[Melvin Newton]

The monitor showed a nervous-looking blonde woman in a blue hospital gown sitting in a padded black chair. A series of sensors were attached to her shaved scalp. The wires of others were visible sticking out from under the gown. Melvin glanced at the sensor readings. The woman was breathing fast.

"Try to relax, Miss Hartford," he said into the microphone. "You're not going to hurt anyone." Nor will you be hurt, he thought, but didn't say. He knew that wasn't what she was worried about.

"How are you feeling? Comfortable?"

The woman nodded. "Just... nervous, mostly."

"I understand," said Melvin. "Try to relax. Can you take some deep breaths for me?"

She did, breathing deep and slow. Signs of stress disappeared from her vital readings.

"All right," said Melvin. "If you're ready, I'll recline your chair now."

She nodded. Melvin's hand moved over the controls, tilting her chair back until she lay flat.

"All right," said Melvin again. "When you're ready, I'll induce a seizure. The medication should be administered less than a second once the seizure begins. If all goes well, the next thing you'll know will be waking up in your room." His hand moved to the switch. "When you're ready."

The woman hesitated. "Are you absolutely sure there's no one in range?"

"Miss Hartford, we've cleared the area to well outside your affected range. Once the medication takes effect, we'll be able to move you without issue."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we'll let the seizure stop if its own accord. You won't hurt yourself in that chair. We'll just wait a few minutes and then move you as planned." Still the woman hesitated. Melvin carefully kept the annoyance out of his voice. "Miss Hartford, if this works- and I believe it will- we'll be three quarters of the way to a cure. There's nothing to be frightened of. Just relax."

Another hesitation. Then: "Okay."

Melvin nodded. "All right. Look at the screen."

The seizure started exactly on schedule, readings on the monitors going high and then abruptly slamming down below normal as the medication hit the bloodstream. On the monitor, the woman's body tensed and then abruptly slumped, falling limp as though she was asleep. Melvin nodded. "Test 1 is a success. If the nurses will please return Miss Hartford to her room." He turned away from the monitor as scrub-clad nurses entered with a gurney. The younger doctor was sitting behind him.

"Well, Dr. Havelock," he said. "I'd say the test is a success, as far as it went. Now the only problem is the medication."

They'd finally found a drug which could control the woman's seizures. Unfortunately, it was also a sedative and tended to make her sleep for hours when it was administered.

The problem was the pain that the woman's power inflicted on everyone in a twenty meter radius when she seized. That was what had led Melvin to design the device they had just tested: sensors that detected the onset of seizures linked to something like an insulin pump to instantly administer medication. If they gave her the device, they'd have to implant the sensors directly into her brain, but for right now external sensors worked fine. It dealt with the problem of pain broadcasting well enough, but it wasn't particularly conducive to a normal life when the dose required to stop her seizures left her unconscious for two hours. And at her worst she had five or six of them a day.

"I suppose it would be easy to have the device administer a counteragent for the sedative. The medication need only be in her bloodstream until the danger of a seizure is past. But I worry about the stress on her adrenal system in that case." He frowned. "Perhaps I'll discuss deep brain stimulation with her when she awakes."

Nathan Havelock

[Nathan Havelock]

The Doctors are in

Dr Newton had been an intimidating figure the second Nate was introduced to him. To start with, his colleague had introduced him as Nate which immediately put Nate on the back foot as he insisted that yes, actually, he had graduated from medical school. It didn’t help that Dr Newton was every bit as sharp as his reputation suggested – almost blunt in his brilliance. Nate had already been working at MNRU when he heard that Dr Newton had taken a position in research and had immediately recognised the name. He was pretty sure he had cited some Newton papers back in his days at university.

Nate was, of course, very competent at his job. He had been specially selected to transfer into the MNRU from his previous residency program, after all, so he knew he was good. Still, he was nothing compared to Dr Melvin Newton – and they both knew it.

