Callie & Wade | Genosha - Remnants and Dregs (backdated)

[x-deadpool.livejournal.com]

Callie finds Wade after he's seen the healer and offers to help him with the fungus still growing in his lungs.


Wade had seen the healer to get his bruises and contusions checked out, but his lungs were still being weird and every time he coughed, people looked at him funny. Given the amount he'd been coughing and what he'd been coughing up, he wasn't at all surprised at the looks he was getting now were far more alarmed than they'd initially been. But there was nothing the healer could do, since whatever was in his lungs wasn't actually damaging him and Wade was pretty sure the healer wouldn't have been able to get rid of it, anyway.

Still, when someone suggested cutting him open to see if they could do anything about the problem, the mercenary turned his head to cough into a conveniently located bin while simultaneously reaching for one of his knives.

Physically, she was fine, but mentally Callie still felt lost and numb, and that would only heal with time. So she had been sort of wandering around checking on her friends' conditions. Someone at some point had shoved a mug of tea in her hands, giving her something to focus on. It wasn't much, really, but it was something. And ever since she had been meandering aimlessly, taking everything in, lost in her own thoughts.

But the sound of a series of deep, hacking coughs was finally enough to break her daze, and she was granted the opportunity to see Wade spewing something into a bin.

"That doesn't sound very good," she commented, moving closer and looking around. "Where's your healer?"

Waving a hand distractedly over to his right, Wade took a slow breath. "Over there somewhere. This isn't really a medical issue the healer can deal with, though." He looked up and blinked briefly, then said, "But if they try to cut me open, I'm going to stab them and I won't apologize. You be my witness, alright?" He glanced down into the bin and wrinkled his nose. "You know, this probably wouldn't be so bad, except that everything I hack up wiggles. They're pretty sure it's from the fungus. Mostly." Everyone else's healing factors had pretty much dealt with it, but Eleanor was gimpy and apparently fighting eight different battles, so he'd forgive her.

She tilted her head, and peered over at the bin. "May I see," she asked, closing the distance between them, and placing her hands on either side of the bin.

Wade gave her a funny look. "You want to look at my wiggly... phlegm?" He didn't know what else to call it.

Callie blinked, looking quite puzzled. "You said it might be the fungus."

"Well, okay. Valid point. But I didn't think fungus was a plant," Wade said, offering her the bin. "And I thought your thing was plants. Like the corn and pumpkins last Halloween."

"No. It isn't." The chloropath turned the bin around, and tilted it side to side, watching the slimy substance trail along the bottom. She smiled, and her voice became lighter, more sing-songy, as she spoke into the bin. "Why hello there, little one. What are you doing so far from home? You aren't supposed to live in peoples' lungs." She paused and thought for a moment. "Well I suppose Moreau did do something unfortunate to you so that you could. But you shouldn't."

Wade had a smartass remark prepared, wanted to ask if her 'no, it isn't' referred to the fungus being not--a-plant or her thing being plants, but then she was having a nice little chat with the fungus growing in his lungs and the mercenary decided to just let it be. Sometimes, it just wasn't worth it, being a smartass. And if Callie could help him, he'd take whatever she had to offer because the bizarre shifting in his chest had begun to really, really make him antsy.

Callie sat down on a nearby stool, her attention focused on the slimy substance in front of her. "Poor dear," she said, sadly. "It's not your fault you're like this. I thought I took care of all of you." Sigh. "I guess I didn't."

After several moments of sitting in silence, Callie lifted her head to look at Wade. Her hand reached to push back her hair before she realized there was none there and hovered awkwardly before slowly lowering back into her lap. "It's a lichen. Fungus-plant. I can't rid you of it entirely because of the fungus part, but it can't live without it's photobiont partner."

Nodding like that made sense, Wade said, "Okay. I'll take whatever I can get. So long as the twitching in my chest stops."

"Well. You will still have some coughing up to do. But it won't grow."

"Sold!" Wade said, only to make a desperate grab for the bin again as he started coughing.

Callie didn't even flinch as Wade began hacking up more of the slime right in front of her. It was more fascinating than disgusting. She yearned to hold the fungus, but that it had been expelled from within someone was enough to deter her. Gloves would not have helped, as she needed contact to maximize her connection with the plant part, so she was left staring wistfully at the waste in the bin with a heavy heart. Sigh.

"I'll just quietly sit here with you for awhile," she said once the man had stopped coughing. "To make sure I get all of the plant parts taken care of. If not, the fungus can grow again. You won't even know I'm here. We'll call the healer after, maybe see if an expectorant or mucyloic agent will help clear your lungs."

"Okay," Wade said, nodding. "I'm just gonna... lay down, eh?" He was so damn tired - but at least he was clean now. And about to be fungus-free. Reaching over, he touched his fingers to Callie's hair. "Fuzzy."

That was something she did not need to be reminded of and quickly pushed Wade's hand away. "Just take a nap," her voice was strained. Callie was embarrassed by her shaved head for all that it represented. But that was not his fault, she reminded herself, and that thought managed to calm her down enough to give a small smile and say, "It'll be easier if you rest. Tell me if I start to hurt you."

Eyelids heavy, Wade let his hand rest on the mattress. "It's not your fault. You don't need to be ashamed or... whatever it is that look was. If Natalie Portman and Demi Moore can pull it off, you are totally capable. You will rock the fuzzy, don't even worry."

Callie sighed and watched the man before her start to doze off. "Sleep well, Wade."