Family Friends

Participants:

anne_icon.gif james_icon.gif teo_icon.gif

Scene Title Family Friends
Synopsis The SCOUT Captain's baby brother is housing a sickly and injured terrorist, who has 'family' of her own come calling.
Date February 4, 2009

Somewhere In Manhattan — James' Apartment


It's been a couple of days since Anne got carried to this new apartment by the wonderful James, promptly tucked down into a bed, and once she woke up forbidden to head on out again while she was still sick. Even though, admittedly, this was a pretty good thing, given how high her fever was and how much she'd strained herself, the teleporter had none the less felt a little pouty by the restriction. Not too much, though. She didn't have the energy to teleport anywhere, she hurt all over, and even if Sonny moved her concussion, that just meant she hurt somewhere else instead.

But hey, at least the hallucinations had been fun.

None the less, it's not a good thing to end up being entirely incommunicado, so Anne snuck up out of bed one time when James was gone, got her phone and called in a message to Teo's voicemail. "Hi. It's Anne. I'm not dead but he says I can't leave until I stand up and the cat is biting my toe." Did we mention that this message was spoken while she had her high fevers and hallucinated? Well. It ended up being pretty obvious, and she sounded sick too. "I'll come back when the fuzz gets offff… my nose and I can move again. BYE!"

Today, she's sitting on the couch under a mountain of blankets and with a couple of cats in her lap. She's a little bit better, end of hallucinations, and just staying in bed was tooo boooring, so she nagged a little and got to sit in the couch instead. Also, she told James about the many ways he was awesome. "And you're kiiiind and have caaats and fluffy things and .. come across the continent for friends and … I'd hug you if I wasn't sick and stuff. What are you doing in the kiiitchen?" Lonely 'porter.

In the kitchen, James rolls his eyes, just a little, but there's a smile in his tone as he replies, so he's probably not all that annoyed. Then again, he does have practice with siblings being around, so it's most likely 'homagosh you're /still/ hallucinating?' eyerolls. "I'm making some tea, and toast." He shall not mention the first pot of water he put on, and forgot about. It wasn't a very good pot, anyway. "My mom used to make us tea when we were sick, feels better to get something warm inside, too."

For a couple of days, he has been sleeping on his couch, surrendering his bed to a feverish Anne, who he has been making regular checkups on, just to make sure she's still alive. Being that the hospital wouldn't have been able to do more for her than he has, in the relative quiet and seclusion of his own apartment, this was figured the best overall option.

Out of the kitchen comes a James, wearing jeans and a tshirt, carrying two mugs with hot contents, and a small plate of dry toast. "Figured we should see about trying to get something solid into you, before you get all dizzy from starving instead."

Ooooh. Part of that is actually sounding kind of tempting. Anne peeks her head out a little more from her hidey hole, and smiles when James comes wandering in with steaming mugs and interesting looking plates. "Actually, that doesn't look too horrible." Which is quite the improvement compared to two days ago, when she didn't want anything. Even tea. Or water. Or Tylenol cause it was probably evil. And. Well, at least that last part was very good for her health. "I mentioned you were awesome, right?" Just in case he missed that part.

She pushes the piles of fluff in her lap until they move, looking slightly offended as they vacate the warm snuggly place. Sigh. This human hadn't been taught any manners yet. Apperently the other one was failing in giving her proper lessons. For now, though, Anne's focus is on one of those steaming mugs. "That looks nice. And man, I owe you so many dinners for this stuff, it's not even funny." It looks like she was going to say something more, but she coughs for a while instead. For good measure, or something.

James grins, rather happy to see that Anne is showing some interest in fluids and toast, even if that cough is going to put the crease of a frown onto his face. He puts down the mugs and plates on a chair, substituting as coffeetable at the moment, and leans in to touch her forehead, trying to assess her general status.

"Maybe we should get you downtown, later. See about getting you something for that cough." he murmurs, moving his hand down to her shoulder and focusing for a moment. Come on, body. Now ain't the time to protest. After all, the best way is to share, ain't it?

There is a knock on the door, a sharp-edged rap-rapping of closed fist and carefully restrained proportions. Through the peephole, should one be wise enough to check, there's a second-time visitor standing in the hallway. Blue-eyed, his hair shorn down near to nothing after his most recent run-in with traumatic head injury, his complexion ruddy from cold and features stiff from something else. The last place he wants to be is at the hearth of the SCOUT Captain's brother, but it's the first place he needs to go today, and Teodoro rarely refuses to do what's needed.

Anne has no idea what James' brother does for a living, which is probably for the best given the current conditions. She peers at James for a moment, lifting up her hand to put it on top of his. "Um. Just be careful, James? You've done a lot for me already and you're not exactly looking at the peak of energy there." While she didn't know a lot about his evolved ability, she did know that hers took more energy than most people thought it did, if you used it too often or with too little rest in between the heavy stuff. "As for cough meds.. eh. There's so little meds in town we shouldn't pour them into me. I'm not that badly off…"

She trails off a bit and turns her head towards the knock, tensing up a little bit at the sound. She doesn't mean to, but, she does so anyway. She pulls the blankets back up on her head again, black strands sticking out every which way. "Looks like you have a visitor." She pauses slightly. "Or. You know. Lots of 'em."

