Crack in the persona - tag drgabrielgray and drpeterpetrelli

[howtheydied]

I meet with the forensic pathology department at Mercy Heights first. I guess I wanted to get a tour of the place, build up to meeting Dr. Petrelli again. Their facilities are good, the location is closer to my apartment, the staff is friendly enough, and they appear eager to have me. The head must have googled my name before I arrived. I

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[drgabrielgray]

I'd had to take two showers after my shift in the ER. The smell of blood never bothers me. If anything, I like it. But I couldn't get the stink of the kid's puke off of me. I'd tossed my shirt and tie, which would teach me not to wear scrubs when I was working down there. Thank god I didn't do it often.

After changing I went back to my office and checked my messages. It was quiet, which wasn't out of the ordinary. I never had appointments or meetings on ER days or the day after.

Taking a chance that Peter wasn't busy either, I took the elevator down to his floor and walked to the psychiatric section of Mercy Heights. I smiled and nodding along the way. In my haste I forgot the trick of carrying around a patient's file to look busy. I came around the corner and started down the hall to Peter's office when I saw someone else waiting there. "Can I help you?"

[howtheydied]

I smile at him, instantly thinking this might be the other Dr. Gray. I don't know what it is, maybe the way he's carrying himself. I've always been good at reading body language.

"Possibly, although it's nothing pressing. I'm Ted Grey. Dr. Petrelli asked me to drop by when I was here, so I thought I'd see if he had any free time available." If not, I'll...be rather disappointed, but I'll hardly be showing it.

[drgabrielgray]

"Gabriel Gray, Peter mentioned you." So this is the other Doctor Grey. The smile never touches his eyes. I know what that looks like. I do it all the time. I'm probably doing it now.

"I don't know if he's busy or not. His receptionist wasn't at her desk, and I didn't call." I glance at the now empty office across the hall from Peter's. "Why don't we wait in there. There's a vacancy."

I flick on the lights on my way in. The office is spotlessly clean, not that it was messy before. Dr. Sinclair didn't like disorder. Now there's a real smile on my face as I think about the fun Peter and I had moving things around in here. It drove her nuts. She was so paranoid. Peter was so disappointed when she quit and moved away before we could have anymore lasting fun with her.

[drpeterpetrelli]

The alarm for the end of the hour goes off and I'm disappointed. Tony is one of my patients that I love fucking with and I was really having fun with him today, I'd gotten him to break down into a blubbering mess. Again. He thinks he's making headway but he's actually sinking lower and lower into his depression. I don't think he's going to last too much longer. Too bad

[howtheydied]

"Peter mentioned you to me, as well. It's good to meet you, Dr. Gray," I say, offering a hand to shake. I take his advice and follow him to the other office. I was pleased to see my initial guess was right, and I almost wish Peter didn't reappear so soon. Having some time to talk to Gabriel alone could have told me a lot about him, such as why he seemed so pleased all of a sudden. But this- this is likely to be very informative, too

[drgabrielgray]

"Dr. Grey." The handshake is easy. He's not picking up anything odd about me, and that's fine with me. I work very hard to look and act normal when I meet new people. "It's good to meet you too."

Peter's door opens, and I can almost feel the misery radiating from his patient. It's probably drowned out by the glee that Peter's barely containing. He does seem to enjoy making his patients cry. It amazes me that no one's caught on. I loved when Elle realized that of the two of us, Peter was the more dangerous and cruel.

"A drink sounds great," I tell him as we shift to his office. "I had another craptastic day in the ER. Some little kid puked on me. Ted, you've got the best job of the three of us. Your patients don't barf. Although I suppose they do occasionally pop."

[drpeterpetrelli]

"You have? That's great." I tell Ted as we move into my office. That really is good to hear, it means that Gabriel and I can watch him and figure him out some more. I'm also glad that Gabriel's here so he can meet him and if he can see what I do. "I'm glad you're coming over here, you're just what's needed in this place." Especially if you're someone that we can use when we play.

Pouring them each a drink, I hand them their glasses and then pour my own. "Christ, I'm glad I don't have to deal with that. I just get wet furniture and a garbage can full of used tissues." I sit down with a sigh. "I'm glad you got a chance to meet Gabriel now." I make a face at Gabriel's comment about patients popping, I so did not need that visual.

[howtheydied]

I take a glass from him as Gabriel talks about his day in the ER. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that. He mentions patients popping, and I laugh. "You're right, and that's happened a couple of times- but by then we're mostly covered so it's not a problem. We know we're going to have to clean up afterward anyway. It does wreak havoc with our procedure, but I'd still say I'm the lucky one.."

I take a sizable gulp and feel the scotch burn down my throat. I nearly close my eyes, enjoying it, and I smile at Peter. "Good stuff. Thanks."

I lean back in my chair, getting myself settled. Then I look toward Gabriel. "I imagine the ER shifts are never much fun. What comes through there is almost as crazy as the sort of things they tend to send me. Hope you're done with it for awhile."

