xp_logs | Doug, Angie, Jamie, and Moira (Reply)

Posted a bit late because of 60+ hour work weeks. Doug can't talk after the events of Upgrade, and Angie and Jamie take it upon themselves to drag him down to see Moira for a checkup.

The absolutely unamused expression on Doug's face would've been less funny if he hadn't been in a fireman's carry over Jamie's shoulders. Marie-Ange knew she really shouldn't be laughing, because Doug not talking was worrysome, but he just looked so .. annoyed, but resigned. That he'd just let Jamie haul him off was both unintentionally hilarious, and a little troubling all at once, since she knew Doug -knew- how to keep someone from picking him up and throwing him over their shoulder and walking away with him.

She tapped lightly on the door to Dr. MacTaggart's office, then stepped back, arms crossed and watching Doug mutely try to protest.

"Y'know," Jamie said, hitching Doug more securely over his shoulder, "there is an upside to this. If he can't talk, he can't interrupt us when we tell him he should've gotten past this whole 'sacrifice himself for the common good' hangup, oh, maybe after he took a bullet for it. We're all glad Haroun's going to be okay, but y'know, Doug, funny thing, Kitty, Paige, and Forge managed to help without turning into medical emergencies themselves. I'm just saying you might find their example illuminating."

The knock and the murmur of voices from the other side of the door dragged Moira away from the latest of the read outs on Haroun's condition. With a sigh, unable to help herself think "What now?", she headed over. The scene outside her door was not exactly something she had been expecting and she was momentarily speechless.

Only momentarily, of course. "Well," she started, noting that while Doug looked like a puppy someone had put a sticky bow on its head he was currently not bleeding. Very good. "Normally when I 'ave students attempt ta bribe me, they go wit' chocolates...nay other students. Wha's up?"

Doug gave Jamie's shoulder one last awkward thump, and then turned to Dr. Mactaggart with a weak smile. She could see that he was obviously fine, couldn't she? His brow furrowed as he attempted to spontaneously manifest telepathy and tell Dr. Mactaggart that yes, he was just fine, no need for any worries.

"He has been like this since he woke up yesterday.." Marie-Ange started, ignoring Doug's mute protests. "He will not talk, I do not think he -can- talk." She let out a worried sigh.

Jamie nodded. "And he doesn't seem to think there's anything wrong with that, but we know you can only go so far with the miracle-working, so we brought him here for the talking thing and we're hoping the stupid clears up on its own."

Stepping around Jamie, Moira tilted her head so she could look at Doug properly. "...I have been meain' ta track 'im down for a while," she said, with a raised eyebrow. "Someone 'as been verra good at avoidin' th' yearly powers physical. An' this, obviously, isnae verra good. When was th' last time 'e spoke?"

All right, the 'stupid' comment clearly deserved another thump on the arm. And darnit, Jamie was just entirely too in control of his powers today, Doug decided. Because the thumping on the arm wasn't _doing_ anything. Granted, he wasn't getting much force behind it, but still. He growled under his breath.

"I am not sure. Maybe while he was working in the labs?" Marie-Ange glanced over at Jamie with a questioning look. "Did Kitty say anything about Doug not talking at all? Forge may also know..." She frowned. "He was like this on the airplane coming home from New Orleans, but not quite this bad. He did talk then, because he asked me to call you with that list that made no sense!"

"Until you use words I can't hear you, Doug," Jamie said blithely, adjusting his hold to recapture the errant hand. "Kitty was complaining that his e-mails and IMs were getting less and less intelligible as the project went on, yeah."

"Right, in wit' ye lot," Moira instructed. "Jamie, jus' drop 'im on th' pillows--ye know where they're at. I'll go brin' up his file on me laptop, easier than gettin' th' physical one. 'Tis obvious tha' he's in control o' everythin' else but his speech an' language." She frowned. "Hrm."

After Jamie dropped him somewhat unceremoniously on the pillows, Doug aimed a kick at his ankle, and crossed his arms huffily. It wasn't that he couldn't communicate at _all_, just that he was reduced to very limited nonverbal body language and noises. And he was very obviously pouting from where he sat on the pillows.

"He growled at me when I suggested that he talk to you.." Marie-Ange said. "Growled and stomped his foot in a very indignant manner." She shook her head, obviously trying not to laugh at Doug's ineffective (but cute) pouting. "Jamie and I have had to resort to drastic measures, and this is not the first time we have had to do that. Jamie had to kidnap him .. I think, close to this time last year, to get him to stop over studying and doing projects."

"Yeah, but he could still talk that time." Jamie grinned reminiscently. "What with the complaining about being tied to his chair and zoomed down to the garage. This time it's a lot more drastic." He shrugged. "We've been trying to get him in here anyway because of the way he turns into Doug the Wonder Zombie whenever he starts working really hard--I'm kinda being jokey about it but it's actually pretty scary how hard it is to get his attention."

"Different case," Moira said absently, pulling out a couple of cards. "I might 'ave some theories but I need ta do some tests." She gave Doug a reasurring smile. "An' nay, I'm nay treatin' ye like a kid, but I need ta see 'ow far yer language breakdown 'as gone." She showed him the cards in her hand, simple basic cards that normally were used to teach children to read and put words with images.

