9543/Get to the choppa! Part deux

Get to the choppa! Part deux
Date of Scene:	12 October 2019
Location:	Student Gardens, Xavier's School
Synopsis:	The aftermath of the attack in the garden--Andrea is pulled from the fire by Triage, Shannon and Bean are healed, and all have to decontaminate from the scent that triggers Laura's baser instincts. Triage is back! Yay!
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Cannonball, Beast, Samuel Morgan, Triage, Rage

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Nightingale has posed:
     The grounds in the area of the garden's west wall were a /mess/. Dirt and debris everywhere, a bloody, muddy slurry from the fight with Andrea and the metallic lizard-creature, and one out of two healers counted as the other casualty. Laura was out for the count, but her own healing factor should kick in, and hopefully nature would take its course.

     Even with Bean in his current state of mind, Shannon felt perfectly safe. She just held still, trying not to move her leg about. Okay, so if she was holding still, why was the world spinning like that? Maybe it was a good idea to lie down. As she tries to shift her left leg, she hisses softly. Her left ankle... her right one... "Scheisse." Logan was gonna be pissed. And not only that, but she had a funny feeling she was going to be dealing with not one but two rather annoyed Sam's later.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to those here, and says "Sam, get Shannon on that second gurney. He moves to help Beast get Andrea to the first gurney and says "Ah believe she is the primary to Triage." He looks down to Andrea "Your going to be ok, help is here." He looks over to Beast "Stay with her, Ah will get Laura, and Sam once all is secure, Ah want you to make sure Dr. McCoy gets the firearm. Ah believe we may have samples of a very important chemical, and he may need it to cleanse the area. all are to take full decomination showers once they are mobile.

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy does his very best to gently lift Andrea up, with the help of Cannonball. Not that she's too heavy for him, but he is just being very careful not to disturb any wounds after some very basic first aid. "Triage," he nods. "Let's do what we can for her before we get her in for surgery, alright? I do need to neutralize the chemical spray out here, but it can wait long enough for that."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Understood." It's all Techno needs to say. He knows what's expected of him, and slings the launcher over his shoulder. With exquisite care, he kneels down to lift up Shannon, much like he had done yesterday, and carries her over to the the second gurney. He'd carry her all the way inside himself, but she'd be more comfortable on a steady ride rather than his jolting steps. The look he gives to the students is one that promises a rather unpleasant future if any of them manages to run that gurney off the path or do anything that would give rise to even the slightest peep of discomfort from the winged mutant on it.

Triage has posed:
"I'm on it, doc," Triage assures. "If I have my way, there won't be surgery, only very heavy meal afterward." He beckons for a gurney but even before it arrives, he begins to work, yanking long swaths of bandage from his satchel to cover the gaping wounds.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon doesn't make so much as a sound as Bean gets her to the gurney, holding very still both during the brief trip there, and once she is set down. She remains mostly calm, only moving her head slightly to keep an eye on Triage, Mr. McCoy, and Andrea. Why wouldn't the world stop spinning? She squints a little to try and look at them again, before settling back, reaching out and gingerly touching Bean's hand. It wasn't easy, having to step back when someone needed help, but it was a hard lesson she was just going to have to learn.

Rage has posed:
The body of Andrea is limp and crumpled with her body torn to shreds along her chest and stomach. She's naked and soaked in blood as those tending to her try to clean her. She's not regenerating in this form and her breathing is quick and frantic. She doesn't respond to anyone's words or how they handle her.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will move to get Laura and put her on the third gurney. He will actually strap her in making sure her hands and feet in positions so she can not easily escape if she happens to wake up.

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy holds the gurney solo once Cannonball moves on to help the others. Letting Triage do as he needs. "Once we settle her odwn I'll get to work on the chem cleanup."

