Starring:
Summary: Sophie and KeLyssa drop in to bring Kory things to occupy her mind as well as feed her heart and body.
Date It Happened: February 28, 2008
Good Medicine
Mt. Sinai Hospital
Kory is sitting up in bed, reading. Being laid up and still under observation for signs of opportunistic infections due to weakened lungs and exposure and anything else that might crop up, she is back to her old habits of reading. Professor Neckbeard swung by with a gift-wrapped package of books and a little reading light, so she's finally reading the first of Leah's werewolf novels. She seems equal parts amused and engrossed. And she's got on a pair of pajamas with Gir from Invader Zim all over them in different poses. She looks comfortable, and much better than she has over the course of this week.
Sophie has a few boxes in her hands. She taps on the door, coming to visit Kory.
Upon entering the hospital, with a big black cloth bag fool of pots and bags of food, KeLyssa Gallagher heads straight to the receptionist. "'Scuse me ma'am, what room is Kory Alexander in again? Only I can't seem to recall." She waits for it to be brought up. Smiling when she's told, she nods and says, "Thank ya ma'am." And starts on her way to the room.
Kory looks up, hearing the door, and blinks, taking a minute to focus a bit as she looks up from her book. "Oh, Sophie, hey there."
Sophie smiles, "Hey there. I'm glad to see you have something to entertain yourself with. I still wasn't sure what to get to help with that." she admits. "So.." she opens some of the packages. There's a variety of the basic puzzle books, a couple of craft projects, drawing pencils and a pad of paper, and writing paper and pencils. "I have no idea what your hobbies are."
KeLyssa approaches the room that Kory is located in and knocks on the door as well. She doesn't wait for a reponse, but rather just enters on in, smiling brighter. "Kory! Brought ya some food!" She smiles at Sophie. "Why, hello there! I wasn't aware there was somebody else here. I'm sorry! I hope ya don't mind the intrusion." She smile kindly. From the bag, the intermingled scents of chicken pot pie, beef stew, and rhubarb pie can be smelt.
"Oh, wow, two visitors," Kory beams. "Both of you, come on in." She listens first to Sophie. "Puzzle books! Awesome! How did you know!" And then she takes a deep breath and looks at KeLyssa with wide eyes. "Woman, did you stuff an entire kitchen in there? It smells great."
Sophie smiles, "Oh, good. Well… I like them. I was hoping." she breathes in, saying, "Oh, no interruption, and whatever that is, it smells fantastic."
KeLyssa grins at Kory. "You know me, boss lady. I've stuffed my whole kitchen in here." She giggles. "I hope you'll like it." She smiles at Sophie too. "It's Beef stew, chicken pot pie, and rhubarb pie for desert. There's enough for all three of us in here, assumin' Kory don't eat it all up. I bet the hospital food's been awful!"
"Beef stew and chicken pot pie and rhubarb pie?" Kory gapes. "I'm going to get fat! I haven't been out of this bed for more than twenty minutes at a time in almost a week!" she protests. "And the hospital food's not …terrible. It's pretty unfortunate, but no worse than I had growing up."
Sophie ohhhhs, "I've been eating college cafeteria food." she says, "That sounds.. like stuff my mom would make."
KeLyssa smiles a little. "You are NOT going to get fat, Kory. This stuff is…thinin'?" She laughs. "Ya gotta eat it, I ain't gonna take no for an answer!" She smiles sweetly. "I can see if I can scrounge up some plates and cutlery for the three of us."
"Pull the other one," Kory grins. "But sure, Dr. Cameo hasn't been picky about what I eat for a couple days now, so this shouldn't be an issue." She grins. "and I could use a good plate of rib-stickin' food. My mom came by earlier, and she was …um…vocal." Which likely means equal parts hysterical sobbing that Kory is alive and mostly well, and chewing Kory out for not seeing her abductor for the sick psycho he obviously is.
Sophie nods, "I can imagine." she says, "I can hear what my mom would say if I was in here…"
KeLyssa shakes her head. "We all know what our momma's would be like in the same situation." She shakes her head. "I'll be right back!" And she's off to find plates, forks, and knives.
