Participants:
| Scene Title | One Big Amalgamation |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Jaiden and Elisabeth visit Remi in the hospital, and discuss what happened on Thursday night. |
| Date | March 21, 2011 |
A Hospital Room
Painkillers and negation drugs and antibiotics. This is the cocktail of drugs going into Remi's veins these days, through that lovely IV in her arm. She's been going in and out of consciousness the past several days, mostly due to the drugs racing through her system. And her head…her head is quiet. Extremely comforting, when she thinks about it, while she is stuck in the hospital. The minute she can leave, though, she'll definitely be off of the negation.
Still, the silence in her head has made it possible for her to ponder about things when she's awake. Like exactly what the hell happened at her ball. And what Ygraine told her before the ball. Those two incidents in themselves are more than enough to get Remi thinking about her life, and about the real world, which she's been a bit too blind to see, with those fancy blinders over her eyes.
For now, Remi, clad in her hospital gown with a bandaged, healing leg, is watching the television. She wrote a check to the hospital in order to have her own private room, with a large television, and high quality meals. A donation, she called it, to ensure that she can live as she is used to. It worked, thankfully. Right now, she's quietly nibbling on what appears to be a bit of french bread, and some strawberry preserves, blue eyes on the television. She's watching something French.
The escape from the ball was not as daring as it could have been, and for that, Jaiden was thankful. A battle in the middle of a crowded group of high-dollar donors with the Midtown man was something that no-one wanted, needed, or even expected, and it was only by sheer force of numbers and a hell of a lot of luck that no-one was killed and only a few were injured.
Jaiden, covered in the blood of his ex-girlfriend, did his best to block out the mental screaming as he used his belt as tourniquet on her leg to keep her from bleeding out from the hit on the femoral artery which, thankfully, surgeons were able to repair without too much of a delay. A ride to the hospital behind an ambulance, and a wait in a waiting room until Remi was wheeled out of surgery has been Jaiden's lot in life for the past few days - only when Remi was safe in her room, behind a guard of FRONTLINE and in stable, but guarded condition did he go to a nearby hotel room to shower, shave, and sleep until he woke up - something he rarely does or has time for, but after the events of that evening, he felt he deserved it.
The negation drugs allow Jaiden to do a little planning, to surprise Remi, rather than have her know who's outside. The gentle knock is allowed by the FRONTLINE guard, the door opening, Jaiden peering into the darkened room illuminated by the TV, french soft in the background. "Remi?" His voice is quiet. "Are you feeling up to a visitor?"
Blue eyes turn toward the door, Remi blinking a few times with raised brows as she hears the knock. Then, Jaiden is peeking his head in, and Remi smiles faintly. "Oui, I am." This is the simple answer that comes from the young woman, who quietly sets her spoon and bread down, so she can greet Jaiden. "Just…drugged." Before they decided to negate her, the drugs did quite a bit to make her mental screaming louder, thanks to a loss of control over her ability inspired by the opiates.
She presses pause on the show, turning to peer at Jaiden. And to wait for the fascinating FRONTLINE guard that will inevitably escort him in. She doesn't like the lack of privacy, but at the same time, it's a comforting lack of privacy. At least she knows that Sylar is less likely to get at her when she's got guards who won't even allow the doctors to be alone with her.
The FRONTLINE guard escorts Jaiden in as per his orders, watching the man for a moment as he takes up a spot in the corner, quiet as a mouse so as not to interfere with any visiting time that Remi has with Jaiden. The big Australian stands there quietly, dressed in his usual jeans and t-shirt motif, freshly shaven and in clean clothes, still looking a little tired, but not as tired as he was eight hours ago.
Jaiden approaches the bed and, at first observation, seems to be holding one thing, which on a closer look is actually two things - an oblong box about two inches thick, and a bouquet of flowers - all wildflowers from a local florist he knows and deals with when the time is right. "How are you feeling?" he takes a seat in the chair next to the bed, the flowers laid across her lap, the box laid on the table where her french bread and spoon sits. He looks concerned and relieved that she's okay….hurt, but okay.
A glance is offered to the FRONTLINE agent in the corner, a small nod of appreciation — thank you for being here. It feels safer. That's what her look seems to say for her. Then, finally, she turns, watching Jaiden as he approaches the bed. Brows raise at the box, and the flowers, before a small smile appears over her features, the woman nodding.
