Participants:
| Scene Title | Everyone's Future |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Calls made, the good doctor and the terrakinetic meet in the park to talk about things like the future. |
| Date | November 4, 2009 |
Located off of Merrick and Baisley Boulevard, the Roy Wilkins Park is a plot covering just over fifty acres of land, with a number of features to entertain those from the very young to the very old. Boasting four outdoor tennis courts, a quarter mile jogging track that circles the rec center, and a wheelchair accessible basketball court, anyone visiting the massive park can find a reason to spend hours idling away their time. In addition to these features there is an indoor pool open all year round, and a number of baseball fields - two towards the northern area of the park with a smaller field towards the south end, in the Nautilus Playground, which is just south of a small pond.
For convenience of the park visitors, restrooms are located both in the playground and at the rec center. Pristine, with a relatively clean pond, the facility also hosts a summer day camp, a counseling center, and hosts a variety of community events. Along with the rec center and play areas, there is a jogging path and a series of picnic tables scattered throughout the park, complete with nearby barbecue grills for outdoor eating. Far more than an ordinary park or recreation center, the Roy Wilkins Park is a cultural landmark, home to the Black Spectrum Theatre, an acting troupe given to perform socially conscious drama. The most famous feature of the park, however, is the four acre vegetable garden that gives locals an opportunity to grow their own produce, which is often donated to charity.
Collapsed parking structures or not, when a shift comes around, a shift comes around and you gotta be on task. But there are lunch breaks and Brennan's opted to take a bit of a longer one since he had no slotted patients coming to his private practice right after lunch. So when Sparrow called his cell number, there was offer to meet in queens at Roy Wilkenson Park.
The good doctor is standing just off of the playground, watching three girls who are running around and screaming, playing with other children and otherwise being kids. They bear his coloring though and with the looks thrown his way to ascertain that dad hasn't run off too far and they're safe do little to disuade anyone from thinking otherwise.
A coffee cup tray is present, with three cups, two sippy cups and a bag with donuts and muffins and packets of goldfish crackers. Someones giving his wife a break as well while he's on lunch. But it's him, the doctor from the Flushing Incident and he glances around now and then, looking for the terrakinetic, what he's sure is a terrakinetic, from the day previous.
After making the call, and at least getting directions to the park that's offered as a meeting place, Sparrow makes her way there, soon to approach the place. Her gaze sweeps the area, though as they spy the doctor, she recognizes him from the garage situation. Her steps turn, leading her in his direction, "Doctor?" She questions when she's close enough to not have to yell, offering him a study and slight smile.
The girls nearby who seem to not only favor him, but look at him from time to time, are seen, and briefly, her smile turns warmer as she watches them run about the playground, amused by their laughter. But business returns as she looks back to Brennan.
Up from the bench Brennan rises at the sight of Sparrow - Yes, it's the woman with the bare feet, the person delivered the note right - and he offers his hand out to her. "Dr. Brennan, but please, call me Harve, by all means. I was surprised frankly that you even called. The paranoia level these days in the city, you never know what could happen." There's a gesture towards the coffee on the bench. "I brought drinks. Stuff to eat as well, I didn't know whether you'd eaten or not and the girls, they eat like mice, when they choose to eat at all"
The smile remains, though there is a hint of wariness to be found. The shake of hands is given, Sparrow's being a little rougher than might be expected. "I have found myself calling people I do not know quite often while I've been here.." Her accent marks her from the mid-west, certainly not from NYC. As to the offer, she declines, politely. "I'm alright…" A pause, and she finally asks, "I was not sure why exactly you passed the numbers to me? I wasn't hurt in the accident the other day.."
"You know, I don't normally do that actually. Just, I noticed the manipulations of the ground, the structure and you caught my eye. Through it all, and everything you did it clued in that the reason we managed to get so many people that we did out, and in the better shape that they were in was because of you. I guess-" Brennan raises a hand, rubbing at the back of his head and his short hair as he looks away to keep an eye on the three children before looking back to Sparrow. "I wanted to see if there was anything you needed. Not many in this city would just walk up and their abilities. I don't know if you registered or not, I don't care if you are or aren't but. What you did, needed to be commended, What everyone did there, needs to be commended"
Sparrow listens quietly, and as he speaks of her supposed abilities, she goes still, looking to the girls playing nearby. Taking a deep breath, she shakes her head, "I need no commendation for what I did. I was in the right place, at the right time. Nothing more, nothing less, Doc.. Harve." Hands are tucked into the back pockets of her jeans as she rocks on her feet a touch. "I helped as I could, just as you did with your medical knowledge."
"That may be. But you took the greater risk. Your gift is a bit more apparently than mine. Regardless, you have my numbers, if you need anything, call. I'll see what I can do. Nothing too small for a woman who stops everything to help out her fellow man. I guess more curiosity, and sating it more than anything. If it really was you." There's a sheepish glance down to her feet as he drops his hand from the back of his neck.
