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Post by Jordanna on Mar 1, 2006 21:46:33 GMT -5
"Oh, wonderful," Miriam sighed. "I don't want to be a symbol. I don't want to be treated as if I'm so fragile. I just want to finish what I've started without getting anyone else killed."
She folded her arms. "As for our 'resistance movement', what are five people supposed to do against Tiernan? I want us to find more help--get the truth out somehow. None of you can do that without exposing yourselves to Tiernan, but he's already after me."
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Post by skybright on Mar 1, 2006 23:47:11 GMT -5
Daws chuckled and held her hands up in a placating gesture. "Okay, Doc. What d'ya think we should do -- spray paint slogans in the subway? Pass out leaflets?"
She moved fludily to her feet and paced the perimeter of Henry Casselton's office, examining the relics with halfhearted interest as she did so. Then she added "Truth is, I think there's a lot more than just five of us out there -- but it's a matter of finding the others."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 2, 2006 0:10:13 GMT -5
"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Miriam replied, watching Daws pace. Then she looked down at her folded hands in her lap. "I don't suppose a lot of mutants care what happens to humans, but I wish I could do something to take the truth to them."
There came a hesitant tap at the door. When Daws called out to ask who it was, Alex Malone poked his head around the door.
"I'm sorry, Miss Dawson. Er... Sid wants to meet the Doc, if it's okay. The kids are with Consuela."
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Post by skybright on Mar 2, 2006 0:34:10 GMT -5
Daws raised an eyebrow at Doctor Van Linden, who nodded slightly. She glanced back to Malone. "Go ahead and bring him in. Might as well get the whole gang together -- Mr. Casselton wouldn't happen to be out there, too, would he?"
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 2, 2006 1:10:49 GMT -5
Alex nodded mutely and ducked out of the doorway. He was back a moment later with Henry and a somber but untearful Sid.
Miriam wasn't sure what to expect from Sid, but as he approached her, he reached out to take her slim hands in his large ones. Although shadowed with pain, his eyes were clear, alert, and very kind.
"Miss... That is, Doctor... I just... wanted to thank you. For what you did and what you went through, tryin' to get the guy who killed my wife."
Miriam blushed and dropped her gaze, shaking her head. "I haven't done anything--but I want to."
"Foxy--Alex--he told me what you said to him. That Caroline didn't... didn't have time to hurt much. But I'd like to hear it from you." Sid's voice cracked just slightly. "Is that really how it was?"
Miriam nodded solemnly. "That's how it was." She hesitated, then added softly, "She was thinking that she wanted to tell you she loved you."
Sid's face crumpled. He bowed his head, and Miriam drew him close to her, letting him cry quietly on her shoulder.
Henry looked on silently, but Alex Malone frowned and pulled Daws away from the emotional scene, over to the side of the room. He spoke in a low voice.
"Listen, I had an idea that might keep the Doc quiet for a while. Instead of letting her sit around alone all day at Mr. Casselton's house, Sid and I can take her out to Long Island. At least we can give her something to do and someone to talk to, so she won't go stir crazy."
He grinned wanly at Daws' dubious expression. "I know you and Consuela didn't hit it off, but I think we can trust her, and the kids too. It might be a better risk than having the Doc run off on her own. I'm afraid Mr. Casselton might not like it, though."
He shrugged. "But you're the best judge. If you don't think it's a good idea, I'll forget about it."
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Post by skybright on Mar 2, 2006 1:16:59 GMT -5
Daws nodded slowly and pushed her fedora back. "Well, we've gotta do something, or she's gonna get all of us killed in a real unpleasant fashion. It's as good an idea as any that I've come up with lately." She glanced over to where Sid was rubbing clumsily at his eyes and added "Besides, you two could use another pair of hands."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 2, 2006 21:24:15 GMT -5
"Yeah, now we've just gotta get Mr. Casselton to agree to it." Alex glanced over at the anxiously hovering Henry, then squared his shoulders and approached Sid and Miriam.
