ArchivedLogs:Vignette - Going Buggy

Vignette - Going Buggy
Dramatis Personae Peter, Hank	2013-04-23 OHGOD
Location <XS> Medical Lab
Gleaming and sterile, the school's medical facility is all cool science in contrast to the mansion's old-world old-fashion. All stainless steel and antiseptic tinge, the room is filled with the quiet whir-click of the various implements that comprise its medical equipment -- all state-of the art. The hospital beds are curtained off for privacy when they have patients, and in one of the alcoves there is a small operating theatre visible. More heavy-duty equipment is visible in the lab in the back, where the securely locked cabinets keep sensitive equipment out of the reach of teenage fingers. "It's chitin," Dr. McCoy announces, inspecting the clipboard rather closely. The blue furry doctor is currently seated atop of a stool, clad in his white labcoat, shirt, tie, and dress slacks. Peter is nearby, sitting on a bed in boxers and a t-shirt. The bandage Peter has previously worn around his left leg is currently removed - exposing the injury. It's a small slit on his mid-thigh, with the flesh puckered around a series of well-placed X-shaped stitches; the skin around it has turned an unusual shade of blackish-grey, extending outward in a fist-sized circumference around the injury. "...chitin?" Peter asks. "Chemically similar to to it, anyway," Dr. McCoy continues, setting the chart down to face Peter head-on. "Chitin is a common biological compound; found in crabs, lobsters - crustaceans - insects - and, ah... spiders." "Yeah, I know that but what is it doing on my leg?" "This is not the first time you've spontaneously developed additional mutations in response to trauma," Dr. McCoy explains. "Mutations are medically... tricky. Sudden change - stress - the onset of puberty - even an injury - can trigger secondary mutations. Like your wall clinging, or, in this case..." His eyes drift down to the blotch mark on Peter's leg. "So - what? Does this mean I'm going to...?" "I don't know what it means. Mutations have a tendency to thwart our expectations, Peter. I wish I could tell you something more - but the fact is, I can't. I'm recommending you for regular observation - I want you to come to the medical bay each and every day for the next two weeks. That includes weekends," Dr. McCoy adds. "I want to keep a close eye on this. See where it's going - if it's going somewhere. In the meanwhile," Dr. McCoy says, giving Peter a Look. "I don't want you leaving school grounds."