Participants:
| Scene Title | It's Called Chicken Soup |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Magnes stops by for advice on how to take care of sick friends. |
| Date | March 7, 2010 |
Old Lucy's - Outside
Sunday means church, means getting through the 4 feet of snow and to church. Means too that the blonde has been out front of the bar with a shovel and a torch to make sure that anyone who actually deigns to get out of their house and make it to the bar won't trip and fall over the sidewalks. Bags of salt too, sprinkled in the wake of her shoveling and gravel mixed with kitty litter. Traction on ice is your best friend. The torch has been used to crack the layer of ice, weaken it enough for the shovel to do the job. There will be coffee inside waiting, that's for sure.
As Tracy Strauss' intern, Magnes has been an insanely busy bee, flying and all, though not so much dancing. When he arrives, he's wearing a quality but not-so-expensive suit, having put more into the tie than anything; no clip-ons either. It's dark blue, almost bordering on black, with a dark tie hanging from the white buttoned-up shirt under his jacket. Who knows why he's not wearing a coat over it all, but he approaches Abby with a black leather briefcase in one hand, tilting his head when he notices she's doing this all alone. "Hard working boss. Abby, can we talk? And no, I didn't do anything you didn't want me to, I trust you have enough white knights to not need me stepping on their toes." He tries to smile, since he's lacking a white flag.
Oh horse dung. "No Magnes I'm not doing it by myself. There's gonna be a truck here later to do the parking lot, and the streets are already done. I'm just making sure no one sues us because they slipped on their high heels." IT's sunday, why is Magnes in a suit and carrying a briefcase?
Abigail stops her shoveling, clunking the poited tip of the shovel into the bank and leaning against it. "What do you want Magnes? I already gave your friend permission to let you into the bar so you can play music" She points out.
"This isn't about that, Abby. I won't lie and say I'm not at least a little upset, and I still believe you're judging some false image of me, or at least the me you first met and never really bothered to get to know me anymore, but…" Magnes shakes his head, taking a breath to think of what he's supposed to be saying. "I was wrong if I gave you even a little anxiety over what I said I was gonna do. I don't have the right to get involved and I should trust you when you say you have something taken care of. Like I said, I never did what I said I was gonna do. Truthfully, I never intended to come back here again, but I need your help, uh, hold on…"
He reaches into his pocket, answering his cell. "Yes, you have to cancel? That's fine, I'll let Miss Strauss know right away, thank you." then promptly slides his phone back into his pocket. "As I was saying, a friend of mine, only around seventeen, was thrown out of his house. He has that new virus going around, and I'm trying to take care of him at my place, but, I'm terrible at it. Could you help me?"
"Oh lord, you're working for that woman" Is muttered under Abby's breath. "Magnes, no one cancels on Tracy Strauss, even I know that. You tell the person that they can either take that appointment slot, or they'll have to reschedule and who knows when you'll be able to fit them in. You're too nice to be her gofer" she's ignoring everything he said previous to that. She's not standing in the snow to get lectured by Magnes on how she views him. He doesn't know, he's not her.
But he has a sick friend and there's a purse of her lips. "You have a seventeen year old staying at your place? Above panucci's? Are you crazy? that place is barely big enough for you and if he's seventeen, he needs… never mind, I don't want to know, because you'll just get all up in arms. Chicken soup Magnes. No aspirin, Motrin or advil only to help with any fever. Gingerale, crackers, hot tea, he needs to stay in bed. If his fever hits above 104, then take him to the emergency room and… Just wait a moment" Abigail shoves the tool into the snow bank more and disappears into the bar proper.
"When you come back out, finish what you were going to say. Give me some credit." Magnes just sounds a bit exasperated, and waits for her to come back out so he can correct her on his living situation. Though while she's in there, he calls that number back to set that person straight!
Which Abby would just roll her eyes. Calling the person back to say they can't cancel after the fact. But that's magnes. Abby's back out five minutes later with one of her re-useable grocery bags in hand, door closing behind her. "Masks, gloves, there's hand sanitizer. Use them when dealing with him, this flu that's affecting evolveds only Magnes, it's something nasty and I think it's the Shanti Virus. Not that you know what that is. But, there you have it. It wipes out evolveds abilities and the original, was lethal period to people with abilities"
The bag is passed over to him. "There's a thermometer in there too, the kind that just press to inside the ear, you can have it. If he worse magnes than just sick sick, you need to take him to a hospital. And for the sake of all that's holy, stay away from Roosevelt Island okay? For me, just stay away from there"
"Alright, Abby, for you." Magnes says with a bit of warmth in his tone, then starts looking through the bag. At least he learned first-aid in the policy academy to be able to use some of this stuff. "And by the way, I live in Dorchester Towers now. Sable has her own room, I'm letting my friend sleep in the living room with a futon set up. But if this virus is that bad… I don't know. If it was just me, I wouldn't mind, but I have Sable to think about, and she always dances around the question when I ask if she's Evolved. If she could get sick too, then I don't think I should be putting her in danger. But… I can't just throw him out on the street either, and his parents are serious Evolved haters. I mean they think Evolved should be wounded up and shot."
