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Summary: Rashmi wakes up in medbay, after having a Very Bad Day. Meltdowns ensue.
Date: March 10, 2010
Log Title A Little Meltdown
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Medical Bay
The Medical Bay contains the latest medical equipment to patch up students and X-Men with the smallest and worst injuries. Six beds line the walls for injured patients. Equipment lines the walls, medicine in the cabinets, and more serious medical supplies locked in cabinets. One this about this room it screams sterilization.
The Medbay, as per usual, is a quiet place; those inside either sleeping off injuries, or being quiet out of respect for those who are. On one of the beds, Rashmi is stretched out quite unconscious, July plopped into a chair by the bed and looking surly.
News travels fast within the school. And when it's something as big as it has been. It travels even faster. The door to the medbay opens up to a panting Kael, his hair bleeding back to brown as he heads into the room. He spots July, and motions with his hands; rather dramatically towards Rashmi. Hardly even catching his breath, and already he wants to know what happened.
July lifts her head up as soon as someone enters, and seeing it's Kael, she sighs softly, relaxing some, "She's fine. Just unconscious. Lucas hit her behind her head to knock her out. But the stupid guy stayed behind to 'take the blow' from the police." she shakes her head and sighs heavily again, sitting down again, "She's fine, though, Kael."
Kael just blinks a bit, before a hand slaps into his forehead. "As much as I find that courageous, it was incredibly stupid on his part." He glances back over at Rashmi as he heads closer. "It's kinda ironic. I heard she was spending a lot of time in here when James was here. Never think she'd get in here herself."
"Mmmn… god, my head…" Stirring on the bed, Rashmi's eyes squeeze tight, a hand crawling up to the back of her head. "Wh…. wh't happened….?"
July nods gently to Kael and sighs, before just shaking her head. When she notices Rashmi stirring, she smiles and turns to face her, "You're at the med bay, back at school." she says to Rashmi, nodding softly, but then she sighs, "Lucas stayed behind, though. Couldn't bring him back with us, he wanted to stay behind to talk to the cops, the stupid guy."
Kael moves to the other side of the bed, looking a bit worried for his friend. But otherwise he's doing fine. He's gritting his teeth though, trying to quell his anger at the moment.
Rashmi's eyes flutter open, brow furrowing in utter confusion. "But… wait… how'd I get here…? I mean… I was walking out… and Lucas was going to wait with me… now I'm here…?"
July sighs again, and crosses her arms in front of her chest, "I carried you here, Rashmi." The girl explains, "As for why you don't remember, it's because he hit you behind the head so you'd go unconscious." she shakes her head, "I tried to bring him back as well, but he threatened to use his powers on me if I tried."
Kael's hair bleeds white just a bit before he lets out a breath, just trying to stay calm for the moment. He looks over at July and then back at Rashmi. "I would've never have thought Lucas would be like that. I'd thought he'd've ran."
"Lucas…. hit me?" Complete, utter disbelief at this revelation; one might perhaps have told her that the sky is yellow all the time, not just in LA. "….That doesn't…" A sharp hiss as Rashmi's fingers find the very fresh goose-egg on her head, proving her wrong. "…He *hit* me," she repeats completely stunned. "He really did…"
July frowns softly, "Honestly, though, we have more pressing problems than just Lucas' behavior: Jordan." she says, "Who we were facing against, was Jordan." She says, looking away a moment. "But he is changed. With new powers. He's all white, glowing white, and somewhat translucent." she then looks back to Kael. "He could now go intangible. I couldn't touch him. And he's working for Mr. Sinister." but then she shakes her head, "And that's not even all of it. He seems to be working for Sinister willingly."
Kael stays silent for the most part, moving to try and find an ice pack or something to put on Rashmi's head. Though when Jordan's name was mentioned, Kael freezes in place as he lets out another breath. Trying to calm himself down again.
"Well yeah, we knew that," Rashmi murmurs, still staring dazedly at the ceiling. "He was taken the same time as Jono and Skyler and all the others… We just hadn't seen any of them besides Jono until today… He *hit* me…" It would appear that the redhead's brain is currently operating on two completely separate tracks, her mouth the only thing unifying them.
July sighs softly and shakes her head, "Well, if anything, let the headmasters know about Jordan. I gotta get going. I need to retrieve my clothes I left back at the crime scene, plus I got to meet with a colleague for a project." she sighs, and waves, "Take care, Rashmi. Tell Lucas that the next time he decides to pull a martyr stunt I'm clobbering his head and bringing him to the school in a car's trunk." she chuckles. "Take care of her, Kael."
