Moira meets Marie...
Sep. 11th, 2003 11:22 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
x-rogue.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logs... and all goes surprisingly well, except for the bit about the clowns.
Moira heard Rogue before she saw her. There was definatly some crashing noises coming from the direction of the Medlab and she winced. She shifted the blanket, socks and shoes around a little bit and then stuck her head in through the door. "Lass? Um...not sure what ye want ta be called, unfortunatly..."
"Marie, it's Marie." The voice was tired and definitely exasperated. "I'm fine. Sorry for the noise, I just knocked over a cabinet... again." She limped out from behind a privacy screen, dressed in a pair of very oversized pink flannel pyjamas with white bunnies all over (that probably glowed in the dark). Her hair was cut short and choppy and her face was blotched with healing bruises.
"Hi," she said a little awkwardly. "I was just trying to get my toothbrush out and I pulled the whole thing over. I did it last night too." She held her arms oddly and a second look suggested that the right one was probably in a cast, though the pyjama sleeves covered her hands completely.
Wincing, Moira moved completely into the room. "Ach, dinnae worry 'bout it, Marie," she soothed, setting the things on the bed. "I'm Dr. Moira MacTaggart and Henry asked me ta come down here ta talk wit' ye." Nodding at warmer clothes, she continued. "I dinnae know how cold th' MedLab is, so I brought ye a few warmer things. Did ye need some help gettin' yer toothbrush?"
She stuck a pencil in her labcoat pocket, feeling around to make sure her notepad was still there. She looked tired but more at home down here.
She blushed and nodded reluctantly. "It's okay, I'll pick it up later. Thanks for the stuff... it does get a little cold. How come he asked you to come talk to me?" She bit her lip, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
Hitching up her pants, Moira settles on one of the visitor chairs and leans back. "He told me what happened, jus' ta keep me in th' loop since I'll be teachin' here for at least this semester. He mentioned ye were gettin' worried 'bout somethin's. Iffen ye want ta, I'm willin' ta listen an' perhaps I can help, knowin' tha' Henry an' Essex are busy runnin' 'round."
"Ah." She pulled a pair of white gloves from under her pillow and started working one onto her left hand. "So is this kind of a 'she should talk to a grownup and maybe she'd rather talk to a woman' thing? Or is it a 'there's something we need to know and Dr. MacTaggart's the one who can get it out of her'? Or is it a 'there's something someone has to tell her and Dr. MacTaggart got the short straw?'"
She chuckled. "A combination o' th' first two, really. I'm easier ta get along wit' than Essex, charmin' man tha' he is," she said dryly. "An' we dinnae really need to know -anythin'- tha' ye don't want ta know. If ye want, I've got a comfortable couch in me workin' area, hot chocolate, tea, coffee or whatever yer pleasure an' if'n ye wanted ta see what's goin' wit' yer powers, we can see what's goin' on."
Marie thought about this for a moment and then nodded. "Well, if you trust me not to wreck anything... I could really use a hot chocolate. And I can't make it myself..." Her eyes filled with tears and then she shook her head and straightened her shoulders. When she looked back at Moira, her face was clear again. "...and I didn't quite feel right asking Hank to make it for me. That would be nice of you."
Moira smiled. "No problem, Marie. It's a wee bit of a walk down th' hall, so..." Standing up, she picks up the shoes. "Do ye want these? Or do ye just want ta go barefoot wit' th' blanket? I'll nay have ye catchin' a cold on me watch, lass. Henry would kill me."
Marie shrugged. "I've been colder. But maybe the blanket..." she reached for it, "no shoes, though. I get off balance enough as it is. Besides, I don't think you plan to trip and fall on my feet, right?" She grinned impishly.
Moira snickered. "Nay, not tonight anyway. An' as soon as we get there, I'll start up th' hot chocolate. I dinnae think ye want me special coffee at this time o'night."
"No, thanks. I have to hit Hank up for stuff to get me to sleep already. Lead on. I'm sorry if I'm slow, my legs still hurt and if I'm not really careful, I might fly into something like I did this morning." Marie rubbed at her head with a rueful expression on her face. "And I missed the open door, too."
"Ooowwww. An' dinnae worry 'bout bein' slow, lass, one o' me best friends had an accident a few years back an' lost one o' his legs, so I helped him learn all over again." She smiled sadly. "It's a hard process, sometimes."
