Participants:
| Scene Title | Simple But Complicated |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Liz stops off to see Abby, and passes along a message … not realizing she also is going to pass along bad news. |
| Date | March 22, 2009 |
Abby's Apartment, and the Liz's.
When she left Abby to sleep in the hospital, it was with heartfelt thanks for helping Baxter though Elisabeth could tell that Abby would have done it no matter what — not like she could miss the other blonde's reaction to Peter Pan himself getting hurt. She had other business to handle yesterday. Some of it had to do with Abby herself, and Liz wanted to put it into motion before confronting Abigail on it. Which brings her to this afternoon, when she arrives on Abby's new doorstep in Cat's building carrying foodstuffs. Nothing major — just a shepherd's pie and a homemade coffee cake that she's had in the freezer for a couple weeks. She rings the bell and waits for the anxiety-ridden one to verify her identity and let her in.
Elisbaeth is vetted through, button pressed or whatever that's needed to let Elisabeth through and past the front desk, to the elevators and up to the third floor. Door 311. It's the familiar blonde woman who's standing there with her door open, waiting for Elisabeth to come off the elevtaor, there's no smile on her face, but at least there's no frown or scowl or anything negative. Just the blonde, waiting for the other blonde.
"I come bearing gifts," Elisabeth offers quietly. She's not entirely sure of her reception today. "No crises, no 'please Abby, will you,' no nothing. Promise." She offers a small smile, hesitant.
"Brian's out. Come on in. Gifts, of food are good" Abby answers from the door, shuffling back to give the policewoman entry into her new home. "How's Officer Baxter? I fixed him up but had to go see a friend after, and I was scaring nurses"
There's a relaxation of her tension as Elisabeth brings her offerings into the inner sanctum of Abby's new place. "Bax is… back to being Bax," she replies with a grin toward Abby. "He's bemoaning the loss of his Tink, but I think it won't take long before he gets a new one." She sets her containers on the counter of the kitchen and says quietly, more seriously, "Thank you. And for whatever the words are worth to you… I'm sorry." She grimaces. "God, that whole situation was so far south it didn't even hit the map." She shakes her head.
A half eaten two layer chocolate cake with an apricot filling occupied the counter as well, safe behind a plastic shield. "You probalby might have clued in, becuase it is above Old Lucy's but.. Stuff, happens" Stuff happens and if Isabelle ends up in Moab, they'll try and bust her out. Abby maneuvers around the kitchen making room for Elisabeth's peace offerings. "I have work today. Going to try and get four hours in, see how I do. I saw the doctor yesterday. Dr. Yee. Dr. Bianco gave me her name. She works with evolved people, and issues coming off, of it. He said she'd.. She'd be able to help me. So far, she just put me on difference medicine, but i'm going to be seeing her three days a week, for now. She's nice"
Elisabeth nods slightly. "Yeah… crazy stuff," she sighs. And then she looks actually really pleased by Abby's news. "Abby… that's really good news. If nothing else… maybe it'll help the nightmares some. I'm glad that you're doing it." She hesitates and seats herself on a stool so she's out of Abby's way. "And I'm sure that the check the NYPD is going to start cutting you when you help us out will help defray the costs." Her tone is matter of fact.
Check. Blue eye slift from putting the shepards pie into the fridge to the older blonde. "No Elisabeth. That's now how I work"
There's a shrug. "Then don't cash the check, Abby. Or donate it to your church or something. But you're not going to stop them from cutting you a small stipend for coming in. You've been saving cops at every turn lately. Compensation for your time is the least we can do for you," Elisabeth answers in a mild tone. "Don't think it's going to be much — you think the city's got any money?" she grins. "But you're doing the job of an EMT when you do that, and I think they've decided to recognize that."
Clearly marked unhappiness is rampant on Abby's face. "I don't take money for his gift Elisabeth. You know this. I didn't ask to get paid so who did it?" Abby's palms are flat on the counter, lips pressed together. Not near the anger she'd shown in the police station but it's up there.
Elisabeth rests her elbows on the counter. "I mentioned to Harvard that if you were going to keep coming and helping us so selflessly any time we call on you that you deserved to be compensated for your travel time and some small number of hours that you might miss work due to dropping everything to help. He agreed that your time was worth that. They won't be paying for the healing you do because quite honestly? Who could put a price on something priceless… there's no amount of money in the world to cover Baxter's life, Abigail."