All too well aware of many things, including what his brother does and thinks, James offers a bit of a smile. "Don't you worry 'bout me. You'll get to buy me dinner, and I'm gonna order the lobster." he murmurs, knowing full well that he takes care of himself well enough to not be too worn, just yet. He leans back, however, lifting up the not entirely top-filled cup for Anne. The knock on the door will simply have to wait until Anne takes the tea, before he goes to, yes, check the peephole. Although we doubt rioting looters would be polite enough to knock.

However, seeing that he does recognize the face, even if not the hairdo outside, the door opens for Teo. "Hey, you're back on your feet." And alive. "Glad to see, come on in." James doesn't seem to mind the idea of visitors, especially not a returning guest.

The cats seem to be wellbehaved, or lazy, enough to stay in the apartment, rather than wanting to escape through the door, and there is barely a whisker moving where the furballs have taken up their new spots.

He'd been told there were only two live cellphone GPS units in the apartment and no belt radios present otherwise. As such, the young terrorist— sorry, freedom fighter leader who appears framed in the Harvard boy's threshold isn't as skittish or, indeed, riotous as he otherwise might be. Instead, Teo offers a smile that is in no part disingenuous, an inclination of his shorn head. "Ciao, signor Harvard.

"It's good to see you're well. I wanted to thank you for helping me the other day because I think I would be off the planet if you hadn't. I was also wondering if I could see Anne." Despite the hunted curl faint around Teo's shoulders, there is no real fear or aggression shadowing his pallid eyes. It's a rough time for people up from mysterious gunshot wounds and other residents of Manhattan who have yet to get their shit together and leave.

Apparently it is Anne who's getting a visitor, which was somewhat more of a surprise. At least to her. The blanket is scooted down off her head again, and she waves to Teo with her free hand. Not the one holding tea, because that would just end in all kinds of badness. "Heeey Teo. I am glad to see you up! Did your friend," Sooonnyyyy. "Tell you you so owe me a footrub? But when I'm better, cause my feet hurt when you poke 'em, now." She's not really any kinds of nervous, which is a good thing. But she's not entirely sensemaking either, which is potentially less awesome.

Not to mention the part where a fugitive is hiding in the apartment of the SCOUT boss' brother.

Ain't nothing like hiding close to the enemy, where they at least don't /start/ looking, hmm? James steps back, bringing the door with him to allow Teo inside, motioning in towards the livingroom and couch, where Anne is already offering up her greetings. "Of course. She's inside, just…" he pauses, glancing into the apartment, and assuming that Teo steps inside, he's going to close the door before continuing. "… she's got a bit of a fever still, but she's sitting up, reasonably lucid."

There's a pause, and then James is going to take advantage of having a guest over at the same time as he has actually managed to cook something drinkable. "Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you," Teo replies, ever the paragon of decent breeding, despite the near-infinite supply of parents who would disapprove he was consorting with their children if he wasn't the sort to be discreet about who he consorts with. He goes so far as to take off his boots, which is slightly disjunct with the rationale on which he based the decision not to take tea, but. Such is life: disjunct.

He refrains from glancing backward when the door clicks shut behind him.

"I will rub your feet until your piggies squeal, signora. Or when you squeal like a pig, it's up to you. And that wasn't a fat joke," he calls ahead, cracking a grin from around the bend in the apartment's architecture. The cats warrant a brief wave of a gloved hand, which they ignore as usual. Cat person, Teodoro isn't. "What's her prognosis look like?" he inquires, squaring the older man back into the middle of his vision instead of the cautious peripheral. "How soon before we can move her?"

"And suddenly I feel like a comatose crash victim." Anne replies, though there's mirth in her voice so she's probably not upset or anything. In fact, she smiles around her mug when he sips tea. This wasn't so bad at all, and that plate of toasts over there is still looking tempting. However, her eyes look up to Teo again, following him as he moves around the apartment. Yes, she's still sick. Yes, she's slightly ditzy on occation, but. "Truth be told, I could go now if it was needed. Well, as long as you don't need me to teleport anyway." Hey, James knew about that already. First hand experience! "Last time I tried didn't end well."

Teo might be talking to James, and James to Teo, but that doesn't mean she's not inserting herself into the conversation. Then her lap is invated by a yellow looking cat, and Anne commences scratching its tummy. She's not quite as well behaved as James is, just yet, but she's in kitten bootcamp. Learning the ways of servitude to feline-ness.

