"Paige is that you?" Before she had chance to speak up and tell him that it was indeed her he spoke again. "Come in, come in” Rather nervously she reached over and pressed a button which caused the office door to slide open. She hated distrubing people when they were working, she was sure Dr. McCoy wouldn't mind too much, she only needed to ask him a quick question afterall.
‘Well, you two seemed to be getting along just fine. I’m sure your visit has done young Michael the world of good. Now what can I do for you my dear. You’re arm hasn’t worsened has it?” She shuffled shyly into the room, her eyes glancing back at Michael who seemed to be reading the book she'd left him.
'Ummm s..sorry. I just wondered if you knew how long before it's better.' There was a nervous pause, her eyes looking across at Beast before dropping to the ground again. 'I mean about my shoulder.' It's been so long since she'd hurt herself and she wanted to know when .. if ever she was going to be able to use her arm again properly. It made everything that little bit harder to do, dress herself in the morning, prepare meals, even putting things back in her school bag.
ooc: Sorry it's not longer, I didn't know what to put.
Re: Motivation.“Why don’t you sit down and let me have a look at it” he said kindly waiting until she was seated before moving towards her in his graceful feline way .
Once he removed the sling and laid his huge hands on the girl’s frail shoulder, manipulating it gently and carefully, assessing the painfully slow rate of recovery with a silent sigh.
Certainly there was progress. The injury was healing nicely but it was taking so long that he knew Paige must be getting frustrated and who could blame her. Already three months had gone past and she still wore the sling. And by the looks of things it would be at least another month if not two before the arm was back to normal.
*If only I could find some way to speed up the process* Hank thought not for the first time. This down side to Paige’s mutant powers worried him, leaving her as it did unusually vulnerable to injury and disease. He only prayed she never fell really ill for the implications could be grave and he was not sure he had any viable solutions to the problem.
*And yet I cannot keep her wrapped in cotton wool* he thought resignedly. *That would only lead to her becoming further isolated from her fellow students, which surely would be worse for her in the long run. She must learn to deal with this on her own terms. All I can do is offer help and assistance when it is needed. And reassurance of course, which is what she needs at the moment. She must be worried to have taken the step of calling in to see me.*
He knew how reticent Paige was about bothering him in his office though he himself never considered her visits a disturbance. Indeed he was always pleased to see her, viewing each contact she initiated with him as a new step towards her growing self confidence.
Recently things seemed to have suffered a set back however. He wasn’t sure what had happened but something or someone had upset her, perhaps even hurt her. He knew that the other students could be cruel at times and that Paige’s self demeaning attitude left her open and defenceless against such attacks, yet it pained him to see her crushed by their unfeeling attitude.
*Why is it that the young are so easily fooled by appearances?* Hank wondered. *Can they not look beyond the shyness and see the potential that is in her? I suppose it would be easier if she could see it herself* he admitted ruefully.
*That is why it would be a good thing if she could help Michael with his physiotherapy. It would give her more responsibility round med lab, perhaps finally convince her of the trust I have in her. And also it would let her see that she could help someone directly, not through her powers but through her own abilities.*
The more Hank thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. He only hoped the boy would be comfortable with it otherwise the whole project would prove fruitless. There was no point trying to encourage Paige out of her shell if in the process he made Michael’s life more difficult.* I will speak to him about it later* he decided. *For the moment I should put Paige’s fears to rest.*
“You are making steady progress I’m glad to report.” he said with a smile, replacing the sling and sitting back down behind his desk. "Though I’m afraid it will still be several weeks yet before things are fully back to normal."
"You should keep the sling on for the moment, though I think you could start a little gentle exercise, basic physiotherapy to get the arm used to being mobile again. I’ll set out a programme for you and when you next come to visit we can start working on it"
Re: Motivation.“Why don’t you sit down and let me have a look at it” There was a moments hesitation upon Paige's part before she moved towards the chair that was neatly placed in front of Hank's desk. She sat down, her green eyes glancing around her at the walls of his office, she'd not really been in here before, everything was as tidy, neat and ordered as the medical bay outside.
She focused in on Dr McCoy as he stood up and approached her, trying hard not to feel slightly nervous over the fact that he was so much bigger than her. She let her eyes drop back down to her lap once again as Beast tenderly removed the creamy coloured bandage. Her arm felt oddly light without the support of the sling. There was a slight involuntary blush as he took hold of her arm and gently moved it around to check the strain on her muscles. She wasn't used to being touched by others and she felt distinctly uncomfortable about the whole situation.
Paige hadn't really told the Doctor what had happened when she'd hurt herself, she preferred not to think about what had happened back in the Initiative. She'd seen people die, Garnet had murdered people, it all felt surreal, like it had never happened, so she tucked it to the back of her mind and tried not to think about it. Especially.. tried not to think about the look on Catherine's face when that guy had brought her back to the cells once he'd finished with her. There was a slight shudder to her thin frame as Hank's words brought her back to the present again.