"I'm feeling…as well as I can." The drugs aren't so strong now, four days after the injury. She's healing fairly well, with the best medical care offered. It's going to be a while before she can walk right, and a bit longer until she can dance again, but then again, Remi was never one to wait around. She'll probably be pushing herself as soon as she can walk. She and her room mate are alike in that way.
"They have me on negation. It's…quiet. Unsettling." She tilts her head toward Jaiden. "At least it wasn't as serious as it could be, oui?"
Jaiden looks over to the agent in the corner and relaxes in the chair, leaning on the railing of the hospital bed. The linens seem to be higher quality high-thread-count ones - apparently Remi's 'donation' to get a private room also included a few upgrades to the amenities that are normally included.
"Yeah, I expect that getting a spur through the thigh really didn't feel as pleasant as a spring day. Graeme, with protest, is sleeping now and eating better food than the usual fare here at the hospital. Ygraine, Graeme, and I all got a room nearby, so we're kind of taking it in shifts to keep an eye on you." He reaches over to pat her hand - the one not with the IV installed. "It must be quiet, not having the voices going on now. It's about the only time I think I could surprise you."
"It 'urt worse than anything else I've ever felt before." Remi turns her eyes down to her bandaged leg, which is nicely stitched up inside and out. The stitches within will dissolve as she heals, and she'll probably be up and about in no time, really. She's a fighter like that. Stubborn as all get out, and the like. As he pats her hand, she weakly takes it, idly linking her fingers with his.
"It's very quiet. I can't even feel zat buzz in ze back of my 'ead…" She frowns, before picking up her spoon and spreading the strawberry preserves onto a piece of french bread. "I don't like it." She takes a bite of the strawberry-coated bread, chewing thoughtfully for a moment. "I guess it is better zan…before. I don't like 'ospitals, either. Everyone is scared, in pain, dying, worried…'ospitals are 'orrible places."
"I never liked hospitals too much myself. Never comfortable enough, no privacy, and the fact that, if you're there, you're hurt and you need to be there. It's the best of a bad situation, though. The doctor, as soon as you're able, should let you out to go back to your wanton ways, and with some therapy, you'll be up and dancing again in no time." Jaiden gives Remi's hand a light squeeze, his fingers linked with hers, leaning back in his chair after a moment, crossing one leg over the other. His breakfast was a banana and a bagel with cream cheese - quick and eaten on the run, so he could get here in time for visiting hours.
"Well, you understand why you're on the drugs now, right? In case the doctor didn't explain, you were screaming pretty loud, mentally and audibly, and were making it kind of difficult to get anything done to make you well." Jaiden can't imagine what Remi's going through presently - the silence must be oppressive, but comforting in another sense. It's like if he couldn't control his water power - he'd kind of be lost, not knowing what to do now that this integral part of him was shut off. "have they said when you might be able to go home?"
It is at this point that Elisabeth slips in the door. The guard is alert and watchful, and she glances at the room's occupants before nodding to him quietly. Sylar is able to disguise himself — no one is supposed to be in here alone. That does not, however, mean privacy is unobtainable. "Remi," she greet softly. "Jaiden." She puts a hand gently on the Australian's shoulder and squeezes before releasing him. A silence field insulates the three from the guard, who is left listening to the French on television and watching three people talk with no sound. It's rude, but … well, Elisabeth doesn't much care. "Glad to see you're awake and with an appetite," she observes with a faint smile.
The woman nods slowly. "I don't like zem because…well…because ze thoughts." She lays her head back against her pillow. "It's terrifying. The ones that are in here because of injuries or illness are all…terrified. In pain. Even angry. And zen, ze ones coming to visit…zey are worried. Or unhappy." She closes her eyes. "'Ospitals are one big amalgamation of 'orrible, negative emotions."
She then tilts her head to one side. She's on the negation drugs because, when she wasn't knocked out, she was screaming more mentally than physically, thanks to the drugs interfering with her control. Interfering with Remi's control results in things like the ball, which involved her screaming in everyone's head. It also results in a loss of her capacity to block out the onslaught of thoughts that she has to hold off every day.
The choice was to either keep her in a medically induced coma, or to negate her. The safer option was negation. Remi was scaring patients and their visitors, and making it nearly impossible for doctors to do their work on her. Or around her. "Zey said maybe at ze end of ze week. I'm 'ealthy, and I'm 'ealing fast. 'Opefully it will be as soon as possible…I don't like it 'ere."
