Starring:
Summary: Following Bob's visit, another takes place. This one with an unexpected stranger.
Date It Happened: January 4th, 2008
Log Title Peace Through Pastries
Mt Sinai
She had to walk. It really isn't that bad, Charlotte realizes. Walking, that is. As much as she can be from here to there in a few blinks of an eye, sometimes walking just helps her…slow down. And helps her not freak people out in a hospital. To be fair, she teleported her ass off to get all this food, including the crepes from Artistes de Rue 11, but she walked all the way from a danky alleyway a block east to the hospital, rode the elevator up, and found Doctor Suresh the old fashioned way. So she steps in, coat hanging open and scarf around her neck, revealing her mundane outfit beneath. Her hair is held back by a thin headband, and in each hand she has a huge carryout bag full of…food. Each one packed to the brim. She's all dimpled smiles as she sticks her head in, hoping this is the right one….
It is the correct room. There's Mohinder Suresh, laying in the hospital bed, contemplating pulling the IV from his hand and just leaving. It is said the worst patients are doctors, even those not of the medical field. Per say. Bob's visit just left him feeling more irritable and restless. He wants to get home, check on Molly, rack his brains to recall the past twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Leaving the IV as is, he's in the process of sitting up when he gets that feeling he's being watched. He looks over his shoulder, spotting a smiling Charlotte. Pardon the suspicious expression on his face, seeing as he has no clue who the woman is. "Yes?" he asks in as polite a manner as he can muster.
Charlotte smiles even wider as he talks, yay! So far, two out of three done and no one's thrown a thing at her. The last one will be the kicker. "Doctor Suresh?" The girls asks, quickly bustling into the room. It's like she's expected, she just takes over his little table and starts setting up the food. But before that, she turns and offers her hand to the laying patient. "My name's Charlotte." So many answers she has, apparently. And she's so…bubbly.
Mohinder continues to watch Charlotte warily as she enters the room. Perhaps he should have begged Bob to get an early release and get him to a Company facility. "I'm Dr. Suresh," he confirms, eyeing as the woman sets up the food, and the offered hand. Which he finally takes after a moment's hesitation. "I'm afraid this is a bit of an inconvenient time Charlotte, but might I ask the purpose of this visit?"
Charlotte gives his hand a little shake before taking her hand back. "Oh, no reason, really." She starts to open the bags, standing on her tip toes to reach in and remove different containers. "Now, I didn't know what you liked. We have Mexican, Greek and Chinese." Chinese she always has, it's a staple of life for her. "Seeing as I've never been in a hospital before…" She continues to unpack. "…but I'm told the food is awful, and all those drugs must put you in some sort of state."
Mohinder does not recognize Charlotte as being part of the Company, which wouldn't be a surprise considering the vast number of employees and locations. "Did Bob send you?" he asks, eyeing the woman with great caution. If she's /not/ Company, how did she know of what happened? Or lucky guess being in the hospital. "I don't wish to be rude, but Charlotte, /who/ are you and how did you know I was here? And how did you know about the drugs?"
Charlotte giggles, shaking her head. "Bob? That's…" It's a horrible name is what it is, but she figures she ought not be rude. That's gotten her in trouble once in New York already. She turns to face Mohinder again, pointing to the IV in his hand. "Well I'm assuming that's not fruit juice they're pumping in there, now is it? Again…" She goes back to unpacking the bags. So much food, this woman must ahve spent 80 bucks just on food. "Again, I've never stayed in a hospital, but one would assume that having that sort of stuff in you would be…uncomfortable. Food's always a nice comfort, I think."
"It's a standard saline solution for hydration." Mohinder cheated and looked at his chart. "I try to spend as little time on this side of things in the hospital. I appreciate the visit.. and the trouble you appear to have gone through, but you have not answered my questions." He's growing more and more suspicious by the moment of this woman.
Charlotte sighs, settling herself down into the little chair in the room. "I'm a friend, or at least trying to be. I realize…" She blushes a ittle bit as she wrings her hands together, looking down at her lap almost shy. "I'm not really good at this sort of thing, I'm not an actual doctor or anything, but I'm trying to be helpful as much as I can be. I know we've never met or anything….but I was worried." She sighs and moves to stand again, pulling out her secret weapon: crepes, piping hot. "Look, Doctor Suresh, I'm really sorry if I make you uncomfortable. I really am. I was just trying to help."
Mohinder looks a little taken aback at the reaction he's provoked. "Please understand my wariness. The past forty-eight hours have been most unpleasant for me." Which is a huge understatement. "I appreciate the help you are trying to offer. I admit to being suspicious of you, as very few people know that I am here and of what happened."
