xp_logs | Laurie & Jean-Paul, Monday Afternoon (backdated)

Laurie stops by to check Jean-Paul's bandages and to feed him.

Jean-Paul was laying on his stomach, head turned toward the television so he could actually watch the ridiculous competition show involving wonders of the world made of chocolate when he heard the knock on his door. He didn't bother getting up, since that would require movement when he'd rather not move at all, at least not the right side of his body, and instead called, "It is not locked. And you have the key, anyway, do you not?" His voice was gruff and slightly lazy, more from the medication than any feeling of annoyance he might have felt at having a visitor. It was very obvious that he'd been given enough painkillers to actually affect him, his metabolism be damned.

"I thought it rude not to knock," Laurie noted, opening the door and walking into Jean-Paul's apartment. She carried with her what could only be called a doctor's bag , and a plate with a covered bowl on it, plus utensils. "Even if you did give me the key. How are you feeling?"

"Merci," Jean-Paul said, nodding his head against the pillow beneath it. His scruff made a strange, scratching sound against the fabric, but he chose to ignore it in favour of answering Laurie's question. "I am fine. I move very slowly, though. And everything is sore. Everything on the right, anyway."

"I come bearing a change of bandages and a little boost from my own powers," Laurie noted with what she always thought of as her 'professional doctor persona'. What it really boiled down to was a level, somewhat light hearted voice and an almost always present smile. "Unless you mind powers use, if so, I can offer you a change of bandages, and some home made soup."

Jean-Paul waved one hand to indicate that she should make herself comfortable, then said, "Merci, once more. I would like the powers, oui. And may I have the soup as well?" He wasn't sure if it was a one or the other sort of situation - he could have the powers or the soup. It was entirely possible he was feeling a bit greedy, what with wanting them both.

Laurie formed a contemplative look, as if she were seriously considering whether he could have both and then grinned, “Of course you can have both, silly. I’ve just got one problem though; I’ll have to be fairly close to do it. I don’t have to touch you, but the closer I can get my hands to the damaged skin, the more likely it is that it’ll do what it’s meant to. Also, well, there’s no guarantees, I helped heal Amanda faster once but that was open cuts, not burns. I’ll try though.”

"Merci," Jean-Paul said, pushing himself up, off the couch, and walking slowly through to the kitchenette. "I will stand in the kitchen so that we may eat and attempt to heal me faster. Also, there is a trash bin there, for the old bandages." He gestured to his arm and side, then pulled the shirt he'd been wearing off so Laurie could have better access to all of his bandages.

Laurie placed her bag down on the kitchen bench and moved over to look at Jean-Paul’s bandages. There was a small bit of staining, but otherwise they seemed dry and untorn. She carefully removed each bandage, running her hand over each section of burn revealed, although slightly above his actual skin. Her hand glowed purple as she moved it, her gaze focused as she worked.

Eventually she’d removed all the bandages, leaving the burns open for viewing as she reached for new ones.

There was no overt sign that what Laurie did had any effect on Jean-Paul's injuries - the skin didn't knit together suddenly, he wasn't instantly cured. But the tension he'd been holding in his shoulders lessened a bit and he breathed a little more easily. "Thank you," he said, looking down at the burns as she moved to get the new ones. It wasn't a pretty sight, all things considered.

Yet another reason to avoid working with teams in the future. You wound up doing stupid things in an effort to keep others safe.

Not that he regretted it, of course. John was safe and all those people were still alive.

It was just entirely inconvenient.

"All part of the job," Laurie replied easily, adding a small amount of endorphins to her pheromones to take care of any pain as she started placing new bandages over the wounds. For the moment, the burns needed to be kept sterile, once they started to heal a little, they could start exposing them a little more. "But you're welcome anyhow. Once they're healed, we'll give you some ointment to rub on the new skin that will make it more subtle, and my help should cut down on scarring."

Raising his eyes, Jean-Paul nodded and quirked a rueful smile. "This is appreciated." Especially since he'd been more than a little rude to her one more than one occasion. Nodding toward the food she'd brought with her, he asked, "What kind of soup?"

