[Open RP] Phoenix messes up. Again

[wright_phoenix]

The intent was to produce a bouquet of roses. Instead, Phoenix produced ragweed. Which gives him hay fever. Which makes him sneeze uncontrollably.

So off he goes to the hospital wing, hoping for an antidote.

Comments

[coxinsox]

It's another bright, sunny day at Hogwarts, which naturally means that Dr. Cox is occupying his own little corner of black rage and death wishes. The Secrets Board, in particular certain
conversations therein, have put him into a pretty angry mood.

As a result, he's not exactly as kind and cheerful with Phoenix as he might otherwise be. "What is it?" he snaps as soon as the man enters the Wing. "Come on, I don't got all day."

[wright_phoenix]

"Uh..." What a rude doctor! "I...achoo! I've got hay fever and was...achoo!...wondering if there was an antidote to that." Beat. "Achoo!"

[carlaespinosa]

Carla was working in the back. Wizards were...different. She was now staring at three different bottles of green goop, wondering which one was the diuretic, which was that burn paste stuff, and which was the leftover eel puree. Hadn't these people ever heard of labeling?

Cox's voice was drowned out - him being surly? Not a new occurrence - but the sound of someone sneezing made her huff slightly and walk over, tugging on both ends of her stethoscope. She'd been half-avoiding Cox, ever since the Secrets Board. Really, what else was there to say? But this was work. She could be professional. He could just watch her be professional all over his ass. "Yeah," Carla said as she stood next to Dr. Cox, determinedly avoiding looking at him at all. "It's called an antihistamine. Or we could just, you know..." She gave Phoenix a grave look and tweaked two fingers on her nose. "Pop it right off."

[wright_phoenix]

"True, but do you know how long...achoo!...it took me to get here? Plus, I was wondering...achoo!..if there was a spell. That's easier than taking pills. Achoo!"

[coxinsox]

Ever since the Secrets Board, he hadn't been entirely sure how to deal with Carla. He'd been kind of embarrassed by her shooting him down the way she had and so by instinct he was inclined to avoid the hell out of her until either he got over it or she took it back; but on the other hand, he needed to prove that he was in love with her, and that meant spending lots of time with her. As a result, he'd kind of been half-avoiding her as much as she was half-avoiding him.

Now her voice cut through the haze of grumpiness. He turned quickly to look at her, his eyes widening slightly. When she didn't look back he frowned, but his mouth twitched bemusedly at her answer to Phoenix. He turned back to the lawyer and shrugged, folding his arms. "Given that you a~~re oh-stensibly a student and therefore live here, I'm not feeling too bad about your commute there, Sneezy. And a pack of pills'll do ya just as good as any voodoo we can pull together here

[carlaespinosa]

"Yes, doctor." Still no eye contact with Cox, but Phoenix got her best 'it's okay, honey, Nurse Carla will take care of you' smile before she turned and walked back to the medicine cabinet. It contained a strange mixture of boomslang skin and asprin, but she pulled out the required pills, returning with them and a glass of water, which were both handed to Phoenix.

"This should clear you right up. If not, there is always the nose-ectamy route."

Now, personally, Carla just wanted to walk away. Her job was done and there was no reason for the awkward to continue. However, she was, first and foremost, a nurse. At least, at this moment, in this place. So instead of fleeing (a very strong flee, more like a scamper), Carla said, eyes straight ahead, "Anything else you need, Dr. Cox?"

[coxinsox]

Oh, now why would you even say that around someone like him? Honestly, Carla. Rookie mistake. Immediately he lit up, his grin broadening toothily, and leaned forward to insinuate himself quite neatly into her personal space. "I can think of a few things, as a matter of fact, although I think one of them might be illegal in this country."

At this point, poor Phoenix was pretty much forgotten. What the hell use did he have for patients in a place like the Hospital Wing, anyway? This was way more important.

[carlaespinosa]

One eyebrow raised slightly, the only response to his innuendo. He was close. Too close. Closer than she liked. Well, not closer than she liked, but closer than was good for her brain space to deal with. Taking a step back, though, even a small one, would be a concession she wasn't willing to give.

"No," she disagreed slowly. "I'm pretty sure my foot in your ass is still very legal."

Then, turning, professional obligations fulfilled, Carla picked up a chart and stalked away towards the back room once more.

[coxinsox]

Ooh. Sassy. "Rowr," he called after her, because he so totally was not going to follow her after that little exchange. Nuh-uh. No way. He'd said his piece and she'd said hers, and she'd... kinda won that one, but that didn't matter. He would win the war. Oh, he would totally win the war. And until then she could stalk off all she liked. He exchanged a glance with Phoenix, rolling his eyes. "Women, huh?"