"I'm sorry about your friend. Thanks for understanding." Marie walked along carefully, eyes focussed on the floor. "Usually this stuff goes away before too long, you know? I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Well, tha's what we want ta find out tonight, hopefully. Henry had some DNA samples of ye, spannin' a few things, so we'll run a few tests an' play th' comparin' game. How lon' did it usually take fer th' extra powers ta go away?"
"Less than a day, usually. Sometimes... the personality change would hang around longer. And the ghosts are always in my head though even they weaken a little with time. Or maybe their voices just get drowned out by the new ones."
"An' now it's jus'...stayin' as strong?"
Marie nodded. "Worse even. I don't remember the first day or so because I was unconscious and then I was all drugged up in the lab they took me too. And maybe I was buffered a little by the people who touched me after I killed Stanley. It's like it's sunk in, y'know? Settled?"
"Hmmm." Moira nodded, thinking over what she knew of Marie's powers. "Tha' may be. Do ye know how powerful Stanley was wit' his powers?"
Marie shook her head. "Not really, no. Strong enough to pull part of the hall we were in down on us by accident, I guess. You'd have to ask John."
"But definatly not th' levels o'Magneto, who ye absorbed if'n I remember what Charles told me. Strange." Reaching the door to her small lab, she opened it and ushered Marie in. "Sit, lass, I'll get ye tha' hot chocolate."
"No, not at all. Stanley wasn't very old. Erik... he's still strong in my head, maybe because I drained so much of him." She sat herself down in an empty chair. "Out of everyone except maybe Logan, he's the strongest. The others are usually just shadows. But his powers were gone from me before a day was out. Logan's powers have never lasted too long for me either."
Moira went over and started up the hot chocolate and started to brew a fresh pot of coffee for herself. "Is Stanley's voice stickin' 'round as well or is it jus' his powers?"
"Oh, he's still around. I can feel him just like I could anyone else." She looked uncomfortable. "Look, you're not going to tell anyone this, are you?"
Moira looked up. "Anythin' ye want me ta keep quiet, I will. Th' only thin' I -have- ta share is what those test results reveal, th' rest is between us."
"I don't want the tests. I mean... do you know what people will think... I mean, what if someone finds out?" Her eyes filled with tears and her face went very pale. "What if... I mean, they can't really know already, not at the lab they had me in, I don't think they can. What if his powers don't go away?" She hugged the blanket to her with her good arm and the tears spilled over. "Do you know what they would do to me? What they could use me for if I keep the powers of everyone I kill? And that's the people who hate me. The people who like me still are a little afraid of me already, but if they know this, what will they think? Underneath it all, no one's ever going to trust me again. It was bad enough when all I could do was kill them..."
"Oh, Marie..." Moira left the drinks for a moment and pulled up another chair. Carefully, so not to startle the young woman, she laid her hands gently on her blanket covered arm. "Everythin' will be okay. If'n ye dinnae want th' tests, ye dinnae have ta have them. I'm not about ta force ye inta it, yer reelin' bad enough as it is. What will yer friends think? It'll shake 'em up a bit, aye, sure, but if they're truely yer friends, they'll stick by ye. Ye've got a whole bunch o' people who want ta help ye, any way they can, lass. Tha' includes gettin' ye through this an' whatever follows. I know yer scared, I'd be too, an' tha' this is an unusual situation."
Marie put her face in her hands. "It's enough that normal people hate me or are scared... and it was bad enough when I could just steal someone's power for a little while... but this, this could be forever, and no one will ever want to be near me again." She scrubbed at her face with the sleeve of her pyjamas, trying to stop crying. "They're going to know, no matter what. People will find out." She swallowed hard. "I just... it's lonely enough being me. I didn't need it to get worse. And now I need a kleenex..." she sniffled a little. "Just a disaster area, I am."
"Tha's nay true," she chided gently, wheeling the chair backwards to grab a box of tissue by her computer. "Here ye go...jus' because yer powers suddenly change doesna mean anyone o' yer friends will want ta stop bein' around ye. It'll take some gettin' used ta, aye, it'll take work an' understandin' but I think ye'll be gettin' tha'."
"Thanks..." She took a tissue and wiped her nose. "I'm just scared," she said quietly. "And it hurts... to be hurt. I know that sounds stupid but I'm so spoiled. When Logan's here, he fixes it for me. He doesn't have to and it hurts him, but he does." She started to cry again. "And even if the whole world hates me and people want to put me in a lab somewhere and do things to me and even if everyone else thinks I'm a threat or I'm evil, I know he won't and I know he won't let them and it's so stupid, he's just one person but he's not here and I'm so scared. I know I'm being a baby... I'm just... I can't do any better and I'm sorry."
