Nate grabbed his notes from the bed, flipping through to find a sheet of paper that Sky could use. He handed her the clipboard and pen and waited to see what would become of the blank page before her. It took a while – she was drawing quite a lot of detail – but he stayed quiet until she indicated that it was finished. It reminded him of the work Claire did as a Hero for the MNRU. It was a reminder that concerned him a little. Presumably, once Joyce Williams found out about the exact nature of Sky’s powers, she would try to make use of them.

Sky explained everything she had drawn and then broke down into sobs once more.

Why me?

Now that was a question Nate had heard over and over and over again, and he still wasn’t quite sure what the correct answer was supposed to be. He didn’t personally believe in things like destiny, fate or some Greater Plan, so he didn’t like to go down that route, but sometimes people found it on their own and found comfort in it. Others became more distressed by that conclusion.

“Of course you don’t like seeing things like this.” Nate pulled the drawing towards him so that Sky no longer had to look at it. “But you’re a strong young woman, Sky, and you can endure it. Do these visions always come true, or have you managed to stop them?”

If there was about to be some horrific accident and Nate had known about it all along, he’d never quite forgive himself for it. It sucked, but he was probably going to have to alert the higher-ups to Sky’s vision and maybe even involve the Hero program. “Maybe this could be your chance to take control with your power. What do you think? The building’s very distinct, we could probably go check it out no problem.”

She merely shrugged when Nate asked if he could write things down. He raised an eyebrow gently – almost playfully – and insisted, “Is it okay? It helps me to get my thoughts on paper.” He waited patiently for a response beyond a simple, non-committal shrug before moving on.

Sky looked panicked as he asked her what the visions felt like. Nate watched as she got to her feet and took her empty glass to the bathroom, presumably taking the time to compose herself. So far she seemed to be reacting fairly as expected – maybe even better – which was reassuring. It seemed that most of her symptoms stemmed from the effects of her powers, rather than a large overruling psychiatric issue. He absolutely wasn’t going to diminish the role of her father’s death, of course, but at least she seemed relatively in control even if it didn’t feel like it to her.

If Sky had given him permission to write, Nate would jot down a few notes as she spoke of the visions. Picturing it in his mind’s eye felt chaotic. He listened with a sympathetic smile, doing his best to encourage her to keep speaking.

“You’re doing great,” he reassured her. “That gives me a great idea of what it’s like for you. It must be exhausting.”

The next statement was less positive – Sky seemed to think she had absolutely no control over that aspect of her powers.

“That’s okay, no one’s expecting you to have all the answers at this stage. Getting to grips with your power is tough.” Or so it seemed, based on his observations at the MNRU. In the wider population, sure, plenty of people woke up seemingly masters of their new skills, but here it was a much longer journey. For some, a lifelong one.

Her last questions were even less positive. She seemed devastated by the idea that her powers were a part of her now – seeing them as an illness to cure. He needed to approach this gently.

“Metahuman research is a very young field,” he began. “We’re finding out new approaches all the time, making new discoveries every day. Or, that’s how it feels.” He gave her a cheeky grin to soften the mood slightly. “Right now, the best thing for us to do is work together to help you adjust to your powers. Maybe control them, maybe just understand them a little more, maybe just learn to live as normal a life as you can with them. We’ll help you get there,” he promised.

“As for a cure… Don’t lose hope, but we don’t have that magic wand just yet. Maybe in time! Who knows?” Nate gave her a serious look. “And don’t let anyone call you crazy, okay?”

Through her sudden tears, Sky finally spoke. Nate was torn between excitement that she was finally opening up and sorrowful empathy that she was so negatively affected by the question. She turned to sob into her pillow, which made Nate feel even worse. He stood up and moved closer - not close enough to invade her personal space, but enough to feel like he was being at least a little comforting with his presence.

“That’s what I’m here for. To help you.”

He sat gently on the end of the bed.

“You say you don’t know if you have powers or not. Can you tell me a little more about these things you see?”

His notes were abandoned on the chair, but he had a feeling that now wasn’t the time for note-taking. Sky obviously needed someone to talk to about this. Really talk, not be on the receiving end of an interrogation. He wondered who had tried to talk to her before they started her on courses of medication.

