Xaviers!

Basil stumbled into the infirmary much the same way he had through the gates of the school, having been mindful to go invisible temporarily again to avoid Vinny.

The pain in his back had developed from a weird, slight burning sensation to full 'my back is on fire' feeling, but he had yet to figure out why. Like everyone else, Basil couldn't see himself, so what might be going on was largely a mystery to him. His eye kept feeling exceptionally dry, but he had the good sense not to rub it in case there was something in it he wasn't aware of.

He checked himself in with the nurses and went to find Colette while he waited.

Colette was waiting to the side, making room for some of the students who had gotten caught in town or injured in the confusion. She rubbed her arms, looking around expectantly.

Basil watched her for a moment.

You could leave now and she wouldn't be worried anymore. Well, for awhile, and then angry, but then she'd get over it and find someone more worthy of her concern...

He continued to ponder remaining hidden. In truth, he wasn't far from her at all, but with his invisible head, his torso blended in with the others milling about at the moment.

And then he stepped forward.

"I'm here." He stated as his invisi-suit sided up to her seemingly out of nowhere. She'd feel a light tug at the sleeve of her shirt from his left hand that he hoped would catch her attention.

Colette gave a little jump like a startled deer before breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh, Basil. Zank goodness you are alright. And ze ozers?"

"Whiplash maybe, you never know about that till the next day. Otherwise I was the only one thrown about the vehicle and they looked alright when I left them."

"You came here alone? But you are injured."

"It's fine. " He states, obviously holding something in.

"Well, seeing as you are not currently being examined, you can tell me ze truth instead." Colette crossed her arms in that manner that meant she was trying to be stern, but looked rather silly given her jelly consistency.

"Fine." He stated stubbornly.

"But you won't believe me." He added, leaning into the wall with his left side.

"I moved in with Vinny Patterson today, room shuffles are usual around here from what I hear. Vinny wanted to go out of the manor and I didn't want to because I'm not supposed to pass outside the gates but I went because I didn't want to be a stick in the mud to his fun.

We were then attacked by Mongols. I don't know where they came from, I don't know if they were even genuinely Mongols but if they weren't they were genuinely insane people dressed as Mongols. I called Amy on Vinny's advice, told her to send help and for you are she to get someplace safe in case these lunatics decided to come to the school, and instead she came to help, which is not what I wanted. She nearly blew me up once by accident and wasn't looking for a repeat.

Long story short I'm not very helpful in a combat situation and so I tried to help as best I could. Amy left the van to go flying about like I specifically told her not to so she didn't get winged by Mongols, so I decided to do what I intended to do before she showed up: Dump some of the weight from the van and use the bench seating to dehorse some of the attackers. When I did so, Vinny became upset and decided that the way to get me to stop was to smash my face into his dashboard by slamming on his brakes.

Then he sped up again and after he injured me, then he told me to stop or get out. I got out, because I don't wish to be in a vehicle with someone who would nearly kill me over an inanimate object."

Colette listened to Basil's story with that same serious expression, not speaking until he finished.

"I do not know whether to hug or punch ze zree of you." She relaxed her stance. "But I am glad zat you are alright."

She was taking the whole attacked by an army on horseback thing rather well.

Basil was quiet, and then harrumphed.

"See, I told you you wouldn't believe me."

Apparently it wasn't the Mongols Basil thought Colette was going to question.

"Baseel, I have heard students talk about seeing German tanks and ozer zings. I don't know whezer or not to punch ze zree of you for being jerks to each ozer, or be grateful zat you are all alive and well."

"Look, I don't feel like arguing with you alright? If you don't believe me then that's fine. I just wanted to be an asshole to everyone."

Basil stated, giving up.

"Basil, I DO believe you." Colette said as she grabbed where she believed the young man's wrist to be.

Basil didn't say anything else, but Colette made the mark and Basil let her hold it, mostly because he was curious what she wanted it for. Was she afraid he was going to leave?

He didn't think he had it in him to go much farther even if he wanted to storm off.

"I really do. I just... it is a little difficult to believe zat ze ozers would be such... dicks is ze word? I am sure zat zey were scared and stressed and reacted poorly. And perhaps ze same could be said for you, I do not know. But I do believe you, and I am going to assume zat zey were just acting out of fear.

"I am simply glad zat you are all safe and mostly uninjured."