"Yer nay a baby, yer a youn' woman who's life was turned upside down because o' yer -genes-. Ye've been through -hell- an' more than someone yer age has ta go through." Standing up, Moira grabbed two mugs and filled one with coffee and one with hot chocolate and brought them over, handing Marie the hot chocolate. "This'll help some. I dinnae know what we can do ta help, but we're willin' ta try everythin'. I leave for Muir in a few days an' I'll talk this over wit' me associate an' see if'n we can't work on yer problem cross Atlantic as well as in house. An' it's okay ta be scared without Logan bein' here...he'll be back, from what I've 'eard o' him."
"Thanks again." She took the hot chocolate in hand and sipped at it. "I guess..." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If you want you should do the tests. I mean, I know they stuck me full of needles at that army lab, they probably know a lot already. You all might as well know too."
"But only if ye want ta. I've got tha' bloody doctor's code tha' prevents me from doin' it from unwillin' patients." She winked, smiling.
Marie scowled direly at her. "That didn't stop that army bitch. Gave me a lecture on me being evil, too. At least you gave me hot chocolate." She smiled a little. "For that you can suck my blood."
"I'll show that army bitch," Moira muttered under her breath. She smiled back at Marie. "Aye, I'll do it...but only if'n ye let me sneak ice cream down here tomorrow ta ye...needles should get a bigger pay off."
Marie pretended to think about this. "Hmm, I'm off ice cream since Bobby Drake dumped me horribly and humiliatingly at the beginning of the summer. Make it Smarties and you've got a deal."
"Sometimes men jus' need ta be kicked in verra sensitive areas wit' studded boots. Smarties it is, then." Standing up, she went over to the table and slipped on a pair of gloves and started to ready the equipment. "So...'ave I been mistaken or 'ave I 'eard some o' th' folks around here call ye by another name, an' not jus' yer "code name"?"
"Em," she said. "My first initial. Not very creative, but it works."
Chuckling, Moria wheeled the cart next to Marie. "Well, it's better than others I've 'eard." She reached for the hot chocolate mug and sat it down next to them and then gently took out the uninjured arm. Starting to swab it down, she continued talking in a soothing tone. "Ye ever been ta Scotland, lass?"
Marie shook her head. "No. Hitch-hiked all over the States and Canada, all the way to Alaska, but I never made it off the continent. I hear you're planning a field trip over." She watched the process curiously, unafraid.
"Aye, though it's been delayed by a few nights...they're holdin' a cheese an' -clown- thin' near th' airport." She inserted the needle as she said that and started to draw blood.
Marie giggled, trying very hard to hold still. "Cheese... and... clown?"
"Cheese an' -clowns-, aye," Moira responded, smirking a little and then withdrew the needle. "There, tha' should be enough. Cheese an' clowns...no wonder they say we Scottish are insane." Nudging Marie's hot chocolate back over to her, she slid her chair back towards her instruments. "This may take a few minutes lass."
Marie was still giggling. "You want the truth?" she asked, picking up her hot chocolate. "I'm scared of clowns. I'm afraid that cheese an' clowns," she imitated Moira's accent, "would put me off cheese for life."
Laughing, Moira glanced over her shoulder. "Tell ye somethin' as well, I dinnae like them verra much meself. Somethin' 'bout all those polka dots jus' does somethin' ta me. An' verra good Scottish accent." She grinned.
Marie made a face. "You know what's stupid? I'll fight those giant mutant killer robots if they come... but I'll be really scared if they paint clown faces on them. I had a dream about that last night and it sucked."
She twitched. "Aye, tha' would suck verra muchly...an' twisted, verra twisted." She glanced at the clock. "Jus' a few more minutes...let me take a closer look an' I'll be right wit' ye."
"No problem." She curled up in the chair with her hot chocolate. "I'm in no hurry."
"I know, Marie an' I und..." She stopped. "Han' on ta tha' thought." She moved her chair around to get a better look at the test results and started studying them quickly. She had DNA samples from when Marie was first found by the X-Men, after she absorbed Magneto and after she absorbed Logan. This was totally different. The way Moira saw it, Marie's powers worked by masking her DNA with a transparent overlay of the DNA of whoever she absorbs. However, her own base DNA isn't affected and as her cells die off, the absorbed powers fade. However...Marie's DNA wasn't changing back, those cells were dieing but the absorbed powers were sticking around. Closing her eyes, Moira thought simply 'Shit'. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and said, "Marie..."
