nextgenerationmarvel

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: Xavier Institute, Westchester, New York

Entry tags:

Sunset

Dolemeck had become more active at the mansion since he got there. He had begun swimming with the help of his powers and trusted friends, and had worked on his sewing when he had time to himself. There were so many possibilities at this mansion, many he never thought possible. It was like the world was now his oyster.

That said, Dolemeck decided to take the time to watch the sun set over the lake on the mansion grounds. His leg braces were off to the side, resting up against the boat house, while his feet dangled off the dock. He took in the sight of the sky starting to change from light blue, to a darker blue, and then a fiery mix of orange and pink.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see someone walking up to the dock he sat on. He turned his head and just smiled to the person, giving a small wave, before going back to looking up at the sky.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Some time had passed, and it was now into the early hours of the morning. Dolemeck's eyelids still felt heavy, so it was a small struggle just to open those green eyes of his. He honestly had no clue where he was at this point, and everything looked so bright.

With a groan, he started to try and focus his vision. It was then he realized he was in the medical lab.

"Oh bloody... Not here again." He groaned, trying to close his eyes once more. Maybe this was just a bad dream?

"You do seem to be making a habit of this, Mr. Night," a voice, Doug's, came from the doorway.

"I do not mean to make a habit of visiting the infirmary. This is the last place in this entire Mansion I wish to be." His eyes remained closed as he remained still in bed. "I was doing well with my powers, then I suddenly lost feeling in me legs and panicked. I sunk in the water like a stone, then tried to correct myself... as I had done before."

Doug crossed his arms. "Dolemeck... I understand where you're coming from," he began. "But you need to see our perspective. You've shown a pretty consistent pattern of poor decision skills."

Part of him wanted to shout that it was impossible for Doug to know where he was coming from. But he held back on his anger, and just buried it as he usually had done. Instead, Dolemeck just listened before responding, trying to sound as calm as he could.

"I thought I would be fine. I learned how to float on the water, to "swim", and to prevent myself frown drowning. I did not know that the feeling in my legs would just disappear like that or that the water would be so dark."

"In the lake. At sunset. With one other person around. Who wasn't there when you started." Doug ticked the points off on his fingers.

He took a seat. "I get trying to prove yourself. Maybe more than just about anyone here. And I believe in trying to excel. But you have limits."

That anger resurfaced, causing Dolemeck to ball his hands up on the hospital bed. The talk of "limits" just set him off.

"It is not about bloody proving myself!" he shouted at Doug. "Do you not think I do not know I have limits!? I have to wake up every morning to put on a pair of leg braces, then come to the infirmary to get pain medication to last me through class. I finish my classes, come back, get more medication, do my homework, and spend my time by myself. because let's face it, it's not very FUN to have someone who cannot walk or run about! Someone who has to sit on the side-lines while everyone else gets to play and do things! No one wants to see that, no one wants to feel "bad" because I cannot do what they can! I just wanted to have fun and be like everyone else here!"

He was breathing quite hard, his chest rising and falling quickly, before he went into a coughing fit and then calmed down. He finally turned his head away. He felt awful for unloading all of that.

"I am sorry, I... I did not mean to..."

Doug took in a deep breath, reading the various unspoken intentions behind Dolemeck's words easily.

"It's all right," he said. He leaned forward a little. "Tell me, Dolemeck... how much do you know about me? My powers? My history with the original New Mutants and such?"

"Nothing. You tend to be rather private." He did not lie or pretend he knew anything about Professor Ramsey.

"I do," Doug admitted. "I'm an omni-linguist. I can speak or read any language, including body language and sub-level stuff like the deeper meaning behind words.

"And when I joined the New Mutants, it was a team with an invulnerable flyer, a solar-powered strongman, a werewolf, a demon sorceress, an elemental, a phobia-centered telepathy, and a techno-oragnic alien.

The vast portion of my formative years were spent being told to "go hide.'"

Dolemeck remained quiet, just listening to Professor Ramsey speak. He had no clue as to how this related to him, but was going to give the man a chance to explain. His hands continued to remain balled up, however.