Triage has posed:
Triage works quickly but methodically, packing each of Andrea's large, life-threatening wounds to staunch the bleeding while the gurney trundles toward the mansion. Leaning close to her ear, he murmurs, "Hold onto life, Andrea! Fight to live as much as you fought that thing. We're here for you and we won't quit." He straightens only long enough to look for the other gurneys, nodding to Bean. "Stick close, Bean!" He calls. "We might need you to help with calming Shannon." Then he returns his full focus to Andrea.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It's a busy procession through the mansion, and Techno accompanies it down to the medbay. As before, he expects his reputation to do the work for him to clear the hallways, and he suspects the weapon slung on his back is only going to help matters. Then it's down in the elevator, to the medical lab he has come to know so well. His face still has no expression, scanning for threats the entire time.

Nightingale has posed:
     The whole group makes their way with all due haste into the medbay, an all-too-familiar setting these days. Shannon herself is calm, resigned to the current state of events. Andrea seems to be out cold, and Triage has his hands full keeping her from bleeding out. Cannonball's as steady a rock as ever, holding the entire team together, and Bean is ever the protector, watching over them all.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie is helping with the gurneys making sure X-23 is secure, and then is pacing a bit, as nothing he can really do to help now.

Triage has posed:
The bandages are dark red and saturated even before the gurney arrives in the medbay. Triage hovers over Andrea, pressing his hands into the wounds, not using his power yet, but working to stem the red tide until it subsides and the gurney stops. He sighs when they arrive and two nurses help to shift Andrea to one of the beds, where they pull a sheet over her, up to her shoulders. Again, he shifts to Andrea's head and murmurs. "You're in the medbay. Soon, you'll feel a warmth and probably some tingling. That's normal. Well, it's normal for this." Then he cups his hand on Andrea's shoulder. He closes his eyes and starts to breath deeply, concentrating on what must follow next.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    For his part, Sam-Bean has seen these kinds of healing before. Perhaps a bit too often. And so when Triage gets busy healing Andrea, he surreptitiously rolls a stool over for the man to sit down on afterwards, figuring he'll need it. Still on half-automatic, he walks over to a nearby table and unslings the grenade launcher, pulling the cylinder lock pin and rotating the frame assembly counter-clockwise to expose the cylinder chambers. One by one, he unloads the grenades, standing them on the table, and then clicking the weapon closed, adding it to the display. He's disarmed now. Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.

    His next stop is Older Sam, and he gives a respectful nod to indicate that he'd like to have a word.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon had been on both ends of the healing with some regularity these past few months. While it had certainly helped make her healing factor more robust, it certainly did not help her patience when there were... well... patients. With herself being one of them. The instinct to heal kicks in, overriding the swirling in her brain, and she tries to sit up, to find some way off of the bed to go assist Triage. Big mistake. She instantly regrets the move, yelping and settling back down. It was bizarre for her, having to just do... nothing.

Rage has posed:
As the healing surges through her body, Andrea's eyes flutter open and she lets out a gasping breath as her entire body convulses. She nearly jerks herself straight up in the bed, eyes wild and unfocused. A loud rumble echoes in her throat, as if the wolf was climbing right on up, moments before she is shoved back down. "Ngh!" She coughs out.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will look to the younger Sam, and says "In here or should we step outside?" He asks the kid to see if he wishes privacy.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    A quick glance around, and Techno makes his decision. Laura is still out and shows no sign of stirring. Andrea seems to have the wolf under control. Shannon... is learning the hard way that concussions are no fun and that there are times when she needs to be a patient patient. "Here will do."

    "My targ- the woman mentioned that the metallic thing was a prototype. I also believe she had help getting away, because neither her or the creature had teleportation technology on them. Believe me, I would have known." That said, he pulls his fairly cheap but still good enough phone from his pocket. "I also did a full data dump of her comm device. Frequencies, messages, that sort of thing. Should give us enough to track them by. The weapon... I suspect will be a dead end." He nods his head to the launcher. "You can buy those things in Pakistan or Ethiopia, but it might be worth to check it for markings."

