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secretidentityFirst bit written by the illustrious finch
Ruby knew it was a risk, continuing to go to work. Half a dozen supers with healing powers had gone missing already, some of them in civvies. But she was a nurse, and nurses don't just stop going to work because it's dangerous.
When she woke up, she was only disoriented for a minute. Across from her was a middle-aged woman she recognized as one half of supervillain team Mary Sand and Wanda.
"I need you to heal me," Mary said.
Ruby held her head steady to stop the spinning. "What's wrong?"
"Cancer," she answered, spitting the word. "My doctor said it was inoperable. I don't believe him. Can you heal me?"
For a moment Ruby just stared, completely dumbstruck. Two things occurred to her at once: first, she’d been kidnapped, second this woman apparently knew what she was, but not necessarily who she was. That in mind, she decided to handle this like a nurse.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I”m not a doctor, I’m just a nurse.”
“But you can heal me,” it wasn’t a question. “You can help.”
“Maybe…” she answered slowly. “It would be best if I could look at your test results, but I’m only a palliative empath.” Which wasn’t entirely true, but wasn’t a lie either.
“The hell does that mean?”
“That means I can boost your body’s ability to heal itself, or else absorb some of the damage for you, but outside of that…” trailing off, she shrugged helplessly. “Like I said, I’m not a doctor.”
“That’s okay,” Mary assured her. “You’re a lot better than chemo, anyway.”
“...and what if I can’t heal you?”
"We'll discuss that later," Mary said airily. "So what do you need to do? Touch me? Look at me?"
"...charts and past medical history would be a good place to start," Ruby said nervously. Mary blinked at her.
"I'm a nurse," Kate insisted. "I don't actually use my power all that much on the job. Most of what I do, I do the old-fashioned way."
"Huh," Mary seemed disappointed. "Well, I've got that." Evidently she'd been prepared for such a disappointing answer for she leaned and hauled an enormous three-ring binder out of a shoulder bag and onto the table. Kate stared at it and then pulled it towards herself and flipped it open.
There were pages upon documents upon pages. X-rays, CAT scans, ultrasounds, blood tests, urine tests, hormone tests, and still more. Kate was no doctor, certainly not an oncologist, but she knew enough that Mary's case was unique. She could, in theory, call the cavalry. She could make a recommendation, but whether or not Mary would listen she didn't know. There was nothing to gain by remaining silent.
"...have you been to Princeton-Plainsboro yet?"
finchRuby knew it was a risk, continuing to go to work. Half a dozen supers with healing powers had gone missing already, some of them in civvies. But she was a nurse, and nurses don't just stop going to work because it's dangerous.
When she woke up, she was only disoriented for a minute. Across from her was a middle-aged woman she recognized as one half of supervillain team Mary Sand and Wanda.
"I need you to heal me," Mary said.
Ruby held her head steady to stop the spinning. "What's wrong?"
"Cancer," she answered, spitting the word. "My doctor said it was inoperable. I don't believe him. Can you heal me?"
For a moment Ruby just stared, completely dumbstruck. Two things occurred to her at once: first, she’d been kidnapped, second this woman apparently knew what she was, but not necessarily who she was. That in mind, she decided to handle this like a nurse.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I”m not a doctor, I’m just a nurse.”
“But you can heal me,” it wasn’t a question. “You can help.”
“Maybe…” she answered slowly. “It would be best if I could look at your test results, but I’m only a palliative empath.” Which wasn’t entirely true, but wasn’t a lie either.
“The hell does that mean?”
“That means I can boost your body’s ability to heal itself, or else absorb some of the damage for you, but outside of that…” trailing off, she shrugged helplessly. “Like I said, I’m not a doctor.”
“That’s okay,” Mary assured her. “You’re a lot better than chemo, anyway.”
“...and what if I can’t heal you?”
"We'll discuss that later," Mary said airily. "So what do you need to do? Touch me? Look at me?"
"...charts and past medical history would be a good place to start," Ruby said nervously. Mary blinked at her.
"I'm a nurse," Kate insisted. "I don't actually use my power all that much on the job. Most of what I do, I do the old-fashioned way."
"Huh," Mary seemed disappointed. "Well, I've got that." Evidently she'd been prepared for such a disappointing answer for she leaned and hauled an enormous three-ring binder out of a shoulder bag and onto the table. Kate stared at it and then pulled it towards herself and flipped it open.
There were pages upon documents upon pages. X-rays, CAT scans, ultrasounds, blood tests, urine tests, hormone tests, and still more. Kate was no doctor, certainly not an oncologist, but she knew enough that Mary's case was unique. She could, in theory, call the cavalry. She could make a recommendation, but whether or not Mary would listen she didn't know. There was nothing to gain by remaining silent.
"...have you been to Princeton-Plainsboro yet?"
no subject
Date: 2015-10-14 05:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-10-14 09:59 pm (UTC)Think of it as a "Just Friggin Post It"?
no subject
Date: 2015-10-15 01:06 am (UTC)