483/Mutant-napping

Mutant-napping
Date of Scene:	13 March 2020
Location:	Wellness Office
Synopsis:	Joshua Foley wakes up in the Wellness Office at Xavier's after being saved from his former allies
Cast of Characters:	Joshua Foley, Kitty Pryde

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Joshua Foley has posed:
While Sam, Rogue, and Illyana may have brought the knocked out teenager into the mansion, Sam didn't stay forever after making sure there were volunteers to watch Josh and be there when he woke up.

The nurse cleaned up the blood from his broken nose and split lip and checked his pupils to confirm no concussion symptons despite his black eye. Beyond that though well she let him sleep it off since he didn't exactly get brought in wearing the best gear.

In a hamper in the corner is the Reaver armor and his shirt which read Magneto Was a Terrorist.

Right now though Josh is wearing Xavier's sweats and an Xavier's t-shirt.

The teen groans and shifts a little on the bed, groggily waking up from his 'nap' that his friend Duncan gave him. Blinking a little bit. "Duncan?"

The split lip though, it is no longer split.. and the black eye.. well it's totally gone.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty is sitting in a chair at a nearby desk. She has her laptop in front of her. As she has had even more than usually lately, when she's anywhere to be found. She has been engrossed enough in it that Kitty has a little reminder popup every two minutes to not forget to keep an eye on the patient.

It had just gone off, so thankfully the teenager groans and speaks to draw Kitty's attention. She glances, not for the first time, to the Reaver armor. Her lips press into a line. Sam likely doesn't realize she took this watch. Because she put someone else's name in, instead of hers. Kitty wasn't sure the rest of the team would have let her do this if they'd realized.

And this was something she wanted to do.

Kitty rises slowly from the chair. She's wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater that is an off-white. She walks over towards the bed, stopping a few feet away. "You're ok. In a medical facility," she says softly. One of her hands, the fingers rub each other. Press together into a fist that she makes herself loosen.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh is still a bit groggy though not in pain at all or hurt in any way. He reaches up and rubs his face his brain not having caught up with the rest of the world around him yet. "Oh.. uh..." he blinks and looks up to Kitty a bit confused. He looks what.. fifteen.. sixteen maybe... not a big teen at all with boyish good looks really... only the knowledge his birthday was a couple weeks ago would clue anyone in to the fact he is barely seventeen.

One Joshua Foley of New York, Sophmore High School Student. Somehow a Reaver recruit.

Also according to Cerebro and what Rogue saw first hand a mutant with healing abilities that are not the least bit small.

The confusion though, well it stems from the fact he is wearing a t-shirt that isn't his, in a medical facility of some sort, and there is a young woman talking to him not in nurse scrubs. Also there are no cops. "Did.. Duncan or someone take me here?" which is also confusing because the last thing he remembers is Duncan slamming a rifle into his face and then stars and darkness. As he focuses in he figures if the cops had found him he would be in jail because well what they were doing was a crime, even if they were mutants that he was corralled into terrorizing in an attempted kidnapping.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
That desire to form her hand into a fist is still there, and strong. And Kitty gives into it several more times. Though they way her finger fidget once she lets it go probably makes it something that would be written off to a fidgeting and not to the emotions that actually drive it.

The young woman moves closer to the bed. If woman is even the right word for her. She looks a teenager, someone that Josh would have thought in place hanging out with the seniors at his high school.

Kitty looks down at him in the bed. Some of her brown hair has slipped her pony tail during the ensuing day. It's night now, though that might be tough to tell unless Josh notices a clock. "You were brought in. After those you were with started attacking you. Do you remember that?" she asks him, hands still hanging at her sides.

Joshua Foley has posed:
The teen is pretty obvlious to how close he is to being absolutely pummeled, and probably deservedly. At least for now he is. He doesn't know the signs or the backstory, he has zero situational awareness of training in dangerous things.

Josh does reach up to touch his nose and face gingerly then a bit more exploratively. "I..." should he admit anything about the situation earlier or his friend attacking him. God he can't believe Duncan attacked him. He also can't believe Duncan was crushed by that tire and he somehow saved him. It had to be shock... both of them right had to be shocked and just a misunderstanding right.