Triage has posed:
When Andrea wakes and struggles to sit, Triage resists, pressing firmly on her shoulder to ease her back into the bed. "Easy," he advises in a low, soft voice. "You're in the medbay. You're safe." While one hand continues to rest on her shoulder, the other reaches to take her hand gently. "If you feel any pain, just squeeze. I'm here for you." Shannon's yelp breaks his concentration for a moment. He glances over his shoulder toward her bed. When he sees her relenting to her situation, he nods and returns his focus to Andrea. Taking and exhaling another deep breath, he focuses his energies.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie hmms and nods. He takes the phone and says "I will get this to Kitty, and see what she can find out, she may ask for your help in this. We need to find this woman, as seems she and Laura have a past, guessing part of either her creation or training squad.

Rage has posed:
As her mind comes back into focus, Andrea blinks a few times as she stares at the ceiling, tears leaking down the corners of her eyes. ".. I'm naked." She says the obvious, though it's one of those: This is my world now, type of comments, not so much that she's distressed by it. "My everything hurts.. is everyone okay? The monster.." She trails off, giving another cough as she tightens her grip on Triage's hand for a moment, before settling herself with a wheeze.

Nightingale has posed:
     Good. Andrea was in good hands. Cannonball and Techno had matters under control on their end. She knew first-hand just how good Triage was at what he did, briefly wishing for a moment her gift was more like that. But, she was dealt the hand she was dealt, and right now, she was all out of aces. It sucked, but she had to continue to wait, though she tries again to see what's going on, rolling slightly rather than sitting upright to angle her view towards Triage and Andrea, then to look at the two Sam's.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean hands over the phone without protest, although that means he'll be going through his third phone in five days. Oh well. Another glance around, and he leans just a bit closer to Cannonball, voice dropping to a whisper. "We're also going to have to do a few training runs to get the team more used to dealing with firearms. Shannon flew directly into my line of fire, I nearly shot her with a high explosive grenade." More accurately, she had been in the area of effect, but the wording doesn't allow for that kind of nuance. "Can also confirm that the woman was either a mutant herself or a meta of some description. Her density was several times higher than baseline." As evidenced by the fact that three of his fingers are refusing to uncurl completely, although he's not even bothering anyone with that yet.

Triage has posed:
Triage breaks the concentration for a moment to assure Andrea, "You're covered now as well as possible. Beside that, I think that everyone else here has other things to hold their attention. After I've finished, you'll be here for a while to rest. If you'd like, I'll ask someone to go to your room and fetch some things for you." He squeezes her hand in answer to her squeeze. "Just relax. You'll be fine. No one died ... on our side."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over to Andrea, and says "We won, you messed the metal thing up pretty bad, and they ran away. Sorry Ah left you to fight it alone, but had to get Laura away from the field of battle or things would have been a lot worse. You did good."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to Shannon and Sam " You all did good."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon only half-hears Cannonball, more dazed than hurt right now. She's retreated into her own world inside, blocking out the sights and sounds around her. It was probably better for the moment, or knowing Andrea needed help, it would be difficult for her to hold back otherwise.

Rage has posed:
Letting out a sigh, Andrea says, "I don't care about being naked." She admits as she rubs a hand over her face. "I'm so used to it at this point. I only care that we all made it out. That thing was a real shit head." She grunts as she glances over towards the others, then gives Muse a nudge. "Go help the others. I'll be okay. I'll start self-healing soon I'm sure."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    In a moment when nobody is watching him too much, being as discreet as possible, Bean reaches in his pocket and retrieves a pill bottle, opening the cap and shaking out a single capsule. Turning his back to everyone else, he pops the pill in his mouth and swallows it down with a wash of water from the nearest faucet, putting the bottle back in his pocket afterwards. There. No fuss.

