Too Many Orange Bottles
Livvie: Boo for headaches. And not having any valium with her. And having eaten too recently for tramadol. So Livvie goes into the bathroom and opens the cabinet and finds a million and one pills...but all in orange bottles. “...Jesus. Judah!”
Judah: Look, Livvie, he's practicing acupuncture on a plastic model arm here. Whaaaat. "Yeeees?" Needle: in!
Livvie: "What is all this?" Stupid question, yes, but he needs to come into this bathroom and explain himself. Or something.
Judah: "What's all *what*?" In the bathroom? With a girl? Please. Bathrooms are for privacy. "I'm not coming in there and looking at...whatever." Needle: in!
Livvie: "The pills, Judah!" The door is open for the love of God but she goes out anyway and looks a mixture of frustrated and worried. "They shouldn't be in there! Anyone can go in there?"
Judah: DrStark looks at her, puzzled and shakes his head. "In the *medicine* cabinet?"
Livvie: Livvie sighs, puts her face in her hands. "There are too many. They shouldn't be there. People snoop through things. What if one of your clients went through your medication?"
Judah: "We have *ways* of dealing with snoopers." He says it jokingly, of course. And he probably is kidding. What are the odds that one of his patients hasn't found his pills? "There's nothing there anyone would want. Well. Maybe the Marinol."
Livvie: "The last time I left mine out someone sold them all. All I'm asking is that you don't leave them out in the open - I don't think it's a good idea. Besides, there are, like, four names on there. And Mrs. Fitz talks too much." See, she had a point.
Judah: DrStark siiiighs. "Fiiine." And he makes a point of going into the bathroom, getting his pill bottles, going to his desk, dumping them in a drawer and locking it. Who's the boss here, Livvie? "She doesn't talk that much." Ha.
Livvie: "Oh, yes she does. She practically told me your entire history over the phone the other day." Pfft. Here, have a hug Judah. "I'm allowed to worry. And point out things you wouldn't think about." Because she's high, not stoned. Big difference.
Judah: Good God, a hug. What's this about now? He clearly needs more tea. More, more, more. "I think about them, I just don't care." Biiig difference. "Wait." And he pulls her back a bit. "What did she tell you?"
Livvie: Judah looked like he needed one. Maybe Livvie needed one. Who knows? The moment's passed. "Which means someone needs to care." Pointed look. "She told me about your brother, about the other clinic, about Arkham, about the brain thing." Yes, brain thing.
Judah: Silly Livvie. That's what Harvey's for. Uh. The caring. Not the hugs. "...we're going to need to work on her big mouth." Yeah, no kidding.
Livvie: Well he's not here. Livvie can be the temp in that position. Besides hugs aren't that terrible (are they?). "Good luck with that." A shrug. "I think she assumed I already knew this stuff because I work for you."
Judah: They are not. "Yes. Well. Do you have a problem with it?" He probably doesn't mean the brain thing. Time to make some tea!
Livvie: "That's kind of a trick question." Livvie is not sure how to answer it. "Do I have a problem with her talking or with the stuff that got you landed in Arkham or with how you got out?"
Judah: "Yes." So. All of the above.
Livvie: "Her talking could get you back in Arkham. I don't know why you gassed a train station and why is important. You could have done worse but I feel sorry for the person you killed in order to get out." A frown. Guess who doesn't like trick questions. "Is it really important if I have a problem with it?"
Judah: "I *didn't* gas a train station." He even has an explanation for why his fingerprints were on that battery, if she asks. "I trust her judgement on who she tells. Why wouldn't it be important?"
Livvie: "But Teacakes wants to be experimented on and you're the one he's talking to about it." She isn't -going- to ask, it seems like a bad idea. "Because I'm just the receptionist and I'm still here."
Judah: "Who I am and who he thinks I am are mutually exclusive things. Who I have access to is another," he shrugs. "Why are you?"
Livvie: Livvie has to think about how best to put it. "Because I don't think you're a bad person. Because I'm not...afraid of it, I guess, if I'm wrong. Because I promised myself I'd listen to my instincts this time around." Pout, sigh.
Judah: Dr. Stark thinks about that for a moment and nods. "All right then!"
Livvie: "All right then?" Livvie laughs. "What does that even mean?"
Judah: "It means that I'll trust you to keep as quiet about it as possible." And not to turn him in.
Livvie: "Oh." Well, duh. "Okay then." She doesn't really know what else to say.
Judah: "Okay!" Tea now!