“You are making steady progress I’m glad to report.” That was good news at least, she was tired of having her movement impeded. She sat quietly as he replaced the sling on her body. "Though I’m afraid it will still be several weeks yet before things are fully back to normal." Weeks were better than months weren't they, she couldn't wait to get her mobility back again, it had been so long since she'd been able to use her arm properly. "You should keep the sling on for the moment, though I think you could start a little gentle exercise, basic physiotherapy to get the arm used to being mobile again. I’ll set out a programme for you and when you next come to visit we can start working on it" There was a little nod given to show that she understood what he was asking from her. She didn't know she'd be sent out on a training exercise the following day and that the ensuing illness she'd catch would put her physiotherapy back a week or so.
'Thank you.' She got to her feet, looking undecided for a moment about what she wanted to do. 'I'll err I'll go then.' Paige shuffled off towards the door to go and collect her things. She needed to get her English done, and then there was Maths homework to finish off.
Re: Motivation.
Hank watched Paige leave with a sigh. There was so much obviously bottled up within her, things that as a doctor and someone who cared for her he knew she needed to express and yet, even after all these months, he didn’t know how to reach her.
He often wondered what had happened to her to have so severely undermined her confidence. Her parents had hardly been surprised to discover that she was a mutant so the feeling of rejection that so many of the other students had experienced didn’t lie at the root of the problem. Still the fact remained that despite all his efforts she was still painfully unsure of herself and her own abilities.
*She needs friends* Inevitably Hank came back to the same conclusion. *And that is something that doesn’t come in pill form unfortunately. Otherwise I would already have prescribed it.*
He caught a glimpse of Michaels prone form through the rapidly closing door, noting the heavy book in his hands and the flicker of his eyes towards Paige as she emerged from the office. *All I can do is put the opportunity in her path and hope that she will take it.*
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The sound of the door opening drew Michael’s attention away from the poetry he was reading. He glanced up, then swiftly dropped his eyes back to the book he was holding, not wanting Paige to feel obliged to renew the conversation with him if she didn’t want to.
He didn’t quiet know where to go from here. It would be rude to just let her go without a word and yet he didn’t want her to think he was trying to detain her.
*Still I’m not just going to ignore her* he thought *That would look as if I didn’t like her. Oh great!* he groaned * Now which one of us has gone all shy!*
He settled for lowering the volume of Keats as she drew nearer, and flashing her a quick smile, hoping it was the right thing to do. There were so many ways to send this fledgling relationship crashing to the ground before it had really got started and Michael was only to aware of this fact. *She only has to see me as desperate or indifferent for it all to go wrong.*
Eliot's words echoed throught his mind. 'Between the idea. And the reality. Between the motion.And the act. Falls the shadow.' *Lets hope none falls between my intention and Paige's interpretation of it.*
Re: Motivation.
Her eyes landed on the figure of Michael, reading the heavy book she'd borrowed for him from the library, unaware of Hanks eyes on her, or the conclusion he'd just come to about her. There was a deep dersire in her to fit in like everyone else did, she just hadn't figured out how to go about achieving it. She'd hoped that working in the med bay would somehow help her, but it didn't seem to be working, it was true, more people realised she existed but none of them had really offered her friendship yet, with the exception of Michael. They just wanted her to help them and then they could get back on with their lives again. Anglea had been nice to her, but Paige was too nervous to go and make an effort to talk to her, plus some of her friends intimidated Paige. Dawn was a witch and Catherine was too loud and boisterous for Paige's liking. There was something she liked about Michael, he seemed like quiet calm person and that made it easier for her to approach him. Plus he couldn't move very well so he couldn't phsyically hurt her.
Pagie watched as he dropped the novel back down to the covers as he looked up at her. Was he waiting for her to say something? A familiar confused feeling ran through her, she wasn't much good at initiating conversations, she seemed to already have lost some of the confidence she'd gained from talking to him before. Though If she kept on interacting with him her self confidence was bound to increase. She just needed a little nudging in the right direction to make a couple of friends and her life would improve greatly.
'Ummm, thanks .. f.. about what you said before.' She looked a little hesitant, not sure if he was going to reply or if she should just leave now. 'I...is there anything I can get you before I leave?' She thought he might be hungry or thirsty, not that she was sure if he was alowed to eat yet, Hank hadn't talked to her about anything like that, she couldn't see it doing any harm to him, it'd been his lungs that were damaged and he didn't need them to eat. She'd not been eating well herself since returning from the Initiative's base, sleep was also seeming to avoid her. Instead she'd thrown herself into her work in the hope it'd somehow distract her from all the horrible things she'd been made to see. In truth, if she only just told someone what had happened she'd feel a whole lot better in the long run.