Triage has posed:
Triage raises his hand and nods once to Andrea. "Rest," he urges. "I'll come back to check on you." He turns from her bed, and seeing the two Sams in consultation over the incident, and Laura restrained in her bed, he grabs the chair that Bean left for him, and rolls it toward Shannon's bed and then glances toward Bean. "You're next," he tells Shannon, "unless he took more than he's showing."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods a bit to Sam, and says "Oh and by the way, got you a collapsible baton in my rom, you have to take a safety course with it in the danger room, and you do anything your not supposed to with it is on me, but Ah will get it to you tomorrow." He stands looking over the group, not sure what to add.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon barely stirs to move her head to look at Triage. "You're tired. Help Andrea." There is little emotion to her voice; she closes her eyes and settles back, one hand reaching out, only to find no-one there. Let Triage do what he will, she would wait.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Understood, Mister Guthrie. Thank you, and I'll happily do the entire safety course again." Bean is starting to snap out of his battlefield mode, reigning in tightly on the beast until it comes to heel. It takes willpower... willpower and Xanax, from the emergency bottle. With a final nod, and just about stopping himself from clicking his heels together, Techno walks over to Shannon's usual bed and sits down next to it, taking her hand into his left and giving it a squeeze. "It's your turn. You've been brave, now it's time to rest and let someone see to you."

Triage has posed:
Triage looks at Shannon and shakes his head. "Andrea expects her own system to cover her. I doubt that I can do anything for Laura unless she has some biological contaminant that needs disinfection." Then Bean arrives. He inclines his head to the soldier, and then looks at Shannon again. "So, you're next, while I can help." Then he smiles and teases, "If we keep meeting like this, I'll begin to suspect that you're doing this on purpose to get my attention."

Nightingale has posed:
     Something flickers within Shannon's eyes briefly, and Bean might feel her squeeze his hand very lightly. She glances over at him and Cannonball, with a ghost of a smile. "You done did do good." She glances at Triage next, something of a shadow crossing her features, before her expression becomes deadpan once more. "Why would I do that?" For a moment, her brows furrow; she knew he was teasing, why did it sting so? "Help the others. I'll wait."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie shakes his head and says "Your next sis, Andrea is ok, and Laura needs to stay unconsious till all of us have been decontaminated. In fact once we get out of here may want to super clean the place Christopher.

Triage has posed:
"It's unanimous, at least among the conscious population in here. You're next," he repeats to Shannon. Then he sighs and his expression becomes serious and gentle. "Please? We both know that as soon as you're whole again, another crisis will come. We need to be ready."

Nightingale has posed:
     "No more." However, Shannon does not resist if and when Triage begins the healing, keeping her eyes on both Sam's briefly, then looking back down at him. Her hand moves briefly within Bean's, but that's about it. Even the seemingly inexhaustible had their limits.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie says, "Well Ah need to go write up a report on what happened so we can look into making sure it does not happen again."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The squeeze on Shannon's hand gets a bit more insistent. Bean first leans against her bed, and then leans back in his chair, refusing to let go of that hand. "Good. Because I know a lot more poems I could make you translate."

Nightingale has posed:
     "But it will happen. We'll be ready." Shannon's eyes are briefly on the elder Sam. "You're that good." She looks at Bean, then Triage. "So are you." The mention of translating poems brings a ghost of a smile to her face, and she squeezes Bean's hand. "Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids getan."

Triage has posed:
"No more? No more what?" Triage wonders. He shakes his head. "Never mind. We'll talk about whatever that means later, if you like. For now, let's mend what's broken. I still owe you that pizza." He lifts his hand and reaches to place it on Shannon's shoulder. His eyes begin to close in his familiar, trancelike concentration.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to them and says "All of you get some rest, I might even give ya an extra half hour break tomorrow morning. " He jokes and heads on out.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Decon shower first, Mister Guthrie" Bean reminds his team leader, just in case.

Nightingale has posed:
     As the healing begins, the warmth and tingling begins to suffuse Shannon's body, seeking out and knitting together what is broken. Abrasions begin to seal, the world slowly stops spinning, torn tissues and stretched ligaments sort themselves out, and broken bones knit together. Color gone pale with physical pain she's kept to herself returns, her pallor looking a bit more normal now.

Triage has posed:
Triage remains still and silent while concentrating on Shannon's many wounds, until she seems to have recovered. He slowly opens his eyes to look at her, and nods. "Much better," he concludes. "You should stay and rest, as usual. I'll be here in case you need me or anything happens with the other two." He glances to the beds where Andrea and Laura are. Then he looks to Sam. "Did you mangae to escape without a scratch, or ...?" He waits, wondering.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    For a moment, just one brief moment, Bean considers hiding his injuries from Triage. The man must be exhausted by now, and surely it's just a minor thing that the nurse could deal with. Probably. Instead, he feels he has to set the right example and stands up, giving Shannon's hand one last squeeze before letting go.