"Yeah. I'm probably going to be calling or texting her twice a day for the next few months just so she can sleep at night," Kory says, faintly amused. "She worries. I think she thinks I should get a dog to protect me."
Sophie nods and she smiles, "Well, if you can take care of one.. I love dogs, myself." she looks over, then she says, "I think I met you.. at the store? I'm Sophie Petrov, by the way."
KeLyssa returns quickly with said items. She smiles at Sophie. "Mm, if ya'd met me anywhere it'd be at the store." She grins. "I work there. Sellin' everythin' when Tito an' Boss Lady aren't there."
"Ha, not a problem," Kory tells Sophie. "My second job is dog-walker. I dogsit for the Chrises' dog, Ickle Ronniekins. I've been taking care of dogs for years…and I bet I know just who to get one from." She takes the pencil and paper from what Sophie just handed over to her, and writes herself a note. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you two knew each other. After everything that went down, I've kinda lost track of who-all from the Lair knows and knows each other."
Sophie ahhs and she says, "Well, one time walking into a store after all that's happened? I can imagine forgetting that. I was just another customer."
KeLyssa shakes her head at Kory. "Nah, ya don't got nothin' to be sorry for, Boss Lady." She smiles. "I don't think I actually introduced m'name. KeLyssa. KeLyssa Gallagher." She says with a small smile. "Now. How 'bout some food?"
"Food sounds great," she confirms. "Cam swung by to visit the other day, last time Sophie was here, in fact," Kory tells KeLyssa. "Thanks for looking out for him. I hear it got pretty hairy in the Lair the other night." Her expression is worried, a little curious, but she waits patiently for KeLyssa to open the picnic basket. "The place is still standing, isn't it?"
Sophie nods to that. 'He seems like a very nice kid.'
KeLyssa starts taking out the foods, the stew and the chicken pot pie, leaving the rhubarb pie for later. She looks up at Kory. "Oh…did he?" She smiles. "He'd mentioned wantin' to come an' visit ya here." She says happily. "But…um…things getting hairy at the Lair? Well…you could say that. We um…well…yes, the place is still standing. Nothing is awry. Though some of the regular clientele was kinda annoyed that we were closed for the night."
"Yeah, I can guess they were," Kory says, quietly. "But I'm sure they'll forgive us. The news…it hasn't gotten around too much, has it?" She's worried; but about what? Sales dropping out of fear the Lair attracts psychos? People being afraid for Kory? She doesn't offer anything else to illuminate the source of her concern.
Sophie frowns at the thought. "What kinds of people would be upset at that sort of thing? I'm sure it'll be fine again soon."
KeLyssa smiles kindly at Kory. "It'll be fine. They've lived. They've returned. All's well at the store." She says happily. "An' as far as any o' them know, ya've just been home ill this whole time an' as for Leslie…well, I don't know how well they liked him anyway." She shrugs. "But one way or another, it'll be fine. And he's been taken care of."
"People who don't have many other places to go and spend their time, hon," Kory says sympathetically. "This is a big city, and cold. If you're not mainstream, and you don't have the attitude to be underground, it can run you over like an F train during rush hour." She glances at KeLyssa. "Yeah, I've been told," Kory says quietly. Despite all she's gone through at Leslie's hands, she seems sad about his fate. "Glad I'll be out of here soon, though. I've missed the place, even though I have my comics." Another pile of stuff on the sideboard.
Sophie nods and sighs, 'I suppose. I never had a place like that. THe library, maybe.. but not with other people.'
KeLyssa dishes out food onto all the plates, handing them to Sophie and Kory, giving Kory an extra healthy serving. "Can't have ya starvin' now can we, Kory?" She grins. "Eat up, you two. Don't let it get cold!" She nods firmly.
"Good googly moogly, woman!" Kory gasps, at the size of this plate. "You're feeding me, not the entire New York Rangers hockey team!" She's only protesting playfully. But she does eat like she's good and hungry. She may not kill the entire plate, but she's going to give it the ol' college try, and enjoy it. "You should have her pie," she tells Sophie once she's finished the first bite and had that bliss face of rolled back eyes. "And oh, this is good. This is so good. Why are you working at the Lair and not like, owning your own restaurant?"