[drgabrielgray]

I swirl the scotch in my glass a bit to chill it with a touch of frost. Ted can't see what I'm doing while he talks to Peter, and I do like my drinks cold. That's one thing I do love about Peter. He always keeps the good stuff on hand.

I drop down into my usual chair across from his desk and lean back with a sigh. "Well at least you can get away with hosing down your patients. They tend to frown on me doing that."

"Luckily I only do a couple of ER shifts a week. I like to keep an eye on things, and as much as I love the power, being the Head of Neurology can be dull as watching paint dry. Other than the occasional puke festival, I kind of like the rest of it. I never have minded getting my hands bloody."

[drpeterpetrelli]

I loosen my tie and relax against the back of my chair, letting Ted and Gabriel get to know each other. I can see that Gabriel's enjoying him as much as I did, if not for the same reasons. I just hope Gabriel can see why I'm curious about this one, why he might not be prey but maybe, maybe, an ally

[howtheydied]

A reference to 'getting my hands bloody' that makes Peter look like he swallowed a fly (for only a bare moment, of course), and another bit of apathy showing through- I'd guess we're into the real conversation now. Again, I wonder how Peter really 'helps them along' sometimes.

"And we get to the heart of why I could never be a psychologist," I say, with a smirk. "I'd probably end up telling them all to shape themselves up within a week or two. I just don't have patience for a lot of people, much less ones with real problems. I will stick over in the field where you hack your patients up. Sounds like Dr. Gray is with me on this."

I give him a small smile and turn more toward him. "Of course you have to be much more careful. Neurosurgery takes such a delicate hand. You're the head of the department, you said? Do you like having such a high position? The extra paperwork seems like such a detriment to me, but of course there are tons of perks." He doesn't seem very old yet- ambitious one, isn't he? I'm not surprised.

[drgabrielgray]

"It'd annoy the living shit out of me too," I say with a snort and finish my drink. I sure as hell miss getting a buzz from alcohol, not that I mind being immortal especially considering the enemies I've made. "I much prefer sticking my fingers in a brain and making someone twitch."

"I sort of fell into the position. My predecessor got a job out of state, and Dr. Scully wanted me to take her place." Not that I didn't have to force the issue with Chandra, but with Mohinder taking up residence in the hospital incinerators he didn't have sonny boy around to take my spot. "I was top of my class from Stanford, and I was the only person on staff up to the job. I do hate the meetings and paperwork though."

"It's a lot better when you get to play with your food." Yeah, let's see what Ted thinks about that comment. Peter liked it enough to chuckle.

[drpeterpetrelli]

I might not get to hack my patients but I do get to hack into people, not that I can tell Ted that. "It's not always easy, believe me. Especially the ones that can't see that they're the ones causing the problems, not everyone else." I finish my drink and stand up, binging the decanter over to see if they want more too

[howtheydied]

'Making someone twitch'? No swallowed-fly look from Peter this time. If I hadn't watched them drinking the Scotch, I'd wonder if it was drugged. Even Jake wasn't this honest with me the first time we met. But then this isn't my first meeting with Peter. And I'm a little different now. They might be able to tell.

Nonetheless, I sit up a little more in my seat. Gabriel mentions playing with his food, Peter chuckles, and I just can't keep it in. I laugh too, shaking my head. "Interesting way of putting it," I reply, giving him a smile.

I should be scared, but instead I'm just tense-- awake. "So are we going to speak plainly, or is half the fun talking in riddles? Because I'm fine with either. We've just about run out of work-related gossip, though, unless you want me to get into why I transferred out of my last residency." I'm being a smart-ass. It's what got me into trouble the last time, too.

[drgabrielgray]

Aw Ted's getting impatient and there I was doing my best to be interesting. I give him a sly smirk while I refill my drink and lean back. stretching my legs out before me. It's not as if Ted could hurt either of us. He's no threat at all, but he could be an ally. Hell, he could be a friend.

"I'd love to hear why you left. Do tell." Please make it a good story, Ted. Peter will know if you're lying, and where would the fun be in that.

This will be a challenge for Peter and I. Neither one of us wants to use a power in front of Ted. We've got to play this human. Well as human as a pair of serial killers get.

[drpeterpetrelli]

Ted's impatient but able to keep control of it, that's a point for him. I can't blame him for wanting to know what's going on but he's going to have to wait a little bit longer. Gabriel's the only one I've ever told about my games to and now, to tell someone else... I'm not scared, just wary. The fewer people that know what we do, the better but Ted feels different. Like he could be one of us, join our merry little band of killers.

Gabriel encourages him to tell us why he left his last residency and I pay attention. What he says here will tell us a lot on whether we can trust him with anything about us, other then the public faces. "Gossip is boring but Gabriel's right, we would like to know why you left. It sounded like you had a good thing going there, so what changed?"

Ted looks slightly uncomfortable but not enough to not talk to us. Besides, he opened up the conversation for this topic. "I'm sure it can't be that bad." A smirk quirks the corner of my mouth.