Ah, well, it was worth a try. Who knows, with a few more lessons from Liz, James might actually be able to offer something more enticing than tea and dry toast. However, as things are right now, it seems a more professional attitude is asked for, and he subconciously straightens up a bit, putting his hands on his back as he wanders on over back to Anne. One might note, his own feet are bare beneath the fringed ends of his jeans, so he doesn't seem to mind a Teo without shoes. But then again, this Harvard boy seems to be rather accepting of differences.

"Actually, I would agree, Anne.. but with the addition that I wouldn't like to see you move unless it's a matter of life and death." His gaze turns over to Teo for a moment, "She pushed herself to, and probably beyond, her limits, on top of not taking very good care of herself." then back to Anne, as he continues, "Your lungs are shot, and pneumonia on top of this, you don't need. Like you said, ain't a lot of meds to go around in town, just now. Rest is the best medicine I can think of, right now. At least until the fever's gone." Or Abby, if things turn pear-shaped.

The Sicilian looks neither surprised nor satisfied about the news. He squats down by Anne's couch, peers at her like an owl chick from over the rim of its nest. Or hers, as the fact may be. "It may be a matter of life and death. It makes me a little uncomfortable, her staying here. No offense to you, signor, I realize you're discreet and a really cool guy, all-'round. I figure you're not completely retarded, either, so the risks you're taking are calculated, and I guess the lack of questions means you're also smart enough to know the less you know, the better.

"But we have kind of a…" Hapless smile, glance up from the teleporter's swarthy face. "Tenuous relationship with your family. Not to mention the city needs you to do your job now more than ever. Manhattan is tits-up out there. We're in your debt. I'll probably end up doing whatever you recommend, but I could use a few reasons and reassurances." He's the most harmless terrorist ever, Teodoro Laudani. With the exception, possibly, of the woman wearing the yellow fluffball, but then, they saw what she looked like after Claude.

It might be life and death? Anne frowns a bit at that, and looks between the two people. "Um." There are about a thousand questions in her eyes, right now, and she peers over at James. Problems with his family what? Clearly, she needs to update on a couple of things. That said, she shakes her head a little bit to clear her head. "You know, I'm not staying if it's dangerous for James." You know, more than what could initially be assumed. This sounded more than that. "And you'll have hell in a handbasket trying to make me." It's partially an empty threat, maybe, she's not the most difficult woman to subdue right now. But she is very much serious, none the less.

That said she reaches out to the sicilian, brushing a thumb over his forehead. It's kind of amazing, that it's not a big hole in his head. Last time she saw him, there kind of was, and well. Yeah. It's a good thing to poke and make sure. Her skin is hot to the touch, of course, with the fever, but her fingers are soft and the touch feathery light. Just checking, see?

James pauses for a moment, looking between the two of them, and then sighs a little, his shoulders sagging ever so slightly. "I doubt it'd be dangerous for me if you stay, Anne." he murmurs, and then straightens back up, back to the business-end of things. "If you have somewhere dry and safe to go, and can rest, eat, I could send what I have in painkillers along with you. The fever -should- be breaking soon, and if it doesn't… you're going to need more help than I can give, anyway."

Regarding questions and not questions, he just runs a hand up his face, offering a wry sort of grin, there one moment, gone the next. "There are reasons I didn't advance too far in the military, monsieur." He shrugs, and then starts to move off towards the bathroom, presumably, to pack up what things he thinks Anne might need. If both of them say she needs to move, because of who he's related to? Who is he to argue?

Someone with control over William Harvard's annoying dickery would be kind of cool, but Teo realizes as much as the next esoteric criminal over, that SCOUT's crabby little King did advance and earned it. While there's more than enough for both officers and EMTs to do on Manhattan right now, with the robberies, assaults, the economy tanked, the riots in all their unbelievable technicolor, well. If there was a cop who was going to catch up on his oversights anytime unexpectedly, it would be William Harvard.

"Si. I like to think he'd protect you. It's why the older brother is born first, or so mia Madre taught me," Teo replies, quietly. His right eye squinches shut when the woman pries at the space a bullet and brain mash used to be. His skin is still slightly chilled from the winter outside, and there's a shade of acheing to the carriage of his head, his neck muscles still adapting to the loss of the metal weight he had worn for years. He doesn't forget to smile, though.

Not even at James. "I should give you a number in case something happens, and you need — anything." Teo doesn't invoke the term debt this time. Rises, offering the woman two gloved hands. Murmurs: Slowly.

"And you already have mine." Anne says to James with a bit of a smile, as she starts unlayering the blankets, gently nudging the cat away at the same time as the fluffy niceness. She takes Teo's hands and puts her feet back down on the floor, gently rising up to her feet. She's not all that wobbly, really, it's not so much a matter of immediately falling over. It's just that, well. She probably shouldn't be walking very far, is all. She also makes a mental note of getting James some eggs, once she's feeling better again. Sure, her main task is to stock things up for Phoenix, but there's no harm in dropping a few off here. He needed a couple extra for hit and miss affairs anyway.


l-arrow.png
February 4th: Martyrdom Is Overrated
r-arrow.png
February 4th: Half Pain
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License