Mutant and Proud. (Tag: Quinn)

The town of Sausalito was beautiful, just as Ember remembered it from previous visits with her parenta. The streets were teaming with tourists, juast as Ember expected from a Saturday afternoon. As she made her way along the sidewalk, she tried her best to stay out of everyone's way by skirting around the crowds, and occasionally stepping off the curb.

A few blocks later, she reached the clinic, which rested in one of the quieter parts of this little town. From what she heard, this place welcomed mutants, and better still, there weren't any mutabt control assigned here. Ember glanced down at the false band around her wrist, and readjusted it nervously. When scanned, it would give her the name Lora Johnson, a non-mutant 17 year old. Ember couldn't use her own band, thanks to her prison escape with the others about a month ago. It made it all the more nervewracking, knowing she would have to explain herself once she started talking to the doctor.

Ember still had time to turn back, and go home, never think about this again, but home was now an abandoned factory with a bunch of other mutants constantly reminding her to be proud of her genetics, to accept who she was even though the world outside didn't. How could she be proud, when she didn't even know what mutation made her special? She didn't want to face the others the way she was now: afraid, alone, and confused about who she was. She had to hold onto the hope that someone at this clinic could help her. With that decided, she clutched her bag tightly as she stepped through the doors.

It was a quiet day at the clinic. Saturday's usually were, as it was rare for anyone to schedule an appointment in advance for a weekend. There were much better things to be doing than being poked and prodded on a sunny summer day. The waiting room housed only a mother and daughter and a beat up looking young man, who was holding his arm close to his body. Beth, the receptionist, had alerted the doctors who were in today to the waiting patients, and they had promised to get to the boy as soon as they could.

The little buzz of the door opening again alerted Beth to a newcomer, and the information collected from the scanner at the entrance instantly showed up on her computer screen. She smiled as a young girl, looking somewhat nervous, walked up to the counter. Another walk in. That was the usual fare of Saturdays. Beth checked her in and told her to have a seat until one of the doctors was ready for her.

A few minutes passed before a nurse opened the door by the receptionists desk and called out the name Rory. The injured man stood up and followed the nurse out, a look of pain on his face. The clock on the wall ticked on, and after about fifteen minutes the same nurse appeared once again.

“Lora Johnson?” He waited as the young girl got up and made her way to the door. “Right this way, please.” He led her through a short hallway, pausing to take her weight and height, then opening a door and motioning her in. “The doctor should be in shortly,” he said before gently closing the door and leaving the girl in the pristine room.

***

Before entering the exam room Quincy took a quick read through of the new patient's chart. Lora Johnson, seventeen years old, non-mutant, no records. Quin frowned a bit as she flipped the chart over looking for more information. While she had seen charts exactly like this before – young kids, no parents bringing them in, no previous visits – it was almost exclusively with mutant patients. Knowing she would find her answers on the other side of the door, and knowing it was not her place to judge, Quinn put on her bright smile and stepped through the door.

“Good morning! I'm Dr. Hayes, it's great to meet you, Lora.” Quinn reached out the hand not holding the chart and took a hold of Laura's in a friendly handshake. Her introduction speech was automatic, something every doctor got accustomed to quickly. As she took a seat in the wheeled chair Quinn put down the chart and turned to make her first impression of the girl.

She was young, as the chart had told. She had tanned skin with a healthy complexion, and while a bit on the slim side at first glance she appeared to be in good health. Quin kept the motherly smile on her face as she looked to the computer stationed nearby. She logged in and began to pull up a new patient record for Lora before turning back to her.

“How are you doing today? Looks like we have you down for a basic physical, no previous records sent over. Is that right?” While Quinn was a professional and was acting off a mental script, her voice was cheerful and friendly. Her attitude tended to help put her patients at ease and make them more comfortable with telling her their ailments and sometimes hard to speak about problems.

Ember could feel her palms growing sweaty as she sat in the patient room for what felt like ages. Her knees bobbed rapidly up and down as she looked from the clock, to the nearby window, and then finally the door. When the door finally opened her heart skipped a beat, and then a blonde woman entered the room, and Ember quickly stood. She shook the doctor's hand, unable to conceal the tremble in her arm. Any words she had in response to the doctor's greetings seemed to be caught in her throat, so she just simply nodded and retreated to her seat once Dr. Hayes moved to the computer.

As Dr. Hayes began asking questions, all the simulated answers Ember had planned ahead of time were right there in her mind, all of the things the others back in the hideout told her to say, but she was just finding it difficult to play the part. She was clearly anxious, as hiding her emotions didn't seem to be her strong suit. She certainly never had to lie to anybody over something so serious. But she was also terrified of what Dr. Hayes might do once she knows Ember was a 'mutant'. Naively, Ember still hoped that the test would show up negative somehow, as though this had all been some horrible mistake. She just wanted to return to her parents, and continue her normal life. The thought gave her some form of strength.

"Yes, that's correct," She swallowed, and then quickly added, "Dr. Hayes." She remembered from her high school physical, and details from reading it somewhere, and focusing on the details took her mind off what would come at the end of the physical. "So you'll start with blood pressure right?" She asked, but she already knew the answer. Then the doctor would check her heart rate, which was likely higher than when she did it in highschool, which had been 77. After that came the respiratory check, and temperature, and so on and so forth. She was worried about Dr. Hayes asking about the lack of medical records and her reason for visiting, but with a deep breath, Ember reminded herself to take it one step at a time. She placed her right hand out and rolled up her sleeve, waiting for Dr. Hayes to attach the sphygmomanometer- another word she must have read somewhere.