Sooraya and Maddie [Backdated]

[x-pryor.livejournal.com]

Sooraya brings food to the girl in the Box and Maddie promises to teach her to ice skate, and other winter activities.




Sooraya hesitantly made her way through the infirmary. She never had much reason to become really familiar with this part of the mansion and it took a bit of searching before she stood before the door of the Box. Pausing, she took a moment to balance the tray in her hands and to tighten what shields she had around her thoughts. With a fairly low voice she called out: “Maddie, it’s Sooraya. Can I come in?”

"Come in," called the voice from inside. On the standard issue medical bed sat Maddie, fiercely coloring a ball of crumpled up paper with a purple marker. There were two other balls "painted" in similar fashion beside her, the result of procrastination on her homework.

"What's up 'Raya?"

She had to smile at the nickname the young redhead had come up with as she pushed open the door to the Box with her hip. “I thought you might like some other food then the standard infirmary food. A little bird told me you might like this.” Sooraya hefted her tray. “Homemade tomato soup, two grilled cheese sandwiches and some hot chocolate. I didn’t know if you liked whipped cream with it, so I simply put some on a dish for you. “ She put the tray down on the table like apparatus next to the bed.


“Would you like me to stay for a bit, keep you some company or do you want to be alone?” Sooraya asked quietly, not sure what the girl would want.

Maddie's eyes went as wide as saucers as the tray laden with tasty tasty foods was set down near her. The scent was absolutely heavenly. It was the perfect under the weather/weather is all dreary meal, and the sometimes snowiness of the outside combined with the lingering headache totally justified such culinary perfection. "Normally I would be worried that birds are talking to you," she said with a smile. "But since it suggested something delicious, I think I'll let it slide this time."

"Stay, stay! Pull up a corner of the bed. Don't worry about the paper balls, you can push them to the floor. I was just going to throw them at the walls. Or maybe teach myself to juggle. Or something."

Sooraya’s smile turned out in full laughter as she took a seat on the corner of the bed. “You should ask Mr. Sefton to teach you to juggle if you want too… I believe he used to work in a circus.” Her face turned more serious after that though. “How does you head feel now? I can imagine you must have had an pretty bad headache.”

The redhead shrugged as she tore off a piece of the sandwich and dunked it in the soup. "I don't know. Pack of stampeding elephants has downgraded to wildebeest, or jackelope." She popped the nicely saturated cheese and tomato concoction into her mouth and chewed. "'Oo wan' some?"

“No, thank you. I have just eaten so it’s all for you…” Sooraya delicately hid her smile behind her hand. “ I am glad the headache is a little better... Did Dr. Grey say anything about how long you are supposed to stay here? I don’t think they can keep you in here forever, can they?”

"Eighth Amendment protects against cruel and unusual punishment. And I think spending any real length of time in this room," Maddie motioned around her, "is covered under that. But end of the week probably. They need to finish the headgear. That like blocks thoughts and stuff? I don't understand it. But as long as it works...."

“That is an… interesting solution.” Privately Sooraya had been wondering how Maddie was supposed to handle the mansion when she’d leave the Box. She was no expert on telepathy, but she did know it could take a lot of time to build shields and that the mansion could be very loud. Not to speak of outside the mansion.

“I do hope they find a way to make it look at least a little nice. I mean, you wouldn’t want to walk around with a big helmet or something. Like those kids in Star Wars wear or something.” Sooraya teased Maddie. “Though it might look nice on you… Hmm…” She pretended to consider the option.

Maddie wrinkled her nose. This whole thing was a no-win situation. "You don't gotta try and flatter me, Raya. Let's be honest: It's a bucket. On my head. How attractive do you think that would be, really? Like none."

She sighed and finished the first half of her sandwich, a resigned look on her face. Bank robbers were one thing, ugly headgear was quite another. But she had spent enough time brooding over that thought, it was time for an abrupt topic change. "So. What's going on in the outside world? Last I knew it was cold and wet. Any new gossip? News? Is Obama still president? Come on, I'm dying in here."

“I am sorry, Maddie... I was just trying to tease you a little.” Sooraya replied and gently put a hand on Maddie’s shoulder. “I am sure they will do their best not to let it look like a bucket.”

She considered for moment what was going on in the world. “President Obama is as far as I know in perfect health. The candidates for the election of the Republican candidate are still flinging mud at each other, though I have no idea if you are interested in that… It all looks kinda ridiculous in my eyes though… And I think you just caught the news of Ms. Dane coming back… or not? Outside it’s still cold and wet... Against better hope, I keep hoping things it will freeze, because someone told me that I really needed to learn to ice skate...”She shrugged. “I am afraid though I am not very good at collecting gossip…”


Another shrug as Maddie considered all that the other girl had told her, then turned her attention back to the bowl of soup. "You know," she began, looking back at Sooraya, a big smile on her face. "You may not be much for gossip, but you make a mean grilled cheese and tomato soup. So tell you what," Maddie sat up tall, "once I'm out of here, I promise to help teach you how to ice skate. I mean, I did spend the past two winters in Alaska; might as well put some of those skills to use. We'll find an indoor rink, trust me, you don't want to learn to ice skate outdoors because the ice is all bumpy and you'll trip and fall and the ice'll break and you'll fall through and get all pneumonia-y and frostbitten." She nodded as she continued.

"Indoor rinks much better for learning. Trust me."

“I am holding you to that.” Sooraya smiled. “Someone was telling me that that outside would be the nicest, because I would be able to feel the wind in my face, since I couldn’t feel it in my hair…” The last sentence was accompanied with a little eye roll aimed at her scarf. “But I think you present a far better case. I am not really in the mood to get all pneumonia-y and frostbitten.”

Sooraya paused for a moment as she considered where the closest rink. “I think we should be able to find one in New York, I think. Or Salem might have one itself… I would need to look into that… But I need you to promise me one thing: please don’t laugh at me when I fall about a dozen times.” She turned a beseeching look at the young redhead.

"No laughing. Promise." She wanted to ask about to headscarf and whether Sooraya could ever take it off. Well other than for washing her hair. And there were Muslim women out there who didn't wear the headscarf, and then there were burqas. They wore those in Afghanistan, didn't they? But those were questions were really personal, and private, and would be kinda rude to ask, probably.

"And once you get steady on smooth ice we'll see if there's a pond that's frozen through. And if it snows, we have to go snowshoeing."

“I think there have been a few years people have been able to skate on the lake, but I am not sure about that… And snowshoeing? Is that where you bind the tennis racket like things under your shoes?” Sooraya tried to picture it before her.

Maddie nodded and drank the last bit of the soup from her bowl. She smiled broadly and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Stick with me and we'll kick winter's butt. As soon as I am released. Sound good?"

“Perfect. Like I said, I am holding you to that.”