Room 234/236 - afternoon, after common room
Parker made it back to her room more by Braille and radar than anything else. After a long, hot shower, and slathering lotion on her feet, she curled up on her bed with Esme. It wasn't like the hallucinations or dreams could hurt her, or even seemed to want to. She just really wasn't enjoying them.
The phone rang.
Parker sighed and reached for it. "Parker."
"Angel! It's me. When are you arriving?"
"Daddy?" Parker dumped Esme out of her lap and started to pace. "I'm not going to Rio, remember? I'm here until the 4th of July, we agreed--"
"Sweetheart, you know I'm not talking about that. You're supposed to be here in Blue Cove tonight. For the presentation."
"Presentation? Daddy, I don't know what you're talking about, did you e-mail me about this? I didn't get one from you, at least not this week."
"Now you're just being stubborn. The presentation on how mutant abilities can supplement the Pretender program." Her father's voice was impatient, dismissive. "We got the idea from what happened to your friend Peter. Six arms is brilliant, but really, not as important as the strength and stamina. We could have the Pretenders working around the clock if they had increased endurance! Think of what we could achieve!"
"No!" Parker's fingers tightened on the phone, shocked that that denial made it out of her throat. "I mean, involuntary mutations are too unstable, God knows what would happen if you tried to graft that onto a normal human, much less a Pretender. It's far too risky--"
"Well, you'll get your say tonight, sweetheart. Frankly, I think Raines has the right idea. Use Madrox and Delgado's DNA to upgrade the whole lot of them. Say, what are you getting me for Father's Day?"
"What?" God, her head hurt. "Wait, how are they doing all this, what are they going to do to Peter and Z and Jamie--"
"Don't get me a tie. Sick of them. I could use a new nine-iron." Her father's voice faded out for a moment. "Sorry, Angel. We're going through downtown. I'll call you back later."
"Daddy, please--"
The dial tone beeped at her.
Parker hung up the phone, hands shaking. Then she hit *69, and heard the recording for the Sin. After several long moments, she called the Centre.
"This is Miss Parker. Could you tell me my father's itinerary-- No, I will not hold. Yes, I realize he's busy, this is important, I need to know.... Have him call me. Please. Yes."
Esme nosed at Parker's hands as she sat on the floor and shook.
The phone rang.
Parker sighed and reached for it. "Parker."
"Angel! It's me. When are you arriving?"
"Daddy?" Parker dumped Esme out of her lap and started to pace. "I'm not going to Rio, remember? I'm here until the 4th of July, we agreed--"
"Sweetheart, you know I'm not talking about that. You're supposed to be here in Blue Cove tonight. For the presentation."
"Presentation? Daddy, I don't know what you're talking about, did you e-mail me about this? I didn't get one from you, at least not this week."
"Now you're just being stubborn. The presentation on how mutant abilities can supplement the Pretender program." Her father's voice was impatient, dismissive. "We got the idea from what happened to your friend Peter. Six arms is brilliant, but really, not as important as the strength and stamina. We could have the Pretenders working around the clock if they had increased endurance! Think of what we could achieve!"
"No!" Parker's fingers tightened on the phone, shocked that that denial made it out of her throat. "I mean, involuntary mutations are too unstable, God knows what would happen if you tried to graft that onto a normal human, much less a Pretender. It's far too risky--"
"Well, you'll get your say tonight, sweetheart. Frankly, I think Raines has the right idea. Use Madrox and Delgado's DNA to upgrade the whole lot of them. Say, what are you getting me for Father's Day?"
"What?" God, her head hurt. "Wait, how are they doing all this, what are they going to do to Peter and Z and Jamie--"
"Don't get me a tie. Sick of them. I could use a new nine-iron." Her father's voice faded out for a moment. "Sorry, Angel. We're going through downtown. I'll call you back later."
"Daddy, please--"
The dial tone beeped at her.
Parker hung up the phone, hands shaking. Then she hit *69, and heard the recording for the Sin. After several long moments, she called the Centre.
"This is Miss Parker. Could you tell me my father's itinerary-- No, I will not hold. Yes, I realize he's busy, this is important, I need to know.... Have him call me. Please. Yes."
Esme nosed at Parker's hands as she sat on the floor and shook.