3071/The Free Clinic

From Heroes Assemble MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The Free Clinic
Date of Scene: 24 August 2020
Location: Clinic <Mutant Town>
Synopsis: Ben, Mike, and Nyssa end up at the hospital. More insight into Ben's condition is revealed!
Cast of Characters: Michael Hannigan, Ben Reilly, Nyssa al Ghul




Michael Hannigan has posed:
As with most free clinics, the clinic in Mutant Town is mostly full. With the walk-ins factored in, all of the regular sized chairs are full. The doublewide Barbie seat is still open but there's no way that Mike or Ben are going to be sitting in that. As for the large cinderblock chair? Well, A man about the size of Mike and Ben combined and multiplied by four came in around the same time so.... he got that seat. Which leaves Ben and Mike standing against the wall, near a corner. Ohh comfy.

As for why they came in here? Well, Mike had the foresight to call around first to see who was open so he could schedule something ahead of time. There was two places left and the description of Ben's condition as hella weird (Let's be honest, Mike used a different word than hella) got the other clinic to recommend the one here. For all cases 'hellaweird'.

Mike glances down at the clipboard in hand, looking oddly to the questions as he does his best to help Ben with the questions. By essentially making sure Ben answers the questions and... He saw the questions and how often do you get to seriously ask these questions? He pauses, looking to the first one "...Are you sneezing fire?"

Ben Reilly has posed:
@emit

Ben has been deteriorating on the trip and it's starting to get worse. As they sit, it's almost as if it's allowing his body to give out. His eyes start to roll a bit and his head bobs.

For a moment he goes lucid, "Sneezing fire? Not yet."

A moment later he slumps against Mike and, as he does, a business card falls out of his hoodie pocket, landing face side up.

Nyssa Raatko. Some sort of antiquities dealer.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike glances around and upon seeing that Ben has seated himself on the floor, he slides down too, an uncomfortable thing but it makes it easier to show the questions. "Okay, no sneezing fire. How about-" He pauses, eyes widening "Oh f- The other side."

Feeling Ben's weight shift upon him, he glances from the clipboard to look to the younger man. The flutter of the card draws his attention to it.

He reaches down, picking up the card to look at it. "Do you know a Nyssa?"

Ben Reilly has posed:
Ben's breathing is slowed and it's not clear if he's just resting at this point, or what in the hell is going on.

He's unresponsive to Mike's question at first. But then, rallies a few moments later, and nods to Mike. He does know Nyssa. Not well, but the list of people he knows well is as long as. Uh. Things that aren't long.

Ben sits up a bit and tries to wake up. "Other side?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Seeing the nod, Mike sighs, leaning to the side to tug out his old Nokia, "Alright. Lets give her a call then. Let her know where you are." Good case scenario, she knows more of these answers. Worst case scenario, she knows just about as much about Ben as he does.

"The questionaire is asking if fire is coming out of the OPPOSITE side and I suspect it's got a question like that for every element there is so...yeah."

He holds the card up, dialing the numbers before putting the phone to his ear. He holds the clipboard over towards Ben so he can get a glimpse of the symptoms check list so he knows just WHAT type of list they're going through.

Ben Reilly has posed:
"No, just..." Ben hunches forward and something feels imminent. "Just the face and the..." He staggers to his feet and nearly leaps the few yards over towards the bathroom. Luckily he's able to kick the door closed in time before the devastation comes.

Nyssa al Ghul has posed:
There aren't many people who actually have Nyssa's personal number. It at least means that she answers quickly. "Raatko Arts and Acquisitions," a clipped, cultured voice speaks on the other end of the line, the accent difficult to place. "How can I help you?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike's head jolts up as Ben beelines it to the bathroom to puke. "A-" He pauses, hearing the voice on the other side, glancing down for a moment as he brings his free hand up to brush at his ponytailed hair. "Uh hi. Would this be Nyssa by any chance?"

He tilts his head up to look over to the bathroom door, frowning as he watches the cinderblock chair using man giving a look of concern to the bathroom area.