Georgia Hartford had been a tricky case on the neuro ward for a while, and Nate had been a part of the team in trying to help treat the pre-existing epilepsy she had suffered that now formed a particularly unpleasant cocktail with the emergence of her pain manipulation abilities. The medication that had previously helped to control the seizures now seemed to have little, if no effect at all. She was a kind woman who was greatly distressed by the agony she unwillingly inflicted upon those around her.

He didn’t know if Dr Newton had been explicitly brought in by the head of the team or if he had expressed a personal interest in the case, but he did know that he had fairly swiftly brought some kind of solution to the table for them to test.

Nate watched intently as Dr Newton carried out the procedure, trying his best to project the reassuring vibes he always sought with his patients through the monitor, as though she would somehow be able to pick them up over the microphone. He hated that the seizure was induced, rather than just waiting for one to naturally occur, but he appreciated that playing a waiting game was not the most efficient operation. Right on cue, the signs of a seizure appeared on the sensor readings and he watched Georgia stiffen… then suddenly relax.

A triumphant smile spread across Nate’s face. He was sat just beside Dr Newton and he turned to face him jubilantly.

“A definite success! Look at the nurses, they aren’t even flinching,” he said, gesturing to the monitor. “Those sensors were very quick, too.”

He nodded seriously as Dr Newton discussed the limitations of the drug. She had required a heavy dosage and would no doubt be out for a while, and even then would likely be groggy once she came to. It definitely wasn’t the perfect solution.

“Responsive neurostimulation could certainly help reduce the seizures, but she would likely still be reliant on some form of medication. Maybe we need to combine the systems… I guess it depends on how happy she is to spend the majority of her life sedated,” Nate said, shaking his head at the prospect.

“Still, it’s definitely a breakthrough,” he said happily to Dr Newton. “Have you worked with this kind of client before? I guess perhaps not a metahuman,” he added with an amused smile. “Your knowledge and experience has been invaluable to the team.”

Melvin Newton

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[Melvin Newton]

Melvin went back and forth on how he felt about Dr. Havelock's incessant cheerfulness. Sometimes he found it invigorating, reminding him of the excitement he had felt at that age. Other times he found it annoying. This time he found it contagious, and he smiled slightly at the other doctor's obvious enthusiasm.

“It's an idea I've had in my head a while,” he said. “This is simply the first time it was ever practical.” Most antiseizure drugs were slow acting, intended to be taken once or twice each day and preventing the seizures from happening in the first place. Unfortunately, so far that wasn't working for Georgia. Most epileptics took slow-acting drugs each day and carried a fast-acting dose for emergencies, but Georgia's condition so far wasn't responding to preventative measures. He grimaced as Havelock made his comment about her spending most of her life sedated. “To be honest, if it wasn't for the fact that her seizures are potentially harmful to others, I would advise her to stop trying medication at this point. It's less disruptive than the side effects. The fact that it potentially puts others at risk is... tricky.”

He saved the program, logged out, and stood, wincing slightly as his bad leg pained him. “Regardless, it's hopefully a step in the right direction. At least we can give her a choice.” There was a clipboard on the desk and he picked it up, squinting slightly as he made out the small text. “Who do we have next... ah, Mark Keegan.” He grimaced. “That's a tragic case if I ever saw one.” A vegan, cursed with an insatiable hunger for human flesh that manifested as a violent fury when he caught the scent of another human, a fury that made him strong, tough. They might have to sever the man's olfactory nerves if they couldn't find another solution- though even that was touchy with his demonstrated powers of regeneration.

“Let's go.” They turned from the monitor room and entered the hall, moving towards the elevators. The secure holding facility where Mr. Keegan was housed was a belowground level.

“I'm worried about Claire,” said Melvin when they were in the elevator. “You're closer to her than anyone else- how would you say she's holding up emotionally?”

Nathan Havelock

[Nathan Havelock]

The Doctors are in

Encouraged by the doctor’s small smile, Nate listened with a renewed confidence as Dr Newton mused on the appropriateness of the drug. He was right to call the situation tricky. A crucial part of the whole situation was Georgia’s pleas to stop her from hurting anybody. She was a very selfless person. She just wanted to return to her family without them living in fear of her all the time - her epilepsy had been a problem of that nature in itself, so the excruciating pain that her power could induce was just a step too much for her loved ones to bear.