Re: Motivation.'Ummm, thanks .. f.. about what you said before.' Michael’s smile broadened.* Good she hasn’t just dismissed the idea. That must be a good sign surely?* 'I...is there anything I can get you before I leave?'
The question caught him by surprise. He didn’t know quite what was on offer. Not more pills certainly. The pain in his leg was greedily demanding more and more of his attention but he had already decided to talk to the Doctor about changing his medication in preparation for the team meeting.
As the thought of the next days challenge crossed his mind he realised that there was something Paige could get for him. Something he really needed. If he dared ask for it.
“No problem” he replied to her awkward thanks. “Just remember to look me up if you ever want to talk." He glanced round the mad lab with a little nod of his head towards the waiting girl.” I should be easy to find. We’re bound to run into each other down here. Or in class once I get up and about.”
He reached across to the bedside table and picked up the room key Riley had given him, then glanced back up at Paige a trifle embarrassed by the request he was about to make. “There is something you could do for me, if it’s not too much trouble”
*I thought we were taking things easy?* he thought, berating himself for even going down this road. *This is probably pushing things too far and yet… It would really make a difference to me. And she is a nurse after all. Where’s the harm in asking?*
“I’ve got this team meeting tomorrow and…..well Hood will be going but I thought..........just in case some of them come back to see me afterwards…..”
He took a deep breath and showed her the key. “Riley gave me this. Apparently I’ve got a room somewhere. And he said that there were clothes in it. I don’t suppose you could bring some down to me? ” he asked hesitantly. “Mine got kind of ruined back at Harmony and these hospital gowns leave a lot to be desired.”
He blushed suddenly, realising Paige had probably seen a lot more of him than he would have liked. Normally it didn't bother him. He had been examined by enough doctors and nurses to have long since lost all sense of modesty. Or so he had thought. However he wasn't used to having nurses that were close to his own age and whom he might find himself sitting next to in school. Somehow it made a difference.
“Anything at all would do,” he continued hurriedly, using the words to cover his confussion. “ though if you could find something with long sleeves that would be great.” He looked down at his scarred arms, his eyes sad as he took in the all too evident needle marks. “At least then I’d have a better chance of making a good impression.” he said resignedly
“If you can’t manage its all right of course” he added quickly. “Maybe it would be awkward, going into a guys room and all. I just thought with you being a nurse that it would be Ok....."* and that must take the prize for the dumbest thing you’ve said to date* he told himself * lets see you dig yourself out of this hole*
“ Feel free to say no. ” he finished embarrassedly."It was just a stupid idea"
Re: Motivation.“No problem” A nervous little smile flickered across her face as she looked across at the older boy. She considered what she'd said before to be rude, he was only trying to be nice to her after all. Michael seemed harmless enough to her, especially now she knew a little more about his past. She sometimes wondered why she was so attracted to Max, alright he was handsome but he wasn't very nice to her most of the time, even though she tried to make excuses for his behaviour towards her. There was just something about him she found herself drawn towards even though her rational mind tried to protest that she was behaving like an idiot. There were loads of much prettier girls out there and she part of him didn’t blame him for dumping her … if they’d ever been going out in the first place.
” I should be easy to find. We’re bound to run into each other down here. Or in class once I get up and about.” Her eyes flitted down towards his legs that were under the covers of the bed, from what she’d seen of the scarring that marred his body it would be some time before he wouldn’t need the medical bay. She was unaware of the fact that he’d need morphine injections on a regular basis if he wanted to get back any type of mobility from his damaged legs.
“There is something you could do for me, if it’s not too much trouble” She watched as he stretched across to the table that was next to him. His hand closed around the key as he picked it up, his eyes turning to look up at her. There was a faint flush to his cheeks that she tried to ignore, she hoped he wasn’t going to ask her anything embarrassing. The sight of the key in his hands didn’t instil her with confidence, she avoided the male dorms like the plague, that way there was less chance of her running into Max with some random girl, or even worse with Garnet.
“I’ve got this team meeting tomorrow and…..well Hood will be going but I thought..........just in case some of them come back to see me afterwards…..” She wondered who was on his team, she didn’t really know much about other teams, she’d only had one meeting and one training exercise with her own team. She’d never heard of a green strike force before but then she didn’t make it her business to know about things like that.
“Riley gave me this. Apparently I’ve got a room somewhere. And he said that there were clothes in it. I don’t suppose you could bring some down to me? ” Her eyes lingered on the key that he was holding in his hand. “Mine got kind of ruined back at Harmony and these hospital gowns leave a lot to be desired.” There was a shy little nod from Paige as he continued to talk, suddenly looking embarrassed and stumbling over his words as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have, perhaps he didn’t want to remind her of what he’d told her had happened at Harmony. “ though if you could find something with long sleeves that would be great.” Her green eyes moved to look in the same direction as his, looking at the scars that showed where he’d been injected with various substances. It was her turn to blush when she realised he’d caught her staring. “Maybe it would be awkward, going into a guys room and all. I just thought with you being a nurse that it would be Ok....." He thought she was a nurse? How could she be at sixteen? Maybe he thought she was older than she actually was, she didn’t think she looked very old though.
