2007-10-30: The Best Of Intentions

Starring:

Cass_icon.gif Peter_icon.gif Mohinder_icon.gif

Summary:

Cass calls Peter to tell him about Erin. Mohinder comes to the labs unannounced (there's a lot of that going on) and the two end up fighting over the identity of the mysterious woman who may be able to cure those sick with the virus.

October 30th, 2007:

The Best of Intentions


Bat Country Labs

Sitting in a chair in the main room of Bat Country, Cass is fidgeting and going through the her phone book. It's like she can't contain all the energy that she has. There are still so many questions, so much to figure out, but she has some hope back now. Finding the number she wants, she quickly presses the send button.

PHONE: You dial the number 283-1407. It begins to ring.

PHONE: The other end answers, "Peter Petrelli."

PHONE: Cass says, "Peter! It's Cass! Do you have a moment?" Though trying not to sound rushed, she's almost breathless. "It's important."

Mohinder probably should have called first, but he's here, at Bat Country. Unannounced. He presses the buzzer and tries to wait patiently to see if there's an answer from inside. He's looked better.. He's in need of a solid night's sleep and a shave.

PHONE: Peter sounds a little distant, because cars blowing up is important topic, but so is getting cured. But Cass doesn't know what's going on in the Petrelli house. "Yeah, I have all the time in the world. What's going on? Have you found anything?" Please say she's found something.

PHONE: Cass says, "It's…well…it's some—-" There's a loud buzzer in the background and the storeowner gives a quiet yelp of surprise. A little more distant as she pulls the speaker away from her mouth, she calls out, "Just a second!" Then, she's back to the phone, "It's…it's not a cure. Not exactly. But I met someone. Someone who might be able to stop the advancement of the virus. I want you to meet her."
The woman doesn't get up to answer the door, yet, either. Whoever is out there is going to have to be louder or wait.

Mohinder presses the buzzer again, and raises a fist, banging it to the door. Impatient? Yes.

PHONE: Peter seems to be a little distracted by his phonecall, though he has to pull it away from his ear for a moment. There's a loud buzzer of some kind, barely audible to those at the table. "Are you calling from the bookstore?" he has to ask, though her next words cut off all other questions. "Someone who might be able to stop it? Sure. Whatever you think is necessary. I'm not exactly busy right now." That's for certainly. In fact he looks hopeful, just as Heidi had hoped he would. "But Cass— my abilities are starting to mess up. Elena's too. I'm not sure about Evelyn or Nathan, but probably them… It started last night. I can still do things, but not— as reliably as I should."

PHONE: Cass sighs as the pounding and buzzer continues. "One second." She calls out, but there's shifting as she gets up from her chair. "Sorry. No. I'm at Bat Country. And someone seems to need to get in very badly." She sounds annoyed at that. "Not right now. She's…resting. It takes a lot out of her. I told her we'd aim for tomorrow. But, I wanted to let you know that I'd found…something." Then, what Peter reveals to her makes her pause on the way to the door. "They are?" There's a swear under her breath. "Okay. Well. Tomorrow. Tomorrow we're going to see if we can stop it from progressing. Maybe even cure it. But…don't tell anyone yet. Please. I don't want to get their hopes up if this turns out not to work. Something on such a larger scale may be too much for her to handle." Just the fact that they have this, though, is something. There's the sound of her juggling the phone from her hand to resting against her shoulder and her ear as she opens the door.

Mohinder was in the process of banging on the door and ringing the buzzer again, but hesitates. It's as if he realizes he's getting impatient. Both hands raise to scrub against his face as if trying to wake himself up. Too much more of this and he might take more drastic measures at keeping himself awake and coherent.
PHONE: Peter continues to move away a little, but doesn't get much further. The people at the kitchen table can still hear him. "All right." He takes a deep breath, the hope shifting away a little, but it's still there. He can't help but feel a little hopeful. And people who know him well? There's definitely something good going on. "Do you just want me to come in?"

PHONE: Cass says, "Yes. Just you, please. I…I want to make sure we can do this before I let the others know." And then the door is fully open and she's staring Mohinder right in his sleepy face. "Mohinder!" Yes, she sounds surprised. He didn't call to say that he was going to be here. Then again, reception in the basement can be fritzy. "Tomorrow. It's something, Peter. It may not be permanent, but it's like a band-aid. It gives us more time."