Charlotte keeps her hands together, but nods a few times, cocking her head to the side. "I can only imagine." She stresses with a slight widening of her eyes. She thinks a moment - she really doesn't want to imagine. "I'm probably not even supposed to be here, Dr. Suresh, to be honest. But I couldn't…" She chuckles, rubbing her forehead. "Gosh I must be the silliest thing alive. I just wanted you to know." She lets her hands drop again. "Your friends, they're okay. They're safe, just like you. Okay?" Her uncomfort with the subject as well as tone almost seem to beg: please don't ask any more. But she knew that if it were her, laying there, she'd be out of her mind with fear and guilt and god knows what else. She knew he didn't have to go through with that.
Mohinder's expression had relaxed, only to tense and narrow when Charlotte speaks again. "I see.. you work for another organization.." It is and isn't a question. It's an educated guess based on the woman's words and knowledge. "Where are they?" Instead of laying there, staying put, he pushes himself up and out of bed, too keyed up to be embarrassed about the hospital gown he wears.
Charlotte goes wide-eyed as he gets up. "Please don't…oh dear. Please sit down, you might hurt yourself." She lifts her hands as if wanting him to stop, but backs away, scared of the man it seems. "I don't work for anyone, nothing like that. I just know, alright? I know that they're healing, just like you are." She looks really sorry now too. "Why can't you just understand, Dr. Suresh? I just didn't want you to worry, just like I don't want them to worry." This is certainly the last time she's going to be concerned about strangers. Sure she's promised herself that before. But this time she means it. Surely.
"I'm not going to hurt myself. I'm capable of monitoring my vitals based on blood test results." Again, from looking at his own chart. Yet, at the woman's pleading, Mohinder pauses and doesn't move from where he sits on the edge of his bed. "I see. You just know.. I do understand. You can't tell me how you know, including where you got your information, who you may or may not work for. I understand perfectly well." He sighs heavily and raises a hand to rub at his face, immediately regretting it. His face is still sore and slightly cut from the vase he took. What could possibly be swearing in Hindi is briefly heard before he pulls his hand away. When he looks towards Charlotte, he gives her a weary smile, an honest smile at last. "Thank you, and I do mean that sincerely. Thank you. I was concerned for Niki and Nathan's whereabouts and condition."
Charlotte now seems to be the suspicious one. SHe stands back where she is, arms still up in an effort both to magically get him to relax…and as a defense in case he decides to throw the crepes. But as he seems to relax, slowly she lowers her hands. "You're…you're welcome." She almost sighs it. When he swears and touches his face (or what sounds like swearing, for all she knows it's praying or multiplication tables) she takes a half-step forward. "Did you hurt yourself? Do you want me to find a nurse?" That concern in her voice again. This girl really is a worrier.
"No, I did not," Mohinder says when Charlotte worries over him. His smile turns reassuring. "Difficult to believe, but I did forget momentarily about the injury to my face." (At least his hair wasn't damaged, right?) While he should take this opportunity to extract more information out of Charlotte.. he doesn't have the energy to do so. Besides, just being himself and cordial might take him farther. "I don't recognize the labels on the bags you brought the food in. Then again, I do a lot of cooking at home and when I have to order out.. I don't tend to go far. No time for doing so."
Charlotte smiles a little, making her way back towards the bags. "They're from all over the place, really. I'm pretty good about finding those hole-in-the-wall places, and I can't cook to save myself." If you call different countries 'hole in the wall' places. "Like I said…" her hands are still shaking a little as she goes to the bags and finishes unloading them. There's soups, salads, meats and rices and enchiladas and greek pastas and egg fo young. "…I didn't know what you liked. I got a bunch of vegetarian stuff too, since…you know. Some people don't eat meat. I'll just lay it out here and you can pick whatever you like."
Mohinder notices the shaking of Charlotte's hands. "You don't need to be nervous. I'm hardly in a position to attack or detain you. Especially in a public place." The geneticist is harmless. Mostly. He even needs a woman to rescue him. "The only meat I do not eat is beef." Which goes with the circumstances of birth and background. He also did not mean to ignore the offering for as long as he did, and he doesn't want to offend the woman more than he might have already done. "I am still a little overwhelmed by your visit and generousity."
"Nothing with beef? I suppose I should have thought of that…" she moves around, collecting two or three dishes and returning them to the bags on the floor. "Don't be overwhelmed, it happens a lot." She chuckles, tearing open some silverware. Plasticware. "Teh overwhelming I mean. It's just…sort of how I am. I know I wouldn't want to sit in a hospital by myself with nothing but green carrots to eat…or whatever it is they serve." She doesn't actually know, she's only heard stories. "Though I only brought the crepes for desert, they're…pretty popular." She hasn't had a customer turn THOSE down yet. "I can run out and get something else if you don't like those, though."
Mohinder is surprised by the last offer, "No, what you brought appears to be fine. Most strangers don't go to such extremes." Even if his name and face are a little well known in certain circles. He settles back properly into the bed and reaches for one of the salads. "Popular? So I take it you do this a lot? Visiting strangers in the hospital and bringing in food?" Like a mysterious candy striper.
