Butterflies & Hurricanes: Discovery
Jun. 27th, 2010 10:40 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
x-wither.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsYvette wakes up to find her physical mutation mysteriously gone.
Meggan knocked at the bathroom door, calling out, “Yvette? Are you okay in there?” The other girl had been in their adjoining bathroom for far longer than usual, and it was starting to worry Meggan. She hadn’t heard very much noise coming from the bathroom for a while, and that was not helping to ease her concern in any way.
After another moment passed, she called almost nervously, “Are you sick? Do I need to get someone?”
"No, no, I am not sick!" came the nervous sounding reply. "Very much not so..." There was a pause and then the door opened a crack. "Meggan? Something very strange has happened to me."
Meggan leaned closer to the crack in the door—it wasn’t open wide enough to really see anything yet, though. “What is it? And is it a good kind of strange? Or a time to run for help kind of strange?” Strange happenings were so rarely good around the mansion lately, that she was genuinely curious as to what it could possibly be. Curious, and ever so slightly wary.
There came a noise very much like Yvette gulping and then a hand appeared around the edge of the door. A small, soft-looking hand, with normal-length fingers and fingernails and definitely not red-brick skin. The door was opened wider and the rest of... someone appeared. Someone who was perhaps an inch taller than Yvette, with long dark brown wavy hair and big brown eyes in a small, elfin face. "I am not sure yet if it is a good strange or a bad strange," the girl admitted, in Yvette's distinctive voice. "But my powers seem to have gone away."
Meggan looked at Yvette for a long moment after she spoke, at first only managing a small, startled, “Oh.” After a moment, she continued with a confused smile, “What—how—this is too new, so I don't know if it's good or bad, either." She was back to concerned, then, as she asked, "But you’re okay? And nothing else happened?”
"I feel okay," Yvette replied, coming out further. She held up one hand to examine it, turning it in front of her eyes with a wondering look. "I was just waking up like this. And there is no inhibitor - I checked." Then she started. "There was this woman, at the fair yesterday. She said she could help me. I did not really think she could."
Meggan nodded with some relief, replying, “Just as long as you’re not hurting.” She sighed, and fervently hoped it wasn’t magic, and if it was magic that there wasn’t some nasty side effect. “So it’s a lady that’s either doing some kind of spell, or she has the mutant power to…grant wishes, or turn off powers whenever she wants, or do whatever it is you do to end up with a result like this. Did she touch you or do anything kind of strange?"
Yvette shook her head. "No. She just smiled at me." She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "Meggan, may I ask you for the strange favour?"
Meggan nodded, slightly curious as she replied, “Of course you can. What is it?”
"Can I... touch you?" Yvette's face and ears went bright red. "Just to test, yes? I will be careful."
Meggan smiled at the question. “I know you will, so yeah…go ahead. Then, if nothing goes wrong, you can end that with a free hug. How’s that sound?” Yvette most likely needed one, so the offer was on the table.
Yvette's blush deepened, but she smiled at her roommate. "It sounds like the deal," she replied. She gulped a little again and reached out a slightly trembling hand for Meggan to poke.
Meggan reached out and cautiously poked, then grasped Yvette’s hand. Grinning widely as she looked to the other girl, she commented, “Congratulations, Yvette—your hand feels like a regular, soft hand. Not even a little bit sharp.” It wasn’t some sort of illusion, it was definitely really happening. Meggan was thrilled for her.
Yvette's eyes grew large. "Really?" She squeezed Meggan's hand back experimentally and realised she could feel the warmth and softness of her skin. "I can touch!" she exclaimed, and flung her arms around Meggan with most unlike-her enthusiasm.
Despite being prepared for the hug, it almost managed to knock her onto the nearby bed. She kept her balance, hugging back with equal happiness. “Yes, you can—you really can!” Pulling back just a little, she asked with more than a hint of curiosity, “And how do you want to celebrate? Other than hugs.”
"I do not know!" Yvette paused in the hugging. "I mean, I had always hoped that I would control my powers some day, but I did not think about what to do if I did. I suppose I should go see Dr. Hank and Dr. Voight, to make sure nothing is wrong, but after...?" She considered it and then a small smile crossed her face. "We could go swimming? I cannot swim with my powers, they make me too heavy, you see."
