2009-11-14: Cass to the Rescue (Again)

Starring:

Cass_V4icon.pngErin_V4icon.png

Date: November 14, 2009

Summary:

Erin has few people she trusts. Unfortunately (For Cass) one of them is Cass.


"Cass to the Rescue (Again)"

Enlightenment Books

So Erin is visiting the moon.

At least, that's kind of what it feels like. Pain killers will do that to a person, though. And yet, she still manages to maintain her composure and even looks halfway decent by the time she checks herself out of the hospital and hails herself a cab. It actually wasn't checking herself out so much as it was just leaving the room and hoping no one noticed. Surprisingly easy in a busy hospital.

In any case, she couldn't wait any longer. There's someone she trusts to help her with her current issue. Someone who kind of knows the world in which Erin's unwillingly become involved.

The cab pulls up to Enlightenment Books, and Erin tries to figure out how much she's supposed to give the driver. Eventually, she ends up stepping out of the cab, hands over the first bill she can find, and tells the cabbie to keep the change. It must have been plenty, because the man doesn't argue.

Her arm is wrapped and in a sling. It's not in a cast, mostly because of the big gaping wound on the top side, but that's another story. She probably shouldn't be out of the hospital yet, but here she is, wandering toward the door and staring down at it. How do these things work again?

—-

Enlightenment Books isn't technically open yet. It's early in the day and right now it's just Cass in the store, cleaning and straightening things as well as restocking shelves. The door may not be working for Erin because at the moment it's locked. The 'Closed' sign is still turned, but the scrambling at the door catches the owner's attention. With an armful of books, she weaves her way through the shelves toward the front of the store to see what all the commotion is.

When she sees that it's Erin at the door, she quickly unlocks it and holds it open for the soap opera star. "Erin!" Gesturing and keeping out of the way, the brunette looks confused at the appearance of her friend. Especially seeing as her arm is in a sling. "What happened?" That's for the sling, of course. "Are you alright?" For now she leaves off the other question of what she's doing here. It's always good to see her, but it's been a rare occasion for her to come to the store.

—-

Erin glances behind her, before stepping past Cass and into the store. "Taine finds out, he's gonna drag me back to the hospital," she mutters absently, finding the nearest thing to lean on. There's a sigh, before the long story begins. "So, I got this call last night. 'Come into the studio, we need you to work on a set.' It's almost midnight, and I'm like, 'what the hell,' but I go in anyway." She smirks, nearly leaning herself right off the shelf and onto the floor, but she manages to catch herself with her good arm.

"So I go in, and I walk into the sound stage, and the door slides open, and there's this — pop can, or something. So I run, and suddenly, the sound stage is full of people."

Erin massages her head, sighing, looking around. "Got any place to sit down? Don't mean to bother you— Or, hah, I guess I do, really. Yeah, I do. Seriously, though, I think I need you for this."

—-

Confused, Cass just closes and locks the door behind Erin. She follows slowly after the actress and when she leans against the bookshelf, the brunette winces, hoping that it won't topple. It doesn't, luckily, and she is able to use her free arm to steer her toward the stool behind the counter. It may not have a back, but at least it's something to rest her weight on.

"I need a bit more information," she gently prompts Erin. So far all she's gotten is a pop can and a stage full of people. Also, something about Taine. Now that the drifting woman is planted firmly, she can get more information out of her, hopefully. "I'd be glad to help…but I just need to know what happened. Start at the beginning. You got a call about going to the studio? What happened?"

—-

"I think… Someone came after me," she says, the expression on her face becoming something of a scowl. She glances sideways, then back up at Cass. "That thing they threw in. You know in those army movies where they have those things— They— I can't think of the word."

Her brow furrows as she thinks, but she's in too much pain to really consider it any further. "It started smoking, so I thought I'd go up. The walkways above the set. But they were all over the place, and then— " She still skips the part about how she accidentally killed someone. Maybe if she denies it long enough, she'll forget it ever happened. That's not likely to happen, though. After all, she still sees that doomed woman's expression when she closes her eyes. "I think they darted me. I couldn't make people sick anymore - I tried. So I jumped off the walkway. They either let me go, or they couldn't find me. I don't know."