Kael looks back at July, obviously knocked out of a little trance as he says, "Oh, yeah. Sure." He gulps a bit and then heads over towards the table again. Handing Rashmi a bag of … well… snow. Air blasts out of anger can do wonderful things to ice. "Heh… Sorry."
Rashmi snaps out of her daze long enough to put the snowpack to her head, frowning at July's back as she leaves. "We're not *criminals* you kno—ow." Settling back against the pillow with a wince, she seems to think better of attempting to get in the last word. "And now Cloud's been taken…. great… At least finals aren't for a while yet, so I guess today *can't* get any worse… Thanks, Kael… He *hit* me!"
July stops at the door at the mention of criminals, and turns around slowly to face Rashmi. "Rashmi… it's not about being criminals or not. We're not criminals. We're outlaws. There's a slight difference." she points out. "While we do help people, we're not official law enforcers. We could easily be arrested at that place. At least I would. You are still legally minor, as is Lucas, so he'll most likely be returned to the school." she sighs softly again, pausing for a moment. "We're mutants, Rashmi. That makes us guilty by default, in the eyes of the public. And nothing can prove us innocent. If they saw us there, they'd have labeled us criminals and villains, and we would have the police chasing us. Is that what you want?"
Kael looks over at July and nods softly. His gaze moves back to Rashmi. "I'd rather not see you head to jail. I'd rather not see anything go to jail." He trails off a bit, and then slumps down into the chair. Obviously a bit defeated at the moment.
"It doesn't *matter* what would have happened tonight," Rashmi replies, voice heated, and it's clear that even her pounding headache won't stay her hand. "The fact that someone's willing to be *responsible* when people got hurt, that *says* something. I mean, sixty years ago just being *black* made you halfway a criminal, and usually not even a real *person.* But y'know what? The rules changed, because people were willing to stand up and *act* like real people, and *prove* to everyone they deserved to be treated decently! How do you *change* how mutants are looked at, if you *act* just like they expect us to?"
July frowns at that, "Oh? Like we just acted, rushing to a confrontation, breaking into houses, destroying private property? Yeah, we did just that. We did that trying to protect someone, yes, but the people won't see that. He'll say that we just wanted to trash his place." she points out, and sighs, "And we're the new black now, Rashmi." she pauses for a moment. "But, unlike them back then, we have powers. And some of us decide to use our powers to do real evil. They plot things that would make Hitler himself proud." she says, still frowning. "For gods' sake, just pick up the Daily Bugle, and see how much the newspaper bash Spiderman again and again when he tries to help people. He saves people from the Octopus, the newspapers say that he and Octopus were in league."
Kael looks between the girls. Putting his fingers to the bridge of his nose before he lets out another slow breath. "Enough." Though he speaks in a quiet tone that time. Incase that doesn't get them to stop, he stands up and a rather hard blast of air slams into the doors of the medbay. "Enough!" He looks over at July. "Yes, mutants are looked down upon. And I don't know what happened. But I do know that it'll bite us in the ass sooner or later." He looks over at Rashmi. "Yes, we need to stand up for ourselves. To let them know that we deserve equal rights and all that jazz. But, there's a time for it. Right now. /Right now/ we don't have time for it! We have school members running amok under the mental handling of a psychopath and you two are arguing about mutant rights?! Focus on getting our friends back, Lucas out of jail; if he even gets in there, and /then/ you two can argue all you want! Till then! We're on the same side!"
Rashmi sinks back against the pillow, closing her eyes and letting the tirade wash over her. "…Sorry, Kael," she murmurs, squeezing her eyes shut. "Just… Robyn and I went to go see his parents today… Had to fight Jono. Lucas and I just wanted a *Cinnabon…* Jordan. Last night James calls me, saying he thinks he *killed* Jono, and oh hey, it's Magneto! And I guess even *he* couldn't hang onto Jono, because today!!" The redhead flails the icepack for a moment, a tear leaking down the side of her face. "I JUST WANT TO HAVE A NORMAL ARGUMENT BECAUSE I'M NOT TAKING THIS WELL OKAY!!"
