Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
The morning had been slow.. almost painful, perhaps it was easier how the Initiative operated at times, where Riley would occasionally wake in the grasp of a medical bed, strapped down as whatever operation or procedure that had taken place was being finished up. The first time that happened that Riley could remember had been when he was fourteen, the fear haunted him throughout the years and Riley never got over it. Then again, there were quite a few things Riley seemed to have a hard time getting over, but surely more then a meagre handful of people had anxiety upon entering any kind of surgery?
He who was once a solider, a mindless minion of a group of welded youths who were lead to believe they were saviours there to guide humanity from the clawed grasp of hell itself, now stood feeling so mortal and frail. No matter how deep the hazel gaze stared at the smooth doors, Riley's body standing motionless just out of the sensors reach. This was supposed to be the easiest part, and yet it felt like the hardest step.. just to pass into the realm of sterile cleanliness that stood beyond this doorway... The appointment was at ten... it was drawing closer to the mark, arriving early didn't seem to help, not when ten minutes of it was instead spent standing outside like an idiot.
It seemed however Riley's body drifted forward finally before his mind could react to stop it, the doors splitting apart and opening before him. Why couldn't things be simple? All he wanted was a simple life, all this chaos though.. could Riley even cope living the simple life anymore? Would the drastic change be too much perhaps? Glimpses of it seemed nice... the idea of waking up, milking the cows, collecting the eggs, working the farm, mending the broken and training the newborns!
"Riley," There was his mother, a nervous look about her, seemingly restless as he himself was, "We went by your room twenty minutes ago, but you'd already left,"Oops. They were going to walk here together, he forgot... had it really taken him more then twenty minutes to make it down here? Not even including the ten that was spent just standing outside now. "Your father just went in to speak with Dr McCoy." Her comment came as Riley's eyes looked about, hearing voices from Hank's office though too muffled and distant to be made out or distinguished. His father. Riley quite liked that, the statement of one of his parents being there, the fact that now he had them, that these seemingly innocent comments could once again be made. Go talk to you mum. Go ask your dad.. so many simple phrases that seemed to have been robbed from Riley, all suddenly there, all suddenly so accessible!
"Come on, take a seat, I'm sure they'll be out in a minute." So assuring.. Riley's own ability to speak seemed to momentarily vanish as he opted to quietly move towards her. Instead of pulling up some random seat however, Riley opted for the far easier and much more comfortable choice of one of the nearby beds, leaning against one and pulling himself up onto it easily. "You look worried.." Maybe because he was? Riley's inner lower lip was gently sucked between his teeth, enabling the young man to pinch the soft flesh for a moment before he gave a quietly spoken reply.
"Maybe a little.. I guess." It would be so much m ore honest if he could just say yes. Yes I am scared. Scared of waking up where he wasn't supposed to be, scared of finding out that something more had been snuck inside of him, something alien and intrusive.. something that he had no control over.. And here he was, walking right back into the arms of the bladed knife, putting himself in the mercy and trust of another doctor... because god knows how well the last doctors ended up treating him, and all the little surprises they left 'for his benefits'. With a curious blink, Riley found during his minds wanderings his mother managed to cup his own hands together, her smaller ones supporting them firmly in their gentle hold.
"You still chew your lip when you get worried about something." A smile came with her words and Riley took a moment before he realized his mother was right, he was nibbling at his lip and he did have a habit of doing it, but he hadn't ever really thought about it. There was almost a soft tug of happiness in her words, as if his mother cherished the mere thought that there was still something about her son that she could point out and say she recognized.. it was almost as painful to think about as it was soothing.
"No fair, you're using insider information to read me." Not exactly the side splitting joke that would echo on through the ages, but it bore more warmth and jest then Riley had been able to give her in years. And it took every ounce of strength that Martha thought she had long since lost to stop herself from allowing the tears to brim in her eyes. She wouldn't cry. Not now, not over such a simple thing... she needed to be strong, he needed to know that they were there for him, no matter how easily he turned away or seemed distant with them, they were there, arms out, hearts open, and as time wore on, it seemed just maybe their efforts and perseverance was paying off. Just maybe things had a chance to grow again, to become what it had once been.. maybe. Martha could at least hope couldn't she?
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
It was always hard watching worried parents prepare to let their children go under the knife. Jonathon Finn did it as he did most things in life from what Hank could see with a quiet dignity that didn’t quite manage to mask the anxiety he was feeling. He had come into Hank’s office that morning seeking what any parent would seek at such a moment. Reassurance, certainly, but only if it was justified!. No false promises that everything would be fine if they were in fact heading towards disaster. No fancy medical terms that would confuse more than clarify. All that Riley’s father really wanted was the truth, good or bad, so that he and his family could face it together. And that was the one thing that Hank couldn’t give him.
Oh he did his best, within the confines imposed upon him by his oath, but Riley’s refusal to tell his parents about the insidious mechanical device that had been implanted in his heart by unscrupulous government agents left him struggling woefully to maintain a balance between what Jonathon needed to know and what he had the right to tell him. So he could explain that this wasn’t exactly a routine procedure without being able to specify what he actually was going to be doing when he had his hands round their son’s heart. And likewise he could tell the worried man that once the operation was over this particular problem would never reoccur but not that the reason he could be sure this was because the thing that was causing all the damage to Riley’s heart and body in general should never have been there in the first place. It was a painstaking conversation, frustrating on both sides, each man respecting the other and sympathising with their relative positions but all the same wishing things could have been different.
It was a measure of Jonathon’s character that he neither railed nor threatened even as it became obvious that his astute questions were being expertly sidestepped. He was no fool. He knew that there were dark things lurking in his sons past even if Riley tried so hard to keep them away from the subject. Something in the doctors eyes told him this was one more secret that he would have to at least pretend to ignore, for his sons sake if not his own. But it wasn’t going to be easy.Still some of the most important questions could be answered. Was the operation really necessary. Yes! Was there a risk? There always was but in this case it should be minimal. Would his son make a full recovery? Again the reply was yes, which in the end was all that mattered. Will I ever really know what’s going on? That question went unasked though it hung in the air between the two men like smoke. And the only reply was a look in the doctors golden eyes that seemed to say. perhaps one day.When Rileys ready but until then we just have to play out our roles. You to worry. Me to reassure. Both of us to care for Riley in our own ways.
It was far from being enough and yet it was all he was going to get. So Jonathon rose and smiled and shook the doctors hand and took what little he had out to his waiting family determined to make it become enough to get them through this day.
Swiftly Jonathon moved to his wife’s side seeing the incipient tears in her eyes even if he didn’t know they had been put there by hope rather than by fear. McCoy followed offering his hand to Martha saying in that cultured voice of his Mrs Finn How good to see you again.before turning towards Riley and adding. “I see you made it then” There was sympathy and understanding in the tone and in the words. that followed and hearing them Jonathon was both grateful and reassured "Don’t worry now" Hank told his son kindly " and above all don’t rush. Everything is ready, but you have to be ready too. So take your time. I will wait in my office. You just come and knock when you’re ready to proceed. Edited by: HankMcCoy13 at: 3/22/07 6:29 pm
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
The muffled voices rose and dropped, Hank's was deeper and more refined but Jonathon's was more passionate considering the situation, and for Riley would always seem stronger and the source of strength. Gradually it just became some sort of background noise however, and soon just a distant drone as thoughts preoccupied the mind and dulled the senses to the outside world. For a while Martha too felt the similar distance, her eyes watching Riley, fretting quietly over what would happen if something went wrong. It had been a devistation the first time she had lost him, to get him back, to go through what they had since then... and then to lose him again... It wasn't possible to concieve her ability to come through it all again.
