Family Portrait: Jean & Moira log
Sep. 10th, 2007 05:32 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs Jean calls Moira to chat about the progress on research into Gail Collin's condition. The news is not good.
Jean tapped her fingernails on the desk, chewing slightly on her lip as she listened to the phone ring with that funny, tiny tone she associated with international calls. The tests weren't going well and it was making her tense. Hopefully, Moira had had better luck than she had, although Jean wasn't expecting much. It was just too much data with not enough certainty about what they were looking for, and all of it under a frighteningly tight time restriction.
Instead of the normal 'Muir Island, MacTaggart speaking', Moira simply said, "I've got caller ID and I know this is the mansion, so I'm really rather hopin' this is Jean on the other end." On the other side of the ocean, the other red headed doctor sat among a mountain of paper work, phone tucked into the cradle of her shoulder, one hand flipping through the pages and a mug of coffee in her other hand.
"Moira, thank god. How's it going? Any progress?" She winced slightly at the edge to her voice - too much stress and worry and coffee all adding up.
"I feel like I've been chasin' my own bloody tail for the longest time," came the tired response and Moira knew it wasn't doing much to bolster up either woman. "What about yerself, though I could probably guess what that answer is goin' ta be."
"And be right on the money, I'm sure." Jean sighed. "Laurie's x-factor comes from Zach, we know that, and they're close but unraveling her genetic code and attempting to rewrite it into his in two weeks... Two years, maybe. Maybe."
With a scowl, Moira shut the file and turned her full attention to the phone. "Not ta mention the deterioration rate of Laurie's powers outside o' her body. Any samples we're usin' from her essentially go 'poof' after a short while so we have ta keep goin' back to time an' again." She drained her coffee before setting it next to the pot to wait for the next batch.
"Which is bound to be the same for her father," Jean agreed. "Even if Gail had kept any of Zach's things, there's not going to be more than traces, at best. Damn the man."
There's a long, uncomfortable silence which spoke more than words. When there was uncomfortable anything between these two women...
"We cannae do it," the older woman said finally, speaking the words they've both been thinking. "We can move heaven an' earth but we cannae speed up the research time at all. There's nay any time..."
Jean took in a deep breath, and then slowly released it. Moira was right, she knew she was right. It was just... "I'm not prepared to give up, Moira. There's got to be some way. If we can't synthesize his power..." she trailed off.
"I know," Moira said softly. "We'll keep lookin', tryin' an' researchin' their bloody DNA until we have nothing left. I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve we can try but I just dinnae know how much time they're going ta take. I jus' dinnae know." She felt old and tired all of a sudden, she realized as she stared off into space.
"We have to keep trying," Jean said, sounding exhausted. "I just... we have to keep trying. And..." She paused, then forged ahead. "I think it's time we really start searching for Zach over here. I have serious trouble believing that he'll help, but we've got to try."
"Aye, I agree. Findin' that bloody idiot might be th' best way ta go about it, even if he is difficult. Once we 'ave him, we'll be able to 'ave some workable DNA straight from th' source." Moira made a frustrated noise and kicked at her desk. "Our best lead. But I'll keep at it over 'ere."
"We'll tie him down and pull hairs from his head if we have to," Jean swore. "We just have to find him, first."
Moira nodded before she tiredly remembered that Jean couldn't actually see that and answered, "If anyone can find him, I know ye lot will be able ta. How's Laurie 'oldin' up?"
"About as well as can be expected. She's at the hospital every moment she can be, and trying to keep busy the rest of the time. I know she's having some trouble concentrating on classes."
"Understandable but 'tis good that she's tryin' ta keep busy." Moira hated to ask but she needed to know. "An' how's her mum doin' so far?"
Jean closed her eyes, picturing Gail the last time she'd gone in to speak with her. "She's... holding up. Possibly even a little better than her doctors had hoped. The treatment's very hard on her, but I know she always tries very hard to be up for Laurie. Although she may be pushing herself a little too hard."
Moira understood how hard that could be, remembering her own mother's illness when she was younger. Much younger than Laurie by far. "She's a verra brave woman from everythin' that I've seen," she said, straightening in her chair. "Stubborn ta be fightin' so well right now which is somethin' in our favor, at least."