July sighs softly and relaxes some, her shoulders slumping at Kael's outburst, and nods, "I know." she simply says, dropping the argument, but can't help but chuckle at Rashmi's reaction. "Rashmi… Welcome to our lives. Even if you don't look for trouble, trouble looks for us." she says softly. "And I see your point, but we can't expose ourselves. But, for now, rest." she says softly. "I'll talk to the headmasters about what happened there, then I will be on my way out. I'll pick up my stuff I left behind, and then check on that house a bit more to see if he'll return. Anyways, good luck, you two." And, with that, she's gone.
Kael is the one panting now, mainly out of anger as he slumps back into his chair. Hanging his head a bit; his hair going back to normal before he looks over at Rashmi. He's quiet for a moment before he stands up. He moves over towards her and tries to give her a hug; taking the icepack in one hand to put it back on top of her head. "I'm sorry."
Rashmi clings tightly to Kael's shoulders, all her pent-up breakage over the past few days pouring forth in a flood of bawling. "I HATE MY PHONE," she wails, odd for a cathartic break… at least until the followup. "The only time anyone ever calls me is when they're *evil,* or they just *killed* someone! I *hate* it!! I can't even hear my *ringtone* without wanting to be sick!!"
Kael pats his hand on the icepack, probably the only way he could pat her at the moment and not harm her. He lets out a soft laugh. "My phone's been quiet. So I can't sympathize. But, we will get through this, Rash. I know we will."
"But what about next time?" Comes the small voice from Kael's shoulder, punctuated by a long sniffle. "And the next, and the next… I've only been here since barely before the New Year… and it just… it feels like forever. And we get just enough of a rest, to make it worse when my *friends* get taken away! *Again!!* When will it just *stop?!*"
Kael speaks in a soft tone, moving to sit on the edge of the bed as he keeps Rashmi in his arms. "It'll stop when we're strong enough to put a stop to it. To protect our friends." He sighs a bit. "We may be kids, but that doesn't mean we can't show the adults that we can protect whom we care for."
"So that's it…? We just keep fighting and keep hurting and keep getting broken until we turn out like Magneto and just beat up everybody who comes along? *Then* we get peace?" Pulling her head back, Rashmi's large serious eyes bore into Kael's, utter misery swimming in their depths. "Is that all…?"
Kael shakes his head. "No. That isn't it. That isn't our destiny to become like him. I don' know what made him like that. But we arne't like him." He shakes a bit, his teeth gritting. "Sinister took friends of our's. We want them back. Whether the adults know it or not, they need every one they can to help." He looks at the other tables in the room. "Even if we have to knock 'em down to the ground."
Rashmi shudders, shaking her head slowly. "…I hate fighting, you know," she murmurs softly. "I hate that my powers aren't good for anything *but* fighting… I think the whole idea is *stupid,* and we could all be *better* than this…" Looking up, she attempts a shaky smile that fools nothing and no one, and jerks her shoulder in something like a shrug. "…But I guess the world pretty much agrees with everyone else… The moment there's a problem, just ignore what I say, no matter how much good it might do…"
Kael hugs Rashmi a bit tighter. "I know you hate fighting. But there are times where you just need to bite the bullet and do it." That's kinda how he learned how to fly. But, different end result. He gulps a bit. "I'm not too thrilled about having to do it. But, I know I have to if I'm pushed to that."
Rashmi sags into Kael's arms, the strength seeming to run completely out of her for a moment. "…It's not just that… I feel like… like no matter what I say, or what I do… people're just going to do whatever, because I don't know what I'm talking about…. I mean… I fought to get Lucas back…. everyone called me stupid and selfish… I tried to tell Robyn not to go after Jordan or the others… 'Please, Rashmi, let me be stupid for once…' Lucas was just going to *up and run away,* and does he even *tell me?!* No no, *Dallas* talks him into staying, because I guess I wouldn't've changed *anything!* Why do I even open my *mouth anymore,* huh?!"
Kael laughs softly. "Everyone has to be stupid, Rashmi. That's how they learn. Others learn quicker than others, and others learn slower." Like Lucas. "I know you want to protect people. But, even if you're protecting them, they want to do their own thing."
Rashmi lets out a heavy breath, nodding. "I guess so," she murmurs, falling silent.
Kael grins a bit. "Ya should rest, Rash." He slips off of the bed, moving to lay her down. "I'll be back down later with some food for ya, alright?"
Rashmi nods faintly, curling up around the pillow rather than laying her head on it. "…Okay," she murmurs, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand.
Kael starts to head towards the door. "Rest well." With that, the aerokinetic heads out. To find Beast or Doc. And to get some food prepped. And to go outside, or somewhere where he can let out anger.