Ben Reilly has posed:
There's some more hurling and odd noises coming from inside the bathroom. Gross, dude.

Nyssa al Ghul has posed:
"Yes, this is she," Nyssa replies evenly. "May I ask what this is in regards to?" She pulls the phone away from her ear, checking the number on the screen, then raises it back up again.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Cinderblock chair man straightens in his chair, seeming a bit uncomfortable as he rocks a bit, observing the bathroom door.

Mike is not in as much discomfort but he too is looking towards the bathroom door as he listens to the phone. "Ok. I'm calling about a friend of yours named Ben. Doesn't know his last name. Says he knows you. He's pretty sick and we're over at the free clinic in Mutant Town."

Ben Reilly has posed:
Inside the bathroom people can hear the water running as Ben tries to clean up after himself. He puked the last time he passed out, and now he knows he'd better get down to his seat as quickly as possible.

The door opens and he staggers out, a fresh cut has now opened up on the other side of his face, revealing flesh underneath.

Nyssa al Ghul has posed:
"Ben...?" Nyssa pauses for a moment, the line going silent. "The boy from the alley?" She takes a breath, sighing, then there's a background sound of keys jangling and a door opening. "I'll be there in..." She checks her watch. "Ten minutes."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As the bathroom door opens up and Ben stumbles out. Cinderblock chair man runs in. Closing the door.

"Oh thanks a lot." Seeing Ben come out of the bathroom, Mike's brows rise. "Make that VERY sick," he amends, using his free hand to push him off the floor to move over to where Ben is, taking advantage of the similar height to slide his free hand around Ben to steady himself. The phone lowers, forgotten and "Hey hey. Got you..." He looks to the newly formed cut that looks deeper than the other. "Sh-"

He leans to look towards the front desk, making sure that they can see the change in Ben's situation as he does so, "Hey can we get a clean cloth or something?

As the front desk clerk's eyes widen, she gives the slightest of nods of confirmation as Mike sets Ben down in the Cinderblock chair. Sorry Biggie. Smalls gets it this time.

Ben Reilly has posed:
Someone at the front desk gets a towel for Ben and the young clone attempts to hold it against his face. "So, Mike. I realize we don't know each other and all, but if I die, I need you to do me a favor."

As opposed to the big time favor he's doing right now.

"I need you to figure out who I was and tell my family for me. I don't want them wondering what happened to me."

Nyssa al Ghul has posed:
It takes slightly less than the projected ten minutes for Nyssa to arrive. When she does, she certainly doesn't look like she belongs there, in a silk blouse, pencil skirt, and heels that probably cost more than most donations to this place. She quickly scans the room, then makes her way over to Ben and Mike, frowning at Ben's state.

"What on earth did you manage to get into now?" she asks, eyes narrowing as she tries to piece it together.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike looks over to Ben, giving a slight reassuring smile, "Ok, don't get melodramatic. Just sit back, hold that towel and let me get that clipboard so I can ask you more awkward questions to appease the clinic paperwork gods."

As he turns he sees the incoming woman addressing Ben. "Ah. You must be Nyssa. Nice to meet you."

He steps aside, allowing for Ben to experience the full wrath of the concerned antiques dealer while he goes over to their old corner to pick up the clipboard.

Ben Reilly has posed:
"Oh, hey," Ben says as he notices Nyssa. He has one taped up wound on the left side of his face and he's covering another with a towel. He smile a bit, despite everything that is apparently falling apart on him.

"It's Nyssa."

"I know her."

Nyssa al Ghul has posed:
"Well. We've met, at least. And I didn't pull you out of a dumpster so that you could die of..." Nyssa takes a look around the clinic, brows furrowing almost angrily at the state of the clinic. "Well. Tetanus, or something else entirely preventable that no one in the first world has died of in decades. Bubonic plague perhaps." She watches Mike flee, then looks back to Ben, arching a brow. "What happened?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"He's not FLEEING HE'S - Uh.