"God damn you Elisbaeth. My time?" Not paying for her ability, but paying for her time spent doing it. It's the look. THe one that every female upon hitting a certain age seems to inherently and genetically earn. "I don't like it" There's a grump from the blonde as she grabs a cloth from her sink and scrubs at some ivisible and likely not even present smudge on her counter. "How much are we talking about?"
Both her eyebrows shoot to her hairline, and Elisabeth tsktsktsks. "I'm quite sure God will damn me at some point in my existance, but shame on you, Abby, blaspheming in such grand fashion," she says with a faint grin. She names a sum that is small enough to be reasonable but reasonable enough to be considered payment. Abby won't get rich, but it will definitely make up a few hours here and there so she doesn't starve.
Unhappy. It seems to be the definition of Abby the last month and so. She doens't like it. But it seems that her thoughts and cares are not be taken into consideration, even though it was clearly known. "I'll jsut donate it to the fallen officer's find. So you might as well just take that cheque when they cut it and just give it right to whomever runs it because I don't want to touch it at all, and you damn well know that Elisabeth. I can't believe you did that. ANd ot pass it off as paying me for my time" She's hurt, more than anything. It'll pass, surely as the windo blows. She owes much to the woman sitting across from here, in as much as the same could be said of Liz.
Elisabeth looks at Abby and demands quietly, "Are you going to starve yourself to death, then, when you're done with your EMT courses?"
"When i'm done Liz, there will be any number of places that will want me to work for them. Who wouldn't. I'm not going to starve. I'll make more likely than I make working for Izzy, defiantely more if they opt to turn around and seize the bar. So I won't be starving when i'm done my classes, I don't need to worry about tuition, and apparently,t here's grants that will take care of my appointments with Dr. Yee. I can easily work enough to make my rent here and food, food is nothing liz, and you know it." Anger gives way to hurt now.
"My point, Abby, is that although you're not officially a paramedic yet, you've been acting in that capacity for some time now. If you're not going to quibble over getting paid for doing your job by the city, why are you quibbling now over being paid on a contract basis? Hell, you can think of it as an internship." Elisabeth studies her. "Seriously, you should think about it. Because I don't see how allowing yourself to be paid now on a contract basis is any different than what you'll be doing when your training is complete. Colleges put their students on internships that they get paid for all the time."
"Because unlike working for the city as a paramedic when all my schooling is done, won't be me using my gift Elisabeth. If I do that, all the time, like yout old me me not to, then i'd be dead in my bed three quarters of every day. I'd be using my mind and what I learn. Not god's gift. That's why Elisbeth" Abby answers plaintitivly.
Elisabeth grins a bit. "Well, at least you listen to me." She shakes her head. "Seriously… Abby, how many times have you walked off your job to help one of us? Or had to call in late because you're so damn tired you can't get out of the bed. How many hours do you lose out of your life because of healing one of us?"
"I don't keep track. Isabelle never did Either. she just shunted me upstairs and made me sleep." She's going to loose, she knows she will. So Abby just sighs, grabbing a knife so she can cut into the coffee cake and take her frustration out on the baked goods. "I still don't like it"
"Well… you don't have to like it," Elisabeth says finally. "Just think about it. Because I think you know I'm right. I'm not right often lately, but this one? I think I'm right about."
"Just eat your cake and look smug" The slice of coffee cake is put on the counter in front of Elisabeth with the looktm once more. "I'll put it towards getting a car, in like ten years at that rate"
Elisabeth laughs at her, she can't help it. "Yeah, well… I won't be smug if you don't pout, okay?" She takes the coffee cake and toys with it. "Wanna know something funny?"
"Harvard choked on his own spit and turned purple when you aked him to pay me?" Likely not the right answer, but Abby cuts a piece of the chocolate cake for herself and a small piece of coffee cake. Glasses of milk are poured as well, the chocolate cake put between the two of them to share. SHe's a bit calmer today all in all. Nowhere near how she was but it's a slight improvement.
She grins. "No… he actually seemed to think it made some sense. Didn't say much of anything." Liz shrugs. "No… the funny part of this day? Is that it took a Homeland Security agent to make me realize that in spite of it all, we're not just tilting at windmills."
