Every fight has a purpose (Open)

[peacemongering]

who: Alexander Pierce & Open
what: Come visit him at the hospital or home during his recovery.
when: Beginning-Mid April
where: Riverview Hospital / Communal Housing
warnings: None yet


i. Hospital
[Alexander was no slouch when it came to pain, but it had been quite some time since he had been injured so severely that he could recall. After the Winter Soldier had fled after assaulting him, he had managed to stagger his way out of his office until an employee had come across him and made a fuss of calling for medical assistance.

The Riverview Hospital was a fine establishment; he often volunteered his time there comforting and playing games with those who were there for the long haul. This was his first time being admitted as a patient, and while he wouldn't remember much of the first few days thanks to the miracles of excellent pain management therapy, he was taken to surgery to repair the broken cheek bone that caused his eye to sag in the socket. The surgery certainly didn't help with any of the bruising that he had developed and the whole right side of his face was a blackened bruise with an impressive shiner to boot.

He had a line of fine sutures at his hairline, and his recovery had been fraught with headaches. It was difficult to read books, work on his crosswords or even to watch television. He often contented himself with a request of a radio to listen to classical music. He chatted with the nurses and doctor stuff when he could but otherwise, he looked forlorn at sitting in a hospital room looking out the window.

Mentally, he was planning where to take this situation for his own express benefit. There would be many that would say he deserved the strike, though he hadn't yet revealed how the incident had occurred. Whenever the medical staff had asked, he simply said it was a private matter and the individual in question was in a difficult place.

So, any visitors while he was awake were appreciated. He tried to work when he wasn't fighting a headache, but otherwise, he lay in patient wait for his discharge date.]

ii. Communal Housing

[His release date had been delayed until he could prove he could walk steady on his feet and ascend and descend stairs well. Even then, he made certain to move gingerly on uneven surfaces and when he was climbing the stairs. Some of the staff had been concerned that he lived alone and that it was not the best scenario to release him into with the occasional headache that he suffered from. He was an adult, and he was certain he could continue to mind himself just fine, thank you very much.

He made his way back to his room in the Communal Housing complex with a small bag of groceries, finding it unfair that he had missed such an exciting festival. No matter, he took himself up the stairs and unlocked his door, shuffling inside after a nod of greeting to anyone that was passing by. His facial bruises now had a wonderfully distinct greenish hue to them and they were yellowing at the edges, but he had clearly been in some kind of accident.

Inside and the first matter of business was settling the kettle to boil for a cup of tea. He was planning on returning to work very soon, not willing to be cooped up in the apartment. Besides, there were important people to check in with, projects that would be awaiting his final approval before heading into testing phase.

Any visitors to his small abode were also welcome, though he wasn't as well-sorted to receive guests as he normally was. Still, he would answer the door with any number of his usual greetings.]

Comments

Hospital

[jolting]

[Victor usually tried to visit Pierce whenever he was on shift. He'd been the one to do the surgery and liked checking in to see how the man was recovering. At least he was taking it a little better than Ren had.

He had not been one of the staff who asked how Pierce had been injured. That sort of bruise was clearly from a fight, and the details behind it were Pierce's business. Making sure the man recovered was Victor's]

You should get out. Take a walk. You look pathetic just sitting there staring out the window.

[Always depend on Victor for the best bedside manner]

[peacemongering]

[One of the benefits of being in the hospital was that it allowed him new opportunities for convincing the good doctor to coming and working for him full time instead. He may have been providing space for... extra-curricular activities, but he would clearly be needing medical staff closer to home now that he had taken the hit that he had.

He turned his gaze from the window when Dr. Whale entered, folding his hands neatly in his lap.]

Well, under previously circumstances, I would have family all flocked around my bedside and wouldn't nearly look as pathetic as I do.

[He wasn't able to be as expressive as before, but he knew that would come once all the bruising had gone.]

Are you offering to walk with me? I've thought of yet a new proposition.

[jolting]

[It's true Victor hasn't really devoted himself to Prometheus Labs as much these days, focusing his scientific knowledge on Lucy more than anything. But he does still offer the lab and its employees his medical services-- much to the annoyance of Ren.

He raises an eyebrow at those words]

Yeah, sure. Probably a good idea to have someone on the staff accompany you.

[peacemongering]

[He took no offense to not seeing Victor as much. The man clearly had matters of a personal nature to devote to, but there was no denying the skill. After all, he likely wouldn't scar.]

Are you saying I'm incapable to keeping myself on my feet? [His tone was light and amused, and he eased his way out of bed as if to prove a point. There were times when he wasn't as certain of his footing.]

I would be most upset if I had a brain injury. It's about the only part that works at full capacity.

[jolting]

I'm saying if you lose your footing, it's better to have someone close by who can help you.

One turn around the hospital. Let's see how you feel after that.

[peacemongering]

I'm capable of rising if I fall, Doctor.

[He wasn't about to say no to the company though, even as he stepped into his slippers and wandered his way out of the room and into the hallway. He nodded and smiled to the nurses who were good at keeping an eye on him.]

What is your most preferred area of study?

[jolting]

[He says nothing to that, sticking his hands in his pockets while following after Pierce]

Well, I think I have chemistry and human biology down pretty well. I'd like to learn more about engineering, computer science, space science... I wouldn't mind diving into theoretical physics.

