1965-01-17 - Can't save everyone
Summary: Thea shows up at the Cigar Factory for a drink and some talk
Related: If there are no related logs, put 'None', — please don't leave blank!
Theme Song: None
thea luke-cage 


It's…been a long day. While she's cut back her hours at the clinic here in Harlem, today had ended up otherwise. She deserves a drink, and she is about to get one. Blonde hair has been let down out of its earlier bun, waving over the shoulders of her black peacoat, the dress beneath a bright pop of peacock blue, and the shoes to match. She's not about to go about town, in her nursing clothes, usually with blood on them at the end of the day.

She'll head for the bar, sitting a little more heavily than gracefully, slipping out of her coat. "Scotch, please? Neat."


Luke has been keeping to himself mostly the last few weeks, keeping busy at the bar but not being out in the public eye as often as he used to. Tonight seems to be the exception to the rule as he is back behind the bar slinging drinks. He lifts his eyes slightly as Thea settles into the seat, and nods his bald head once. "Scotch it is."

Taking a glass from the rack, he reaches behind him to the shelves, grabbing a bottle of amber liquid and pouring a few fingers worth into the glass before he caps the bottle and places it back. He slides the drink over in front of Thea, "That'll be two bucks, or did you want to open up a tab?"


Thea will slide a twenty across the bar. "I'll just start with this for now, if that's all right." She'll summon up a bright smile, as she reaches for her glass. "I'm going to need a few, to smooth the edges out." Those fingers of scotch are drained by half with one tip of her glass. She'll tip her head left and right, a popping sound as she works on relaxing muscles.


Luke Cage nods, sliding the $20 across the bar and moving it over to rest under a glass. He reaches behind him to grab the bottle and set it on the bar close to the cash, for ease of refills. "Tough day at the office?" He smiles, "I've had a few of those."


Thea laughs, her hand lifting to work the back of her neck. "Clinic, the free one down the block? Long day, lots of people. It can be… exhausting." Especially when she's using her powers to help, which can not only be expedient, but more effective than other conventional treatments. She has to stop that. "This your office?" She'll ask him with a smile, before the rest of that scotch disappears.


As the glass is set down from its emptying, Luke already has the bottle in hand and starts to pour another glass. "You work at the clinic? This one is on the house. You do a lot of good for the people around here. A lot of them can't afford to see the doc." He looks around the bar and shrugs, "Office is in the back, but yeah. I get what you're askin. This is my place."


"When I'm not nursing at Roosevelt over in Hell's Kitchen." Thea says, a somewhat amused smile forming. "But I'll take the free drink after the guy I was stitching up earlier whacked me one good." She's chuckling about it, clearly not upset. People do things when they're sick and in pain they wouldn't normally. "I'm.. familiar with a lot of people that can't go see doctors. It's a good thing I don't want to go out dancing much, huh?"


Lifting a brow, Luke shrugs on of his massive shoulders. "I'm not sure I'm drawing the correlation between dancing and not being able to see the doctor, but I'm easy. I'll go with it." He chuckles, "For what it's worth, if someone wacked ya, I can't tell. You look alright to me."


She laughs. "I meant I don't have a lot of social free time, between working and volunteering here, that sort of thing. I'm trying to set up another free clinic in another part of town.. so.. no dancing." She smiles at him, sipping at this Scotch.


Luke Cage ahs softly, nodding as he understands. "Well, you should make time. Everyone needs a little time to themselves, and I can't imagine a gal like you doesn't have someone to take her dancing. So go out and cut a rug sometime." He grins, leaning back against the counter as he polishes a glass. "I'm sure you can take an hour or two to yourself and no-one will bat an eye."


"Too many people that need healing, and can't afford to go to the hospital, or the doctor, for whatever reason." Thea responds, swirling that beautiful amber liquor in her glass. "And dancing? No one really I could call on, regularly. But drinking works." She'll grin before her next sip.


Luke Cage shakes his head, "None of those sick people are going to be any better off if you burn yourself out, lady." He shrugs, "But it's your life. Far be it for me to be one to tell you how you want to live it. And drinking is no substitute for dancing. It can lead to other substitutes for dancing if you aint careful, but by itself it isn't a substitute."


"The folly of youth, I guess? I'm going to be leaving the hospital for a less stressful position. Maybe I'll go dancing then." She'll blush a the mention of other substitutes. "Yes, I tend to avoid overindulging to the point of the horizontal tango."


Luke Cage chuckles, "All I am saying is that you need to take time for you as well. You can't save everyone, and you need you time. That.." he says as he points to the scotch, "…is fine to help you relax, but it shouldn't be your only thing." He shrugs a shoulder again and chuckles, "And there ain't nothing wrong with the tango, horizontal or otherwise. It's a perfectly fine dance as long as you have the right partner." He winks, and picks up another glass to start polishing. "But yeah, a nice lady like you should likely avoid drinking to the point that sounds like a good idea, in this area. Harlem isn't exactly…5th avenue."