"I remember being hit..." his eyes flick around the room nervously. "Where are we... did anyone call my parents?" okay misplaced priorities but honestly he isn't sure if he is worried his parents were called or if he just wants to go home right now.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty crosses her arms across her chest, in part to hide her fists when they clench. "No, they haven't been called. That might have been awkward. Not sure if they know what you were up to, and what position that might leave you in if they heard," the young woman tells him.

"Yes, hit by your own friends. Do you remember why?" Kitty asks him. She paces away from him, over to the container that has his armor and his t-shirt, though they are hidden from Josh's view just now. Her back to him she asks, "Do you remember him there, hurt? And your desire to heal him?" she asks.

Kitty keeps her back to the teen. Logan might growl at her, doing that with a Reaver. Maybe she hopes he'll attack her. Maybe she just needs the break of looking at him to keep her voice as measured as it manages to be.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh goes so far as to sit up and be extremely uncomfortable with the whole implications and turn of the conversation. Sure the sitting up is a little sudden but well it isn't threatening and it isn't like he is surging out of the bed or anything.

"Uh..." what does one say in a situation like this. "Well I should probably call them.. and get home. I feel fine. .. I don't need medical care or anything honest." he does try to swing his legs around putting his feet on the floor.

The whole healing though sinks in. "I didn't do nothing to Duncan... thre was some kind of misunderstanding .. I just ... I pushed the tire off him and ..when he woke up he just freaked out."

Oh sweet denial.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The sound of Josh moving on the bed draws Kitty's focus. She waits, but he doesn't rise further yet. She doesn't know if she's disappointed or not. The young brunette turns back around to face him. "No Joshua. That isn't what happened. You pushed the tire off of him. And then you wanted him to not be hurt. You wanted it a lot. Do you remember?" she asks as if she was there.

Kitty takes step nearer. "And then you healed him. Do you remember how it felt? To feel his body becoming healthy again? To see your friend's hurts eased, his injuries vanish? Do you remember, Joshua?" Kitty asks.

Another step nearer. "He remembers. Joshua. He recognized you used a power on him. You remember his reaction, don't you? That reaction is what put you here in a bed in a medical facility."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Well if anything Kitty is a really intense eighteen year old and she is going an amazing job of making Josh squirm and become very uncomfortable as he sits there on the edge of the bed as she steps one step and then another step nearer unloading on him with the very uncomfortable truth.

"T...that isn't what happened!" the kid sounds absolutely desperate, a bit wild eyed there. "I.. .don't have .. I can't heal people.. he just freaked out and made a mistake!"

Duncan has been his constant friend and companion since the second grade. I mean yes Josh was more Duncan's sidekick since Duncan was the cooler bully kid and needed a Milhouse. But still this is a heavy weight and yeah Josh isn't dealing with it very well at all.

"Look I just need to go home... " moving to stand up, he is a bit taller than Kitty but he isn't looming or moving threateningly, reaching to pat the sweats pocketS "where is my wallet."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde shakes her head to Josua. "You did heal him, Joshua." The young woman looks off to the side for a moment, looking like she's arguing with herself. Or perhaps forcing herself to do something that she doesn't want to.

Kitty draws a deep breath and moves closer. "Joshua. Is it Joshua, or Josh?" she asks. Her tone is more gentle than before. "You need to stop. Take a deep breath. And think about the situation. You did heal him, Joshua. You have a power, one that you didn't know was there. But it was you. Your... friends... hate people like that. And beat you pretty severely for it. What do you think they'll do if you show back up now? You need to be really careful, and stop. And think."

Kitty raises both hands in a gentle stop gesture. "Do your parents the feel the same as Duncan? Will they have heard from Duncan what you were doing? And what happened?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
He manages "Josh" looking up from checking the sweats for his wallet and falls quiet as he listens to everything Kitty is saying..

By the time Kitty gets around to lifting her hands even in a gentle stop gesture honestly Josh flinches like she is going to hit him. Not really hit him physically but the words might as well be punches ... and unlike a real punch he can't heal or shrug those words off.

