Room 508, Sunday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

Coming back from Cyseal, the last thing Kathy expected was to get ready to turn around and go again. But she was sorting her laundry to run a load or two when her phone rang again. That wasn't entirely unexpected, but the name that showed up on her caller ID certainly was.

Gorgon.

She'd barely talked to Nikolai since he'd moved back to LA, though they occasionally bumped into one another in LA when she patrolled. Certainly not enough for him to call her on a random Sunday evening.

"Hello?" she asked, putting her phone up to her ear. "Gorgon? Is everything okay?"

Gorgon	"Hey, baby." The endearment was automatic, Gorgon sounded more subdued than Kathy had likely ever heard. "You got a minute?"
Kathy	Yeah, that didn't sound like he was gearing up to give her good news. "I've got plenty of time," she assured him, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Not doing anything but laundry. What's up. You on patrol?" Was it the Seventeens? Koreatown? Something about her sister? No, no, don't think that way, Kathy. If something had happened to Sarah, her parents would have called. No reason to panic, Kathy. Keep your head.
Gorgon	"About to head out," he said. "Pulling my duster on now, actually. But I got some news to pass along. You heard from Regenerator lately?" He'd heard that Banzai and Regenerator had buddied up after the the whole bullet wound fiasco of a year or two ago. He didn't think they were close enough that Regenerator would have called, but maybe...? Look, he didn't do all that great with emotional things. And this was the kind of phone call no one wanted to make.
Kathy	"Not since the beginning of the month," Kathy said, shaking her head even though Gorgon wouldn't be able to see it. "He was looking for some information about the Seventeens and he hadn't been able to find you. Why? When was the last time you heard from him?" It didn't even occur to Kathy to be worried about him. He'd been The Immortal before he'd realized his powers could heal other people as well as himself. He'd shrugged off bullets, stab wounds, fire, falling--he'd even mentioned something about acid once. "He's not in trouble is he? Did the Sevens take him or something--?" Each scenario she could come up with sounded more implausible than the last, but what could have happened to Regenerator?
Gorgon	"Not the way you're thinking," Gorgon said quietly. "It's not Regenerator. It's his wife. She--there was an accident. We don't have a lot of details--if the Mighty Dragon hadn't been there when Regenerator got the call from the hospital we wouldn't even know that anything had happened at all. But she didn't make it. I guess that by the time he got there, she was already gone."
Kathy	"Oh, shit," Kathy breathed, bringing her hands up to her mouth. "And there was nothing he could do, then? Just...show up and find out he was too late?" That was the limit of Regenerator's powers, though. He could heal anyone and anything so long as there was life. But if there wasn't life, he was just as helpless as anyone else. "She's really gone, then?"
Gorgon	"Fraid so, baby." There was a long inhale, Gorgon had lit up a cigarette. He needed a smoke to deal with this. "That's why I'm calling. I know you've got classes and whatnot, but we were wondering if there was any way you could come out for a day or so? Pick up his patrol? We want to give him a few days to mourn and you know the beat." He sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "The Mighty Dragon would have called you personally--" Hey, look, name-dropping was literally a way of life for him. "--But he didn't have your number and I didn't think you wanted me to just hand it out."
Kathy	Save me the spiel, Gorgon," Kathy said, sounding wry. "I'm already going to say yes. You don't have to bait me with the Mighty Dragon. Anything I can do to help Regenerator...You don't even have to ask. I'm there."
Gorgon	"Thanks, baby," Gorgon said with a relieved sigh. He wasn't even going to apologize for trying to spin it. It was what he did. "You know when you can get out here?"
Kathy	Kathy was already pulling up Portalocity's site on her laptop. "With the three hour difference between Baltimore and LA, I can make it out there for patrol tonight. I don't think I can stay long--might have to come back during the day for class--"
Gorgon	"Whatever you need," Gorgon said, exhaling a lungful of smoke and pitching his cigarette over the edge of his balcony. "We'll see if we can't maybe fund some of that back and forth as well. Whatever. I'll see what I can do. Just--thanks for coming out here, for picking up the slack."
Gorgon	"Whatever Regenerator needs," Kathy said firmly. "I'm not going to turn down some extra cash or whatever, but right now, whatever I can do to make things easier for him." Her voice wavered. "I can't believe he lost his wife." It was a dark irony for a man who who could heal any wound no matter how grievous, had lost his wife while he was out on patrol keeping the city safe. "See you later, Gorgon," she said, clicking the button to buy her portal tickets. "I'll be there with rainbows on."

[Many thanks to furnaceface for letting me borrow NPC!Gorgon. Open for visitors before she leaves. Link to Anders'.]

