Log:Patient Zero

Pay It Forward 2014/11/13 Porter Paragon

1

Outside Covington Industries Covington Industries International, INC., has been in Colonial Bay for years now, The 20 story building sits on a footprint of at least 15 acres of land that dominates the landscape of the Industrial Park. It has been a quiet existence for this large conglomerate. It is known for being a research facility, but the corporate headquarters also house here as well. The grounds are well groomed, and the parking is spacious, it is a major employer of the area, but has never had any negative press. Just one of those companies that does well in its community, and keeps its head low.

Third walks out of Covington Industries, holding hands with Porter. It was a brief detour on their outing, and it was a short interview. The timing could've been better. She wants to experience as much as she can for the brief time she gets to be living. Her skin is flush and healthy looking. Colors seem brighter to her. Sensations more vivid. And she's glad not to be stuck sitting inside answering questions. She's dressed for the fall, bundled up and trying to keep warm. Her nose is reddish from the chill, as are her cheeks.

Now, what are the chances that she has to make a detour about her ...living impairedness on the very night she isn't? One hundred and seventy percent. Because Porter's here. This means that the topic doesn't bother him nearly as much at the moment, since her outside's currently as alive as her inside. "So, where to next? And I don't mean another meeting or something work..." He gives her hand a squeeze.

A woman, perhaps in her early fifties, of mixed decent, with blonde hair, and deep brown eyes passes by the front desk, she is wearing a light colored winter coat with a cute white sock cap, and a white and light blue striped scarf.

As she passes the desk, she starts to cough and she puts her gloved hand to her mouth, before rushing outside. As she gets outside and is just next to Third, she begins to cough again, this time harder, the coughing is so violent the woman's body starts to spasm as she tries to control it but fails. She holds her mouth with her gloved hands, with eyes closed, a pained look on her face.

Third smiles softly, exhaling and watching her breath fog up in the air. It's a new thing for her, having warm breath. She does it a few times, then blinks and realizes Porter asked her a question. She squeezes his hand back. "Hopefully no more meetings. So where ever you want, Partn--err?" Third looks to the pained woman who's coughing and moves over to assist her. "Are you alright, ma'am?"

The woman continues coughing, when it finally lets up, she is heaving, catching her breath, around her neck hangs a lanyard showing her to be an employee of Covington International. "I...I am alright.." she says, wiping her lips with her white gloves. "..thank you.." she says between breathes, "It's the change in the seasons..." she tries to explain.

Third notices there are flecks of blood on the woman's lips, and on her glove. She is trying to hide the blood on her glove, and the blood on her lips looks like a freshly applied bit of lipgloss, but you've seen enough blood to know what you're looking at.

Porter frowns at the old woman coughing. "You sure? It's getting cold and wet. Flu season and whatnot..."

Third's eyes widen slightly as she notices something. "Ma'am, I think you need to see a doctor immediately," she suddenly takes on a serious tone. "You're coughing up blood. If you need assistance getting to the hospital, I'm sure we can be of assistance." She's already forgotten momentarily that she isn't quite her full, heroic self at the moment. But something like this, she should still be able to help out with.

Janet Regent shakes her head, "..b..blood?" she says looking at her glove, her knees seem to go weak as she begins to faint, her hand reaches out to Third...

Third reaches out to try and catch the fainting woman. "Take it easy there, ma'am," she says reassuringly.

Porter blinks as it goes from flu to really nasty. He nods quick, "Yeah, you should get to -crap!" He moves to help her, too, even if he knows Third can hold her up just fine. "We need to get her to a hospital or something."

With the bloody glove the woman holds Third's arm weakly, the color draining from her face. "oh..Oh thank you both.." she says weakly. "I'm sorry..I do not want to burden you. I can call a taxi.." she says, even as its only their strength and not her own that is keeping her from falling to her knees.

Third nods to Porter in agreement. "Yes, and quickly." Looking over Janet, Third says, "It's not a burden, ma'am. We can get you to a hospital much faster than a taxi." She grins slightly and looks to Porter. Because that's his queue.

Porter nods. Then a few seconds pass before he gets a clue on the cue. "Oh! Right... Thingamajiggy?" He frowns a little more. "Can't take all of us at once, Para... Sure jumping won't be better?"

"Well, the hospital isn't too far away. It'll be a bit of a ride, but we can do that." Third looks to the woman. "Ma'am, is it alright if I carry you?"

Janet Regent looks surprised.."..I..I am too heavy for you child.." she says and her eyes start to shine. "Ever since my son went missing.." he says sadly, "..He would have taken me to the hospital..flown me there.." she says softly, "I..I'm sorry, I just miss my son.." apparently she is not just sick, but very emotional.

Third grins a little. "Ohhh, I don't know about that. I can carry the both of you pretty easily." To prove the point, she carefully lifts the woman to cradle her in her arms. "See? No problem. I've got you." She turns towards the hospital as she notices the blood is missing. "Who was your son? If he was the flying sort, maybe I know him--Oh! ...you...the blood is gone..." she looks confused.

"..My son is..was..Matthew Regent..I miss him so much.." she says as tears roll down her eyes..pinkish tears, and her eyes seem glazed..

"Go ahead and take her, Para," Porter pats her. "I can catch up. Or meet you there. Hey, where did-" Para beats him to it and then he blinks at the lady. "Wha?" He wasn't exactly conscious for the whole mother son thing at the clearing, but he doesn't remember her there.

Third blinks a few times. "Oh...you're Matthew's mother?" she asks in sudden surprise. "So then...that would make you young Matt's grandmother?"

