ArchivedLogs:TreeSitting

TreeSitting
Dramatis Personae Corey, Melinda, The Borg	2014-03-25 '
Location <NYC> Mount Sinai Hospital - Harlem --- <XS> Forest
On the cutting edge of many medical technologies, Mount Sinai Hospital is often ranked as one of the nation's best hospitals. The medical school attached is one of the best in the world, meaning that even your med students know what they are doing. Chin up, then -- when you come in here badly mutilated after the latest terrible catastrophe in Times Square, you're in good hands. Melinda grumbles after a particularly unsatisfactory supper, her nose wrinkling at the lack of flavor. She exhales and reaches over to grab her cellphone, glancing at the time, then starts to rumble through the different contacts on her list. She finally settles upon Corey's name, as he is up near the top and she needed to talk to him. She presses on the call button and listens quietly as it starts to ring. He shouldn't be on shift now. Quiet and shady, the trees rise all around here high and thick. In stillness, woodland creatures make appearances, though sudden noises scare them back into the cover. Dappled sunlight filters down between the thick foliage, and the ground underfoot is heavily overgrown, though here and there paths have been worn, by deer or years of students wandering familiar trails. Picking up his phone, Corey lets out a slight yawn before looking at it. Bundled up for the chill air, he sits on a lawn chair next to an oddly spliced tree with a stack of books sitting on a plastic bag beside him. Seeing who it was, he pressed the accept button with a smile "Hello there Melinda. I guess our phone tagging is finally over ey?" There is a shuffling sound as he moves the phone to rest more comfortably against his ear, and the hollow sound of the outdoors and wind comes across the cheap phone. "You doing alright?" "Hanging in there. Kind of stuck for the time being. Mandatory bed rest. This is the worst time off I ever took." Melinda grumbles softly against the speaker as she settles into a slightly more comfortable yet still reclined position. "How about you? I hear you've been getting around lately. Everything at work okay?" "Sorry to hear you're having a rough time. If you want me to come by and visit I wouldn't mind. I've been all over the place lately. Visited Hanna and Jayna abit, and they're doing fine." Corey pauses and opens up a bottle of water taking a swig away from the phone, pouring a little on the tree's roots as well. "And then I went and visited the new clinic, and man it wasn't pretty there. But everyone seems to be doing a lot better now. You probably wouldn't believe where I am now though," he says before chuckling. "I'm out at a private school sitting next to a tree. Micah said it was a friend of theirs, but didn't really tell me too much more than that. I must say reality is starting to trump any thought experiments my teachers had asked me to write about." Letting out a little sigh, he pauses again, then nodding to himself which is a terribly useful thing to do on the phone he continues "And works been alright. Things have been as busy as usual, but some of the regulars aren't about. Is there anyone you want me to say hi to?" "It's Jim, my kid's father." Melinda replies a little gruffly. She inhales deeply before closing her eyes and rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "How does he look? I've only been able to glean a little. I'm really glad you have time to spend with him. I... I'm guessing that he needs it." "Uh...well. That's very Greek." Corey seems to be at a loss for words as he looks at the tree phone held vaguely to the side. There is definitely a bit of confusion, then he places the phone back up to his ear. "Well...he...looks like a tree that's been through a forest fire, been split to the core, and then had a bunch of other random plants grafted to the crown. But whoever they had come out to do arborist duties did a pretty good job cleaning up. I honestly don't really know how well this all will work, but I mean, when I was kinda first learning about what I could do it was with house plants. So it should work?" He doesn't sound the utmost of confidence, but at least there is hope there. "It can't hurt trying at least, and well I'm glad I can help someone out for you." << Forest fire? Split to the core? Oh Jim... >> Someone stirs with a brief moment of puzzlement. The forest is decidedly not on fire. "Oh Corey. I think you're supposed to try to sound a little bit more optimistic when you're talking about a person's survival rates to a pregnant woman over the phone." Mel turns and finds something to drink, the sounds muted when the phone is pulled a little further away from her face. "It's going to work, Corey. It has to." << Oh. Um. Past tense. On the phone with the guy tending to him. >> Someone is sluggish-distant in the background. Not so much clear voice as a suggestion of confusion at these unprompted thoughts mentally surfacing. Forestfirewhat. "Sorry. I just don't really know how it all works," Corey says letting out a slight sigh. "Its the kind of things you'd hear about when they talk about holy people or bodhisatvas. And I can't really say I fit the bill for either case. But I will do whatever I can, you know that much. I just hope I don't end up glowing again, that was pretty weird that one time." Someone is, in contrast, crisp-bright-clear, an almost /searingly/ painful brilliance of dancing image-thoughts that shift in rapid /concerned/ sugarhigh-flit from one to the next. Seared stump of Jimtree out in the woods. Seared hunk of rubble that used to be the lofts. Lots and lots of fire. /Lots/ and lots of fire. Actually, suddenly the whole world is kind of fire. Someone had not, previously, been overmuch-aware of the other mental voices except in quiet background drone but is suddenly very /much/ aware, judging by the sudden hiss-sharp: << Ohfuckowfuck. >> Someone lurks like something ancient, beneath the earth of thought. Tectonic and gradual, sloooooow priority grasps for - cool earth. sun. -- it