Ebb And Flow
Posted on Mon Jun 14th, 2021 @ 11:22pm by Jade Farwynd & Charles Xavier
Mission:
Episode 1: X-Odus
Location: Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Timeline: June 27th, 1990
After spending years in nursing school and doing her Phlebotomy course, Jade considered herself extremely lucky that her application to the fabled Anderson Cancer Center had actually been accepted. Eventhough she had dual Australian and USA citizenship, she still very much felt like a guest in this country. It was just over 6 years ago when Jade and her parents had moved over, after facing too much judgement in Australia over Jade's abilities.
The USA was somewhat better in terms of mutant acceptance, but not by a large margin. Jade still hid her abilities most of the time, except when training at home. Even when she would attend the dojo's to train Sojutsu and Kendo, as a way to better control her weapon-creating abilities, she would still try her best not to subconsciously create blood weapons.
It was her Sensei SooJin from the Sojutsu 'Fanged Eagle' Dojo who had suggested that she pursue a medical-related career. That way she could still work with blood on some level, but be able to help people in the process.
After some research of her opportunities and abilities, Jade had undergone medical school specializing in pathology, and later, when she reached the necessary pre-qualifications, she qualified as a phlebotomist, a blood collector.
This afforded her minimal contact with people and a chance to work with blood while not exposing herself as a 'freak' to others.
"Oi! Jade!" A voice broke through her thoughts.
Coming to to her surroundings, in the blood-analysis lab, Jade slowly lifted her head, tearing her eyes from the swab that was under the microscope.
"Oi, mate, how you going?" She asked, looking over at her Lab Boss, Doctor Ivar Thorssen.
The norwegian blinked at her for a moment, "uh...yes. Uh, there is a bald fellow in a chair wanting to talk to you. He's in Stevensons Office.
Doctor Kenneth Stevenson was the head of the Research Wing of the Anderson Cancer Centre.
"What's 'e want?" Jade slid out of her chair, carefully returning the swab to its container.
Ivar shrugged, "how would I know? Stevenson just asked me to tell you to come to his office."
"What's the bloke's name?" Jade asked as she returned to face the blonde man.
"Jade, how the fuck would I know? Just go!" He gestured theatrically towards the door.
Farwynd gave him a two thumbs-up gesture, "ripper! Thanks heaps!" She said in a sarcastic tone as she headed out of the lab down the hall towards Stevenson's office.
She stopped momentarily as she passed a reflective surface to make sure that she looked presentable before strolling into Stevenson's Office.
"You wanted to see me, guv?"
"Guv..." Stevenson shook his head at the word. "Nurse Farwynd, you have been with us for some time, and you have done an exemplary job. However... there are some... how do I say it? Problems." The medical administrator stared over his thick-framed glasses at Jade. "You were seen conducting some sort of experimental treatment on a patient."
"Um?" Jade raised an eyebrow in well practiced confusion.
Images of the event coursed through her mind, knowing full well what event he was referring to. An aneurism that would have killed the patient had she not sensed the travelling clot, had she not acted and saved the man's life.
Sighing in fatigue, Stevenson swiveled around in his chair to pop in the VHS cassette that was sticking out of the VCR. "Let's roll footage," he said. "God knows I went over it a hundred times with Legal."
The grainy footage showed a corridor in the medical center that showed a nurse's station at the far end. Approaching the camera was a gurney pushed by a nurse in scrubs. When the gurney was about 10 meters away from the nurse's station, the nurse pushing it stopped. Looking around, she placed her hands on either side of the reclined patient's head. Her eyes flashed red as a crimson aura shone from her hands in a blur that trailed in their wake. Only a moment had passed before the nurse began pushing the gurney along at a slower pace.
Stevenson paused the footage when the gurney passed directly under the camera. It could not be denied that Jade was the nurse on the video.