"Mrs Finn How good to see you again." The voice pulled both Martha and Riley from their distant thoughts, their eyes settling on Hank with numbed spirits. Riley tried to offer an automatic smile but all that came as Hank looked at him was a thin line where his smile ought to be... at least it wasn't a frown he supposed.. and he hadn't slept the best, so maybe he'd be excused for not being on his most formal behaviour. “I see you made it then” A tone of compasion towards the predicament his patient faced, and yet Riley had to wonder if Hank could have possibly imagined that he'd not turn up... Ok, so Riley had a slight tendancy to run from doctors, or hospitals in general.. and he had avoiding seeing Hank a number of the times he had had problems in the past... Ok so maybe with all that Hank considered it a small miracle that Riley had turned up. But Riley had no intention of running away... he wasn't going to show fear towards this, he's seen and suffered a lot worse... but than again, he usually didn't have so much to lose.. and it wasn't the fear of death that had him anxious.
"Don’t worry now" McCoy continued, though Riley wasn't the only one to feel as if Hank asked the impossible. "and above all don’t rush. Everything is ready, but you have to be ready too. So take your time. I will wait in my office. You just come and knock when you’re ready to proceed." Sure.. because waiting around just that little longer to enable him the chance to think and then possible rethink this whole thing was exactly what Riley needed.
"Emily wanted to be here," Martha began, "She's so worried though, and worried it might make you more nervous." As this was explained by his mother, Riley watched McCoy venture off and the door remained open behind him even as his large figure vanished within the doorway.
"Never mind." Came a rather uneasy reply, though Riley's attention shifted to the hand that rested now on his shoulder. Jonathon's grip was comforting, it was like a connection to some sort of recharging device, all he needed to do was stay here and everything would be ok, as long as he could between these safety barriers, nothing to get him.. Though after all Riley had seen, he couldn't really believe that, he wanted to, but he knew that a few bullets, a wave of a demonic arm, a blast of fire, it could break through these precious barriers with ease. It didn't stop him from feeling safe there though.
Riley wasn't sure how long it too for someone to usually prepare themselves for this sort of thing. It seemed surreal, this wasn't how it used to be, in the past he'd usually wake up if not at the end of everything then at least if he woke during whatever was happening he would quickly be put back to sleep. What was worse? To be honest, having his parents there made it as difficult for him to leave as they made it comfortable to stay.
Fear was a show of weakness, and weakness was an intolerable disease. at least that's what the Initiative trained it's soldiers to believe. And if it were as tangible as any brain tumor, then they'd remove it with just as much vigor, and if you felt fear and couldn't control it, then it was shameful not just for you, but for the team you worked with, because fear caused mistakes and hesitations, and both of those could cost lives.
A small breath was drawn in and Riley slipped off the edge of the bed he had sat on, giving both parents a meek smile as he moved on towards the office. Dr McCoy's door seemed like some gapping hole that threatened to devour every ounce of security that Riley had felt.. Or was it because that's just what had usually happened in the past? All that comfort, all that certainty and security, all seeming to be washed away each and every time he had ever had to enter this sort of situation. Granted in the past however.. he had never really been a willing participant.. there was that one time with the... Riley almost frowned.. for the life of him he had some thought right there on the tip of his tongue and just as he went to think it the whole trail of thoughts that lead up to it vanished.
It wasn't so uncommon, he often forgot and remembered and forgot again, at least when it came to things with the Initiative. Outside the Initiative Riley's memory was almost perfect, and for that it made forgetting things all the more frustrating, one thing was for sure... Riley really hated being at the mercy of any doctors. More so lately because he had realized how much they had really screwed him up over the years.
Though McCoy wasn't just any Doctor, he was one of the worlds leading in.. well.. wuite a number of things considering the guy was confronted with new problems all over the place. Though, Riley had to give a slightly smug thought to cheer himself up and make him feel different to all the other random and unique patients that came to his office. How many former agentsof a corrupt brunch of one of the governments supernatural sectors has Hank dealt with? Ok, next to aliens and demi-gods that wasnt really much, but anyway..
Knock on the door when you're ready.
As soon as the words echoed back into Riley's mind, his hand moved against the door. The doctor knew what he was doing, that Riley had no worries about. What did cause hesitation was the simple paranoia that while at times was over the top, had helped keep the though relatively safe the last few years.
Giving a swift knock, which Riley felt pointless as surely he wasn't that hard to miss standing in the doorway. A soft clearing of his throat also accompanied the moment after as Riley forced himself to think about things one last time. Either he walks in there now and gets it over and done with, or wait tilll the next time he was to collapse again, and that would risk him going to another hospital. And what happened last timne he was taken to another hospital? He had just run back here.. ok he got told off and in trouble, but Riley hardly cared about that, and he'd doing it over and over again. The point now being if back then Riley had ran to McCoy, then it made sense to trust that feeling now. After all, Riley was trained to escape danger.. usually he ran away from people, not too them. And it wasn't the first time he'd actually started coming here.. Hank was trying on his end.. least Riley could do was try in return.
"Ok so... what do I do now?" A forced calm, a well trained air of confidence, though a worried heart and eyes to match seemed to do little to keep secret his concerns.
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
They needed some time. Not much. A few moments to settle themselves. To say any last minute things that they felt should be said. Now. Just in case. Hank sighed. Even with the most routine of operations that was always the way and, while he was confident of the outcome, this operation could hardly be classed as routine.
Riley was obviously nervous about the whole thing. Hank had seen that the previous day when he had slipped into his genetics class leaving behind answers that were as competent as always and a set of scribbled drawings that would give any psychiatrist food for thought. Not that they were difficult to interpret. Freedom! From worry! From stress! From the agency that haunted his every thought! The ability to float away and leave all his problems behind. Well maybe after the operation he could do just that. Hank certainly hoped so.And if not then at least it would be a major step in the right direction.
Certainly things would be different once the implant was removed. For one thing Riley’s own mutant powers would come to the fore, bringing with it, no doubt, its own set of problems. Hank only hoped that Riley’s abilities would be easy to handle. The last thing any of them needed was some radical change in appearance or some deadly and unmanageable force that would complicate his life still further. Ah well what would come would come and there was nothing any of them could do about that. The implant had to be removed, the drugs that had been pumped day after day into Riley’s system had to be stopped, otherwise his very life was in danger. Everything else they could worry about when the time came. Once this operation was successfully over. As it surely soon would be.
Indeed the private family moment didn’t last nearly as long as Hank had accepted, Riley obviously having decided to get things over with as quickly as possible. Now he stood before Hank, resolute, even if he fear hadn’t altogether left his eyes and asked "Ok so... what do I do now”
“Ah this will be without a doubt the hardest part of the proceeding”s Hank said with a mischievous smile,designed not to belittle the seriousness of the occasion but at least to lessen perhaps some of the tension.” I’m afraid I must ask you to be brave and confront the dreaded hospital gown! Talia has one ready for you next door and no, don’t worry , she wont help you put it on. We will give you your privacy for that. Then when your ready Ill give you a pre op sedative and take you into the theatre where we will administer the anesthetic. And when you wake up…..well lets just say your heart will be your own again. As of course it always should have been.”
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th"Ah this will be without a doubt the hardest part of the proceedings" How could it get harder?! Was that even possible? Walking into the medbay itself had been trying, and now there was a step that was actually supposed to be difficult, things had always seemed so much more easier when it was Riley cutting open something. Of course, those somethings were inhuman, therefore it never really mattered how they felt about things, nor did it bother any of the agents who helped Professor Walsh in her study of the demonic bodies, be them dead, undead or very much alive. "I’m afraid I must ask you to be brave and confront the dreaded hospital gown! Talia has one ready for you next door and no, don’t worry , she wont help you put it on. We will give you your privacy for that. Then when your ready Ill give you a pre op sedative and take you into the theatre where we will administer the anesthetic. And when you wake up…..well lets just say your heart will be your own again. As of course it always should have been." A gown? Privacy… a sedative? His heart… Riley’s eyes stared at the doctor, then looked away at his desk, searching for something, anything, just letting his eyes wander over the things without paying them any due attention.
Everything hit him, and yet nothing seemed to register, it all made sense, but his thoughts seemed unable to coagulate as he stood there. A hand raised and rested its palm against Hank’s doorframe, eyes turned off towards this room next door before looking back at Hank. What was there to say really? Riley’s hand moved from the doorframe to rest just above his heart, laying over the necklace that lay hidden beneath the material he wore, a turned of his head out towards the area he had come from one last time… but she wasn’t there, was he surprised? Riley wasn’t even sure… had he expected her not to be there? Was he losing his faith in her or… was he just understanding Catherine and her tendencies to a greater degree now?