    Rather than make Triage stand up, Bean goes to him and roll over another stool to sit down nearby. Without ceremony, he presents his right hand, the one that discovered that the woman was, in fact, either a mutant or a metahuman with highly dense flesh. It felt much like punching a steel beam, and the results were pretty much the same. How he'd been able to hold onto the grenade launcher with three broken fingers is anyone's guess, but he seems to have managed. "Nothing terrible, but if you have anything left, I would appreciate some assistance with it."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon reaches out for a moment, as if to touch Bean's injured hand and ease his pain, the instinct to heal stronger than inner exhaustion and whatever kept her silent. She stops, shaking her head, and reaching over to hold his good hand. Though she has to think through the words for a moment, at least her pronunciation seems to be improving. "Sie sind mutig. nicht ich."

Triage has posed:
Triage smiles when Shannon's words seem to convince Sam to choose honesty. His eyes meet Sam's for a moment. "You've been through more than some of the students will see in a lifetime, haven't you?" he queries, tapping his temple. "I knew that when you collapsed on the bus with that concussion. It looked as if ... someone tried to rearrange things in there. I'm glad that you're on our side." He cocks his head to study the hand for a moment when Sam presents it. "That must have hurt," he guesses, shaking his head. "But it's not /that/ bad." He glances to Shanon and grins. "Only a sandwich and not a Christmas dinner." He reaches for Sam's arm and closes his eyes again. This intervention takes far less than others have, because it's only a few fingers. When he has finished. he lifts his own hand and flexes his fingers. "Give them a try," he urges.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Mutig? Vielleicht. Aber müde? Das ist sicher" A bit of a joke in German to lighten the mood, although Bean might not be joking come to think of it. The adrenaline is rapidly wearing off, and the crash is going to be quite spectacular. It's also around the time that he can feel his hand stop hurting and his fingers return to their proper place, that his treacherous mind decides to replay some of the highlights of the past few hours. A giant metallic monster charging at him. Looking into the barrel of an anti-personnel weapon. Charging someone wielding a semi-automatic grenade launcher. Actually attempting to disarm someone who might just as well have been made of solid marble. The sickening feeling of the trigger pawl moving just slightly just as Shannon swoops into the line of fire. The dull thumps of three launched grenades, close enough that he could smell the propellant. The smell of cordite and blood. The weight of a weapon in his hands...

    The Xanax is /not/ helping...

    Hands clench into fists as the images run, which can be counted as testing the fingers. There is even a brief nod. "There's some things I don't know about myself. But let's just say that leaving where I came from was never supposed to be an option."

Nightingale has posed:
     Only a sandwich. Shannon glances to Andrea, then to Bean and Triage, but there is little smile to be found there. "Then I'd better make it a good sandwish. Maybe one you can take with you." What could she possibly mean?

     She reaches out to take Bean's hand again, seeing the ache. This wouldn't do. This wouldn't do one little bit. For a moment, there's the flash of life in her eyes, and she gently squeezes his hand.

Triage has posed:
Triage watches the flexing fingers and nods. "Whatever happened, you're here and you've saved lives, probably more than you know," Triage says. "That might not have been the plan, but it's good." He smirks at Shannon's remark. "Oh, the sandwich should be enough for those fingers. Andrea seemed to prefer her own methods, so ..." He shrugs. "Food can wait. I think that all of us need rest more than anything. I should find a spare store-room where I can sleep."

