overload and what happened at Halloween, and Jamie's psychic twin causing issues... it felt like the world was caving in on me and there was nothing I could do about it. It's a pity we don't all have Amanda's magic wand." A thought occurred to her, and she thought back to just which medlab helper was on duty today. No, it was okay, it was Clarice. "We're not telling her what happened, are we?" It was more of a statement than a question - all the doctors knew just how tightly-strung the witch had been lately, although the last few days had shown improvement.
"Oh God no," Jean said vehemently. "We're not telling anybody. The team knows, and intel, and we docs-four, and that is it. Scott said... something on the journals," Jean waved her hand, indicating that, really, she had no idea what he'd said because she had no time for the journals, "explaining that Nathan would be in the hospital, and his classes would be delayed and oh hell..." A horrified look came over Jean's face. "Classes." Burrying her head in her hands, Jean almost whimpered. At least she already had all the prep work done for the term.
"I haven't checked the journals, but good. It's one thing to know where Pete is and who he's working for - having proof that he's really gone rogue would be more than anyone should be expected to handle, especially not a recovering addict with emotional problems." There was a certain amount of sympathy in Madelyn's voice despite the apparently blase choice of words. Reaching over, she patted Jean's shoulder sympathetically. "We'll manage," she said, almost comfortingly, and inwardly snorted at the irony. "Haroun's still going to need all our efforts, but at least we won't be spending that time looking for a cure. Just implementing it. We've got some breathing space."
"No, definitely not something she should have to deal with. Not now, anyway. And certainly not involving Nathan." Jean arched an eyebrow at Madelyn, catching the other woman's ironic tone. "Oh yes, we can just schedule classes in our four hour blocks when we're not eating and sleeping. Would it be too evil of me to just give the Shakespeare class all of the King Henry's and tell them not to come back until they've finished?" But Maddie was right, having a cure, even one as a time and energy intensive as this, took some of the pressure off.
"Worst comes to worst, we ask Charles to arrange for some substitutes to cover our classes," Madelyn pointed out. "He's offered that before during a crisis. Or we can get some of the older kids to act as TAs."
Jean nodded, but before she could say anything a bell chimed in the room and Jean glanced at the clock which showed it was time for Haroun's medication. "Oi, you're off," she said, "go get cleaned up or fed or both. I'll get suited up to give him his next dosing."
"Cleaned up, fed, then a nap," Madelyn said with relish, standing up to head off and do just that. "Maybe poke my head in on Hank and make sure he's eating too. Perhaps even score a snuggle," she continued in a tone of mock-wonder. "Imagine that!"
Jean luahged quietly. "Sounds like a plan, yes. I'll see you at the next change. I think, given how stable he is, it's time to start talking about not doing constant shifts anymore so we don't go crazy. But for now, get out you."
"Yes 'm," Madelyn said psuedo-meekly, and gave Jean's shoulder another squeeze before she left. "We'll talk about shifts next status meeting. Have fun in the plastic suit."
"Oh, you know I will," Jean said with a wry smile.
Still stable. Madelyn made a few notes on Haroun's file, tapping briskly away on the laptop. She still had to shower after stripping off the hazmat suit (and wasn't the disinfectant gloop drying the crap out of her skin?), and sweaty hair stuck in tendrils on her forehead, her braid damp with it. From time to time she glanced up, looking through the iso lab window at where Haroun hung suspended in a vat of gel, tubes and wires and sensors covering him, and then to the readouts on her screen - Forge had hooked the machines monitoring Haroun directly into the medlab mainframe, accessible from every doctor's laptop. Given the readings, it was almost time to start the next stage of the treatment, alternating the immunosuppressors and boosters in an effort to disrupt the spore. It would be hard on his system, but she had faith in him. Haroun was strong.
Madelyn finished her notes and closed the laptop, getting up to lay her hand against the glass. Strange how things ran in cycles. Almost a year ago she had been in the same place, doing the same with Alison. Only this time there wasn't the sense of helplessness she'd felt before. This time, they were on top of things. "Hang in there, buddy," she murmured, wishing she could see more of his face past the breathing apparatus.
"Hey," Jean said quietly, stepping into the medlab. She looked less drawn after her brief nap on the way home, but there was still a trace of... something in her face. "Sorry I'm late." Jean glanced in through the window. "How's he doing?"
"The same. Which is a good thing, considering the circumstances..." Madelyn gave Jean a tired smile as she turned from the window, but frowned slightly when she took in the other woman's expression. "How's Nathan? Not too badly hurt, I hope?" Since they were stretched already, and of all the people who didn't need to be in medlab again, Nathan was top of the list.
Jean sighed. "He's going to be staying in the hospital for a while," she said. "He needs care too much and we don't have the resources here between Haroun and Tommy." Scrubbing at her eyes, Jean added, "I've got to tell you... Moira already knows, of course, and apparently Scott posted something for active team members only, so Hank knows, but..." There really was no good way to say this. "Nathan's in the hospital because he had a run in with Wisdom."
"WHAT?!" The word burst out of Madelyn before she could stop it, and it echoed around the room. Realising whichever helper watching over Tommy would have heard that and be wondering what was going on, Madelyn moved to close the door between the observation room and the hall. "You're serious? Pete...?" She didn't doubt that he could, and she'd heard enough of Remy's fears regarding Wisdom's defection to know that maybe he would, but still, the implications... "Shit," she said with feeling.