There was no further hesitation from that point till he moved off and let his strides carry him into the awaiting room, once he was inside he was safe from the prying eyes of others, and that was good… because he almost felt sick. Each item of clothing seemed carefully peeled off, each struggle seeming more and more draining and for a moment Riley found himself standing in nothing but his white jocks, gown in hands though no effort made to put it on. It was just cloth… but what it represented was far more scarier. Nervously Riley slipped it on, trying hard not to think of what was next… once he was ready Hank would come… that’s what McCoy had said, he’d come with a sedative, he’d come and they’d go to the theatre room and it wasn’t going to be the sort of theatre room he’d like, where people played parts in a play, no, this was real and the drama that goes on in there could be life altering for Riley, to the point where there was no more life at all. What if something went so wrong but he didn’t die? What if he lived, but just barely, what if he was a vegetable like Joan used to say would happen if he didn’t have the Initiative there to take care of him? Ok so this far he wasn’t a vegetable, but he wasn’t tip top healthy either, he’d just had a heart attack for Christ sake!
A light headedness washed over Riley, but it was pushed aside, hands working on unchaining the necklace that had been a gift to him at Christmas from Catherine, the ring that dangled something that was supposed to represent their relationship… If only they’d had one, or at least one stable enough that he knew he was dating her or not, sometimes it was like Catherine just woke up one day and decided she was dating him, then went to sleep and woke another deciding she was single. One minute she’d be so close, her hands could be on him, her breath against his flesh… and then the next? Almost as if she were appalled that Riley dared be so close to her in turn, as if he had no right to step towards her, to even look at her, why was she so indecisive?!
Hazel eyes closed, strong hands numb as he clutched at the chain and ring in his right fist, his left fingers toying with a part of the chain that dropped from his others grasp. Even Ben wasn’t here… of course Ben wasn’t here… why? It didn’t even make sense, Riley had been his best friend even when Ben’s parents died, Riley hadn’t had anything to do with their deaths, but Ben blamed mutants solely for the fact that mutants were in the logging truck that hit his parents car, so now years later Riley reappears as a mutant, even if at the time Catherine and Riley came up with the story to explain his strength Riley hadn’t even known it to be true. The once close cousin hated him for being a mutant, as if Riley betrayed him some how, as if Ben thought Riley being dead was a more pleasant thought in comparison then being a mutant or Ben being related to one…
Was Riley supposed to head out there to Hank, or was Hank going to come in here with the sedative? It would have been nice if there was music, even if softly in the background, he’d feel better then, he was sure of it… just some soft music to lull Riley into some sort of comfort zone. Maybe he’d wait a little… maybe Hank would get a call and be forced to cancel all this, unlikely for sure, and it’d just put things off… but Riley had just as much right to hope for something as anyone else, right?
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
Fear was always present whenever surgery was on the horizon, no matter how run of the mill that surgery seemed to be. And in this case ,.. Well all Hank could say was that he had tried to make it seem as run of the mill as possible. Even if none of those concerned were entirely fooled.Still,as far as he was concerned, the mere fact of having been able to schedule the surgery in advance was a luxury he didn’t often have. All too frequently he was asked to respond to emergency situations that even the most skilled of surgeons would have been hard pressed to handle. Situations which called for more than mere medical expertise but rather relied upon the ability to analyse and deal with the most unexpected and extreme examples of emerging or uncontrolled mutant powers!
At least that wasn’t the case here and now. Oh Riley was very much a mutant, even if he himself still had difficulty accepting that fact! But his powers, whatever they might prove to be in the future, were held in check by the implant Hank was preparing to remove. And yet , for once, the blue furred mutant had no qualms whatsoever about the moral questions involved in such an action. After all Riley had never asked for his mutant potential to be suppressed! Just as he had never asked for these drugs to be pumped through his body with the sole aim of turning him into an efficient but ultimately compliant soldier!
Hank didn’t approve, that much was certain. though in the end it was threat to Riley’s health rather than his own anger that had led to him recommending this course of action. They really had no choice, or rather the only other choice open to them was unacceptable to all concerned. Putting Riley back on the higher dosage of drugs he had apparently been proscribed by the agency would have meant condemning him to a life without free will, And that was something he had fought so hard to be free of that sending him back into that particular hell was no longer an option.
Which inevitably led them here, to this radical but necessary operation! Once it was over Riley could truly start this new life he had been seeking, under his own terms. Taking out the implant wouldn’t erase the past, but it would go a long way to giving him a safe and stable future and that, as far as Hank was concerned was surely something to be desired.
So yes, there were risks, but they were acceptable ones , given what they hoped to achieve. Hank had analysed the implant thoroughly using all the sophisticated means at his disposal and also picking the mechanical brain of T1 in the vain hope of breaking through the conditioning that seemed to prevent him from discussing anything to do with the Riley or those who had sent him out to kill the ex agent. There he had unfortunately drawn a blank, though he had sensed that his forced silence was as frustrating to the mechanical man as it was to the doctor himself. Nevertheless Hank had enough data to be going on with, enough, surely, to make this operation not only feasible but safe.
And so he wasn’t faking the confidence he felt when he went in to administer the pre op meds to his less than reassured patient. Not that he was either cocky, or pretentious, he was simply certain that he had prepared the groundwork as well as anyone could have. And as a doctor that was all he could hope to have done. Of course unknowns could arise, that was always possible. The human body wasn’t a machine. Each one had its individual strengths and weaknesses and sometimes the spirit played as great a role in recovery as any physical factor. But Riley was young and, apart from this created problem, strong and healthy. And, when it came to situations like this, Hank was the best there was.
So his smile of reassurance was entirely sincere as he walked into the small room where Riley was waiting apprehensively. As were the words with which he addressed the young man. “Another injection I’m afraid “ he told Riley sympathetically “but one that will take us towards the time when no more will be necessary.And besides… the effects of this one are rather pleasant.
It will help you relax” the doctor explained as he expertly slipped the needle into Riley’s arm, though what he said didn’t even begin to cover the release from inhibitions the drug usually provoked. In vino veritas was the old adage but Hank knew that, if the truth was indeed found in wine it was revealed more effectively still by the substance he had just injected into Riley.! Though there was just as good a chance that Riley would declare his undying love for the bedpost or announce that he was secretly the king of Siam! rather than reveal the deepest secrets of his heart
All the advantages of being drunk without the hangover Which is why, Hank reminded himself with a smile, Doctor patient confidentiality is so crucial. “And don’t worry” he went on as he saw the drug start to cloud his patients eyes “I’ll be right here beside you until the operation is over. This isnt something you're facing alone, its something we're going to get through together”
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
Some people always had this dramatic way of explaining things as they happened, saying how everything seemed to move in slow motion and how life itself hang on a single breath, where a moment was eternity that felt would never end.. and yet always does. Could Riley explain this very moment as one such occurrence? He couldn’t say for sure, now could he really put the effort into its consideration, all Riley could do was stare at Dr McCoy appeared and began his approach towards the former government soldier. Don’t close your eyes. The easiest thing in the world, just keep them open and stare, act as if this was any other challenge to be taken head on and without a trace of hesitation in the face of what needed to be done! Breath steady. Or else the air would entangle itself within his lungs and that would just aid the risk of a fainting spell once things began to take their toll… he couldn’t allow that, have a black out in the middle of combat and you or someone else could die because of it. Sure, this wasn’t in the middle of nowhere or surrounded by formidable foes, but this was medlab… Dr McCoy’s stomping grounds… the decider of just how capable and worthy and fit Riley really was to be part of the teams or even the school itself!