Nightingale has posed:
     "For how long, though?" There's a thin, quavering note to Shannon's voice, a hint of dread at the possible answer. She knew she'd have to go back to handling things on her own again, and the prospect of that was daunting. No more. Could she continue on? She'd have to. "Still owe you a pizza. Maybe someday."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Of course Shannon's hand gets another squeeze, and of course he lingers just a bit longer. But then, at length, he stands up and carefully lets go of that hand, looking about as tired as it's possible to get. "I need to hit the showers, get decontaminated so Laura doesn't try to murder me. If she wakes up, and still smells you guys and wants to go all stab-happy-murder-kill, just come and get me... I'll be in the locker room. Benches are comfortable enough, I've slept on worse." And with that, he heads towards the door, forcing himself to keep a perfectly rigid and steady posture until the eyes are off him.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon is very reluctant to let go, that bit of a squeeze to her hand bringing a bit of life back to her eyes. "You'd better be back," she murmurs. "Someone's got to keep me out of trouble." But she has to let go, and settles back to the bed once more. She sighs softly, looking back to Triage for a moment. "I can't do this alone any more," she whispers. "But when you're gone again, I'll have to."

Triage has posed:
Triage glances toward the bed where Laura remains, still unconscious ... for now. "The thought of her waking in a rage is not exactly reassuring," he admits. Once Sam has left and Shannon expresses her own worry, he returns his attention to her, cocking his head. "Is that what you meant about the sandwich?" he queries, his own voice hushed like hers.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon swallows briefly, and nods, looking up towards the ceiling, at a spot she'd become all too familiar with. 'It's... been a lot of practice. But there's been a lot of it. Med staff does a lot, but after Josh took off, and then you... who else was there?" She pauses, glancing towards the door where both Sam's had gone. "I don't tell either of them this, they would worry. I love helping... but I'm not sure how much more I can handle on my own. At least for a little while." Her wings have not perked up this entire time, but for the brief moments Bean was there. "With both of you gone.. I've had to step up. It's wonderful to be able to help, but how much is one supposed to be able to take? Logan says I need to set boundaries and he's right, but that's gonna be real hard. I don't like leaving people I give two fraks about in the lurch."

Triage has posed:
"Me?" Triage echoes. "It was senior year, graduation, and then ... time to go and make room for others, unless you're fortunate enough for the X-Men or someone else to ask you to join. No one talked to me about staying, so ..." He shrugs. "I thought that I hit the end of the road, overstayed my welcome." He shakes his head. "But it's funny. Something happens that brings me back even though I should be gone."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon snorts a little. "Like that's ever going to happen, if all I wind up doing is being a pincushion. Who's going to want that on their team?" She glances at Triage briefly, then back at the ceiling. "Did you ever think about -asking- to stay? 'cause it sure sounds like the universe is telling you something." Her gaze wanders to the door, a single tear falling, when her face is turned away so maybe it won't be seen.

Triage has posed:
"I thought about it, but there was Joshua," Triage replies. "He seemed the likely one to stay, and he should have stayed to help you. Me?" He looks at his hands, and then back to Shannon. "I have a gift, but I've never been sure where I really /belonged/, even here." When her eyes dart first to the ceiling and then to the door, he frowns. "I know /that/ look," he adds. "Something more is on your mind. If I said something wrong, or if I didn't say something that I should have, tell me."

Nightingale has posed:
     "He should've been here... but wasn't. He was the one who was supposed to be teaching me. Got far enough to keep my ability from being triggered accidentally... but beyond that, nothing. There was talk of it, then... he was just gone. Mr. McCoy's been doing everything he can. He really has. That's one piece of advice Josh left me with, was to stick to him like glue. He was right, and it's helped. But even with that... neither one of us can be expected to handle it alone." Her gaze remains on the door, and she bites her lower lip. "Maybe I've gained a best friend instead of what I hoped for... but it's caught between hurting really bad, and just wanting to shut everything away for a while so it doesn't hurt at all."

Triage has posed:
Triage takes a slow breath. "You've done well and Mr. McCoy clearly helped. Still, all things considered, this is a bit much, even for you. They don't seem to mind my being here. So, what if I stay until they kick me to the curb?" He looks to Shannon and smiles. When she bites her lip and confesses the rest, his smile shifts to a look of gentle sympathy. "Finding someone is hard, especially for ... our kind. But I'm sure that it will happen, especially for you."