She said take a deep breath and think but .. he isn't really taking deep breaths.. his breathing is getting a bit short and rapid and he is starting to sweat. Also his hands are trembling a bit. "I.. they... he wouldn't tell them that... he wouldn't.. ohgod.. they .. if he tells them that ...." big 10-4 about the kids parents probably feeling the same way as his friend Duncan and those Reavers by the way he is reacting. "I .. I need to tell them nothing happened..."

He wobbles and sinks back to the bed looking dizzy now as he sits. The kid is having a full own panic attack from his anxiety. He doesn't seem to be disassociating yet though but he is nearly hyperventilating.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty reaches over and gently rests her hand on Josh's shoulder. "Shhh... shhh... it's ok," she tells him in quiet, soothing voice. "It's going to be ok. Just takes a few moments. Deep breaths, you'll be ok, Josh. You're somewhere safe," she tells him.

Kitty moves away from him slowly, going over to the desk and getting the unopened bottle of water she has there. She opens it and brings it back to him. "Here, go ahead and take a few sips," she tells him if he takes the bottle of water.

Afterwards, Kitty slips her hands into her back pockets. The posture more casual. It also helps her control her hands. "Duncan saw what happened. He felt it. Telling them nothing happened isn't going to work," Kitty tells him quietly. She hesitates and then walks over to take a seat on the bed beside him. "My name's Kitty," she tells him, and reaches over to offer him her hand in a normal greeting. Something nice and normal for him to focus on.

Joshua Foley has posed:
The soothing talking actually helps after all the talk about Duncan and his parents. He really is trying to do what the school counseler and then his therapist said. Trying to focus on the room around him. His breathing. The person talking to him. The reminder that she is saying right now he is in a safe place.

He accepts the water with his hands still trembling and and takes the sips of water swallowing them and trying to find his balance. Still sweating pretty bad too.

"But.. I'm their kid they wouldn't believe him over me." of course he knows they might, especially if the other teens that were there with Duncan back him up on his story. His voice is a little squeeky as he says that those words to. The worry is very there but .. they are his parents. There is a war of thoughts about this. He takes another sip.

It takes a minute for the fact Kitty is offering her hand and her name. Normal. Very normal right. He puts his hand in yours "Josh.." he knows he is repeating it but well he is trying his best to not hyperventilate of get to the point of chest pains or disassociative episode.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty shakes Josh's hand once he's given it. Afterwards, if he pulls it back, she lets go. Otherwise, she gently rests her other hand on top, still holding his in a gentle touch, attempting to help soothe him.

"You're safe in here," she tells him. "You can stay as long as you need. You can contact them whenever you want, but, I just want to make sure you've thought it through. And I want to make sure that you stay safe," Kitty tells him.

She tilts her head a little bit as she looks at him. "I guess it's a bit of a shock to you. That you have any ability like that. Given... what you were doing when it manifested." Hopefully the signs of Kitty's stress will get missed given Josh's state. She manages to keep her touch on his hand gentle, at the least. "Are you ok?" she asks him gently, head still turned to the side slightly in that inquisitive manner.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Well the really gentle approach is actually doing wonders to keep him from losing it toally, though the topic of conversation isn't really helping. It is sort of a teeter totter.

His hand is a bit damp and clamy right now, not his best moment at all really, but yeah he is slowly breathing more normal and he doesn't clutch her hand though it ends up on his knee just kind of forgotten as he processes everything.

"I.. I don't think so." he whispers when he finally answers her question. "How can... I don't understand how I could have .. how I could heal anyone." yeah he is really struggling with saying have powers or be a mutant. The m-word really seems to be a bridge too far right this moment. "My parents and older brothers are normal people..." still a bit of grasping going on.

Still he is out of the woods on the panic attack for the moment even if it was very taxing on him... the thing is.. it is less taxing physically by the second. Now that he isn't having an active attack his pallor and other physical symptons are just .. gone in a heartbeat.

