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Post by airlock on Jul 27, 2006 15:23:46 GMT -5
When Lee left and went to the bathroom, Lars' posture changed noticeably. He went from straight-backed and confident to slouched and uncertain. The weight of the world was, quite literally, pressing down on him.
Stop that.
That old inner monologue was back.
Sit up straight. Smile. There. Don't you feel better already?
Yes, but...
Don't argue. Face it, Lars. The Cure is wearing off. What are you going to do about it?
What WAS he going to do about it? There was the twenty five million dollar (inflation) question. Was he going to embrace it this time? Go find the X-Men and offer himself into their service? Go and get another injection that might wear off just as quickly?
Something Lee had said gave him pause for thought.
"Maybe... maybe its your shot?"
Now that was actually a possibility. Perhaps...no, stopping taking the Factor IX would be a damn fool thing to do - and if there was one thing Lars was definitely not, it was a fool. Outwardly there'd be no problem, but inwardly, he could haemorrhage at any time as his blood failed to clot.
He could try to find himself a geneticist.
But where would he start? What did a builder of bridges know about genetics? Diddly-squat, that's what.
He paid the lunch bill and waited for Lee to return so they could go back to the office.
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Post by Admin on Jul 27, 2006 18:44:37 GMT -5
Taking a few big gulping breaths of air, Lee calmed herself down. Afterall, it wasn't her re-gaining her powers. Just to test it out, she wished aloud for a krispy kreme doughnut... and waited silently as no doughnuts appeared. With a sigh of relief (although a krispy kreme doughnut would have been good) she took one last deep breath before stealing her will against the world and exiting the bathroom.
"Sorry," she said, although not sheepishly, as she returned to the table, scanning it quickly for doughnuts. "We probably aught to get back to work. I don't want to get in trouble on my first day for tardiness."
And just like that Lee brushed her concern away until later. Afterall, the logical explination was that only Lar's cure was wearing off, for some unknown reason, and she needn't worry about her own injection. Still, she would probably be quite sober and aloof for the rest of the afternoon.
It wasn't until they were in the safety of the car, with no other ears around, that she finally asked what was on her mind. "So is that why you're writing yourself out of a job? What do you plan to do now?" Both about the cure wearing off and loosing his job, is what she meant, and he would know it.
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Post by airlock on Jul 28, 2006 15:03:35 GMT -5
"So is that why you're writing yourself out of a job? What do you plan to do now?"
"No, I was a mutant when I got the job. Didn't tell them, though. You know how it is." He was quiet for a while, concentrating on driving. "Maybe it's just a fortunate coincidence." He glanced sideways at her. "I'm quitting the job because if they don't have to pay me my salary, a couple of the newer members of staff will keep their jobs."
They arrived back at Kennedy Associate and he pulled on the handbrake.
"I know this is sort of redundant," he said, softly, "but I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention anything. And - uh - I'd understand totally if you didn't want to come anywhere near me again."
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Post by Admin on Jul 29, 2006 10:15:42 GMT -5
Being a newer member on the job, Lee certainly did appreciate it, although she realized her job was only temporary anyways. Still, it was an honorable thing to do, if not a little bit on the dumb side. And if he ended up joining the X-men she'd shoot herself in the foot for taking the cure. Damn the way things had the ability to turn out so poorly.
He pulled up in front of the building and turned off the car, but neither of them made a move to get out quite yet.
"I know this is sort of redundant," he said, softly, "but I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention anything. And - uh - I'd understand totally if you didn't want to come anywhere near me again."
Lee snorted a laugh, "oh yes, because I'm such a mutant-hater." She gave him a smile, although it was subdued compared to most of her smiles. "Of course I won't tell anyone, and of course I won't write you off as another crazy mutant. Sometimes I even wish I had my powers back, but its probably better that I don't." She gave a small shrug and grabbed the car door handle, "either way, you've got nothing to worry about from me."
Stepping out she really was more concerned that she let on, wondering if any of the other kids at the Place had been given the same batch of the cure that Lars had recieved, and if any of them were showing signs of it. She'd have to speak with Marie about it as soon as she returned home.
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Post by airlock on Jul 30, 2006 9:23:58 GMT -5
The afternoon passed off without any further incident. Kent was out at a sales meeting all afternoon so didn't harass Lee any further. In fact, as afternoons went, it was fairly quiet and non-problematic, apart from one irate resident who was on the objection committee of locals complaining about the construction of the new mall who shouted obscenities down the phone and then hung up.
Annette had rolled her eyes.
"We usually get five or six of those a day," she said. "They've been worryingly quiet today."
The architects sat at their desks working quietly and diligently. It seemed to Lee that architects were all cut from the same cloth. They were all pleasant, charming men who did what they did with obvious love for their work.
In his office, Lars appeared to be fielding phone call after phone call from head office. He shut the door several times but the sound of his shouting could still be heard. He was getting, it seemed, stressed. Shutting the door was not an attempt to stop people hearing what he was saying: it was to ensure that his sinking mood didn't affect the breathable atmosphere in the office.
When he finally came off the phone, he threw the handset across the desk in a fit of pique, then closed his eyes for a moment or two, calming himself down. He'd pass a few minutes browsing the internet, looking for stuff on the x-gene, the cure, genetics - that sort of stuff.
He was surprised when, without too much digging, he came across a site called 'One Step Ahead', a collection of article about mutants for mutants. He was intrigued by what he read and one name stood out from the page.
Doctor Moira McTaggert
More internet searches - Lars was good at research - and he found articles written by her, including one that contained a contact email address.
Why not?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
To: mmctaggert@muirlabs.org
From: LAnderssen@kennedyassociates.com
Subject: The Worthington Cure
Doctor McTaggert
Please forgive me for this rather direct approach, but I would be interested in obtaining your professional opinion on my particular problem.
I received a shot of the Worthington Cure some eight months ago, however, I am convinced that its effects are wearing off, and at a rather rapid rate. A friend of mine suggested to me that it possibly had something to do with the regular medication that I have to take (I am a haemophiliac and take thrice-daily injections of Factor IX).
I am an architect, not a geneticist, but I wondered if you had done any such research into this and can advise me whether I can expect the Cure to wear off totally, or whether this is some sort of temporary glitch.
I apologise once again for the direct approach, but sincerely hope you can help me.
Regards,
Lars Anderssen
Project Manager
Kennedy Associates
For good measure, he put the office phone number on the end should she wish to contact him.
Then he hit 'send'.
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