"Doc, listen," he began. "Sid and I were talking a few minutes ago, and I thought--well, that is, we were saying... maybe you'd like to come out to Long Island with us."
In fact, he hadn't spoken to Sid about his idea. His friend squinted dubiously at him, but remained silent. Henry, on the other hand, reacted the way Alex had predicted.
"Long Island? What are you talking about?"
"I mean Sid's house," Alex asided to the undertaker, then looked back at Miriam and plowed ahead before he could be interrupted. "You wouldn't be so bored in a full house, and if you really wanted to, there's a lot you could help us out with." He grinned wanly and tossed a slightly frantic encouraging nod toward Sid, who was still trying to catch up with the conversation.
"I beg your pardon--bored?" Henry interjected.
With a sigh, Alex turned to Henry. "Now, look, Mr. Casselton, I know you mean well, but you're here working all day. As long as Doctor Van Linden has to be cooped up, she can at least be someplace where there's people to talk to."
"And you're proposing we should trust the secret of Miriam's presence to a maid and three children?--I'm sorry, Mr. Rosenstein, but children do gossip," Henry interjected to Sid. "The point is that the fewer people know where she is, the safer she'll be."
"Not if she gets frustrated enough to go off on her own," Alex replied levelly.
Miriam had listened to the two men's debate, merely giving Daws a beleaguered smile and a shake of the head. Now she said in a soft voice, "Please, gentlemen."
Her words silenced the men more effectively than a shout. They turned to look at her as if they had forgotten she was there, and she smiled too-sweetly.
"Thank you for your concern, but I think this is something for me to decide myself." She looked at Alex. "You're right about one thing. If I can do something to help Mr. Rosenstein's family, it'd be better than sitting around the way I am now. But you've all been through so much, and I don't want to be an added burden."
Before Alex could answer, Sid spoke up--having apparently decided he approved of the idea. "You wouldn't be a burden, Doctor. Truth is, I'd... kinda like the extra company right now, and I think the kids would too. And you can trust 'em, once we've explained about you. They're good kids, and they'll understand."
Miriam smiled solemnly. "In that case, I'll go, and I'm very grateful."
"Oh, but Miriam!" Henry protested.
"Henry, I didn't want to involve you in this in the first place--but Alex and Mr. Rosenstein are already involved. At least I'll know you'll be safer if I'm out of your house."
"And out of the fight?" Henry retorted. "I've claimed my stake in this, Miriam. I want to be part of it as much as you do, even if protecting you is the only thing I can do." He turned to Daws, almost beseechingly. "Surely you don't think this is a good idea."
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Post by skybright on Mar 2, 2006 23:22:50 GMT -5
Daws sighed. "Look, Mister Casselton, the plain truth of the matter is that the Doc isn't safe anywhere right now. But Long Island's out of the City proper -- which is a good idea. Sid and Mister Malone could use a hand, and the Doc needs something to keep herself occupied; this kills two birds with one stone. It can't hurt, and it might help -- at least while we try and figure out where we all go from here.
And I don't want you to get the idea that 'the mutants' are tryin' to muscle you out of this fight, either." She shot a pointed glance at the Doctor, "Like certain other individuals I could name, Mister Casselton, you're gonna be involved with all of this, regardless of what I or anyone else thinks."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 2, 2006 23:41:58 GMT -5
Miriam bristled. "Just a minute, Miss Dawson. Remember who hired who. You'd better get used to keeping me in the loop, because if you don't, I will try to find my way on my own."
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Post by skybright on Mar 3, 2006 1:37:53 GMT -5
Daws chuckled. "Fair enough, Doc. I'd ask the same of you, if the roles were switched.
"But right now, the whole 'loop' is just this:" She surveyed the entire group. "Nicholas Tiernan's a blackmailer, a murderer, and a sociopathic lunatic. He wants Doctor Van Linden dead, for standing up to him; he wants you two," Daws nodded at Sid and Henry, "Dead for not being mutants; and if he knew what we were all up to, he'd want all of us dead.
