Heroes: Guardianship (gen, PG)
Title: Guardianship
Author: fool_of_ships
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of characters, plot, or other elements copyrighted by TPTB of Heroes.
Character(s): Mohinder, Niki
Summary: Mohinder and Niki trade perspectives on their employment.
Spoilers: Through 2.07 "Out of Time"
A/N: Written for heroes_las Round 1 Challenge #5. Posted to heroes_fic and paper_pwns_all.
The more he thinks about it, the less sense it makes. If he's never had the virus, if it can only infect the evolved, there's no logical reason he should be a natural source of antibodies. A protein, perhaps, something that dissolves the viral capsid, interrupts its life cycle. Yes. Some effect of inheriting almost the same genes, of being the lucky one-
"You're thinking out loud again."
Mohinder looks away from the screenful of lurching blood cells, toward Niki's pained smile. "Sorry," he says, giving thanks that at least she can't hear everything he's thinking.
"It's okay," she says. "You've got a lot to think about."
He sighs, because it's true. "And I'm not concentrating on what I should be." With the equipment in this place, it should be easy, but it feels more as if the lab is mocking him. He'd tried to get around it, and still he's landed right back amid the test tubes and microscopes and victims he can't help.
Niki shrugs. "You're thinking about the virus. That counts."
"I suppose. But it's..." Frustrating. Maddening. Disheartening. "Not getting me anywhere. I don't even know where to start looking for a different cure." He'd been special, for a moment, his deeper thoughts say, and now he isn't. Not so immune to the virus's effects after all.
His momentary wallow in self-pity doesn't upset Niki. "I'd be happy not to be the cure anymore," she says, looking thoughtful. "If it was me."
"How can you say that?" Mohinder asks. Niki, of all people, who talks incessantly about protecting the ones she loves. "It's going to kill you if I can't figure out another cure in time."
"Yeah," she says, trying to fold her arms, foiled by the IV. It's useless, now, he realizes, and he goes over to remove it. "But at least it won't kill you."
She doesn't understand. But then, epidemiology isn't a popular field of study, even for Company recruits. "Niki, if this virus jumps from you to the normal population, I'm in the closest proximity to you. I'll probably be the first to go. We have to stop it before that happens, and if I'm unable to provide a cure myself and can't find another in time, it won't be just me, it'll be everyone."
"And what if it did happen to everyone, and if you were still immune?" Niki asks, looking up. There's something in her eyes that arrests him, makes him pause with a bandage half-unwrapped between his fingers. "What do you think would happen then?"
A possibility he hadn't yet considered. "I'd keep searching, I guess. Try to find a cure before...I was the last one left." The room seems somehow colder, with that thought.
"With this virus, sure," says Niki. "But if you were still the only cure? Do you think you'd survive if anyone outside the Company knew about you?"
"Don't be silly," Mohinder says, but his fingers are unsure on the back of her hand and the temperature is still dropping. "No one would want to lose the only source of the cure."
"And nobody'd want to wait to get their hands on it," Niki adds. Her voice isn't quite the same as usual, either, but that could be the rush of blood pounding in his ears. Blood that he can suddenly see on dozens of desperate hands. Some of them are familiar.
"Why do you think I was assigned to be your partner?" Niki continues. Surveillance, he doesn't say. Wouldn't say, even if he could find his voice. "You'd need protecting, if the worst happened. That's what I'm here for."
He looks at her, the determined jawline and challenging stare mocking the way she leans on the counter for support, and sees what he hopes is truth. He's been fooled by partnerships before. "I guess, in a way, we're lucky that's not necessary anymore."
Niki smiles, bitterly. "Yeah. Lucky."
"I'm sorry," Mohinder says hastily. Sure, he's been shaken up, but dear god, could he be any more insensitive? "I didn't mean-"
"I know. It's okay." She squeezes his shoulder and slides carefully off her seat, and her smile is anxious this time. "Don't get killed without me. Somebody's got to protect our kids."
The words are more real from her, from a mother. This fight has always been personal for him, so much so that he's come to think of it as his alone. It's not, anymore. He understands, and he can't believe it took him this long to realize that she does, too. "I'll do my best."
