2007-03-10: Houston, We Have A Problem

Starring:

Mara_icon.gif Matt_icon.gif Mohinder_icon.gif Molly_icon.gif

Date It Happened: March 10, 2007

Summary: The four M's regroup at the hospital, Matt has a plan!

Log Title Houston, We Have a Problem


Mt. Sinai

It only takes as long as traffic allows, and crazy taxi cab driving added to the mix for Mohinder to reach the hospital. He has no idea how he's going to get Mara out, but with Matt meeting him here, it might not be too much of a problem. The first place he'd trust for Molly's safety is the last place he can go tonight, so Kirby Plaza is out of the question. He's out of breath by the time he reaches Mara's room. Suresh doesn't bother knocking, or announcing himself, he just opens the door and rushes in. "Mara? Matt's on the way, are you ready?"

Mara just about jumps out of her skin, pulling her button-down shirt around her quickly so Mohinder doesn't get an eyeful more than he bargained for. "Jesus Christ. You move fast." She turns her back on the geneticist and starts buttoning up the top. She took the time to wash up a bit before the arrival. If nothing else, she'd have some dignity if Sylar beat them to her. Buttoning her shirt is a little more difficult than it should be, with her trembling fingers, but eventually she succeeds, leaving the last two undone. "I'm ready." She dashes to the nightstand and retrieves her keys and her phone, tucking them into her pockets.

"This is Sylar we're talking about, we have to move fast." Mohinder stresses as he averts his eyes for the woman's privacy. "I'm not sure where to hide you or Molly just yet, it will have to be someplace he won't think to look." He looks out into the hall, up and down. "We should stay put here. For the moment. Until Matt arrives."

Mara nods and runs her fingers through her hair. "We could… What are we going to do? Leave town?" She doesn't seem to relish that idea, but it's probably not the worst idea.

That shiny new badge on Matt's belt, visible when his jacket flaps as he runs, is Matt's ticket through the hospital unquestioned. But he doesn't even notice the perk. There's way too much on his mind. Molly's backpack, a very unmanly pink thing, is slung over one shoulder, and the girl's hand is gripped firmly in Matt's opposite hand. Damaris' room number was passed around the department when she was first hospitalized in hopes that her colleagues would come and visit her. He's been kicking himself the whole way here - it's stupid to bring Molly to the exact place where Lieutenant Holcome has ordered plainclothes guards - the exact place where Sylar is sure to go first. If anything, Mara is safest here, but Molly definitely isn't. "Mohinder," he pants as he clears the door, thankful to rest for a moment. His eyes glance to Mara, then the doctor. "She's not safe with her. And /she's/," indicating Mara, "is safest /here./ If S-… If he comes after her here, we'll have evidence." Hospitals have surveillance. Molly's hand is squeezed to reassure her, and Matt kicks himself again for not explaining everything yet. "Holcome's got your back, Damaris." All the same, bait is bait. And capturing Sylar is second only to keeping Molly safe.

"Maaatt!" Molly is almost entirely in the dark about what is going on here. All of the sudden she was home with the babysitter and the next Matt was telling her to pack some things and go with him immediately. "Stop going so fast! You're hurting my arm!" He's got her in quite a firm grip and there's no yanking out of it. Unaware of what real potential danger she's in, she's mostly just confused. "Mohinder! Officer Damaris!" She knew this is where they were going and that she would see them here, but she greets them both. "What is going /on/?"

"I don't know. In a city this size, there's got to be someplace we…" Mohinder trails off as Matt rushes in, Molly in tow. He looks relieved to see the girl, but isn't too pleased with Matt's directive. Even if he's got a fair point. There's just no lying to Molly right now is there? "We've got a problem, Sylar was let out of jail. But we're going to keep you and the detective save. Alright?" He looks to Matt, his decision made. "I'll take Molly with me to another part of the hospital, so that we stay close. This is as good a place as any right now."

Mara fixes her fellow officer with a look. She doesn't speak. She knows she doesn't have to. 'If I stay here, people die. Gray will kill them.' She avoids saying the words out loud, afraid to upset Molly. Unfortunately, she can't really choose what Matt's going to hear. 'Dammit, Mohinder. You can't leave me with Parkman!'