Janet Regent shakes her head, "Oh my Matt..why did you go away..I hope you're safe.." she says, apparently lost in her sorrow. She is rambling, and not listening to Third..

Porter is already confused, but he doesn't have to know family trees for this. "She's sick or something. Let's get her looked after, first? Can always talk later."

Third nods to Porter. "You're right, of course," she smiles softly. She doesn't really have the heart to tell Janet about Matthew Regent's fate. She holds on securely, crouches a little, and warns, "Hang on, ma'am." Then she leaps away in the direction of the hospital.

The woman seems to be delirious, and no responsive to anything, and she's stopped talking as well. Before they reach the hospital, she's out, the streaks of tears gone.

Third tries to pick up speed, taking the shortest path to the hospital. Eventually she's descending to street level and lands in front of the Emergency Room entrance and runs inside, carrying Janet. "Hello?? I need help. This woman is seriously ill!"

Porter could get there before them, and probably does with the FLASH-TWHUMP dis-/re-combobulation. He waits outside for them, though, to follow in when they get there. Doctors, nurses, and other patients look at Third, She's not Paragon, and they don't know her. "Excuse me ma'am what's the nature of the emergency?" asks a nurse closest to the door, "We have a triage..over there." her tone is bureaucratic, they see so many emergencies in this city, that the medical community is both very skilled, and very jaded.

"This woman was very sick and coughing up blood. Even her tears were bloody. She passed out a few minutes ago," Third explains.

The nurse comes over quickly and looks at Janet, but sees no sign of blood. "Ok..ma'am, please come this way." she says as she leads Third down the hall to the triage office. "Who is she and how is she related to you Ma'am?" asks the nurse. Even the tears that were on the shirt are no where to be seen.

The nurse points to a gurney, and two orderlies go to take Janet from Third to place her on the gurney.

"That's not the flu or the sniffles..." Porter adds. Not that the medical staff really need his input. "We were at Covington Industries, where I think she works. Not related. Just helping."

"Er, her name is Mrs. Regent," Third makes a guess on the name. It's her closest bet. Once the woman is handed over, she steps back alongside Porter.

The nurse nods, "Ok..lets get a cuff on her, and get some vitals." she begins to take the jacket off of Janet and puts a monitor on Janet's wrist, after a few seconds of output, the nurse frowns, and checks the monitors and the contacts, then she shouts, "Emergency! I need her in Room STAT!" She grabs a microphone and says, "Dr. House to Emergency Room 3! Patient has gone to code! Dr. House to Emergency Room 3!"

The nurse says to both Porter and Third, "You were good samaritans? Thank you very much, please stay here, we will need some information." her tones are hurried as she runs down the hall and goes into some crash doors, flying them open and she runs for some room. Janet has already been wheeled out through the crash doors while the Nurse was on the microphone.

Third looks to Porter with a worried expression. "Well...okay. After this, -then- we can go on our date?" she promises helplessly.

Porter blinks as the nurse starts yelling, but nods when they're asked to stay. And thanked. That makes him feel better, though he doesn't really smile at the moment. He does seek out Third's hand for a reassuring squeeze. And shrugs at her question. "Well, we did get a couple minutes, at least?" With him, small blessings are welcome.

A nurse finally arrives and has them fill out papers as she asks questions, "Ok, could you please explain what you know of is happening with Ms. Janet Regent." he pauses, "You are the two that brought her in right?"

Third takes his hand and squeezes it back gently. "Heh, I suppose we did," she smiles softly at him, then looks to the nurse as she returns. She takes the clipboard handed to her and starts filling out the requested paperwork. "We don't really know what is happening. We just saw her coughing outside Covington Industries, like he said," she nods over to Porter. "And then we noticed she was coughing up blood."

The Nurse nods, "Ok..so, you don't know her at all?" she says as she is typing the information into the computer system.

Porter shakes his head. "No. First time I've been there, so pretty sure it's the first time I've met her." He gets a little curious. "Why? People can still help strangers, you know."

The Nurse nods then looks up at both Third and Porter. "Oh…it's you two." she says blandly, "Yes..people still can, and you two often do. We'll we have your information on file, so your both ok to go. Thank you for bringing her in, she's very ill, we will do what we can for her."

Third guesses maybe the nurse at least recognized Porter. "You're welcome," she says, a bit relieved that they got her to the hospital. She squeezes Porter's hand and looks to him to see if he's ready to go.

Porter smirks a bit at the realization that It's Them. "Ok, good. We're just happy to help. Is she going to be Ok? Any ideas what's wrong?"

The Nurse shakes her head, "I'm just doing admins..we will do what we can. That's about all I can say. HIPPA laws.." is all she says before she returns to her work.

Porter returns Para's squeeze and turns to meet her look. "Never a dull moment, right? So, where to?" His brow wrinkles as he thinks of the time. "We might want to hurry, too. Before the stuff wears off."

Third chuckles weakly. "No kidding. Maybe we should head somewhere quiet. Before something else happens? And while I can still enjoy the spell?" she grins. "Maybe that fancy restaurant by the Yacht Club? Serafinos? My treat?"

"Sure!" As if Porter has ever declined food. And she doesn't have to cook! "Do you want to walk?" he offers, grin forming "Or cheat?"

Third wraps her arms around Porter's shoulders and smiles mischievously. "Cheat. I'd love to walk, but like you said, we have to make the most of the time we have left."

Porter can't decline the embrace, either. "As you wish." With a few button pushes and a FLASH-THWUMP, they are away.