‘Errr it’s ok I don’t mind, I’m not a nurse though, Doctor McCoy just lets me come down here. Talia's the closest person to a nurse.’ She didn’t want him to think she was something that she wasn’t. She turned a slightly redder shade and moved closer to him so she could stretch out her hand for him to give her the key to his room. It shouldn’t be too bad up there, he’d not moved in yet so I’d just be an empty room. The sudden thought that he might want her to bring down a pair of boxers made her blush even worse.
Re: Motivation.‘Errr it’s ok I don’t mind, Paige said much to Michaels delight. Not only was she not upset by his request she was actually going to do it for him. Just the prospect of having something to change into made him feel much better.
He knew he could probably have asked Doctor McCoy to have the things sent down but although the blue furred mutant had accepted the fact that he was going to try astral projecting the following day Michael wasn’t sure he would be Ok with him actually moving around too much. Truth to tell Michael wasn’t to enchanted at the prospect either but he wanted at least to have the possibility open to him There was nothing like a hospital gown for keeping movement to a minimum and he suspected the doctor knew that very well.
"I’m not a nurse though," Paige continued. "Doctor McCoy just lets me come down here. Talia's the closest person to a nurse.’
Michael looked at her in surprise, gazing directly up into her green eyes as she reached closer to take the key. “It was you who helped save my life” he told her gently “I don’t think Dr McCoy would have let just anyone assist him in that kind of operation.”
He remembered the pain of the wound Connors claws had made, the air whistling desperately into his damaged lung as he struggled to breathe. Fixing that kind of damage wasn’t easy and he had no intention of letting Paige sell herself short. “Whatever you say, that makes you a nurse in my book. One I was lucky to have.” He passed the key carefully to her, their fingers almost touching as he did so.
“And that’s why I’m putting my fate in your hands once again” he said with a mischievous grin. “I’ve just given you the power to make or break my reputation as the new fashion icon. Just try to avoid anything pink with flowers on it if you please. Its so not my colour!”
Re: Motivation.
(Much sobbing) I came all the way down to brayford library and I had to pay to park in the car park and now the computers are all lying and telling me my floppy disk isn't formatted!! But it's not true I wrote over a thousand words on it the other nite for Paige... (more hysterical sobbing) drags herself home sniffling ... I'll post whenever I get chance.
“It was you who helped save my life” Paige turned bright red, she hadn't really done anything other than pass Hank over equipment that he'd asked for ... and then after that she'd thrown up. It wasn't as if Doctor McCoy wouldn't have been able to save him without her help. She couldn't be a nurse she hadn't been to university yet.. if she was ever going to get there. She couldn't help feeling proud that someone had that high thoughts of her. “I don’t think Dr McCoy would have let just anyone assist him in that kind of operation.” She didn't like the way his eyes weren't letting her look away from his, she was a little suprised to notice that his eyes were blue, she'd never realised before, they were more than blue, there were other shade of colours in there too but she wasn't close enough to see what they were. She turned a touch redder as he continued speaking. Well there hadn't really been anyone else to help him, what with Talia seeing to those who weren't that badly hurt. She was sure she could have been more help looking after those other patients, that way she could have been able to use her powers to help them.
“Whatever you say, that makes you a nurse in my book. One I was lucky to have.” Her eyes broke away from his, looking down at her shoes to avoid looking at him. She was used to praise from her parents and teachers but not from fellow pupils and she wasn't sure how to react to it. Paige felt the key drop into her hand, closing her fingers around it's coolness.
“I’ve just given you the power to make or break my reputation as the new fashion icon. Just try to avoid anything pink with flowers on it if you please. Its so not my colour!” She wasn't too sure she liked the sound of that. She wasn't too good when it came to things like fashion. She'd love to dress in some of the things she saw other girls around the school wearing but her mum refused to buy her anything that she considered to be inappropriate. She hadn't received any free clothes when she'd arrived at the school because she'd been able to bring her own with her
With rather flushed cheeks and feeling rather confused she turned and hurried away out of the medical room, conscious of the coldness of the key which was clasped in her hand. She wasn’t sure why Michael was taking the time to talk to her, but she was sure that once he got up and about and started attending lessons he’d soon forget all about her … just like Max seemed to have. There was a sudden rush of blood of her chest, at the same time feeling slightly as if someone was constricting her windpipe. She didn’t usually have an excuse to go into the male dorms section of the school so he hadn’t had the opportunity to run into Max. She wasn’t even sure what it was exactly that she liked about him, she was well aware that he was horrible to her, to her face and behind her back, and it hurt when he called her names. But all the same she was sure somehow that one day he’d realise just how much he liked her and that he’d come back to her.
