LOG: Haroun and Madelyn - Check-Ups

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Haroun gets his promised checked from Madelyn. They chat a little, about pain and the X-Men. Backdated to Saturday, Feb 12, 2005.



Madelyn looked up as Haroun wheeled himself into the exam room. "Right on time," she said with a smile. "How are you?"

Haroun grinned a slightly disturbingly feral grin. "I hurt, so I know I'm still alive. Nothing I can't handle. How are you?"

"Glad to have most of our guests gone - it's been a while since we've had this many critical injuries at once." Madelyn indicated the exam table, set a bit lower than usual. "Think you can get yourself up here for me so I can see how things are going?"

Haroun nodded, then took a deep breath and released it. As he breathed out, he forced himself up and out of the chair, coming to his feet under his own power for the first time in days. He didn't stay there long, as he more or less fell onto the exam table, then on sheer brute force and determination got himself facing the right way and ready for the exam. The effort cost him, though, as he was sweating hard and his limbs were trembling.

Well, that was _that_ test completed. "Just breathe for a minute," she said, coming forward with a swab to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "I'll get you something for the pain."

Haroun shook his head. "Don't need it." he said with a grimace. "Just give me a second to collect myself, then you can continue."

Madelyn frowned. "Haroun, you're in pain. You don't have to be. Let me help with it."

Haroun laughed at that. "I am in pain every minute, every hour, of every day. Pain is an old friend. She keeps me warm, lets me know I'm still alive. Keep your painkillers. I don't need them."

Muttering under her breath about 'macho posturing bullshit', Madelyn peeled the layer of gauze off the burns on his back. They were healing reasonably well - she reapplied the burn cream they were using on it and replaced the gauze before turning her attention to the muscles in his back. "Compared to the normal levels of pain, how does it feel when I do this?" she asked, very gently pressing the bunched muscles on either side of his spine.

Haroun winced. "It hurts." he confessed. "I never said I was a hundred percent, just that I don't want you to fog me with painkillers. I've been getting rubdowns fairly regularly from Alison, and they really help. I'm a little worried, though, that I'm losing sensation back there - I don't quite feel my lower back like I used to."

She frowned. Loss of sensation wasn't a good thing to hear. "I'll mention it to Hank - it's probably time you had a complete exam of the 'ware as well as the biologicals, and he's better qualified than I am," she said. "You've had a hell of a lot of stress on those muscles, it's possible they're shutting down partly to spare you excess pain. How about the abs? Still sore?"

"Abs aren't too bad. Didn't take too many shots there, it was just the fucking gravity shelf that damned near did me in." he grumbled. "I did not enjoy going from seventy-some-odd kilos to around nine _hundred_ in the space of a few seconds. That hurt. A lot."

"I'm not surprised." There was still some spasming in the muscles, but not as bad as the back. Moving back up to the shoulder, she inspected the uncovered burn there. "Whatever Amanda puts in this burn gunk of hers, it's working," she observed. "The burns are healing well. Your back less so - I think probably another day or two in the chair, given how much it hurt to get up."

Haroun hissed. "Very well. I was hoping to get out of the chair, but if I need another few days I need another few days." he said. "And I'm surprised - I was always warned about accepting magickal healing. It tends not to interact well with the 'ware."

"It's less magic and more actual herbal lore, at least from what I understand," Madelyn said. "We've still got her on that whole healing spell ban, except in life or death situations, but she says the potions and such don't require much actual magic, so they're fine. I'll remember what you said about the 'ware, though, make a note on your file."

"There should be one there already, but if there isn't, make another one. I don't want to risk becoming a parapalegic just because somebody tried to heal me magickally." he said firmly.

"I'll highlight it, even" Madelyn reassured him. "Contrary to popular opinion, Haroun, we do know what we're doing down here. And that includes not letting Amanda run unchecked. She knows her limits, and machinery is definitely one of them."

Haroun sighed and then nodded. "I know, and I'm sorry. It's just a little important to me, you know? I mean, she does good work and all that, but I still don't want to risk it."

"I know it's important, Haroun, which is why I'm being such a hardass about the cane - you need time to heal. With injuries of this type, there's not a lot of actual treatment we can do, beyond the heat packs and the massage. I won't let our resident witch near you, okay?"

Haroun nodded. "I know. Which is why outside of the painkiller thing I'm cooperating fully. I show up on time, I do my exercises, I let you poke and prod me, whatever I need to do to get healthy fast. I'm worried - we're understrength. If somebody were to strike hard at us now, I'm not sure we could stop them. And that reminds me - you did good work out there." he said. "I'm impressed - we set a hard pace, and you didn't complain or falter once."

"It needed doing," Madelyn said simply. "Complaining wasn't going to change the situation, and we had  patients to care for. I just wish I'd thought to bring something a bit more useful than that damn tranq gun, but then again, I didn't want to shoot those poor bastards. They were just doing what they'd been conditioned to do."

Haroun very pointedly didn't comment on that last bit. "Anyway - I just wanted to say, as an XO, that you'd be welcome on any X-Men Black op. So long as we could reasonably guarantee your safety." he said with a smile.

"Of course," she said with a good natured eye roll. She wasn't about to argue that she was just as safe as anyone on a mission - she knew she wasn't, without powers. "If you need me, just ask. I'll leave it up to you to decide if it's safe enough or not."

Haroun nodded. "Just wanted you to know. Thought it might help you out some." he explained, then waited for her to continue her examination.

"It does," she replied, before gesturing for him to lie on his front. "Lie down, it's time for your old friend the ultra sound machine."