Scooping up the board, Mike returns looking over towards Ben's partial smile to the woman and then towards Nyssa. "He didn't really do anything, it just started happening. And free clinic was the only way I could get him to agree to see a doctor and these were the only guys willing to look at this."

Ben Reilly has posed:
"I don't know," Ben replies sadly and nods to Mike as the elder man explains. "It just keeps happening. It's like my whole body is falling apart. I just want to go to sleep."

Nyssa al Ghul has posed:
"Why is your body falling apart?" Nyssa asks indignantly, as if there's any way Ben just has the answer to that and decided to go to a free clinic in MutantTown because of the classy decor. Or can even remember his name. "Are you saying that this isn't the first time this has happened? Within the last //week//?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"It's happened twice today." Mike supplies, nodding to the taped up cheek and the side holding the towel.

The door opens, allowing for a nurse with a clipboard to glance to it "BENDO? BENDO?"

Mike looks over Ben. "I think that's you."

Ben Reilly has posed:
Two nurses help 'BenDo' in a wheel chair and whisk him away towards the back to meet with the doctors. He slumps into the chair, looking all the while ready to lose consciousness once more, but then a funny thing happens. In a goofy way, Ben turns back to Mike and smiles wearily, even giving the thumbs up as he gets wheeled into back.

There's a moment there that everything seems like it might be okay.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As Ben goes off to the back room. Mike is left behind in the waiting room while Nyssa-

Actually Mike's not sure where she went off to. She was here just a bit ago. That girl is like a ninja or something.

Either way Mike gets to work, dealing with the expenses portion. Even though it's a free clinic, he's still able to pay for SOMETHING so... he does. He just won't tell Ben.

Things prepaid, Mike goes back to finding a place to sit, leaning forward in the seat, elbows resting upon knees and hands folded together as he looks towards the partioning door that separates the waiting room from the examination rooms.

Ben Reilly has posed:
And, although Mike is a new friend of Ben's, new friends are all Ben has got.

It's lucky he's such a good one.

Literal hours go by. A whole host of patients, some with visible manifestations of mutant genes, some without--tall ones, short ones, young ones, old ones. It may feel as though everyone in the entirety of Mutant Town has gotten some sort of malady and has been treated for said malady before Ben comes back.

But come back he does, resting somewhat comfortably in the wheelchair, albeit apparently asleep.

A nurse with red curly hair and freckles sits down next to Ben's friend. "You're Mike? Ben has asked that we share his information with you." There isn't really anyone else in the world right now other than Hannigan, so thems the breaks.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike looks over to the nurse with the red hair giving a nod before looking to the Wheely sleeping Ben. He looks to who is left in the waiting room, brow arching as he looks back to the nurse questionably. "Do we need to go to a private area to discuss this?"

Ben Reilly has posed:
"No, I don't think that will be necessary," the nurse says. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that she's super busy and doesn't want to take the time needed to switch spots. Or maybe because the conversation will be rather quick. She's nice enough, but it's not clear if that is a practice kindness, or just part of this job. Rather than give time for Mike to respond, she just rushes into it. "Ben is suffering from a severe case of cellular breakdown. We're honestly not sure of the cause. What we do know is that his cells are degrading at an extremely high rate. Ben will need to see a specialist. The doctor has prescribed him a set of steroids that we administered in the office. They seemed to have an immediate effect in at least allowing his body to heal." She tilts her head, "Speaking of, he heals at an extraordinary rate, but doesn't seem to be a mutant. Anyways, he can keep taking these steroids, but the cost will be prohibitive. A gofundme account or something along those lines might be something he wants to consider." She slides a business card in front of Michael. "The doctor would like Ben to see this specialist. His name is Dr. Henry McCoy. And, although he's more of an expert in mutagenics, he has the skill set that Ben will need to take the next steps." She pauses, and looks at Mike. "This is very serious. If Ben does not get treatment, he will die."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike's eyes widen as the Nurse explains whats going on. Okay this seems like something that VERY much should have been stated in private. He nods slowly, looking to the card as he takes it.

