xp_logs | It's better than great-- it's log! (Reply)

A double-feature, for your reading pleasure or not, depending. Just a couple short scenes floating around the recent hullabaloo, early-afternoon.

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It's been an altogether hectic last... week? Maybe more, maybe less, but medlab has been a busy place for longer than one Hank McCoy would care it to be. Especially this morning. It's really the first lull in the uproar seen since Emma and company got back, and it finds the furry blue doctor in the small office off of the main bulk of medlab, just beginning to crack the top off of an insulated chest cooler as he catches his breath, so to speak.

Madelyn ached in places she hadn't remembered existed, not since her residency at Montefiore. She shuffled toward the office, intent on coffee. And perhaps a chair. A chair sounded nice. Or, ooh, maybe the little sofa would be free. She pushed the door open and leaned back against it as it closed. "I say none of them are allowed to get hurt, sick, or otherwise in need of medical assistance for at least a month."

The observation earns a chuckle and a broad grin from the other, as he sets the cover aside and dips a hand into the cooler to retrieve a can of some form of soda product from within. It's innocuously marked, but definitely not any sort of brand-name can, store-brand or otherwise. Which means it's the odd concoction he'd been toying around with and trying not to let Moira get too much opportunity to comment on. Which hadn't stopped her, of course, but that was neither here nor there. "As very tempting as it would be, my good doctor, it is perhaps regrettably impossible. Or at the least improbable. I'll settle for perhaps a day. or a week. Or at least a reduced concentration of incidents. And call whatever comes of it a victory."

"At this point, I'd happily settle for a twenty-four hour stretch so that I could begin my rigorous regimen of sleep, eat donut and drink coffee, work, and sleep again. Right now, I've been stuck on 'work' for more hours than I care to count." She dragged herself from the door and trudged toward a small cupboard, pulling out a reserve box of gas station donuts. Not the best, but they'd do in a pinch, which was why they were in there.

"I think it's getting into 'days', at this point," Hank agreed, popping the can's top with a soft >pfsssh< of equalizing pressures. "Fortunately, this sort of pace can only hold so long, and I'm trying to convince Moira to get some sleep now so we can pass it off to her when we inevitably fall over. I'm not entirely sure it's meeting with any success, of course."

Madelyn perked up. "If that works, I'll buy you twinkies to last a /year/. She can handle the next emergency or three, if she sleeps now. And we can sleep then." Her perkiness faded. "I'd rather sleep now, though. /And/ then."

The prospect of that much snack cake passing into his hands is enough to pick up his mood a bit, pulling the tiredness away for a while. "I think we would ever prefer it so. I don't imagine anyone here is exactly pleased that medlab is a necessary facility, really." He pauses, to take a drink from the can, and wince slightly as the rather strong beverage rips down his throat, so to speak. "Speaking of later, I've been mulling over Alex's visitation policy, since people are already starting to inquire. I think perhaps restricting it to staff until we know more about what state he's currently in might be wise."

Madelyn bit her lip. "Perhaps we could do something like we did with Angelo, when he was recovering from the burns. Let the visitors /see/ him without disturbing him?" She popped a mini-donut into her mouth.

A nod. "Very possibly. I think, though, we'll want to know what sort of a state he's in first. All we know right now is it's been traumatic to some degree. I don't think assuaging worry by letting them see him will work as intended if it turns out he's in a worrisome state of behaviour when he wakes. I rather suppose we'll see-- i wish Emma had been in a position to pass along more detail, but if wishes were fishes, as they say."

Madelyn nodded her agreement. "Of course. Hm...perhaps Emma could be of some use in helping us to /determine/ what's happened to the boy?"

At the suggestion, Hank nods. "I believe so, but judging by the brevity of the post she left on the system, it shall have to wait for her next available opportunity. In the meantime, there is plenty to take care of... if you feel you could hold down the ever-beleagured fort here, I should probably take the time to make the rounds on the students that aren't down here. i know I'm overdue to look in on Angelo after his visit here some short time ago... And if there's anyone else you feel warrant a looking-in on, I could use the scenery, I'm sure." He hasm after all, been in the basement for quite a while.

Madelyn shook her head. "Marie could use a checking in on, but I'll handle that myself, later. I've got a bone to pick with her," she said, grinning. "Now, get out of here before I change my mind and race you to the door."

Grinning, Hank picks up his drink in a hand, stows the rest under the desk, and begins his ambling transit out the door. "Heaven forbid, doctor. I'd be most saddened to have to trounce you so roundly in a race such as that." So saying, he conveniently exits before he can be on the receiving end of any airborne blunt objects or similar. It's, in his experience, the best way to get the last word in with these ladies he finds himself working with so often.

