tushanshu | Audio

[Someone had overdone it these past weeks. Had overdone it and once the adrenaline had faded, once he'd gone back to his suite, showered and laid down to sleep, he'd woken to a spot of trouble.

Muscles that had made up for the lack of spinal integrity were seized up, his entire lumbar region compromised in a combination of agonizing pain at the wound location and worrisome weakness below. Though Charles could navigate himself, to some extent, between bed and bathroom, a fall as a result of weakened legs, leaving to a wicked split on his temple had made up his mind for him.

He needed help.

Getting to the console in his suite had taken a combination of awkward navigation, the inability to even sit in the chair leaving him flat on the floor, though he managed to toggle the device to 'audio'. A couple of breaths, to give his voice some measure of calm before he spoke.]

Perhaps I should have anticipated this situation earlier and asked after this point before now, however I do hope I can be forgiven it slipping my mind.

Does anyone know the location of hospital facilities that may be near the Water Sector? Perhaps transport to such facilities or if there might be a medical expert who could come to my suite?

I fear that I have aggravated a pre-existing condition this past week and it is causing me a touch of inconvenience at the moment. I would be most grateful for some assistance.

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[Charles blinked and reached up to touch his hair protectively, though she couldn't see the action).]

I do not have an afro and let us kindly leave the state of my hair out of this.

[He had his vanity in his youth! Of course, losing his legs would quickly put paid to a lot of that vanity.]

Thank you, Ororo. I don't expect to need it on a permanent basis. [At least he was going to do everything in his ability to make sure that did not happen.] But having it for supportive care, is probably wise.

[She can't help it -- a hairy Xavier is just... Weird. It demands teasing. But fiiiiiiiiiiiiine. She'll lay off the afro jokes. And she won't bring out the hair plugs one either. Do you see what she does for you?]

Yeah, I get it. No way it'll be forever. [A simple, thin smile.]

Want me to bring it by as soon as I've got it?

[Or does he want to deal with Sep and take some time to himself first?]

[He is not hairy! Just his head. Wait till you see the pitiful scraggle that he calls a beard; its a sad thing.

Hair plugs will earn you a very stern look, young lady!]

Well, not here anyway. [He'll amend with a wry tone, one that indicates he's aware of his future with the chair back home.]

If you could, Ororo. I'm in Water Sector but building D-1 this time.

[Can you pull the "young lady" card with her now? Maybe she should ID you, see if you're old enough. OH THE CONUNDRUMS OF TIME WARPS.]

You got it, Professor.

[Ororo disconnects the feed, saving them both the awkwardness for a spell. It gives her the time to get some juulan out from under her mattress and find a kedan willing patch something together. It's rudimentary, at best, but she stays with him while he works and points out that, y'know, those wheels need to be able to move for the whole chair to be of use. Little things like that.

Weird. That's how it feels to be doing this. The Professor's long been chairbound in her mind and she's just gotten used to the idea of a young rendition of him hanging around. Maybe even used the whole motion bit to separate the concepts of them in her head, but-- Screw that, she supposes as the kedan bends a bar to be just right.

Temporary, he says. It'll help him get around, but she leaves a deposit for a better design with him. Four hours and change it took to get the model and it works enough to push it through the Sectors to 1D of Water. It's no masterpiece without polish or cushion, but it works and that's what she meant for it to do.

Ororo stops at the door. Thinks. Worries, even briefly. Maybe she should just leave it for him to bring in later and save him the, what? The awkwardness? It's not like it bothers her to see him in a chair, but vice versa? Who knows. Ugh. It's hard to figure and she decides to at least knock to let him know it's here.]

[Have you seen his fashion sense? He is enough of an old fart, even at this age, to be able to pull the 'young lady' card.

By the time Ororo got to his suite, Charles had at least been transferred off the floor and onto the couch. There had been some discussion at placing him back into bed but he knew Ororo was coming by and that would have been kinda awkward so couch it was!

At the knock, he called out.]

Come in! It's open.

[Perhaps not wise from a safety standpoint but he's got a very mild mental net cast to pick up intention if not direct thoughts.

His suite was small, the living space just inside the door and Charles was laying on the couch, facing the door so he would see her when she walked in. There was a rueful smile on his lips but it was welcoming all the same, just ignore the slight color on his cheeks, the only indicator of his embarrassment at his situation.]

[And that means no quick escape from the unease for either of them, but Ororo heeds the call and opens the door to look in first. She sees the Professor on the couch and offers a quick, subdued smile that quickly transitions into a nod. Easier, that way.]

'Storm's Lightning Delivery' -- or something cheesy like that.

[She says it with a roll of her eyes, finding her footing (so to speak) and turning to pull the chair in behind her.]

Look, before you say anything, I've got him working on the Milan model. [Added quickly, to explain why it's not the sweetest wheelchair on two wheels. Er, four.]

[Pushing himself up on his elbows, Charles chuckled softly as he eyed the contraption.]

So long as it does not collapse beneath my weight, I will forgo points for style.

[He gave Storm a warm smile as he looked up at her and his next words were definitely heartfelt.]

Thank you, Ororo. I appreciate this.

[Ororo turns the chair around once she's got it over the threshold, then leans down to brush a bit of dust off the seat before she levers in into a position near the couch, but not so much on top of it that he couldn't ignore if it he chose to.

Then she just... kind of stands there, a hand combing through the hair hanging over the back of her neck. Her smile is sheepish, though she manages to look him in the eye.]

It's cool, Professor. This -- [A quick gesture to the chair.] -- it's cool. [Yeah. So not saying "this is the norm for me" to the guy that still has some mobility.]

You just give me a yell if you need anything else.

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