Participants:
| Scene Title | Narcotics Not-So-Anonymous |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Wendy and Rebecca find themselves at the same meeting. |
| Date | February 24, 2010 |
Considerably less Evolveds in this meeting which is exactly perfect for Wendy. Not hard to tell that the woman is in the throes of the downward spiral of withdrawal through the whole meeting, getting up and talking about what she's hooked on, and her name. One other evo, and that was Rebecca and Wendy was feeling far too crappy to actually make an effort to touch her. Not after having to deal with paramedics the night before thanks to whatever happened at the Corinthian and the overload.
Outside the doors of the church that's used for the meetings, Wendy's standing with a smoke, puffing away on it and killing time before she calls for a taxi. She doesn't trust herself to drive with how twitchy she is and there's a mental note that she needs to talk to her temporary boss and break the news to him that she need to step away for a few weeks. There's already one smoke crushed under the heel of her boots, substituting and desperately trying to sublimate the need for the luminescent liquid with nicotine. Obvious. Fail.
Of course, once addicted there's always a chance for relapse no matter how strong you think you are. Rebecca Nakano hasn't had the strong craving for Refrain in quite some time, but that doesn't mean it doesn't tickle at her spine now and again. Tiny nudges towards the blue drug that put her life into a tailspin, crashing into the ground. She was able to pick herself back up, but she is well aware that she needs the support of others to keep her on the straight and narrow.
As she exits the meeting, she notices Wendy crushing out her cigarette on the ground and walks over to her. "That bad, is it?" she asks with a sympathetic smile. What else can she say? She's been there? She has. She's fallen? She has. "You look like you're about ready to do something you'll regret. How about coming with me to get some coffee and we can talk about it?" She motions down the street to a coffee shop. She can tell it's a coffee shop because of the big neon sign that flashes "Coffee Shop."
She wants to snarl at the other woman, tell her to fuck off, leave her alone. But Wendy refrains. It's not the other woman's fault that she's going through this, it is her own fault. "Not gonna go touch it. Much as I so fucking much want to" She's got a thing to prove to Logan. "But nothings as good as replacing one addiction with another huh?" This is her reply and acceptance of going to get coffee.
She's not finished her smoke and has the manners to at least blow away from the asian woman. "Wendy" An offer of her name though likely it's already remembered. "You're an evo"
There's a nod from Rebecca at the statement that she's evolved. "I am. Rebecca." They walks towards the shop, Becca holding the door open to allow Wendy to go on inside once she's finished smoking. "I guess coffee could be considered an addiction to some. I admit that I drink it more often than I should."
They claim a booth and orders are taken for their choice of coffee with Becca sliding the money to the waitress to pay for it. Tonight Becca stood up and shared her story. How she was given the narcotic by a co-worker to help with intense headaches that were the result of her ability. The stuggling to find her next fix and eventually being found by a good friend strung out in her apartment and being hauled off to the hospital. After spending time in rehab, she was asked to resign her position. She shared how she picked herself up and started a new life without the drug and is enjoying life once again. It's not easy, but it's worth it.
Back at the table, she looks across to Wendy, "Are you going to be okay?"
Wendy didn't frankly have anyone to blame but herself. She could have taken the skeezy way out and blamed Peyton, or Humanis First but in the end, it was just her, sitting across from Cong and Ling and paying for some. The cigarette was stubbed out before coming in and coffee ordered for lack of not wanting to eat anything. At one point, she touched the other womans elbow, bumped into her to get a reading on the ability. Not because she wanted to but more because it was habit and the nature of one of the many addictions she has.
"Maybe, don't know. Shitty time to be dealing with it but a guy I was screwing threw a fit about it and a friend, a shrink, she told me to get off of it. Something about nightmares and all that" So she did it. "Getting worse but i'll deal with it. Not my first time on this merry go round. You?"
Rebecca wouldn't have noticed or cared about the touch, nor would she even know what it was for. She knows the woman would have an ability for a Refrain addiction, but that's about it. While she was nudged towards the drug, she in no way blames anyone but herself for how her life went after that first hit.
There's something Rebecca learned in her time on the force and in her current stint as an investigator and that's that drug users aren't normally like her. They are repeat offenders and they typically start off small and build their way up. "Sorry to hear that. Maybe this is exactly what you need to get your life back together. Your friends are right. Seems that you have some good ones, make sure to keep them around." She takes a drink from her cup then asks, "What is it you do for a living, Wendy?"