Matt drops to his knees in an attempt to gather Molly into his arms while still looking into the girl's eyes. Mohinder explains the essentials, however. "Don't worry, Molly, we're going to keep you safe." He looks over his shoulder a bit at Mohinder and narrows his eyes a bit. "/This/ room is going to be guarded." Molly's won't be, unless Mohinder decides to take up a post. The newly instated detective looks at Molly and offers his best attempt at a reassuring smile. "I have a new job, Molly. And that's to catch Sylar and make sure he doesn't hurt /anyone/ /ever/ again." Mara's thoughts hit him when he least expects it, and Matt looks to the laid up desk-jockey next. He has to be careful here. "We /could/ make sure everyone stays safe by putting you in the Catskills, Damaris," he mumbles, "but then we wouldn't be able to find /him/ as easily. You're still supposed to serve and protect." Maybe Molly can go hang out in the mountains for awhile.

Molly allows Matt to hug her. She trusts him completely and he already knows that about her. It's all over her thoughts if not her words. "You got a new job?" Molly is surprised and pleased. "You passed your exam?" Even in this sort of situation, she can't help but be happy for Matt. This is something he's been wanting since she knew him. She looks around at those in front of her in a curious manner. "We can't just leave Officer Damaris, Matt. He…he might hurt her."

Mohinder glances sidelong at Mara, "Trust Matt and your other officers to slow him down. He /is/ still without his abilities. /If/ he shows up here, he can't exactly stand up to several armed officers." Then.. at the most inappropriate time ever. Mohinder starts to laugh as relief floods over. No, he hasn't lost his mind. Yet. Completely. Anyway. He crouches down in front of Molly, "Do you have your atlas with you?"

Mara reels back, positively fuming. "You're using me as /bait/?!" She stops fuming long enough to gape. "You got /promoted/?! You've got /my case/?!" This is so unfair! "Lieutenant Holcombe partnered you with /Demsky/?!" Her life is over, clearly. Even Mohinder can't calm her now. Damaris steps away, turning her back on the gathering. "Oh for the love of-" She balls her hands into fists at her sides. Breathe, Mara. Parkman, you son of a bitch. I can't believe you took my position.

Matt gives Molly's shoulders and back a soft rub before he scoots away and stands up, sliding the backpack off his shoulder. He's sure he threw the atlas in there, but in the rush…well, it's possible he could have forgotten it. Maybe Molly had the foresight. "Mohinder's right, Molly. Damaris will be alright." With the other detective freaking out, it takes a bit of effort for Matt to put aside his reaction in order to continue to calm Molly. But once he moves away, leaving the geneticist to that task, Damaris is free game. "/Look/," he says in a low whisper as he moves toward the recently injured woman, "it's no one's fault but your own he's bound to come here first. So you can own up, take responsibility, and try to make the best of your current situation, or you can put /more/ lives in danger than just your own. Don't you want this guy behind bars? Don't you want him…" and Matt glances back at Molly and Mohinder, "…don't you want /justice?/" There's a euphemism.

Grabbing her backpack from Matt, Molly goes searching through it. "My…my atlas!" In the crazy rush, the girl forgot it. She can't find it in her backpack anywhere. She looks crushed. "I don't have it." Her face crumples, as if she let everyone down. The fight between Mara and Matt makes her uneasy and she edges closer to Mohinder while it happens. "I don't want Officer Damaris to stay where she could get killed, Matt." Someone should listen to her!

"Ssssh, it's alright Molly," Mohinder says soothingly as he reaches to gently take Molly's face in his hands. "We'll get you something else to use. Alright sweetheart? Matt won't let anything happen to Detective Damaris. Sylar does not have his powers, and there are enough officers to stop him from reaching her." This little turn of events has been enough to chase the heavy weight of other things from his mind. Now he's focused on Molly, and this task.

Mara turns to meet Matt's gaze. "What I want, /Detective/, is to put a bullet in his face." She sweeps past the new detective and goes to kneel in front of Molly. "Sweetie, he won't kill me." I hope. "Gabriel Gray isn't any match for me. You see, I've seen the charm you drew for Mohinder, and now I know I'm protected." Get. Me. Out. I'll be damned if he's getting the credit for any of this.