Meggan didn’t need to think about it for long, before tilted her head with a small grin. “Once you’ve managed to get an all clear from them, yes. We’ll go swimming for as long as you want.” With a rueful grin, she added, “And I’ll have to remember to drag along that sign I made, just in case I’m paddling along on the bottom at some point. But we’ll get you swimming.”
Yvette hugged Meggan again, just for the sheer joy of it. "Breakfast first and then the doctors and then swimming? I want to see what people do when they see me without powers!" she exclaimed with a mischievous grin.
“Sounds like a plan. And that’ll be fun to see,” Meggan mused with an equally impish grin. Hugging back, she added, “There might even be a whole lot of confusion about the possible new person if they don’t know it’s you right away.”
Later in the morning, however, Jared gets to know the floor the hard way.
That Saturday at the fair had been something. He really tried to connect with people, but that Kevin kid was so not worth the trouble. He hates me, Jared thought, so why bother? Still he didn’t like people being so unreceptive to his sense of humor, so he decided to turn his night at the job into a night of drinking for free. Heading back home had been hell of a struggle, though…
A text message put an end to his short night and, as usual, trying to roll on the side to reach his phone, Jared fell flat on his face. “Oh damn, that’s not good.” He often had the feeling to hurt really bad, but the hangover and the fall coupled with dizziness was never pleasant. Still, this time, it was way more intense, and getting back up on his feet took longer.
That was the open door to a new rule: “From now on, the mattress stays on the floor… Go to hell, gravity…”
That afternoon Jared learns more important lessons he doesn't normally have to worry about.
It wasn’t unusual for Jared to practice his bartending skills in his room. After all, he had his own set with him. A Cobbler Shaker, jigger, bar spoon, glasses, even swizzle sticks and umbrellas. The only thing missing would be a blender but that was too much of a liability for someone moving frequently. Today’s practice was a tricky one: juggling with three glasses and a full shaker.
The shaker went first, then a glass, then two, then three. Soon, there were only two glasses left, and glass fragments all over the floor. Damn, Jared thought, I should really invest in plastic cups!
The shaker and only one glass left. “That’s getting easier, ladies! Now let’s try something more dangerous.” The shaker stayed in one hand, the glass started spinning in the air, so did Jared on one foot. The free hand behind his back was ready to catch, had the glass not broken in his hand. “It looked so freaking easy on TV!”
As he began to gather the broken glasses with his hands, blood started spilling. His
blood. “That is so-not-cool!”
Next time: plastic cups…
In the late afternoon Kevin makes a bizarre discovery, immediately freaks out and goes looking for Dr. McCoy.
Through the halls and down the stairs to the medlab Kevin kept telling himself it was some strange fluke. It was a weird hiccup. He should have been overjoyed at the possibility of his mutation having an off button but everyone at Muir said that wasn't possible. He didn't know how they figured it out but they had and they had told him and they wouldn't tell him if it wasn't true, right? But that didn't change the fact that when he'd reached for a piece of wood to "carve" via his mutation to add to a sculpture he was working on that nothing happened.
There was a characteristic sort of pull Kevin felt when he touched something organic. The sensation was always down in the pit of his stomach. It felt like he was pulling the life out of something. It'd be disturbing if it weren't for the rush of endorphins that made it feel so good. Maybe it was more disturbing because of that, really. But it wasn't there. Kevin had stood there for nearly half an hour with the block of wood pressed to his hand, his arm, his chest, his stomach, his neck...but there was nothing. And now he was freaking out. He was malfunctioning. How could he be malfunctioning? Was this a good thing or a bad thing? He had no idea, but he panicked and went directly to the medlab.
Doctor McCoy was easy to spot in a crowd, never mind through the window into his office. Kevin knocked on the open door, stepped into the office and went silent. What exactly did he say? How did he put this? After a bit of blinking and staring that probably seemed quite odd he blurted out, "Doctor McCoy, Ah think Ah'm broken, sir." The words came out strangely calm but he didn't feel calm.
Hank closed the file he'd been reading and put it away in one of his desk drawers before gesturing to the metal seat across from him. "Broken you say? What makes you think that, Mister Ford?" He was very familiar with Kevin's ability from reading over reports of the boy's time at Muir in between bouts of his research. It was a fascinating case.