"Another injection I’m afraid" Hazel eyes peered down, travelling noticeably from Hank’s feline face and cat slit eyes, to the large furred hand that held the afore mentioned needle. Don’t fidget. It would show he was anxious. Keep a steady breathing still. Otherwise the change would be noticeable and the cause of the change would be undeniable. A vampires bite… gives you a high and makes you feel free, but once the wings fade you just come crashing down… the dose isn’t very strong though, not like the first one he gave me… don’t look at it. Rambling away in his thoughts didn’t entirely help ease his thoughts on the whole thing, but it helped give a slight distraction. It’s not good… just another demon to fight, able to seduce yet intolerable all at once. It never hurt as much when he had been on the drugs, nothing ever really bothered him entirely, he never fussed or worried or grew as anxious as he did when not on them. Selfishly it was good to be like that, freeing in all it’s own ways… but not if you wanted to be part of other peoples lives, people who stare at you and treat you as if you’re insensitive for it.
"but one that will take us towards the time when no more will be necessary. And besides… the effects of this one are rather pleasant."Aren’t they all. Riley’s eyes returned to Hank’s expression, Finn didn’t care about how blissfully sweet the injection would be, he didn’t care to hear it, he didn’t want to remember how freeing drugs could be… sure there were times he’d wane himself off them and suddenly fragments of memories returned that he wished and hoped weren’t real. But that’s only once the drugs have faded… while they’re there… he felt so fuelled and capable, so untouchable, even if he hadn’t realized the meds were in fact such potent drugs until the other year when he had stopped taking them… he hadn’t realized it had been them that made him feel like that. Riley had always thought it was just who he was, to be so confident and brave, so self aware and assured that he did what he had to do and he did it without question because that was the right thing to do. I don’t need the drugs any more to find myself falling again… is this me crashing head first into the ground or am I still falling, mere moments away from impact? Not the right thoughts, Clear your mind. don’t focus on anything but the doctor’s expression, have no thoughts, no emotions, no fears… just look at him, watch the one they call Beast as he slipped into his rank of healer and prepared both himself and Riley for what was to come next.
"It will help you relax"I can be relaxed without drugs. He thought tensely, realizing as he did so that he was perhaps being stubborn in his mild slip of panic. I can live without them… I grew up without them, and I’ve spent the last year without them… they’re always just supposed to help me, but at what cost? Riley’s arm lifted, turning over to reveal soft flesh for where McCoy needed to administer the injection, Riley didn’t dare look down, though he did want to look away, just stare off towards one of the walls in distant thought… But he couldn’t, it could be taken as a sign of weakness on his part. Perhaps this really was like a vampire’s bite, the wound may heal and the addiction may subside, but it was always there in the back of your mind, it always taunted and tempted and teased…
"And don’t worry" Oh god Riley hated when people said that to him, it usually meant that he would have to worry because it was definitely worry warranted. But worry about what? There were a lot of things he should or could worry about, like where was Catherine? Were the Initiative soldiers posted outside the school still there? Was Hank going to do something more that he wasn’t telling Riley? Doctors did that sometimes… well where Riley spent his adolescence they did it virtually all the time so it wasn’t like his paranoia wasn’t founded. Would Katie be ok while he was in here? What would his team mates be saying about him while he’s not around? Did they even like him or was he the annoying temp they put up with till mercy had it’s way and relieved them of his burden? Thoughts swirled… then slowly blurred, then gradually he felt like all his thoughts were like a liquid fog, heavy and yet when he reached for them he seemed unable to take hold.
"I’ll be right here beside you until the operation is over. This isnt something you're facing alone, its something we're going to get through together" A stillness was about Riley was he continued to stare, though a slight disorientation of his thoughts being the reason he remained posed, his arms taking a few moments before it once again dropped to his side. "Like with shopping." Riley stated, his voice softly spoken as he thought. "I hate shopping." The tone turned slightly annoyed but still soft and not raised at all, the admittance was hardly a secret, his fact was made more then clear when they had gone to Salem centre, even if they had managed to survive the trip there and back. "Though…. It did get boring eating the same thing on the same days… it just never bothered me before." He’d eat what he was told to eat and he’d not dare whine about it, even if he did they’d not do anything really… worse case being them saying he wasn’t to eat anything then for the rest of the day and see how grumpy he gets over meals after that. But Riley never fussed… Forrest had at one point when they were young because he refused to eat some of the greens, professor Walsh had him on a diet without meet for a month for it. She’d not tolerate her soldiers not taking care of their bodies, there was only so much she could do and she was hardly going to shovel the right foods into their mouths.
"But they never made breakfast like mum made, breakfast was never breakfast without eggs, bacon and roasted tomato on thick toasts….I volunteered for morning watch of the holding pens so I didn’t have to eat their awful slop in the morning." Riley’s eyes trailed around the floor for a moment, he wasn’t sure how he really got to talking about breakfast from Hank’s comment but one thing lead to another and at the time it had all seemed to make such perfect sense, but even so he was struggling to keep it that way. "Never eat their chicken and corn soup if they bring it to you… it’s the sleeper." That’s what a lot of the soldier’s called it, ‘get the sleeper ready’ usually meant go get the soup and add the drug and bring it back as soon as possible to deal with whoever needed to be dealt with. Riley’s attention moved back to his arm where Hank had pressed the needle into his skin, the mark left behind briefly getting rubbed by Riley’s other hand before the tips of his fingers brushed irritably against it. It felt like Riley needed to say something, as if it were on the tip of his tongue and yet it’d just not slip out, was it important or not he wasn’t sure… truth be told he’d known he’d just been on about something but even that was already slipping away to be forgotten. A light chuckle came rather randomly by all accounts, soft and brief, a memory surfacing then being brushed aside so quick he barely registered it save for a single phrase which he had found humorous at one point and it still drew a reaction from him but not vibrant enough to stay focused on at this moment in time.
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
The drug was taking effect. Already the monitors showed Riley’s heart rate slowing though Hank hardly needed the alien machines to tell him that it was doing its job. One look at the expression on Riley’s face was enough. It was that slightly befuddled expression worn by children who had just woken up or by adults who alcohol was just about to send to sleep. And it was better than the scarcely concealed fear that had been there just seconds before.
Even his voice was more relaxed as he replied to Hanks words with some of his own. . "Like with shopping." Hank grinned . Yes he supposed for Riley their little outing to the mall had been something to be endured just as this was. "I hate shopping." His patient told him, as if to confirm the doctors thoughts, though to be honest that piece of information wasn’t exactly a secret. Not once you had actually been in a store with Riley that was. Still, Hank hoped that they had made some progress on that front, even if only a little. Perhaps enough to make the next cheese buying endeavour somewhat less of an ordeal.
. "Though…. It did get boring eating the same thing on the same days… it just never bothered me before." A glimpse into the strict and not so wonderful life Riley had led in the goverment facilities Hank supposed. If only memories of boring food were all that they had left him, but of course that was not the case. Otherwise the doctor wouldn’t be here today waiting to cut him open! Waiting to remove all traces of them from the young mans body as he unfortunately could not do from his mind.
"But they never made breakfast like mum made, breakfast was never breakfast without eggs, bacon and roasted tomato on thick toasts…. Hank hoped that memories of happier times would oust those of later hardships but that was not to be. I volunteered for morning watch of the holding pens so I didn’t have to eat their awful slop in the morning." Riley went on, obviously harking back once more to the bad old days when he had been trained as an agent. And as to what they might have held in those ‘pens,’ ......Hank wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. Though he had no doubt that he would, if Riley’s sub conscience suddenly decided it needed to discuss the subject.
Which it didn’t immediately ,at least. Instead Riley seemed more concerned with importing vital survival information, vital for those his agency was eager to entertain that was . "Never eat their chicken and corn soup if they bring it to you… it’s the sleeper." he told the doctor earnestly before his eyes became confused again and the subject seemed to be forgotten in favour of a less intense one, or so it sounded from the slight laugh he now gave.
Which was all to the good. Riley had secrets he desperately needed to talk about, but not like this. Not because drugs had broken down his defences and left him exposed and vulnerable. When he was ready to talk Hank would be there to listen, if that’s what Riley wanted. But at this precise moment all the doctor hoped was that Riley wouldn’t say anything he would later regret. Or that if he did he wouldn’t remember it when he woke up.
