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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[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.

"How long have you been working here, Carla? You look like you've got everything neatly under control already. Sign of a good nurse," he grinned, though it was largely self-depreciative as well as in admiration. "I think I'd just be happy to be even half so confident."

[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."

Shaking her head, Carla hopped up onto an empty bed and half drew the curtain around them, so at least someone wandering in wouldn't get an eyeful of Carla-boobies. "You won't be able to reach the worst of it," she said ruefully, wincing as she pulled off her scrub top. Indeed, her right shoulder was already one big bruise, with clear markings for each of Robin's fingers. Carla hissed softly as she prodded it, checking to see if anything felt popped out of place or broken.

"Okay, that stuff," she nodded to the tube in Peter's hand, "is this wonder-paste stuff that Lily - annoyingly perky red-head who works here, nice girl but about two steps away from having cartoon rabbits make her bed in the morning - makes up for us. It'll take care of the bruising and the pain. The thing is, you have to really massage it into the muscle in order for the potion to work." Carla looked over at Peter and gave him a sunny smile. "Best first day ever, huh?"

[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.

"Wonder paste, huh?" Peter flipped the lid open and studied the bit he'd squeezed out onto his fingertip. "I guess I should really look into magical ways of healing, if I'm going to be at this castle."

Ducking his head in concentration, Peter started to work the paste into Carla's shoulder, massaging it in as firmly as he could without hurting her further. He had to take a few breaks to blow his hair out of his face, though. "Patients expelling various fluids from various orifices and helping a fellow nurse with patient-given bruises. Oh yeah, best first day ever," he grinned, even though he knew she'd been talking about her shirtless state. "So how come there aren't more people helping you in here?"

[carlaespinosa]

"Eh, you catch on to it pretty quick," Carla said, head bent as she bit her lip, trying not to grimace as the cold burn of the paste started to work. "And there's a pretty decent library. You seem pretty smart, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Laughing softly, Carla glanced back at him. "You know, I could make you wear a hairnet," she teased, eyes flicking to his bangs. "Or barrettes of some kind." No, really, it was cute in that 'wide-eyed puppy' kind of way. Made Carla want to take Peter home and give him a good meal or something.

"Well, we normally don't get a rush like this. People not able to die makes for slower work. So this kind of caught us by surprise. I'm not sure where Dr. Cox is, and I haven't seen Bambi - that's Dr. Dorian - lately. Lily's in the potions lab, working on some kind of antidote. And I've never actually met the old witch who runs the place." Carla clearly wasn't indicating that Agnes Nutter could do magic. "So I guess I'm pretty lucky you stopped by." She smiled at him over her shoulder.

"So, how does it look?" she asked, meaning her bruises. And, to be honest, the fact that he hadn't made some kind of breast joke or ogled her gave Peter about a million respect points in Carla's book. He'd just made a friend for life between that and the way he'd handled the patients.

[likeabadpenny]

"Hey, I'd look good in barrettes, and you know it," Peter teased right back, blowing at his hair again. Maybe he should get a hair-cut; the longest part of his fringe was almost down to his chin, and it was starting to get a little annoying.

Listening attentively while Carla spoke about the other people who worked here - Peter figured he'd meet them eventually, if they let him hang around - he huffed quietly in amusement at the nickname 'Bambi'. Must be her thing, seeing as he'd definitely noticed his own impromptu nickname.

"I'm just happy to help," he replied absently, smoothing the last of the bruise paste in. "And it looks good, this stuff works wonders." Replacing the tube in the cupboard Carla had found it in, Peter wiped his hands off on a towel and picked up Carla's scrub top from where she had put it, holding it up for her. "You're not still in pain, I hope?"

If any other patient tried that again, they'd get a can full of whoop-ass opened on them. ...Well, okay, they actually wouldn't, because Peter wouldn't beat a helpless patient. But he'd certainly get a lot more protective over such things from now on.

[carlaespinosa]

"Oh, yes," Carla grinned widely at him, appreciative of someone who could handle a joke. It made the work easier if the people around you didn't fall to pieces over some good-natured ribbing. Also, it meant he probably wouldn't cry after he met Cox. "Very sexy. You could get them to match your outfits."

Taking the scrub top, Carla hopped off the counter, but paused before putting it back on. "Okay," she said, one eyebrow cocked in what was clearly attitude. "Now, I'm not usually one to promote the objectification of women. But I've got to say, it hurts a girl's feelings to get all half-naked and whatnot in front of a guy and not get any reaction at all. See, if we're going to work together, Thumper, I have to know that you both respect me as a nurse and as a woman." She put one hand on her hip, giving Peter an expectant stare. "So go on. Either look or let me know you prefer men."

[likeabadpenny]

Peter froze in surprise, and just stared at Carla, rather wide eyed. He hadn't been expecting that. He'd been trying to be respectful and professional!

...But, okay, he wasn't going to turn down an offer to freely look at a great pair of breasts. Peter had never been a man to focus on woman only if they were good looking - he was actually one of the rare few who enjoyed a good personality over a good pair of breasts. But a free look was always fun.

So he directed his gaze downwards, and tilted his head in consideration, the corner of his mouth turning upwards slightly. "They're very nice," he admired. "I'm trying not to go overboard here and ogle, but you've definitely been blessed with some great genetics."

[carlaespinosa]

"Damn straight," Carla told him with a playfully smug grin, pulling on her scrub top. And bonus points for still being able to make a witty comment not focused on motorboating or sex while directed to look at her breasts.

Pulling back the curtain, Carla surveyed the room, hands on her hips as she considered the patients. "Now I think you should --"

She was cut off by Lily dashing through the room, grabbing a chart at random and flipping through the pages, muttering to herself. Some unidentifiable green goop was on the front of her robe and her hair was half-falling out of its ponytail. Barely glancing up at Carla, Lily pushed a vial at her, muttering, "Two cc's of that to each patient, should break the fever, still working on the boils," before jotting down a note on a piece of parchment and turning again to leave. "Oh, and hi, strange bloke... Try not to get puked on!" And she was gone again.

Shaking her head, Carla looked over at Peter and shrugged. "That was Lily. She's usually more sane. A little bit."

[likeabadpenny]

Again, Peter just stared mutely as Lily rushed into the room, gave some orders and then rushed out again. He got the feeling he'd be doing that a lot around here - just watching in surprise as unexpected things happened.

"Guess I'll say hello when she's not so busy," Peter quirked a grin, mildly thankful that Carla had put her scrubs top back on before Lily came in. That could have led to some awkward questions.

He nodded at the vial Carla was holding, already curious about it. "That's supposed to stop the fever? What's in it, do you know? If it's... 'eye of bat' or 'tail of frog' I'm obliged to be suspicious."

[carlaespinosa]

Carla held the vial up to the light, giving Peter a skeptical look. "Please, Thumper, does it look like I have any clue? Could have old man toenails for all I know." Shrugging, she nodded towards the cabinet. "Might as well get me the instrument tray with the needles. We'll get them started on this and hopefully the fevers will stop."

She grinned. "And then we just have to worry about the puking, boils, and constant diarrhea. Speaking of which, when we're done with the shots, you can help me change the bedsheets and clean out bedpans."

As she moved to the first patient's bed, she added, "But if you're really curious about the meds, just wait until Lily comes back. I guarantee you she'll go on and on about whatever you want. Even after you've stopped caring."