Nate was going to do everything in his power to discharge Georgia from the MNRU as soon as possible, and with as much assurance as the team could give her that she could go back to her old life. After today, that day felt just a little closer.

“Ah, Mark Keegan,” Nate echoed, managing the suppress the urge to use the health care assistants’ nickname for him - Keegan the Vegan (very creative and witty). “I’ve never met him face-to-face, just had a few conversations with him over comms. Very passionate about his lifestyle, if I remember rightly which is, uh… unfortunate considering his predicament. What’s your plan for him, then?”

He was careful to match Dr Newton’s pace without appearing patronising. The man’s limp, though noticeable, wasn’t so major as to slow him down too much anyway. Still, it made Nate aware of the rate he himself must charge around the unit ordinarily. Man, he needed to relax.

As they stood in the lift, descending to the secure level that Keegan the V- Mark was currently being treated on, Dr Newton turned the topic to one of Nate’s more unusual patients on his caseload (as well as co-worker).

“Claire Elliott? She’s working very hard, as usual. Started getting more involved in some hobbies - art, tea, that sort of thing - which is promising,” he said optimistically. “I keep advising on her optimal workload but I rather suspect they’re pushing her beyond her limits. She’s tough, but not invincible. So, emotionally? She’s doing better than expected, but I definitely still have my concerns. Negotiating with the Hero work is a delicate operation.” His grin was a little weary then.

“Have you spoken with her recently?” he asked, mildly curious. His attention was drawn suddenly by the ping of the lift as it arrived at their desired floor, but he shifted his gaze quickly back to the doctor to catch his response.

Melvin Newton

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[Melvin Newton]

One of the odd things about being a doctor was that there was an inherent mismatch between the mindset demanded by the job and the mindset demanded by the work. Doctors were supposed to be empathetic, meeting their patients's human needs and coming to them where they were. All well and good. But the fact was that medicine was difficulty, much of the work stomach churning, and that when you got down to it most people stayed in for one reason: they found unusual biology fascinating.

You couldn't come out and say it, of course. It wouldn't look good. But Melvin truly found the patterns in people like Claire or Mark Keegan deeply intriguing. Sometimes he had to remind himself that there were real people inside those patterns, people who had real lives to live.

"I don't have a firm treatment for Mark yet," Melvin said. "For now, I'd like to investigate why his ability doesn't seem to trigger these rages if he's exposed to scents while asleep. Whatever process is going on, that indicates it isn't absolute." A twisted smile crossed his face. "Hopefully this won't be another case where spending a life sedated is the answer."

The elevator bell rang. Melvin started out. As Nathan spoke, he nodded. "I spoke to her recently. Yes, that more or less matches what I'm seeing, I suppose. She's holding up, for now, but what she really needs is more socialization." Melvin frowned. "We don't have the best setup for that, unfortunately..."

The secure level was carpeted in bright geometric colors. The walls were alternating ceiling-high glass panels and colored panels or painted murals. The glass was of the bullet resistant sort, and the doors had prominent electronic locks, but it at least partially succeeded in its mission of "try not to look too much like a prison, mkay?"

Mark Keegan's room was one of the closest to the elevator. The door was metal and next to a large window with a blind closed on the other side. Melvin pressed the intercom button. "Mr. Keegan? It's doctors Newton and Havelocke."

The blind rolled up. On the other side of the thick plexiglass stood a thin man with brown hair, a prominent chin, and a but of stubble on his face. His room might have been an ordinary, if small, apartment: bed in one corner, desk and chair with a computer, bookcase with a few books. He looked out the window with a resigned, "Well, here we go," expression.

"How are you, Mark?" asked Melvin. "I think I've talked to you before about what we want to try to do today?"

"Whatever," said the man. "Just get it over with."

At least Claire could be in the same room as a visitor without putting them in danger, Melvin thought. "All right," said Melvin. "We'll get started shortly..."