Doug rolled his eyes. He could understand things just fine, it was only that he was having a problem communicating externally via anything more simple than gestures or grunts. Still, it wouldn't do to get too cranky with Doc Mactaggart, she was only trying to help. Doug just wished he could manage to talk enough to tell everyone that he was just fine, and there was really nothing to worry about, as far as he was concerned.

As the other two students flittered about behind her, Moira spread out the cards in front of Doug. "I'm pretty sure ye can understand everythin' we sayin'," she said, glancing up, "an' then some. But we need ta see how well ye can relay tha'. Instead o' jus' thumpin' Jamie on th' arm."

It was like a radio with a broken transmitter. The receiver was still fine, it just couldn't send anything out. That was what was going on with Doug. He could understand everything being said, and written on a page, he just wasn't able to verbalize anything to communicate back. So he was reduced to pointing. He sighed slightly and told himself very firmly to not do his pointing with a particular finger as a gesture of crankiness.

The cards were simple. A picture of an apple, and another with the word. After a few minutes of pointing, and general cranky staring, Moira nodded. "Right tha's, enough o' tha'." Pulling out a notebook and a pen out of her pocket, she handed it to Doug. "Now, right me somethin', anythin'. Full sentances if ye can."

Unfortunately, full sentences was a bit much to ask, as Doug couldn't even force single words to come out on the page. All that came out on the page were incomprehensible scrawls, the pen digging deeper into the pad as he became frustrated.

"'Tis okay," she soothed, taking it from him without much of a struggle. Turning it over, she blinked and the nodded. "Right, I dinnae think tha' would work." Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled at the two worried friends behind her. "He will be okay. Give me a few, I think I may know wha's goin' on."

Marie-Ange stared at the paper mutely for a moment and then sat down next to Doug. He couldn't even write... and he was trying to act like it was not a problem? Sometimes her genius boyfriend was really dumb. Or entirely too generous with his own abilities for his own good. She couldnt' help but remember the migraines after hacking Manuel's medical files, so very long ago. "Is this something we can stop from happening?"

Doug wasn't a doctor, or an expert on mutation like Doctor Mactaggart, so he simply shrugged. Even if it was an unavoidable consequence of using his power, as long as it wasn't permanent he didn't see what the big fuss was. Between Muir Island and the mansion itself, he'd seen plenty of people who'd had much more serious problems because of their mutations. Like Jono and Mr. al-Rashid. Besides, Artie couldn't talk and he managed just fine. Doug made a mental note to spend some time hanging out with Artie and Miles, as he hadn't had much time to spend with them due to the mad rush to upgrade Mr. al-Rashid's 'ware.

Frowning, Moira shook her head at Angie. "Highly doubtful. It'll take me a few days ta really get down ta wha's goin' on but 'tis gettin' better, aye, Doug?" At his firm nod, she continued. "Wha' I'm assumin' is tha' this is somethin' ta do with his powers. Now, normally we've figured he cannae turn it off..."

She stared at him. As of yet there had been no indiciation that Doug could actually turn his powers off. In fact, she'd come to believe he'd prefered it that way--understandable. But they needed to test if his powers had indeed found that magical off switch. Angie was out, the two of them were so close that even powerless he probably could speak French. And he had come into the mansion speaking several languages.

Wait...Leaning over, Moira picked up the stone that Cain had brought her back from his trip. "Doug, wha' does this say?"

Doug sighed. Whee. He remembered translating the writings on the rock the first time, and tried to figure out how to translate the inscriptions by gesture.

~I am Cyttorak the Destroyer...~ Doug flexed and attempted to make himself look larger and something like a bodybuilder, then smacked his fists roughly into his palms to try and indicate the act of destruction.

~...fall down on your faces and worship me...~ He imitated the porstrating 'we're not worthy' gestures from Wayne's World.

~...blah blah blah fishcakes...~ he thought to himself, making a gesture with one hand, closing his straightened fingers and thumb to indicate someone talking too much and rolling his eyes theatrically.

Moira snorted very softly under her breath. "Obviously his powers arenae turned off. So I'm guessin' this is a side affect o' his powers, but I cannae have a more firm answer for ye guys until we run more tests." She caught the look on Doug's face and smiled. "Th' usual gauntlet, I'm afraid...blood work an' scans. I can 'ave an answer probably in th' next couple o' days."

Jame nudged Doug. "Y'see what she's doing there? She's running more tests. She'll have an answer maybe in the next couple of days. And she's like, practically the inventor of mutant powers research. So guess what, genius, we were right, you were wrong, it's an actual problem, and next time I don't wanna have to carry you down here, you're heavy and you squirm."

Laughing at that, she made some notes on Doug's file. "I've got ta assume tha' Doug doesnae find it all tha' troublesome since he's singularly avoided comin' down here." Moira gave him a look. "But we'll get ta th' bottom of it soon enough. Hrm. Also might be a good idea for ye ta seek out one o' th' telepaths. Nathan's gone on a trip, so it'll 'ave ta be either Jean or Charles, which ever one is free."

It was hard to talk and not giggle at Doug's attempts at silent translation of the rock. Espically at his hand gestures. "He was not able to do -this- a day or two ago.." Marie-Ange noted. "And, believe me, he will go. I will make certain of it." She gave Doug a look, that quite plainly said "And I will have Jamie carry you bodily if need be. Again." and smiled beatifically, knowing that no one at all was falling for the innocent look on her face. It was not meant to fool anyone, after all.