Jean had been careful to pitch her voice so it wouldn't carry, but she hadn't expected such volume out of Madelyn. Which, really, was probably a sign that her brain wasn't necessarily firing on all cylinders. "I am serious," Jean said. "Faraday sent him... well, manipulated him, really, into trying to intercept something, without telling him who would be at the other end. And Pete was, apparently, rather better prepared for the eventuality than Nathan."
Faraday? Oh, this was just getting better and better... Madelyn pinched the bridge of her nose wearily, trying to think through the fatigue. "Jesus Christ, this is such a mess," she muttered, unable to help the stab of guilt. That damned birth certificate - she should have left well enough alone. "I'm guessing there was no sign of Pete when Nathan was retrieved... how bad is the damage? The virus? And how's Moira?"
"Such a mess sums it up nicely, yes." Jean sat down with a sigh. "I don't know a lot of the details. Hell, Scott doesn't know a lot of the details, which is why I was gone - he wanted me to try and scan Nate's mind." And the look that crossed Jean's mind suggested just how well that had gone. "The burns were fairly extensive, and Pete... pulled a rather nasty trick that's put Nate into psionic shock, so the virus is flaring up, but he'll be ok. Eventually. Moira is... Moira is coping. And scaring the living daylights out of the resident docs at the hospital, which helps, I think. At least she can do something for him."
"She really didn't need this, not on top of everything else..." Madelyn flopped rather than sat next to Jean. "Whatever Gideon used as bait must have been important - Nathan's been dropped on his head a lot over the past year, but he's not stupid." A wan smile showed she was attempting a joke. "I take it you didn't manage to get anything?"
"Nothing more substantial than a headache, no," Jean said. "God, Madelyn, it never rains but it pours. This is me, devoutly refusing to say anything at all about whatever's going to happen next, except that whatever it is, I don't want it." Her eyes strayed back to the window into the isolation room. "I just want to be able to make them better. All of them."
Madelyn followed her gaze, and nodded slightly. "You sound like me last October. Between Alison's overload and what happened at Halloween, and Jamie's psychic twin causing issues... it felt like the world was caving in on me and there was nothing I could do about it. It's a pity we don't all have Amanda's magic wand." A thought occurred to her, and she thought back to just which medlab helper was on duty today. No, it was okay, it was Clarice. "We're not telling her what happened, are we?" It was more of a statement than a question - all the doctors knew just how tightly-strung the witch had been lately, although the last few days had shown improvement.
"Oh God no," Jean said vehemently. "We're not telling anybody. The team knows, and intel, and we docs-four, and that is it. Scott said... something on the journals," Jean waved her hand, indicating that, really, she had no idea what he'd said because she had no time for the journals, "explaining that Nathan would be in the hospital, and his classes would be delayed and oh hell..." A horrified look came over Jean's face. "Classes." Burrying her head in her hands, Jean almost whimpered. At least she already had all the prep work done for the term.
"I haven't checked the journals, but good. It's one thing to know where Pete is and who he's working for - having proof that he's really gone rogue would be more than anyone should be expected to handle, especially not a recovering addict with emotional problems." There was a certain amount of sympathy in Madelyn's voice despite the apparently blase choice of words. Reaching over, she patted Jean's shoulder sympathetically. "We'll manage," she said, almost comfortingly, and inwardly snorted at the irony. "Haroun's still going to need all our efforts, but at least we won't be spending that time looking for a cure. Just implementing it. We've got some breathing space."
"No, definitely not something she should have to deal with. Not now, anyway. And certainly not involving Nathan." Jean arched an eyebrow at Madelyn, catching the other woman's ironic tone. "Oh yes, we can just schedule classes in our four hour blocks when we're not eating and sleeping. Would it be too evil of me to just give the Shakespeare class all of the King Henry's and tell them not to come back until they've finished?" But Maddie was right, having a cure, even one as a time and energy intensive as this, took some of the pressure off.
"Worst comes to worst, we ask Charles to arrange for some substitutes to cover our classes," Madelyn pointed out. "He's offered that before during a crisis. Or we can get some of the older kids to act as TAs."
Jean nodded, but before she could say anything a bell chimed in the room and Jean glanced at the clock which showed it was time for Haroun's medication. "Oi, you're off," she said, "go get cleaned up or fed or both. I'll get suited up to give him his next dosing."
"Cleaned up, fed, then a nap," Madelyn said with relish, standing up to head off and do just that. "Maybe poke my head in on Hank and make sure he's eating too. Perhaps even score a snuggle," she continued in a tone of mock-wonder. "Imagine that!"
Jean luahged quietly. "Sounds like a plan, yes. I'll see you at the next change. I think, given how stable he is, it's time to start talking about not doing constant shifts anymore so we don't go crazy. But for now, get out you."
"Yes 'm," Madelyn said psuedo-meekly, and gave Jean's shoulder another squeeze before she left. "We'll talk about shifts next status meeting. Have fun in the plastic suit."
"Oh, you know I will," Jean said with a wry smile.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-09-06 12:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-06 12:56 am (UTC)