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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 5:38:55 GMT -5
Hubert looked up at Miriam in surprise. "That must be terribly difficult for you." He managed after a moment. "I can't imagine. You must go to great lengths to avoid such . . . unpleasantness."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 5:45:24 GMT -5
Miriam smiled thinly. "As a matter of fact, before things happened that were beyond my control, I was a medical examiner. I tried, at least, to use my ability to identify killers."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 5:51:46 GMT -5
Hubert looked even more surprised at that. He took a thoughtful sip of coffee (grimacing as he did so) and then said quietly, "You have a great deal of courage, Doctor."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 5:58:04 GMT -5
"Thank you," Miriam said quietly. "I only wish there was more I could do."
Her smile warmed a little again. "I think you've got quite a bit of courage yourself. You're coping a lot better than I thought you might be at this point--better than a lot of us would even under ordinary circumstances."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 6:04:38 GMT -5
Hubert gave a short, wry laugh. "I'm afraid that's a bit of a ruse, actually. My primary method of coping just at present is to think about something else, quickly, whenever my thoughts begin to focus on the situation at hand."
He shrugged and grimaced down at his coffee. "It's not a terribly healthy response, psychologically speaking -- but I'm a bit afraid of what I might do if I actually allowed myself to contemplate my situation for any length of time."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 6:13:30 GMT -5
Miriam frowned. "Your situation is a lot better than a lot of others have had to face--and a lot better than it could have been. We did what we had to do to protect ourselves; I didn't like it, and I'm sorry we had to, but there wasn't much of a choice besides letting you be killed. But now you're being offered support very few of our kind ever have."
She glanced at Daws and Vance. "My friends here are trying very hard to help build a new life for you. A lot of mutants have to fight for it on their own." She looked toward Alex, who was busy watering down his coffee with copious amounts of milk.
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 6:23:53 GMT -5
"I understand that, believe me. I have no illusions regarding the difficulty I'd face without the help of your friends." Hubert glanced sideways at Daws, who was reaching for her third muffin, "And . . . I know full well that I did nothing to deserve that help."
He shrugged and looked at his hands. "Perhaps that's what I don't want to face. I am beginning to suspect that the man I have always been was someone who deserved to die. To look at oneself and see something like that is . . . frightening."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 6:29:53 GMT -5
Miriam's expression quirked in surprise. She glanced up at Daws, then looked again at Hubert's averted gaze.
"I don't know what I can say to that. I know it can be hard to figure out what's the right thing to do. I fought with that myself before we picked you up." She smiled somberly. "Maybe all we can do is try to err on the side of life."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 6:39:30 GMT -5
Hubert nodded and glanced up at Miriam. "I'm certainly glad that you all chose to do so." He paused for a long moment, sipping cautiously at his coffee, before continuing.
"This life . . . this transformation . . . has not been easy, and I cannot forsee a time when it will be easy. But . . ." He swallowed hard, "I . . . I still prefer it to the alternative. To what would have become of me, had I fallen into your enemy's hands."
He smiled faintly at Miriam. "Thank you for making that choice."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 6:45:38 GMT -5
Miriam smiled warmly and patted Hubert on the shoulder. "You're quite welcome."
Leaving the scientist to his coffee, she rose and went over to Daws. "I'm surprised. The way he was at first, I thought he would sooner have killed himself than live this way."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 6:53:59 GMT -5
Daws' mouth quirked in a half smile. "I'm about as shocked as you are, Doc." She shrugged and polished off her third muffin. "I guess you can't always judge by first impressions."
She glanced over at Hubert and added quietly "But y'know . . . I'm awfully glad of that in this case."
Daws shook her head slightly and glanced back up at Miriam. "How's Sid?" she asked quietly.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 6:59:12 GMT -5
Miriam half-smiled ruefully. "He hasn't actually looked at the test results yet. I know because he keeps pulling out that envelope and trying to work up the courage, but he can't bring himself to do it." She shrugged. "He's been a little skittish, if you can believe that from a guy like Sid. He's spending a lot of time with the kids. In some way, I think he's trying to figure out how they'd feel if he became... different."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 7:04:22 GMT -5
Daws shook her head with a wry smile. "Sid's a good father. I hope those kids know how lucky they are." She ran her hand through her hair. "And I hope that whatever decision Sid makes, he makes because it's right for him, too."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 7:07:55 GMT -5
Miriam nodded thoughtfully, then grinned. "And how is Major Vance behaving himself?" she asked, looking over at where Vance was sprawled on the sofa with the newspaper once more.
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 7:12:18 GMT -5
"Who, him?" Daws raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Well, we haven't killed each other yet -- so I guess I'd have to say he's been behaving himself quite well. Either that or I'm starting to be immune to him."
She glanced thoughtfully at the former soldier. "I guess a couple days of livin' in close quarters can do a lot to change how ya see a person." She added.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 7:15:52 GMT -5
Miriam smiled in amusement. "I thought that would've made you kill him--but then, I guess I know what you mean." She smiled toward Alex, who was in the midst of an animated conversation with Handy.
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 7:22:51 GMT -5
Daws raised an eyebrow. "Okay," she grinned, shaking her head slightly, "There's implications in that which I'm just gonna leave well alone."
She glanced at Vance again and raised her voice slightly. "Hey, Major, y'got a sports section over there?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 11:38:03 GMT -5
Without speaking, Vance shuffled the newspaper and handed across the sports page.
Miriam was blushing. "I only meant that when I first met Alex--it was that time at the diner when you brought us together, remember?--Well, at first Alex seemed... I mean, he didn't seem..." She shrugged, words failing her.
"But after living with him all this time at Sid's--watching him cook and clean and play with the children, hearing him sing, getting to know the way he looks at life..." She smiled and shook her head. "Well, you know the rest of the story."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 19:00:44 GMT -5
Daws grinned crookedly. "Yeah, I do. And I'm glad I was able to see it happen." She glanced thoughtfully at Alex.
"You two both deserved to have someone. In a lotta ways, I can see how you both needed it -- you especially." She glanced back at Miriam with a warm smile. "And I'm glad you found each other. It reminds me that there's a lot of good being done in this whole wacky thing we've gotten ourselves caught up in."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 23:04:37 GMT -5
Miriam smiled solemnly and sighed. "I'm just sorry Alex will never be able to have a normal life with me."
Before Daws could reply to that, she shrugged and changed the subject. "So... what now? What's going to be our next step in fighting Tiernan?"
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