It didn’t take her long to reach the corridors that the boys of the school lived in, they looked very much like the girls dorms only the girls had tendencies to stick things to the outside of their doors. She was a little disappointed that Max didn’t seem to be about; she knew if he was by himself he was usually nicer to her.
She opened her hand, looking down at the small silver key, the room number was engraved onto it’s surface. Turning she headed off in the right direction down the corridor, counting the numbers on the doors as she went until she came to the right one. The golden coloured plaque which was attached to the front of a door and held a students name was blank, awaiting Michael’s name to be cut into it’s surface. There was a soft click as she slipped the key into the lock and turned it. The door swung open to revel a room blanketed in darkness. She felt for the light switch, dispelling the darkness to under the bed and behind the large cupboard.
It was odd but she felt a little like she was intruding, she didn’t usually go into other students room, and she had permission to be here. It wasn’t as if it was really his room yet either, he’d got the key but he didn’t have anything he owned in here, other then the clothes Xavier donated. The thought reminded her why she was here and with a tentative look she stepped into the room. She made her way quickly to the large cupboard, pulling the doors open and looking inside. It wasn’t hard to pick a pair of jeans for him to wear, she knew most guys wore jeans and the ones in the cupboard all looked similar. She chose him a dark blue pair and laid them carefully onto the bed which she picked him out a top. She discounted the t-shirts straight away, remembering that he said he’d wanted something that covered the marks on his arms. Instead she looked at the shirts that were hung up inside. To choose one of those was harder, she didn’t want to pick something he didn’t like, she was sure he’d be too polite to tell her if he didn’t want to wear it. Painfully aware that time was passing by she selected a light blue shirt made from a rather soft material. At least if she just stuck to the colour blue she couldn’t go too wrong could she? For one thing the blue would complement his eyes. Making her way over towards the chest of draws she opened several draws until she found one with socks and boxers in it, she selected them both in black, closing the draw and then moving back over to the bed. She folded the shirt and jeans carefully so they didn't crease and hid the boxers and socks in-between the two so no one would see her carrying them around.
After closing the door and turning the light out she made sure she room was secure and that she had the key with her before she made her way back down towards the medical bay once again. There was a little twinge of sorrow that ran though her over a missed meeting with Max, she'd see him tomorrow maybe though, if she hung around in the grounds long enough he'd come out with his friends.
'Errr I got you these.' She shyly extended her arms towards Michael as she stepped back into the room. He'd gone back to his book again, though he politely looked up once again as she entered the room again. 'If you don't like them I can go fetch you something else.' Her eyes scanned over his face trying to read his expression to see if he liked what she'd chosen or not.
The voices ceased in the other room followed by the sound of the outer door closing. Hank smiled again. He had been pleasantly surprised to hear the conversation start up again as Paige had prepared to leave med lab. Normally he would have expected her to be too shy to spend any more time with his new patient he was delighted to be proved wrong *Since they seem to be getting on so well perhaps now would be a good time to discuss future plans* Hank thought to himself. *In any case I should see how Michael is holding up. He slept for quite some time. I expect the painkillers are starting to wear off.*
With these thoughts in mind Hank left his office and made his way towards the bed where Michael lay. He thought the boy looked better, the alien healing machines were obviously doing their work. Even so he was pale and tired, trying stoically to hide the pain he was undoubtedly feeling behind a smile as the doctor approached. Hank wasn’t fooled. He had seen the damage to the boy’s body and had a good idea of what he must be going through. Still the sooner they started the physiotherapy the better. Hank had said that Michael could try standing the following day if he felt capable of it.
He had seen the flash of fear that had crossed the youths face at the mere thought of it and sympathised with his plight. Yet Hanks duty as a doctor was to help him push through the pain and coax some mobility back into the ruined legs. He had no doubt that Michael would rise to the challenge, after apparently all he already had.
Hank tore his thoughts away from the treatment the boy had received at the hands of his captors, lest the incipient anger show in his already daunting face. He couldn’t imagine how it must feel to have already fought ones way back to a semblance of a normal life only to have it all snatched away again by someone’s ruthless cruelty. And a brothers at that. *That must be doubly hard to accept* Hank thought to himself. *it’s a miracle his mind isn’t as affected as his body.* But this didn’t seem to be the case. Despite the fact that Michael had only been in med lab for a short time Hank sensed a certain integrity and strength in the young man that gave him hope for his future .
His legs were beyond repair, that much had sadly to be admitted. Hank had seen the atrophy of the muscles that four months of total inactivity had wrought on the already damaged limbs and silently cursed the doctor responsible for it. Even with extensive physiotherapy it was unlikely that Michael would recover the degree of mobility he had obtained before his incarceration. The best he could hope for would be a slow progression from crutches to canes and even that was by no means guaranteed.