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
Eyes closed, with fingers lightly pressing against Riley’s forehead, he felt so… similar to other times that he’d been in similar situations. It will help you relax, Ah drugs, blissfully sweet and oh so intoxicating drugs, plastered with names such as ‘medication’ to give it an air of friendliness that naïve and reckless fools buy into. This isnt something you're facing alone, the words returned, the struggle for focus adamant and yet waning swiftly, any hope of control fading away as the line between sense and nonsense seemed to blur to a point of indifference. It seemed to be all clear and senseless at the same time, as if everything was clear as crystal, but none of it felt right, or did it? He wasn’t sure… though he was sure about one thing; he helped destroy all that was once Riley Finn. If he could do it all over again, would he change everything? Would he defy requests and demand he stay in a school that took hours to get to and hours to get home from, and was considered not one of the best schools in the country? If Riley knew all that would happen for saying yes, then sure he’d refuse, he’d rebel if he had to, he’d stomp his feet and slam his door.
"Marc…Riley…Lucas," Each name was said carefully, softly to himself, a little pause till the next was spoken. Riley died, hadn’t he? They had all gone to his funeral, everyone had said he was dead, everyone had said it was in a road accident, a truck or something collided into the small car, he died instantly. So if Riley died, then he couldn’t be Riley, so he had to be Marc, that’s what people had said his name was, some referred to the former agent with his middle name… did that make sense? "If I’m not Riley, could I still keep Katie? Do you think he’d mind?" Riley hated Marc and Marc hated Riley, what if Marc didn’t treat Katie right? He hadn’t treated Catherine right last time… but what if Riley wasn’t real? "I could be him, I know Riley died but I could be him… or am I not him? I feel like… maybe I’m asleep," Fingers lowered to his chin, hazel eyes opening to look over the scene around him, "Am I stolen property," Medical beds, medical equipment, all things medical like, yeah, he was asleep, and he was having a mild nightmare. Now that would explain it all, though he caught sight of Beast seemed a little confused, "They sold me," Riley closed his eyes, he felt tired, "Can you sell damaged goods?" He chuckled slightly at the comment that was spoken with a drained tone.
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
Who would have thought to look at Riley that there was so much confusion and pain lying insidiously under what had been, until recently, a calm surface Or at least the appearance of one. Hank suspected however that nothing had been calm in Riley’s life for a long time now. And that only the young mans training and almost paranoid need to keep everything he was going through secret had prevented them from seeing that. Still, hearing him talk now Hank felt that he had let him down badly over the whole Marc Lucas incident!
It had clearly been a psychotic break, triggered either by stress or by some subtle programming that this mysterious agency whose handiwork they were about to try to repair had foisted on him. Either way Hank should have recognised it for what it was. Dangerous! Not only to Riley but to those around him! And they should have certainly never let him lead a team until that trauma had been fully explored and sorted out. In fact, they had been lucky that their carelessness on this matter hadn’t lead to actual deaths. Though the damage ‘Marc’s’ fleeting appearance had caused was more than enough to be going on with.
It had obviously scarred Riley’s psyche for one. It had come close to costing Spike his life. Was it still there, that second personality waiting to emerge when they least expected it. That was something they should look into when all this was over. Or rather that Sue and Jean should look into the doctor thought with a slight smile, thankful beyond words to have some of the pressure taken off his shoulders. . And maybe the presence of a permanent school councillor would ensure that a problem like this didn’t slip past them again. What was happening here and now though, that was his responsibility and no one elses. And there was no point putting it off any further. Riley was certainly more than ready for the next step.
However what he said next more than caught the doctors attention stilling the hands that had been ready to move the bed through to the operation theatre. "Am I stolen property," Hank looked at him in puzzlement and growing sympathy as Riley continued "They sold me, Can you sell damaged goods?"
“Riley” Hank said softly. “No one can sell you. No one has that right. Even if they chose to believe that they have. The people who did this to you” the doctor went on earnestly “are the ones who are damaged. In their minds and in their spirits! They set this implant in your heart because they knew that they couldn’t control you by any other means. And today we are taking it out. We are breaking the last chain that binds you to them. We are telling them once and for all that you are Riley Finn. And that you are and always have been free.
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th"Riley" Maybe it was a dream, a deep dream that would leave Riley fully rested wen he woke, that’s what Riley needed lately, a good full nights sleep, without the splattering of bad dreams that troubled many of his nights. "No one can sell you. No one has that right. Even if they chose to believe that they have. The people who did this to you" It was hard to listen, harder still to respond, almost impossible at this point to feel in control, but it was strangely good as well, for once Riley couldn’t put a name to this feeling, it was just nice, calming, relaxing, it didn’t matter whatever was being said, it was nice to talk, to hear a voice, a voice that wasn’t angry, it was nice. "are the ones who are damaged. In their minds and in their spirits! They set this implant in your heart because they knew that they couldn’t control you by any other means. And today we are taking it out. We are breaking the last chain that binds you to them. We are telling them once and for all that you are Riley Finn. And that you are and always have been free." Free? …Riley Finn, and free, that sounded nice, those three words stringed together, they were just as nice as this feeling, but that’s what he felt, he felt free, free to relax, free to lose control and just lay down. Implant. The word echoed back, and confused him slightly, the memory was translucent at best, like a swirl of dust caught in the beam of sunlight, more visible while it was thick, then as soon as the light was gone it all seemed indistinguishable in the dark.
"…Oh yeah...." It was increasingly more difficult to open his eyes with every blink, and at this point he no longer seemed able to pull them apart, but it didn’t matter, it was comfortable keeping them closed… too comfortable perhaps, but for some reason, it didn’t matter, it was nice. "..I remember," The implant in his heart and head, how could he forget? Oh well, Hank didn’t forget, and that’s what mattered, Hank was good, he wasn’t like the other doctors, the ones who didn’t know anything about Riley or even worse when they knew too much. Riley hummed lightly, however very brief and deeply groggy, it seemed to drown out into a steady breathing which slowed and became more relaxed, a mattered mumble was the last thing Riley managed to say before he fell silent, the words were indistinguishable, if they actually were words at all and not just slurred mumble of incoherent gibberish.
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
The last few words were spoken and then Riley was asleep. Soundly!. Peacefully! Whatever memories Hank had conjured up for him held at bay by the drugs that would now keep him drifting in oblivion until the Doctor had worked his magic. Or rather his science! There were no powers involved here. No mutant abilities called into play! Just a mans knowledge and dedication. And an intelligence that would have been Hank’s own, even if he had never been a mutant. It would have to be enough. It would be enough, Hank promised himself as he wheeled Riley into the operating theatre. Talia was already waiting, scrubbed up and ready, as Hank himself retreated to complete the last stages of this all too familiar ritual.
He had lost count of the number of times he had scrubbed in over the years. And yet every patient who had ever passed under his knife was logged away somewhere in his memory. There had been memorable successes, lives saved that he had been sure should have been lost and; less frequently thank god , equally spectacular failures! None of them was forgotten, that much was sure. Each and every face of those he had failed to save was etched into Hanks memory, branded there by the fire of his unforgiving standards. There would be a new one adding itself to the list all too soon. Scott, his baffling physical disintegration defeating even Hank’s genius, leaving the doctor disarmed before its relentless progress.
But that wasn’t the case here and now. Hank had mastered this situation! He knew every one of the ins and outs of the human heart! Physically at least! Because if Riley had decided to die then Hank knew would be facing an uphill struggle! Over the years he had learned a healthy respect for willpower. It could pull a patient through when medical science would have said all was lost. And the opposite was just as true. Riley though……. He was troubled, and with good cause,; Confused to the very core of his being! But he was also, first and foremost survivor! If he hadn’t been he would have chosen death long before now.
No, Hank didn’t worry about Riley’s will to live as he cut deep into his chest and revealed the beating heart within. Nor did he doubt his own talent; otherwise he would never have made the incision in the first place. This was going to go well. The electronic device was after all nothing more than an artificial cancer, placed there by unscrupulous friends who thought they could control Riley’s life. Well he had proved them wrong! He had fought for his freedom every step of the way. Riley had already vanquished this particular demon. And now all Hank had to do was prise its dead hands out of his heart!
