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The first of the early morning courses that Jean had taken up in her schedule list to complete her diploma in a timely manner was finished. And while Jean herself wasn't too keen on eating, she figured that she herself could pawn her food off onto some unsuspecting soul, mostly because her mood comes and goes like the wind, especially when it pertained to food.
There was a love/hate relationship there; being a near conjoined twin with someone she caught his hunger and it made her own ten times worse. Then she was forced to eat. Any other time, her 'twin' was forced to feel her own hunger pains which were allievated by him eating twice as much to ease the hurt. She preferred it that way.
But there were days when she forced it, mostly due because of the tremors and the fact that she looked hideously pale.. much like now.
So into the library she goes, searching around for the Doctor/Professor whom she had spoken to before. He -did- say if she needed anything, she could find him, right?
*
And he did. Able's not a man who makes broad statements like that often, and never lightly. As is common for him, he's browsing for texts that are relevant to his own construction and conditions. As unique as he is, there's not much to be found. He pulls a skeletal atlas partway from a shelf, then shakes his head and shoves it back into place.
While his senses aren't superhuman, being an unofficially repatriated German teaches one to pay attention. He hears footsteps, then turns. One finger has lingered on the binding of the tome he was considering, but now he lets his hand drop. As always, his signs of recognition and surprise are subtle ones. Just a slight widening of his eyes and a raising of one brow as he takes in Jean's pallor. "Ms. Grey. Pleasure to see you. I hope you don't mind me saying so, but the physician in me wants to ask if you're feeling alright."
*
Ah! There he was! Jean's face lit up with a bright smile as she takes those few steps forward, her own brows raising as she takes in his demeanor just as he takes in her health. "Uh.. yeah?" She says, which was obviously a lie. But either way, she keeps that smile plastered upon her face. "I just need a bit of sun that's all. I brought you breakfast." Her breakfast! Which consisted of toast and a few pieces of bacon and sausage, and a wide away of fruits that Gabriel cut up for her to eat.
"I don't know if you like.. meat or anything. But if you don't eat it, I'll just feed it to Wags." She pauses briefly. "That's my dog. Wags." She moves towards the table already filled with books, setting the bag down as she begins to unload the containers. "I didn't bring anything to drink though, I'm sorry."
*
There's no helping it. Keen blue eyes are already studying Jean, inspecting her as he would any patient, albeit at a distance. The sight of his young friend feeling unwell and in distress elicits a frown, though it seems more directed at the world than it is at her. Even the spread in from of him can't completely dispel the expression, though it does fade. "I do eat meat," he acknowledges.
He leaves off fiddling with his book and takes a seat next to Jean. Quick and efficient, he stacks various volumes and pushes them aside to make room for the two of them. Much like last time, his sleeves are already rolled back and his tie loosened a fraction. No jacket at the moment, that was left behind in the stacks (though Able doesn't realize it yet.) "I don't often eat breakfast, but today I'm happy to make an exception."
"You can talk to me if you'd like," he continues after a few seconds' pause. "I'd understand if you don't want to, but…" he shrugs and lets the thought linger in the air.
*
The way the arrangement was made was completely one sided; a single plate. A single serving. A single fork and a knife to cut. The food was carefully spread out, even the little tin of fruit was left aside the plate which was soon and delicately pushed in Dr. Able's direction with a slight shaky hand. Soon, she bends slightly, her hands reaching back for the chair so that she could slide it beneath herself to take a seat. A flump of a seat that had her grunting.
Her body slumps just a touch at an angle, and soon with a lean forward she reaches for a pen and a sheet of clean paper, carefully drawing. "That's what I came here for.." She states. "I mean, maybe you can't help but there isn't really anyone else to ask. Everyone else is so busy.. but.. that's not to say that you're not busy and all.." Her hand lifts, the heel of her palm digging right into her eye to wipe it. "I'm sorry. I'm .. tired a little.." She forces a little smile, then continues to draw. "I found these in a cave the other day, and I'm just wondering what they meant."
There were norse runes of course, of what? Even she didn't know.
*
It only takes a brief inspection before Able is shaking his head. "I'm no linguist, but I feel like I've seen something similar. In a book rather than a cave."
The runes have captured his curiosity, but Jean still has him looking concerned. He pauses with his hands partway to the silverware and turns to face her more directly. "I'm a competent researcher and I'm happy to help you. That book may even be buried back in my own collection. I'm worried, though. I know it's impolite to say this to a lady, but you look dreadful. Would you like to come back to my clinic so I can look you over?"
*
"It kind of glowed.." Jean starts out, finishing the last of the drawing which was soon pushed in in his directions. As he explains it, she leans forward, her fingers soon wrapping around themselves as her eyes, hazy as they were, looks up.
"Huh? Oh. No. I just need to eat. But I'm not really hungry, so.." She shrugs her shoulders, attempting to look pip and prim. "Is the book back at your clinic? I'll go then.."
*
"I believe so. I'd… borrowed it, we'll say, before my last move." The plate Jean assembled, so thoughtful on her part, had been pushed to the back of Able's mind. Now he snags a piece of bacon and chews thoughtfully. A sausage quickly follows. When he's finished he lifts his hand to his mouth and dabs off a bit of grease from one finger on the tip of his tongue. "It should be with the rest of the books I haven't unpacked yet. But there's no guarantee it'll be pertinent, just a vague possibility."