And yet they had to try. He could tell that the boy was a fighter and Hank was ready to give him all the help he required to during the long gruelling months that lay ahead. And if at the same time they could help Paige gain some much needed self esteem so much the better.
He realised the young man was looking up at him, waiting for him to speak, a mixture of curiosity and need mingling in his eyes. Hank was used to the curiosity. It was one of the most positive reactions people could have towards him; After all it wasn’t every day you found yourself being doctored by 350 pounds of blue fur covered muscle. He much preferred interest to the fear or loathing which he often provoked. The need reflected in Michael’s face was less welcome but inevitable.
* He wants more drugs but he’s not going to ask for them.*Hank remarked. *At least not just yet! He still has his pride. Let us hope he’ll be able to preserve it.* Hank was all to aware of Michaels predicament. *It is a fine line he will be walking between taking the drugs to get through the day and taking them for their own sake. We must both be very careful that he does not stumble along the way. For the moment though there are other matters to discuss*
“So” the doctor said with a smile “I see you and Paige are getting along” Michael’s answering grin was sincere as he replied “Yeah she seems nice. We share the same taste in books which is always a good start. She’s just nipped out to pick me up some clothes I hope that’s all right?”
*All right!* thought Hank surprised *Its nothing short of a miracle!* But he kept his reflection to himself merely saying “Of course it is Michael. Had enough of hospital gowns have you. I understand completely” The slight blush that came to the boys cheeks confirmed that he had guessed correctly.
*Another good sign. This means he is thinking of a time when he’ll be getting out of this bed. Perhaps my problem will not be so much encouraging him but rather holding him back.* As if reading the blue mutants mind Michael continued “I just thought that after the team meeting tomorrow some of the others might want to come down and see what I really look like. I didn’t want them to be too disappointed”
“I’m sure they won’t be” Hank said with a smile “but I can see that you’d feel more comfortable fully dressed if they did wander down.” However that’s not what I came over to talk to you about. I wanted to discuss your physiotherapy.”
“Aye I thought you might.” Michael said with a grimace. “I admit I’m not looking forward to it but I guess I’m ready to go when you are”
Hanks eyes reflected his respect for the boy’s determination. “What I was wondering is, would you be amenable to Paige helping you with it? I’ll understand if you say no, it is after all a fairly intimate experience.”
"You mean what with the sweat and the tears and all that? "Michael replied wryly, a hint of sadness colouring his voice. "I guess you could call that intimate. Well, I said I hoped we could get to know each other better.”
Michael sighed as he imagined how bad the sessions were going to be. When he had first met Paige he had thought that she might be one of the ones who would help him in this way and haddn’t felt troubled by the prospect. But that was before they had talked.
Now he knew how shy she was and he wondered if seeing him like that, vulnerable and helpless, would scare her away or bring them closer together *That’s just an excuse* he realised *I just don’t know if I can bear her watching me when it hurts that bad.*.
He looked up at the doctors patient eyes. *He knows Paige better that I do. He wouldn’t ask this if he didn’t think it would be all right with her. Maybe I should just trust him on this one. After all someone is going to see me cry. It might as well be a friend*
“OK” he said softly. "Why not. I told her she was a good nurse. I guess this is my chance to prove I really meant it.”
Hank smiled again, unable to hide his satisfaction at the boys reply. It couldn’t have been an easy one to give but Hank was sure he had made the right decision. Now all he had to do was to get Paige to accept the proposition. “When Paige comes back could you ask her to step into my office, please?” he asked Michael cheerfully. “I’d like to talk things over with her as well before deciding anything”
As the doctor turned away he picked up his book again trying to calm his emotions. Soon the familiar verses soothed away the worst of his concerns so that by the time Paige returned with his clothes he was able to greet her with a smile, having more or less come to terms with the fact she would be helping him through some of the most difficult times of his life. If she wanted to that was. The prospect would be almost as daunting for her as it was for him no doubt.
'Errr I got you these.' she said offering him the blue shirt and jeans. 'If you don't like them I can go fetch you something else.' she said obviously watching for signs of disapproval. But there was nothing to disapprove. “These are great Paige. Thanks.” he said gratefully. “Not a pink flower in sight” he added with a grin. ”Oh Dr McCoy wants to talk to you about something”
Michael didn’t enter into the details If Paige didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of helping out with the physio he didn’t want her to think she had let him down in any way. Better to just take things one step at a time and see how they played out.