"...So this probably doesn't come with one of those 'so you're slowly breaking down' preprinted phamplets. then." Mike surmises, half joking, but the frown doesn't betray even the slightest of smiles. He looks to the card for a few moments before looking back to the nurse. "So, is the prescription called into a pharmacy or do we take it over ourselves?

Ben Reilly has posed:
"No, I'm afraid not," the nurse replies. This is a new one, even for them. "As far as the prescription, do you know where Ben might want us to send it? If not, you can take it as well. The current dose should keep him going for the next couple of days, we think, but you must understand this is sort of unprecedented. It'll be important that he sees a specialist soon." Her eyes drift around the waiting room, "Do you have any other questions for me?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike looks to the sleeping patient and shakes his head, "We'll send it to the one I use. I guess I'll take care of that back at the front desk."

He looks to the card again, "Do you need to call this Doctor McCoy to get the first appointment setup or do we do that?"

Ben Reilly has posed:
"You'll need to set the appointment up, but Dr. McCoy has been notified of the need for Ben to be seen, so he should expect you," the nurse replies, as she stands up and smiles. "Thank you for bringing him in. I don't know how long he would have survived without treatment."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike takes a deep breath before letting out another sigh, "Yeah... I had a bad feeling when I saw the last one just open up out of the blue." Stubborn kid just wanted to tape it up." Shaking his head, he starts to get up out of the chair, "If I think of any further questions later can I call them in?"

Ben Reilly has posed:
"Yes," the nurse nods. "The doctor's phone number is on his exit information." She looks to the wheelchair, "Once he wakes up I don't think he will need that, but chairs are also available for rent."

This is turning into a lot of money for a kid who doesn't have money.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
At the prospect of another bill. Mike gives another sigh, giving a slow nod. "And I take it that can also be settled at the front desk." Giving a shake of the head, he gives the nurse a weak smile. "Alright. Thanks."

Ben Reilly has posed:
"Yes, I'm sorry." It seems the nurse can empathize with the payment process, but it's also something she sees multiple times per day. This is nothing new to her. "You're welcome." And with that she shuffles off to the waiting station to begin seeing new patients.

As soon as she leaves, Ben lifts his head and gives a wry smile. "Sounds like a lot of cash to keep someone alive." Clearly he was fake sleeping through the whole thing, curious as to what she would say. "I have a couple of hundred dollars saved up from working the past few weeks."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike watches the nurse head off, giving a bit of a slow nod for himself before Ben's voice jars his attention over to him. The smile strengthens as he notes the wakeful nature of the younger man. "Well, you just saved us a bit by waking up. Just, rest up while we get the med thing phoned in and then you can WALK out of here with me."

Smile back in place, the musician makes his way over to the front desk.

Ben Reilly has posed:
All in all, the trip to this doctor's office is a couple of hundred dollars. As Michael is going through that process, Ben pulls himself out of his chair and digs in his pocket for wadded cash. "Wait, man, I can pay," he says. Once Mike finds out how much the steroids cost ($1700 per dose), this is going to get a lot trickier.

Mike will notice that on Ben's face, the open wounds from earlier have completely disappeared. No scar where there should be one. "I can't let you pay for all of this."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike acts like he doesn't hear Ben as he takes care of the bills this time around. The prescription is called in and the paperwork handed off to Mike. Turning from the desk, the older man looks to Ben, "Alright, come along. We'll go crash a my place and get this appointment called in. No arguing. Just informing. He stops at the door, holding it open for Ben.

Ben Reilly has posed:
"Thanks, man," Ben says weakly. He becomes resigned to losing out on this one. And, honestly, a night not spent at the shelter sounds like a good deal to him. The smells. And the snoring. It can be a lot. As he exits the hospital doors he turns to Mike, overcome with a new idea on how he can at least help. "Least let me buy you some fast food?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
At the offer, Mike chuckles, allowing Ben the small concession "Yeah, sure. I know a diner nearby that gives you a lot of bang for the buck."

He waits for Ben to step out before following after "Just don't sit along the counter in case the line cook loses his patience with the grill or it's going to get very toasty real quick..."

The door paps shut behind them.