(meet and greet, Doctor Montgomery)

[w_zimmerman]

A young man peers around the door of Doctor Montgomery's office, tapping on the door frame. "Doctor Montgomery? Will Zimmerman; I'm a colleague of Doctor Magnus'. I was in the neighborhood on business and thought it would be polite to stop in and introduce myself." With a smile that makes him look distinctly pre-adolescent, he waves, not entering

Comments

[w_zimmerman]

Will doesn't mention any of his exes because most of those horror-stories have no place in polite company. He settles for a more general, "Exes tend to be more trouble than they're worth. That's usually what makes them exes in the first place."

Growing more serious, he adds, "Until you have a better idea of what actually does qualify as 'abnormal' you should probably err on the side of caution and just report anything that doesn't fit. Diagnoses that don't make sense, 'inhuman' anatomy or abilities, bodies disappearing from the morgue, people asking questions who shouldn't be. And this."

He pulls out his phone and displays two pictures for her.
http://pics.livejournal.com/w_zimmerman/pic/000020sg/g1
http://pics.livejournal.com/w_zimmerman/pic/0000188z/g1

"If you see a scar or an x-ray that looks like these," he whispers, "you treat that person like they've got Ebola or something. Don't let anyone near them and call me immediately. I don't care what the hour is or if I'm in freaking Borneo that day. I need to know if one of these comes through your hospital."

[dra_montgomery]

"True, true.." she says, cursing in her mind that hse brought up Derek. Again. "Well, no more of that subject then." He nods and starts in a more serious tone. She listens very carefully, not wanting to miss anything. Then he shows her a couple of pictres and whispers. "Okay, immediately. I will also secure the x-ray and other test results for you and prep the patient for transfer. You will want to get those in the Sanctuary, or do you?" she whispers. "And other patients that just seem, well abnormal, I'll report to you and get you to take a look before they are discharged?" she continues, looking at Will. This was going to be interesting, very much so.

[w_zimmerman]

"These patients belong at the Sanctuary. Magnus has plenty of experience removing these little bastards," he tells her, scratching his neck. "It's important that you know that patients who have been implanted are potentially very dangerous. Don't mention to them that there's anything unusual in your mind. Definitely don't mention the Sanctuary. Sedate them, preferably without them knowing you're doing it. They may require restraint and, for your own safety, I'm just going to suggest that you do that with everyone you suspect of carrying a Scarab. They can be incredibly violent individuals.

"Other patients, just give me a head's up and I'll handle everything. We're not trying to make too much extra work for you," he tells her, forcing a smile because talking about the Scarab always unsettles him and he'd rather that not show. "I still need to show you around the Sanctuary, too. We can do that now if you'd like or we can set up a time later. Whatever works for you."

[dra_montgomery]

"I got it. Sedate, restraint and let you guys deal with them. I think I can handle that.." she says, somewhat nervously. She is glad when Will goes on, because she can sense that even him is not comfortable with the subject. "Great. I'll inform you if I come across any abnormals, no problem. And I don't think that will be too much work, I need change, I need new challenges. And I would abslutely love to see the Sanctuary. The files won't hopefully walk themselves out of the room. I can deal with them later." she says and goes to get her purse and changes from the lab coat to her own one. "Mind if I grab a coffee on the way down? I want to be as sharp as possible on the tour" she asks as she locks her office door.

[w_zimmerman]

"Coffee's always a good thing," Will agrees with a smile, following her. "Magnus keeps trying to convert me into a tea-drinker but I don't see that happening any time soon. I need a little more of a jolt than tea provides, most of the time."

[dra_montgomery]

"That is a fact. I mean I do love tea, but the perfect time for it is on a calm afternoon, sipping it under a tree on your backyerd.. but certainly not while working." she says as they walk down to the main entrance of the hospital.

They arrive to the sanctuary pretty fast. "Woah.." she lets out as she is amazed by the exterior of the place. "If it's this amazing on the outside.. I cannot even imagine the inside of it." And she is glad that soon she will see the insides of the Sanctuary, after all the talking about it.

[w_zimmerman]

Will doesn't comment further on the coffee vs. tea issue. He never plans to admit that he sometimes likes sharing a cup with Magnus, not even to Magnus herself.

"If you think it's amazing from the outside," he tells her as they pull up to the front door, "wait until you see what lies beneath."

[dra_montgomery]

They go through a massive gate, Will enters a security code. Addison politely looks away as he does it, wondering about the whole place. It is stunning, huge, and clearly very old.

As they enter into the main hall, Addison looks around curiously. "This reminds me of my childhood. Big, empty hallways and stuff.." she half mumbles as she follows Will into a elevator, or something like it.

[w_zimmerman]

"Magnus mentioned you come from a pretty well-to-do family," Will answers, punching the button for the lower levels and leaning against the wall. "But, big or not, the place never really feels empty to me. Plenty of people live here; one of our guests says it reminds her of her boarding school, just a bunch of really different people living together like a very strange family."

As he watches the sublevels pass through the glass, he checks, "Magnus did mention that not all of our guests are actually human, right?"

[dra_montgomery]

"You could say that.. but believe me when I tell you that it has not made my life very easy. It's kinda hard growing up when your parents love their money more than their children." she answers truthfully. Her wealth has always been a though subject to her, unlike the rest to the rest of the family. "I don't keep much contact which I think is only a good thing for my sanity." she adds as the elevator goes down.
"It must really be an experience actually living in a place like this!" she says "Yes she did. But I'm thinking that all of them don't appear exactly human?" The elevator finally stops and they step out.

[w_zimmerman]

"Minus the money part, I know how you feel. I never stayed in touch with any of the foster parents I had growing up. The Sanctuary is much better, like a real family, people who actually love and care about you no matter what.

"No, not everyone here is human," he answers. "We have a family of harpies in the upper level of the main lab, Steve's a seven-foot-tall lizard, and Sally's a mermaid. And Magnus' butler is a Sasquatch," he adds absently as they enter the main lab.

[dra_montgomery]

"Foster homes, from what i've heard and witnessed can be difficult. I can't imagine what you've had to go through" she says. Addison really likes Will so far. He seems honest and pretty easy to talk to. "It seems that way. I am glad I can now be a part of that family, even a small one"

"Oh wow. I think I'll keep in mind not to irritate Steve then. Wouldn't want a seven-foot-tall lizard chasing me around" she says, half joking, half serous. "A mermaid? I have always loved mermaids, I think as a little girl I even wanted to be a mermaid.." she says and wonders how funny it is that she is telling all this stuff to a guy she just met today for the first time and how natural i feels "I'm sorry, i don't know what's gotten into me lately. I'm sure you're not very interested of my childhood dreams" she says little awkwardly.

[w_zimmerman]

"Most foster parents are nothing but good-intentioned, but there's never enough time or patience to go around," he tells her, waving a dismissive hand.

"Don't worry about Steve. As long as you don't catch him before his first cup of coffee, he's an enormous teddy-bear, only with scales instead of fur. Don't worry about it. I'm a shrink so I'm supposed to be interested in your childhood," he teases. "No worse than me wanting to be Indiana Jones when I was a kid."