—-

Erin's story is startling. Throughout most of it, Cass listens attentively but with a clearly surprised look on her face. "A smoke bomb?" she offers at the beginning of it when that's what she thinks Erin is describing. The only stool out front right now is the one that Erin is sitting on now, so the store owner leans against the counter. It sounds like the government attempting to take someone else. "…you jumped off the walkway?" That must be how she hurt her arm. "Are you alright? Other then the arm? Have you gone to the hospital? Wait, right, you said that you had." Or implied it, since Taine would drag her back there. And then they let her go? This…doesn't make sense to her. What happened? "Do you want something to drink?" If she's on medication, she's not about to offer any more, in fear that it would interfere with it.

—-

"I had to get away," she says. "I don't know what they would have done with me— " Grunting, she rubs her head. "Yeah, just water's fine. And I figured, if I stayed at the hospital, they would have found me there or… Something, I don't know." Her shoulders slump. Though tired, she seems otherwise okay. Her arm still hurts, but the pain killers are taking the edge off. "Couple bruises and scrapes, but otherwise fine. It was only a one story drop - or somewhere around there. And I landed — I think I landed - on a camera bay. Broke my fall. I called Taine last night. Would have had him call you, but I just wanted something for the pain. I don't want to go back there, though. I just keep thinking, if they knew enough to get me to the studio, they might be able to find me at the hospital… My arm's broken. Can you take a look at that? You're like a doctor, right?"

—-

Already walking toward the backroom to get that glass of water for Erin, Cass pauses for a moment at the doorway. "Well, actually, I was a med student. But, I know enough to splint it. Though, you'd have to go to the hospital to get it cast - which I'd recommend." Then, she ducks past the doorway and the sound of running water is barely audible. After a few moments, she returns with a full glass and sets it on the counter right in front of the actress. "Is the camera boy alright?" she asks, surprised. "There were other people there?" That might be easier to get a story out of them, too. Get a general idea of what happened so that she can piece it together from someone who isn't on medication. "If it was the people who have been taking others with abilities, they'd take you away. I don't know for sure what they do to people after that." It's enough to agree that Erin did right to get away. "If you go to a different hospital than usual and use a fake name, I don't think they'd be able to find you in the time it would take to cast." She waits for Erin to finish her water before getting around to looking at her arm.

—-

"No, no, there was no one else there. I mean, there were— But they were the— " How do you describe them? Suits, agents— "Bad guys. The bad guys. No one from the studio was around." It was stupid to go there in the middle of the night. Last time she stayed late, Peter almost killed her. And this time… "They called me, lied to me, I guess, to get me there. Heh. Hah." She suddenly starts laughing, shaking her head. "Man, they must have thought I was dangerous. There must have been two dozen people there for me…" Dangerous. Yeah, she can kind of see why they'd think that. After all…

The laughter almost seamlessly becomes tears. Maybe it's just the stress. Reaching for the water, all she can do is hold it for the time being. "They can't put a cast on it. It was a — " What'd they call it. "Where the bone goes through. It was bad. They stitched it, but they have to change the dressing…" She starts trying to tug her arm out of the sling, but it's obviously causing some pain.

And in the process, that glass of water falls to the floor.

For a moment, it looks like she might cry more, but then… "Do you ever just really want your mom sometimes? I'd settle for a sibling."

—-

Perhaps Erin should just not work overtime any more. Or stay late after hours at the studio. It never seems to end well. The thought of Erin as dangerous is something that Cass can't really say much about. It's a delicate subject, as she classifies Erin in that same sort of category as Peter. Peter has powers that are dangerous but he himself isn't. She would classify Erin in that same sort of space. The things that she is capable of are great and terrifying, but she can't reconcile the idea of her actually following through with them.

