ArchivedLogs:Results

Results
Dramatis Personae Corey, Iolaus, Jane
In Absentia	2013-05-30 Corey receives his test results.
Location <NYC> Common Ground Clinic - Clinton
A dingy waiting room with a line of rickety chairs, a small glass table with a set of permanently out-of-date magazines, a set of plastic holding racks with a number of informational pamphlets about STIs and partner abuse. This place is not, to be sure, the most cheerful on earth, but for many of its clientele it is the best they have. The Common Ground Clinic's staff provides free and low-cost medical care on a sliding scale to many of Manhattan's poorest residents, without checking for insurance, immigration status or many other things that bar entry for many of them to traditional medical care. There is counselling available, too, and once a week social workers to help people find resources for getting on their feet. The wait times are long, but the volunteer staff here is dedicated (if always overworked.) As it rounds around to closing time at the Common Ground Clinic, the number of patients has thinned out to a few still waiting in the lobby. But, equally, the number of volunteer staff has dropped as the day proceeds, making the few patients who still are yet to be seen undergo the Zeno's Paradox of Waiting Rooms. Eventually, though, the man behind the counter calls out, "Corey. First door on the left," he says, gesturing towards the doors to the back. In the back, Iolaus is waiting with his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. His guard, this time, is a woman, gruff looking and with a fierce look. "Maribeth tells me that we are close to another hire for your department. For general, or is this another person for the bodyguard team?" he asks, curiously. The guard shrugs her shoulders. "Will be useful for either, probably. I need to see how they do in training before I decide for sure." Returning to the clinic, Corey is dressed comfortably in a plain grey tee shirt and blue jeans, just something comfortable enough to wear to work during the course of the day still smelling of coffee indicating he came here right from there. "Thank you sir," he says with a smile to the man behind the counter, passing by into the hallway. Knocking at the door frame before peeking his head in, he smiles seeing the doctor, and offers him a hand, though there is a slight eyebrow raise as he glances to the lady in the room, the reaction indicating he must have heard something of the question to her. Even as Iolaus reaches out to shake Corey's hand warmly and greet him with a pleasant, "It's good to see you again," Jane's eyes are carefully sweeping Corey for threats. Her eyes flick over his posture, his clothing, his open hand and his expression before her gaze softens off of its heights of vigilance. Treat level: Low. "This is Jane; she works for me and is helping out today." Helping out staring at the patients, it seems. "I have your test results." The doctor gestures towards the exam table. Corey inclines his head in greeting towards the lady as the gaze softens. "Pleasure to meet you Jane. Guess the doc leads an interesting life to need bodyguards." Giving a shrug, he glances back to Iolaus and returns his smile back to generic measures as he takes a seat on the butcher paper of medicine. "So, whats the news? I was going to ask good or bad news, but I can't say which answer would be what." Iolaus glances at Jane for a moment, but he does not elucidate. Jane, for her part, rarely does. "Well, that is an interesting question. I asked you several times before I ran the test, but I feel it's important to ask you one last time. Considering the way the laws are being written, /knowing/ for sure that you are or you are not a mutant will change what you may be required to do. Are you sure you really want to know?" he asks, voice soft and gentle as his eyes flick over Corey's face. "Because once I tell you, there isn't a question anymore, and there's no room for claiming ignorance." "I understand. If they decide to have a registration for mutants, and you've told me the results, I would be legally obligated to register. But having suspicions and refusing to find out because I'm scared of What If's is just as irresponsible. I mean what if I've been hurting people my entire life by no knowing?" Corey frowns and shakes his head. "I'd rather the truth and accept the consequences than knowing that I could have Had the truth but I was afraid to find out. Though I imagine they wont let me be a blood donor any more if the results go a certain way." He grins at that, though in his eyes is a bit of nervousness. Iolaus nods and he reaches behind himself to pick up a manila envelope. He passes it towards the other man, a soft smile on his face that might have a trace of sadness in it. "I performed a genetic test called a molecular beacon SNP genotyping to screen you for a copy of the X-gene. You tested positive for copies of the X-gene. With a false-positive rate of about 0.001, I feel comfortable in confirming your suspicions. It seems that you are a mutant." The paper is a lab test result from the Medical Genetics division of Mount Sinai hospital, signed off by an entirely different physician than Iolaus. Nodding as he reads down the file, Corey gives the doc a smile. "Well, thank you for doing the test for me at least. I know it wasn't easy or cheap to get it done." He chuckles and shakes his head and continues "Still, I would have thought I'd feel different if I knew one way or another. Just means I'll check a different box on my forms now than I did before. At least I wasn't planning