Participants:
| Scene Title | Take It Easy |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | That's the advice given to Ruiz by one of the few medically trained people left in the Hub. And Lynette will make sure it happens. |
| Date | December 23, 2011 |
Lynette and Ruiz's Room — The Hub
Word might have spread that something went a little awry in the hub today. If only because Woods was having to remind himself how to walk. But rumors are all but confirmed by Lynette— showing signs of overdoing her power— storming through the place until she found Aislinn.
Come on. Ruiz. That's about all she said to her before dragging her back to the room where she left him. Under orders to rest, although she has a suspicion that he won't be without her there supervising. He gets the warning of their door squeaking open before she ushers Aislinn inside.
From the way he's suddenly laying down on the bed, it would be obvious Ruiz had failed to be laying the entire time. The knock helped, but it's still obvious from the way he's grasping the edge of the matress. Overall, he looks… pale? Exhausted.
But not bleeding profusely or what one might wonder from the way she went and gathered one of their few medically inclined people in the Hub. "Evening, Ais," he mutters with a wave as he closes his eyes— looks like moving quickly may have made him dizzy.
He doesn't say he's disappointed she managed to find her. Cause he doesn't want to be poked and prodded, probably.
Aislinn had been busy, and not in the best of moods - Lynette's sudden demand of her time had been met with something again to fucking excuse me? and a string of profanity afterwards. But still, she wasn't one to ignore if there was a problem. After all, people like to keep reminding her that she's one of the only medically trained people they still have left in the Hub.
Ais practically stumbles into the room, a look given back to Lynette, and then to Ruiz. Her nose wrinkles as she adjust the strap of the bag on her shoulder - makeshift medical spply bag with gauze, alcohol, and all sorts of other things scrounged up from Magnes' recent trip out into the Wild Dead Yonger. "The fuck happened?" It's a simple enough question, at least, as she makes her way over to Ruiz. A look back at Lynette, and her eyes narrow. He doesn't look awful, but he doesn't look the greatest either.
When Lynette sees him there, her hand moves to her hip and she sighs her way into a disappointed stance. She's more disappointed in his not resting than in Aislinn cursing at her for a while. "He doesn't want to get checked out," she notes to Aislinn before she moves deeper into the room. "But he was knocked out. His heart was beating like crazy. He was bleeding from his eyes," she explains. "We had a clashing of abilities. He seems to have gotten the brunt of it." Not that Lynette looks like she missed it entirely. But at last her eyes are only spotted with red from broken blood vessels. She isn't tired, either, just frazzled. That may or may not be a side effect of a clash of abilities.
Yeah, Ruiz saw that look— he knows he's going to be in the proverbial dog house if he doesn't take this slightly more serious so he sighs, shifting to sit up somewhat again, but obviously having a difficult time of it. Him being pale looks odd, since he's not naturally pale, but he manages to look that way. "I'm sure it's nothing— my nose bled some, a little from one of my eyes too. I'm weaker than normal. And my chest hurts some." He knew he'd get in trouble more for leaving out details, even if he's still risking downplaying them.
"It's not the first time this has happened, just the… worst." He'll acknowledge that bit. Even worse than the time he was carried back to this room unconscious? Yes, somehow.
Aislinn's eyes widen noticeably as Lynette and Ruiz partially fill her in. "From y'r eyes? I've never even-" She frowns, gaze level with Lynette for a moment, before she turns back to Ruiz. "I don't know what y' two have been gettin' int', but maybe next time take it a little easier?" She reaches into her bag, and starts the easy way - pulling out a surprisingly clean rag. She has no way to wet it, but she does offer it over to Ruiz. "Clean y'r self up a bit. How do y' feel now? Dizzy? Hows y'r vision?" The next thing to come out of the bag is an old school blood pressure monitor, the kind with squeeze grip that makes it inflate. "How does it hurt? Sharp or dull? Prevasive, or just when you breathe?"
