Semi-Open RP: Peter goes looking for a job (As a break from being Emo)

[likeabadpenny]

There comes a certain time in every mans life when he decides that he needs a little something more to do. Since certain happenings of a radioactive nature, and trying to keep the rest of the castle safe from Sylar, only to end up with a pole through his head, Peter wanted something else. Something normal. Something that wasn't running around

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[carlaespinosa]

Carla was, in a word, busy. Five of the beds were currently filled with people laid flat with some kind of really violent flu. Slash kuru. Slash lupus. Slash mumps. Whatever it was, it was nasty, smelly, and produced copious amounts of bodily fluids. They all claimed a red-headed boy had given them ten Galleons to try out a new candy. Either the candy was bad or Carla had a new name on her hit list.

Needless to say, she didn't really have time for new friends or nervous twitchy guys. "Move it or I'll move it for you, Thumper," she commanded, pushing past him to get to a bed where a blonde teenager was expelling his lunch into a bucket. "If you don't have something falling off or bleeding, then you're in the wrong place."

[likeabadpenny]

Peter definitely hadn't been expecting what looked like a plague of epic proportions. And he didn't have anything bleeding or falling off, not that such a state lasted long anyway, but he could already feel a concerned frown tugging at his expression. Was this something contagious? Either way, it wasn't all that pleasant, but if Peter was going to catch it by helping, then he didn't mind.

He looked over at the busy nurse, smiled briefly, and made his way towards one of the beds - currently housing a rather rotund man that looked way too much like Santa Claus. He didn't look like he was in danger of expelling anything soon, so Peter grabbed a washcloth and soaked it in cold water, patting it down on the patients forehead. If he got the fever down, the poor guy would feel a lot better.

Again, Peter looked up at Carla, watching her curiously. "What do they have?" The unspoken addendum was, of course, 'I'm going to be staying here to help.'

[carlaespinosa]

She'd been helping the boy - a Logan Echolls - lay back in bed, checking the IV and making a quick note on his chart when the question surprised her. Not so much the question itself, but the fact that Peter was still there to ask it. Blinking, she looked up.

A shocked but entirely please smile lit up her face and Carla nodded once in acceptance of his help, replacing Logan's chart and walking over to Peter. "Some kind of prank candy, we think. Lily - one of the Healers in Training - is off now trying to run down some kind of antidote." In other words, 'it's not catching'.

Holding out one hand, she added, "I'm Carla. I'm a nurse, here. And you, Thumper? Doctor, nurse, or do you just have a thing for sponging down fat old guys?"

[likeabadpenny]

Prank candy? Clearly Peter still had a lot to learn about this place - not that he'd had much of a chance, cooped up in a room with a serial killer for about a week. But if prank candy could do this to people, he was going to have to watch what he ate around here.

He shook Carla's hand, giving her an apologetic smile over the fact that his hand was probably still wet from the washcloth. "Peter Petrelli." ...Thumper? Peter wasn't even going to ask about that one. The apologetic smile turned into a crooked grin. "I'd say I have a thing for sponging down old fat guys, but I'm really just a hospice nurse in disguise."

Concerned, Peter looked over the rest of the patients, and rubbed the back of his head. He'd dealt with things like this before, but he was a little out of practice. "So, ah, anything that needs to be done, just yell. I'm here to help."

[carlaespinosa]

Studying Peter for a second, Carla then nodded, giving him a crooked grin of welcome. "About time we got another nurse around here. We've been drowning in doctors, and you know what kind of help they are." Pointing to the two beds next to Santa, where resided a small yellow blob who only responded to the name 'The Cheat' and a tall man whose glasses were on the table and who kept having fever dreams about beets, she said, "All right, then, Thumper. Those two beds need their IVs checked and vitals taken. Be careful with the yellow one. He bites."

She went to work on Santa, absently slapping his hand as it wandered to grab her ass. Obviously it wasn't the first time. "So, Peter," she glanced up after a few minutes. "What made you decide to come join the madhouse? New here or have I just not seen you around?"

[likeabadpenny]

Surprised, Peter snorted quietly at Carla's comment about the doctors. Only a nurse could understand the rather unique disdain for certain kinds of doctors, especially the ones that thought they were above something like patient care. He never really understood that aspect of some doctors.

As soon as Carla gave the word, Peter was already hurrying over to check the IV's of the patients she pointed out, making sure to stay far enough away from the yellow blob. Despite himself, Peter couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at it. What the hell was it?

So involved in taking vitals, Peter almost didn't hear Carla's question. "Hm? Oh, I just... needed a break," he answered, smiling ruefully. "I haven't been here long, but I figure I could at least do something useful." Thank god for quick reflexes; Peter jerked his hand out of the way as the yellow blob moved. He didn't want to get bitten, thank you very much. "How busy is it here? Are there really that many doctors in a magic castle?"

[carlaespinosa]

Though she didn't look it, Carla was carefully watching Peter's every move. Kid might be cute and look as harmless as a puppy, but that didn't mean she trusted him with her patients. If he made a mistake, Carla would be right behind him in a second. But Peter was good; fast, efficient, and he seemed to handle the patients all right. Not bad - damn sight better than some of the interns she'd had thrown at her

[likeabadpenny]

The first question was not answered, in favor of listening to Carla talk about the Hospital Wing and the doctors who worked here. Peter laughed briefly at the mention of one who thought he was a god. "Good to know that doctors don't change, even if they do work in a castle for teaching magic," he smirked slightly.