“He asked if you could step into his office when you came back. Which I guess means now”
Re: Motivation.“These are great Paige. Thanks.” There was a relieved smile upon her face, perhaps her sense of fashion wasn't as bad as she'd at first assumed. She couldn't dectect anything in his expression to say that he was lying to save her feelings, it felt nice to have done something right for a change. “Not a pink flower in sight”A slightly larger smile spread over her face as he spoke, though it faded slightly as he continued to speak. ”Oh Dr McCoy wants to talk to you about something” What about? Her eyes flitted over to the closed door of Hank's office before returning to Michael's face again. Her first thought was that she'd done something wrong, she'd never been summoned to his office before and it felt similar to how she'd imagined it would be to be sent to the headmasters office.
Her mind quickly ran back over everything she'd done in the med bay today, perhaps something with her counting of medicines had been wrong. Even worse than that would be for Doctor McCoy to be annoyed that she'd gone to get Michael some clothes. There was a feeling like someone had dropped a bucket of ice cubes into her somach, her for once relaxed attidude becoming more withdrawn and Paige like all of a sudden. Her hands moved to fidget with one another, did he want her to go and see him now?
“He asked if you could step into his office when you came back. Which I guess means now” With a rather hesitant expression on her face she stepped upto Beast's office, her rather nervous knock sounding quietly upon the door. Upon hearing him bid her enter she opened the door and made her way inside, her eyes finding the form of the medical practisioner straight away.
'Ummm.' Her nervousness was back again, making her stumble ove her speech. If there was one thing she didn't like it was being told off. Hank didn't look annoyed with her but even so her eyes found a place on the floor to look at rather than his face. 'H.. Have I done something wrong?' Her voice got lower as she continued speaking towards the floor, trying and failing to muster the courage to look up at him.
ooc: Sorry it's not very long but I'm very tired... and I'm going to bed. lol
Re: Motivation.*How like Paige to assume the worst* Hank thought affectionately, if a little sadly, as the girl stood awkwardly before him. “ No indeed Paige you have not”.he hastened to reassure her. “In fact quite the contrary.” He motioned for her to sit down as he continued. “Your work here in med lab has been exemplary. That is why I have called you in.”
Hank looked down at the pile of papers in front of him, giving Paige some time to assimilate what he had just said. He knew from past experience how she reacted to compliments, always seeming to think they were unjustified even when it was patently obvious that they were nothing of the kind.
When he was sure she would be receptive to what he was about to ask he continued. “ You must be aware that Michael will need extensive physiotherapy if he is to get back on his feet. I will not disguise the fact that its going to be hard on him and the end results may not prove very satisfactory. These are things which he is very well aware of and which he has come to accept".
*Or at least he’s trying to convince himself and everyone else that he has.* the Beast thought sadly *I only wish there was something else we could do for him but alas there isn’t.So we must do what we can and hope that it is enough.*
“ Nevertheless”, Hank told Paige "the physiotherapy will be beneficial to him and it is important that he be given all the help and support we can provide while he undergoes it.”
His yellow eyes met hers as he went on. “It will be a long and time consuming process and as you know I am already busy here in med lab. It would be of great assistance to me if you could help Michael with his exercises”
He saw the worried look on Paige’s face and smiled kindly “ I will of course show you what to do, there is no question of launching you into this unprepared but I am more than confident that it is within your capabilities. “
*Now all she has to do is realise herself that she is capable of doing this. Will she seize the day I wonder?*
Re: Motivation.“No indeed Paige you have not”. Relief flooded through her, followed quickly by curiosity. If it wasn't to tell her off then what did he want? It wasn't very often that she got called into his office. He usually waited until he bumped into her in the med bay to ask her things. Perhaps it was something that she didn't want Michael to hear. “Your work here in med lab has been exemplary. That is why I have called you in.” Paige turned bright pink, her eyes lifting to his face for a moment before dropping back down to the floor again. It felt so nice to be praised by him, praise was something Paige thrived on, there was no better way to increase her self confidence than telling her she'd done something well.
“ You must be aware that Michael will need extensive physiotherapy if he is to get back on his feet. I will not disguise the fact that its going to be hard on him and the end results may not prove very satisfactory. These are things which he is very well aware of and which he has come to accept". Michael? This was all about Michael? Somehow she hadn't though it would be about him. There was a quite confused look upon her face as she gazed at the floor, not really sure what he was leading to.
“It will be a long and time consuming process and as you know I am already busy here in med lab. It would be of great assistance to me if you could help Michael with his exercises” Physio? He wanted her to help with Michael’s physio?!! There was a pretty smile that leapt onto her face, understanding what a privilege it was to be asked to help Beast, a small part of her even felt a little smug at the fact he hadn’t asked Talia … but then she remembered that he hadn’t said that he hadn’t asked her.
‘Uh.. Is Talia helping?’ There was a small part of her that hoped that the older girl wasn’t. Paige always felt rather overshadowed in her presence, Talia was older than her and seemed more competent around the med bay. She tried to keep her expression neutral while she spoke, but her eyes darted around , not landing on Hanks face for more than a moment.
Re: Motivation.