leans towards the light. Then recoils from flames. strange nerveless pain. pain. pain. Someone is roused out of clean-cool consideration of linear algebra equations with a sudden flare of panic that he can't quite pinpoint the source of. Mel gives a small dissatisfied grumble as headache starts to set in, eyes squeezing closed. "Glow? Corey, you glow? I asked you to be optimistic, not... turn into a spiritual healer. Mmmm. but, really, if you do end up glowing, that's probably good. I mean, plants need photosynthesis and maybe your light will help... bah. Never mind. How is work?" Someone tries to exert a little bit of calmness on the group, with long deep breaths and thoughts of current situations. << shhhh. It's all right. It's going to be okay. That was the past. People are better now. Focus on the now. >> Sounding somewhat defensive, Corey replies "It only happened the one time. It was when I was mugged. I... well I don't know. I just know it happened, and it was kinda awesome feeling but then it went away." Letting out a puff of breath, he shakes his head and sighs. "I don't really know how it happened, or if I /Could/ make it happen," he says with a little frustration as if he Had tried already. "Work is alright. I mean, it's mostly normal, except for you not being there. Everybody is just trying to keep everything going smooth as they can in the meanwhile. I had to miss my shift on Wednesday, but that's when most of the stuff was going on. I had someone else cover though." "I... don't mean to give you a hard time, Corey. I apologize for pushing you. You are doing a good thing. I'm grateful for whatever you can do." Mel settles in quietly and closes her eyes for the shop talk. "Okay. I just haven't been away from work in years. It's kind of odd to not be there. I call in from time to time, but other than telling people where to find things, I can't do much. Maybe next time you're in, you can get the paperwork from the manager? It might give me something to do. I'm probably going to be here for a while." Someone only echoes on, not in panic but near it, stretched across unknown eons. Fading, slowly, back into a deep wintry slumber. Cool soil. Rich earth. Hunger. Moisture. Someone's presence is felt here most acutely as a thick throb of headache, a disorienting swell of nausea. For a moment these things are more acute until, with a heavy drag of effort, mental walls segment back into place to once more afford everyone their privacy. At least for a temporary respite until he starts dozing off again. "It's alright, really. I've been telling myself that I can only do what I can." Corey glances down at the pile of books then back to jim-tree before putting his head back to the phone. "And you should probably learn to relax a bit. I mean, I know you are bored but there are other people who can do the work for you. If you're really that bored I will bring it in, but I can also just drop off books you can read for fun. Or collections of comics or something." "There's a difference between relaxing and staring at hospital walls all day." Melinda exhales and rubs at her eyes again. "But you may have a point. Whatever entertainment is welcome too. Just sitting here feels a little useless." "I know. Boredom is just as stressful as overworking." Corey shifts and pulls a book into his lap, the sounds of page flipping coming over. "I brought plenty to study while I just sorta sit here, but I picked up a few fun books to read from the library. I'll bring something amusing when I bring you your paperwork. Any particular preference? I mean if you want books that will last you awhile I could bring the Harry Potter books. Those things are pretty thick." "No. No particular preference. I'll leave it up to you for now." Mel lets her hand fall to her belly as she slowly starts to rub it. "Of course, I'll probably have to start figuring out what children's books are out there soonish. Not that the kid'll be old enough to read them any time soon, but I can always do the reading." "Yeah, they recommend all sorts of things on what books to read, or what music to play. You can always go with the classics like Doctor Seuss or the Hungry Catepillar," Corey offers up. Letting out a puff of air, he hrms. "Dunno really. Oh, did you need anything else at the doctors office? Chargers or batteries or whatever? I don't know how many guests you've had or what other errands they've done. I'd offer to bring you a coffee from work, but the doctors would probably frown on it." "Um, I got a new phone charger. I think I'm okay. I mean, I basically am wearing pajamas twenty four seven and only getting up to use the toilet. It's pretty exciting." Mel laughs softly and wrinkles her nose. "Don't know if I am in the same place as the others. I didn't lose my home, yet." "I'm pretty sure that daytime talk shows have taught me that that state of being is desirable for a number of people," Corey says with a chuckle into the phone. It sobers slightly as the talk goes to losing homes. "I honestly don't know. I mean its gotta be pretty rough for them all. I don't even know what renters insurance will cover on a terrorist attack." "Yeah. I can't really imagine. At least you're out there, helping." Mel quiets again, then adds. "I should probably let you go." "Pft, my helping just involves me sitting on my butt. I'll just be going back to studying when I hang up. Well, and doing whatever my sitting here does." There is another sound as Corey shifts the phone to his other ear. "Was there anything else you needed? Entertainment, paperwork, anything else?" "I wish there was something I could ask for. Most of the stuff I want right now I'm not allowed to have. Thanks for asking though." Melinda smiles a little and glances at the time. "I'll see you soon, eh?" "Yep, and I'll wait to give you a picture of Jim for now. When he's made more progress in recovery and all." Corey glances towards treejim, and hopes he will recover fast enough. "Rest and recover. I'll see you after my shift tomorrow." "See you then." Melinda replies, then disconnects.