"Despite all of that -- or maybe because of it -- we're gonna do everything we can to bring the guy down for good. That's gonna mean laying low -- for the time being," She said quickly, in response to Doctor Van Linden's opened mouth. "And more to the point, that's gonna mean sticking together -- all of us."
She nodded at Doctor Van Linden. "This whole thing's gone way beyond 'who hired who', Doc. This is about all of us," She swept a hand around the room, "In this thing together, for however long it takes."
She chuckled and pushed her fedora back. "And with that in mind, you all might as well quit callin' me 'Miss Dawson'. If we're in this together, Daws'll do just fine."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 3, 2006 19:47:03 GMT -5
"What a lot we are," Henry sighed in exasperation. "Two mutants and three humans trying to stand in the way of a race war."
Alex grimaced. "Correction: three mutants and two humans."
Henry started slightly and looked at Alex in surprise; then he frowned. "Well, that explains a great deal."
"I don't think the boys are up to the first-name level yet," Miriam remarked acerbically, rolling her eyes to Daws.
"No, Daws is right." Alex turned to Henry. "We're in this together. Will you trust me to look out for Miriam for a while?" He offered his hand.
After a moment, with only slight grudgingness, Henry shook hands with Alex. "Alright. But remember that I'm holding you personally responsible for her."
"That makes two of us," Alex murmured.
Henry looked at Daws. "I trust you'll want to keep this mortuary as a meeting place, after hours."
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Post by skybright on Mar 4, 2006 1:07:25 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "It's centrally located, and Long Island's a long subway ride. Plus, I've got to admit," She grinned and gestured at the office, "I like the decor."
The grin faded, however, as she resumed her slow pacing. "So we've got things sort of settled -- for the time being, anyway." She said slowly. "Still doesn't give us much in the way of a game-plan for what to do next."
She continued pacing for another few moments; then she scratched behind her left ear and the grin slowly resurfaced. "So," Daws added, "I'm gonna do what any good Catholic in need of guidance does. I'm gonna go talk to my priest."
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 4, 2006 20:48:14 GMT -5
"A priest?" Henry repeated hazily.
Miriam (who had evidently decided that it fell to her and Daws to be the brains for the men) merely shrugged. "Well, why not? If we can trust him, and there's any chance he can do something to help, I'd say anything is worth a try."
Sid rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. "Look, I'm... I'm gonna take Consuela and the kids and head home. I'll havta start explaining to them about the Doc. Foxy, you bring her home with you."
"Sure," Alex replied. He patted Sid's shoulder gently and watched him slip out of the office, then looked back at the others.
"I'd offer to drop you off," he said to Daws, "but I guess the less time I'm on the road with Miriam, the better."
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Post by skybright on Mar 5, 2006 0:16:19 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "I'll catch a subway -- the less we're seen together in public, the better."
She turned up her collar and tugged her fedora lower. "You guys take care. I'll be in touch once I've talked to Father Steele -- he knows a lot of people. I'm thinkin' he'll know some people who can give us a hand."
She nodded cordially to Henry Casselton -- who still looked somewhat shellshocked -- and slipped out the door of the office.
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Post by Jordanna on Mar 5, 2006 0:32:02 GMT -5
"Well, so much for that." Miriam picked up her burkha from the chair where she had left it, and began to pull it on, prompting a rather consternated expression from Henry.
"Please trust me," Alex said quietly to the undertaker. "I promise I won't let anything happen to her."
"That I believe." Henry sighed wearily. "Never mind me. It's simply that I'm lost in all of this."
"Aren't we all," Alex murmured ruefully, and shook Henry's hand. "You know where to reach me or Miriam. Take care of yourself."
Miriam came over to kiss Henry's cheek, then drew the veil over her face. "I'll see you soon."
With a forlorn nod, Henry slouched on the edge of his desk, and watched Alex and Miriam slip out through the door of his office.
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