Marie looked over, frowning. "What?" She leaned forward in her chair a little. "What does it say?"
She gestured her closer and showed her the various DNA samples and gave her a rundown of the scientific explanation of her powers. "Th' easiest way ta explain it is this. Picture yer powers being a fogged mirror. Everytime ye use them, ye write POWER in the steam. Eventually it fades, th' steam flows back in but there's always a slight imprint, sometimes it's fainter or stronger than others. However, this time it seems like ye...scratched th' mirror instead of wiping off the steam. An' those scratches are stayin'." She took another deep breath. "I dinnea know how lon' but it does seem like these may stick around fer a very lon' time." She stopped, watching Marie intently, waiting.
Marie took this in, the frown deepening. "I see," she said at last, her face very pale. "And do you think... I suppose we'll have to do more tests to see if they're really doing to stay and for how long. So I'll know whether or not they'll leave me when I might have gotten used to them." She took a deep breath and nodded. "Well. This complicates things. I really should have shot him instead. I wish I'd had a gun," she said, keeping her voice steady with some effort. "I suppose now you tell the Professor and everyone discusses what will happen to me next, right?"
"Remind me ta teach ye how to shoot," Moira said, shaking her head. "An' only if ye want me ta. I can keep this ta meself, sayin' tha' it's goin' ta need more time ta tell wit' th' tests. If'n ye want tha'."
"No," she shook her head. "It wouldn't be responsible. The Professor should know as soon as possible." She looked a little grim. "I already asked in him for permission to learn to use a gun. Scott said he thinks it will be okay. I'm not afraid to do what I have to do, but I'd rather not do it this way again." She straightened her shoulders and took another deep breath. "I'll just have I'll do better with what I took from Stanley than he would have," she said, almost to herself. "Maybe he can do some good whether he likes it or not."
Moira smiled at her. "Tha's a way of lookin' at it. An', if ye want, I can give ye a hand tryin' ta keep things under control. I can also be th' one in charge o' doin' the tests on ye, I'll be workin' here for a while."
"Thanks," Marie said, obviously working at keeping a brave face. "Honestly, Doctor Essex makes me nervous. I'd rather have you, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, I'd be glad ta help ye out." Moira looked at her, feeling that maybe, just maybe she might be able to help Marie where she couldn't help Kevin. "Once ye heal up somemore, we'll tackle th' new powers so ye're comfortable wit' them. An' durin' that, we'll keep doin' research an' seein' what can be done 'bout this. It's goin' ta be rough but I see a lot o' strength in ye an' wit' help, ye'll make it through this."
Marie scowled. "Well, I'd hate to give Stanley the satisfaction of getting the best of me... or anyone else for that matter." She hugged herself a little. "And it's not like I have a choice, right?"
"Aye, I know." Moira reached over and laid a hand on Marie's shoulder, opening up for a hug (with both of them fully clothed, there wouldn't be much danger), but letting Marie make the first move. "But ye'll beat him...ye kicked his ass before, ye'll do it again. An' this time, wit' help."
Marie gave her a careful hug, putting her head on Moira's shoulder briefly with a very tired sigh. "Thanks," she said in a small voice. "For everything."
Hugging back carefully, Moira rubbed the unhurt arm gently. "Nay problem, Marie," she said softly. "I'm jus' glad I could help in anyway." Pulling away slightly, she glanced at the time. "Well, seein' what th' time is...do ye want ta try ta sleep or do ye want ta keep me company while I work on some notes. I could put th' radio on if'n ye didn't want ta go back jus' yet."
"If you don't mind," Marie said quietly, looking down at the blanket as she adjusted it, "I'd kind of like the company. I don't sleep so well anyway."
Smiling, Moira reached over and flicked on the radio, keeping the classical music low. "I'd like th' company too, I'm so used ta havin' someone else in th' lab wit' me, it's hard ta work in th' quiet." Settling down at her computer, she flipped open some notes and started typing, keeping an eye on Marie and an ear on the music.
Marie curled up in the chair again, watching the glow of the computer screen through half-lidded eyes. After a while, her breathing slowed and her eyes closed completely as sleep caught up with her.