Kevin took the indicated seat and while he normally would have been still his leg kept bouncing up and down as his foot tapped nervously. "It don't work. My mutation, Ah mean. Ah've been working on this sculpture and Ah was gonna combine wood and metal, right? So Ah went to carve a piece of wood with my mutation. It's easier that way, smoother lines but ah still gotta do a lot of details the normal way. Anyway, it didn't work. Nothin'. Walls, cotton, none of it. Ah touch it and there's just...just...nothin' happens. Ah dunno why." His words were tumbling out in a rush. Normally soft spoken, the panic raised his volume to what would be something normal for someone else.
"Oh my stars and garters, another one?" Hank stood up and took off his glasses, setting them down on the desk. "Well the first thing I'm going to do is to give you something for anxiety." He sorted through the cabinet of pill bottles on the north wall until he found what he was looking for, then tapped one out into his palm and poured Kevin a glass of water from the perspiring decanter on his desk. "A simple tranquilizer, very mild, should help you to calm down a bit- though I can't blame you for being worked up, this is a very...unique situation. Why don't you come into the exam room with me and we'll take a look and see what we can find, hmm?"
"Ah hate bein' the guinea pig," Kevin lamented very quietly. He took the pill and the water without complaint, though. He wasn't so sure how he felt about medication to calm his anxiety but the doctor knew best, right? The pill was popped into his mouth before he stood up with a sip of water following quickly. "So, exam? Blood work? Cell scrapin'? All of it?" Clearly the Southerner remembered his stay at Muir. Kevin followed Hank out of the room and through the medlab to an exam room without another word while he drank the rest of the water.
Taking the long way there he took Kevin by the observation area that overlooked the surgical theater. "I'm sorry to say this Kevin, but you're not the first person to come to me with this problem today, so yes, we will need to run a full spectrum of tests to see if we can identify a common indicator between all four of you." They stopped at the door to the observation area and looked through the crisscross wires that lay between two panes of bulletproof glass. Four people were standing or sitting around, looking nervous as Doctor Voight prattled on about something or other. "Yvette Petrovic, Cammie Black and Jared Corbo also are reporting abnormalities with their abilities." The older man moved aside so Kevin could take a look into the room.
An eyebrow raised as he looked through the window. "Uh, what d'you mean they all reported 'abnormalities'?" He hated doctor-speak sometimes. Abnormality made it sound like everyone had three heads. Everyone only had one head but Yvette...Kevin's gaze lingered on her. She looked like she had last summer when she'd needed to have her mutation suppressed for that surgery.
"Yes, well, they too seem to have lost their abilities. Doctor Voight is giving them a lecture on being careful without their abilities and explaining that we will need them overnight for observation, while we wait for all the tests to finish processing and a solution to this...oddity, can be found." The blue doctor led the way into the exam room and patted the cold, metallic table he'd inspected many patients on before. "I apologize for my lack of cohesion in my sentence structure today, this whole situation has me a bit baffled to say the least, though I have to imagine that some may feel like it's a miracle." It was almost a question. "Though others would like to see the situation reversed with haste, and I assure you, if this situation is medical or scientific in nature, we will be able to solve it."
"Who would want it reversed?" He didn't think Yvette or Cammie would really want their powers back. If they'd really vanished like Doctor McCoy made it sound like, who would take back what any of them had? "How could mutations just vanish?" Kevin assumed he just somehow ended up with an off switch despite what the testing at Muir had concluded. Yvette, though, her mutation was physical and it was gone. The red and the spiky, it just wasn't there anymore. He wondered if Cammie's arms were both normal colored and hopped up onto the exam table.
"Any number of ways really. Actually not too long ago, we had a mutant virus that was causing people to switch abilities. This could be something similar to that, though at first I was under the assumption that recent stressful events," he began to draw the first vial of blood; he would need three, "had led to a causal effect in which Miss Petrovic was able to soften her edges more effectively- though this would usually be presumed to have the obvious impact on someone with her unique gifts. However, the emergence of several people displaying similar symptoms indicates that what we're dealing with is more than simply..." Hank paused as he searched for the word and started on the second vial. "A simple off switch, if you will."
"So it could be some sorta virus?" That more than the pills seemed to calm Kevin. There were too many questions that came up for him if the change was somehow biological or if it were there but simply unexplainable. He already had enough issues with God. He had frequent enough frustrated conversations with Him. If it were a virus at least those wouldn't be added to.