Nate watched her carefully, waiting for her response. It didn’t just come with her words - it was also in her actions and the way she expressed her emotions. Right now she was obviously distressed but willing, almost desperate, to talk. The tears said everything that she hadn’t already said herself.

It was sad, but Nate was also feeling quite encouraged. He smiled gently as she spoke.

She smiled. That was a good start. Whilst some may have been discouraged by Sky’s silence, you soon got used to patients like her when you worked on MNRU’s psych ward. For the most part, the patients there were all just terrified and waiting for reassurance and a way forward. He had experienced far worse than just ‘not-very-chatty’, even then. There was no outburst of aggression, no sign of overwhelming panic. Just a tired, defeated young woman who had probably had quite enough of being passed from ward to ward.

At her shrug, Nate nodded genially and leaned forward in his seat, attempting to catch her eye.

“If my presence is making you very upset or uncomfortable, shoot me a thumbs down. At any point, okay?”

If she didn’t want to talk right now, she didn’t have to, but it was key she had some feeling of control in this exchange. Nate wanted to build rapport first and foremost, not pry a case history forcefully from her with incessant questions. He’d never get any decent information from her by taking such an approach.

“I’m sure it’s been explained to you - the MNRU, why you’re here. We’re here to help.” He beamed reassuringly. “Specifically, we help people with suspected metahuman abilities like yourself to adjust to life with super powers. It’s not easy,” Nate added with a cheeky grin.

He observed Sky carefully for a second. She didn’t seem to entirely understand the point of her being here, and she certainly didn’t seem to feel too comfortable about it all. A nice, simple, direct question might boost her confidence. An easy yes or no.

“Do you have powers, Sky?”

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.”

Alice passed the garlic bread test with flying colours, as expected. Nate was struck by how refreshing it was to be having dinner with a woman who didn’t have any reservations about discussing her love of food. Of course he’d known plenty of girls who loved food, but in his experience it normally took a few dates for them to really admit that. Alice might as well be wearing a sign on her head she was so open about her passionate love for food – and not just expensive haute cuisine but greasy garlic bread too!

Nate laughed, definitely recognising the college kid stereotype. His own time at university had been very intense and he’d spent quite a lot of time getting involved in medical research rather than lying around a dorm room complaining about his latest hangover, but he’d also definitely had his moments. Med students didn’t have a work-hard-play-hard reputation for no reason, after all.

“Of course you’d say that,” Nate teased as Alice offered him a coy smile. “Here’s to New York.” He raised his glass cheerfully.

She stumbled over herself trying to make Nate feel better about not having achieved his weeklong dream of being a stuntman, which was very cute despite the fact that he hadn’t even been remotely offended by her words. The redness of her cheeks said it all, and Nate held back from teasing her any further on the subject.

“What do I do with my life when I’m not at work? Oh man, I wish I had a cool answer,” he said, shaking his head at his own lameness. “My job takes up a lot of my time – I take a lot of it back with me so you can usually find me up late reading exciting journal articles.” He gave her a wink. “I’m not all lame, I have a few friends that I hang with when we all happen to be in town at the same time. Little road trips, beach trips, that kinda thing… Oh! I’ve been getting into a few Netflix series but also a ton of motorbike racing for some reason. Just watching, for the moment,” he clarified. The temptation to get a bike was very real, however.

The meal continued to be absolutely delicious, with the main course somehow even better than the first. The time was flying by and Nate was so caught up in the conversation that he had to keep reminding himself to take sips of the fantastic wine they were being served. As the meal started drawing to a close, Nate had to actually decline the waiter’s offer of a final glass of wine.

“Big day tomorrow,” he confessed apologetically, resisting the urge to accept the glass of wine anyway. This place had excellent taste. “Better not. Don’t hold back on my account,” he added to Alice as the waiter left. “Tomorrow’s a long shift, plus we’ve had this major breakthrough with a patient and I’m the one who’ll be overseeing her treatment starting tomorrow. I’ll be fine but I’d feel bad if I showed up hungover.” He stuck his tongue out. “Have you ever had to work on a hangover? The thought of it sounds nightmare-ish.”

Nate grinned, imagining a hungover – or maybe even still drunk – Paladin attempting to take down villains. He couldn’t imagine that was a state Alice let herself get into too often.