Sophie grabs the plate with a grateful smile. She takes a bite, then sighs, eyes closing. There's a few minutes of silence of awe and appreciation as she digs in.
KeLyssa grins at Kory. "Well, someone's gotta feed ya like that, might as well be me. No one else will!" She giggles and starts to take bites of the food herself. Looking down at the food for a few minutes. She looks back up in a few minutes as Kory speaks again. "Well, someone's gotta keep the Lair in workin' order when ya ain't around. Tito sure ain't gonna be able to do it all by himself!"
"Hey, no dodging the question," Kory teases, after another bite. "Between that sweet face, that accent, and this food, you could knock Emeril Lagasse off the map!"
Sophie nods to that, then says, "Did you need any help over at the store, until you're back? I mean, I'm no expert or anything, but I can file, or help with books or something."
KeLyssa giggles even more. "Nah. I don't really got that sorta personality. I mean…ya really think? I hear it ain't easy to open up restaurants none. But still…the Lair needs me. I couldn't leave. Not now." She says coyly, with a tiny little sheepish grin on her face.
"Not now?" Kory asks raising a brow. "Something special going on in the store I should be aware of?" Tito handled the store okay by himself before Kory took it over properly. Then again, the store has seen an increase in clientele lately, too. She decides to just keep eating and not pursue the question.
Sophie is busy with her food, after her offer. She does glance over at KeLyssa at the grin.
KeLyssa smiles and shrugs at Kory. "Just sayin'. Can't leave Tito all alone. What if he gets sick. Who'll run the store then? No. I'm gunna stay put at the store an' help you an' Tito run it. Might even drag my brother al' the way up here from Louisiana." She grins. "I've actually been thinkin' of askin' him to join me up here in New York. He's gettin' antsy down there. Not enough…wood to keep the fireplace burnin', if ya know what I mean." She smiles at Sophie. "Ya know, if ya needed work…" She looks at Kory. "I'm sure we could use another hand 'round the store. I hardly knew anythin' 'bout comics when I started."
Kory raises a brow and flushes visibly at the choice of phrase from her, because that sounds like it means — well, you know. And not much opportunity to indulge her status of being reunited with her Randall in a hospital either. Ahem. "Until I'm well enough to come back in, Sophie, it'd be really appreciated. Thank you for offering. It won't get in the way of your studying?"
Sophie shakes her head, "Oh no. I mean, I'm not the first student to have a job too. And really, the classes I'm taking aren't hard, yet." she chuckles, "Just freshman level English, and some social science classes. I have one nasty math class." she wrinkles her nose at that, "But I have a feeling your customers might actually be able to help with that."
KeLyssa smiles kindly at Kory. Though she had slightly meant to mean two things by her words, she mostly was talking about her brother. "Don't worry your pretty li'l head bout it none, Kory. My brother, you see, he's special." She using the normal term for people like them. "He's…kinda like me. Except the exact opposite. Do ya know what I mean?" She turns to face Sophie. "Well, whenever ya wanna come in, we'd appreciate the help."
Sophie nods, cheerfully. "Great. Just let me know when you need someone. I'm done with classes after 4."
"Tito will show you around. I'll call him and tell him to expect you," Kory tells Sophie. "Ah. Yes, Lyss. I remember you mentioning. You think he needs to swing up here to help you out with that?" She nods at the other woman, and glances briefly toward Sophie with a smile. A signal in silence?
KeLyssa takes bites from her food and stays silent now.
Sophie looks at KeLyssa, to Kory. The 'special' registers, at least with a sort of curiosity.. She says to Kory, casually, "Well, I think a lot of people are special, really. We never know what we can do until we're tested, though."
"That's a generous way of looking at it," Kory admits in response to Sophie. She gets to the point where she can't manage another bite, and sets her plate aside. "Sophie here's been a true friend. She stuck with Randall the whole time all this went down, and helped talk me out of my coma, to hear tell."
