Madelyn, Cain - New Year's Eve

[x-madelyn.livejournal.com]

Maddie, as promised, is on Cain duty. Cain is in remarkably good cheer for a man who's paralysed, but that might be the beer bribery...



"So, it looks like it's you and me and possibly whatever waif or stray that turns up and you don't growl at," Madelyn said cheerfully to Cain as she checked the heart monitor lines. They were experimenting with raising the bed a bit so he actually had a slightly different view of the room, and once she was satisfied there weren't going to be any alarming reactions, the red-haired doctor took a seat next to the modified medical bed. "And the sad thing is this is still the most social New Year's Eve I've had for a couple of years. Can I get you anything?"

Cain turned his head, feeling the muscles along the right side of his neck twinge and contract, almost cramping. "Evv'ng snnz l'k grrln'", he mumbled. Beside his head, the speech-to-text display on the monitor blinked, then displayed: EVERYTHING SOUNDS LIKE GARDENING.

Cain rolled his eyes, "Grwl'n!"

GROWLING.

"True," Madelyn admitted, snickering over the computer's gaff - she had been spending enough time with Cain that she was getting most of the mumbling any way. "But there's the 'I can't talk clearly' growling, and the 'go away you annoying pest' growling, and not everyone can pick up the nuances."

Cain coughed, and fiddled with the small keyboard that was attached to the arm of the bed. He had almost enough muscle control to get a coherent sentence out, albeit slowly.

WOULDNT GROWWL F THEY WERNT ANNOYINGG

He tried to smile while Madelyn laughed, and then turned it into a grimace when the left side of his face wouldn't seem to move right.

"Doc?" he mumbled through a mostly-slack jaw, "H'w lng? H'w lng m'gnna be ths wy?"

Madelyn sobered, considering the expected question. "It's hard to tell," she replied honestly. "Moira and Charles both tell me you'll make a full recovery, but the amount of trauma involved... it could take a while. Then again, your recovery rates are already faster than you'd expect - you were out cold for a good few days not that long ago." She made a slight face. "It's always hard to give a definite answer, once magic's involved. Amanda's spells mess with my healing rate data."

Closing his eyes, Cain let out a long sigh. Slowly, he inhaled, then paused, coughing. "I n'd breeth!", he rasped out, twitching his head. Calming himself, he breathed deeply in and out a few times, then laughed slowly. "I n'd breezh..."

I NEED TO BREATHE, the computer displayed. It wasn't a statement of panic, but one of realization.

"At least you remember how," Madelyn teased gently, smiling at his enthusiasm. "Moira keeps your files to herself, but there's probably going to be a few changes since whatever the hell happened that night. Other than the fact you're going to need a new wardrobe."

"Nnn?" Cain grunted questioningly. He looked down at himself, as much as he was able, then compared himself to the rest of his house as reference. "Sm'll'r." He gave a one-shouldered attempt at a shrug and cocked his head at Madelyn. After a few failed attempts at speech, he gave up and tapped on the keyboard.

NO PARTY FORR YOU?

"Yes, you apparently misplaced about a foot in height." Another frustrated expression crossed Madelyn's face. "It seems the rules of science and medicine are more guidelines. Between your symptoms, and Alison's miracle cure, I'm wondering if I should exchange my stethoscope for a magic wand." At his second question, she gave him a shrug and a smile of her own. "This is party enough for me. Besides, Scotland? Way too cold and wet."

Cain pondered, then tapped out another slow sentence.

GOOD DOCTOR. NOT GOOD LIAR. CANT B FUN.

He thought about everyone out on Muir, back in the mansion, or pretty much anywhere but stuck crippled in bed. Wasn't exactly filling his head with good thoughts. Madelyn was a trooper, that's for sure. Idly, Cain wondered if anyone had bothered to stay around for the holidays.

"Who... who 'ls's hrre?"

"Bah, I'll have you know I'm an excellent liar. Or I was as a kid," Madelyn replied, grinning. "I don't mind at all, really. As for who else is here... Scott's around - he said something about dropping in later. A few of the kids - I'm not sure of all of them, but Jubilee for sure. She offered to help look after you, but I thought it would be best to talk to you first. Given the whole annoying kids and the growling thing."

Cain groaned, rolling his eyes. Scott and Jubilee. His two favourite people in the whole world.

NO CHANCE FOR A MERCY KILLNG? he typed out in jest, trying not to think of the chaos that Jubilee could cause unsupervised.

Inch by strenuous inch, Cain began trying to move his arm towards where the remote control to the TV lay, only a hand's breadth away. It could have been a mile, the way his arm just refused to respond. "Mvvvv..." he breathed, trying to will his body into motion. Finally, he just slumped down, defeated. "Th's s'cks."

"I'll protect you from a fate worse than death, don't you worry. I told Jubilee there would be plenty of non-you-specific things she could help with, since she's so keen to help. Kid wants a second chance." Madelyn picked up the remote and lay it in his hand, giving it a brief pat. "It does suck, but you'll get there. You'll probably hate Moira and I worse than anything in the world, 'though, after the physical therapy we put you through."

"Thnkss..." Cain groaned, trying to get his mouth to close properly after his words. He KNEW how to talk, dammit. This was frustrating, not to mention humiliating. But it wasn't anything to get angry about - he knew damn well he was lucky to be alive. And knew just as well that he didn't deserve to be.

He'd seen on the journals that Alison was fine, recovered and healed. That much was right. That was fair, and Cain accepted it. It was living like this, like a cripple, like Charles, that was beginning to burn at him inside.

"You're welcome." Noticing his increasing frustration - tension made the muscles of his face twitch more - Madelyn changed the subject smoothly. "You'll be pleased to know there's been no recent property damage - with everyone mostly away for the holidays, the house is just about deserted. It echoes when you walk around it."

That brought a smile to Cain's face. In the past year, he'd become accustomed to the students milling about - but the memories he had of the house were mostly empty halls and quiet rooms. The new ones, though... he was finding it hard to say he wouldn't trade.

NO ONE SICK? he typed out. THATS NEW.

"Just Jono, and he's not so much sick as in an altered state of being... Hank and Moira are still working on that whole new body thing." It was something Madelyn was out of her depth on, so she was leaving it to the experts, just monitoring him and keeping him company now everyone was away. "To tell the truth, it feels weird - after the past six months, I've gotten used to having someone in the 'lab. All those night shifts have made me nocturnal."

KNOW THE FEELINNG, Cain typed, having given up on trying to form anything more than a drunken-sounding slur. NOT USED TO SLEEPING.

Which was true. Before this last week, he hadn't really slept since... hm. Not since that first mess where Illyana vanished. Never really bothered him. Lately, though, he spent the majority of the day sound asleep. It was... kind of refreshing.

"You and Alison make quite the pair - she's getting used to sleeping and eating and all the rest of it again. She keeps falling asleep in the strangest places." Madelyn giggled a little. "I'd say you're both making up for lost time - and speaking of eating and drinking and all the rest of it... If you're very good, there could be a New Year's beer in it for you."

Cain immediately winced at the 'pair' comment. After what had happened - the memories were blurred and hazy in his head - Cain was only certain that Alison must be angry with him. No, not anger, that wasn't right. Shame, contempt, that HAD to be it. The things she'd seen-

And just as quickly, the thought was gone, and Cain perked up at the offer of beer. He managed a smile and a nod, leaning his head towards Madelyn.

DEFINTELY THE GOOD DOC.


OOC: Hah! Finally the time difference works for me! Happy New Year, all!