"This is bad," Stevenson said. "You are not an MD. You do not have license to administer unprescribed treatment to a patient, much less... whatever the hell that was. I'm sorry, Miss Farwynd, but we have to let you go." He opened a leather-bound folder with a stack of documents inside. On the very top was a signature page. "Sign here, if you would, and Legal says we can put this matter behind us. It's a standard NDA that says nobody talks about this ever on pain of criminal charges and financial ruin. You can talk it over with a lawyer if you want, but he'll just call you a damned fool for not signing here and now."
"He probably won't, but you sure are, mate." Jade shook her head and sighed dramatically, reaching for the pen. "I saved that man's life, and you know it. I just didn't do it the standard way..."
"If you ever become an attending physician, then you get to make that call," Stevenson said. "Not before." He took the form back and placed it in his outgoing document bin. "Thank you for doing this quietly. With business out of the way, one of our major donors wants a word with you. Please stay seated."
Stevenson excused himself without any further word and wandered off, mumbling something about needing a cigarette.
The man who passed him in the doorway was in a wheelchair, though it was far from the standard model. Everything about the man spoke to luxury and class. His piercing eyes probed deeply into Jade before his mouth spread into a warm smile.
"Hello, Miss Farwynd. My name is Professor Charles Xavier. I regret that we could not have met under better circumstances. May I have a moment of your time?"
Jade sighed loudly, apprehension evident in her features. "Jade, how you going?" She asked, wary of this bald man in a wheelchair. Fancy though as it was. He was old money, she could tell. Old money rarely meant well in her experience.
"Better than most in the immediate vicinity," Charles said. "So much pain and suffering. So few workers. So many protocols and red tape preventing the latter from helping the former." His brow arched ever so slightly. "What might happen if someone could bypass the letter of the law in order to honor its spirit? I imagine wonderful things."
Jade stared at the bald man, narrowing her eyes at him. "Mate, I'm a pathologist and I deal with blood. The whole nurse gig was all I could get in this place to even get a shot at phlebotomy. What do you want?"
Deals like this always seemed shady. He knew she had powers, that much was obvious. Now he was leading up to some sort of stuffed up offer wasn't he? Oh god, he wanted her to do illegal shit, didn't he?
"I am not a criminal, far from it," Charles said as though reading her mind. "What I advocate is the dream that humans and mutants can peacefully coexist with one another. A world where someone with the ability to save the life of another is praised for doing so, not punished because it fell outside the confines and strictures of what is wrongfully called the law. I have founded a school to promote this very dream and make it a reality." Smiling gently, he said, "What I am asking, Jade, is if you would be willing to come to my school and do what you were cast aside for doing here."
The puzzles finally fell into place, "bloody norah, you're the Charles Xavier?" Her eyebrows joined her hairline. "You run the mutant school...you sure you want someone like me there? I don't exactly make people comfortable."
"You are exactly who I want there," Charles said. "We are the proof that mutants can live peacefully amongst humankind. What better example of that than someone who helps another person at great personal cost? That is the sort of person I want at my side, tending and teaching my students." A smirk played at his lips. "And more, should the need present itself."
Jade raised two fingers, "two things. One, is this a paying gig? Two, how involved with kids do I have to be?"
"It offers room, board, and a stipend," Xavier said, "all payable by the X-Corporation, which also includes other perquisites that are proprietary secrets." As for the other question, it required a bit of finagling. "Student contact would be minimal on an as-needed basis. Essentially, while I am a capable doctor with a PhD in Genetics, it would behoove myself and the students to have a nurse on campus." There was clearly more to the arrangement than what he was saying in this office. "I propose the following: you come visit for a weekend and see if it's the sort of institution you would feel comfortable joining."
Jade nodded, "well I've got nothing else on my plate, sure. When's the best time?"
"No time like the present," Xavier said. "If you have a go-bag, then you may accompany me to the airfield presently."
Jade blinked. That certainly escalated quickly. Too quickly.
"Aw yeah...I'll meet you there in five." Jade extended her hand to Xavier, "thanks for the fair go, mate. I appreciate it."
"No," Charles said with profound sincerity. "Thank you."
Jade cracked a small smile and motioned for them to exit, "I'll see you in a tick, Professor." With another nod, she jogged down the hall towards the locker rooms.