"It could be a number of things, but a virus seems likely," he started drawing the next vial of blood. "We shall see, in the meantime, I suggest you continue with things as normal and take the usual precautions just in case your abilities return to normal functioning. In order to monitor things though and to make sure that this doesn't spread any further, we will need to keep you overnight for observation with the others."
Kevin nodded. He knew before he'd come down here that he'd probably have to go through testing and observation. Staying overnight wasn't so bad as long as it wasn't overnight in the medlab for a month. Then again, this wasn't Muir and he only lived upstairs so if it went on for that long he could at least go back to his suite a lot, right? "Is it okay if Ah go and get stuff from my suite before you give me a bed down here or should Ah ask someone else to do it for me?"
"If you make me a list," the doctor handed Kevin a pad of paper and the pen from his breast pocket, "I can send someone to gather the things that you need. It will be best for us not to risk contamination of the mansion if this is some sort of virus. Which," Hank sighed slightly, "means I'll be here with you and the others tonight as well." He smiled, "It promises to be a grand time though."
"Ah'd say we could play scrabble, but Ah ain't got the vocabulary for that." Then he smiled a little, mischief subtly written across his face. "Or maybe the girls will play Twister with me." It was so very not a Kevin thing to do which was exactly what amused him so much. He wrote down the art supplies he wanted from his suite with directions for where it all was and then handed the pen and paper back to Doctor McCoy. "Or Ah could just quietly draw in my corner of the medlab." That was a much more likely scenario.
"If you are interested in a game of chess, please let me know," Hank smiled, "I've only had Albert to play against recently and would relish the opportunity to engage a new opponent."
"Sorry, Doctor," Kevin began apologetically, "Ah don't know how to play chess. If you wanna teach me Ah could try to learn but that's all Ah've got there. Not sure Ah'd be any good at it anyway."
Hank smiled and gave a nod, "I'll go collect these things for you, Kevin. In the meantime, why don't you join the others in the observation lounge." The blue doctor headed for the door, taking his cellphone out as he went and dialing a number. He'd been exposed, it was too late for him to go trouncing through the mansion, but he did have assistants.
"Alright, thanks Doctor McCoy." Kevin got up to leave the room, though he pulled his hood up over his head as he did and made sure his gloves were in place. Whatever made his mutation turn off could make it turn back on just as easily and he wouldn't risk anyone else because he was careless.
Meggan knocked at the bathroom door, calling out, “Yvette? Are you okay in there?” The other girl had been in their adjoining bathroom for far longer than usual, and it was starting to worry Meggan. She hadn’t heard very much noise coming from the bathroom for a while, and that was not helping to ease her concern in any way.
After another moment passed, she called almost nervously, “Are you sick? Do I need to get someone?”
"No, no, I am not sick!" came the nervous sounding reply. "Very much not so..." There was a pause and then the door opened a crack. "Meggan? Something very strange has happened to me."
Meggan leaned closer to the crack in the door—it wasn’t open wide enough to really see anything yet, though. “What is it? And is it a good kind of strange? Or a time to run for help kind of strange?” Strange happenings were so rarely good around the mansion lately, that she was genuinely curious as to what it could possibly be. Curious, and ever so slightly wary.
There came a noise very much like Yvette gulping and then a hand appeared around the edge of the door. A small, soft-looking hand, with normal-length fingers and fingernails and definitely not red-brick skin. The door was opened wider and the rest of... someone appeared. Someone who was perhaps an inch taller than Yvette, with long dark brown wavy hair and big brown eyes in a small, elfin face. "I am not sure yet if it is a good strange or a bad strange," the girl admitted, in Yvette's distinctive voice. "But my powers seem to have gone away."
Meggan looked at Yvette for a long moment after she spoke, at first only managing a small, startled, “Oh.” After a moment, she continued with a confused smile, “What—how—this is too new, so I don't know if it's good or bad, either." She was back to concerned, then, as she asked, "But you’re okay? And nothing else happened?”
"I feel okay," Yvette replied, coming out further. She held up one hand to examine it, turning it in front of her eyes with a wondering look. "I was just waking up like this. And there is no inhibitor - I checked." Then she started. "There was this woman, at the fair yesterday. She said she could help me. I did not really think she could."
Meggan nodded with some relief, replying, “Just as long as you’re not hurting.” She sighed, and fervently hoped it wasn’t magic, and if it was magic that there wasn’t some nasty side effect. “So it’s a lady that’s either doing some kind of spell, or she has the mutant power to…grant wishes, or turn off powers whenever she wants, or do whatever it is you do to end up with a result like this. Did she touch you or do anything kind of strange?"