"We... we weren't going to kill anyone.. Duncan said they just wanted to capture the priest guy.." which explains why the Reavers didn't just open fire on the mutant crowd. Of course that would probably be scarier for the community, them just walking in and taking their beloved priest and community glue.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde sits quietly and gives Josh time to think. "We don't understand why God does some of the things He does," Kitty says quietly. "But I like to think they are for a reason. You know, I can think of a lot worse things, than being able to heal someone. There's a lot of people out there. Good people. Who have things going wrong. Injuries. Sickness. I don't know what your range is, Josh. But it could be a blessing. A /real/ blessing," she says, giving him something else to think about with his power rather than the mind paths he used to considering with it.

"I mean, people go to college, med school, become doctors... and they can't do what you did to help a friend who was in dire condition," she tells him. "I realize it isn't something you asked for. And I don't know if you believe in God or not. Whether you do or not, when you've had time to come to terms with your situation, you've got an opportunity. To make a difference. A good difference with people. To help. That's a pretty noble calling you have open to you," she tells him, and gives Josh's hand a little squeeze before letting it go completley.

Joshua Foley has posed:
That.. is a lot to think about now. A lot.

I mean she is right he might end up running afoul of Duncan and the Reavers... but.. Duncan has been his friend for a long time right.

Also if he can heal people.. I mean... that is maybe a blessing like the cute if intense older teen notes.

He puts his face in his hands elbows propped on his knees as he rubs his face. "Fuck." he intones very much like a famous Witcher.

"I.. " he thinks "I am going to need to call them.. they could be worried..." he is still clinging a bit to hoping they are worried about him and that maybe Duncan didn't tell them. He has moved on from rushing home though to a phone call.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty nods her head to Josh as he starts thinking a little more clearly. "If you think it's safe," she tells him, reaching over to tough his shoulder lightly and give it a little rub. After a few moments of that, she rises and goes over to the desk and pulls a cell phone out of her jacket pocket.

Kitty brings it back over to Josh. It's quite sleek looking, and lacks any kind of branding. She runs her thumb over it and unlocks it. "Here you go," she says, offering it over. "I'll be right over here if you need me," she says, touching his back over near to the shoulder again gently.

Kitty moves back over to the desk, sitting down at her laptop. She pulls up the override for the phone, and will confirm he's calling home, as opposed to 911 or some other number that might have Reavers on the other end, before the call will go through and connect. Though the phone won't reveal that's happening, it'll just seem to take a second to connect.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh accepts the phone "I .. don't want them to worry." he notes and yeah here is hoping. He looks the phone over then dials his house number. Heck he wasn't even sure what day or time it was until he looked at the phones time and date.

Master criminal he is not though, nope, he just calls his house and waits listening to it ringing.

A woman's voice picks up with a faint "Hello" that can barely be overheard, though on playback if the laptop is intercepting it can be made out of course.

Josh brightens "Mom.. it's Josh .. I'm sorry I didn't come home yesterday... I.."

There is the sound of a man's voice as his father takes the phone away, the voice is louder. "Duncan and his friends told us everything Josh."

Which gets Josh wild eyed. "Dad.. wait he doesn't know what he is talking about .... it's a mistake."

His dad sounding cold, not angry, not anything. Cold and loud enough to be overheard. "It .. would be better if you didn't call or come home. Your mother and I do not want to talk to you Josh.""

Josh clenches the phone "Dad.. . what.. no it is a mistake...." there is a pause, no words, and silence. He pulls the phone away and looks at it. His dad hung up on him.

His dad hung up on him.

Josh doesn't have an anxiety episode or panic attack right away though, he is in way to much shock staring at Kitty's phone.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty was indeed recording the call, but not listening to it live. Except for what made it over to her. She swallows and stands up slowly. It isn't easy seeing someone go through what Josh just did. For Kitty in particular, given what has happened in the preceding works, it's like reliving her own loss in a way.

She takes a second to try to control her reactions. She's been doing that for weeks. Not wanting others to have to deal with her grief. Sometimes she worries putting on that fake face is coming too easily. But she's grateful for it in this moment.