*
"Oh, then we can go there.." Jean frowns a little, turning her head a bit as she watches him as he eats. Her eyes were searching for an expression, one that she doesn't know that she was looking for, but she immediately perks with her own little smile. "Do you have a car?" She was obviously too tired to walk. But with that in mind, she pulls the fruit in front of herself and begins to reluctantly eat.
*
The idea of glowing runes and dusty tomes has tickled Able's curiosity again. He taps a finger against his chin. "If breakfast was a canny attempt to bribe me, it worked. But truly, Ms. Grey— " he pushes a piece of toast in her direction. " —Jean." This may be the first time he's addressed her informally since they met. "If you won't let me examine you, at least have a bit more to eat and think about getting some rest. You look like a medium-sized wind could blow you down right now. Whatever you decide, yes, I can drive."
*
"It actually was." Jean confesses. She was really a horrible liar. The piece of melon was chewed upon for a quiet moment, her jaw tensing as she finally swallows. The piece of toast was stared at, for just that little bite of melon could really have her going for a few more hours before she needed to sleep.
"If.. I let you, are we going to conform to the same Doctor and patient confidentiality clause?" It was a bit of a new thing. "Like, if I tell you something, or anything, it'll never leave this room, and if you make records of me to keep track of me, you won't share it with anyone else?" It was a serious conversation, even as she reaches out to carefully slide the piece of toast back into his direction. "I put butter on that."
*
Able accepts the toast, lifts it, and takes a bite. He waits until he's chewed before he replies. "I'm a true scientist and physician in all the ways that matter most. Anything we discuss or discover remains between us."
He finishes a second bite before he turns his attention back to Jean. "We're friends, yes? Friends help each other. And if there are secrets to be kept, friends do that as well."
*
Jean nods, not once, but twice. She understood the way science was just by her limited time at Columbia. And she understood the medical nature of things, because of partially where she had grown up. While she wasn't as well adjusted, she knew for a fact that if it came down to it, she could make him forget.
Or kill him.
Maybe.
"Alright then.." She says quietly, her eyes darting around the room to make sure that there was no one else lingering.. for as soon as her shaky hand lifts, the papers that were in disarray soon drew itself from the table, floating in an orbit that allows the books to join, rotating on an axis created by Jean.
"I don't look like a mutant.." She states completely. "..I mean for me to -not- be a mutant would mean that both of my parents share the same gifts as me. But they don't. No one in my family does. So I guess I'm a mutant.." She sniffs a little, her eyes blinking quickly as she quirks her lips. "If I let myself? I could feel everyone in this building. Maybe further. But.. their emotions would be mine. And.. those with the most strongest emotions? They make me sick." She frowns. "Physically, I mean. Some people feel wonderful things. But when it's strong.. I can't eat.. so I don't. Only when I have to." Probably why she's rail thin, and pale. At least she ate two pieces of fruit!
*
"…Fascinating." Able's face is alight with wonder. While he's been imprinted with memories of extraordinary events, his personal experiences have been mundane by comparison. He's seen combat and turmoil, but never anything quite like this.
He cants his head to the side to consider Jean from another angle. After the demonstration, it seems safe to accept what she says at face value. "I wonder if you could feel me. My physiology is unique. At least up here." A finger taps his temple. "Do you…" there's a moment where he takes a breath and wets his lips. "Do you feel a person's mind? Their brain? Or is their soul? The part of them that makes them human?" He has a thousand more questions and no idea where to start. The scientist is awake.
*
Slowly, the orbit stops.. it was a slowness in which everything organizes itself, the care in which all of the books were sat down in order, in which the papers were neatly stacked, even with a pen to serve as a paperweight to keep it down. She lets out a breath, completely worn by this, her fingers rubbing together, which soon rub against her eyes. And a hand reaches for more melons which were popped into her mouth and chewed.
Finally, her eyes open to look towards him, her own brows raising considerably. "Maybe?" She says. "I don't try to, I've learned it's rude and it would make me a monster.." She shivers at that, then briefly wipes away at her lips.
"I.. can feel a person's mind yes. When they come into the room it's like a brand new light.. their.. brain.. yes.." She purses her lips tightly. "Their soul? I don't know. I mean.. I talk to animals too.." Now this was getting weird. "I.. I.. um.. those runes. Can you remember stuff about them?"
*
There's a clearing of his throat as Able redirects his attention to his breakfast. He snags another piece of bacon and uses it as something to focus on for a moment. "Not directly, no," he admits. "I carry the memories of a much older man. I sometimes get them confused with my own. At this moment I'm not sure if it was he or I who read the book, or which of us owned it."
There's a shrug. It's as much as he's ever told anyone about the way his mind works. He's not completely sure how to feel about that. Another affected cough, then he elaborates. "I believe I have it my possession. That's the best I can say without checking."
*
Annnnd Jean just takes all of this at face value. While he eats the piece of bacon, she finds a new purpose with a strawberry. Make that three. "So there's an older man who you share your body with. I share mine with a God." She pauses then, and with a shrug of her shoulder, she turns to lean against her chair to listen to him.
"Assume that he is you and you are him. Especially if you are going to be my doctor. Are we leaving? Or should I take a nap and we go after?"
*
"Your approach is direct, I'll give it that." Past a certain point, truth becomes a shifting thing that's difficult to nail down. Something that causes discomfort and relieve in alternating waves. Able sounds relieved. "The personality I share this body with wasn't a god, but he wanted to be one. I'll leave it at that. For now, I'm not going anywhere. You can visit me whenever you're ready.
"
*