Cass's words are the answer to the question he was about to ask. Mohinder stares at Cass, "You've found something? What is it? A band-aid is better than nothing at this point.. oh.. my apologies, you're on the phone." There's a delay in noticing the woman's on the phone. He's that tired and distracted.

PHONE: Peter nods, even though he's on the phone and the person he's nodding to can not see it. The others can, though. "All right. I'll be there tomorrow," he says, sounding tired, but there's definitely something in his eyes. This is something he can do. Maybe. "I let you talk to Mohinder. Call if there's anything new, okay?"

PHONE: Cass says, "No, just…yes. One second. Come in." There's more shuffling as Cass moves around to let Mohinder in and still talk on the phone. "Okay. Great. Thank you, Peter." This is something both of them can do. "I will. Of course. Keep me updated with Nathan and Evelyn. Stay rested and keep everyone hydrated. I'll talk to you soon, okay?""

PHONE: Peter says, "I'll do that, Cass. Thanks for calling."
PHONE: The phone call has been ended by the other person.

Mohinder enters the lab when Cass lets him in. He quiets down and says nothing as Cass continues speaking into the phone.

Flipping her phone shut, the woman finally turns to Mohinder so that the two of them can talk. "You look like you haven't been sleeping," she tells him in lieu of actually explaining what just happened over the phone. "Sit down before you pass out or something." Though Cass hasn't been sleeping well, either, she has at least managed to freshen up lately. "There are a few things. Have you managed to sniff out who it is we need to talk to at the Company to get Cara Hayes' and Bursetien's file? Burstein is crucial I think to stopping this. It may be what brings this all together."

"Is it that obvious?" Of course it would be. Yet Mohinder's tone is dry and faintly sarcastic as he answers Cass. "I can't quite make myself leave the lab, searching for answers to my questions, and only finding more questions. I'm still trying to wade through the bureaucratic inanity that is the Company.. and don't worry. I won't pass out." He made sure he could drive here and back. "I know who I need to talk to. It's just a matter of getting to the person. It's as difficult as getting a meeting with the President." But.. getting back to what he heard. "This band-aid you've discovered, what is it?"

"It takes one to know one," is Cass' own somewhat dry response to how obvious Mohinder's tiredness is. "I know how that goes." In fact, Lachlan had to bodily drag her out of the lab to make her come home on occasion. "Well, make sure you don't. Those chairs are comfortable to sit in, but sleeping is a whole other story." She may know from experience in the past few days. "This is a matter of life and death and we have to pass through red tape? I hate bureaucracy." As for the band-aid, the woman is a little more reluctant to say. Especially in the company of someone who is Company. No matter how he has gone against their doctrine in the past couple days. "It's…honestly, Mohinder, I don't feel comfortable talking about it with you. It's not something that will cure everyone, so, really, we should be focusing on a long-term cure."

Mohinder skips right past the banter on being tired, sleeping in chairs.. He's slept in worse conditions before. Such as slumped over his desk, face on the keyboard. "You found something that will help, what is it?," he says, moving in closer to Cass. He comes off as a little threatening without meaning to be. "You don't sound so certain as to the effectiveness of the band-aid. It could wind up being a long-term cure. Let me continue to help you."

When Mohinder takes a step toward her, Cass inadvertently steps back. He certainly is sounding a little threatening and while trapped in a basement lab with him, she's not going to be taking any of that. Just because they've traveled to Texas and fought against Bob together doesn't make him on her side. "Maybe. And it isn't a long term cure. I won't allow it to be." Her voice is very firm on that. "I'm not going to tell you what it is. Today you're helping me cure this virus and I will work with you on that cure. But once everything is cured, you go back to being a Company employee and the information I tell you now gets used in ways that may hurt others. As well meaning as you may be, Mohinder, it doesn't diminish the fact that they own your loyalties."

"Damn the Company and that I work for them. That shouldn't enter…" Then realization dawns on Mohinder as he stares at Cass. "It's not something you found.. but someone. Someone you don't want the Company to know about. That's.. remarkable.. what is it they can do? Manipulate the virus? Cause illness, heal it?" Now the geneticist has gone straight to being excited and amazed, when by now, he shouldn't be. "I want to meet this person." Everything Cass has said, seems to have gone in one ear and out the other.

Which is quite frustrating for Cass. "No." How many times does she have to say it? She won't go into details, either. "If it works, I'll keep you updated, but I'm not letting you near her." The slip of letting the sex of the woman may not even be noticed for now. She's too tired. "You say damn the Company now, but you started working for them for a reason. And I've heard about what they do to people they no longer find useful. I can't risk it, Mohinder."

