ArchivedLogs:Right to Counsel

Right to Counsel
Dramatis Personae Jax, Tian-shin
In Absentia	2016-04-02 "There's been outcry? People are mad?"
Location Laquin Penitentiary - Interview Room
The room is gray and spare, with no windows save a small rectangular porthole in its single reinforced steel door. The single steel table and the four hard steel chairs around it are all bolted to the floor. The smooth concrete of the walls seem to radiate cold, and the fluorescent lights embedded in the ceiling shed only wan, sickly white glow. Tian-shin has been in here for a while; her entire day has been a study in waiting, and she bears it impassively. She's dressed in a simple, conservative black pantsuit and white blouse, her hair bound up in a tight bun and glasses perched low on her nose, the effect on the whole being one of austere dignity. She has a notepad and a short, stubby number 2 pencil, both supplied by the guards. Periodically she looks up at the door and reaches for an inside pocket of her jacket, though each time she drops her hand again without actually reaching into it. Eventually, Jax is escorted in by a guard. The door clangs shut again behind him, though for a moment he just lingers nearby it, brows furrowing as he looks at Tian-shin. He's slow to continue in, a little unsteady as he takes his seat opposite her. In his orange jumpsuit he looks paler, yellower, the fluorescent lighting rendering his pallor sickly. His smile is bright as ever, though. "Tian-shin. You're here." Tian-shin stands up quite suddenly when Jax enters, but does not go to him as it is clearly her first impulse to do. She doesn't sit again until he does, as well, and by then she has regained her composure altogether. "I'm here." Her voice is quiet and steady. "They were pretty reluctant to allow me to visit at all, and I can only stay for an hour. But first things first: your children are alive and well. They miss you and Ryan--everyone does--whom I'm going to be seeing soon, separately. The rescuees are doing as well as can be expected, gone back to their families or settling into temporary housing. There is tremendous public outcry for investigations into the detainment." She pauses to draw a deep breath, closing her eyes and opening them again. "Now. I need to know how they are treating you." "Has B gone back to school yet? Is Spence -- he was so excited for Purim, he --" Jax's voice isn't steady, tense and edged with a heavy dose of Fret. He swallows, though, shaking his head at Tian-shin's question. "I don't know. It's -- it's fine, I guess. I'm not allowed outside at all and they turn off my -- me. Powers. Been -- kind of sick from that." His shoulder lifts in a small shrug. "Last I checked, B was still around. I assume she goes to class with those drones just like she visits us with them when she's up in Boston. Spence got all Mega Manned up for Purim, it was pretty excellent." Tian-shin scribbles rapidly without looking down at her notepad; her eyes remain fixed on Jax the whole time. "Do you have a primary care physician, or any medical professional who has documented how your metabolism functions and whom you would authorize to testify about it? It would help me prove that prolonged depowering compromises your health and hopefully improve your situation in here." She chews on her lower lip. "Either way, Doctor McCoy said he'll come give you a check-up if they'll permit it--which is probable, even if they drag their feet. Between the evidence your team recovered from the facility and the sheer amount of public outcry, we can bring a good deal of leverage to bear on the government." Jax opens his mouth -- then closes it again, brows drawing in deep together. "-- I've got Doctor McCoy at the school but Ryan -- well, Doctor Saavedro ain't exactly --" His head shakes quickly, teeth dragging against his lower lip. "Anyway the school's got plenty records on me. From last time Prometheus depowered me, too. That was /not/ fun." For a moment a tiny smile pulls up at his mouth. "There's been outcry? People are mad?" Tian-shin's hand pauses, the already dulling tip of her pencil poised above a half-written word. "I'll ask Ryan what he'd prefer. I'm not aware of his mutation being quite as critical to his health as yours is, but Doctor McCoy should take a look at him regardless. They'll offer their own approved physicians, but I have ample justification to demand our own." She scribbles a couple more notes and then sets the pencil down, nudging it until it lies neatly against the edge of the pad. "People are /furious/. There've been protests every day, not just in New York, but all over the country. Steve went on the news and has been speaking at demonstrations. Tony Stark started a support fund for Prometheus survivors. It's been...lively." She looks down at her notes. "This kind of publicity and /energy/ gives me hope for getting you and Ryan out. You know I'm not going to be able to get you /acquitted/, but it is definitely possible for us to make it not worth the government's while to see this through." "I'm sure the government's just thrilled at Steve, huh?" Jax winces, teeth dragging across his lower lip. "Is he -- how is he..." This trails off, though, faltering into nothing. He lifts his hand, scuffing fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry. For all... I mean, I know you already had so much on your plate, this weren't really the best --" He exhale heavily, shaking his head. "You know," oddly this sounds /brighter/, "I know it's the terrorism charges that should be worrying me the most but charging us with that kid's murder is just the most /offensive/ to me. They really got no respect at all." "I keep expecting him to get arrested, but so far they're leaving him alone. I haven't actually talked to him much, we're both so busy, but he wanted tell you he's fine, and almost fully recovered." Tian-shin takes her glasses off as if to clean them, but just holds them balanced on her slender fingers. The lenses are spotless, anyhow. "I accept your apology, but...but it's not your fault we live in a police state. Don't worry about me, I have a lot of help--including a new partner. He's worked with the UN Human Rights Council, and has contacts there." She looks up at Jax from where she'd been studying her glasses. "The boy's parents feel similarly. They've been in the news a lot, talking about how the men who killed Malik ought to be in jail, not the ones who were trying to save him." "A new partner? Oh, that's exciting! That's exciting, right? That's -- you been so busy." Jax's eye opens a little wider now, though, somewhat startled. "The -- his /parents/? Really? That's -- but where --" He shakes his head again, slumping a little lower in his seat. "That's rough. This is all such a -- fff. They ain't -- making things hard for the rest of the team, are they?" "I'd probably be excited if I had the energy." Tian-shin snickers, slipping her glasses back on with excessive care. "It's been helpful just having another lawyer to share the paperwork load. Besides...having a square jawed, broad-shouldered white man about expedites a lot of things." She does not sound in the least facetious about this. "But yes, there are...a great many angry families. I haven't heard of anyone else being harassed or threatened with arrest, though I've advised everyone involved to memorize my phone number and Mr. Barton's, regardless. No, they arrested you and Ryan to make a point. I sincerely hope they will soon come to regret that." "Oh gosh." Jax covers his lips with his fingertips, stifling a small laugh. "Tell me he's human, too. Be a real blessing in dealing with -- well. Everything." He drops his hand to rest it on the table, fingers restlessly drumming at the tabletop. "Guess I can be happy with small blessings, then. Even in jail I manage to be a thorn in the government's side. Always been my fondest dream." Tian-shin nods, still smiling, despite the circumstance. "He's human, from the mid-west, and approachable, like you could grab a beer with him." She looks down at Jax's hand. Clasps her own together, then unclasps them, taking up the pencil again, though she does not resume writing. "Well, you needn't worry on /that/ count, at least. You are causing the government quite a lot of headache. Now, I will be back as often as I can manage and I'll do my best to get normal vistiation set up, but in the mean time, I'll relay any messages you'd like to folks back home." For a long time Jax is quiet. He continues to drum on the table, quick and jittery. "Y'know," his smile is a little wan, "every single day I sit in here thinkin' on how much I miss everyone an' all the things I'd like to say t'all y'all but it. All feels so -- inadequate, now." He swallows, staring down at the table. "Tell them all I love them. And miss them. And I'll be fine."