"Yes, I'm fine." He reiterated, obviously not wanting to talk about it again. In Basil's mind, making excuses for poor behavior did not equate to 'I believe you' at all, but he already said he was going to let it drop and he intended to, mostly because he didn't want to fight about this sort of thing on his good days.

"Benson, Basil-"

A nurse called out, wheeling along a mirror with her. Basil leant up, breaking the contact with Colette.

"That's me." He replied, following along with her. The mirror reflected Basil's left profile, and for just a moment Colette could see him. From this angle he appeared fine enough.

But as he was lead away to an exam room, she caught a glimpse of his swollen right side. The white of his eye was filled with blood.

Colette let out that (to him) familiar little shriek of surprise. Before the young man knew what was happening she had thrown her arms around him from behind.

"Basil! Baseel I saw you! Your eye looks like shit and your hair is an absolute dreadful mess but I saw you! In ze mirrors! Do you know what zis means?" The girl was shaking poor Basil by this point.

The nurse wasn't sure *what* to do about the girl manhandling her patient.

Basil cried out in pain as the gelatinous girl grabbed him.

"That you want to finish the job Vinny started?!" He reached out with his left hand trying to press her off.

Colette wasn't forced away so much as her body contorted to the pushing hand, until Basil broke the surface tension. The injured young man was now wrist-deep inside the girl.

"No, not zat! Forget about Vincent and his stupid van! I SAW YOU, skin and hair and everyzing! When I first met you you were convinced you would be stuck zis way forever. It has only been a monz and already I have caught a glimpse of ze real you. Zis is progress Basil!"

She was remarkably chipper despite his intrusion.

Basil was more than a little disturbed by being stuck inside Colette. He did NOT pull away however. Not because he didn't want to, but he was concerned if he did this was going to get sooooo much worse. Like a quagmire, or quicksand.

His face in reflection didn't seem disgusted, more upset and very very very confused.

"I.... I could always be seen in reflection. That's what it's for." He said, more distracted than mad and not at all aware that it might upset her to be so blunt. He didn't fully register what she said about his eye, assuming she meant it was blackened or something.

"I really need my arm back. It's the only good one I've got at the moment and anyways I am a leftie so I'm rather fond of it that one. You can have the right one when they lop it off if you want."

So you can eat it like a gelatinous cube. He thought to himself.

Colette's smile quickly faded.

"Oh. I... you never told me zat." She clarified in a soft tone. "I zought zat... maybe somezing good had come from all of zis." The pink form stepped backward away from Basil, his hand slipping free effortlessly and dry to the touch. Well, mostly dry. She looked to him and the nurse before she spoke again.

"I am sorry for wasting your time. Please excuse me."

Basil frowned, which Colette could also see in the mirror. He quickly replaced it with a warm smile, too dopey and boyish to be anything but genuine.

"Hey. We'll be done soon and i'll be back in a moment, eh?"

His left hand went to her chin to give it a quick pluck, then his index finger poked her nose.

"Boop."

He then left with the nurse.

--

Basil said he'd be back in a moment, but he wasn't. Like all doctors visits, it was much longer than he had anticipated. If Colette did nothing but watch the exam room door, she would see him get shuffled off once and then return.

After roughly an hour of waiting, Colette was finally told she could go and collect him if she wanted to. The nurse practitioner who had helped him didn't spend any time explaining to Colette what might be wrong with him, obviously she had a lot on her mind with all the other injured students.

Colette's nose compressed under Basil's touch, slowly morphing back to it's little button shape as he was taken away by the staff. The girl spent the next hour sitting in the waiting room with the other worried teens and those whose injuries weren't as severe as others. When Basil was brought out from the back she got up from her seat and approached him with a somewhat reassuring smile.

"So, how are you?"

Basil's skin tight suit was tied around him at the waist now, which meant she could make out even less of him.

"I'm fine." He replied with a snuffle. He was carrying a pile of papers which were floating disembodied on his left side, and a white paper bag.

Colette offered to take some of his things for him. "Alright. So where am I taking you? Are we still supposed to be hiding in the basement, or did the doctor say it was safe for you to go back to your room?"

Basil stupidly handed over the things in his hand, not considering Colette could just read the papers in her hand to find out what she wanted to know.

Inside the bag seemed to be medicines, several by the feel of it.

Basil sighed, rubbing at the left side of his face where his eye was with the heel of his left palm.

"I-uh. I suppose we'll just go where everyone else is and if they've cleared out we can go back to our rooms and I'll sleep."