So I don't really have a preference, really. I just want to learn more in general.

[peacemongering]

[He looked over at Victor as they walked, nodding slowly.]

That open to learning? That gives you excellent prospects. A willingness to learn and push boundaries is the key to success from what I've seen.

[jolting]

Didn't you have something you wanted to discuss with me?

[He doesn't need your encouragement or flattery, Pierce]

[peacemongering]

Aren't you supposed to let me gas-bag a bit to warm you up first?

[He was going to give Victor whatever he thought would keep the man wandering around with him for the time being.]

Does the mind fascinate you? How it works?

[jolting]

You already hired me. I don’t know why you feel the need to warm me up. Unless you want to extend my job in some way.

[He shrugs at that] Sure. I wouldn’t want to be a psychologist, but the workings of the mind are fascinating.

[peacemongering]

And yet, you still work here. I must have done a very poor hiring contract that day.

[He was mostly jesting. If it weren't for Victor, he wasn't certain he would have felt as comfortable with facial surgery.]

Psychology is only good at predicting unhealthy patterns. I was more speaking on the facets of neurology itself. Altering brain chemistry and neuron connections.

[jolting]

Lucky for your face I still work here, wouldn’t you say?

[That gets his attention. If he’d known more about neurology, could he have helped Gerhardt and Daniel?]

I’d love to study it in more depth. I know a little bit, but it never hurts to know more.

[peacemongering]

While true, I thankfully no longer require this face to woo the leaders of other countries and sweet talk political adversaries. Perhaps it's about time it was returned as it was.

[This was a public place, so it was only one where potential interest in the subject could be gleaned. There could not no pointed questions or blunt inquires.]

I personally find neurology fascinating. Did you know that there was a country from my world that used technology to implant thoughts and ideas? [More than one. Subliminal messages had always been a subtle art.]

[jolting]

Yes, I read something on the subject. I believe they call it television. But seriously, I heard of methods that use various techniques. Like the Pavlovian method.

[He’s keeping his tone neutral, throwing in that joke to make the conversation seem less heavy to any who might overhear]

[peacemongering]

Yes, but television also has a nasty habit of brain rotting and decreasing intelligence over time. Just look at all that reality television.

[He nodded and smiled as they passed a nursing station, keeping conversation light and easy.]

Do you believe there is a Greater Good?

[jolting]

[He can't help rolling his eyes at that change of subject]

I believe that other people believe there is, and that it's subjective based on their views. I'm honest enough to admit that all of my ambitions and goals are for my family first. And then to the community with my work as a doctor. If people want to see what I do as some "greater good", then that's fine.

[peacemongering]

[Rolling of the eyes? He internalized his sigh of disappointment at that. He liked Victor, thought the man had plenty of potential, but this exchange was like a flashback to suggesting to his teenage daughter (way back in the day) that accept the opinion of her sister.]

I wasn't aware that you had a family here. Has the portal brought them here? A shame. I believe your work can and will take you far.

[jolting]

I'd like to think it already has. But if you have suggestions on how I can expand my work farther, I'm open to hearing them. I just thought it'd be useful for you to know that I don't need any convincing about a "greater good".

[He's not going to answer the query about his family. He really wants Pierce to get to whatever point he's trying to make]

[peacemongering]

I think you could go further if you have the ambition to. The programs in this city are excellent when it comes to balancing addiction and treatment, but I would like to have a program in place where addiction isn't a mental disorder that needs to be corrected because it simply won't exist.

[He paused in his walking to regard Victor, gingerly scratching his relatively healthy cheek.]

Mental illness is also conditions that bother me. How many festivals play on the emotions and mental states of the people here? So many participate for the feeling of bliss, and yet, why do we need continual festivals to fill that need?

[jolting]

[He can't help the flash in his eyes at that comment. Really? Saying he doesn't have ambition? But he says nothing, letting Pierce continue. Victor lets the words roll around in his mind in silence for a few moments.

He has to be very careful with this when he answers]

What you're proposing would require someone on staff with extensive experience in science, particularly with chemistry. And it'd benefit you that this person is also a medical doctor, as they would need to understand neurology.

[peacemongering]

[Well, there was something at least. He watched and gauged by the reaction and the words that came. So much of human communication was body language after all, and everything unsaid would have to be considered as well.

He took great care with his words as well, though he had years of experience covering his wariness.]

That would be correct in all regards. I would need someone who was willing to push boundaries.

[jolting]

Obviously. I can't really think of anyone other than myself who would fit all of those qualifications.

[No reason to hide the ego on this one]

[peacemongering]

I thought so as well, but I do have concerns you wouldn't be willing to push the boundaries hard enough.

[He certainly wasn't looking to torture people or do procedures against their will, but some medicine required a brute frankness from his experience.]

[jolting]

Is that right.

[He's actually more amused than offended at that. He smirks and taps his nametag. Pierce might not have noticed, since Victor was still going by "Whale" when they last met. But since then, he's gone back to his real name. So the nametag reads "Frankenstein"]

Either you're completely unfamiliar with my work, or you don't believe I'm the real Victor Frankenstein. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who's pushed boundaries the way I have.