Author: fool_of_ships
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of characters, plot, or other elements copyrighted by TPTB of Heroes.
Character(s): Mohinder, Niki
Summary: Mohinder and Niki trade perspectives on their employment.
Spoilers: Through 2.07 "Out of Time"
A/N: Written for heroes_las Round 1 Challenge #5. Posted to heroes_fic and paper_pwns_all.
The more he thinks about it, the less sense it makes. If he's never had the virus, if it can only infect the evolved, there's no logical reason he should be a natural source of antibodies. A protein, perhaps, something that dissolves the viral capsid, interrupts its life cycle. Yes. Some effect of inheriting almost the same genes, of being the lucky one-
"You're thinking out loud again."
Mohinder looks away from the screenful of lurching blood cells, toward Niki's pained smile. "Sorry," he says, giving thanks that at least she can't hear everything he's thinking.
"It's okay," she says. "You've got a lot to think about."
He sighs, because it's true. "And I'm not concentrating on what I should be." With the equipment in this place, it should be easy, but it feels more as if the lab is mocking him. He'd tried to get around it, and still he's landed right back amid the test tubes and microscopes and victims he can't help.
Niki shrugs. "You're thinking about the virus. That counts."
"I suppose. But it's..." Frustrating. Maddening. Disheartening. "Not getting me anywhere. I don't even know where to start looking for a different cure." He'd been special, for a moment, his deeper thoughts say, and now he isn't. Not so immune to the virus's effects after all.
His momentary wallow in self-pity doesn't upset Niki. "I'd be happy not to be the cure anymore," she says, looking thoughtful. "If it was me."
"How can you say that?" Mohinder asks. Niki, of all people, who talks incessantly about protecting the ones she loves. "It's going to kill you if I can't figure out another cure in time."
"Yeah," she says, trying to fold her arms, foiled by the IV. It's useless, now, he realizes, and he goes over to remove it. "But at least it won't kill you."
She doesn't understand. But then, epidemiology isn't a popular field of study, even for Company recruits. "Niki, if this virus jumps from you to the normal population, I'm in the closest proximity to you. I'll probably be the first to go. We have to stop it before that happens, and if I'm unable to provide a cure myself and can't find another in time, it won't be just me, it'll be everyone."
"And what if it did happen to everyone, and if you were still immune?" Niki asks, looking up. There's something in her eyes that arrests him, makes him pause with a bandage half-unwrapped between his fingers. "What do you think would happen then?"
A possibility he hadn't yet considered. "I'd keep searching, I guess. Try to find a cure before...I was the last one left." The room seems somehow colder, with that thought.
"With this virus, sure," says Niki. "But if you were still the only cure? Do you think you'd survive if anyone outside the Company knew about you?"
"Don't be silly," Mohinder says, but his fingers are unsure on the back of her hand and the temperature is still dropping. "No one would want to lose the only source of the cure."
"And nobody'd want to wait to get their hands on it," Niki adds. Her voice isn't quite the same as usual, either, but that could be the rush of blood pounding in his ears. Blood that he can suddenly see on dozens of desperate hands. Some of them are familiar.
"Why do you think I was assigned to be your partner?" Niki continues. Surveillance, he doesn't say. Wouldn't say, even if he could find his voice. "You'd need protecting, if the worst happened. That's what I'm here for."
He looks at her, the determined jawline and challenging stare mocking the way she leans on the counter for support, and sees what he hopes is truth. He's been fooled by partnerships before. "I guess, in a way, we're lucky that's not necessary anymore."
Niki smiles, bitterly. "Yeah. Lucky."
"I'm sorry," Mohinder says hastily. Sure, he's been shaken up, but dear god, could he be any more insensitive? "I didn't mean-"
"I know. It's okay." She squeezes his shoulder and slides carefully off her seat, and her smile is anxious this time. "Don't get killed without me. Somebody's got to protect our kids."
The words are more real from her, from a mother. This fight has always been personal for him, so much so that he's come to think of it as his alone. It's not, anymore. He understands, and he can't believe it took him this long to realize that she does, too. "I'll do my best."