"I managed to get into a few scrapes, but I also had my teammates pull my fat out of the fryer more times than I could count," Doug went on. "I did what I could, used my brain and my computer skills, and teamed up with my best friend, Warlock, to tackle the bad guys."

He looked down for a moment. "But when it came down to it, all it took was some idiot with a gun."

"You... got shot?" He looked rather shocked at that. He could not imagine anyone shooting Professor Ramsey.

"I did. By some idiot named the Ani-Mator."

Doug went on. "I was clinically dead for several minutes, until Warlock shared some of his lifeforce with me. As it was, I was in a coma for months. And by the time I was awake again, my friends weren't at the school anymore."

And barely made any attempt to check up on him. Not that he was bitter or anything--they had later reconciled after all.

"The point is... there's a lot of danger out there, whether you're healthy or not. And you've got a lot of potential, Dolemeck."

"I am just... I am tired, Professor Ramsey. I am tired of being the only one who has to sit out of things." He blinked back some tears. "It is torture watching everyone have fun around you, and know you cannot join in with it. Like you are this freak amongst freaks."

He was trying so hard to force himself not to cry. He never told anyone how he felt about his disabilities, before. He just put on this brave face and focused on other people's happiness, rather than his own misery.

"I get that," Doug said. "I do. I used to live that feeling. I remember feeling so absolutely useless. The "baby" everyone else had to protect.

"But it gets better."

"How does it get better, Professor Ramsey? My body will never get better, but worse." He asked, his voice now quivering.

"For one thing, your powers are going to get stronger, especially as you get more training," Doug said. "My own abilities expanded significantly to the point where I can do a pretty damn good job in a fight if i want to. ...While still being remarkably vulnerable to bullets."

He continued, "And for another, the fact of the matter is... sometimes, you find other paths in life. Except for rare circumstances, I'm happy not being part of the field team. I'm a teacher, a translator, a code-breaker, a programmer... I developed the skills I do have. I've no problem with you trying to do better and be better. But it's one step at a time... and you need to understand that where you think you're going now might not be where you end up."

"I suppose." He still was not sure about what Doug was telling him. Part of it felt like it applied to him and his situation. And the other? It made him feel like he did not understand fully. "But what do I do in the meantime, while everyone is going for a jog or a swim? When the others play basketball, football, softball... what do I do?"

Doug fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Two things. First, you do the things you can, and you keep teaching yourself to use your abilities to compensate, and sometimes, when you need to, you remind the others that you want to be included in what's going on too, be your own advocate.

And the second, frankly, Dolemeck, is something that's going to be unpleasant to hear, but you need to hear it. You need to understand that you're not always going to be able to do the same things as everyone else or in the same way. It doesn't mean you shouldn't keep trying, and I'm not telling you to give up. But there's limits. Everybody's got them. Me, you, Rose, everybody. ...except maybe Professor Logan and my wife. You're probably not going to be running the hundred yard dash anytime soon. But you might get flying it some day."

He continued. "I also did some digging for you. There's a local support group for teenagers with disabilities in town. I think you might benefit from going."

"Great... another support group. As if I do not attended enough already." he spoke dryly. Dolemeck was already in two. One with teenagers whose parents were drug addicts, another for his depression. What was one more to the bunch. "Thank you, Professor Ramsey, I will attend this support group once the doctors release me from the infirmary."

Edited 2014-11-14 15:12 (UTC)

Doug fought the urge to frown. "Well, give it some thought at any rate," he said, standing. "I'm sure Doctor Reyes will be around to tell you off some more anyway. We just want what's best for you, Dolemeck. So rest up."

"Aye." his voice quivered a little. Even his older brother did not tell him off when needed. Rose was right in that the X-Men were a family.They told him the straight up truth, even if he did not wish to hear it. "Thank you, Professor Ramsey."

Doug allowed himself a bit of a smile. "You're welcome, Dolemeck," he said, as he left.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sunset

Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab

Re: Medical Lab