"Was your bare feet really. No one else, save for maybe someone caught in the collapse itself, would have been walking about in November with bare feet"
"Your own ability?" Sparrow wonders before finally shifting to turn to the playground, "It makes it easier when my hands are otherwise occupied to keep touch with that which I want to work with." She admits quietly, turning back to him. "It is not the first time I have helped out people while here in the city. I would do the same again in both situations." A glance down, and she looks back, "I understand there were two who were not saved.."
"Two of them. Just.. odds didn't go in their favor. God rest their souls, but, five lived and that's five more than the Detective who was in charge and even I thought would be possible. Probably gonna be services for them at some point soon, once the investigation is done. Our part's ended, now the cops proper get into it to see what happened and why it happened"
Sparrow nods quietly, "I wish I'd been sooner." The woman says softly before taking another deep breath and letting it out. Turning back to him, she listens, "I will say a prayer and light a candle for them." A hand moves, rubbing at her forearm where the tribal tattoo of birds lie. she finally ohs, and murmurs, "I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Sparrow." She finally gestures to the girls, "Your daughters? You must be proud of them.."
"Sparrow. Interesting name." His hand closes over hers again and grips firmly before letting go. "Yes, mine and Michelle's. One more on the way. Hoping for a boy, Michelle knows, but I'm being kept in the dark for a few months more. Hoping they'll grow up in a more tolerant society towards those who are evolved. Odds are against them for not carrying the gene. Makes me wonder sometimes if they are and if so, what they'll develop"
Sparrow smiles, "It was my mother's favorite songbird, one that she heard plainly singing at her window the day I was born." The young woman answers before the smile warms, "Congratulations. May the days pass swiftly and in good health for your wife and the new life she carries within." Warming further, she shakes her head, "It's unknown. Mother Earth will make her choices, and gift those with special abilities to what they can handle." She bends over, picking up a small quarter sized rock from the grass to hold as she stands there talking. Her thumb moves over the rock in her hand, playing with it much like someone with one of those 'worry stones'. "It is strange.. there is not so much of the intolerance that exists here back home.."
"Where's back home?" Midwest, west south west, he'd peg, thinks. "I think the intolerance stems from the incident of the ruins. It's a constant daily reminder to those who lost people, and then have to see it every day. People not in the city, not near here from other states, they don't have to look out their windows, don't tend to see the destruction that some of these terrorist cells are wreaking on the people day after day, or walk down the street and worry about what manifestation is going to happen. Since that day, those with abilities just seem to flock here and with the Suresh Center who's focus is to help those with evolved abilities"
It's food for thought though, her words that the Mother Earth will gift them only with what they can handle. They did for him and Michelle. That brings a smile to his face. "wise words, that I will cherish up until the day they get old enough for boyfriends and then I'll hope that she makes them into pyrokinetics so they can burn the eyebrows off the face of any man who breaks their hearts" That's a long time down the road.
"New Mexico." Sparrow offers when he asks. "Yes, it is a blight upon the city. But like the Towers.. well.. there are too many who seem to concentrate on the negatives, and not enough on the positives." That said, she tilts her head, "I have heard about the Center.. how do you mean that it is meant to help?" Curious is the young woman who sits there playing with the rock in her hand.
"They are but words spoken to me not only by my mother, but by an Elder." Sparrow offers before she turns back to him, soon to laugh as he speaks of the future, "So says the father with three daughters, with a possibility of a fourth on the way?" A grin, and she soon holds her hand out to him, fingers uncurling, and the now transformed rock to be offered to him. In all that time that it's been held, she played with it, mentally shifting it, so that it now looks like three little cats curled up together, the swirls of color in the rock making interesting patterns on the cats.
"Ahh but focusing on the negative seems to be a habitual problem in the news and everywhere we turn. Isn't it true, that adage that nothing travels faster than bad news? And it's either they become pyrokinetics, or I buy myself a baseball bat. I'm sure your mother would have agreed with me. But, but Sparrow, you seem to be a positive thinker, so that's one more in the city. If more keep moving to the city, who knows, maybe we'll outnumber the pessimists yes?" He winks then, a glance to the kids, keep track of them.
And then there's the rock, transformed and changed, the molecules within changed to the feline forms and the corners of Brennans lips turn up into a smile. "That, is very fine control you have over rock. Maybe you won't need the suresh center to help develop your skill"
"Borrowing trouble, that is all they do." Sparrow offers quietly before laughing again, "Baseball bats are only good as a last resource. I'm certain by then, you can teach your daughters some self defense before that time comes." A smile appears, "One more, is a good thing to have on your side." With the offer of the rock, she smiles, "I have dealt with my ability since I was a child. I had to learn.. I had to understand the gift that Mother Earth had given to me.. or I caused trouble."