KeLyssa smiles a little bit. "Takes a real true friend to do that." She says with a nod to Sophie. "I wish I'd be able to come visit more and help more. I tried to help at the Lair the other night, but I just sorta…lost it…" She says, looking down ashamed. She looks back up a moment later and puts on a smile. "But that's a story for another night." She grins, finishing up her own food. "Now, who wants pie? Home made!"
Sophie blushes, "I just did what I could. I'm just glad I was able to help." she then smiles, "Pie sounds wonderful."
"Geez, KeLyssa, I'm stuffed, but I could probably manage a teeny weeny sliver," Kory replies, patting her midsection. "Thank you for bringing me dinner. It was yummy."
KeLyssa grins at Sophie and Kory. "Well, here comes the pie!" She pulls it out of the bag. "Mm, still warm too!" She smiles widely. "And I think you'll be getting a li'l more than a sliver, Kory. Ain't no way you're gettin' off that easily!" She giggles, cutting fair sized pieces of the rhubarb pie for each of them.
Sophie whoas, and says, "You know, I've never had rhubarb pie. Though I've heard of it." she looks at the pinkish filling curiously.
Kory winces at the huge chunk of pie. "I'm not starving to death, honest, KeLyssa," she insists, though without much conviction. She has the idea it's a losing proposition to argue with her friend here. She has a bite and closes her eyes in bliss face again. "Oh, that's yummy."
KeLyssa smiles at Kory. "Ya see! I knew ya'd like it!" She says happily. "Can't say no to KeLyssa cookin' an' bakin'!. No ma'am!" She laughs.
Sophie takes her own nibble, and she oohs, 'This is good. And not super sweet.' she chuckles, 'I guess I'm kind of weird that way. Not into the sweets as much as some people are.'
Kory smiles, and manages another bite. "It's delicious," she reiterates, "But I really am full." She sets this plate aside too. "Maybe I can bribe Dr. Cameo with a slice, though, and get him to let me have some TV."
KeLyssa grins. "You do just that, Miss Kory. Ya do just that. Tell me how it works out for ya." She says with a firm little nod.
In case it hadn't been noticed, it might as she eats. Sophie is wearing gloves. Good, sturdy, but flexible brown leather ones that are long enough to extend under her sleeves. She finishes the pie, sighing contentedly, "I may not be able to move now."
"It's a good thing I don't have to move," Kory agrees. "I won't have to eat until Wednesday!" She looks apologetically at the plates she wasn't able to finish. "It was really great, though, KeLyssa. Thanks again for coming by."
The nurse pops her head in and smiles to see that Kory has company. Again. "More flowers came by for you." She sets a small potted African Violet next to the apple blossoms that came from Peter, and the candy from Randall she still hasn't touched yet. "But we're about 15 minutes from the end of visiting hours."
Sophie awws, but she gets up. "Well, you take care." she smiles.
KeLyssa smiles and sighs softly. "I care 'bout ya Kory. Don't forget that." She says quietly. She looks as the nurse enters. Nodding, she says, "I was just 'bout to leave." She looks at Kory. "See ya back at the apartment? I'll have a nice li'l dinner ready for your return." She moves in to hug Kory. "See ya soon. An' the rest of the food here is for ya too. Enjoy it. G'night." She smiles at Sophie. "I'll walk out with ya."
Sophie nods as she smiles, "Thanks. I'd rather under different circumstances, but it has been nice to meet some people in this city."
Kory returns the hug. "Thank you both for coming. I really appreciate it." She pauses, considering her next words. "You two should talk. Get to know each other a bit." Another pause, before she adds, "Lyss? You know how I added that section of the store laid out by powers? You may wanna explain to Sophie the reason for that." There. That's all she can say without saying so many words. "Heh, me too, Sophie, but really, I'm okay, so the circumstances are better than they could be, and for that I'm thankful."
KeLyssa smiles at Kory. "Yeah…I'll let 'er know." She says, giving a little grin to Sophie. "I think you'll find it kinda interestin'."
Sophie does get a reference. She looks very curious. "Oh, really? I probably should know about that, if I'm going to work there."
And slowly but surely, this tale fades. Like the phoenix, though, it shall soon be reborn out of the ashes, and rekindled in the hearts of men, women, and children all across the land.