And then, Liz is making her appearance. Remi turns, offering a small smile to Liz. "Liz…it's good to see you." Her words are edged by the morphine that courses through her system. "I 'ad a craving for some strawberry preserves."
"Hey there, Lizzie." Jaiden is sitting next to Remi, holding her non-IV'ed hand, dressed in comfortable clothes and looking far less tired than he had been over the past few days. Someone's had a shower and a sleep. "It's good to see you out and about." he does rise to give the FRONTLINE commander a quick squeeze with his free arm, but a kiss on the cheek may be a bit forward with one of her men in the room, so it's held back for later. "Sorry you missed all the fun at the ballet."
"Not sure I am," Elisabeth quips lightly. "Just glad the whole lot of you came out with … well, we won't call it minimal damages, but damages that will heal at the least." She glances between them and says quietly, "I'm afraid I can't really tell you what was going on. Frankly, nobody really knows for certain." She crosses her arms. "Homeland Security's handling the case, so… mostly I'm just here as a friend."
Remi quietly munches on her piece of bread. "I appreciate ze visit…I really do." She gestures to her food. "Either of you are welcome to share, if you like. I certainly won't be able to eat all of zis by myself, oui?" She leans back. "'Ow did 'e know?" She frowns quietly, running her free hand through her hair. "I— I saw into zat man's mind. I remember it…it was like an animal."
"I'm going to have to defer to the expert on this one. From the stuff I read in the paper, that was the Midtown Man…." Jaiden doesn't feel the need to elaborate any further on who the Midtown Man is, considering he was the spark that started all of the changes in the world that they're facing now. "The question I have is, if he knew, how did someone know that you were going to be a target and were able to get someone into the gala to warn you?" Security wasn't exactly right.
Jaiden does reach over and take a bit of french bread that's been smeared with the strawberry preserves, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully, waiting for Liz to give her expert opinion on things, if it's available.
Elisabeth's blue eyes narrow on Remi and her attention is intent. This is the first time she's had the chance to really speak with Remi without the painkillers making her too woozy to make sense. "Then you remember making contact," she says quietly. "Tell me about that. Did you make contact with all of them?"
Her glance to Jaiden is wry. "It wouldn't have been difficult for anyone to know that Remi was a telepath. She flashes her ability about like it's a business card half the time." Elisabeth looks at Remi and murmurs, "Don't take it wrong, but … I did try to warn you to be more circumspect. As to who might have known….." She purses her lips. "Ygraine was able to identify the woman who warned you, and I think I may know how that part happened. And I may have an idea of what's going on… but right now it's all supposition and I need Remi to tell me everything she remembers."
Remi blinks a few times. "I…the first one, with the silver hair. Ze one 'o glowed. He was confused, angry. Didn't know how 'e was doing…something. Making 'im glow, I think. 'E wasn't violent…I knew it wasn't 'im 'o was trying to kill me." She tilts her head toward Elisabeth. "Zen, ze other one…'e was frightening." She closes her eyes for a moment, taking a breath.
Then, in a darker tone than the one she normally uses, she recalls what she heard. "In ze snare, twice over. Mine. Bucket of blood in ze ocean and it's such a nice buffet. Can't see. See. Breathing." Her face twists a bit. "Split 'er open, bones go crack. Gonna get what I came for. Can you 'ear me, little dancer?" She shivers, as if cold.
Hearing the thoughts of a killer coming from Remi, in her prim and proper way with a french accent, is chilling, even to Jaiden. He's seen evil - faced it down, but never something like this. Someone who wants to specifically split open Remi and take what is hers for himself, to make himself more powerful. "I think…I think it was all one person." Jaiden looks to Liz, patting Remi's hand lightly while still holding it tight. "Who was he, anyway? He was like a Swiss army knife of evolved powers…"
Still within the bubble, Elisabeth is listening closely. "So… to recap… The first Sylar that appeared, he was confused about something. Was he confused about the fact that Ygraine had just attacked him or confused about something the other Sylar was doing?" she asks.
"No…it was two people. One, ze older man…'e wasn't bad. 'E turned into dark smoke, I think, and left with ze woman 'o warned me. I wish…I wish zat I could thank 'er for zat." She nibbles on her bread, still holding Jaiden's hand. "'Ze second one…different mind. 'is mind was like an animal." She peers over at Liz, thoughtfully chewing her simple breakfast. "I think 'e was confused about something ze ozer Sylar was doing. Something like…''Ow is 'e doing zis?'." She frowns.
