Crash Landers: Enhanced interrogation techniques

[xp_mimetic]

Sooraya takes another shot at the criminal.

Hi Hope, my name is Sooraya." Sooraya paused at the door opening as she took in the girl curled up on the hospital bed, tray firmly in hand. "I heard a little bit about the day you had and I figured you could use some hot chocolate and cookies. Is it okay if I come in?"

The girl on the bed did not look great - with mussed hair, a red nose, and red-rimmed eyes, and her knees pulled up to her chest. Still, she lifted her head, obviously open to a friendly face, even if her hands were twisting together anxiously. "Sure." She paused. "Is that real chocolate?"

"Real chocolate." Sooraya confirmed as she entered, setting down the tray on the bedside cabinet. "And I brought some whipped cream to put on it as well. It always makes it even better for me." She added, pulling a chair closer to the bed.

Wide blue-green eyes followed the tray; absently, the girl wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and it came away red - another nosebleed. "Is it really okay?" she asked, trying to look at Sooraya, but obviously distracted by the snacks. Her brow furrowed, worried and a little confused. "Isn't it really expensive?"

Leaving the chair be, Sooraya headed over to the side of the room to retrieve a few tissues and handed them to the girl. "You feeling okay? Or should I get one of the docs?" At the girl's shake of the head, Sooraya sat down on her chair. "And it's really fine. Besides, you are in the Medlab. So I take it you want some whipped cream on your hot chocolate?"

"Yes," Hope said quickly, eagerly. She blotted at her nose with the tissues. "I mean, yes, please," she added, a little more meekly. "I'm fine. It's just powers burnout."

"Alright." Sooraya added a healthy portion of the whipped cream to both mugs before passing it to Hope and taking her own. "I hope you like ginger snaps. They are my favorite to make, especially with the holidays going on."

Hope held the cup with both hands, carefully, like she was handling something precious. She took a small sip, her attention diverting completely away from Sooraya for a moment, until she licked the whipped cream off her lip (and used the tissue to blot at her nose again). Her eyes were a little too bright when she looked back, and she held the cup of hot chocolate both for warmth and because it kept her hands from twisting quite so much. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked; not suspiciously, but openly, like she knew this was not what she deserved.

"Because from everything I'm hearing you've had a hard day. And I wanted to check in on you." Sooraya sipped from her own hot chocolate, grinning as she whipped away the cream from below her nose. "Don't forget to try one of the ginger snaps. So, how are you holding up, Hope?"

Hope paused, swallowing and blinking hard - holding back tears. She couldn't modulate her voice when she answered, so it wobbled. "I'm, um - I'm just - " She had to swallow again, holding a cookie in one hand and the hot chocolate in the other. "I just wanna find my dad and go home," she said finally, in a small voice. She had to put the cookie down to take one of the tissues and wipe her eyes, and then her nose as the pressure restarted a nosebleed.

Putting her mug on the tray for the moment, Sooraya rose from her chair and gently pulled the mug from Hope's hand.Sitting on the edge of the bed, she quickly retrieved a bunch of tissue. "Alright, let me give you a hand with that. Can you sit up a bit more for me and tilt your head down a little?" Carefully she brushed away the red hair from the girl's face. "Now just pinch your nose shut here."

Doing as she was told, Hope gestured with a cookie, trying to tell Sooraya it was okay to ignore it. "It happens all the time," she said nasally, holding her head back. "It's just the powers thing. Well, using them too much. I shouldn't've switched so many times after I used them in town." Her voice was still uneven, but the distraction had banished the tears, at least.

"Yeah, I've been around mutants for over fifteen years. This is a little bit more than normal." Sooraya gently ribbed, but a little thread of steel entered her voice. "Otherwise I'm gonna have to get one of the docs to check it out."

