Melting Clock: Quarantine

[cityship]

After Sam Henderson's announcement, the Contagion Containment and Treatment lab was going to get busy. Anyone suspected of being affected by the mysterious affliction would be brought here, and put into one of the large bubbles that would keep any potential contagious diseases in - and the patients themselves. Once in inside, they wouldn't be able to get out again until the Medical staff had cleared them.

And before they could do that, they needed to find out what was causing this - and why.

They had a lot of hard work ahead of them.

[[ooc: Just start your own sub threads under the main threads, guys! And if you're happy to have anyone tag in, put "Open" in the subject line. If you've already got plans for who you're threading with, put "Closed" instead.]]

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[callmethekid.livejournal.com]

Kon listened with rapt attention to Rory talking about the doctor. Traveling all over the place, having adventures? He was used to that. But what was fascinating to him was that Rory said he trusted him with his life.

What a life that was! Someone taking you along to see all kinds of amazing things, that you could always trust to have at your back. It sounded exciting. Superboy was often that person for other people--the exciting character in someone else's life that took them by the hand and got them involved in a ton of excitement. The idea of someone else like that, someone that he got the distinct feeling would be even more interesting than he was, was, well...interesting.

But the fear stuff, that--

"Superman doesn't get afraid. Ever. So I don't either." He squirmed a bit, his body language revealing the opposite of his words, "Like, for instance, I'm not afraid right now about this age thing. Not at all."

[theboywhowaits]

It was somehow both sad and heartwarming, to watch Conner get wrapped up in his stories. He was very rarely the center of anyone's attention, the easiest one to forget. The less attractive and interesting one, it was almost flattering.

"Have you ever asked him? I'd bet he does. Everyone is, sometimes. Some people just have a harder time showing it. It's ok, you know. To be scared. No one thinks less of you, it just makes you human."

[callmethekid.livejournal.com]

Normalcy was overrated. Overwhelming normalcy in the face of adventure and fear, that was...

Kon skipped right over the subject.

"So you do all that stuff when you're afraid? Like, go out and see the universe, fight monsters, when you're scared the whole time? And you still just do it anyway? You're a normal guy with no powers, right?"

[theboywhowaits]

He shrugged, data pad on his knee. "What choice do I have? I won't be any less afraid if I freeze up, will I? Monsters don't just...go away because you're scared. There's something profound in that, I guess. The people you love will still be out there risking themselves, even if you stay home and hide. You'll just be waiting and never knowing if the worst happened to them. And yeah, I'm just a guy. A nurse. No powers. Not the top of my class or anything like that."

[callmethekid.livejournal.com]

"Personally, I think that's kinda impressive. No powers, a choice to stay behind...and you don't."

He shrugged a little half-shrug.

"People like me that don't get scared at all, it's easier that way. Actually admittin' you're scared and working through it...that's harder."

[theboywhowaits]

Rory smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Amy was going if I went or not. Not going meant...what...staying home, waiting for news? Hoping something terrible didn't happen to her when I wasn't there to save her?"

People like him didn't admit they were scared, though he had to wonder at this Superman character. It was obvious that Conner thought a lot of him, modeled his behavior after him. But everyone was scared sometimes, even if not for themselves, for the people they cared about. Maybe this Superman just hadn't let Conner see that.

Which was depressing, in it's own way. Not being allowed to admit that you had negative feelings, that you were scared or hurt or sad was just as hurtful in its own way as feeling those feelings.

"I don't know about that, Conner." He looked back down at the chart. "I definitely doubt that."

[callmethekid.livejournal.com]

Subject change. He didn't want to talk about fear and courage and things like that anymore, because every moment he did was another moment he felt like blurting out how scared he was to a stranger.

"Anyway, so tell me more about these adventures of yours..."