"Yes. And we need all the advantages we can get right now."
Jean tapped her fingernails on the desk, chewing slightly on her lip as she listened to the phone ring with that funny, tiny tone she associated with international calls. The tests weren't going well and it was making her tense. Hopefully, Moira had had better luck than she had, although Jean wasn't expecting much. It was just too much data with not enough certainty about what they were looking for, and all of it under a frighteningly tight time restriction.
Instead of the normal 'Muir Island, MacTaggart speaking', Moira simply said, "I've got caller ID and I know this is the mansion, so I'm really rather hopin' this is Jean on the other end." On the other side of the ocean, the other red headed doctor sat among a mountain of paper work, phone tucked into the cradle of her shoulder, one hand flipping through the pages and a mug of coffee in her other hand.
"Moira, thank god. How's it going? Any progress?" She winced slightly at the edge to her voice - too much stress and worry and coffee all adding up.
"I feel like I've been chasin' my own bloody tail for the longest time," came the tired response and Moira knew it wasn't doing much to bolster up either woman. "What about yerself, though I could probably guess what that answer is goin' ta be."
"And be right on the money, I'm sure." Jean sighed. "Laurie's x-factor comes from Zach, we know that, and they're close but unraveling her genetic code and attempting to rewrite it into his in two weeks... Two years, maybe. Maybe."
With a scowl, Moira shut the file and turned her full attention to the phone. "Not ta mention the deterioration rate of Laurie's powers outside o' her body. Any samples we're usin' from her essentially go 'poof' after a short while so we have ta keep goin' back to time an' again." She drained her coffee before setting it next to the pot to wait for the next batch.
"Which is bound to be the same for her father," Jean agreed. "Even if Gail had kept any of Zach's things, there's not going to be more than traces, at best. Damn the man."
There's a long, uncomfortable silence which spoke more than words. When there was uncomfortable anything between these two women...
"We cannae do it," the older woman said finally, speaking the words they've both been thinking. "We can move heaven an' earth but we cannae speed up the research time at all. There's nay any time..."
Jean took in a deep breath, and then slowly released it. Moira was right, she knew she was right. It was just... "I'm not prepared to give up, Moira. There's got to be some way. If we can't synthesize his power..." she trailed off.
"I know," Moira said softly. "We'll keep lookin', tryin' an' researchin' their bloody DNA until we have nothing left. I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve we can try but I just dinnae know how much time they're going ta take. I jus' dinnae know." She felt old and tired all of a sudden, she realized as she stared off into space.
"We have to keep trying," Jean said, sounding exhausted. "I just... we have to keep trying. And..." She paused, then forged ahead. "I think it's time we really start searching for Zach over here. I have serious trouble believing that he'll help, but we've got to try."
"Aye, I agree. Findin' that bloody idiot might be th' best way ta go about it, even if he is difficult. Once we 'ave him, we'll be able to 'ave some workable DNA straight from th' source." Moira made a frustrated noise and kicked at her desk. "Our best lead. But I'll keep at it over 'ere."
"We'll tie him down and pull hairs from his head if we have to," Jean swore. "We just have to find him, first."
Moira nodded before she tiredly remembered that Jean couldn't actually see that and answered, "If anyone can find him, I know ye lot will be able ta. How's Laurie 'oldin' up?"
"About as well as can be expected. She's at the hospital every moment she can be, and trying to keep busy the rest of the time. I know she's having some trouble concentrating on classes."
"Understandable but 'tis good that she's tryin' ta keep busy." Moira hated to ask but she needed to know. "An' how's her mum doin' so far?"
Jean closed her eyes, picturing Gail the last time she'd gone in to speak with her. "She's... holding up. Possibly even a little better than her doctors had hoped. The treatment's very hard on her, but I know she always tries very hard to be up for Laurie. Although she may be pushing herself a little too hard."
Moira understood how hard that could be, remembering her own mother's illness when she was younger. Much younger than Laurie by far. "She's a verra brave woman from everythin' that I've seen," she said, straightening in her chair. "Stubborn ta be fightin' so well right now which is somethin' in our favor, at least."
"Yes. And we need all the advantages we can get right now."
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