Laurie didn't answer for a moment, intent on her work as she carefully redressed all of Jean-Paul's wounds. After she was done, she glanced at the soup with a grin. "I'm trying something new, actually, it's Maine pumpkin soup with sauteed scallops and ginger cream."

Brows arched, Jean-Paul looked from Laurie to the soup again. "This sounds... fancy." He supposed that was as good a word as any. It also sounded expensive, but he supposed that was neither here nor there. "I like ginger, though. And scallops. I should find a shirt." Shirts were good. But that would involve moving and he was content where he stood.

"Why?" Laurie asked curiously, taking his arm and gently pulling him back to his couch. Now that she'd bandaged him up, she needed him to sit down and eat the food she'd brought. "It's not like you have anything I haven't seen before, and wearing shirts will just irritate your burns."

"Because... it is..." Decent? Jean-Paul wasn't sure that was the right word. Proper? Laurie did have a very good point about him not having anything she hadn't already seen. And she was basically acting as his doctor now, wasn't she? Still. He shrugged his good shoulder, letting the matter go. "I do not know. It seemed like what I should do?" Lessons instilled in him during his adolescence were easier to break, but they were also highlighted more strongly as correct, which made him hesitant to ignore them.

"I promise not to lose my head and attempt to ravish you in the heat of uncontrollable animal lusts," Laurie said, her gaze was almost Dumbledorish in its amusement. "Now sit down and eat your soup."

"Oui," Jean-Paul said, sitting as directed. His smile was almost reluctant, but not quite. "You are making house calls to many others?" He asked, taking the soup she gave him and tasting it carefully before setting in to eat it.

"One or two, mostly people who couldn't stay in Medlab," Laurie admitted, sitting down beside him on the couch. She didn't like to stand over people, it was rude. "And then I've got to see the people actually in Medlab, although Hank and Amelia tend to deal with them. Mostly I'm just doing the easy things, stuff that doesn't need direct doctoral supervision to accomplish."

"Mm..." Jean-Paul nodded to show that he was listening, but the soup was actually very good and so verbal reply was going to take him a little while longer. He was preoccupied with eating - not so much with the speaking. Hunger was a part of his life, usually one he was better able to deal with than he currently was, which might have explained why he was inhaling the soup.

"Good?" Laurie asked, trying to hold back the large grin that people enjoying what she'd cooked always elicited. It wasn't that she didn't have confidence in her abilities, in fact, sometimes she wondered if she didn't have just a little too much in some areas but it was just nice to get good feedback.

"Oui," Jean-Paul said, nodding as he polished off the soup. "Very." He was tempted to ask for the recipe, but knew he'd probably just ruin it and then have to deal with negative connotations, so he didn't. Relaxing against the cushions behind him, Jean-Paul balanced the container on his stomach and sighed quietly. "It is very good." And he was very tired. Again. Which was annoying. "You said, before - you said that I should let you know when you could come to bake, oui?"

"Yes," Laurie said, grabbing some of the cushions near her and placing them gently behind Jean-Paul's head before she sat back down again. "The offer is still open whenever you feel up to it."

"Soon, then," Jean-Paul said, nodding a little. "You will bake. I will watch. I am not so good at moral support, I think. But I can taste test, oui?"

"Taste testing is perfectly reasonable, and there's things I can have you taste that would make someone like Kyle barf, so that's very good," Laurie noted, thinking of what sort of recipes she'd be able to try. That one for chocolate & walnut bread to begin with, and then if it tasted nice, she could substitute carob in for something the Feral mutations with food allergies could eat. "You should rest, you know. You look like you're about to drop off any minute. We can always have a longer talk when you're healed."

"Mm... merci," Jean-Paul agreed, nodding just the slightest bit. "Very much, thank you." Sleep was looking like an entirely viable, even preferable, option at the moment. "I will see you for the change of bandages next, oui?"

"Indeed," Laurie said, amused that she was borrowing a Hankism as she stood and drew a light blanket over Jean-Paul. "Sleep well, Jean-Paul."