Moira heard Rogue before she saw her. There was definatly some crashing noises coming from the direction of the Medlab and she winced. She shifted the blanket, socks and shoes around a little bit and then stuck her head in through the door. "Lass? Um...not sure what ye want ta be called, unfortunatly..."
"Marie, it's Marie." The voice was tired and definitely exasperated. "I'm fine. Sorry for the noise, I just knocked over a cabinet... again." She limped out from behind a privacy screen, dressed in a pair of very oversized pink flannel pyjamas with white bunnies all over (that probably glowed in the dark). Her hair was cut short and choppy and her face was blotched with healing bruises.
"Hi," she said a little awkwardly. "I was just trying to get my toothbrush out and I pulled the whole thing over. I did it last night too." She held her arms oddly and a second look suggested that the right one was probably in a cast, though the pyjama sleeves covered her hands completely.
Wincing, Moira moved completely into the room. "Ach, dinnae worry 'bout it, Marie," she soothed, setting the things on the bed. "I'm Dr. Moira MacTaggart and Henry asked me ta come down here ta talk wit' ye." Nodding at warmer clothes, she continued. "I dinnae know how cold th' MedLab is, so I brought ye a few warmer things. Did ye need some help gettin' yer toothbrush?"
She stuck a pencil in her labcoat pocket, feeling around to make sure her notepad was still there. She looked tired but more at home down here.
She blushed and nodded reluctantly. "It's okay, I'll pick it up later. Thanks for the stuff... it does get a little cold. How come he asked you to come talk to me?" She bit her lip, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
Hitching up her pants, Moira settles on one of the visitor chairs and leans back. "He told me what happened, jus' ta keep me in th' loop since I'll be teachin' here for at least this semester. He mentioned ye were gettin' worried 'bout somethin's. Iffen ye want ta, I'm willin' ta listen an' perhaps I can help, knowin' tha' Henry an' Essex are busy runnin' 'round."
"Ah." She pulled a pair of white gloves from under her pillow and started working one onto her left hand. "So is this kind of a 'she should talk to a grownup and maybe she'd rather talk to a woman' thing? Or is it a 'there's something we need to know and Dr. MacTaggart's the one who can get it out of her'? Or is it a 'there's something someone has to tell her and Dr. MacTaggart got the short straw?'"
She chuckled. "A combination o' th' first two, really. I'm easier ta get along wit' than Essex, charmin' man tha' he is," she said dryly. "An' we dinnae really need to know -anythin'- tha' ye don't want ta know. If ye want, I've got a comfortable couch in me workin' area, hot chocolate, tea, coffee or whatever yer pleasure an' if'n ye wanted ta see what's goin' wit' yer powers, we can see what's goin' on."
Marie thought about this for a moment and then nodded. "Well, if you trust me not to wreck anything... I could really use a hot chocolate. And I can't make it myself..." Her eyes filled with tears and then she shook her head and straightened her shoulders. When she looked back at Moira, her face was clear again. "...and I didn't quite feel right asking Hank to make it for me. That would be nice of you."
Moira smiled. "No problem, Marie. It's a wee bit of a walk down th' hall, so..." Standing up, she picks up the shoes. "Do ye want these? Or do ye just want ta go barefoot wit' th' blanket? I'll nay have ye catchin' a cold on me watch, lass. Henry would kill me."
Marie shrugged. "I've been colder. But maybe the blanket..." she reached for it, "no shoes, though. I get off balance enough as it is. Besides, I don't think you plan to trip and fall on my feet, right?" She grinned impishly.
Moira snickered. "Nay, not tonight anyway. An' as soon as we get there, I'll start up th' hot chocolate. I dinnae think ye want me special coffee at this time o'night."
"No, thanks. I have to hit Hank up for stuff to get me to sleep already. Lead on. I'm sorry if I'm slow, my legs still hurt and if I'm not really careful, I might fly into something like I did this morning." Marie rubbed at her head with a rueful expression on her face. "And I missed the open door, too."
"Ooowwww. An' dinnae worry 'bout bein' slow, lass, one o' me best friends had an accident a few years back an' lost one o' his legs, so I helped him learn all over again." She smiled sadly. "It's a hard process, sometimes."
"I'm sorry about your friend. Thanks for understanding." Marie walked along carefully, eyes focussed on the floor. "Usually this stuff goes away before too long, you know? I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Well, tha's what we want ta find out tonight, hopefully. Henry had some DNA samples of ye, spannin' a few things, so we'll run a few tests an' play th' comparin' game. How lon' did it usually take fer th' extra powers ta go away?"
