Marie-Ange and Moira

[x-mactaggart.livejournal.com]

While taking a break outside of the hospital, Moira gets an unexpected call from Angie. Seems she and Doug are on their way home and Doug has a couple of requests.



Marie-Ange tapped her foot impatiently, listening to the oddly tuned ring of the air-phone. Next to her, Doug was already bent over his laptop, mouthing -Something- to himself. He'd been like that for an hour, breaking his self-imposed silence only twice. Once to order, in short curt tones, a soda from the attendent, and once to hand Marie-Ange a note, with the request of "Call Dr. MacTaggart."

Without looking, Moira reached around behind her and snagged the cell phone as it rang for the fifth time. She'd been too distracted by read outs to really focus on it but now the noise was distracting. Not allowed to have the phone on in the hospital, she'd escaped for some fresh air for a few minutes when the doctors went in to check on Nathan.

"MacTaggart."

There were too many things to do to keep in line with phone courtesy.

~Thank the saints~. Marie-Ange thought. "Dr. MacTaggart? It is Marie-Ange. Doug... " She paused to try to figure out how best to explain... "Doug got a call last night about Haroun, we are on the very early flight home now, and he told me to call and ask for ... I hope you can understand this request, because I have no idea what a Bat Keyboard is, or any of the other things on this list."

Breathing out a quiet sigh--as soon as she had heard Angie's voice her thoughts immediately went towards "something had happened". After all, the last time the precog had spent in New Orleans hadn't exactly been a quiet vacation. "Bat Keyboard? 'Tis a specially designed keyboard for people wit' 'andicaps." Moira frowned. "Why?"

Well, she was too calm for Doug to have accidentally lopped his hand off...

"I have no idea." Marie-Ange glanced over at Doug, hoping he'd give her some answer, but he was still staring intently at the screen of his laptop, with no indication that he was even aware of her existence.

"The note says... I will read it. It says "Two Bat Keyboards. Install Vee-two-Tee Ess Double U on workstations. Have Kay Pee... "

Marie-Ange paused there. "I think he means Kitty.. " She continued reading off the note. "Have Kay Pee get coding boxen. Triptych screen. Have glasses waiting." She frowned at the note. "I read it exactly as he wrote it."

It took a second for Moira to process all of that. Not only due to Angie's uncertainty about what was actually written on the note, but also because this really wasn't her field of expertise. When she finally did understand, she blinked. "Good grief. I'm goin' ta assume Forge or someone actually sent 'im th' information we were usin'. I can do tha', but the only place I know where ta get Bat Keyboards is at Muir. We 'ave a few for some o' th' patients tha' came through an' for Dr. Connors."

Marie-Ange shrugged, despite knowing Moira couldn't actually see the gesture. "I am very confused. Doug just said to call you. Maybe because the keyboards are for people with only one arm, I am not sure." She glanced over at Doug again, and let out a sigh. "I would get him to explain, but I am not sure he... would... right now. I am not sure he can."

"Doug's nay stuck again, is he?" Moira asked, concerned. "Well, at least th' distraction will 'elp wit' th' airport crowds. I'm nay sure wha' he wants ta do wit' this, though 'tis obvious he's goin' ta be settin' somethin' up. But I'll get together wha' I can an' grab Kitty. Do ye know when yer ETA?"

"We land in... " Marie-Ange glanced at her watch. "Two hours. We do not have to get luggage, since it was carry-on, but I have to catch a taxi and get Doug through the gate down to the taxi stand."

She worried about that, but hopefully Doug would actually turn the laptop off. At least he wouldn't walk into people if it was off.. "So, I think three and a half hours, maybe four if traffic is bad leaving the airport, or we have a delay."

Moira gave a tired chuckle. "Well, looks like 'tis th' Pixie Express for me, then. I'll page Clarice an' 'ave 'er get me an' take me ta Muir an' be back in plenty o' time. I'm...nay sure if Kitty's back or nay. I 'avnae been out o' th' labs much lately, but I'll check. I'll think o' somethin' if she's nay 'ere."

"Merci. Perhaps.. Jamie might be able to figure out the other things Doug wrote on his note, or Dr. McCoy, or ... " Marie-Ange sighed aloud. "It looks like gibberish. It does not even look like his handwriting."

"Keep an eye on 'im until he gets 'ere." Not that she had any doubt that Angie wouldn't do anything but. "Doug is goin' ta be a verra large 'elp when he gets 'ere an' I'm glad someone contacted 'im last night."

"I am keeping him on a very short leash." She would too. Hand-holding through the airport and hand-delivering him to the lab, if need be. "We will be there as soon as we can. I did not think I would ever be grateful for the insanity of the taxi drivers, but the speed will help, I think." If she concentrated on the little details, the big ones wouldn't threaten to overwhelm her.

"Speed an' safety, we dinnae need anymore in th' Medlab right now," she said wryly. "Page me when yer gettin' close ta th' Mansion an' I'll meet ye 'alf way."