"Then you temporarily move her out of the one room, and put him in. Wash all the bedclothes in really hot water and sequester him in there Magnes. A virus can move a great distance on a sneeze or a cough or what have you. It's how viruses travel" The blonde points out. "Put him in the room, make sure he's got what he needs, when you go in, wear the mask, use the gloves, cover up any scratches or cuts, just be smart about it Magnes" Yellow eye'd girl? Abby'd lay five bucks that the woman was. Eyecolor did not happen like that naturally and she didn't see the telltale rims of contact lenses.
"Alright, I'll do that. I'm sure she won't mind if it's to keep her alive and all. But…" Magnes takes a moment to put the bags into the hand holding the briefcase, the weight not being much of an issue. "What do you think I should do about this kid? I mean, virus aside. He already wants to quit school, which I'm not letting him do. I told him he has to go to school or he can't live with me. But he needs parents, and if they won't take him back, what am I supposed to do? I just don't know, I've been trying to think of someone to talk to, I don't wanna just dump him into some orphanage for a year. I don't mind taking care of him, but I know I'm not what's best for him. I didn't have the most natural upbringing."
"It's called GED magnes. It's how I did it. He does his work from home. Graduation Equivalent Diploma. He won't have to go to school, he can do it from home" Abby offers up as a solution. "Online courses i'm sure. He's not required to graduate Magnes, I think it's only up till the tenth grade that kids are required to go to school" She points out.
"It's not about that, Abby. I have a responsibility, he's still in school, I can't let him drop out. He only has one year left. I have the money to support him if needed, until he's out of school and can get a job, but is it really healthy for him to not have parents?" Magnes sighs, still exhasperated by the whole thing, shaking his head again. "I was at least on my way to college when I lost contact with my parents. I just don't wanna screw him up or something… or maybe I'm just overthinking this? I mean he is seventeen, he's been raised as much as he's probably gonna be raised, though I'm still not letting him drop out…"
"Magnes, the world isn't perfect and sometimes, you can't give him what you had, what I have. Right now, he's sick and school shoudl be the last thing closest to your mind. When he's better, you can take him to an adult education center and discuss his options. Buts who's to say that he won't take off if you press the education thing? At least with a GED he won't have to go to school. Maybe it's his evo status Magnes that's making him want to drop. Have you thought of that? look how different it makes you. Maybe his ability makes it hard for him school. Made it hard for me."
Abby shrugs and takes up her shovel again, getting ready too rbeak up more snow and pile it to the side.
"Yeah… I guess that's a good point. When I finally did make friends, for the first time, and my ability manifested, I showed off my skating a lot, doing super high jumps and stuff. Then I got the crap beaten out of me just before Midtown happened. And his ability… I can only imagine. If he doodles in class and a drawing comes to life, he's just plain done for." Magnes holds his free hand out, motioning it as ice starts to crack and snow moves in spots she hasn't gotten to yet, trying to help out a little. "Maybe you're right, Abby. That's why I came to you, you're usually more sensible than me about life issues. I just wish we were friends like we were a year ago. I'm not saying we're not now, but…"
Shaking it from his mind, he looks down the street. "Probably time for me to go." he says with a slight frown forming.
"Yeah, probably time for you to go, before you start getting as judgmental as you claim I am. If you need more masks and gloves, leave a message at the bar, i'll get some more for you" There's an appreciative nod for the cracking ice and him making her life more easier today. "Buy ramen too. Cheap, easy to cook, and broth is good. Protein from the noodles and easy on the stomach."
"I will, Abby. And, if you need anything, you can call me. I know you don't see me as the most dependable guy, but… the offer is there." Magnes lets out a deep sigh, starting to ascend into the sky. "I'll see you later, Abigail."
"Magnes just stop" There's a swift and heavy clunk from the shovel as it bites into the snow. "Stop assuming how I think of you" She yells up at him in the sky. "Just stop thinking about what I think about and get on with your life and your day.