May 21st - A Kind of Support Group

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:51 pm

Feeling at least a little better and able to talk about it Nailah decides to see how Mel's other victim is coping and thus she's knocking on the door to the Stantons' apartment.

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:05 pm

Will opened the door, surprised. "Professor Weaver! Um, what can I do for you?"

He had showered and gotten dressed today, though he had a little bit of stubble going on.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:10 pm

"Good morning Will. I thought I would come by and see how you're doing. And... I think after what happened you can call me Nailah."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:15 pm

"Um, of course...Nailah. Come in, come in..." he said, clearly a little uncomfortable.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:22 pm

"Thank you." she says, following Will inside until she's somewhat awkwardly standing in the middle of the living room.

"Okay, to be honest, this was kind of Sam's idea. She said you don't really remember but we still... went through the same thing so she thought it might help."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:38 pm

"Um, yeah, probably...I mean, I don't...I wasn't exactly myself..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:43 pm

"Yeah I... I figured that. But that's the thing. That fact doesn't make it any better, does it? Instead it's what makes me jump at shadows at least."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:46 pm

Will nodded. "What...what DID happen, Pro...er...Nailah? I'm just getting...flashes. Like something's just around the corner, and I can't quite reach it..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:53 pm

"I can tell you some of it, but... I remember and I more or less asked Sam to erase it. You may not want to know it once you recall it."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:53 pm

"I haven't slept straight through the past few nights, and I'm TIRED. I'm actually, physically tired--I haven't been tired in a long time, Nailah. I need to know."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:57 pm

"None of us have had a good night's sleep." she sighs. "I haven't actually been in my apartment ever since. It won't make things magically better if you know..."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:00 pm

Will sighed. "I know, I know. I just...

From my perspective, one moment I'm fine, the next, I'm having nightmares..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:05 pm

"You want to face your demons, I understand that..."

There's a long, awkward pause during which she steels herself for reliving those moments and proceeds to tell Will what happened, pacing through the living room, not looking at Will until or after she's done.

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:07 pm

Will's face drained of color, which wouldn't be impressive until you realized he wasn't actually shifting.

"...my G....N...Professor, I am....I am so....so sorry..." he stammered.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:13 pm

"It was hardly your fault." she says quietly, facing away from Will. It is already hard enough for her to keep her composure after recounting that.

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:14 pm

"Then whose fault IS it? It's my...my head."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:16 pm

"She got into mine too. She got into Sam's." she says, turning around. "What are you supposed to do against that...?"

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:25 pm

"I...I don't.." he stammered. "Something, I guess..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:30 pm

"Yeah. Something."

"Look, nothing you did was you . It was all her, playing her sick little game. I... I know that doesn't make it any better, any less... violating, but you can't blame yourself for it."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:37 pm

"Damn it, we're not...we're not...pieces or playthings," he spat out.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:42 pm

"Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to pretend I was for that day. The thought seems more bearable than being me, just powerless to do anything but watch..."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:46 pm

"No, no---you..YOU didn't do anything wrong. I'M the one who tricked you...and...and..." he said, unable to spit it out.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:48 pm

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. It wasn't you. All of that, everything that happened that was her."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:52 pm

"But if I hadn't been there..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:55 pm

"Maybe she would have found another shapeshifter. Or come up with a different plan. You can't... blame your mere existence for this."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:56 pm

"But they kept telling me my defenses were weak and things...and I slacked off...didn't listen..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:09 pm

"I know what you mean. You feel weak, like you maybe could have done something if you'd been stronger. I even had a vision about it the night before and failed to understand it. But again, she almost got Sam. If I don't cling to the belief that that moves her up and beyond my league or yours then I don't know how I could ever get over this..."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:10 pm

"Pro....professor McManus. We....I owe my life to her, don't I?" he sighed. "Damn it. God damn it all to hell. How could I have let this happen..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:17 pm

"Actually... If it hadn't been for Sara McDohl Sam wouldn't have rescued anybody. And Will you can't. Blame. Yourself. You're going to break on this if you do. All we can do is look forward and make sure we're stronger the next time." she says, involuntarily glancing down at the collapsed metal staff hanging on her belt, an usually rare thing for her to carry around like this.

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:21 pm

"McDohl," he growled, "and I are quits."

An uncharacteristic expression of anger crossed his face.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:25 pm

"I don't have to like her to acknowledge the fact that she saved us that day."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:27 pm

"And, from my understanding, she's the reason I was there in the FIRST place."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:36 pm

"Yes... And I'm not saying you have to forgive her for that."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:40 pm

"Good," he said, firmly. "I can't....I mean, my God. That's only the stuff we KNOW about. What ELSE did McDohl do? Or Mel?"

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:44 pm

"I don't know. I don't want to know. I just want to put all this behind me."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:47 pm

"Yeah," he sighed, sitting down. "Yeah, like...like it never happened. Gotta...gotta move on and stay strong..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:58 pm

She nods. "It'll get easier in time. I just wish I wasn't such a burden on Sam right now. She almost feels worse about watching me like this than about what happened to her..."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:59 pm

"Aye. Sara, too--I've just been...sort of moping. I should..get out and about."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:09 pm

"It's good to do something, just to feel like you're in control."

by **Will Stanton** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:12 pm

"In control, huh..." he mused.

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