Madelyn -v- the Evil EMS Director - Saturday morning

[x-madelyn.livejournal.com]

Following this post from Clarice about the EMS position, Madelyn goes to the director for a little chat. Never underestimate the power of an intelligent woman in a suit.



"Good afternoon… Doctor Bartlet? It's a pleasure to meet you." The EMS director couldn't shake her hand due to the sling, but he gave the impression it would have been a limp and perhaps slightly sweaty exercise. A typical administrative type - Doctor Fasham was short, balding, carrying a goof forty pounds more than was healthy, and seemed to have a problem with his neck - all of his remarks were addressed to her chest. Madelyn allowed herself a tight little smile as she was ushered to a seat, and took care to cross her legs once she'd sat. The sling spoiled the look a little, but that suit had been a good choice for the situation, she realised as Fasham's neck problem seemed to get worse, his eyes glued to the length of be-stockinged leg left exposed by the skirt.

"I'm so sorry to bother you - I'm sure you must be very busy." Madelyn's tone implied Fasham was such an important man, of course he must be busy. "But I did promise my student I'd come down and talk to you."

"Oh no, I wasn't really… ah, that is to say, I always make time for a fellow professional." Fasham realised his blunder, and coughed awkwardly. "Your student… Miss Ferguson, wasn’t it?" To cover up the fact he obviously wasn't busy or important, his hands moved to the thin file on his desk.

"Clarice, yes." Madelyn gave him another smile, the 'concerned responsible adult' one. "She had her heart set on your program, and it was a huge disappointment to find she hadn't been accepted. I was hoping for some more details about why? To reassure her, you understand. She has this silly idea it's because she's a mutant."

Fasham's Adam's apple bobbed, and his look grew more guarded. "That's… a ridiculous notion," he stuttered at last.

"And an illegal one too, at least under existing anti-discrimination policies," Madelyn said with a small 'what can you do?' shrug. "Obviously I explained to her that couldn't possibly be it, but you know kids, they tend to get all riled up about things. Something small happens, and the next thing you know it's all boycotts and demonstrations and letters to senators, and then the media gets involved, and before you know it, you've got an embarrassing mess on your hands." She let that sink in, never once losing her friendly, ingenuous expression. No threats, just pointing out the way things could be.

The man squirmed a little in his seat, obviously not liking that particular image. Madelyn was enjoying herself hugely. "Of course we'd like to avoid that sort of thing," he managed weakly. She could almost see the wheels churning in his mind, trying to figure out the easiest way out of this.

"The problem is," Madelyn continued, adding a note of bemusement to her tone. "I really can't see how any other candidate could be more qualified. That was what she was told, wasn't it? There were other more qualified candidates?" Fasham nodded helplessly, and she went on, nodding at the file under his hands. "Her academic record is more than adequate, and you have to agree that her volunteer work with the Red X program and the like has given her experience most medschool students would kill for." After Kitty had done a small amount of hacking for her, she knew exactly where Clarice had ranked with her test scores, and it hadn't been low. "I know Doctor McCoy and Doctor MacTaggart think extremely highly of her and are just as disappointed by the decision."

"Doctor…?" Fasham blinked, and looked compulsively down at the file. Oh, this suddenly wasn't looking good at all.

"There were references, I think?" Madelyn said helpfully. "Doctor McCoy's, in particular, was particularly glowing. And there should be a newspaper clipping - the gas explosion at the nightclub in Salem Center last October? Clarice was involved in evacuation." She kept pointing out the evidence against him in that same innocent, oh-so-helpful tone. "Her work with Doctor MacTaggart is less extensive, however there is an exchange program between the Muir Island Research Facility and Xavier's. And Clarice's teleportation ability makes her extremely versatile."

It was all there, all in front of him. Fasham swallowed again, realising how bad this was looking. But still, he tried to rally. "Well, of course, all that was taken into account," he managed. "There were other factors…"

"Of course there were." Madelyn met his eye steadily, and gave another of those little shrugs. "Oh well, I did tell her not to expect too much from this, but I'm afraid she won't take it well. Can I get your full name, Doctor? For the supoena, you understand."

"Supoena?" Fasham's expression had actually been lightening, thinking he'd managed to actually squirm his way out of what could be a public relations disaster. Right up until the S word.

"For the civil action," Madelyn explained, slightly apologetically. "I did tell you, Clarice had her heart set on this, and the staff at the school were fully supportive of her. She told me, if I couldn't give her a satisfactory reason for why she'd been rejected, well, she'd sue. For discrimination on the basis of her genetics. Her parents are both lawyers, so of course she went straight for the legal action. And I'm afraid 'other factors' just won't satisfy her." Her tone took on the very slightest edge, just enough to let him know she wasn't joking. "It'll be a landmark case, of course, but given the current administration's attitude towards mutants, it'll draw a lot of attention. Could take months."

There was a long, drawn-out silence as the two stared each other down, until Fasham cracked and dropped his gaze. "These decisions," he began. "They're not always final. Perhaps we could open Miss Ferguson's application to review? Let the board decide the matter?" he suggested at last. "Perhaps they will be able to look at it in a different light…"

"You'd do that? Why, thank you, Doctor Fasham." Madelyn was careful to keep the triumph out of her smile - worms like Fasham tended to turn if they thought they were being mocked. "Is there anything I can do to help the process? I'd be happy to give a verbal reference to the board, if that would help." Just to let him know she wasn't about to go away any time soon.

"Ah, that won't be necessary, Doctor Bartlet." Fasham's shoulders slumped ever-so-slightly. He'd been out-manoeuvred, and he knew it. "I'll start the review process immediately. Your student should have word by Tuesday."

"I'll let her know." Madelyn stood, and gave him another of those oh-so-friendly smiles. "Thank you so much for your help, Doctor Fasham."