Wendy snorts at that. "Right, life together. I'm about as together at any one point as I've ever been. I'm an artist. I also work at a bookstore over on Roosevelt Island." She's been keeping her left hand mostly out of view, smiling when the drinks are brought. "Shareholder in a company called Hunter Communications. yeah, i'm pretty good, in the no-drug area of my life really. What you do? I mean, beside the post-cognition"
Rebecca is taken by surprise when Wendy reveals that she's a post-cog, raising her eyebrow. "I'm a private investigator." Definitely not like in the movies or television. Far more tedious, though identifying the killer of Jennifer Chesterfield is probably the most excitement she's had since she started. She tilts her head to the side, watching Wendy, "How did you know what my ability was?"
"That's my ability" wendy reaches up to scratch at her temple, her foot below the table tapping very quietly against the floor repeatedly. "Could feel you across the room. Any evo's get within range, I can feel em. You, when I touched you, kinda get this sensation of going back, like a reverse… deja-vu, if that makes any sense. But yeah, that's mine. Alllways touching evo's." The salt shaker becomes a victim of Wendy's need to touch something and move it.
Rebecca's attention to detail doesn't miss the movement of the shaker nor the tapping of the foot. She has been there. She knows what the other woman is going through. She even finds herself going through it every once in a while. She nods, "Well, I guess that explains quite a bit then, doesn't it." She smiles to Wendy and drinks her coffee. "How long has it been?"
"over two weeks. Sooo I'm gonna be getting into the fun stuff soon. Private investigator? How's that work for you? I mean, your ability come sin handy I would guess, helps you get the job done where it might take others a bit more. But I mean, that's the highlight of having an ability, it's like being good at any other thing, just a matter of putting it to use, and making a part of your life, just another skill" Wendy offers a weak smile to the other woman.
She makes a face at the mention of two weeks. She was in rehab for at least a month and she remembers it well. "Well, if you can do it without being restrained, then I will give you all the credit in the world. When I rehabbed, they had me fastened down to a bed and would not let me up for anything. It seems I headbutted an orderly who got too close and wouldn't let me loose." Rebecca grins a little at Wendy's suggestion that she could use her ability. "Well, I have used it, as recently as this past week. So it does come in handy. One of the reasons I decided to try it out for a living, along with my background in the NYPD. Seemed like a perfect fit. How's art going for you?"
"Hey, if it works, use it. Seriously and…" yeah,s he's trying to avoid rehab, but from the sounds of it, that just may not really be an option. "Art's.. not. there's a whole bunch of other stuff and shit, so I haven't been doing much of anything" She raises her left hand, the thumb, and first three fingers all missing the top inch. "Had a run in, you know, with Humanis First. Why I work at the bookstore, something to do. But I'm not gonna be able to do shit about that for a bit, gonna have to step down, i'm useless to whatever few customers come in the door."
There's a cringe from the detective at the missing fingertips and shakes her head. "I'm glad I avoided all that mess." She was mostly in rehab, though she is tracking one particular Humanis First member for Liz Harrison. "Rehab was good for something at least." Rebecca pulls out one of her cards and slides it over. "Well, if you need anything, please let me know. Even if it's just that you're itching for a fix, maybe I can help. Or if you get tired of the bookstore and want something more interesting to do, with your ability, I could probably put you to work."
'Seriously? What hell good would I be to a private investigation firm? I'm a known druggie, and an artist. I'm not detective and I don't got the NYPD background that you do" She points out. She takes the card though in her shaking hand, looking at it. "Bookstore's just for something to do"
Rebecca's polite when she responds. "That's exactly the kind of person I really need. I do not pass for someone who has her ears to the street and you would. Just something to consider. I thought I'd offer. I get tired of working alone sometimes." She finishes her coffee and pushes her mug to the edge of the table. "Is there somewhere I can take you? I need to grab a cab to get home."
"Don't really have my ear to ground that much. But if you ever need an Evo-detector" She digs in her own big oversized designer purse, eventually bringing out her own business card and passing it over. "Yeah, I'm going to the solstice condo's, upper east side. If you're going near there, i'll catch a lift, if not, I can get a taxi there myself" Part of her speculates that Rebecca just wants to make sure Wendy doesn't stop somewhere for a fix.
Rebecca is already out of the booth, card in hand, and motions for Wendy to join her. If this helps even in the slightest, then she'll do it. Perhaps making sure Wendy makes it home without stopping for that fix. She can see how shaky the girl is. "Come on. Let's get you home, Wendy."