Nathan Havelock

[Nathan Havelock]

The Doctors are in

There was almost a touch of humour to the doctor’s words as he commented on the possibility of another patient spending the majority of their life sedated. Not quite a proper smile, but a definite twist that could be mistaken for an attempt at one. Nate sighed in agreement, “No. Let’s hope not.”

He could definitely agree with Dr. Newton’s assessment of Claire’s need for socialisation. He did his best to fill what he could of that gap, making their sessions as much of a casual hang-out as possible, but it wasn’t the same and he knew she didn’t think it was either. She had benefitted from meeting Anna, he thought, but that wasn’t something he could report considering Anna had never meant to be in the facility in the first place.

“No, there’s not a thriving community vibe around the place, is there?” Nate followed the other man down the brightly-carpeted corridor. “There’s also the matter of her impenetrable skin – I think I had an idea about that. We could discuss it later if you like,” he added, aware that this was the time for a different client. “But it involves taking advantage of her dream-walking state.”

Dr. Newton was probably capable of reaching the conclusion Nate had based on that hint alone, so Nate quickly moved back onto the focus of Mark and his upcoming assessment once they reached his door.

Mark was looking as delighted as ever to be in the company of his medical team. At least he had rolled his blind up. For someone who seemed to think that living creatures were precious and refused to engage with animal products, he had a remarkable intolerance for human beings. Maybe his opinion was tainted slightly by his bloodthirst.

The room had been adjusted slightly to allow for the fact that Keegan the Vegan’s – sorry, Mark’s – power made him so volatile. A mask and tube fed through from their side into his room through which a general anaesthetic could be administered. It had been considered safer and easier than trying to have permanent intravenous access. A wheelchair was situated beside it for quick transfer. Today they would be taking him to the MRI scanner to obtain brain scans while he was sleeping and exposed to the scent of human flesh, then taking another when he was awake.

He was to be pretty heavily restrained considering the strength that came with his ability and hooked up to an IV that could sedate him once the test was complete. Hopefully that would be enough.

Nate moved over to the mechanism for administering the anaesthetic. An anaesthetist had already been consulted on the dosage, so there wasn’t much for him to do besides press a button. “Okay, Mr. Keegan, when you’re ready.”

Melvin Newton

462 words

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[Melvin Newton]

“I think about Poe, sometimes, in situations like this,” said Melvin. “Have you read it?”

It was later. They had failed. Mark slept soundly in his room, not yet aware of the disappointment. For an instant, there had been hope. Melvin had been watching Kegan's brain activity throughout the procedure, observing the slowing of the waves that came with sedation, the easing of them into deep, steady rhythm. Then had come the administration of the scent, and for a brief, glorious instant Melvin had felt something like excitement: Waves still the same. Come on, come on-

Then the change had washed over the screen like a Tsunami, and the sedated Keegan had snarled and jerked against his restraints, eyes half shut yet face somehow still a mask of slack fury until more drugs at last put him under again. He was sleeping now. Melvin stood in one of the break rooms, a can of V8 in his hand, a blank and gray wall at his back. He faced straight ahead but his brow was furrowed and his eyes distant, almost misty. He took a sip from his drink.

“Poe had a strange idea about the universe,” said Melvin. “Most people, you understand think of the universe as benevolent- or neutral, at least. A few very strange people think it's malevolent. But Poe didn't believe any of those things. Poe believed that universe, in some way, sought story. Stories of us. And the very specific kind of story that the universe sought, in Poe's mind, was tragedy. A malevolent universe, you see, would just kill us all outright. But a universe seeking stories of tragedy would let us build ourselves up, get close to our goals and then, at the last minute,” he snapped his fingers, the ones that weren't holding the drink can, “snatch them away.

“All nonsense, of course,” he said suddenly, taking another sip of his drink. “It's a matter of first principle that the universe is indifferent. Still,” he said, finishing his drink and dropping it in the trash can. “You can sometimes begin to see why he would think that.

“In any case, more work with Mr. Keegan will have to wait for the time being. Was there something else you wanted to ask me about, Dr. Havelock?”

Nathan Havelock