InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Eat the rude"

vαи dyиє (punches) wrote in avengers_logs,
@ 2019-06-10 17:55:00

Entry tags:

-complete, christine palmer, hope van dyne

Who: Hope & Christine
What: Hope wanders in to take her clothes off (aka, a wellness check-up)
When: Last week?
Where:The Superhero Clinic at Stark Industries
Rating: Green
Status: Complete

Christine was absolutely not napping. Nope. Not at all.

She was resting her eyes and lounging on the comfortable couch she'd put into the clinic's space when she heard some enter. Well. Heard someone pushing the buttons and flashing their security badge. That gave her an extra 30 seconds to pretend to look professional.

Or she could stay where she was and smile as the brunette walked into the room.

"Hey there," she said cordially. She swung her legs over and sat up. "Welcome to the clinic of no name. I'll be your doctor today, how can I help you?"

Usually, Hope wasn't really one for doctor visits. She was stubborn as a mule, much like anyone else in her line of work she assumed, and would rather just take care of any illnesses by consulting WebMD (that was either a positive experience, or she learned she was dying of avian flu and/or flesh-eating virus) - plus, staying in shape, eating well, and her vigorous martial arts training meant that she was overall healthy and didn't often get the sniffles anyway.

But still. There was a clinic set up right where she worked, she may as well mosey on by since the doctors who ran the place were encouraging everyone to come by for a poking or a physical or whatever.

"Nothing major," she promised. "I work in the labs down the hall, I just thought I'd come by for a...checkup?" No needles, please. Or any other Scary Doctor Items.

"Voluntarily?" Christine perked up. "I didn't have to harrass you?" Now that was a feat in and of itself.

She got to her feet and smiled widely, motioning to Hope to sit down. "Let me get some paperwork for you, and we can get started. What was your name again?" Christine didn't think she knew the woman, nor did she recognize her from the television. Of course, she barely watched tv that wasn't Game of Thrones (and ugh how would she cope now that it was over?). "And when was the last time you went to the doctor? Was it here? Stephen is sneaky and is good at getting me files that I wouldn't be able to access otherwise."

"No?" It came out like a question, with Hope laughing a little. "Do you usually have to harass people to get them to come in?" That was rough. Especially since, yeah, the stubborn thing. It was a plague among her kind.

But okay, since she was here, she may as well do this. She settled on one of the chairs, tucking one knee over the other and trying not to cross and re-cross out of anxious habit. Doctor's offices just had that way about them. "Hope van Dyne," she introduced herself - she couldn't recall having met the doctor either, who must have been popped into this 'verse when Hope was visiting her parents in San Francisco. "Last time I went to the doctor..."

Well, shit. She didn't have an exact date, but had a general time frame. "When I first got dumped in this universe," she guessed. "It was here though. The Planned Parenthood in the Bronx." She'd needed birth control, and an exam - may as well get it before it got taken away for some asinine political reason.

Christine nodded approvingly. "It's so important to take care of your sexual health. Not enough people do that." It wouldn't be too hard to get those files, and she made a note on a manila folder to look into a bit closer. Grabbing the things she needed, she handed the papers over to Hope and started getting busy.

"Well, welcome then." The blonde smiled widely as she sat down on the examination table, across from Hope. "I'm glad to see you and meet you, Ms. Van Dyne. I want you to be comfortable here, and know that this is a safe and confidential space. I may be using Stark Tower, but let me assure you, no one sees these files except myself and Dr. Banner. Patient-doctor privilege and all. You can talk to me about anything and everything, no judgement. I'm not a counsellor but I think mental health is a determinant of physical health, and I always include wellness checks to my sessions. Is that okay? At no point are you required to answer my questions but please remember: if you are actually feeling unwell, I can't help you unless I know what's going on."

Hope didn't really have much to hide in terms of medical history - it was pretty standard stuff, but she was glad there was the whole idea of patient-doctor confidentiality anyway. Just because she didn't happen to have a case of eye herpes caught from rubbing her face on a stripper's ass or something didn't mean she wanted her whole file discussed. Among people she didn't know.

"Thanks, I appreciate that," she said sincerely. "I'm good with mental health checks. Though I don't think we've met before and - sorry, I don't think I got your name? Are you new to this alternate universe?" It was embarrassing to have to ask, but she would definitely tuck it away and file for use. So she wouldn't forget.

Memory like a steel trap, this one had. "But yeah, otherwise, fire away. I'm ready."

Christine looked slightly embarrassed. "I am so sorry, I thought I'd introduced myself. God, where are my manners!" She stuck out her hand and smiled. "I'm Dr. Christine Palmer. I am fairly new here, but that's how things go right? We all have to start somewhere. Stephen brought me here to help out with Jane, and since once you're here, much like Hotel California, you can't ever leave. So."