"Less than a day, usually. Sometimes... the personality change would hang around longer. And the ghosts are always in my head though even they weaken a little with time. Or maybe their voices just get drowned out by the new ones."
"An' now it's jus'...stayin' as strong?"
Marie nodded. "Worse even. I don't remember the first day or so because I was unconscious and then I was all drugged up in the lab they took me too. And maybe I was buffered a little by the people who touched me after I killed Stanley. It's like it's sunk in, y'know? Settled?"
"Hmmm." Moira nodded, thinking over what she knew of Marie's powers. "Tha' may be. Do ye know how powerful Stanley was wit' his powers?"
Marie shook her head. "Not really, no. Strong enough to pull part of the hall we were in down on us by accident, I guess. You'd have to ask John."
"But definatly not th' levels o'Magneto, who ye absorbed if'n I remember what Charles told me. Strange." Reaching the door to her small lab, she opened it and ushered Marie in. "Sit, lass, I'll get ye tha' hot chocolate."
"No, not at all. Stanley wasn't very old. Erik... he's still strong in my head, maybe because I drained so much of him." She sat herself down in an empty chair. "Out of everyone except maybe Logan, he's the strongest. The others are usually just shadows. But his powers were gone from me before a day was out. Logan's powers have never lasted too long for me either."
Moira went over and started up the hot chocolate and started to brew a fresh pot of coffee for herself. "Is Stanley's voice stickin' 'round as well or is it jus' his powers?"
"Oh, he's still around. I can feel him just like I could anyone else." She looked uncomfortable. "Look, you're not going to tell anyone this, are you?"
Moira looked up. "Anythin' ye want me ta keep quiet, I will. Th' only thin' I -have- ta share is what those test results reveal, th' rest is between us."
"I don't want the tests. I mean... do you know what people will think... I mean, what if someone finds out?" Her eyes filled with tears and her face went very pale. "What if... I mean, they can't really know already, not at the lab they had me in, I don't think they can. What if his powers don't go away?" She hugged the blanket to her with her good arm and the tears spilled over. "Do you know what they would do to me? What they could use me for if I keep the powers of everyone I kill? And that's the people who hate me. The people who like me still are a little afraid of me already, but if they know this, what will they think? Underneath it all, no one's ever going to trust me again. It was bad enough when all I could do was kill them..."
"Oh, Marie..." Moira left the drinks for a moment and pulled up another chair. Carefully, so not to startle the young woman, she laid her hands gently on her blanket covered arm. "Everythin' will be okay. If'n ye dinnae want th' tests, ye dinnae have ta have them. I'm not about ta force ye inta it, yer reelin' bad enough as it is. What will yer friends think? It'll shake 'em up a bit, aye, sure, but if they're truely yer friends, they'll stick by ye. Ye've got a whole bunch o' people who want ta help ye, any way they can, lass. Tha' includes gettin' ye through this an' whatever follows. I know yer scared, I'd be too, an' tha' this is an unusual situation."
Marie put her face in her hands. "It's enough that normal people hate me or are scared... and it was bad enough when I could just steal someone's power for a little while... but this, this could be forever, and no one will ever want to be near me again." She scrubbed at her face with the sleeve of her pyjamas, trying to stop crying. "They're going to know, no matter what. People will find out." She swallowed hard. "I just... it's lonely enough being me. I didn't need it to get worse. And now I need a kleenex..." she sniffled a little. "Just a disaster area, I am."
"Tha's nay true," she chided gently, wheeling the chair backwards to grab a box of tissue by her computer. "Here ye go...jus' because yer powers suddenly change doesna mean anyone o' yer friends will want ta stop bein' around ye. It'll take some gettin' used ta, aye, it'll take work an' understandin' but I think ye'll be gettin' tha'."
"Thanks..." She took a tissue and wiped her nose. "I'm just scared," she said quietly. "And it hurts... to be hurt. I know that sounds stupid but I'm so spoiled. When Logan's here, he fixes it for me. He doesn't have to and it hurts him, but he does." She started to cry again. "And even if the whole world hates me and people want to put me in a lab somewhere and do things to me and even if everyone else thinks I'm a threat or I'm evil, I know he won't and I know he won't let them and it's so stupid, he's just one person but he's not here and I'm so scared. I know I'm being a baby... I'm just... I can't do any better and I'm sorry."