Comments

[not_every_mage]

"No, healers usually can't do anything with death," Anders agreed. "But someone who can heal anything but -- that's good to have around."

[spin_kick_snap]

"He's pretty handy that way, yeah," Kathy said. "Though I don't know how he's feeling about it right now. I just got off the phone with Nick. Turns out something happened while Regenerator was on patrol and his wife died."

Kathy had no details on that, no explanation as for why or how, but it didn't matter. She could guess how it was hitting Regenerator; knowing that while he was out being the hero to the city, his wife was dying alone and in need of him. Knowing that if he'd just been there, by her side, she would have been okay. She would have lived.

[not_every_mage]

"Maker's balls," Anders swore. "That has to hurt. You're going out for, what, for the funeral and all of that?"

He didn't need details. Sometimes people died, and knowing how didn't make it less awful for the people left behind.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Kind of?" Kathy said. "I didn't know her. I don't even know Regenerator's real name, so it's not like I'll be able to go. But Nick and the Mighty Dragon were thinking that it would be good to have another hero come take over Regenerator's regular patrol for a little bit. Give him some time to come to terms with everything. Figure out what he wants."

She leaned against him, unthinkingly seeking for comfort. "No one would blame him if he decided to hang up his cape or whatever. No one even thinks that it would a disaster to let his beat go unpatrolled for a few days. But we figure it might make him feel better if he knows it's handled and he doesn't have to worry about it. And it's the least we can do to offer our support."

[not_every_mage]

Anders turned toward her, nuzzling her hair. "I understand," he said. "They're your people. You want to help if you can. Just -- don't stay too long, all right?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"I won't," Kathy said. "Nick mentioned me just being a stand-in until another hero can be freed up. It should only be a couple of days."

She tried for a smile; it was wobbly and small, but it was there. "Why? Gonna miss me while I'm gone?"

[not_every_mage]

"Not at all. Why would you think something like that?" Anders said, with some forced jauntiness in his tone. "I just don't want you to miss too many classes.I worry about your education."

Still, it was good to hear she wouldn't be gone long.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I guess that's fair," Kathy agreed with a sigh. "I mean, Fandom's classes are so academically rigorous it's easy to fall behind. Can I convince you to make a study date and catch me up to speed when I get back?"

...Did they even share classes this semester? For the life of her, Kathy couldn't remember. It was hard think sometimes when Anders was this near.

On the plus side, trying to remember her course schedule made it easy not to slide into a panic over using the d-word in jest after they'd agreed that that wasn't what this was.

[not_every_mage]

They had a Pinkie Pie class together. How could that ever slip Kathy's mind?

"Oh, I suppose," he sighed, as if it were such a burden. "I might be able to slip a little time with you into my very crowded schedule, if it's for a good cause."

[spin_kick_snap]

Because most of that class, Kathy spent watching Eliot very deliberately tamp down his urge to murder Pinkie Pie. It was fascinating watching him twitch in response to talking to her.

"You're so good to me," Kathy sighed, her hand coming up to her forehead. "I'll have to find some way to repay your generosity." She peeked up at him and smiled again, this one a lot more genuine and firmer around the edges than the last. "I'll need to be creative."

[not_every_mage]

"Bring me a souvenir?" Anders suggested, leaning in so their foreheads would touch. "Or turn up in my bed naked. That would work."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I can do both," Kathy said, closing her eyes while she rested against him. "What kind of souvenir do you want? Last time, I came back with a pair of literal stripper heels for Dante."

Well, only sort of for Dante. She wore them, he appreciated them.

[not_every_mage]

"He must look ridiculous in them," Anders said, missing a bit of nuance there. "Not that I'm judging."

He smiled, so close to her he almost lost track of what she had asked. "And I want ... See, I wasn't even thinking about sexy presents. Now I need to figure something out. I was just going to ask for food."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I bet he could rock them if he wanted to," Kathy said, laughing at the image of Dante prancing around in heels. "But, c'mon, bringing back something good from a proper Korean bakery is a given. It's my job as your best friend to introduce you to real ethnic foods so you understand there's more to food than just boiling it."

[not_every_mage]

"Excuse me, sometimes we roast it too," Anders said, pretending offense. "Or fry it."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Right, but when that applies to your desserts, too, there's a problem," Kathy said, shaking her head mournfully. "Also, we use things like herbs and spices. I can't wait for you to learn about them."

[not_every_mage]

"Are those Korean words?" Anders asked, guileless as he could manage. "So exotic, Kathy. I don't know if I can keep up."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy fell against him, laughing. "It's okay, I'll try not to go too fast for you. I'll be gentle, I promise. Won't blow your mind with too many of my crazy foreign concepts."