She takes a deep breath. "All jokin' aside, y' know I have t' ask how this happened. What in th' hell were t' doin' that had neither of you negated?" Because she has stuff for that too, with her.
"We took our dose as soon as we got back," Ruiz immediately says, rather than actually telling her what they'd been doing. How could he explain that part? That they had been listening to the ideas of a boy who was convinced that they might be able to hear radio waves from another world— Instead they heard— something worse.
"I washed up already." Considering there was little sign of blood on his face, that was something. "The eye thing never happened before, but nose seems to be a common side effect…" Even if he never had that happen ever until that kid showed up. He presses a hand against his chest. "It's like… someone's pushing on it, but it felt burning for a while too." He looks toward Lynette, as if wishing she weren't hear, before he adds, "It actually hurts all over my upper body a little. Chin to arms and… everything. And I do feel light headed." He sits up more, but doesn't get off the bed. He knows how those blood pressure things work.
Lynette stands out of the way, trying not to be too intrusive but certainly not leaving. She settles against their desk, discarded injectors proving his claim that they're negated now. Her leg jostles as Aislinn as all the questions, trying to work out which answer is the better one and which is the worst.
But there's one question she knows what the worst answer is. And that would be the truth. She looks past Aislinn to Ruiz, fingers tapping while she thinks of how to explain. "The kid. Magnes. He had some crazy idea that we could make the disposal room more efficent." Why yes, this is the same excuse he tried on her, but she sells it better. Mostly because it comes with a thread of worry and frustration that are one hundred percent genuine. "He wanted to see how much my power can boost Mateo's. And I was already not negated to work the generators." Which is both true and not.
Her gaze stays on him, though, while he explains how he's feeling. Her finger taps on the desk, a quick pace giving away the worry she tries not to show otherwise.
A withing look is the response that Aislinn gives to both Lynette and Ruiz, clearly unamused by this turn of events. "Y' ever wonder if that kid," she starts as she pulls apart the velcro of the blood pressure monitor and wraps it around Ruiz's upper arm, giving the small handle multiple squeezes as she looks at the dial. "If those Vanguard arseholes sent him t' make us consider just surrenderin'?" It's kind of a joke - the tone of her voice would give anyone reason to question her sincerity.
Another frown. "What the…" She shakes her head as she looks back up to Ruiz. "Whatever it was, don't ever do it again. Your bp is on the uncomfortable side of high." Back into the bag withthat, and out comes an old stethescope - cold even through the fabric of Ruiz' shirt. "Doesn't hurt, does it? The touch." And she listens, expression impassive. Move, listen again. Move, listen again.
She pulls it back, looking between them. "Whatever it was, it sounds like it's got t' workin' overdrive, Ruiz. Think Lynette here might be on t' somethin' with all the rest. We have a refreshed supply of pain killers." She takes a deep breath as she leans back a bit. "I never got t' study much on ability blow out, but that's what this sounds like."
It's difficult to hear, because Ruiz's heart is beating so quickly, but the heart rate seems irregular. There's also a slight whooshing sound after a few beats. There's a shortness to his breath under all of it, too. A lot could explain this, but there's probably nothing they can do about it other than what she just said. "We won't do it again. No disposal room needs to be that efficent," he responds, trying to continue to sell the story, but he's less annoyed and upset and more… concerned. About Lynette's worry.
"And here I was hoping you'd have some funny special tea for me?" he jokes, a small laugh that sounds weak. "But sleep will definitely be welcome. It's Christmas soon." Not that— people do much for Christmas these days. Another Christmas is another day still alive. "And pain killers sound great."
"I've entertained the notion," Lynette says to Aislinn's first words. She's not joking, she really has. Plus, she's not going to joke while she's busy keeping herself from pacing the floor while Aislinn does her examination. Her reactions are not helping to settle Lynette's worry. "Damn right we won't do it again," she says as she folds her arms. It was definitely an experience she doesn't want to replicate.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Lynette asks, keeping her worry to that one question. It's almost like she doesn't want to worry him by being worried herself. Pain killers, yes, but Lynette has a longer view she's worrying about.