".. You found someone who can manipulate viruses and similar. You can't deny it. Why else would you be fiercely protecting this person?" Mohinder looks frustrated now and sounds it too. "They're funding my research. I'm sure you realize how difficult it is to get funding in this sort of field," he says giving a pointed look at the lab they're currently in. "I know of several evolved I've not 'turned in' as you fear." Unfortunately though, the Company found out about them anyway.

"I'm not doubting you have good intentions, Mohinder. You seem to be a good guy who just makes very unfortunate alliances." Cass is just as frustrated that he won't drop the subject. "And maybe you will not turn her in, but just by you being around people, the Company is more likely to find them. And I'm not about to let that happen. What some of the people I talk to do could be considered dangerous if it ever got out of control. So you know what I don't want? Some big scary Company person coming in and kidnapping them and running tests on them. That's a great way to start them freaking out. They have a right to privacy."

"With or without me, they can be found out," Mohinder says, his jaw set and his hands settling on his hips. "Practically any ability can be dangerous with the wrong person. Just as if you put a gun or a knife into the hands of a psychopath." The lab earns another look from him.. It's high tech.. Cass clearly doesn't make enough in her career for this place. "Who did you get your funding through?"

"The Cain Foundation, if you must know." Cass gives Mohinder an equally stubborn look. she's not going to give in on something like this. "Yes, I believe that anyone can be dangerous. Anyone." She gives him a pointed look at that. "And the Company seems to think that means they can lock up whoever they choose."

"I see…" Mohinder says as he muses just where this foundation was when he was trying to solicit funding. "I'm not going to get into an argument with you on the Company's operation. Suffice to say, I disagree with a great deal of their principles." But he agrees with enough to keep him there, somewhat. "You can't shut me out at this point in the research, because you're afraid that I will play the role of a Nazi informant. For example.. your friend, Elena Gomez. I have never once turned her in and I've known about her for some time." And quite possibly recognized her blood samples in the testing. She's probably a poor example to use.. "But I don't expect you to believe me. I doubt anything could get you to believe me at this point, short of leaving the Company."

"Fine." The last thing Cass wants is an argument on Company Doctrine, either. They're just not going to agree on some of the finer points. "I'm not going to shut you out of the research. What you're arguing about right now has nothing to do with the research. We still have a cure to find and we still have to find out how it is being transmitted from person to person." There's a shake of her head. "When you can count the number of people you didn't turn in as opposed to the alternative, that's when we have a problem." Putting a hand on her hip, she snorts. "You're right on something, at least. It's not that I don't believe you don't want to turn people in. It's that I'm trying to make sure that you don't even have a choice to make." Because until he leaves the Company she's not going to trust him completely.

"Dammit Cass, come off it! I'm not going to turn this source in! You say you aren't shutting me out of the research, but this person could very well.." Mohinder makes a noise of frustration as he thinks. Cass is very much like a brick wall of stubborn. "There is no choice here for me to make. This person has obviously kept themself off their radar with an ability of this nature." He advances again at Cass, "What would you have me do? Quit working with them, no longer with the equipment to properly assist people who need it? Go back to Chennai and teach?"

"You won't now!" Angrily, all Cass can think about is Peter telling her how she shouldn't trust Mohinder. Not when it matters. Something happened between the two of them that he won't talk about and now, when it comes down to the wire, it's Peter she'll trust over Mohinder. Her own voice raises along with Mohinder's. "Just…trust me Mohinder. If this was honestly something I thought would cure everyone I would have told you. But I'm not about to let some poor person be hooked up and bled dry because Bob Bishop think this is it, we've got the cure!" She points emphatically at the door for some reason, as if he's behind it. "If they even got wind of what this woman could do they would work her to death to try and cure everyone and then pat themselves on the back for a job well done!" She has no high opinion of those Company people. "So, no, Mohinder, I don't think you should go back to Chennai and teach. But that doesn't mean I'm about to trust you with someone's life."

"And that.. would happen over my dead body. I'm sorry to have disturbed you at this hour," Mohinder says as he turns his back on Cass and leaves. If Cass won't tell him about this person, he'll do some digging of his own as to the identity of the mystery band-aid.

"Dammit, Mohinder," Cass curses, watching him turn to leave. "If anything happens to her…" she trails off, her voice steely. She means business. And she doesn't need to finish that threat in order to make it real. He can fill in the blanks.

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