When the laughter moves into tears, the bookstore owner gives the actress a sympathetic look. Without thinking - though she's careful of the arm - she moves forward in the attempt to give Erin a soft and careful hug. That's all she can think of to do in order to comfort her. Hugs cure all, right? Or at least they help other people feel better. For now, she doesn't say anything. It's clear that there are a few things the other woman needs to say, or at least verbally release and until that's finished she'll leave her to it.

Letting the water spread out over the floor and the glass stay broken where it is now, Cass nods. "I do." She had many times in the past year when that was all that she wanted. Her mother and her father to hold her and tell her the pain would all go away. Gently, she takes the arm from Erin to look at it closer. "We'll find a way to fix this, Erin."

—-

Erin wouldn't ever hurt anyone. Not on purpose! But she was so scared, and the only thing she could think of was getting away. And the only way she could get through those guns was to use her power.

And that woman, looking at her with her bleeding eyes…

So she's some kind of monster. But she doesn't have to let anyone know that, right? Man, as much as she hates Peter now, she can almost empathise with him… The only difference is that Peter had someone to go apologise to. How could Erin have let something like that happen?

She leans into the hug. It's too much work to push Cass away. Too much work to play the tough guy right now. "Can't fix everything," she says absently as Cass looks at her arm. The break was not clean. The arm looks like it's been painted purple, honestly, with the ugly bruise that's managed to cover most of it. And along the top, there's a long, stitched line. "I don't think I was supposed to move it."

—-

"No," Cass admits. She can't fix everything. But she can try. That's been the basis of Cass' whole being for two years. While she can't actually fix everything in the world, she can attempt to. Because she can't just sit by and do nothing. "But, we can work on what we can."

Just looking at Erin's arm makes the faux-doctor wince. That doesn't not look like any sort of good break, let alone something that she herself can fix. "N-no. I don't think you should have moved that, either." It's not even something that she'd feel comfortable splinting, as it looks too bad in order for her to set it in any way that wouldn't leave Erin passed out on the floor from pain. Plus, she doesn't even think there is a proper way to do that right now.

"I…don't think there's much I can do for this, Erin," she tells the woman honestly, sounding sincerely sorry about that. "It needs professional attention." And she feels terrible about saying that after just saying she would fix what she could. "If you'd like, I'll go with you to the hospital and stay with you. Just in case." With the two of them, they could look for anyone that attempted to get her. "And I'm working on figuring out how to keep people safe from those guys that attacked you."

—-

Not what she wanted to hear. The expression on the actress' face says that pretty clearly. "What good are you, then," she mutters, accidentally allowing that to slip. Not that she's particularly tactful in the best of circumstances… and this is hardly the best of circumstances.

She'll probably regret saying that later. To Erin, friends just aren't disposable. And when she finally lets someone in, she doesn't tend to use them as if they were. Right now, though, the morphine is talking.

"I was at Mt. Sinai. They're probably wondering where I am about now," she says. Clearly, she is unhappy about going back, but she also doesn't want her arm to heal crooked. "Taine knows what's going on, but he has to be on set… It's already going to look suspicious when I'm not there…" Hopeful eyes turn to Cass. Erin will very rarely admit that she wants or needs help, but it looks like she's going to readily accept Cass' offer.

But.

There's always a but. "So, just to be clear, you can't do anything, right? Like breathe fire on bad guys? 'cuz that would help, if you've been holding out on me."

—-

"I've got a lot of uses. But, fixing a bone like this isn't one of them right now." Cass is trying to not take Erin's statement personally, but it's hard. Reminding herself that the woman is on pain medication and more likely to say things she doesn't really mean, she manages to push it down to something she can forget. She attempts to keep herself focused on the point here.

"That'd be a pretty good guess." People checking out on their own really isn't encouraged and is - in fact - pretty frowned upon. "Tell them you got into a fight with your lesbian lover and you're leaving her now. Scandal." Yes, sometimes Cass reads the tabloids. They're all over the corner stores and it's hard not to read when her friend is on the front page. "If you'd like, we could go back there. Or, we could just forget Mt. Sinai and go to another hospital."

