Vitiation - Aftermath

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Jennie gets stitched up while Lorna keeps her company. And Moira discovers a clue as to what's wrong with Marius.



Jennie couldn't stop trembling. Even though she was much calmer and knew she was safe, she still couldn't stop the shakes. It might have also had something to do with the fact that she was in her bra and muddy jeans in the cold infirmary. Dr. MacTaggart was examining the wounds on the side of her neck carefully, which only made Jennie flinch and shake again.

"Sorry. It's not stopping," she muttered.

"'s a natural reaction," Moira mumbled around the pen in her mouth, removing it to make a few notes on a chart. "Ye've had quite the fright. But ye'll be all right. I've given ye a full-spectrum antibiotic shot, but we're goin' ta have ta stitch up that shoulder. Marius' teeth did some damage, but there shouldnae be any infection."

Lorna just squeezed Jennie's hand. "Needles, ick," she said softly, trying for a vaguely amusing distraction. "Doctors are much too fond of poking them into people who are already injured. Closest sadists, the lot of them." The girl's hand was chill and thin in hers, fragile bones pressed against clammy skin.

"As least it wasn't in my butt," Jennie said dryly. "That would have been the final straw." She offered the two older women a weak smile. In spite of it all, Jennie felt absurdly calm. She let Moira pull her hair to one side and tried not to wince again as the doctor dabbed gently at the wound.

"How is he? He's, I mean, he's not...?"

"Charles says it was nae anything psychological, nae anything psionic either. So we've taken some blood an' we're testing him f'r pathogens or anything that couldae entered the lad's system." Moira frowned -there was something familiar about the situation, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "'Tis almost as if Marius' inhibitions an' conscience didnae exist. I dinnae know what could do such a thing, to be honest."

"He kept telling me to run." Jennie said quietly. "He was still there. Just couldn't stop." She looked at her hands, and the white bandage on her right wrist. "I thought that when he went 'on instinct,' that he wasn't there for it?"

"Charles would know best," Moira explained, daubing a topical anaesthetic on Jennie's shoulder. "'e's in with Marius, but it seems th' boy may be as much a victim here as anyone else. Now this'll sting a wee bit, Jennie," Moira warned before bringing the surgical stitching kit out.

"I can't watch," Lorna declared and tugged on Jennie's hand to get her attention. "Marius is going to be okay. World's most expert experts in the subject of mutants working on him, right? And you're okay, scary needles aside. All right?"

"Fine," Jennie said, turning to Lorna. "Just scratched up." She hissed in pain as Moira began stitching. "Ow. Remind me to thank the boys for these later."

"Shouldnae need remindin'," Moira said quietly, snipping the last of the stitches and tying it off. "Ye've nae got Kyle's healin' factor, nor Marius' ability tae borrow it. It'll scar."

"However, scars are totally in this season, so, you know, it's like a win-win. All the most fashionable people here have them. You should see mine." Lorna chimed in, still looking determinedly anywhere but the needle.

The younger girl flinched again as Moira finished banadaging her. "Fabulous. It'll be fun explaining it. 'Yeah, I got in a fight with a vaccum cleanner and lost,'" she had another violent shiver. "Goddamn."

Moira opened her mouth to say something, then paused, looking past Jennie and Lorna for a moment. "Oh, that daft bitch..." she murmured, shaking her head. "Charles thinks 'e's figured it out. Jennie, if Charles is right, it wasnae Marius' fault. Not at all. A've got t' go run some tests t' make sure. If ye start feelin' lightheaded, lay down for a spell?" She eyed Lorna quickly. "Or ye make her lay herself down," she amended with a smile before turning to leave.

"I'll stay with her," Lorna confirmed with a nod and slipped her arm around Jennie to help her off the table--and to give the girl a little bit more support. "I think you deserve some cider and cookies and a hot bath. I can make the first while you take the second. Moira, you'll keep me updated on how Marius is doing, right?"

Jennie's abused dignity gave up and left for the night, and she leaned on Lorna just a little more. "I think I need my shirt first. No need to freak people out any more." She fished for the t-shirt she had on underneath the hoodie. The hoodie might as well have been beyond saving, covered in mud and blood around the shoulder and right sleeve. The white t-shirt wasn't much better, but it'd survived the worst of the mud. "I seriously am going to have to come up with a good explanation for this."

"Th' truth always works," Moira offered, then nodded to Lorna. "Ye'll be th' first t' know."

"Thanks, Moira." She smiled at Jennie, "For now, we'll just stick to 'none of your business' as an explanation. You can work out what you want to tell everyone later."

"Ninjas. I blame the ninjas." Jennie said softly. "Let's go upstairs. I think I need to have a moment and quietly freak out."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Lorna wrapped her arm around Jennie's waist again and made the split second decision to take Jennie to her room instead. It would be easier for her to have her freak out if she didn't have to worry about three other roommates. Besides, Lorna could make cookies in her own kitchen.

The girl leaned into Lorna's shoulder with a sigh. Privately, she decided upon a course of action of her own. It would have to wait until they let her see Marius again, though. For now, it would be cookies and quite possibly some hysterics. "Thank you. Let's go."