on going into military or police work, since I think they ban mutants." "They do." Iolaus says, softly. "Many more jobs than those, actually, but... those are the most widespread." He pauses for a moment, looking over Corey's face carefully. "Testing is still very expensive and somewhat difficult, but it will only get cheaper and more available as time goes on." The doctor bounces laced-together fingers off of his stomach, once. "How are you feeling about this, now that you know?" he asks, carefully. "Just a little anxious, but then I had been since you took the samples for testing." Corey lets out a sigh, looking skyward. "I did some praying, meditation, and just about anything to get my head clear. To figure out what it would mean and all. But I mean, I figured my friend knew the answer already when he told me so this was just removing any doubts. And well, it doesn't change who I am really. I don't suddenly look any different, or feel any different. It just means that people who would treat me bad because of my genes will do so. Not much different than the predjudices other people have to go through, 'cept there aren't any legal protections in place yet." Iolaus is silent for several moments, before he smiles a wide smile. "That's a very... well-thought out and properly grounded opinion." he compliments, flashing his smile brightly at the other man. He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a card, extending it out to the other man. "I was going to have her come in and talk to you, now, but I think you are doing well enough thinking about this that you don't need to speak with her now. This is the name of a co-worker of mine who has a private practice in psychology over in Chelsea. She is mutant-friendly, if you want to talk to someone." Accepting the business card and reading it over, Corey nods as he pockets it. "My major in college was philosophy. It doesn't really make money, but it does at least prepare you to accept some pretty major changes on a given basis. Like if tomorrow we found out that we were all just simulations in a computer experiment, or if god was a jelly donut." Chuckling he shakes his head "Honestly, I'm nervous, but it doesn't help to be afraid or worry about it. I've got a job with a lady who's already accepting of mutants, so I'll just let her know that I am one. Besides, I'm friends with plenty of mutants already. If it was okay for them to be one, but not me to be one, what kind of a hypocrite would I be?" Iolaus nods his head in agreement. "You'd be human, I'd say. We are not perfect beings, to handle change so well, most of the time. But, it is certainly better to handle it than not, as long as that /is/ what you are doing." He flashes the other man a smile and nods his head. "Alright. Well, I am glad that I could help, even if it makes your life a little bit more complicated." he says, eyes twinkling. "Oh I'm sure that once I start getting treated like shit my positive attitude will eventually fade away. But thats not happening quite yet." Corey smiles and offers the doctor a hand. "Thanks for imparting a bit of truth in my day none the less. At least I know not to apply for any of those jobs that I hadn't intended on doing anyway." He shakes his head at that as the smile starts to fade. "But the world is more than jobs, and I've got plenty of friends. So I think I'll be content at that, and just see how this new piece of information will shape me." Standing up and glancing at the paper again, he grins. "Yep, I feel more like a mutant already. " "Here's hoping that you never start getting treated like shit." Iolaus says, but the sad twist to his smile knows the likelihood of this wish. He adds on, "And, if you do, that you come through it with the same good attitude that you have now." He nods his head and reaches out to shake Corey's hand with a firm grip. "It was good to meet you, Corey. I wish you all the best of luck." "Thank you doctor. I'll accept whatever luck I can get, though I'd wish it on those who have it worse off than me. After all, nobody's called me on being what I am thus far. I've had a blessed life, I can't complain now that I'll have something laid before me that may give me some hardships." Corey's words may be more trying to convince himself than anything, but its hard to tell. "Hopefully the next time I see you won't involve any medical hardships. I'll be content if I keep my nigh perfect track record." Iolaus' smile is warm and he nods his head. "I hope not. Believe me, if my job was nothing but check-ups, I'd be a content man." He says, a twinkle in his eyes. He nods once more, though this time it is apparently to himself. "Keep it, if you can. It's a good record to have." A pause. "Have a good rest of your evening, Corey, and stay well." "You too sir. I don't know how many doctors there are like you, but I can't imagine that there are enough to meet the needs." Giving a small wave to Iolaus, Corey nods to the bodyguard as well. Pausing at the door on his way out, he looks back. "And let me know if you need blood donors for mutants. I am pretty sure they wont accept mine any more at the Red Cross now, but a universal donor would still probably be useful, and accepted by those in need." "I certainly will," Iolaus says, with a bowing nod of his head. "I'm sure there will be a need for blood at the clinic, and donors are much preferred to paying for it." He raises his hand in a little half-wave, half-salute, even as he turns back towards his notes on the table next to him. Nodding again, Corey heads on out and back down the hallway, letting the doctor see his next patients.