As for breathing fire and all the other abilities, Cass just smiles and shrugs. "I can inject people with tranquilizers and I can make people stop in their tracks with the cuteness of my daughter. But, that's about it." There was a short period where she could affect peoples emotions, but she no longer has that ability and doesn't even like to think about.

—-

"I didn't mean…" she starts, but the statement isn't finished. She's disappointed that Cass can't help her, but she wouldn't have come here if she didn't trust the woman with her life.

Erin can't help laughing, though. Of course Cass would read the tabloids. Everyone else in the world has. "Keep the rumour going. Means the spotlight's off Taine and me." There's a pause, then "Don't tell anyone." She knows the secret's safe with Cass, and even manages a half-smile for her as she eases herself off the stool. "What about the store? You…" No. Now is not a time to be selfless. Really, is there ever a time Erin is selfless? It doesn't happen often, and rumours say that it's a spectacular, glorious event when it happens, worth filming and showing on the Discovery channel. Alas, that it's never been captured on tape. "Okay, I won't lie to you. I need someone there, so… Forget about the store, I'll just make you out a check for — how much do you usually make in a day?"

Least she can do. Right?

"Sinai's fine. Taine'll have kittens if he comes by and I'm not there."

Wait a second. "When did you have a kid?"

—-

Of course that's what Erin meant, but that doesn't mean the stray statement didn't hurt the woman a little. While Cass may seem like she's a very generous person, she has her own ego sometimes. Letting the whole thing pass by without another comment, her actions of want to help her and close the store down for awhile in order to go to the hospital to wait for Erin should be enough to let the actress know that she isn't holding a grudge.

"I won't," she promises to keep Taine and Erin's secret close to the vest. "Though I'm heartbroken that Taine won't come to sweep me off my feet." Despite the fact that she's happily married and has a kid. Taine's a soap star! And dreamy! Even married women can daydream about him. "And don't worry about the store. Amy'll be coming in later in the day. I'll let her know that I won't be here. Until then, it can stay closed." And she most likely won't take any check from Erin. This is about friendship.

There's a surprised smile at the question. "A couple of months ago. I had the baby before the wedding." So, it wasn't a shotgun wedding, but the addition of Abby to the family was enough to speed things up. "Her name's Abigail."

—-

It's good to have friends sometimes, even if Erin doesn't really deserve them.

Taine is pretty cute, though his charm is completely lost on Erin. Really! She can't see it at all. Then again, she didn't like him when they first met, and she kind of got to know him for his personality before she saw the whole cute factor. "Hey, don't count out the possibility just yet," she says, though her voice is a bit flat. The pain killers are starting to wear off. She should have brought the morphine with her. Somehow.

"Congrats. Would have sent some baby stuff in the basket if I'd known." Maybe she should have looked over the invite a little more clearly. Feeling suddenly guilty, she says, "I'm really sorry I didn't come. I'll have to meet your daughter as soon as I can walk without falling over." And she will make time for Cass. There's no words to describe how much Erin appreciates this.

—-

"Don't worry, I'll hope that he won't." Cass is no homewrecker. Plus, how could she be with a great husband and daughter? It's all she can do but sing their praises every day. Hearing the change in Erin's voice, she realizes this would probably be a conversation better held in a cab on the way to the hospital. "I'm going to go get my coat. I'll be right back." Ducking into the back room, she snags her purse and her coat, already pulling the keys to the front door out of her purse so that it'll be easier to lock the door. She'll call Amy from the hospital to let her know what's going on. Also, to clean up the broken glass by the register so she doesn't step on it.

Reaching an arm out to help Erin off the stool and toward the door, Cass attempts to steer her out to the street. "Thanks. And don't worry about it. You're busy, we understood. Plus, we didn't really want to make a huge thing about it on the wedding invite. You'll meet her soon. After we get your arm all taken care of."

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