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Hearing a knock at the door of his room, Angelo looked up from where he'd been trying to study, and called out, "Door's open!"

The door swung open, necessarily wide given who it needed to admit. Hank appeared tired, and wired on some truely strong caffination, though he'd spent the afternoon trying not to let it show to some fair success, aided by the blue fur that covered over many of the taletell signs. Small miracles. A lopsided grin, cast across the intervening space. "Good afternoon, Angelo. I regret to inform you, your housecall from downstairs hasn't been forgotten amidst the chaos."

Angelo grinned at the doctor, laying his book aside. "You finally got a break, then?"

The broad mouth cracked in a pearly grin, and Hank nodded amiably. "Of sorts. If one can call making housecalls truely a break, but seeing as how it allows me to see other rooms than the lab, I believe I shall." He moved into the room, with his usual habit of an occassional arm helping his feet propel him along the floor. "So. Onwards and upwards, as the Himalayan climbers would say. On to business. How're we feeling today, Angelo? Any complaints?"

"Not too bad", Angelo told him. "Still a bit sore, but it's gettin' better."

With a nod, Hank stopped once near the room's other occupant, studying him briefly with a criticallly professional eye. "Excellent. I think we can provisionally take you off the Worrisome list for the moment, and upgrade you to Mostly Recovered, in that case."

Angelo grinned. "Good. I'll try to avoid any more trouble, even though it seems to find me more often than the other way round."

A nod, followed shortly by a momentarily tired expression, quickly covered over, and the overworked doctor settled against the floor. He'd have to be back downstairs soon, but for know, the chance to converse with someone outside of medlab was too good to pass up. "A common complaint, unfortunately. But speaking for myself, an attempt to stay out of it is like music to the ears, and one less on the Worrisome list is a cause for glee. Speaking of which, seeing as it's a mite crowded down there, if you have anything you want passed along to anyone or questions i can feild, feel free to pitch them, and I'll take a swing."

Angelo frowned slightly, then asked hesitantly, "How's Alex doin'?"

It was an expected question-- the question of the day, in fact-- and Hank had spent much of his time considering exactly how to handle it. Unfortunately, he hadn't worked out a truly suitable answer yet. "Regrettably, the answer to that is a complex one. Physically, I am not currently worried so much about the extent of damage. I'm not entirely certain on the other side of things yet, but I remain confident that he'll recover fully. I expect we'll know better as recovery continues."

Angelo nodded, accepting the answer. "When can he have visitors?"

At this, Hank had to stop to consider an answer. "I expect he'll be awake sometime tonight, possibly earlier or later, depending. Visitation shall be dependant on what we think he's ready for once he's talking. It's always difficult to predict with trauma. We're regretfully forced into a wait-and-see approach, I'm sad to say."

Another nod, then Angelo asked tentatively, "...What happened to him?"

With a somewhat pained expression, Hank spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "I'm afraid I'm not, at present, qualified to feild that particular inquiry. I have a vague idea, from all of the jumbled tales being told around medlab by those involved, but I'm waiting to hear the story from Ms. Frost before I take an authoritative role in explaining the incident. She seems to know more than anyone save perhaps Alex himself, who hasn't yet been able to comment."

Angelo nodded again. "Okay. But he's doin' okay?"

Hank passed back what could only be termed a provisional nod. "He appears to be so. As I said, physically, progressing just fine. We won't have a prognosis on the rest until he wakes up and we can obtain a clearer picture."

"Right", Angelo said with a sigh. "So how are the others?"

This was an easier topic to handle, and Hank looked grateful to have moved to it. "Better news there all around, I'm happy to say. Most everyone should be ambling about as usual before you know it."

Angelo smiled slightly. "That's good. We managed almost a whole week with nobody in the medlab, right?"

Hank was forced to smile at the note. "You know, up until the business with young Ms. Rasputin, I believe you're right. Here's hoping for a return to that happy state of affairs."

Angelo grinned wryly. "No argument here."

"I didn't think there would be. Likely none from anyone living in the mansion recently. In fact, i would hazard to say that there may be a somewhat counterculture-like backlash resulting in the urge for many around here to spend a week or two doing absolutely nothing."

Angelo chuckled. "Well, might not be a bad thing. Spring break's comin' up, after all."

Hank nodded, shifting to stand, or stand as much as he ever does. "One can hope that would signal a reduction in medlab visits, rather than an increase. But i suppose it will at least reduce the severity to horseplay accidentals. In any event, i should carry on, and let you return to your studies. Do call on us if you experience any sort of relapse or fresh new pains, Angelo. we're not so swamped that we'd want you to stiff-upper-lip unnecessarily."

Angelo grinned ruefully. "Will do. See you later, then."

A nod, paused in the midst of passing back through the door. "I certainly hope so. Be well, Angelo."