Nightingale has posed:
     "No regrets. I'll always care for him. Couldn't ask for a better friend. Just wish it would stop hurting. Or just... feeling so hollow." She tries to smile a little bit. "Sorry, shouldn't be dumping that on you. It's nobody's business but my own." The mere mention of being kicked to the curb draws a very sharp frown, but just for a moment, at least until the rest of it sinks in. "Are you serious about that?" Is that perhaps a little hope, a hint of relief in her voice?

Triage has posed:
Triage nods at Shanon's praise for Bean. In hushed tones, he answers, "I can't read minds but I can see physical wounds and scars, Shannon. Something bad happened to him, some kind of trauma. If he survived that, and still has his wits, he's done better than most. He cares for you very much. That's a great thing, and you shouldn't worry about sharing it with me. You needed to talk to someone, and it stays between us." He points to her and then himself to emphasize that. When she asks about the rest, he nods. "I'm serious. I'll stay as long as I can, and if I can help you with your gifts, that's icing on the cake. As for the other part ... I'm no prophet, but I'll be surprised if you don't find someone who'll treasure you."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods. "He's shared a fair bit of what he went through with me. I take it as a confidence, though. But yes, it's amazing he's come through it, and come so far in the short time he's been here." She actually cracks a bit of a smile, thinking back for a moment. "Should've seen us in the danger room today. You'd swear we were two halves of the same mind. And out there in the garden, it was pretty much the same way. That's a rare thing, finding a friend like that. Maybe I'm stupid to hope for a little bit of a fairy tale, even if it's with someone else, you know? But.. yeah."

She closes her eyes a moment, thinking back to something else. "I picked up and kept going, with all the healing. Maybe you can't help everyone, but if you don't find a way to pick up and keep going, how many others will be hurt that you could've helped? Words of wisdom, but you wouldn't believe the source if I told you." She shakes her head slightly. "Other words of wisdom from a different source--or two... got to be able to say no sometimes, too. Otherwise I can't just keep on going." Opening her eyes, she looks straight at Triage, some measure of life coming back to her eyes as she can perhaps finally lay down some of the load she's been carrying. "I hope you get to stay for a good long time. Hopefully without interrupting your own life for it."

Triage has posed:
Triage nods at the comments about Bean. "I don't know how, but he came to the right place, just as we did," he adds. "He'll find his way, and he's already proving invaluable. That's obvious, and the DR has a way of teaching teamwork above all, and I'm sure that it helped when that ... whatever it was bashed through the wall." He smiles at the snippets of wisdom. "If it stay here long enough, this won't be an interruption of my life, it will be a center of my life, just as it has for the X-Men. I won't mind that. It's part of creating a better possibility for others." He rolls his shoulders and then urges, "Now, you should rest. I'll see what I can find in the kitchen, come back to check on you and the others, and then find a place to park."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods a little, and smiles some. "I insist on cooking a big breakfast for you in the morning. You'll probably need it after all the work you did here tonight. How does french toast, eggs, and sausage sound?" She settles back in her bed, pursing her lips. "Okay, okay, but are you sure I need to be stuck in here tonight? If so... I've got a letter to write to go with a gift. And both are stuck in my dorm room."

Triage has posed:
"I'll take that breakfast if you'll make enough for two and join me - three if you want to invite Bean," Triage accepts. "Also, Mr. Guthrie had a point about decontamination, so ..." He finds a pad and jots a telephone number on it. Offering it to Shannon, he instructs, "Go ahead to your room. Decontaminate. Call me if trouble erupts. Otherwise, I'll see you in the kitchen in the morning."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods and tucks the number away in the little brown pouch she keeps with her; it looks as if at least one other card with a number is kept in there, tucked away with great care. "Will do. Definitely do not want to take a chance on getting Laura mad if any of that goop is still on me. You might wanna decontaminate, too, just in case." She smiles some, sliding out of the bed. "Looks like a big breakfast for everyone in the morning. I'll see you all there." She hugs Triage tightly, and skedaddles out of the medbay before he has a chance to change his mind!