Jean & Jean-Paul | Thursday Afternoon (backdated)

[x-quebecois.livejournal.com]

Jean-Paul stops in to ask a question, asks more than one, and then kidnaps Jean for lunch.


Jean-Paul made his way down to the medlab and then braced one shoulder against the doorframe of Jean's office. "Bonjour, mon ami," he said, quirking an eyebrow. "I have a question for you - it is even related to medicine."

"A chance to use my stethoscope wielding powers?" Jean said with a grin as she turned around in her chair, saving the file she had been working on.

"I'm intrigued. What's the question?"

"I saw Hank recently and he said I was in good health. This was after the events with the dinosaur man in District X. Laurie suggested I drink a great deal of Gatorade to get my energy back after Lykos stole my life force. I thought I would ask - when he stole my life force..." Jean-Paul paused, frowned, and finally voiced the concern that had been bothering him for several days now. "Did he take time from my life?"

Jean studied Jean-Paul's face. The worry was etched there, perched upon his furrowed brow. She slipped off her glasses, shaking her head as she set her glasses down on the desk.

"No. When someone uses the term 'life force,' they're usually referring to what keeps your body going. Your energy," she said.

"It's like a rechargeable battery. You can drain the battery but it doesn't effect its shape or structure in any way."

"Lykos' power just works like an outside force to drain you of that energy. Your body is always being naturally drained and replenished anyway, just like the battery. Too much energy lost can cause your body to shut down and could potentially kill you, but it won't steal years away."

"An, bon," Jean-Paul said, nodding. "I worried, this was all. Merci." After a short pause, he tipped his head toward her computer screen. "Your work, it is interesting today? Or can I steal you for lunch?"

"It's okay. I'm glad you're taking a vested interest. Except for the yearly physical, most people tend to avoid me medically if at all possible until it becomes dire," Jean said with a wry smile. It was human nature, after all, to hope for immortality until mortality sets a firm reminder in the form of injury.

She turned to follow his gaze, studying the screen. It had the headline of Angels Clinic on it and what appeared to be a recurrent malady chart.

"I think I could spare an hour for a bite."

"Bon," Jean-Paul said, smiling. "Then I will set about stealing you and you can tell me what is so fascinating with your work."

Standing up, Jean slipped off her doctor's coat to trade for a light brown pea coat and gloves. She grinned.

"I believe that may be a question for Warren, but I'd be glad to tell you my involvement."

"Oui, please do," Jean-Paul said, stepping aside so Jean could close the door and lock it. He'd been on a few sight-seeing tours of District X with Warren to show the younger man the many places in the city that could use his assistance, but this place Jean seemed so interested in - he hadn't heard of it.

Once her coat was on, Jean locked her computer with a password to keep anyone from getting in before she stepped past Jean-Paul and into the hallway.

"Warren had been wanting to help out some in District X and I told him about Angels Clinic. It's on the outskirts of the area and has started to fall into hard times. Warren has been in talks with the owners of the clinic to help out with funding for supplies and any potential needed renovations to the building. For many of the people in District X, the clinic is the only medical care they have. Some people refuse to go to a hospital for fear they would be turned away. Some are actually turned away."

"Ah," Jean-Paul said, nodding. "Oui, he has spoken to me, also, of helping in District X. I did not realize people had so much trouble at the hospitals and things, though." He didn't know why that hadn't occurred to him - perhaps it was because he was so used to the readily available medical attention here, at the mansion, that he never thought of how it might be out in the real world. "But what is it you are doing for the clinic?"

"The medical staff there is dealing with an unusually heavy saturation of patients because of the increased anti-mutant sentiment in some areas and there are some cases where the patient's condition is far too complicated to be treated at just the clinic itself, "Jean said.

"I'm trying to work out a sort of triage with the clinic and local area hospitals where I know some of the staff who would be willing to see the more dire patients on the sly. Eventually I'd like to see if there were a way the clinic could be expanded to accommodate these patients with better equipment to handle their unique needs but until then we have to take things as they come. We all know it's not a magic wand, even if the clinic staff is immensely grateful for all Warren's doing."

Nodding, Jean-Paul considered that. He wanted to help more, but he had his plate full with X-Factor and now Warren's committee was in the works, not to mention his therapy sessions. There was just so much that needed to be done. "And so... you are thinking of helping at the clinic? Or offering the mansion's assistance with medical things?"

"I wouldn't ask anyone else to help that didn't want to," Jean said. It'd become a sort of a passion project for her. She already helped others but to make an actual, viable difference to a community made her feel good.

"I'm helping out as best I can with whatever they need. It can get a little hectic with everything else going on but I think they appreciate any help they can get."

"Oui, I believe that they do and I know nothing more of them than what you have said. It is a good thing you do," Jean-Paul said, nodding. "I do not know that I would be of much help, but if you think of something that I might do, please tell me. I am involved in other things, also, and so I cannot pledge as much time as I might like, but if I am able, I will do what I can."

Jean grinned. "You do know I will call you on that. I'm sure we can think of something for you to do."