Which he did! Carefully! Confidently! Never knowing till it was too late that this particular corpse was in fact a vampire.
He had the implant safely in his grasp, no damage done, no scars left anywhere to be seen when the monitors erupted into frantic dismay. Not that he needed them to see that something was wrong. Horribly wrong. Riley convulsing body was enough to make that clear. Dear god! Hank’s mind was working even as his hands released their hold on the treacherous piece of machinery that had brought about this situation. There was a link! A failsafe device that he had missed! A back up bomb in Riley’s brain as exquisitely constructed to avoid detection, even by Shi’ar technology as the one he had found in T1. And this time no amount of quick thinking or superhuman reactions was going to save the day. Though it could perhaps delay the inevitable long enough for someone else to do so;
Hanks hands acted instinctively, moving the implant sufficiently, or so he hoped, to at least buy his otherwise doomed patient some time. Now though, everything, Riley’s very survival, hinged on his ability to break T1 out of his programming. Or rather, as it had in the past, no matter how tragic that outcome had ultimately seemed, on T1’s owndesire to break out it. “We have a problem, Talia he said calmly.” I can’t move so I need you to do exactly as I say, otherwise Riley is going to die. You have to put me in touch with the advanced med lab immediately. I have to talk with T1. And I have to do it now!
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
Everything was working so well, Talia's job kept her busy but it was all routine and easy, that didn't stop her from being anxious but Hank looked so sure of everything that not an ounce of fear worried Talia's thoughts. It was strange to see Riley like this though, he always looked so proud and strong in her training sessions with him back on her old team, X-change. Everything seemed to be going so well, and the sudden turn for the worse startled Talia so much that she had to stiffle a surprised cry as Riley started convulsing.
"We have a problem, Talia" Yes, well that much she could see, and suddenly worry clouded her eyes as the golden spheres turned to stare at Hank for instructions. "I can’t move so I need you to do exactly as I say, otherwise Riley is going to die. You have to put me in touch with the advanced med lab immediately. I have to talk with T1. And I have to do it now!" Die? Questions flooded and yet Talia was already turning about to set up a two way communication between the medlabs. Whatever was happening Hank was taking it really serious, but what did T1 have to do with it? Was there something Hank didn't know that T1 did or was there something she didn't know between them? What was going on?
"Zis is medbay, please respond," Talia's German accent clearly coloured her urgent words, there was no point talking to the mind of a robot, she was pretty sure that was not going to work and wasn't about to test out the marvels of science right now. She looked at McCoy as the singal got through and all signs showed the link up and running, giving the doctor a nod of her head to show he could reply once they knew the one they were trying to contact was there to give them its attention.
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
For the most part T1 remained dormant in the advanced medical bay, his cpu linked up to the institutes computer systems via a cable running from his side to one of the many consoles around the room. Silently his powerful systems surfed the endless hive of information that was the schools systems and the World Wide Web, gleaning what information was deemed important and discarding the dupilcates and pointless nonsense that humans liked to clog the passageways of knowlege with. Why someone would want to dedicate an entirel webpage to a feline T1 could not and probably would never understand.
there was so much to learn, and more added daily to this endless hive of information, but then again T1 did have more memory than most computers. his memory banks would never fill, there was just no way that he could reach their limits even if he downloaded the entire internet without removing any, such was the technology the Initiative spent millions on.
'be patient' hank had told him, and it was a rule he could abide to for the robot did not require stimulation to amuse himself, he had rested for days on end in the initiative without any form of contact from anything, here, with his computer link was like being in a five star hotel with a free mini bar. "Zis is medbay, please respond," as the germanic voice broke out via an intercom link the dormant circuits burst into life, power spread through T1's body instantly, his large frame moving towards the intercom "Unit T1 reporting" the robot replied his slow voice laced with an Austrian accent. The feed was from the medical bay, running through the records quickly via his link to the systems he knew that Agent Finn was scheduled for an opperation with the Doctor, from te tone of the womans voice Something was going wrong.
Already he knew the problem, from the medical notes it was all too obvious to the machine that the doctor was attempting to remove whatever the initiative had put in the man's body, but had he realised thee were backups, failsafes like the ones that hained T1's ability to share information. If the robot could have hope, right now it was that the Doctor was not about to ask him to access the information T1 posessed... that was near to impossible. Just in case however the Robot began once more to attempt a bypass at least of the firewalls only the Initiative could break down
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
How could he have missed this! It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been expecting some sort of failsafe device on the implant. Hank had scanned and rescanned every inch of Riley’s body to be sure and found nothing. Nothing that even the alien machines at his disposal could locate. And yet it had been there. Hiding . waiting for someone to be foolish enough to tamper with their property. Riley. Nothing showed more clearly than this callous self destruct mechanism that they thought of him as exactly that. A possession to be thrown aside once it no longer served them. Now here Hank was with Riley’s life hanging in the balance and no clear idea of what to look for or where to find it. And he had no doubt that the slightlest mistake on his part would prove fatal for his patient.
Faced with such a predicament the doctor had done the only thing possible. He had called in a consult. Not a conventional one to be sure but the best chance he had under the circumstances. T1. The killing machine who had once saved Riley’s life at the cost of his own. Though Hank doubted Riley would see things that way. Locked somewhere in his programming was all the knowledge Hank would need to get through this operation. If only he could find the key!
That the mechanoid would be willing to help was obvious. Robot or not Hank had seen the regret he felt over what had happened with Catherine all too clearly. But would that willingness be enough to break apart the barriers T1’s creator had installed in him? Hank didn’t know. But he prayed that it would . because otherwise ……… Hank forced himself not to dwell on the idea of failure. It simply wasn’t an option. He had promised Riley that he would get him through this and he was going to keep that promise. No matter what it took.
"Unit T1 reporting" The voice should have been neutral but Hank thought he already heard a hint of concern in it. He shouldn’t really have been surprised. After all he had given Ti free access to the mainframe. It was only to be expected that he would therefore be aware of everything that was going on in the Institute. As far as the systems were concerned at least.
Did this help or hinder in the present case. Hank wasn’t sure. Certainly it would save him the trouble of explaining what was going on but then again, on the down side, T1’s defences seemed strongest where Riley was concerned. Would the fact that it was the ex agent that they were trying to save prove too much for his programming? They would just have to wait and see.
“T1 , thank you for responding so quickly “ Hank said , keeping his voice calm even as his mind raced. “I have a .. hypothetical problem I’m trying to solve and I was wondering if you could give me your opinion on the matter” It was a lie and they would both know it.. but it might just be enough to circumnavigate walls that the robot had already been trying to breach for some time. Or so Hank prayed anyway.
” I have been doing a study on control devices such as the one you had installed when we first met and my question is this. Supposing someone was to install a similar on in a human being, say around the area of the heart for example. Where might they install the inevitable failsafe device. For maximum effect that is?”
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th“T1 , thank you for responding so quickly. I have a .. hypothetical problem I’m trying to solve and I was wondering if you could give me your opinion on the matter” there could be no doubt in the robot's mind that it was a lie, but he could understand the reasons why. At least Hank seemed to understand that there was programming in place that prevented T1 from helping as he so desired to do. and this 'hypothetical problem' was the doctors way of attempting to circumnavigate the minefield that was the initiatives definition of sensitive information.
” I have been doing a study on control devices such as the one you had installed when we first met and my question is this. Supposing someone was to install a similar on in a human being, say around the area of the heart for example. Where might they install the inevitable failsafe device. For maximum effect that is?” the answer was there, every agents medical files were at his disposal within certain limits, and the initiatives overall medical knowledge was held within his programming. all he had to do was respond, anything...
T1 wanted to send the file to the computers in the medical lab, to tell Hank where the problem lay within Riley's body, hell even to say one word in a helpful response would be satisfying enough. but it didnt come... silence, the cold hard truth of the matter was that he was not ready, there hadnt been enough work done to break down the inititives formidable defense mechanisims that kept them hidden no matter what happened to their agents or creations. in truth there was probably only one person that could unlock the secrets he unwillingly kept hidden within his memory banks, but there was no Way that proffesor walsh would ever come to the School and do so.
