ArchivedLogs:Warning

Warning
Dramatis Personae Iolaus, Jackson
In Absentia	2013-11-03 (Part of Infected TP.)
Location <NYC> Iolaus's Apartment - East Harlem
Down a hallway and overlooking a open air market in El Barrio, Iolaus' apartment is not particularly a large one. It is three rooms - the main room shaped like an L with kitchen at one end, a small bedroom large enough for a full bed and a dresser, and a bathroom barely large enough to fit the bath inside it. The walls are a light yellow in the main room, with a large bookcase sitting against one wall and occupying much of the space, stuffed with books as it is. Two couches sit across from it, pressed up against the corner of the L shaped room. The kitchen is separated only by the transition from wood floor to grey tile and is sparsely filled with food and cookware both, and the bathroom is equally sparse of accouterments. In fact, were it not for the full bookcase and the clothing hanging in the closet, it would look almost as if the occupant had moved out and left some few things behind in a hurry. With the clinic opening only a day away, things at Iolaus' apartment look almost like a command center. Paperwork is everywhere, and Iolaus has been juggling phones all day, sometimes seen with two phones against his head at the same time, having two different conversations. The stress seems to be on his face, writing thick lines into his forehead as he speaks into a cell phone. "No, I don't think that at all, Mary. Equal protection is a very important freedom in this country, and I am proud to stand up for it. I think that you are presenting a false dichotomy." Beep? Beep? The quiet tone of call waiting goes off on Iolaus's phone, probably not for the first time lately given then number of calls he is juggling. This time it's Jackson -- originally scheduled to work a bodyguard shift this morning though he called out and has been replaced. But is now calling Iolaus. Beep? "Well, that's a matter of opinion." Iolaus responds after a brief pause, even as he takes his phone away from his head to look at it. He frowns down at it for a moment. "I'm sorry, Professor," he says, replacing the phone against his ear. "I'm being paged. How about we grab coffee next week and continue our discussion? I'm happy to come in front of the Dean, if that would help. Alright. Thank you, and see you soon, Mary." Nearly on the last ring, he switches lines. "Hello, this is Iolaus." "Io." Jax sounds a little bit strained. "I know this ain't a great time but we're having a -- um. How are you feeling? Have you been gettin' bombarded with ads about gettin' your flu vaccine?" "Hello, Jax." Iolaus says, surprise written into his voice. "I'm feeling... fine. A bit stressed, but alright." A pause, and confusion follows as he adds, "I've been seeing the ads, just like everyone else. The flu shot is mandatory for health care workers, though, and for all clinic staff that might interact with patients, so I don't pay much attention. Why?" "We don't think it's the flu. Micah was noticin' -- well. OK, half of everyone I know's gettin' it. It's all over the school. /Both/ the pups are gettin' it and the twins pretty much /never/ get sick. But it -- um. It's got some weird -- some weird -- weird --" Jax stops here, lapsing into quiet. "Not the flu?" Iolaus pauses, and there is shuffling of papers for a moment in the background, then the sound of fingers on the keyboard. "I saw a bulletin go out from the health department a bit ago, but it seemed just like influenza. What... what are you and Micah seeing?" "Weird," Jackson says again. "-- um, sorry. Sorry. Sorry, um, weird --" There's another hesitation before he continues. "Weird symptoms. I mean, its kinda flulike but then. People been gettin' kinda strange -- neurological symptoms? Fuzzy-thinkin'. Strugglin' with words. An', like, we're worried it might be affectin' people in -- Daiki had it. An' then he seemed like he'd got better and went back t'class an' in class he /punched/ a girl. /Daiki/. Right in the middle of chem lab, started a fight. I mean, you know Dai, Io, when was the last time you even saw him speak sharp at anyone much less haul off an' deck them." Iolaus is silent for several moments before he speaks up. "Paradoxical anger can be a symptom of neurological problems. As can aphasia. But neither are common symptoms of the flu. Neurological complications are very, very rare." Another pause, and he speaks again. "You say this is wide-spread? Not one or two people - many?" "Lots. And quick. It hit a quarter of the school in -- a day or two. Half my building's sick an' it started just a couple days before Halloween. Including folks who don't never get anything. S'why I weren't there for my shifts this weekend. I'm feelin' better, but I don't want to chance it if this is somethin' -- weird. Given what happened with Daiki. Wouldn't be a proper good bodyguard if /I/ hauled off an' punched you." Jax hesitates, a very long moment. "There's -- somethin' else." "That certainly doesn't sound like the flu. Moving too fast." Iolaus murmurs, and his voice almost seems distracted. The sound of keys clacking in the background can be softly heard. "Hm." A pause before the doctor continues, attention returning to his voice. "Well, I certainly appreciate not getting punched, especially if you're ill." A pause. "What else, Jax?" "One of the people we got out of the labs. He --" Jax hesitates. "Can make diseases. Sort of. Mutate diseases and dispense them. Before this all happened they were trying to -- catch him. Shot at him, I don't know. He might have gotten --" Another hesitation. "The two people with him were the first to get sick. This might not be a disease anyone's seen before." There is silence on the other end of the phone for almost thirty seconds before Iolaus speaks. His voice is controlled and calm - too much so, artificially steady and slow. "I see." A pause. "I will make arrangements to come up there immediately myself. I may need to take samples back to the lab, if your suspicions are correct." A pause. "And... I hope to god you are wrong, Jax, or the opening of the clinic is going to be the least of our worries." "I hope I am, too, sir. School might be a good place t'start. I think this is only gonna get worse, though." Jackson draws in a deep breath, but then just lets it back out. "See y'at school, sir."