"Yer nay a baby, yer a youn' woman who's life was turned upside down because o' yer -genes-. Ye've been through -hell- an' more than someone yer age has ta go through." Standing up, Moira grabbed two mugs and filled one with coffee and one with hot chocolate and brought them over, handing Marie the hot chocolate. "This'll help some. I dinnae know what we can do ta help, but we're willin' ta try everythin'. I leave for Muir in a few days an' I'll talk this over wit' me associate an' see if'n we can't work on yer problem cross Atlantic as well as in house. An' it's okay ta be scared without Logan bein' here...he'll be back, from what I've 'eard o' him."
"Thanks again." She took the hot chocolate in hand and sipped at it. "I guess..." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If you want you should do the tests. I mean, I know they stuck me full of needles at that army lab, they probably know a lot already. You all might as well know too."
"But only if ye want ta. I've got tha' bloody doctor's code tha' prevents me from doin' it from unwillin' patients." She winked, smiling.
Marie scowled direly at her. "That didn't stop that army bitch. Gave me a lecture on me being evil, too. At least you gave me hot chocolate." She smiled a little. "For that you can suck my blood."
"I'll show that army bitch," Moira muttered under her breath. She smiled back at Marie. "Aye, I'll do it...but only if'n ye let me sneak ice cream down here tomorrow ta ye...needles should get a bigger pay off."
Marie pretended to think about this. "Hmm, I'm off ice cream since Bobby Drake dumped me horribly and humiliatingly at the beginning of the summer. Make it Smarties and you've got a deal."
"Sometimes men jus' need ta be kicked in verra sensitive areas wit' studded boots. Smarties it is, then." Standing up, she went over to the table and slipped on a pair of gloves and started to ready the equipment. "So...'ave I been mistaken or 'ave I 'eard some o' th' folks around here call ye by another name, an' not jus' yer "code name"?"
"Em," she said. "My first initial. Not very creative, but it works."
Chuckling, Moria wheeled the cart next to Marie. "Well, it's better than others I've 'eard." She reached for the hot chocolate mug and sat it down next to them and then gently took out the uninjured arm. Starting to swab it down, she continued talking in a soothing tone. "Ye ever been ta Scotland, lass?"
Marie shook her head. "No. Hitch-hiked all over the States and Canada, all the way to Alaska, but I never made it off the continent. I hear you're planning a field trip over." She watched the process curiously, unafraid.
"Aye, though it's been delayed by a few nights...they're holdin' a cheese an' -clown- thin' near th' airport." She inserted the needle as she said that and started to draw blood.
Marie giggled, trying very hard to hold still. "Cheese... and... clown?"
"Cheese an' -clowns-, aye," Moira responded, smirking a little and then withdrew the needle. "There, tha' should be enough. Cheese an' clowns...no wonder they say we Scottish are insane." Nudging Marie's hot chocolate back over to her, she slid her chair back towards her instruments. "This may take a few minutes lass."
Marie was still giggling. "You want the truth?" she asked, picking up her hot chocolate. "I'm scared of clowns. I'm afraid that cheese an' clowns," she imitated Moira's accent, "would put me off cheese for life."
Laughing, Moira glanced over her shoulder. "Tell ye somethin' as well, I dinnae like them verra much meself. Somethin' 'bout all those polka dots jus' does somethin' ta me. An' verra good Scottish accent." She grinned.
Marie made a face. "You know what's stupid? I'll fight those giant mutant killer robots if they come... but I'll be really scared if they paint clown faces on them. I had a dream about that last night and it sucked."
She twitched. "Aye, tha' would suck verra muchly...an' twisted, verra twisted." She glanced at the clock. "Jus' a few more minutes...let me take a closer look an' I'll be right wit' ye."
"No problem." She curled up in the chair with her hot chocolate. "I'm in no hurry."
"I know, Marie an' I und..." She stopped. "Han' on ta tha' thought." She moved her chair around to get a better look at the test results and started studying them quickly. She had DNA samples from when Marie was first found by the X-Men, after she absorbed Magneto and after she absorbed Logan. This was totally different. The way Moira saw it, Marie's powers worked by masking her DNA with a transparent overlay of the DNA of whoever she absorbs. However, her own base DNA isn't affected and as her cells die off, the absorbed powers fade. However...Marie's DNA wasn't changing back, those cells were dieing but the absorbed powers were sticking around. Closing her eyes, Moira thought simply 'Shit'. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and said, "Marie..."