...and turned around, because, really, he had more to say to her. "I've got more where that came from," he tried, sliding up beside her, an edge of desperation in his voice.

[carlaespinosa]

Exhaling a soft laugh under her breath, Carla rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I bet you do." But she softened somewhat, just a glimmer of a smile teasing at the edges of her mouth. It was hard to stay mad at Cox. Just out and out difficult.

With an overly-heavy sigh, Carla turned around, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms. "So, let's hear it." Why she was doing this, she really didn't know - if there was one thing sure in the entire world, it was that Cox would go running back to Jordan at the slightest inclination. That fact, above anything else, meant that Carla would not be with him. Ever.

And yet...

"Let me hear the good stuff."

[coxinsox]

Cox stopped in his tracks, blinking roundly. Wait, seriously? He hadn't expected her to actually stop or anything -- now he actually had to come up with something? Oh, hell. He gave her a blank and slightly terrified look, briefly, before rallying himself. Please! He was Dr. Perry Cox; he could save four lives by lunch. He could totally handle this.

"Okay," he shot back with a nod. "You got it." Tapped his nose, crossed his arms. Uncrossed them. Recrossed them.

Fuck.

"...your... mother likes me?" Hey, he knew it was important.

[carlaespinosa]

For a moment Carla just stared at him, as if politely waiting to make sure he was finished talking. Then, with a smirk, Carla patted his shoulder. "Sure she does," she told him sweetly, in that 'don't worry, Timmy, you're just special' way.

Then, shaking her head, unsuccessfully biting back a laugh, Carla turned to the cabinets and began pulling things out to try and assemble a simple pain potion. She didn't have high hopes.

[coxinsox]

"Hey," he protested. "She likes me wa-haaay more than she likes Ghandi, that's gotta be worth something." Right? Right? He followed her as she turned, moving to lean against the side of the cabinet she was picking through. "I mean, come on, the lady's got good taste, what can I say?"

Okay, but that obviously wasn't enough. Think, dammit, he told himself. "I can take care of an animal that isn't dead?" he offered. "Several, as a matter of fact. I seem to have wound up founding my own personal zoo since I got here." He grinned hopefully at her.

[carlaespinosa]

"Oh, she totally does," Carla agreed. Stretching up on tip-toes, she rifled through a shelf, looking for dried dandelion stems. What the crap kind of recipe was this? "But, sadly, I don't choose the men I date based on if my mom gets along with them. If I did, I'd never have left the house."

Pushing aside several bottles, Carla muttered curses under her breath as she searched. "You?" That was worth a pause. "Animals? You?" Well, damn it. That was impressive; especially the fact he hadn't killed them all in a fit of rage. Intrigued in spite of herself - she could not picture Cox with animals - Carla turned to face him, hip leaning against the counter, and cocked her head. "What kind?"

[coxinsox]

Ha! Ha. He knew he'd get her with something. He should have brought up the damn animals sooner -- of course Miss Carla all being concerned with marriage and babies and stupid-ass crap like that would just love to hear about them.

He drew himself up and smirked, shoving his hands deep into his coat pockets. "I have a pony. Two, actually. Or, uh... one and a half. Don't ask. And a dog. And... an armadillo." One of those things was not like the other! But the truth was that he sounded fairly proud, and he was -- he actually was pretty crazy about his little menagerie, freaky as it was. Even the skeletal pony. "And I bought a horse, but it's not mine."

At the expression on her face, he arched a brow defensively. "What? I love dogs."

[carlaespinosa]

That was...a hell of a lot of animals. Carla blinked a few times, slowly, waiting for the punchline. When one wasn't forthcoming, she laughed a little, leaning back and folding her arms. "I know!" she said, sounding slightly shocked. He did like dogs! But dogs were not...ponies and armadillos. And the fact that Cox was willingly taking care of other living creatures, outside of his work, and that he looked so proud...

Well, it was interesting. That's all.

"So, you leave Sacred Heart and you decide to be come Baranum and Bailey?" This was seriously weird. Right up there with finding out that Cox was still friends with one of his exes. Almost made her think...

Almost made her think thoughts she shouldn't be entertaining. Returning to the great dandelion stem hunt, Carla couldn't stop a little smile. "I'm just trying to picture you taking care of a freaking pony. Not a mental picture I ever thought I'd have."

And it was cute as hell.