Yvette shook her head. "No. She just smiled at me." She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "Meggan, may I ask you for the strange favour?"
Meggan nodded, slightly curious as she replied, “Of course you can. What is it?”
"Can I... touch you?" Yvette's face and ears went bright red. "Just to test, yes? I will be careful."
Meggan smiled at the question. “I know you will, so yeah…go ahead. Then, if nothing goes wrong, you can end that with a free hug. How’s that sound?” Yvette most likely needed one, so the offer was on the table.
Yvette's blush deepened, but she smiled at her roommate. "It sounds like the deal," she replied. She gulped a little again and reached out a slightly trembling hand for Meggan to poke.
Meggan reached out and cautiously poked, then grasped Yvette’s hand. Grinning widely as she looked to the other girl, she commented, “Congratulations, Yvette—your hand feels like a regular, soft hand. Not even a little bit sharp.” It wasn’t some sort of illusion, it was definitely really happening. Meggan was thrilled for her.
Yvette's eyes grew large. "Really?" She squeezed Meggan's hand back experimentally and realised she could feel the warmth and softness of her skin. "I can touch!" she exclaimed, and flung her arms around Meggan with most unlike-her enthusiasm.
Despite being prepared for the hug, it almost managed to knock her onto the nearby bed. She kept her balance, hugging back with equal happiness. “Yes, you can—you really can!” Pulling back just a little, she asked with more than a hint of curiosity, “And how do you want to celebrate? Other than hugs.”
"I do not know!" Yvette paused in the hugging. "I mean, I had always hoped that I would control my powers some day, but I did not think about what to do if I did. I suppose I should go see Dr. Hank and Dr. Voight, to make sure nothing is wrong, but after...?" She considered it and then a small smile crossed her face. "We could go swimming? I cannot swim with my powers, they make me too heavy, you see."
Meggan didn’t need to think about it for long, before tilted her head with a small grin. “Once you’ve managed to get an all clear from them, yes. We’ll go swimming for as long as you want.” With a rueful grin, she added, “And I’ll have to remember to drag along that sign I made, just in case I’m paddling along on the bottom at some point. But we’ll get you swimming.”
Yvette hugged Meggan again, just for the sheer joy of it. "Breakfast first and then the doctors and then swimming? I want to see what people do when they see me without powers!" she exclaimed with a mischievous grin.
“Sounds like a plan. And that’ll be fun to see,” Meggan mused with an equally impish grin. Hugging back, she added, “There might even be a whole lot of confusion about the possible new person if they don’t know it’s you right away.”
Later in the morning, however, Jared gets to know the floor the hard way.
That Saturday at the fair had been something. He really tried to connect with people, but that Kevin kid was so not worth the trouble. He hates me, Jared thought, so why bother? Still he didn’t like people being so unreceptive to his sense of humor, so he decided to turn his night at the job into a night of drinking for free. Heading back home had been hell of a struggle, though…
A text message put an end to his short night and, as usual, trying to roll on the side to reach his phone, Jared fell flat on his face. “Oh damn, that’s not good.” He often had the feeling to hurt really bad, but the hangover and the fall coupled with dizziness was never pleasant. Still, this time, it was way more intense, and getting back up on his feet took longer.
That was the open door to a new rule: “From now on, the mattress stays on the floor… Go to hell, gravity…”
That afternoon Jared learns more important lessons he doesn't normally have to worry about.
It wasn’t unusual for Jared to practice his bartending skills in his room. After all, he had his own set with him. A Cobbler Shaker, jigger, bar spoon, glasses, even swizzle sticks and umbrellas. The only thing missing would be a blender but that was too much of a liability for someone moving frequently. Today’s practice was a tricky one: juggling with three glasses and a full shaker.
The shaker went first, then a glass, then two, then three. Soon, there were only two glasses left, and glass fragments all over the floor. Damn, Jared thought, I should really invest in plastic cups!
The shaker and only one glass left. “That’s getting easier, ladies! Now let’s try something more dangerous.” The shaker stayed in one hand, the glass started spinning in the air, so did Jared on one foot. The free hand behind his back was ready to catch, had the glass not broken in his hand. “It looked so freaking easy on TV!”