"Sounds to me like you want glory," Matt says as he turns toward Mara again and narrows his eyebrows. There's no way he's going to let Damaris sweet-talk /his/ little girl for long. He has to squint his eyes shut for a moment, as the thoughts from both Molly and Mara start to sting, they're so loudly expressed. Closing the distance between Damaris and the his roommates, Matt reaches out to place a hand on her shoulder, if she'd allow such a thing. "If you stay here, and Sylar /does/ get past the men on your door, then you'll have your chance." And you can paint all the pretty pictures you want with his blood, you Special Little Girl. "If you want the credit for this, running away and hiding from the mess /you/ made isn't going to get you it. /Serve/ and /protect./"

Molly frowns and clings tighter to her backpack. She feels so lost without her trusty atlas. It's so much harder to pinpoint people without it. Everyone is angry with each other and fighting and worried and it's making Molly upset. While Matt and Mara have their discussion about putting bullets into people's heads, Molly moves in closer to Mohinder for the security he provides.

"Come along Molly," Mohinder says gently as he moves to guide the girl from the room. 'Molly doesn't need to hear this,' Mohinder thinks 'aloud' as he tries to get Molly away from the shouting. The girl's state is not missed, not at all. Suresh stoops enough to pick Molly up in his arms. The girl.. is going to be to heavy for this soon. "Come on sweetheart," he murmurs in Molly's ear. A look is fired back at Mara, then to Matt. At his partner in daddy-hood, he thinks, 'I'm taking Molly to a hotel nearby and to find her a map. I'll call you with the location of Sylar once we have it.'

Mara rises to her feet slowly, squaring her jaw. "Don't you speak to me like that. You've seen what he's capable of, haven't you?" I will /not/ be the next Isaac Mendez. Zane Taylor. Dale Smither. She has the grace to look sheepish at least when Mohinder scoops up Molly.

Matt fixes his eyes on Mohinder, but his simply nods as his eyes take on a more concerned sort of look. When he looks at Mara again, it's with that usual steely determination. "I've seen it," he answers in a whisper once Mohinder has gone with Molly. "And not just in pictures. I've /seen/ it. There's a reason why I got put on this case, just like there was a reason why /you/ were taken off of it. I'm speaking to you like an equal, which is what you are." Now, at least. "Frankly, I don't care if you stay here. That's your choice. But if you /do/, you /will/ have a better chance of getting your chance at Sylar." But if she's seen what he can do, well. Matt can't imagine why Damaris would want that chance, save for the glory of taking down the serial killer. "But /don't/ come looking for Molly. Or Mohinder." One will invariably lead to the other. "Put your own life in danger, but have the decency not to take anyone else down with you." All Matt has to do is keep Mara here long enough for Mohinder to get Molly far enough away where they can't be followed.

I could be brown, I could be blue, I could be violet sky. I could be hurtful, I could be purple, I could be anything you like. Gotta be green, gotta be mean, gotta be everything more… Mara's singing in her head to keep her thoughts masked. "You don't even know, do you?" She actually looks surprised. "You don't know about my ability." Well this makes her day. Why don't you like me? Why don't you like me? Walk out the door. "Go be with your girl, Parkman." And I'll call Mohinder whenever I please.

Molly doesn't really have much choice when she's scooped up by Mohinder. She allows herself to be carried even though she's really getting too old for this. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she peers out at the two detectives as they have their little verbal spar. As they start out the door, Molly calls out, "Be careful, Detective!" She's not sure when she'll see the woman again, but she feels the need to say that. Then, it's off to whatever new safe place has been devised for her. Honestly, she's starting to get used to all the moving.

Mohinder continues to carry Molly down the hallway, his hand running along her back, meaning to comfort. "We'll find you a new atlas, and you can help us find Sylar," he murmurs, taking the girl to the elevator and away from the hospital.

That should be enough time. It has to be. Parkman grits his teeth and tries to think of a way to say what he wants to say politely, but, as usual, subtle words fail him. "Just a little advice, Damaris. Straight from me to you. Play with one man at a time, alright? They don't appreciate it when they're /shared./" Oh those rumors and the delightful yet dangerous ammunition they provide. Taking the briefest of moments to steady himself, Matt turns and leaves the room, but he makes eye contact with the plainclothes milling outside the door. It doesn't take long to spot them, after all. "Make sure she stays in there," he instructs, slipping his jacket back so that his badge is visible for a moment. With that, Matt moves down the hallway, but takes a different route to the exit. If he's going to be working the Sylar case, the less public contact he has with Molly and Mohinder, especially with Damaris packed with powder and shot again, the better.

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