The look Aislinn gives Ruiz this time is understanding, but unamused. "You'll be th' second t' know if I find Eve's stash." She doesn't know if that's what he meant, but - well. Her bedside manner shouldn't totally suck. The reminder that Christmas is coming doesn't sit well with her - it means another holiday where she gets to hear Elspeth be sad about how things are, as if every other day isn't for that.
"I don't like th' way his heart beat sounds, t' be honest," Aislinn admits. "I'm going t' chalk it up t' over exertion, but… I'm going t' do a few check ups. Make sure he's gettin' better, yeah?" She looks back at Ruiz. "I'm not a proper doctor an' I don't have much here t' do more if it gets worse. So long term? Stay low key. Low stress, low activity. Rest, an' I'll check up again in a week or two."
A look between both of them. "An' stay bloody negated, particularly around that kid."
"The second, huh?" Ruiz responds with that same laugh, even if he regrets it a moment later. Rest, negation, and low activity— sounds like a vacation in this place. One of the other janitors will have to do the fun job of keeping the place moderately clean for those who live there— and he won't miss manning the incenerator, either.
He's sure that Edward will approve it— he needs him alive. Though he doesn't think it would have killed him. Surely the Professor would have stopped it before that…
"See? I'll be fine. Just a little extra rest."
Though sadly he thinks 'low activity' also means they don't get to celebrate the holiday how they might have normally. "I'll play you a song or two— " If anything can keep his stress levels down, it's music.
"Did you check her bras? She was always keeping weird stuff in there." Lynette has this insight of Eve. Likely from watching her reach into her top and pull out god knows what around the Hub. Lynette tries to make that sound lighter, but she doesn't get there. The mention of Ruiz' heartbeat gets a frown. He can probably tell she is mentally naming herself as caretaker in this endeavor. Maybe warden, sometimes.
Her gaze flicks over to Ruiz as he totally understates the situation. Her gaze promises that she will be dealing with him later. It's sure to be the most aggressive pampering of all time. Of all times.
"Thanks, Aislinn," she says, her tone subdued, but the sentiment is clear. "Um, one thing, though," she notes, looking back over at her again. "Just… how low activity are we talking?" It is a legitimate medical question. Even if it is about sex. Her gaze moves back to Ruiz, her expression softening. "I've already got requests in mind," she says, words gentler.
Aislinn's head tilts slightly at Lynette. "No I- didn't, did she-" Wait, no Lynette's absolutely right. This is absolutely a thing that happened. "I'll, uh… I'll see if K-Mart still has any a' her effects. Think someone else is livin' where she did now, so…" She doesn't want to intrude. For a lot of reasons.
A look back Ruiz, and Aislinn reaches over, a hand over his heart as she tries to feel his heartbeat. "Nothin' super strenuous. No… goin' out joggin' with Ygraine, or gettin' int' arguments with Steve. Keep it low." She looks between them. "Try not t' get too…" THe hand motion she makes is almost akin to jazzhands. "Crazy." Yes. Like that.
"At least for a few days," she adds. "Then I can see how he's doing. It'll probably be fine in a day or two. I'd stay off a' alcohol or anythin' that could dehydrate you too."
Someone else is certainly living in her old room. As their numbers thinned, people finally didn't have to bunk with others. Not exactly the best thing in the world, but having your own room in the apocolypse seemed important. Unless you happened to be having sex with someone, then you didn't mind sharing. Like Lynette and Ruiz.
"Nothing crazy, understood." At least they won't have to worry about keeping their hands completely off each other. That would be torture and he'd have only a young boy possibly sent by Vanguard to make them surrender to blame… But no, he knows exactly where Magnes and Liz came from— and it wasn't Vanguard.
Not that he's telling anyone other than Lynette.
He might have told Dess, though. If she hadn't died right after they arrived.