Xaviers!

Sam sits in a bed in the infirmary, giving a moment's sigh as she taps at her phone to Tereza.

Code: Select all

They're done poking at me but they want to keep me overnight.

A text message comes back from Tereza.

Code: Select all

If you need me, let me know. Keeping an eye on Will right now.

As she's texting there's a knock on the door and one of the doctor's steps into the room. He looks a little worn himself but is trying his best to hide it. He's carrying a clipboard instead of the usual tablet.

"Miss McManus?"

"...yes?" She says, looking up from her phone.

"Everyone's a bit busy right now, but Doctor McCoy wanted me to get back to you with some of the test results. To be frank, we're not entirely sure what to make of this. There's some abnormalities we noticed, but this could just be normal. Shapeshifter biology is a tricky subject and often a very individual thing even without such a unique situation. But, uhm... long story short, there are some distinct tissue-clusters. Quite a few actually. They're probably just remnants of trying to merge several bodies, but they did stick around, which might suggest you didn't quite finish absorbing all of those bodies?" he asks carefully.

"...so what are you saying? What can I even do about that?"

"Should I be worried?"

"It's probably fine. Doctor McCoy thinks it's most likely subconscious remnants and I agree with that assessment. Your biology is very responsive to your mental state for obvious reasons and... bodies are complicated. We don't have your Muir files right now because everything is pretty broken at the moment, but from what I remember you weren't always this good about maintaining a coherent shape, yes? This is likely something similar. You might not be quite done mentally processing everything that happened and this is a result of that."

"I've never really had more than one body before. Will seems to think it's normal for me to do that eventually, but he's kind of talking about... another me."

He nods and takes down some notes on the clipboard. "Powers tend to have the same potential based on their X-Gene, but how they're used and other circumstances have been known to influence how these things manifest. You're obviously capable of it and there's no reason to assume it's inherently bad, but there's a question of control..." he says very carefully. He obviously doesn't want to straight up question Sam's mental faculties, but she has no problem telling that's what he's alluding to.

"You don't think I'm a danger to anyone, do you?"

"I doubt it. A lot of people here could be if they let their control slip. We just thought you should be aware of things relating to a new power development that you might not have spotted otherwise, but that's also why we'd like to keep you here overnight. Just so we can keep an eye on it, see if anything happens. Standard protocol for monitoring power flares in mutants with high classifications, really. If we thought it there was any kind of severity to it we'd be recommending moving you to Muir instead." he reassures her.

"I don't really want to go back to Muir. It's been years."

"Of course. That's understandable. As I said, it's not really something to worry about right now."

"Alright. I'll just... try to stay out of the way back here, then."

The doctor nods. "Sorry for the inconvenience." the doctor says with a sympathetic smile before reaching for the door.

There's a knock on the door as the doctor reaches for it. It opens slightly and a woman's voice says, "It's Professor Terrance. May I come in?"

"If you want. A little company's welcome. Otherwise I'll just wind up texting my girlfriend and playing Angry Birds until they let me go."

Melissa lets herself into the room as the doctor makes his retreat, shutting the door behind him. "Quite the event out there," she said. One of the chairs adjusted itself and she sat in it.

"Things got... well, pretty crazy I have to admit."

"I've never seen anything like it before," she says with a slight self-satisfied smirk. "Must have been a lot to take in, especially split three ways as you were."

"Some of it's... kind of a blur? Like I wasn't sure that part was real until other people assured me it was."

"You're probably still filtering in three days worth of three sets of perceptions. That *may* take some time to iron itself out. Is there anything specific that seems to stand out more than anything else?"

"Well there is one odd thing. When I was pulling myself back together I picked up on something."

"I... think they had someone operating Cerebra? Their thoughts weren't very well defended."

“That will certainly bear some investigation once the Headmistress has righted the Point’s systems. Apparently they are in quite the shambles at the moment. What sort of things did you pick up?”

"They were working with Conduit. I think they're the one that made everyone think the campy telly shows were normal. Like there was a plan or something?"

“Well, I’m given to understand that the Danger Room systems aren’t capable of that, so it would follow since we were all readily convinced of our roles.”

"What did you end up in? I was in some sort of family sitcom."

“Fantasy land, sitting in a smelly cave telling the future and handing out quests to would-be adventurers.”

"...eew?"

"I mean, unless you're into that."

“I’m not. But someone thought it was a fitting role. Never knew that was what I was getting into when I selected my code name.”

"I think Conduit got most of her ideas from video games and bad TV anyway."

“A disturbed child for certain.” Sam picked up that Melissa was watching her telepathically. “Is there anything else you’re concerned about?”

"...well the doctor did just tell me I'm still messed up."

"I'm... trying not to think about them as tumors because knowing my luck that'd make them turn into tumors."

"But you probably knew that. They sent you, didn't they? To make sure I'm not... you know."

“I was asked to look in on you, yes, but this isn’t some sort of assessment. I’m one of the school counselors, so I’m here to listen.” She smiles, “If you’d like me to turn it into an assessment, I can.”

"It's just... frustrating, aye? It took a long time for me to really get a handle on my powers."

"Power changes can be like that. Even harder with powers that are tied into our emotions and thoughts as tightly as our telepathy or your shapeshifting, because then you start to wonder if there's something wrong with you, right?"

"And then you're in this awful cycle where you shouldn't be down on yourself because even that can cause problems."

"Sometimes what can help in this situation is to focus on you. The things you need or want. Help solidify that sense of self."

"Always seems a bit selfish, doesn't it? There's a lot worse off than me."

"Of course, but just because there is someone worse off doesn't mean you don't have needs or care and attention as well. As a matter of fact, we can be more effective at meeting the needs of others when our own needs have been met. So long as you don't lose sight of those in need of course."