Would Hank realise he was struggling, that he couldnt say anything rather than that he just wasnt trying to. But there was another logical option though, or at least in the mind of a Robot, he had already processed several probablilities in his mind and although no human would ever consider suggesting such a thing he was not human. "i can help" words finally passed through his vocal systems. he saw no other options, without information that T1 was unable to share Hank was working blind, and the chances of Rileys survival were minimal, yet T1 had the information readily to hand. certainly he had no medical experience but the procedures for this operation were welldocumented within the inititives medical records and he knew the ins and outs of the implants better than everyone in the school.
the question now was how much Hank trusted the mechanical, or more to the point, how badly they wanted to save the Young man's life
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
Hank hadn’t been delusional enough to expect a concise and snappy answer, the robot equivalent of the Idiots Guide to Removing Implants. But still the silence that came in response to his question seemed to last forever. What if, in fact, it didn’t end? What if, despite all his caution the very act of asking such a thing of T1 had sent his systems crashing and left the doctor facing this alone and blind?
Hank forced himself to take a deep breath. If that was the case then he would just have to do his best. After all he had years of medical experience behind him and a wealth of knowledge that no other doctor could draw on, gleaned from his career spent in treating mutants. This wouldn’t be the first time he would have been forced to improvise. And it wouldn’t be the last. He just prayed for everyone’s sake that it didn’t come to that.
After all Riley’s family had already suffered enough! Didn’t they deserve to have their son back whole and well? And Riley himself. He had so much to live for. So much to catch up on! All those years that this agency had stolen from him. All the experiences they had kept him from. Hank had been so sure he could give him that chance. And yet now here he was inches away from death all because Hank had told him everything would be all right. ‘Stop it’ Hank told himself sternly. ‘This is not over yet. I will not let it be over. Not while this heart I’m holding is still beating”
The doctors agile mind was already recalculating odd, working out possibilities, making its own way towards a solution when the robots voice finally came over the intercom. . "I can help" Hanks relief was overwhelming, a silent prayer of thanks offered up even before he answered T1
“That is good to hear my friend” he replied sincerely. “some assistance would certainly be most appreciated” Exactly what kind of assistance the mechanoid could provide Hank neither knew nor cared. It T1 said he could help then that was good enough for the doctor. And in this situation any aid, no matter how small could tip the balance.
“I will send Talia right down to fetch you . My dear “he said turning to his assistant “if you would be so kind! Speed and discretion are of the essence. So a little teleportation would be just what the doctor ordered”
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
The duration of their conversation seemed unreal, as if the very fabric of time itself had torn just around them and what was said was spoken so quickly and what each moment between their words dragged on like an eternity. If only Talia could teleport as swiftly from one comment to another as she could from one place to another.
"I can help" And there it came, as if out of nowhere despite Talia's breath held in anticipation for just those words. Even Hank's emotions betrayed him as the relief washed over his large features and left Talia feeling almost light headed though she wasn't even sure what exactly T1 could do to help. To be honest, the telepath wondered if this anxiety was any of hers and not just all of Hanks, but if this was the case, then the doctor had more then enough on his shoulders and it was only right to share with him this struggle. The nurse was always unsure of things, and that feeling was common enough to not throw her off too much, but Hank being thrown this much, even if a part of the great physician still struggled to work things out as speedily as he could in the current situation.
“That is good to hear my friend” When the doctor had formed such a relationship with T1 Talia wasn't sure, and if the mechanical man could even relate to the meanings of the word just exclaimed Talia wasn't even sure. “some assistance would certainly be most appreciated” There was a brief pause as she wondered just what sort of assistance the machine man could provide... what sort of things did T1 one know that Hank didn't and what kind of help could he offer that Talia couldn't?
“I will send Talia right down to fetch you . My dear “ Suddenly she was drawn into the thick of it all on a different scale to what she was used to, being a nurse usually meant she could be standing right there for hours or days on end and only on the few and odd occasions did she really have anyone discuss anything with her beyond that of 'pass the..' whatever or 'mind fetching some..' whichever they happened to lack at the moment. Even meals were on her list of chores, as well as organizing the med cabinet, but all this she could do with little said to her, usually Talia knew what to do before being asked in any case. She's never left Hank in the middle of something so serious before... and by what was radiating from her mentor, this was indeed very serious. “if you would be so kind! Speed and discretion are of the essence. So a little teleportation would be just what the doctor ordered” A small nod was given, common or not, this was not just a request for efficiency, this was a demand for haste! And with that knowledge, the young nurse was gone, a bumf sounding as air suddenly sucked in to fill the gap where her mass had previously been, a bluish purple residue of smoke leaking in from the alternate dimension all that remained of her presence.
With a clear image of the advance med bay below, Talia had no fear nor any problems appearing in the area, even in the moment of materializing she seemed unfazed and completely alert. there were no words save a slight bow of Talia's head as the young woman reached for the manufactured life form and gestured for their departure. A moment later, and Talia was back to where she had come from, once more facing Hank though this time with an over sized mechanoid attached to her hand.
For the briefest of moments, Talia found herself wondering what her father would think should he have walked in that instant to see his daughter’s arms locked with that of an older looking male... It almost made her smile at the thought, her father would be most displeased and angered, a side of him not often seen and reserved for only the most stressful of times. Her arms unlocked and the slender form inched back just slightly, casting her eyes down to the laying form. One day she might find someone nice, and if she did, she was sure even her father would support her. It wasn't like she was going to date someone completely irresponsible, and for him to see beyond that of her mutation, well then he'd have to be special, wouldn't he?
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
No sooner did the com link shut down a puff of smoke signalled the arival of the doctors assistant, Talia from what he could gather was the young lady's name. A remarkable person in her abilities to teleport, it was of great intrigue to the mechanical it was as though he was looking forward to the teleportation process, all his sensors primed to record the event for examination at a later date when lives were not at stake and he was confined to the med lab once more.
the event of teleportation itself was over in mere seconds, though all his readings coujld be slowed down for his viewing and analitical pleasure as and when he chose to do so. there were theories as to what occurred but to see for oneself would be much better. This was T1's first view of the medical bay, in fact it was the first time he had been out of the advanced medical lab for quite a while, there was significantly more natural light in this room allowing him to recharge his batteries a little whilst here.
lying on the talbe in fromt of him the convulsing body of Agent Finn, plain Riley to these people, his chest open with the doctor trying his best to keep some semblance of order within. the robot knew what was wrong, the doctor hasd attempted to remove the chip from riley's heart without knowing aobut the one in his head, wired into the brain and nervous sytem it had failsafes to prevent either being removed by those unauthorised to do so. T1 unfortunatley did not have authority to override this, which meant the only way to Save Riley now was to remove them both simultaneously.
Not an easy task however, nor would it be easy for the mechanical to explain Where the second chip was, so sensitive the nature of the information it was classified and his systems would just not allow him to disclose such inforamtion right now. simple and vague was the only way to explain it, with any luck it would be enough for the good doctor to understand both of their parts in this. "head and heart, they work as one..." simple enough and probably easy to understand T1 quickly moved round to the top of the table At riley's head. "without one the other cannot function, both must be removed together, there is a small margin of error" the files were open in his memory banks, the operation had been run over a thousand times before he had even got to the room, but there were still snags.
it was explained in ways that the initiatives doctors would understand, the basics were left out, T1 knew this, only problem was that he really did not know the basics that well "We need to make a hole here" the robot pointed directly towards a spot on Riley's Head, beneath which inside the man's skull lay the root of the problem. "once inside i can help" T1's gaze and head moved with a slight mechanical whirring to face Talia "i know not the basics of surgery" there was a slight pause as he studies her face for a second, trying not to waste time analising her raction "once inside i can work" he repeated "then when we have both we can remove simultaneously"
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th
There were rules associated with any profession, some simple, some complicated But all there for a reason. And all meant to be obeyed. In the case of doctors, the list of ‘do’s’ was far shorter than the list of ‘donts’ which was, Hank supposed, only normal in a job where certain decisions were so fraught with moral implications that they lay tangled like some Gordian knot not even Alexander’s sword could cut through cleanly, let alone a scalpel.