"It's normal for me," Hope protested, but she kept her head tilted forward obediently with one hand pinching her nose closed. "I don't need a doctor," she said, a little more meekly, her voice nasal. "Did you guys hear from my dad?" she asked suddenly, starting back up. "He's tall and big and he has white hair. He might be looking for me now."

"I'm afraid not, Hope." Sooraya shook her head slowly. "I promise, we'll tell you if we find some sign of him. But you know...tell me about your dad? What is he like? I might help us in the end to reunite you."

Hope nodded eagerly, all else forgotten. "He's . . . " She was obviously trying to choose her words carefully, to describe him well enough that they would be able to recognize him on sight. "He's an agent for the Askani, do you know them? They're kind of like, they protect dimensions from really bad things, and he works for them. He's really tall and a good fighter, and his eye glows when he uses his powers - he's a psi. And he has white hair, like I said." She jolted. "Oh! His name is Nathan Summers, like I told them. But his codename is Cable. I don't have one yet, but I'm hoping after this mission I'll get one."

Sooraya froze at the first word. Askani... that couldn't be... she had to have heard it wrong. But no... Nathan... Cable... there was no chance it was someone else. "A psi, you say? Combination of telepathy and telekinesis, by any chance?" She finally managed to pull together, keeping her voice as even as she could.

Hope nodded, hand dropping away from her nose - the nosebleed had, apparently and fortunately, stopped. "Yeah, like Grandma," she said. "Do you - is there a version of him here? Do you think he could help me find Dad?"

Wait... Grandma?!? "I don't know, Hope. If there is, I haven't met him yet." She replied carefully. "But your grandmother... what is her name?"

"Jean Grey-Summers," Hope replied promptly.

She had to blink again. "Wait... your dad is Nathan Summers, son of Jean Grey and I am guessing Scott Summers." This was getting crazier and crazier.

The girl brightened. "Do you know them? Are they here? Are - are they nice? Dad always says you can't count on other versions to be the same, but Grandma is - I can't imagine an evil version of her."

"I know both of them." Sooraya confirmed, tucking all bits of information away for later reporting and contemplation. "Jean is a doctor... a pretty good one, I'd say. And Scott loves planes, though he can be kinda stoic."

"That sounds like them," Hope said wistfully. She looked up, distracted by another stray thought. "Do you guys have a dimension-travel gun? I don't know how to get home without Dad's. Not that I would leave him here. But . . . just in case."

"I'm not sure how to even imagine one, to be honest. But we have a lot of smart people around." Sooraya reassured her. "Now... why don't you finish your hot chocolate before it gets cold and then try to sleep a little? You've had a pretty crazy day so far."

Hope, momentarily defeated by the lack of a 'dimension-travel gun', perked up at the reminder of the rare treat. "Thank you," she said, almost shyly, taking another sip. "I know you don't have to be nice. But you're really nice."

"Gladly done. And I promise you, there is plenty more where that came from." Sooraya nodded at the hot chocolate. "I'll leave the ginger snaps here. That way you'll have something to snack on." She added with a wink.

Hope looked for a moment like she had more questions, but a wave of exhaustion seemed to come over her; she took a long drink of hot chocolate, and then yawned widely. "Thank you," she said again, and yawned a second time.

"Okay, definitely nap time for you." Sooraya gently took the mug from her hand and set it on the tray before pulling back the sheets. "Down you go." She waited till the girl had laid down before pulling the sheets back over her, carefully tucking her in. "Would you like me to sit with you for a bit?"

Between the hot chocolate and the comfort of being tucked in - never mind the stress of the previous 24 hours - Hope found herself swallowing hard, tears in her eyes. She nodded, unable to speak lest she really start crying.

"Alright." Sooraya moved her chair a little closer before reaching over and dimming the lights. "Just close your eyes and rest a bit."

One hand gently ghosted over her hair.

Comments

[xp_changeling]

This was really well done, especially Sooraya.

[xp_daytripper]

This was just wonderful. Perfect in its poignancy.