Kitty walks over to take a seat beside Josh again. She gently will take the phone from him if he hands it over. And then if he lets her, she slips her arms about him to draw Josh into a hug. She holds him tightly, letting him feel there's someone there, her hand gently rubbing his upper back. Not saying anything.

Joshua Foley has posed:
The teen really has no idea what to do, he doesn't even register that Kitty has even moved until she is reaching to take the phone away from his numb hands. "He.. hung up on me." it is just a whisper, barely audiable. "Maybe.. if I call my moms cell.." ah yes denial... he kind of skipped anger.. is this bargaining... it is really a teeter totter though, he is bound to be bouncing back and forth on all those stages like a yo-yo later.

The hug though is nice and for a long moment he stares at his empty hands and then just slumps into the hug. "ohgod... what do I do.." is the next whisper, choked up though a bit strangled. His breath hitches a bit and he is definitely crying. Not sobbing and there is a chance he doesn't even realize it as he hiccups another breath collapsed against Kitty like his strings have been cut.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The young woman's arms just enfold Josh. Holding him. Letting him let it all out in a place of safety and caring. Her hands move, patting and rubbing slowly, making sure to give him that constant reminder someone is there so he doesn't feel alone.

For the longest time, the girl doesn't try to say anything. Doesn't try to offer anything. Just lets Josh grieve and deal with his feelings. Finally, after enough time for a long cry, she says, "I know your life just turned upside down. But you're not alone. You're with people who will help you. You've got a place to stay if you want it. People who understand what you're going through."

She swallows. Not bringing up the reactions she's afraid there will be. Reactions to his having been a Reaver. Reaction she herself is feeling inside, leaving Kitty's insides in an emotional Gordian Knot, and no sword in sight. But Josh doesn't need to know any of that now.

Professor, Kitty thinks. Why does your dream have to cost so much to follow?

Joshua Foley has posed:
It is a pretty long time, honestly the kid disassociates a bit during it. No full on panic attack but he is just numb as he cries pretty silently. I mean he was just verbally disowned and told not to call or come home. He is a sophomore in High School and sure while he could probably be tried as an adult in criminal court if he did a bad enough crime, he definitely isn't an adult.

Then there is the fact Duncan pretty much directs Josh's life too, because well Josh just falls in line and does whatever the cool kids do. So he pretty much lost all his friends too.

Home, gone. Friends, gone. Family, gone.

The words break the silence and provide an anchor though eventually and he zones back in to listen. Blinking a little. Not fully in the now but enough. He reaches up and a bit angrily rubs at his face and the tears. "I... I don't understand?" he really doesn't either. Nothing is making a lot of sense right now.

Man there are definitely some kids in the school that are not going to go easy on Josh if they find out what he did either, good thing he seems to be able to heal quick if it gets out.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty reaches up to softly touch the back of his head, patting very gently before she lets him go enough she can lean back and they can look at each other. "You aren't alone in going through this. Others have too. Even... even experienced reactions like you have," Kitty tells him, her voice as soft and soothing as she can make it.

Kitty glances around the room. "This is the wellness office of a school. A school that takes in people with extraordinary powers. That gives them a home. Helps them to become the people they'd like to be. Including teaching you how to control and effectively use abilities, like your healing," Kitty tells him.

"I've been here since I was 13. And these people have become family to me," she says. "I'm like you, Josh. I have a power too. It didn't show up quite like yours. Started with headaches and I didn't know what was going on. And the people from the school came to offer me a place and teach me how to control it."

Joshua Foley has posed:
When she lets go and turns to look at him, he will shift a bit, giving his face another vicious rub trying to deal with the tears on his face.

The words though cause him to look away from her around the room, like for a minute he expects the very normal serene wellness office to be some sort of Mad Scientists Laboratory.... and somehow he just missed it. But no it is just a wellness office.

There are a lot of confusion though by the time she is done talking. He is going to probably be having a lot of trouble if his parents raised him like that and yet here he is at ground zero. So many questions. No ability to figure out what to even ask or how to ask them.