As he began to gather the broken glasses with his hands, blood started spilling. His
blood. “That is so-not-cool!”
Next time: plastic cups…
In the late afternoon Kevin makes a bizarre discovery, immediately freaks out and goes looking for Dr. McCoy.
Through the halls and down the stairs to the medlab Kevin kept telling himself it was some strange fluke. It was a weird hiccup. He should have been overjoyed at the possibility of his mutation having an off button but everyone at Muir said that wasn't possible. He didn't know how they figured it out but they had and they had told him and they wouldn't tell him if it wasn't true, right? But that didn't change the fact that when he'd reached for a piece of wood to "carve" via his mutation to add to a sculpture he was working on that nothing happened.
There was a characteristic sort of pull Kevin felt when he touched something organic. The sensation was always down in the pit of his stomach. It felt like he was pulling the life out of something. It'd be disturbing if it weren't for the rush of endorphins that made it feel so good. Maybe it was more disturbing because of that, really. But it wasn't there. Kevin had stood there for nearly half an hour with the block of wood pressed to his hand, his arm, his chest, his stomach, his neck...but there was nothing. And now he was freaking out. He was malfunctioning. How could he be malfunctioning? Was this a good thing or a bad thing? He had no idea, but he panicked and went directly to the medlab.
Doctor McCoy was easy to spot in a crowd, never mind through the window into his office. Kevin knocked on the open door, stepped into the office and went silent. What exactly did he say? How did he put this? After a bit of blinking and staring that probably seemed quite odd he blurted out, "Doctor McCoy, Ah think Ah'm broken, sir." The words came out strangely calm but he didn't feel calm.
Hank closed the file he'd been reading and put it away in one of his desk drawers before gesturing to the metal seat across from him. "Broken you say? What makes you think that, Mister Ford?" He was very familiar with Kevin's ability from reading over reports of the boy's time at Muir in between bouts of his research. It was a fascinating case.
Kevin took the indicated seat and while he normally would have been still his leg kept bouncing up and down as his foot tapped nervously. "It don't work. My mutation, Ah mean. Ah've been working on this sculpture and Ah was gonna combine wood and metal, right? So Ah went to carve a piece of wood with my mutation. It's easier that way, smoother lines but ah still gotta do a lot of details the normal way. Anyway, it didn't work. Nothin'. Walls, cotton, none of it. Ah touch it and there's just...just...nothin' happens. Ah dunno why." His words were tumbling out in a rush. Normally soft spoken, the panic raised his volume to what would be something normal for someone else.
"Oh my stars and garters, another one?" Hank stood up and took off his glasses, setting them down on the desk. "Well the first thing I'm going to do is to give you something for anxiety." He sorted through the cabinet of pill bottles on the north wall until he found what he was looking for, then tapped one out into his palm and poured Kevin a glass of water from the perspiring decanter on his desk. "A simple tranquilizer, very mild, should help you to calm down a bit- though I can't blame you for being worked up, this is a very...unique situation. Why don't you come into the exam room with me and we'll take a look and see what we can find, hmm?"
"Ah hate bein' the guinea pig," Kevin lamented very quietly. He took the pill and the water without complaint, though. He wasn't so sure how he felt about medication to calm his anxiety but the doctor knew best, right? The pill was popped into his mouth before he stood up with a sip of water following quickly. "So, exam? Blood work? Cell scrapin'? All of it?" Clearly the Southerner remembered his stay at Muir. Kevin followed Hank out of the room and through the medlab to an exam room without another word while he drank the rest of the water.
Taking the long way there he took Kevin by the observation area that overlooked the surgical theater. "I'm sorry to say this Kevin, but you're not the first person to come to me with this problem today, so yes, we will need to run a full spectrum of tests to see if we can identify a common indicator between all four of you." They stopped at the door to the observation area and looked through the crisscross wires that lay between two panes of bulletproof glass. Four people were standing or sitting around, looking nervous as Doctor Voight prattled on about something or other. "Yvette Petrovic, Cammie Black and Jared Corbo also are reporting abnormalities with their abilities." The older man moved aside so Kevin could take a look into the room.
An eyebrow raised as he looked through the window. "Uh, what d'you mean they all reported 'abnormalities'?" He hated doctor-speak sometimes. Abnormality made it sound like everyone had three heads. Everyone only had one head but Yvette...Kevin's gaze lingered on her. She looked like she had last summer when she'd needed to have her mutation suppressed for that surgery.