"I do, every now and again. Go visit a quiet little cabin for the night. Decompress, get away from the city noise, that sort of thing. Rustic little place." She can't seem to lose that blush, though, even as she sips more Scotch. "Take a lot more Scotch to get me really inebriated. I grew up on ouzo." She'll wink at him. "Aww, you think I'm a nice lady. That's sweet."


"That sounds nice." says Luke with a nod as she describes the cabin. "Getting away from the city is a great thing to do, but if I leave I end up missing the urban noise." He smirks, reaching up and rubbing at his bald head, "I am to much of a city boy."

He glances back over to Thea and grins, "Ouzo huh? Can't stand that stuff. More power to you…and your a customer. All my customers are nice until proven otherwise. I have to say things like that for the tips." He winks.


"I spent summers on an island … a long way from here. No city noise. Fishing, camping, swimming.. that was the best times in my childhood. So.. I like to get away, now and then. Fireplaces are wonderful to curl up in front of, and they're harder to find in the city.

There's another grin, a sip of scotch. "Grandpa believes in teaching his grandkids to drink the traditional stuff." She will reach up, tugging her hair all over one shoulder. "I prefer the truth to flattery, but I'm not the average woman, I suppose."


Luke Cage shrugs a shoulder, "I don't know you well enough to give you any truth, so you are going to just have to deal with a bartenders sense of flattery for tips until I do." He grins, "I spent my summers here playing in the spray of fire hydrants. Getting away wasn't an option, so be glad you got the experience."


"Oh, I know my upbringing was a very special, privileged sort. I think that's part of why I do what I do. Giving up dancing and dating to try and help people that didn't get those same summers. I can't do much, but I can help them heal, and help them get better, and let them know there are people that care."


Luke Cage nods quietly, "It's a noble cause to be sure." He sets down the glass he was working on and picks up another, rubbing it with a towel. "I admire that you take time to help your fellow man. Not many do."


Thea sips at her Scotch, setting it down to look at him. "Do you believe in God?" She'll ask him softly, head tipping to the left as she watches him. "I'm sorry, that's a bit personal when I don't even know your name." A hand is extended. "Thea."


Luke Cage nods, setting the glass down and offering his hand. "Luke Cage. It's nice to meet you, Thea. And to answer your question, I haven't really given it much thought. I don't know. I've seen things that are godlike, and have heard of beings that claim to be a god, but I don't know if there is one main dude. Why?"


"I just.. just some people seem to be given.. talents. I don't believe in the.. one main dude, but that's part of the upbringing. But you know what I mean, right? Some people have …gifts, and for some people, not using them would seem like a crime against humanity." Thea's careful with her words, and still stumbling a bit.


Luke Cage shrugs, "Yeah, I got what your saying. Not sure I totally agree. Some people may have been given gifts, some may have been born with them, some may have been experimented on and gotten messed up because of it. Who am I to say that if they do or don't use them they are doing something wrong? Some people may just want to be left alone and not have the attention, ya know? I mean, if people want to use whatever talents they have then more power to them, but I don't think there is any universal law that requires someone to go out and throw on some tights. Even Christians go on about free will."


Thea laughs, finishing her scotch. "While I do not hold with experimenting on people.. there's a lot of people who go without the tights. Some people can't hide their genetic twists, some people can." Her finger runs around the edge of the glass. "And if someone had the power to heal? To lay hands on, and save someone's life?"


Luke Cage shrugs, "I'd say it was still their choice. Just because someone can heal someone doesn't mean that they should be required to. Just like if someone could see the future, should he go about spouting off how he sees you die? Or is someone shoots lasers from their fingers, should we make them be a weapon and fight? Hell no, let it be their choice." He swaps out for another glass to polish, "It's all about choice."


"I didn't say required. I just meant.. it'd be a shame, wouldn't it? Not helping your fellow man when you could." Thea seems to be overthinking, her eyes lingering on Luke. "It's why I can't go dancing."


Luke Cage shakes his head. "You can't save everyone, Thea." He shrugs, "I mean, if you feel it is your duty to spend every waking hour of every day helping those with you gift, then who am I to tell you otherwise. Maybe that is your calling, but if you ask me you are your own person as well, and you have your own life to live. You only get one, and if you spend all of it helping others then you don't get to live your own." He sets down the last glass and tosses the towel over his shoulder. "I'm sure even Captain America puts down the shield and has a beer every once in a while."


"No. But who knows what someone I do save, will go on to do someday, because I was there. Because I cared." She'll shrug, and reach for the scotch to refill. "Maybe my life is meant to be helping others live better ones. Not everyone is a hero in a pretty outfit." She'll laugh. "Never seen him with a beer. Nice guy, though. Met him a couple times."


Luke Cage shrugs a shoulder. "Like I said, I can't tell you how to live your life. But you could just as easily end up saving the next Hitler." He reaches out and pours another glass for her. "I'm just saying that even doctors work in shifts. You can't save everyone, and you will go insane if you try."


"And when he or she became Hitler, I can undo what I did." She'll pour just a bit, tossing it back. "Well, handsome, you have a good night." She'll offer him a smile. "Thanks for the drink and the philosophical talk." She'll slide her coat on as she moves off the seat. "Have to catch the train." She'll head out, leaving Luke with a decent tip.


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