What happens when a scientist seeks distractions...

[karmic_darwin]

Mohinder had been avoiding reality. Specifically the reality that his research didn't matter here, with a heavy side of angst over the direction Nathan had pushed his research at the last. Though Daniel Jackson had mentioned another geneticist, Carson Something that reminded him of British history somehow, Mohinder couldn't face the clinic and the

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[aintamuppet]

Colin had torn his sleeve. He wasn't quite sure when or how he had torn it, but there was a nice big rip right around the elbow and now that he had it, he realised he should get a new shirt. Back home if his mum had seen him with a ripped shirt he'd have gotten a yelling and cuffed for it, thus why he and Mark had started hiding destroyed clothes inside the dresser drawers behind where the drawers pulled out. Mark said they had to hide them there because she looked under their beds when it was time to do laundry, and then she'd find them. Colin thought that made sense

[karmic_darwin]

Over the edge of the poncho, Mohinder caught sight of a young man lingering near the stairs. He watched for a moment to see if he would come, or had other intentions. But when he'd stood several minutes, obviously trying not to intrude but still watching Mohinder, Mohinder made up his mind.

"Please, don't let me keep you from the box if you need it. I'm just observing it today," he said politely, accent more pronounced with the quieter tones.

[aintamuppet]

It was still surprising some of the time how nice people were in the compound. Aside from the rude lady he'd met, Colin still thought it was interesting that everyone was always looking to help or be out of people's way as much as he did. Not that there weren't any people like that back home, just less of them. He thought maybe it was just because he didn't go out much. And that people werren't very happy around where he lived.

He nodded, slowly edging his way down the stairs and then quickly down the last few. "I jus'-" he started, stopping again and looking at the box, eyes shifting from it and to the dark man and back quickly. "I jus' need a new jumper."He picked at his sleeve, even if he wasn't wearing the torn one. That one was still in his room.

[karmic_darwin]

It didn't require speech for Mohinder to identify that the young man had a disability of some sort. He lacked the characteristically thick lids of Down's Syndrome, and the lack of motor coordination of cerebral palsy. He seemed simply slow.

As he might have with one of the Children of Interest, frightened and potentially dangerous - although he felt certain this young man was not - Mohinder stepped back to give him space to pass. He resumed folding the poncho, and eschewed direct eye contact. "I hope the box is cooperative. It seems to be a bit temperamental. I'm Mohinder. What's your name?"

[aintamuppet]

"Colin," he said after a short pause, turning a certain and shortlived look of curiosity to the tanned man that faded away back into an expression of blankness. He continued picking at his sleeve, a habit of picking being one he'd had for some time, and shuffled quickly as he could to the box as if expecting to be reprimanded by an unseen force for taking too long. If anyone knew Colin's mother, they'd then understand his haste.

"I--," he paused, plucking at the fabric of his shirt idly as he thought. "I tore my jumper. Elbow." he nodded once, agreeing with himself and peered into the box, and stopped his plucking long enough to push his glasses back up his nose.

[karmic_darwin]

Mohinder watched Colin, wondering if there was someone on the island to look after him, and thinking how cruel the island was to take someone with little hope of understanding it.

But watching Colin peering into the box, it occurred to him that sometimes, maybe, a less demanding curiosity would be better. Not needing to understand how everything worked in order to keep breathing would be a blessing in a place like this.

Of course, that was an assumption. A poor one. He could know nothing of the inner workings of Colin's mind from the fact that he moved slow and had some affectations of the socially and mentally retarded.

"Try asking it nicely and saying 'please'," he suggested gently. "It might like that." It might help Colin, and he could use the data point.