Beyond Evolution

Classes let out early on Fridays - that was one aspect of her schedule Laura was particularly proud of - and on a weekend like this one, that meant she could be on the road by early afternoon. It had been a while since she'd had a really free weekend, one where she didn't have piles of work to finish up by Monday or on-campus friends to hang out with, and she'd actually been starting to get a little bit homesick. For Xavier's, of course, not for her actual home. Laura had gotten over being homesick for Bemidji quite some time ago, though she still went back to visit on holidays and called her parents to check in every once in a while; getting used to being away from Xavier's was apparently going to take a little bit longer. It might be a little silly, leaving college to visit her old high school on the weekends, but she wasn't going to worry about it too much. Xavier's had been more like a home away from home for quite some time anyway, and the people there were better friends than anybody in her home town. And if she ever needed an excuse - not that she would, but if she ever did - she could just say she was heading over to visit her boyfriend for the weekend. It all worked out.

By Friday evening she was unpacked and settled in, having made the rounds and said her hellos, and she'd ended up in the rec room just like she always used to when she was an actual student. Some things never changed. There was always popcorn in the kitchen - she'd scorched it a little, but nothing had caught fire, college was doing wonders for her microwaving skills - and there was always something on television if movie quality didn't matter, which for Laura it didn't. She'd dragged a blanket down to the rec room with her, along with her bowl of popcorn and her cell phone just in case something important happened, and now she was curled up on the couch with the blanket wrapped around her, only her head peeking out. Every once in a while, a hand would steal out from under the blanket and snag a few bits of popcorn, then slide back under. It wasn't the most glamorous of images, but then, AMC's Fear Friday wasn't the most glamorous of programming. Disappointingly, they weren't showing any of the Friday the 13th movies despite the date - Laura, and anyone who decided to take that empty couch cushion, was stuck with Sabretooth for the next hour and a half.

(open!)

The last dose. It was all going to be over after this.

Warren hadn't been very social for the last few weeks, in large part because of this. He'd started skipping his appointments with the therapist that his parents had found for him, and had avoided taking the anti-depressents that he'd been prescribed; he didn't think it was unusual or weird to feel the way that he did over this. He wasn't against medications in general, but he thought it was somehow...disrespectful, to shut away the pains of losing this part of himself. He'd made the choice, and he was man enough to take the consequences along with it. But he was feeling it heavily, and thus hadn't been wanting to focus on much beyond his schoolwork. He'd even avoided his birthday, although his parents had sent the requisite money and presents plus a card.

And now he was here again.

He'd come into the waiting area wearing a hoodie that did a pretty good job of covering his face, and a pair of sunglasses. People were still trying to get pictures of him. He didn't bother shoving the hood down or removing the glasses once he took a seat within the lobby though. It was starting to really hit him more as the minutes ticked on that this was actually going to happen. He would never have his wings again. Would never fly. Would never be whole. Warren Worthington III was not the sort who liked to show weakness to others, and so the darkened lenses stayed over his eyes to conceal the pricking and heat that he could feel there.

His back hurt more today, like the once-wings knew what was going to be happening soon and were trying to stop him themselves. He shifted a bit to try and get more comfortable, sighing slightly and pulling out his phone. He wished Ali was still here. He considered calling her, or texting, but he didn't want her to worry. She had her own life, and he had his. He just wanted to have anyone else's at the moment.


(Open to any of the cured, or narrative!)