Paige’s reaction was all that he could have hoped for. Hank watched with growing satisfaction as one of her too rare smiles spread across her face, clearly indicating the pleasure she felt at having been given this new responsibility.*Now that is a sight I would like to see more often* he thought contentedly.*She has such a pretty smile She should definitely use it more.* ‘Uh.. Is Talia helping?’ Paige asked trying to make the question sound nonchalant when in fact her whole stance shouted that it was anything but. Now it was Hanks turn to smile. He knew that his two assistants did not have the easiest of relationship. He wished it was otherwise but the fact remained that they were awkward around each other and nothing he had so far come up with had managed to ease the problem.
He turned Paige’s question round in his mind trying to see if working together to help Michael might be a way of breaking down the barriers between the two young women but in the end he decided against it. *One step at a time*he said to himself.*Perhaps if Paige is more sure of her own abilities she will feel less overwhelmed by Talia’s presence. Hopefully this project will help her reaffirm herself.*
*In any case Michael already has enough problems without placing him at the centre of a potentially tense situation. No I think this should be Paige’s project. Then she can be sure that any credit for his progress is justifiably hers. And his of course.*
“Oh I don’t think we need to involve her in this." he replied kindly. "She has more than enough work to do at the moment. No, I was rather hoping this would be something the three of us could work on together. You, Michael and myself."
He leaned forward slightly, his huge hands resting on the desk in front of him. “First we must establish a series of exercises tailored to his specific needs. I will show you how to help him with them. We must obviously be certain that they are being carried out correctly otherwise we could do more harm than good.”
While he wanted to reassure Paige that she was capable of taking on this task the doctor also wanted her to realise just how great a responsibility it would be. Although he would be there to supervise, never the less he was placing a patient’s future well being directly in her hands. *Still that is part of what being a doctor is all about.* Hank reminded himself.* It’s a step she would have to take sometime and I’m sure she’s ready for it*.
Looking across at her he continued his explanation. “Then its mostly a question of constant repetition until the muscles start to respond. It be hard on him, his legs have been badly damaged to say the least, but we must help him to persevere. That is the most important thing. Motivation.”
“ Rest assured Paige, there will be days when coming down here will be the last thing he wants to do. Yet I think he will still come. And we must be here prepared to push him to his limits when he does. That is never easy.”
That was somewhat of an understatement He knew just how hard it could be to see someone suffer and yet urge them to do more. “You must remember that no matter how much it may hurt him we are doing this for his own good.” he told her. “Michael knows this as well as we do and is prepared for what lies ahead. As Im sure you will be too, my dear."
Re: Motivation.“Oh I don’t think we need to involve her in this." Somewhat of a relived look fluttered across her face. There had always seemed to be a tension between her and Talia, part of her knowing she herself was the cause of it, she was encroaching on the other woman's territory which had made it harder for Paige to settle down. It wasn't too often her path crossed with the blue furred mutant and when they were in the med bay together there were often extended periods of silence, especially if Hank wasn't there. Apart from the presence of Talia Paige often felt completley happy in the med bay, she was able to get away from the other students and Beast was always kind to her and that fact made her even more willing to spend time in the med bay rather than her room or the library. There was no doubting that she'd improved in her self confidence, when she'd first started helping out in the med bay she'd been too nervous to even talking to Doctor McCoy and the only thing he'd get from her was an incredibly shy nod or shake of her head.
"She has more than enough work to do at the moment. No, I was rather hoping this would be something the three of us could work on together. You, Michael and myself." She was glad to hear that he didn't intend to just entrust her with Michael's health straight away, she didn't feel able to be responsible for something like that. But so long as Hank was there she wouldn't worry, when he was there she knew he wouldn't let her do anything detrimental to Michael's health.
“First we must establish a series of exercises tailored to his specific needs. I will show you how to help him with them. We must obviously be certain that they are being carried out correctly otherwise we could do more harm than good.” Her face took on a more serious note as he began to talk in earnest, but there was something eager in her eyes. She knew there was so much more to medicine than her powers and she was impatient to learn all Beast had to disclose. As he talked she watched his huge muscles rippling under his skin as he rested his hands upon his desk. It still managed to surprise her, the fact that with all that strength he was so gentle, but then she’d never seen him angry before. She’d always imagined that it must be hard for him to perform such delicate surgery upon people.
“Then its mostly a question of constant repetition until the muscles start to respond ... “Michael knows this as well as we do and is prepared for what lies ahead. As Im sure you will be too, my dear."
There was an eager little nod of her head, giving the impression that she was a sponge which was soaking up every little scrap of information that he departed to her. She was fully aware of how much responsibility he was placing onto her and every scrap of her wanted to prove to him that his judgement to do so was a good one.
There comes an age when people have to take over responsibility. It remains the question whether there is also a time when they can get rid of it again.
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