"Since you were ..thirteen." that part registered. "Did.. your parents send you away?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty's expression stays gentle, no matter what she's feeling inside right now. "No," she says, shaking her head. "They didn't. The school is a really good school. Like, /really/ good. The kind of place everyone would like to send their kids. Though people don't know we are here to help special people. Like you. Like me. They didn't know at first, though they found out after awhile," Kitty says.

"We keep it quiet, this part of the school's nature," Kitty says. "There are amazing people here. Who can do amazing things. Like you. You don't have to stay here if you don't want. But we wouldn't have brought you here if we didn't think this was a place that would be better with you included, and think we could help you as well," Kitty says.

The young woman smiles over at Josh gently. "Would you like to see what my power is?" she asks him softly.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Well honestly considering which of the crew brought him to the school, there is a chance they didn't put a whole lot of thought into it past he registered as a powerful mutant teen and was in danger. Still she isn't wrong about the whole situation though and what she explains.

"A whole school of mutants?" he doesn't sound angry or disgusted just sort of in shock still. Hugs are good but yeah his world was flipped upside down and then dumped in a blender to mix your metaphors.

"I.. " he trails off then admits "I could see why you would keep it a secret..." because yeah... yeah... Duncan and his.. associates would really do a lot of damage if they knew about this. It is kind of disturbing to Josh really.

"I guess so..?" he sounds nervous like well he is afraid she might sprout tentacles and devour him. His only in person examples have been Cannonball exploding into people and Rogue crushing someone with a tire after all. Also wow did the Reavers and his parents talk up the horror of mutants.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty picks up the water bottle she'd given Josh earlier. She holds up her hand. "I can take my body out of phase with the rest of the world," she tells him. "So I can pass right through something. Like a ghost." She moves her other hand, passing it through the water bottle, back and forth. "I can also take the water bottle out of phase with me," she tells him. She taps the water bottle on the bedside stand, and then does it again only this time the bottle passes right through the stand.

Afterwards, Kitty offers the water bottle over to Josh. It's solid again. "When it first happened... I had a headache. Went to take a nap, in my upstairs bedroom. Woke up and I was lying on the floor downstairs," she says with a shrug. "But I can control it now."

Kitty glances down at her leg, and says, "Now you, have a very useful power. Actually..." She reaches down, sliding up the leg of her blue jeans to reveal an angry bruise on her lower shin and the side of her leg. "Took a little spill," she lies. Actually it was four guys in a subway car who she caught up to after they vandalized a family home in Mutant Town.

Kitty slides back on the bed a bit, bending her leg to bring it up to rest on the bed, her bruise near to Josh. "Do you think you could heal it for me?" she asks. Knowing the Professor probably won't like her doing this. But then he probably wouldn't have let her in here in her current state, and she's handling that well enough.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Well it definitely isn't tentacles and devouring of anyone. His eyes do widen as he watches the tricks with the water bottle as her hand passes back and forth ad then the bottle through the table. "You could probably make a killing in Vegas with that Zatanna Magician." he notes blinking.

Part of him really wants to check for tricks or mirrors but he doesn't, he knows that mutants and metahumans are out there after all. Despite that he accepts the bottle back and looks it over, then carefully opens it and takes a sip like it might actually taste different. Maybe like table.

"Wow .. I mean you could have really got hurt if you fell from the second story.. or.. " he blinks "What if you woke up half way through the floor" okay tha is a morbid thought, he pales a tiny bit.

Then the other teenager is peeling up her jeans to reveal a bit of leg and yeah that is distracting and definitely gets his attention. Ah a bruise. He shifts a bit looking towards it now and then up to Kitty "ouch.. stairs?" yaah he is a bit naive but has no reason to think she was superheroing in a subway right now. "I.. uhm..." he blinks and looks unsure chewing his lip for a moment. "Okay I mean.. I can try.. ?" he looks the bruise over and starts to reach then stops and looks to Kitty for permission to touch.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde nods her head to him. "Go ahead. Just relax. Let it come to you naturally," she suggests to him. Kitty keeps a confident, gentle expression on her face, even if inside she's sort of hoping he doesn't end up having a death touch too that is only now ready to make its appearance.