"Yes, well, they too seem to have lost their abilities. Doctor Voight is giving them a lecture on being careful without their abilities and explaining that we will need them overnight for observation, while we wait for all the tests to finish processing and a solution to this...oddity, can be found." The blue doctor led the way into the exam room and patted the cold, metallic table he'd inspected many patients on before. "I apologize for my lack of cohesion in my sentence structure today, this whole situation has me a bit baffled to say the least, though I have to imagine that some may feel like it's a miracle." It was almost a question. "Though others would like to see the situation reversed with haste, and I assure you, if this situation is medical or scientific in nature, we will be able to solve it."
"Who would want it reversed?" He didn't think Yvette or Cammie would really want their powers back. If they'd really vanished like Doctor McCoy made it sound like, who would take back what any of them had? "How could mutations just vanish?" Kevin assumed he just somehow ended up with an off switch despite what the testing at Muir had concluded. Yvette, though, her mutation was physical and it was gone. The red and the spiky, it just wasn't there anymore. He wondered if Cammie's arms were both normal colored and hopped up onto the exam table.
"Any number of ways really. Actually not too long ago, we had a mutant virus that was causing people to switch abilities. This could be something similar to that, though at first I was under the assumption that recent stressful events," he began to draw the first vial of blood; he would need three, "had led to a causal effect in which Miss Petrovic was able to soften her edges more effectively- though this would usually be presumed to have the obvious impact on someone with her unique gifts. However, the emergence of several people displaying similar symptoms indicates that what we're dealing with is more than simply..." Hank paused as he searched for the word and started on the second vial. "A simple off switch, if you will."
"So it could be some sorta virus?" That more than the pills seemed to calm Kevin. There were too many questions that came up for him if the change was somehow biological or if it were there but simply unexplainable. He already had enough issues with God. He had frequent enough frustrated conversations with Him. If it were a virus at least those wouldn't be added to.
"It could be a number of things, but a virus seems likely," he started drawing the next vial of blood. "We shall see, in the meantime, I suggest you continue with things as normal and take the usual precautions just in case your abilities return to normal functioning. In order to monitor things though and to make sure that this doesn't spread any further, we will need to keep you overnight for observation with the others."
Kevin nodded. He knew before he'd come down here that he'd probably have to go through testing and observation. Staying overnight wasn't so bad as long as it wasn't overnight in the medlab for a month. Then again, this wasn't Muir and he only lived upstairs so if it went on for that long he could at least go back to his suite a lot, right? "Is it okay if Ah go and get stuff from my suite before you give me a bed down here or should Ah ask someone else to do it for me?"
"If you make me a list," the doctor handed Kevin a pad of paper and the pen from his breast pocket, "I can send someone to gather the things that you need. It will be best for us not to risk contamination of the mansion if this is some sort of virus. Which," Hank sighed slightly, "means I'll be here with you and the others tonight as well." He smiled, "It promises to be a grand time though."
"Ah'd say we could play scrabble, but Ah ain't got the vocabulary for that." Then he smiled a little, mischief subtly written across his face. "Or maybe the girls will play Twister with me." It was so very not a Kevin thing to do which was exactly what amused him so much. He wrote down the art supplies he wanted from his suite with directions for where it all was and then handed the pen and paper back to Doctor McCoy. "Or Ah could just quietly draw in my corner of the medlab." That was a much more likely scenario.
"If you are interested in a game of chess, please let me know," Hank smiled, "I've only had Albert to play against recently and would relish the opportunity to engage a new opponent."
"Sorry, Doctor," Kevin began apologetically, "Ah don't know how to play chess. If you wanna teach me Ah could try to learn but that's all Ah've got there. Not sure Ah'd be any good at it anyway."
Hank smiled and gave a nod, "I'll go collect these things for you, Kevin. In the meantime, why don't you join the others in the observation lounge." The blue doctor headed for the door, taking his cellphone out as he went and dialing a number. He'd been exposed, it was too late for him to go trouncing through the mansion, but he did have assistants.
"Alright, thanks Doctor McCoy." Kevin got up to leave the room, though he pulled his hood up over his head as he did and made sure his gloves were in place. Whatever made his mutation turn off could make it turn back on just as easily and he wouldn't risk anyone else because he was careless.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}