Strangely enough, no one had ever bothered to put down in actual words that no doctor should invite a trained assassin to operate on a man he had recently tried to kill. Or ask an untrained a teenager to perform brain surgery on one of her friends. It wasn’t necessary. No doctor.. noone in their right mind would even think of doing it! It was unimaginable. It was unethical! It was wrong on so many levels that Hank couldn’t even begin to calculate them. And yet here and now it was also the only chance Riley had for survival!
The blue furred physician had asked for help and to be fair he had received it. It was already amazing that the mechanoid had managed to come this far, not only making it all the way into the operating theatre but also managing to communicate once he got there. Unfortunately not all of what he said made for easy listening. "We need to make a hole here" he had announced competently, getting the doctor's hopes up only to dash them a second later as he added. "i know not the basics of surgery once inside i can work then when we have both we can remove simultaneously "
Which had reduced Hank’s options considerably! Still he had tried desperately to come up with another plan, anything, rather than the terrifying enterprise his mind had laid out before him. But nothing had been forthcoming! Nothing that had half a chance of succeeding anyway! There was only this insane notion: calling it a plan was doing it too much honour, and it shook Hank to the core that he was even willing to attempt it. Especially since he wasn’t the only one who would pay dearly if it failed!
The doctors golden eyes rose to look at his young assistant. Was she ready for this? Was he ready for that matter to ask it of her? And yet if he didn’t a young man would died Did that really mean that the end justified the means? It wasn’t supposed to. Not to a doctor. You were supposed to know when to admit defeat. When to walk away. But then walking away had never been Hanks strong suit. And defeat wasn’t an option!
“Very good T1” the physician forced himself to say levelly. “Then it seems that between the three of us we have the means to save Riley’s life.” Deliberately he forced his concerns aside concentrating instead on making things go right rather than the myriad of things that could go wrong. “ Talia” he said gently “I need you to be my hands.. and my eyes. In the latter case quite literally.
Opening the skull is not in itself a difficult procedure. It just needs precision. And your powers will allow me to give you just that.” He left her time to realise what he was hinting at but not so much that she could panic. “I cannot move my dear. To do so would send Riley into further convulsions.. possibly fatal ones. So you must see for me. You must link us so closely that I can look out of your eyes and tell you where to drill…We must be a team. You. Me And T1. And though it will be difficult, together we will bring Riley through this safely. Of that I have no doubt.”
Re: Cutting through the Surface: Tuesday March 27th"head and heart, they work as one..." There was a flutter inside Talia's chest, a numbness in the tips of her fingers, and yet even with all this Talia found herself staring down at Riley's form, Hank's hand cradling his heart. "without one the other cannot function, both must be removed together, there is a small margin of error" Whatever was about to happen, Talia had to admit she'd never felt so helpless and confused, at least, not that she clearly remembered. There was a flicker of images from when she had taken Madison's appearance and got captured briefly with Connor, they had been separated and where Connor had been placed in one room with other captives, Talia had been locked away on her own. Little of that time was truly remembered, fear and isolation was all that lingered when those memories haunted the shapeshifter's dreams. There was something so much more frightening though, to be standing in a room where someone else just might be dying... someone she knew...
"We need to make a hole here" A stab of fear pierced deeper, if Hank was grasping so desperately at Riley's heart, then who would do the hole? For a moment it felt as if her heart attempted to crawl into her throat, the quick pounding seeming to aid in causing a slight tremble in the nurse's nervous hands. Golden eyes stared anxiously at the face which turned to stare at her as it spoke, the cyborg's eyes burned into her own with a sensation the worried young Wagner couldn't quite discribe. "i know not the basics of surgery" As if warning her that there was no chance for him to help her or the doctor in this serious procedure, T1 continued to talk even as Talia's eyes danced between all three faces. She had let Riley down so many times when he had just needed her to open her mouth and say something. At first the telepath hadn't realized he couldn't hear what she was saying into Riley's mind, then once Riley had discovered he was the only one on the time unable to hear her, it made things more difficult. How could anyone function on a team if they couldn't even communicate with the team leader? X-Change had been a chance for her to prove something, and sure enough she did... that when it came to the crunch Talia was nothing but a coward. At least that's how the young nurse had seen things. "once inside i can work" At least that was something... but was it enough? "then when we have both we can remove simultaneously"
"Very good T1" It felt as if she were swollowing her heart as Talia took in a steadying breath and eyed the doctor, the man who she had trusted so many times for such small and simple things. The kindly looks he had given, the assuring words he had spoken, the gentle way in which Hank always seemed to act when Talia was upset or uncertain. No man had ever seemed so understanding to Talia as Hank McCoy... he had given her a life at the school that she never imagined was possible, a place to belong! "Then it seems that between the three of us we have the means to save Riley’s life." That was good... as long as Talia tried to ignore the fact that beside the highly experienced and renouned Doctor, and a super-powered machine, stood her, a simple, shy and often at times completely useless child. The telepath hadn't felt so small and so young since... ever. "Talia" There was that voice, that soft assuring and gentle voice, the one that was edged with need and understanding, fueled by desperation and trust. "I need you to be my hands.. and my eyes. In the latter case quite literally." It was difficult to understand what exactly Hank was asking, there was no way she was qualified for such surgery and Hank knew it, so there was no way he would ask her to cut blindly into Riley, if anything the lack of knowledge between her and the machine just made the machine stand out for the better since he would manage a far steadier hand then Talia could ever dream of in these situations.
"Opening the skull is not in itself a difficult procedure. It just needs precision. And your powers will allow me to give you just that." There was an ever so slight tilt of the nurse's head as the meaning was processed, her eyes peering over Hank's face, he way he stood, every bit of information seemed to suddenly pour into her mind. Riley had never been the easiest of patients, in fact, she heard on his first encounter with Hank, Riley had freaked so bad upon waking that he threw a punch at the doctor. And they had argued over Riley's misuse of the medlab... and over his behaviour at times, and continuing to think over it he really was a very difficult patient to have. But Hank still stood there, determined and passionate, desperate in his need for Talia to understand what had to be done in order to save this difficult patients life. "I cannot move my dear. To do so would send Riley into further convulsions.. possibly fatal ones. So you must see for me. You must link us so closely that I can look out of your eyes and tell you where to drill…We must be a team. You. Me And T1. And though it will be difficult, together we will bring Riley through this safely. Of that I have no doubt." He might not, but as always Talia found herself having enough doubt to share around for all three of them. However, a small nod was given, another deep breath steadily taken, and slow Talia began to allow the barriers to fall away from her mind. It wasn't easy, the last year she had done nothing but put them up and keep them up with every waking breath.
"..Is zat vhy he could never hear me?" Whenever Talia tried to speak telepathically to T1 it didn't work, and she wasn't exactly stunned by it, though there was a really strange sensation whenever her mind wandered over the machine's positronic brain. The words were spoken really to herself, she got the impression that T1 couldn't talk about such things without it causing some severe strain. "Vhy vould anyone do zis?" The whispered thought came just as her mind opened up for Hank, it was hard not to think of the times that Riley had tried so hard to get her to understand that communication with each other was important and how he had needed her to open up to him. She never did, even after the team had been disassembled and its members either reassigned elsewhere or dropped entirely. Sometimes she wondered if it had been her fault the team hadn't worked out, was that too self-centered to conceive such a thing? "I am ready," She announced solely for T1's sake, it was difficult for her to try and allow some things leak into Hank's mind and not others, and there was too much at risk right now to strain herself. So for now it was a completely open link, her thoughts seeping into his, and Hank's in turn were seeping into hers. It was odd though, the room was filled with four minds, three outside her own, and yet thankfully only Hank's seemed to flood into her own thoughts, Riley was still as blank as always, and all that came from T1 was that strange sensations, undefinable to her right now, but noticeable, and strange, yet for now it was ignored as best as she could manage.
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