ArchivedLogs:Keeping Watch

Keeping Watch
Dramatis Personae Micah, Sebastian
In Absentia	27 July 2013 'Bastian has a plan for protecting Jax in the future. And maybe getting Micah out of the medlab for a little bit.
Location <XS> Medical Lab – B1
Gleaming and sterile, the school's medical facility is all cool science in contrast to the mansion's old-world old-fashion. All stainless steel and antiseptic tinge, the room is filled with the quiet whir-click of the various implements that comprise its medical equipment -- all state-of the art. The hospital beds are curtained off for privacy when they have patients, and in one of the alcoves there is a small operating theatre visible. More heavy-duty equipment is visible in the lab in the back, where the securely locked cabinets keep sensitive equipment out of the reach of teenage fingers. This corner of the medlab looks, unfortunately, much as it has for the past several days. A hospital bed is surrounded by sunlamps and an IV pole, all crowded around as if keeping watch over the bed's single, unconscious occupant. Beside the bed is a chair in which there resides a Micah, clad in a powder blue Totoro face T-shirt and jeans, with the addition of a pair of Jax's sunglasses to protect against all of the lights. He has a healing split in his lip, a series of bruises and abrasions visible on his forearms, and slightly blistered red skin on both hands. Someone must have been on him about eating again, and he is holding a tinfoil-wrapped bit of cold naan that he is nibbling at without much interest. Sebastian's arrival in the medbay is quiet. A soft rush of opening automatic doors, a quiet pad of bare feet against the cool floor. It's easy to tell at a glance which twin he is, today; yellow sleeveless top embroidered with darker yellow butterflies, a wispy-thin layered pixie skirt in white and green and yellow. A smattering of fading bruises, thin scars that are already vanishing, scattered across his arms, quickly disappearing remnants from last night's fight club. He has a bag with him, a dark mesh grocery bag that looks pretty light and empty. The teenager gives Jax only the quickest of glances before creeping instead to Micah's side; he sets the bag down on the floor and creeeeeeps arms tentatively around the older man. Micah sets the foil-wrapped-food down on a the table beside him, offering a wan smile to 'Bastian in greeting. “Hi, hon. There...hasn't really been any changes.” He lifts his arms to return the boy's hug, though it is a lighter, more gentle thing than usual. He is still nursing some sore, bruised ribs, without the benefit of any accelerated healing abilities. “How're you and Shane doin'? Hive came by last night an' said Spence has been okay with nonstop ferret playtimes.” The image manages to twitch his small smile a bit wider. Sebastian's hug is gentle, too, mostly out of consideration for Micah's lingering injuries. "Spencer's okay. He still -- mostly thinks Pa is a superhero. Shane took him and Obie out to the lake now." He doesn't let go, yet, tucking in close against the side of the chair to rest his cheek against Micah's shoulder. "We brought Anole back with us last night, he, um --" This trails off, a little distractedly. "-- how are you?" Micah rubs at 'Bastian's back softly with the less-burned back of a hand. “Wouldn't say Spence is /wrong/ on that account. Just...happened t'be stuck in the middle of the superhero's weakness, bein' underground.” He scoots himself over against one of the arms of the chair, offering enough room for the small teen's frame to sit in it as well, if he wants. “Is Anole okay, too? Not injured? There's...so many people I haven't checked in with. Just haven't been able t'unscatter my brains since this happened.” "He's -- not injured," Sebastian allows, "-- I don't think he's okay. I don't think he's /been/ okay since the -- whole -- fight --" His head shakes. "And he didn't /have/ anyone to help and -- and now his home's been attacked, it's -- not. Good." He does take a seat, but only after stooping to pick up the grocery bag and drape it over an arm. Only then does he nestle in alongside Micah, smoothing down his skirt as he tucks himself into the side of the chair. "It's a bad weakness. I mean his weakness is /nighttime/ that happens for like. Half of every /day/ and if people -- /know/ they can. Come. When it's dark." “Mmn, yeah, I get that. Those folks hid in a /sewer/ for the only place they could feel safe an' people still came after 'em...like...that.” Micah eases an arm around 'Bastian's shoulders when he sits. “They would take Anole here, wouldn't they? Last time I talked t'Nox, she asked me to tell him t'come here. He's just a kid.” Micah's shoulders rise and fall faintly with the weight of a sigh. There are a lot of 'just a kids'. “I know it goes without sayin', but you an' Shane are watchin' out for each other an' Spence, right?” A certain threat against Jackson and his children might be ringing a little loudly in his memory. "He's starting here next term." Sebastian doesn't sound particularly thrilled about this. Just kind of tired and bland. Sebastian nestles up under Micah's arm, fingers fidgeting with the bag. "We're always watching out for each other and Spence. I -- want to watch out for /you/ guys. Micah, they would have killed /you/. Why would /anyone ever/ want to kill /you/?" “Because I was there, an' I saw what they were doin'.” Micah's eyes slide over Jax's still form on the hospital bed. It takes him a moment to decide that he should reveal the next part to 'Bastian. “An' because I was with him. It's startin' t'be more'n just general anti-mutant