But she can tell when someone needs a bit of positive in their life. She's been there for the last weeks. Done things she normally wouldn't to feel better. Even if this teen's past actions made Kitty's fists clench, she says a little prayer in her head in Hebrew, asking God to help her get past those impulses and be a better person.

"Go ahead," Kitty says reassuringly, giving him the best smile she can manage.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Well. I mean. He does. His gift technically isn't healing. He just isn't remotely aware of how to do it. He also isn't motivated or angry and lashing out. So all is well.

This time.

He nods at the continued encouragement and well, maybe it is a good sign he actually waited for consent and didn't just make with the grabby hands. Regardless he gently touches the bruise, because damn that looks like it hurts. He is both petrified about the fact he might be a mutant and able to heal and also really does want to help the girl that has been very nice to him and has managed to keep him from realizing how much she wants to bruise her knuckles on him for his past transgressions. "Okay.. here goes nothing." or maybe everything.

He tries to focus on the bruise, staring at it, and yeah he really does want her to heal and he can see the damage. The strangest part though is as he focuses he can actually .. start to feel her life and he bruise in the leg. He has no frame of reference and training to even begin to unpack what he is sensing but he can sense it under his hand. There is a soft gasp from him and somehow he manages to not jerk his hands back like he touched a hot stove. It is a near twitchy thing.

".. sorry..." he nips his lip at that point and concentrates on the bruise he feels, it isn't skin deep. His hands on her shin has a faint glow and in a heartbeat the bruise is gone, health restored.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty actually does give a small sigh of relief, but even if heard, it could be confused with just relief the bruise is gone. "It feels good," she says, her smile coming more readily now as she reaches down and touches the spot. "Can't tell it was ever there. Thank you very much Josh. May I say... that's a beautiful gift that you have."

She straightens out her leg and slides her jean's leg back down over her shin. "It's something to be careful with as you're learning it though. If you want to learn more about it, how to control it, the people here can help. But, it's also a normal school. With Geometry and English Lit and gym class and everything else you'd expect. I actually graduated already and went off to college. But I'm back now and sticking around for awhile, I think."

Kitty glances at the bed. "Would you like to try to get some rest? If you do decide to stick around, we'll find you a room. We have a boys hall and a girls hall. Nice rooms. This place is more like a mansion than most people's ideas of a school," she says.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh looks at his hand now turning it over this way and that way before looking up to Kitty as she talks about it being a beautiful gift there. "I could feel the bruise and your .." he thinks about it "Kind of everything I think.. I didn't really understand any of it though." it was really strange to be honest.

"I .. really don't think I have anywhere else to go." reminded that he evidently can't go home, can't go back to his school too with Duncan and them all that. Christ.

"I.. don't really have anything....." except maybe a school full of mutants and a heaping helping of cognitive dissonance and unconcious and concious biases.

The panic attacks though were kind of exhausting but seriously he was out for quite a while. "Is there a vending machine.. I'm hungry?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty pats Josh's leg and then slips off the bed. "Here, I've got a few of my mother's chocolate babka's you can have. I'll go get a plate for you from the kitchen," she says. "We'll help you with some more clothing, and the food is good. Students do chores around the school to earn spending money. But we make sure nobody is wanting," she says.

Kitty returns with a Tupperware container, opening it up to reveal a quartet of the Jewish pastries. "Here you go. I think there was turkey tonight. Mashed potatoes, and the cook makes a great gravy. Cornbread biscuits. I'll make you up a plate," she says.

Kitty pauses at the door. "I know it's a lot of uncertainty right now. But you will be ok, Josh. I'll get you food, and then you can get some rest. And we'll show you around the school later, ok?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh has no idea what a chocolate babka is but he nods and then when offered the pastries he looks at them curious. He also hasn't ever had jewish food, because yeah his parents definitely not the type to go for ethnic food either.

He picks one up and takes a bite "oh.. this is good!" a half smile and then he nods about a plate being made up, his stomach actually growling a bit. Maybe the healing took it out of him and not just the fact it has been a good while since he ate. So hard to say yet.

"I.. " he hesitates then nods "Thank you... that sounds good."