"Who was this?" Good heavens, Harvard actually agreed with Liz on something regarding Abby. That has the blonde surprised. Quietly she picks away at the cake, eating it and the chocolate one. It's not her meal time, but, it's one more thing ot help her gain back her wight that's slowly making a reappearance. She'd have more pounds back on if it wasn't for the insane amount of healing the force needed all of a sudden.
"Katherine Marks…. she caught up with me when I was running this morning," Elisabeth says. Not that she probably ought to be running — her own weight isn't up to par at the moment. "She was all on about how I ought to get out there and do something about all the things going on in the streets, and … " She pauses. "I gotta tell you, I laughed in her face. I couldn't help thinking 'you know what? you got no clue what's going on out there, lady. Not one.'"
Abby smiles, jsut a little, at that. She knows how out there the blonde officer is. "Like Colette demsky telling me if she had my ability, she'd be out there healing people all the time" Her cake's pushed around her plate, nibbles taken here and there. "I tried to heal Detective Demsky, before the bridge. He refused. I don't.. think he likes me very much. Felix tried to get him to take it, but it still.. he kept telling me to save it for others"
Elisabeth tilts her head and looks thoughtful. "Wow…. I've never met Demsky, you know. He was on leave before I came on board. I've heard his name and I know his record, but…. why would he just turn you away?"
"I can't remember, other than he said to save it for everyone else. Maybe he was afraid, and maybe he was afraid of what it would be thought of by the rest of the force?" Abby shrugs. "Was better off not having gone there I guess"
Liz shakes her head and sighs. "Or maybe he's just not in good headspace," she offers. "I don't know him and I can't begin to answer that." She toys with her cake. "I don't even know what to do with myself sitting here. I've been working so much lately that just sitting here makes me think I'm forgetting to do something important. Sheesh. This is ridiculous."
"Your checking in on a retainer of the NYPD to ascertain that she made it home safetly after a job was done for the NYPD and ensure to her mental and physical wellbeing. That's, Elisabeth Harrison, is what your doing" A mouthful of chocolate cake is scooped up. "School tomorrow. Two classes. I'll have to try and catch up on the last month, but, we'll see. It's midterms apparently this week. But.. we'll see"
There's a laugh. "Oh good. No… what I'm doing is checking on a friend, making sure that she's eating something even if it's just chocolate cake," Elisabeth comments back. "And making sure you get enough sleep before classes. And… trying not to apologize again for dragging you out to heal someone when you shouldn't be using your ability yet." She sticks her tongue at Abby.
Another ghost smile. They come, like a glimspe of the sun behind the clouds. "Only took Brian ten minutes to calm me down last night. New stuff should help. Classes seem to be in the afternoon, and twice a week, so, it'll be not bad. I can leave you a copy of my schedule. So you know when it's safe to yank me out if need be" ANother mouthful of cake, chewed and swallowed.
"Well, here's hoping THAT won't have to happen again anytime soon." Liz grimaces and pushes her cake away, the memory of Baxter burning still in her head. "It's been an insane week, we haven't had this much in the way of injuries until recently. So we're going to go back to basics and do the job right, dammit."
"Just try not to get hurt, or anyone get hurt. Give me a chance to get .. back to how I shoudl be at least, body wise" A silent plea really, not an order. "Tell peter pan we're even now when you see him again"
Elisabeth nods immediately. "You helped him far more than I would have asked, Abby. I just hoped you could stabilize him," she looks worried once more. But she's trying really hard not to hover or motherhen Abby. "I'll pass the message, though." She grins. "I'm hoping you don't wind up with your face tattooed on him," she snickers.
"He wouldn't" Abby whispers in a deathly tone to Liz. "Liz, please tell he wouldn't…."
There's a chuckle, quickly muffled. "I don't think he'd do it…. but I wouldn't put anything past Bax, Abby." Elisabeth grins. "And well… he does seem to like you."
"Lord I hope not" There's a glance to the clock on the wall and a frown. "I still have to shower and Brian's going to be back soon to take me to work" Abby scrapes her fork along the plate gathering up the last bits of cake before she licks at the spoon delicately.
Elisabeth offers a grin. "I'll get out of your hair." She didn't eat more than a couple of bites of the cake, and she slides off her seat to move. "Have a good night, Abby. Call, okay? If you need anything… or just want to talk? Norton's been asking about you. And Cardinal asked about you as well. I'll pass on that you're doing all right, if you like, when I see them."