Grabbing a chair and dragging it over next to the other patient Carla had said needed checking, Peter sat down and started taking his vitals. The poor guy looked like he was having fever dreams, and for a moment Peter really wished he'd picked up something useful, like the ability to heal other people. That would go a lot further towards saving the world than anything else he could do.

He should probably answer Carla's question about the 'break', but Peter really just wanted to shove a lot of what had happened recently under the rug. It was diversion time

[carlaespinosa]

Oh, watch out, now, Peter. Under-appreciated nurses thrive on compliments. "Here? Month or so. But I've been working with Dr. Ego for about ten years." She sighed, looking down at the patient, worry creasing her forehead. Dipping a cloth into cold water, she started to bathe Robin's face and neck. The smile she gave Peter, though, as she looked back up was sweet and bright.

"Break from what?"

Yeah right, Peter. As if you were going to get off that easy.

[likeabadpenny]

Ten years was definitely a lot longer than Peter had been in this job, and it automatically sent his respect for Carla skyrocketing. Nursing was a harrowing job a lot of the time (and the rest of the time it was mostly boredom and being ordered around), and anybody that lasted that long without burning out was an inspiration in Peter's book.

"Wow, ten years," he commented quietly. But, oh god, there she went again with the questioning. Peter didn't really mind the sorts of people who thought all business was their own - in cases like this, having a politician for a brother came in handy. It had taught him to avoid the real truth quite convincingly.

Peter just smiled slightly again, looking at Carla over the patient he was tending. "My brother Nathan was running for Congress; tends to focus a lot of attention on the family. I barely went a day without some reporter trying to talk to me and get the scoop on any dirty little secrets I could tell. It's nice to be away from all that."

[carlaespinosa]

Mmm-hmm. Carla didn't buy that for one second, and the look she shot Peter conveyed that. But she let it go for the moment. Poor kid was had jumped right in on the dirty work. She had plenty of time to get him to open up.

"So, Thumper," she started, but whatever line of questioning she'd chosen next was interrupted by Robin stirring restlessly, reaching out to grab her shoulder as he half-woke, panicked from some dream. "Shh," Carla murmured, wincing slightly under the puck's grip and trying to ease him back down. "It's okay, we're just trying to help you. Thumper, hand me that potion, the one in the green vial, behind you." Her order to Peter contrasted with the gentle, soothing voice she used on the patient. Robin, however, wasn't about to be soothed. He grabbed hold of Carla tighter, muttering wild phrases in Greek. Carla's face blanched slightly at the sudden pain in her shoulder, but otherwise she didn't move, holding Robin back from leaping out of bed and waiting for Peter to give her the sleeping potion.

[likeabadpenny]

Sometimes Peter really wished he'd picked up something like super fast reflexes, because it really could have been useful in diverting the patients feverish grip. He didn't pick up the potion as requested; instead, he reached across the bed and took hold of the patients hand where it was grabbing at Carla's shoulder.

His control had been a bit haywire lately, but Peter managed to think clearly enough to remember the blonde woman in Kirby Plaza, the inhuman strength hiding under her slim body and concern for her family. Gently, he pried Robin's fingers away from Carla's shoulder, and held his arm down, keeping a loose grip around Robin's hand in case he tried to flail some more.

As an afterthought, he reached behind him and retrieved the potion in the green vial, handing it to Carla with a concerned frown. "Are you okay? I didn't know he was strong enough to do that, I'm sorry, I should have been looking out for it."

[carlaespinosa]

One eyebrow went up slightly, but Carla didn't waste time talking about it. She took the potion, rolling her shoulder gently, and filled a needle. Giving Robin the injection, Carla watched carefully until the potion took affect and Robin stopped moving, his brow smoothing out as he fell back into unconsciousness.

"Thanks," she said, looking up at Peter with a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. He has bad dreams, this one. Took out an entire instrument tray when he first came in."

Her hand lightly squeezed Peter's in thanks before she moved away, fingers exploring her shoulder. Damn it, she'd bet it was bruised. Holding it gingerly, arm stiff and close to her body, she walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a tube of paste. This was...going to be awkward. Her arm just didn't bend the right way to work the bruise paste in. "Don't just stand there," she called over, half-teasing. "Are you going to help?"

[likeabadpenny]

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Peter smiled wanly, separating his hand from the patients. Now that he looked like he was sleeping peacefully, hopefully he wouldn't be having any more bad dreams. "Poor guy," he added quietly, doing a double check on his vitals to make sure he was okay. Later he'd have to ask about whatever Carla had just given him.

At Carla's request, Peter's head shot up, wide eyed and a little embarrassed at having just drifted off a little into his thoughts. Oh, she wanted help with... presumably some kind of paste for bruises or pain. He could do that.

He dutifully followed Carla, and took the tube from her, glancing at it in curiosity. At least there was one upside to being a nurse - Peter could be completely clinical and helpful when confronted with a hot woman asking him to rub things on her. "Sure. Do you just want to pull your collar aside, or...?"

[carlaespinosa]

So, Peter had dreams. Carla's wide, brown eyes, heavy with compassion that only a decade of being a nurse could give you, studied Peter for a moment. "He'll be all right," she said quietly, head tilted to the side and a sad, questioning smile on her face. "We just need to get his fever to break. But the stuff I gave him will help

[likeabadpenny]

Wow, hello. It was a good thing that boobie-admiration was the furthest thing on his mind right now, otherwise Peter would have been reduced to an awkward, stammering idiot. Because, even if he wasn't looking, Carla still had a fairly nice pair of breasts. And he also really wasn't thinking about the fact that she kind of reminded him of Simone