xp_logs | Nathan and Monet

Monet was bored, lying in a patch of sun on the lawn with her feet propped up on a bench. She sighed and considered the logistics of convincing some of the mansion's kids that they were chickens. Or cats. Cats would be entertaining and regretfully came to the conclusion that it was too much effort and possibly something she'd get talked to for doing or thinking about, for that matter. Oooh, Nathan. Nathan would probably be interesting. She wriggled around slightly and waved. "Hi!"

Nathan, on his way from the garage back to the boathouse, raised an eyebrow but smiled slightly at the very bored-looking Monet. She positively radiated boredom. Which reminds me, I really need to be a good telepath and offer to pitch in with her powers-training... "Monet," he said gravely, shifting his trajectory slightly so that he passed more closely by her. He switched his briefcase to the other hand and pulled at his tie, loosening it. "Fancy meeting you out here."

She grinned and climbed to her feet. "Whatcha doing?" Okay, so she was acting like a five year old. She was bored.

The eyebrow went up a little further. "Just coming in from a meeting in the city," Nathan said wryly. "What are you doing?"

Considering making Artie think he's a frog wasn't a valid answer right now, was it? Monet belatedly remembered her shields and stuck a metaphorical band aid over the biggest hole. "Not much. So what was the meeting about?"

Was she really interested, or just being polite? "Specialized medical services for mutants in the former Soviet republics," Nathan said mildly. "Less a meeting than a discussion, really, with a couple of people who are trying to improve the level of those services."

"Huh. So why do they need them? Isn't it just sort of saying, I don't know, that mutants aren't allowed to use the normal ones? I mean, I'm assuming they have proper hospitals and things?"

"It doesn't do a mutant any good to go to a hospital where the doctors don't know enough to give him drugs that'll shut down his metabolism. Or where they don't have the right kind of equipment to help with a mutation-related problem." Nathan shrugged. "That's mostly it. Training, equipment, and supplies - that's what's lacking. And a lot of the old republics aren't precisely awash in money to remedy the lack."

"But I thought they taught that stuff in," Monet waved her hands "Doctor training places. So what do you do about it, if it's already so far down the crapper that they don't even have anything set up?" This was surprisingly interesting.

"Fund extra training and equipment. Put them in touch with people who can give them that training, who've had expertise in the subject. In this case it means working with Doctors Without Borders, which I never mind doing - I name-drop my wife and that smoothes out any wrinkles
beautifully."

"But what if the governments there only agree to let you put the money in if it comes with extra conditions, like, I don't know. Things the mutant community don't like. What happens then? Do you just give the doctors to the next town, if they'll agree to the conditions?" She frowned and elaborated slightly. "There's a lot of Aboriginal people, in the town camps around Alice Springs back home who decided not to take grants to fix up the camps because the conditions they put on it sucked. What do you do if they decide there's too many conditions attached?"

"Well, first of all, there's a lot of negotiating done up front to try and avoid too many conditions. That's not in the interests of the people you're trying to help, or the agencies trying to help them."
Nathan paused, looking skyward for a moment. "Sometimes it doesn't work," he said candidly. "It's frustrating. Sometimes you can't even get permission to do it in the first place, but there's nothing else to do but keep trying, keep talking. Or, put the clinic in the next town and make sure that people one town over at least know about it."

Monet nodded. "So mostly it's frustrating because people are stupid all the time and don't agree with you?" She paused and fiddled with her watch for a moment. "How do you do it? I mean, know who you need to talk to or find out that people need this stuff?"

"By talking to other people who know. Or emailing. Or making phone calls. Making a nuisance of yourself, basically." Nathan cracked a brief smile. "I'm good at that."

Monet burst out laughing. "It sounds like a barrel of fun."

"It has its moments. So why all the curiosity?"

I was bored and you're normally entertaining. "Well, I know Medusa was big on you guys while she was here and I honestly didn't really know what you did. It sounds interesting, though."

"You should come down to the office sometime," Nathan suggested. "Get a closer look, if you're interested." I'm not recruiting, oh no...

"I will. Although it sounds dangerously close to work. I know people who've worked and they tell me it involves effort."