Abby says, "Tell Norton if he wants, he can visit. The bar, or here. It's fine. Cardinal.. same for him. Tell him.. i'm doing better. But that my shadows a little empty these days. I wouldn't mind it not being empty. That I owe him a drink" Liz's plate is taken, put on the counter to be dealt with later. same for her plate. "You can see yourself out?""
"Absolutely," Elisabeth tells the slender blonde with a smile. "I'll talk to you soon, Abs." And she does, in fact, let herself out.
And so Cardinal's telephone rings late in the evening…
It rings, for just a bit, before it's answered. "Yeah?"
"So … if I tell you I have a message, you're not going to shoot the messenger or anything are you?" Elisabeth's voice is mildly amused and somewhat lazy-sounding in its tone.
"You're not here," observes the shadowman in wry tones, "It'd be rather hard to shoot you, hot stuff."
Elisabeth chuckles quietly. "Well, that's okay… It's not that kind of message anyway. I mentioned to Abby you were asking about her. She asked me to pass along to you that she's… how'd she put this? She's doing okay but her shadow's a little empty these days and she wouldn't mind it not being that way. She owes you a drink. So I figured I'd pass it along…. if you're running loose in the dark with nothing better to do, maybe you could check in on her periodically."
Cardinal's silent for a little bit on the other side, before he admits, "I guess I can come… stop in, sometime, check on her. I didn't know if" A pause, "anyway, I don't know where she's living, so, I guess I'll just check Ol' Lucy's for her sometime."
There's an underlying seriousness to her tone, though Elisabeth is not in any way attempting to guilt him. She's merely giving him the facts. "I think she's become used to hearing you in her ear…. she feels safer knowing you're there. So yes… hit Ol' Lucy's. She's working tonight, actually." There's a pause, and the smile can be heard in her voice. "And here you thought you were all alone out there and shit. Shocker to find out that some people actually like you, ain't it?"
At that, Cardinal snorts faintly. "Yeah, yeah. I pulled her ass out've the fire, is all, not like she even knows me. Or would want to, really, otherwise. I'm not her… kind've person." Silence, for a bit, "But I'll stop by. Should say h'lo to Izzy anyway."
Well, now… there's a can of worms. "She knows you well enough," Elisabeth says quietly. "At least well enough to trust your voice in her ear to make her feel safe." She pauses, uncertain. But better he hear it from her. "Isabelle won't be there." A moment, barely, before she says quietly, "NYPD picked her up a couple of nights ago."
There's a long few tic's of silence in response to that revelation. Then, quietly, he repeats flatly, "…the NYPD picked her up."
There's a long moment of silence, and Liz's reply is quiet. "Yeah. She was picked up on suspicion of being involved with Vanguard and suspicion of instigating the mass suicide." He can hear the disgust in her tone. "If I'd known her name, I might have been able to do something to stop it. Maybe not. By the time I got a look at her and knew who she was, figured out the charge was bogus, it was too late."
"Fuck." There's the sound of something hitting concrete. Probably a fist. "Is she—I mean, is she still in lockup? We could get her out, in that case, no fuss no muss…"
Regret colors her voice as Elisabeth replies quietly, "No. She…." There's a sigh. "She fried a cop. They didn't even put her in general lock-up, Cardinal, she went straight to Homeland custody. We'll have to spring her when we go in for the others. She'll have to hold on for just a little while." There's a pause, and she says quietly, "I'm sorry."
"Motherfucker, they took her to Moab?" The words are growled out through gritted teeth, the thief silent for a moment or three as he takes a slow breath, then exhales it again, "Alright. Alright. Is there anything I can do, to help with that?"
"If there is, I'll let you know. I swear it." Elisabeth is quiet a long moment. Some days, her life is far, far too complicated for words. "I don't know when it's going down exactly, but soon."
"Fuck. Does Abby know?" Tight, Cardinal's voice, "How's she takin' that?"
"Abby knows," Elisabeth confirms. "Abby came to the hospital to heal the cop Isabelle nearly killed." Oh what a tangled web we have. "He was nearly charcoal. She knows everything. She's handling it…. about as well as can be expected." She half-smiles. "Actually, better than you are. Her take is something along the lines of 'stuff happens' — considering the lines of work we're all in, I'd say it's a reasonable assessment of the situation." She sighs.
"Yeah." The man's voice is flat, "Stuff happens a lot, lately. Well, if you need me, let me know. I've got some 'stuff' to make happen, so I'll talk to you later."
*click*
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