Participants:
| Scene Title | Yes, Mom |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Melissa helps Kendall, who talks about his power and his parents. |
| Date | March 25, 2010 |
It's difficult to tell night from day when the sky is overcast and dark, so Kendall, now in his own room, has taken to sleeping whenever he gets tired, which may or may not coincide with actual night. At the moment, he's in bed, but judging by his almost constant tossing and turning, he's not asleep, but rather either trying to fall asleep or just waking up. He grumbles loudly to himself, not any specific words, more like a growling of nonsense syllables.
As is her habit, Melissa has showed up to check on her residents. She's looking a little…off…and she's not wearing either her mask or the bandage on her forehead, so her healing gash is bared in all its icky glory! And Kendall's room is the second one she visits, right after the little kids. She raps lightly on the door, quietly enough that if he is sleeping it shouldn't wake him up.
"Hmm!" Kendall's announcing that he's awake, but didn't quite make it to actual words, likely due to the coughing fit that immediately follows. Here be germs of all kinds. He rolls over to face the door, squinting like what little light there is hurts his eyes.
Melissa opens the door and slips inside, holding a fresh glass of juice and a handful of pills. "Hey Kendall. Feeling like crap, huh?" she asks, voice a little flat for sympathy, but she tries! Honest!
"Are those morphine pills? Codeine? Er, other -ine stuff?" guess that's a yes so far as pain is concerned. Kendall tries a few times to shove himself up to a seated position, managing it on the third try. "So tired."
Mel smiles faintly and shakes her head. "No, just tylenol. But I'll help you out beyond these," she promises, moving towards him and offering both glass and pills.
Kendall takes the tylenol and juice from Melissa, swallowing the pills without complaint. Maybe his head really is hurting. "My nose feels like I ruptured something." he tells her, but it's likely from blowing it too much.
"I know that feeling," Melissa mumbles, sitting down on the edge of the bed and resting a hand on his shoulder. A little focus, easier than it was almost a month ago, and the pain begins to ebb. "How are you doing aside from the pain? Sleeping alright?"
"Not really. I try often but sometimes I just can't sleep." Kendall confesses. Then he gives her a closer look. "You're not getting sick too, are you?" he asks her, noticing the lack of mask and such. "And what happened to your head?"
Melissa smiles and shakes her head. "If I were sick you wouldn't be feeling better. And my head…it's a long story." And not one she intends to explain to a kid!
"Is that what you can do then?" Kendall asks Melissa, offering the cup back to her after he finishes the juice. Then his hand goes to his head, and he looks faintly surprised. Pain is gone!
Melissa hesitates a little. "Sorta. I manipulate pain. Which in this case, means taking it away. Just glad I can use it to help you some," she says, taking the glass and setting it aside.
"Now that's something that's actually useful." Kendall remarks with a sigh. "So, uh…" he falls silent again, seemingly run out of things to talk about. He doesn't really know her, after all.
Melissa's head tilts. "What do you mean? What's your ability? Something with drawing, right?"
"I don't have anything right now." Kendall points out to Melissa, loath to talk about his power since that's the whole reason he's in this mess to begin with.
Melissa nods. "I know. But when you do, what is it? I'm sure it can be as useful as mine."
"I draw stuff and it becomes real, only not." Kendall admits reluctantly. "Illusions, so not useful at all since they can't do anything."
Melissa's brows lift. "What do you mean it's not useful? Illusions are very useful. You could use illusions to do all sorts of things."
"It's not useful because I need to draw them first. If I was in trouble I'd be toast. I wouldn't have time to draw anything, much less have anything to draw it with." Kendall shakes his head.
"So? You could always draw something ahead of time. Something that can be useful in various situations," Melissa says with a shrug. "But how about this. I know an illusionist. I'll send him in to talk to you. How's that sound?"
"I… don't think that's necessary." Kendall shakes his head. "I don't want to have this damn power." cough cough cough cough cough.
Melissa studies his face for a moment, silent. "Why not?" Such a simple question. If only it had an equally simple answer.
Kendall is quiet too for a moment. "My parents wouldn't have kicked me out if I didn't have the power." he tried making it as simple as possible, although that simple statement in itself gives lie to the horrible complicatedness of the actual situation.
Melissa goes still. "Your parents…" She shakes her head and reaches out to touch his shoulder again. "Kendall…no parent should have done what your parents did. Parents are supposed to love their kids regardless of what they are or do. I don't care if you're a two-headed freak who turns tricks. You're their kid. If they kicked you out, just for being different…" She sighs. "I'm sorry, Kendall. But don't hate your power because your parents are ignorant."
Kendall shrugs one shoulder, looking off to the side. "There's no helping the fact that racism still exists." he points out. "Might as well get used to it now rather than having to suffer later." instead he's suffering now.
"Yes, but you shouldn't have to deal with it from your own parents," Melissa points out. "Where are you staying now? Do you have a place?"
"I'm staying with Magnes. He's making me go to school." grumble. Oh, poor, poor Kendall.
Melissa's brows lift. "He's got you and Sable staying with him?" she asks, surprised.
"Apparently, yeah." Kendall shrugs one shoulder, then flops back onto his bed. "Hardly see her around though."
"She was there today," Melissa mutters. "But hey, if you're happy there, then you're happy there. And it's good he's making you go to school."
"I don't need to go to school." Kendall grumbles. "I already know what I'm going to do with my life and there's no need to learn math or history or any of that crap."
Melissa arches a brow and pokes him in the chest. "You're going to school. You have no idea what the future will hold, so you have no idea what could be useful. And do not argue with me on this."
Kendall sulks. "Adults are annoying." it's barely audible when he says that so maybe, just maybe she doesn't hear?
Melissa rolls her eyes. "Maybe, but I'm not elderly, so I can hear you. And this particular adult is making sure that you're pain-free, so maybe you should be nice instead of pouting like a six year old?"
"Yes, mom." ooh, snap, Kendall just called her 'mom'!
Melissa leans down until she's nearly nose to nose with Kendall. "Don't make me take away your TV and ground you," she says dryly.
Kendall sneezes instead of answering, but not on purpose, at least. Maybe her perfume or the scent of blood made him sneeze? Whoops, cover up!
Melissa wrinkles her nose and leans back, wiping the sneezed upon area with her sleeve. "That was gross. Cover your mouth when you sneeze!"
"Sorry, but you did get right in my face." Kendall wipes his nose on his sleeve, which is gross too. "I wasn't able to catch it!"
Melissa sighs and gets up, grabbing a box of tissue and setting it on his stomach. "These are in here for a reason you know."
In answer, Kendall grabs one and blows his nose in it, then looks around. Where'd that trash can go? "I'm getting sleepy." he remarks to her.
Melissa silently points to the trash can, then rises to her feet. "I'll hang around for a few. I can't keep the pain away if I'm too far, but get some rest while you can."
Kendall tosses the snot-laden tissue at the trashcan and actually makes it, then rolls over and snuggles under the covers again. "Ok. Night, or morning, or whenever this is."