Marie looked over, frowning. "What?" She leaned forward in her chair a little. "What does it say?"
She gestured her closer and showed her the various DNA samples and gave her a rundown of the scientific explanation of her powers. "Th' easiest way ta explain it is this. Picture yer powers being a fogged mirror. Everytime ye use them, ye write POWER in the steam. Eventually it fades, th' steam flows back in but there's always a slight imprint, sometimes it's fainter or stronger than others. However, this time it seems like ye...scratched th' mirror instead of wiping off the steam. An' those scratches are stayin'." She took another deep breath. "I dinnea know how lon' but it does seem like these may stick around fer a very lon' time." She stopped, watching Marie intently, waiting.
Marie took this in, the frown deepening. "I see," she said at last, her face very pale. "And do you think... I suppose we'll have to do more tests to see if they're really doing to stay and for how long. So I'll know whether or not they'll leave me when I might have gotten used to them." She took a deep breath and nodded. "Well. This complicates things. I really should have shot him instead. I wish I'd had a gun," she said, keeping her voice steady with some effort. "I suppose now you tell the Professor and everyone discusses what will happen to me next, right?"
"Remind me ta teach ye how to shoot," Moira said, shaking her head. "An' only if ye want me ta. I can keep this ta meself, sayin' tha' it's goin' ta need more time ta tell wit' th' tests. If'n ye want tha'."
"No," she shook her head. "It wouldn't be responsible. The Professor should know as soon as possible." She looked a little grim. "I already asked in him for permission to learn to use a gun. Scott said he thinks it will be okay. I'm not afraid to do what I have to do, but I'd rather not do it this way again." She straightened her shoulders and took another deep breath. "I'll just have I'll do better with what I took from Stanley than he would have," she said, almost to herself. "Maybe he can do some good whether he likes it or not."
Moira smiled at her. "Tha's a way of lookin' at it. An', if ye want, I can give ye a hand tryin' ta keep things under control. I can also be th' one in charge o' doin' the tests on ye, I'll be workin' here for a while."
"Thanks," Marie said, obviously working at keeping a brave face. "Honestly, Doctor Essex makes me nervous. I'd rather have you, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, I'd be glad ta help ye out." Moira looked at her, feeling that maybe, just maybe she might be able to help Marie where she couldn't help Kevin. "Once ye heal up somemore, we'll tackle th' new powers so ye're comfortable wit' them. An' durin' that, we'll keep doin' research an' seein' what can be done 'bout this. It's goin' ta be rough but I see a lot o' strength in ye an' wit' help, ye'll make it through this."
Marie scowled. "Well, I'd hate to give Stanley the satisfaction of getting the best of me... or anyone else for that matter." She hugged herself a little. "And it's not like I have a choice, right?"
"Aye, I know." Moira reached over and laid a hand on Marie's shoulder, opening up for a hug (with both of them fully clothed, there wouldn't be much danger), but letting Marie make the first move. "But ye'll beat him...ye kicked his ass before, ye'll do it again. An' this time, wit' help."
Marie gave her a careful hug, putting her head on Moira's shoulder briefly with a very tired sigh. "Thanks," she said in a small voice. "For everything."
Hugging back carefully, Moira rubbed the unhurt arm gently. "Nay problem, Marie," she said softly. "I'm jus' glad I could help in anyway." Pulling away slightly, she glanced at the time. "Well, seein' what th' time is...do ye want ta try ta sleep or do ye want ta keep me company while I work on some notes. I could put th' radio on if'n ye didn't want ta go back jus' yet."
"If you don't mind," Marie said quietly, looking down at the blanket as she adjusted it, "I'd kind of like the company. I don't sleep so well anyway."
Smiling, Moira reached over and flicked on the radio, keeping the classical music low. "I'd like th' company too, I'm so used ta havin' someone else in th' lab wit' me, it's hard ta work in th' quiet." Settling down at her computer, she flipped open some notes and started typing, keeping an eye on Marie and an ear on the music.
Marie curled up in the chair again, watching the glow of the computer screen through half-lidded eyes. After a while, her breathing slowed and her eyes closed completely as sleep caught up with her.
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Date: 2003-09-12 04:02 am (UTC)Wonder if at some point we could let Marie know that Rahne's nervous of her, but for the Eastern philosophy and moodiness, not the powers. *g* Though she has had the whole cuddles-with-fur-on thing at some point....
Woof. *blinks innocently*