The sculpted rock is taken, transferred from her hand ot his and held carefully. The girls will likely squabble over it later before it goes to the oldest. Likely to find a place of honor on a bedroom windowsill or some place where she can see it. "Woudl but that everyone had that much time to learn it and gain it's finer points. You should drop by the center. Maybe you can impart the knowledge of control to those who are just fledgling chicks in their journey in life with an ability?"
"Keep it.. and perhaps later, once the fourth comes, I might change it to represent all fo them for you." Sparrow murmurs before hands once more tuck themselves casually in her back pockets. "I.." She pauses, then glances back to him, "I would rather not be known. There are a few here who know who I am and what I can do. I know what would happen if I registered. I like my freedom, Harve. I cannot be kept."
"Fair enough. I've never pressed anyone to register and I never will. Just know that if you do need help, I work there sometimes, and you don't need to be registered to take advantage of their help. That and well, you got my number" And there's now three kids starting to head towards their father, curiosity getting the better of them. A set of twins and a five year old who's fingers fly when she gets closer, sign language erupting in awkward waves from her while Brennan's placing the cats down and doing the same. Only he's translating on autopilot for Sparrow and his other daughters. "She has a present for you all. This is Sparrow. She helped out your dad at the big building I was working at. She saved so many people. Why don't you thank her for the present"
"Alright. If.. something comes up, I'll give you a call. Promise." Sparrow offers in turn. When the girls approach the two, she offers them a smile. With the sign language going on, she listens to the translation, obviously not one that she knows. Blushing a touch at his words though, she shakes her head, "I just.. was there.. lucky to be there." She tries to say before she finally offers her hand to first one girl, then the next, "It's nice to meet you all.."
Marlena is the one with the busy hands and no effort being made to speak, Genevieve and Dessandra introduce themselves while doing the shy dance behind their dad's legs and eying the trio of cats. It's the focus of attention for all and the drinks and food there. "I should likely gather them up, pawn them off on their mother and get back to work Sparrow. It was a pleasure to meet you under better circumstances. God forbid, that I meet you in any other circumstance again other than pleasant." His hand offered once more but this time in parting. "I'm glad you were there. You really did help save some lives or at least, make things easier on the doctors who eventually patched them up."
Sparrow smiles at the girls who peer at her from around their father, chuckling softly. "It was nice to meet you, Harve. I.. am glad I didn't toss the numbers and called instead." She pauses, his last words to touch her, "Thank you. I.. well.. I'm still looking at whether or not I am leaving the city or staying, though I have made promises to a few people to help with… something.. The garage made me wonder if it was tied to some of the trouble going on." She ponders, glancing to the girls, then back to their father, "Take some advice?" She says, dropping her voice, "Keep your family away from the island? Trouble might be brewing there, and i would not wish you or your family near it when ti hits. Please?"
That gets some attention and her distracts the oldest with the cat so she can't read lips. "Manhattan Island?" THe carefree and ease that's remained in his eyes during this all recedes and seriousness takes it's place.
Sparrow shakes her head, "Statan. Where the statue is. Just be careful?" She seems serious, likely concerned and not wishing he and his family to get tied up in things. "I've heard.. whispers? Could end up being nothing, but better to be safe than sorry, right?"
"Oh. You mean Liberty Island. Staten is the one that's been cut off, destroyed by some terrorists. Liberty Island is the one with the statue" He hasn't been there since, before the bomb went off in the middle of the city. "I'll bear that in mind. If you get wind of how.. immediate it becomes. Call? So I can get my family off to Chicago, let them visit their grandparents" Word on the street. He'd have to keep an ear out himself.
Sparrow ohs, then blushes, "There are too many islands here." The young woman finally says, "Not the same in New Mexico." A wry smile and she nods, "If I do, I'll call you. I like you, Doctor, and.." The girls are given a glance, "Your daughters remind me of the future that needs to be protected when we can.."
"Everyone's future, Sparrow, needs to be protected. Not just theirs. Your's and mine, everyone's" But, enough doom and gloom. "You have my numbers, you go on and have a good day" A brief nod of his head, Harve's attention is returning to that of his daughters who are descending upon food and drink alike while marveling over the cat. Sparrow fogetten about in a way that only children can manage to forget. He claps his hands, crouching down to get face level. "Okay, everyone gather their stuff, scarfs back on and it's time to take you back to mom so that Dad can go back to fixing boo boo's okay?"
Sparrow nods, "Take care, Harve." She does say before adding, "And you did get my number?" If not, she'll offer him her cell, "Call if you need me?" With that, she waves to the girls, and turns to head off through the park, her gaze often sliding over people in a way to suggest that she is alert to those around her.