violence, honey. They knew who he was an' they wanted t'kill /him/. An'...what they said. They know about him an' how t'hurt him, too. Just. I know you're already careful, I just. It's somethin' you an' Shane have a right t'know. Bein' targeted by these kinds of people. Whoever they are.” His arm squeezes a little tighter around the teen's shoulders. "-- were they from the labs?" Sebastian asks, very quietly. "The murderdrones -- they had those when Pa went --" He swallows, turning his head for a moment to bonk it against Micah's shoulder gently. "D'you know Jane? Pa's -- boss, Dr. Saavedro's – scary-bodyguard?" "I couldn't say. They had those Osborn drones. An' soldier-types. But they didn't exactly /identify/ themselves." Micah nods in recognition of Jane. "Yeah, I've sort of seen her around a few times an' heard about her a bit more. She seems...intense." "She's intense," Sebastian agrees with a crooked smile. "She treats the other bodyguards like her soldiers and I think she'd be pretty happy if she could just lock Dr. Saavedro in a bunker forever. Um -- but. The night before. All of this happened. She came and gave Pa a -- collar? Full of LEDs? So that he could have light -- any time. Strong LEDs. Like his very own reserve tank of fuel." Micah chuckles softly. “That doesn't seem like a very effective way for the doc t'get much /done/. Would sort of defeat the purpose of him gettin' enough recognition t'need bodyguards in the first place.” The collar description earns a nod. “Huh. That would work? S'pretty clever. He...um. Definitely wasn't wearin' it when all that went down.” "No. He wasn't. Because it --" Sebastian flushes, slightly, giving a look towards the bed that is equal parts fond and exasperated. "-- The one Jane got him wasn't very /pretty/." He reaches into his bag, pulling out -- three things! That he offers out on a palm to Micah. A pair of cuffs and a collar, slim and black synthetic-leather. The clasps on all three are silvery, small slim boxy metal buckles. The /insides/ of the collars bear thin LEDs; on the outside, only small dots of light show through in a line down the center, muted by dark mesh fabric. "Look, I -- I redid. Um. All of -- I thought maybe if they looked /nice/ then he'd -- wear it? And there's extra lights, he can even change it out for different colours if he wants but." His cheeks flush deeper as he proffers the jewelry. "-- I thought maybe. If /you/ actually put it on him he'd -- /keep/ it on. This time." "Well, I can see how," Micah pauses, quirking his lips over to one side, "in certain /contexts/ a body wouldn't expect t'need such a thing for just goin' about his business. But...it's seemin' like more'n more of a good idea." He brings a hand to his mouth, fingers attempting to hide a bit of a laugh at the prettiness theory. There is a visible wince because ow, fingers /and/ lip. "Y'know, I think y'would have trouble keepin' somethin' on him that didn't go with how he felt like dressin' for the day, you're right." A light red blush colours Micah's features in answer to 'Bastian's. "Uh...I can certainly try? It does seem like a good idea t'keep light around him all the time. Especially with those people... Mmn. They know too much about him. Could be a little ace up the sleeve." "Yeah. I don't think he thought that --" Sebastian frowns, deeply. He lifts a hand to gently nudge Micah's hand away from his lips. "-- he needs to wear it. I just. If you." His blush deepens. He slides out of the chair, getting to his feet. "-- when was the last time you left here?" Micah lets 'Bastian move his hand without protest. “I'll try,” he reiterates with a nod. “Um. I. Haven't really,” he answers haltingly, watching Jax again as if he will miss something /terribly important/ if he doesn't keep his own eyes on the unconscious man regularly. “It's. Someone oughtta be here. This ain't like a regular hospital, with aides an' nurses an' people crawlin' all over so much you almost /wish/ they'd leave you alone sometimes. An' he's not regular-sick, either. I don't want...” He frowns, brows knitting. "Micah. You know, it's /really/ gorgeous outside today. You should go -- have a shower. Take some food out by the lake. Play with Spence and Obie. Maybe have a /nap/ somewhere that's not this chair." Sebastian bites down on his lip, glancing from Micah to Jax and back. "-- Me and Shane can sit here for a while. He won't be alone." The door out of the medbay receives an almost distrustful look from Micah. "I..." He turns to Jax again. "Maybe. When Shane gets back," he half-concedes, not really having the energy to put into much else. "I'm going to get him right now, then," Sebastian announces. His teeth drag against his lip again. "-- I just worry. You're always. So. /Here/. For everyone /else/." His hand lifts, clawed fingers raking through his spiky crop of not-really-hair. "-- What would help get your brain unscattered?" Micah nods. So much for that delaying tactic. “A vacuum cleaner an' an entire roll of duct tape?” he offers for lack of an answer that /isn't/ Jax waking up, making an attempt at a grin with the joke. Sebastian breathes out a soft almost-laugh. He leans in to kiss Micah very /lightly/ on the forehead. "We'll be back down here. In a minute." He reaches to hug Micah again, gently. "-- maybe with some duct tape." Flashing one last look to the man in the bed, he turns to head for the door. Again using the less-sore back of a hand, Micah pat-pets 'Bastian's head during the hug. “Thanks, hon.” Once the teen is on his way to the door, Micah rests his arms against the side of the hospital bed once more, lightly setting his chin atop them. Just watching.