She gave a half grin, her dimple deepening slightly. "Anyways, since this is your first visit, we'll just do a base line test. Do some blood work, do that general kind of stuff, okay?" With Hope's consent, she went forward, chatting away about nothing, like always.

A half hour later, Christine was happy with what she saw.

"You are completely healthy, and you did amazing. Do you want a lollipop? Or a sticker? I even have little Stephen ones." She thought the merchandise for everyone was the best part of being friends with superheros. She pulled out a Doctor Strange sticker and handed it to Hope. "Don't be weirded out that I'm handing you a sticker of my ex-boyfriend. Our lives are so ...well, strange."

Christine was easy to talk to - and that helped, since being examined and prodded at a doctor's visit was ranked right up there with 'shit I really hate doing,' at least for Hope. But she relaxed, finding that things went a lot smoother when she felt a rapport with whomever was sticking a needle in her arm and drawing blood, and also arranging for a litany of other tests.

It actually wasn't that bad, time fell through the hourglass pretty quickly where this was concerned, and Hope was surprised when she heard that the poking was all done. "Wow, okay - this is..." She had to laugh when she took the sticker, giving it a look over. How weird - and here she thought ice cream flavors were the crux of it, but apparently that wasn't even the beginning. "I didn't know you guys dated." That was some tea. Some she wouldn't mind having spilled.

"But I definitely agree that our lives are strange. And thanks for this," she waved the sticker - hell, she wouldn't have complained about a lolly either. Fond memories of the cheap cherry ones flashed in her mind's eye, the ones she got as a kid after a successful doctor's visit. "Maybe we could hang out sometime? Like, not at work?"

There was a joke somewhere about how since Hope took her clothes off, Christine could buy dinner. But no, not necessary - if anything, Hope should spring for dinner because this clinic was such a good idea.

Christine stopped for amoment and tilted her head. She kept forgetting that people didn't know her history with Stephen. It was such gossip fodder in the hospital that even now, years later, shewas still being reminded.

Probably didn't help that she referred to the 'strange policy' when she was asked out.

"We all make poor choices when we're sleep deprived and hungry, like first year doctors generally are." She smiled widely, the dimple in her cheek deepening. "I'd say I've made better choices now, but that's because I've held a candlelight vigil for certain body parts."

RIP her sex life.

"And I agree. I'd love to get together. I'm off this weekend?”

"Oh no," Hope winced, but she was also laughing a little. "I'd say that vigil was premature. There was no reason for it - you're smart and hot, those body parts aren't dead yet." A sliver of her was curious about what Stephen was like in bed (was he all wild and crazy, since he remained so buttoned up in other aspects of his life?) but maybe she didn't want to know.

Okay, she did. Nothing wrong with a little girl talk, right? That might require more drinks and conversation though.

Hey, and this weekend she actually had plans now. Wow. "Sounds good to me," she nodded happily. "I say we find a classy cocktail lounge and maybe someone for you to have fun with." A woman had needs, she understood that well. Luckily, Scott was great about satisfying those needs whenever the mood struck (and it did. Pretty often).

Christine's eyes brightened as well. Coming to this dimension had done wonders for her social life. It probably also helped that she no longer was volunteering for every overtime shift.

Even though she wasn’t taking money for the clinic, Tony Stark was generous.

"Drinks with fancy ingredients that I can't pronounce?" This sounded better and better. "I don't know about the whole one night stand thing... too much of a doctor to not be creeped out by random people's bodies, but drinks. Yes. I would love that. Hope."

She smiled again.

"Thanks for the invite!"

Hope had never been a one-night stand kind of gal either - like, they happened, occasionally, when she was single. But not very often. She didn’t judge either way. Whatever a woman wanted to do with her body was her own damn business.

“Just the booze, then,” she grinned, a promise that was all about female solidarity and cocktails that both tasted good and got you drunk as a skunk. She wasn’t about to do tequila shots for that effect - hell no, give her a Death in the Afternoon (if you enjoyed the woodsy taste of absinthe) or a Black Russian any day.

She was pretty sure Christine had her contact info. They were on the same internet forum, at least. “Let me know when’s a good night for you? I have a place in mind - and I’ll reserve a table, in case we want some snacks.”

Christine was feeling better and better about this.

"That sounds amazing, and not going to lie -- totally needed." She'd spent so much time building up the clinic, and everything well .... she deserved this.

"And I love that you said food. Food is mandatory. especially if it's super fattening. I mean, I have a treadmill for a reason."

She grinned.

"I'll see you this weekend then!"