"The woman was Eileen." Jaiden doesn't elaborate any further, but Elisabeth probably recognizes the name. "There was another lady, dressed in a bloody hospital gown, who shot the guy in the middle, but Eileen tackled him and then was swept up in a shadow to escape, so I have no clue what's going on presently."
"Wait, what?" Elisabeth looks confused. "Who the hell was in a hospital gown?" she demands.
"I have no clue, but she was stabbed in the belly while fighting with Eileen. From what I remember, Eileen tackled this lady, who's gown magically changed into a bloodstained hospital gown, they fought with a knife, and when it was all over, she was asking for help, I think. I really couldn't hear, thanks to Remi, here." Jaiden nods his head slightly. "Sorry for the lack of information, but I don't have that much."
"You're talking about Hansen," Elisabeth says immediately. "I didn't catch that the woman was in a hospital gown. How the fuck…..?" She looks confused and then… shakes her head a little. "Okay…. so … Illusion. Some kind of illusion? I'm sure all of that will be dealt with by Homeland. It's assuredly not something we'll be getting involved in," the blonde says, giving Jaiden a significant look. "My priority here is making sure you are not a target for Sylar." And verifying for Cardinal that there are apparently at least two of them out there. What the hell are we going to do about two Sylars on the loose, one of them running rampant. At least it partially explains what happened — Sylar didn't slip his leash. There's just an extra one. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
Remi has finished her piece of bread, quietly listening to the pair converse. She's looking a bit on the droopy side of things, thanks to the morphine. As she's mentioned, she offers a bit of an apologetic look, but it's rather obvious that she's drifting…no, drifted off to sleep for a little, despite the chatting. She'll probably be awake again in a short while; her naps have been getting shorter in frequency and time thanks to a slightly smaller dosage.
Remi's gentle snore causes Jaiden to look over and to extract his hand from hers. Giving it a soft pat, he pulls the blanket up to cover her more fully and turns to Elisabeth, pushing his hands into his hip pockets. "Sylar's his name, huh? Well, if he's the second one, older and from the future, he must have wanted Remi, here, and thought that if his younger self didn't have a chance, a more experienced older one would. And as long as one of them got her, it was okay. Christ…." Jaiden looks concerned, as well he should, since this was the Midtown Man they were talking about. "Oh, thanks for putting Ygraine, Graeme, and I on the list to see her. Remi's kind of clingy sometimes, and right now, I don't think anyone'd blame her."
"No," Elisabeth says quietly. "From what I'm piecing together between what Ygraine's said she saw and what Remi is saying…. it looks like Eileen and possibly one of the Sylars — and that would probably be the one that Cardinal knew about — were trying to stop the other version of Sylar from getting to her. God help us, Jaiden…. I'm worried that someone — maybe Ezekiel, maybe someone else — has managed to clone Sylar or something." She looks up at him with worried blue eyes. "Sylar had attacked some other people as well, and I know Richard was trying to find information on the why of that situation. He commented at the Endgame meeting that he hadn't heard back on it… and I think this might be why. The Remnant — or at least Eileen and Gabriel — may be attempting to leash a clone copy of Sylar themselves before it gets out that there are two of them." She frowns.
"What are the chances…" Jaiden murmurs, looking down at the overly polished floor of the hospital, studying a black streak that he made from his boot inadvertently. "That Sylar #2 is from the future? That he got a hold of one of the people who bounces through time or one of the time bouncers grabbed him and yanked him back here for a purpose?" He pauses. "man, fuck time travel…it makes my head hurt."
Elisabeth laughs softly. "Now you sound like me," she informs him drily. "I don't know what the likelihood is…. and I don't want to speculate on it right now either. Get some rest, okay? Because I have a feeling Homeland Security's going to be getting medieval on all these witnesses shortly here. It was so chaotic that they haven't sequestered people so far, but … it's likely going to happen. And it may mean that you're banned from the room by them when it does happen. Try not to panic about it, okay?" She sighs. "I need to go. Sounds like a visit to Audrey Hansen is in order… she's an associate of the agent I'm working with." She squeezes his arm lightly and says, "I'll talk to you soon, okay?"
"Okay, Lizzie. you feel better. I'll be here watching her until they say for me to leave." Jaiden gives her a hug and takes a seat next to Remi again.