Charlotte shrugs, handing him a fork. Her hands have stopped shaking mostly. "Not a lot, but it's becoming more and more common. And food seems to be one of those things people both need and enjoy." She seems to relax a bit more as chit-chat happens. "Like I said, I've never been in a hospital before, but it seems like it wouldn't be any fun and I just feel bad when it happens to people." She also feels bad for people in jail and puppies, but that's not really relevant at this point in time.
Mohinder accepts the fork, and while he wants to remain cautious, he /is/ hungry. Several bites are taken before he speaks again. "While hospitals are not so bad, I am in a hurry to get out and go home. Fortunately I shouldn't be kept here too much longer. The doctors mainly wanted to keep me for observation purposes. I've got a lot of work to do, also finding out why my friends and I were attacked and kidnapped."
Charlotte would like Mohinder to realize that the food did not kill him. Just…throwing that one out there. "Well it's probably for the best, Doctors are doctors for a reason after all. They know what they're doing, but I'm sure you know that." He's Doctor Suresh, after all. Doctor. "Were you hurt real bad? I mean besides the…" she motions to her face, really meaning his. "..you know."
Mohinder continues eating, and most of the salad is gone before he knows it. He's eating, and looking like he's enjoying it.. and he hasn't keeled over dead. So that's a bonus! A wry smile is given in Charlotte's direction for her comment about doctors. For her question, he gives a brief shake of his head. "No. I was mainly left alone and drugged. When.. I was rescued, they did shoot at us."
Charlotte begins to pack up all the rest of the food, but it's clear she's leaving it there for him. What the hell would she do with all this food anyway? Her fridge is too tiny for it. "It's good you weren't shot, then, I'm told bullets aren't very comfortable either." She pauses, looking into a bag as she remembers, but it only lasts a second before the bag is fully packed neatly and the top rolled down. She turns to face him. "I'm really sorry I couldn't help you out any more, Dr. Suresh." She pats one of the bags. "I'll leave this here for you in case you don't get out as quick as you want, but I'll get the beef out of your way." She bends to retrieve that last bag that she set on the floor: the beef bag.
"No, they aren't. I've been shot before, I am thankful this one just grazed me." So yes, Mohinder did get shot. His condition could be far worse. "You helped more than you realize," he says by way of hoping to assure the woman she did something good. "Thank you again for the generous offering of food. It won't go to waste, I assure you." Molly will be all over the crepes, he's sure of that! "You obviously know how to find me Charlotte.. how can I contact you in the future?"
Charlotte slips her hands into her coat pockets, letting the bag dangle from her wrist. She shakes her head. "I..probably shouldn't." She gives him by way of answer about finding her. "I don't even know if I'm supposed to be here, but I didn't think it was fair to leave you to worrying." She can totally see herself getting fired or worse for this, kidnapping and bullets and all that jazz is a big deal and she's just a little person.
Mohinder looks disappointed by the answer, and he really is. "I see," he says carefully. "Again I thank you for the food and the information." The salad he picked up is finished off, the plate set aside on the bedside tray. "I do insist however, the next time you visit? That you allow me to repay the favor of a meal."
Charlotte glances downward, biting softly on her lower lip. She nods, lifting her head again. "Sure thing, Dr. Suresh. I'm sure I'll bump into you again eventually. And really, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine." Aw hell, she doesn't even know what's going on, she can't know that. But the poor man's been quasi-shot, face-smashed and druged. Feels like something that ought to be said.
"Matters eventually work out, no matter how bad they seem." Mohinder says in a rather optimistic manner. "I would like to speak with you again.. and possibly see my friends." While the woman's visit was sudden and unexpected, it turned out to be welcomed. "Will you accept my apologies for my behavior when you first came in?"
Charlotte nods, chuckling softly. "Of course. Goodness knows I may well have started throwing things, were I in your place. Which I thank you for not doing." At his next question, she drops her head down again, then tilts it back, sweeping some short bangs from her eyes. "Like I said, I'm sure I'll bump into you again someplace, it's a small world and all." She doesn't answer about Niki and Nathan: she really, really, REALLY can't say, as much as she'd like to. Poor man must be out of his mind with worry, but Charlotte's lack of education does not mean that she's stupid either.
"Or swinging the IV stand." A lesser person might have thrown a bedpan. Mohinder figures why Charlotte doesn't answer about Niki and Nathan, he has a strong suspicion as to why. Until he has further information, it remains just that, a suspicion. "Thank you again, and despite earlier, I did enjoy your visit."
Charlotte nods a couple more times. "Anytime. Just don't get shot anymore, okay?" She moves for the door, throwing the doctor one last wave as she ducks out. Her shoefalls can be heard making their way down the hall from whence they came until they're lost among the multiple other footfalls in the Mt. Sinai hospital.