Late night at the Brownstone (Test Post)

[blindmedicine]

 Pieter Cross woke up late at night. At least, he felt like it was late at night. He smacked the clock on his nightstand which said, in a loud voice

TWO. THIRTY. SEVEN. A.M.

"Rrg... it's late. Times like this, I don't envy Sand." He gets up, pushing on his knees to get up. Running across rooftops could be murder on your kneecaps. He thinks to himself. Yes. Some orange juice perhaps. And maybe a quarter cup of acai berry juice for it too. Quite the nightcap.

Pieter walked down the hallway to the kitchen, holding his blackout goggles. After a bit, he slides them on. A light in the kitchen. Pieter gets ready, sidles up against the wall and turns into the kitchen...

Comments

[blindmedicine.livejournal.com]

"Hm. Yes, it is indeed. Just came in for some juice. Couldn't sleep. Bad dreams are renowned for that." Pieter chuckles a bit and grabs the two juice bottles from the fridge. He places them on the counter and grabs a cup.

"What about yourself, Maxine?"

[windywitch.livejournal.com]

"Not sleepy," she said, taking another bite of pie. "And kinda hungry. I know, it's not good for me, but....I figured that some of Gramma's pie might get me to fall asleep. I don't have class tomorrow, though, so I think I'll probably end up sleeping until noon."

[blindmedicine.livejournal.com]

"That's assuming we don't have extenuating circumstances, of course. I need to get what sleep I can." Cross grips the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

Also, its times like this that I wish I wasn't on the diet regiment. A slice of apple pie sounds heavenly. Pieter sighs and pours himself his juice cocktail he blends.

"Well, I wouldn't advise with sleeping in until noon personally, but perhaps 10 would be more favorable. It is late, so I can't expect you to wake up at 7 like I have to."

The good doctor takes a sip from his juice and sits down at the table.

[windywitch.livejournal.com]

Maxine nodded. "Yeah...you do need sleep. 'Cause falling asleep in the middle of open-heart surgery would NOT be good."

She took another bite of her pie. "Sometimes I have to wake up early. Not tomorrow though. I just can't sleep. I'm normally not up this late."

[blindmedicine.livejournal.com]

Pieter chuckled. "Fair enough. Oh well, if insomnia comes to grip us, at least we will have company. I'd take a sleeping pill, but none would wear off fast enough I'm afraid. I'll just have to take a vitamin cocktail tomorrow morning." He sips his juice and breathes deep.

How do Ma's pies smell so good even cold? he wonders quietly to himself.

[windywitch.livejournal.com]

Because Maxine's Gramma is Just That Awesome, that's why.

"Aren't sleeping pills not all that good for you anyway," Maxine inquired as she took another bite of pie, "'Cause the addictive side-effects and everything?"

[blindmedicine.livejournal.com]

Pieter nods. "Extended use of any sleep aid can create an addiction. That is why I am very careful. I on occasion take 1 milligram of estazolam, but I realize that is no help when you must be up in less than six hours. Hrm... if I didn't have an operation tomorrow, I'd probably be jumping across rooftops right now." He drinks more of his juice and groans.

"You'd think a man who calls himself Mid-Nite and has a pet owl would be prepared for insomnia..."

[windywitch.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you should take one when you know that you have to be up very early the next day?" Maxine mused as she poked her fork into her pie. "Just as a suggestion..."

[blindmedicine.livejournal.com]

Pieter makes a face at her. That sort of face between "Hey, respect your elders, Missy" and breaking up into laughter because a 19 year old girl thought of something a 33 year old doctor didn't.

"That's sound advice, Maxine," was all he says before he takes another sip, smiling.

[windywitch.livejournal.com]

Hey, she was just trying to help. Honestly!

"You're welcome," she said, taking another bite of her pie. "I just don't want you falling asleep in the middle of surgery. That would be bad."

[blindmedicine.livejournal.com]

"Indeed it would be. It's the one thing worse than them waking up." Pieter finished his glass but remained sitting.

"Thankfully tomorrow isn't anything involving any organs besides the stomach. I do feel bad for the patient, though. Young girl from Yonkers. Her metagene activated, and while it did allow her to gain some outstanding athletic prowess, it also caused a benign tumor to grow out of control. A simple excising, should not take more than a few hours. I just feel bad the girl, having to go into surgery at her age. It must be scary for her." Pieter looked down in thought.

"So how are your classes coming along, Maxine? How is Harvard?"

[windywitch.livejournal.com]

Maxine was actually quiet, listening to him speak. "I bet. Well... if she needs help adjusting, couldn't we maybe send her our way to help her adjust to having her powers? 'Cause that's kinda what the JSA does..."

She poked around with her pie before glancing back up at him.

"Pretty good! Everything's going great, and I'm helping out with costumes for our production of Macbeth!"

[blindmedicine.livejournal.com]

Pieter grins. "It was my understanding it was bad luck to say MacBeth while working on MacBeth." He then looks down.

"The girl is only 6. I suppose we could help her out, but... I don't think sh'es quite old enough for this live yet. Even Courtney was over twice her age when she started being the Star Spangled Kid. And I didn't become Mid-Nite until well into my twenties.

"But I know I would gladly help her with her abilities, and you are correct, that is the purpose of the Society. Maybe after her recovery, I will ask Ted, Jay and Alan about it. If her parents consent, of course."

[windywitch.livejournal.com]

Maxine giggled. "Consider me cursed, then."

"I'm not saying we have to throw a costume on her anything....just teach her how to use them, that's all. Expose her to people that are more 'like' her, I guess. Just so she doesn't feel so alone."

[blindmedicine.livejournal.com]

Pieter thinks, grabbing his chin.

"Maxine, I have to say, you're brilliant. It's an idea that could use some perusing and pondering, but I think you're on to something. That's a concept I'd like you to run by Jay, Alan and Karen. I see a lot of potential there." Pieter smiles at the wind witch.

"Who knows? Maybe it's stop us from having another Luthor down the road."

[windywitch.livejournal.com]

Maxine beamed. "Thanks! I just want to help her in anyway that I can. Six is awfully young for a metahuman gene to emerge, I think."

[blindmedicine.livejournal.com]

Pieter nods. "Indeed it is, though not unheard of. Some are born with their genes activated, others need trauma, most get them around puberty. But... I can't help but wonder what kind of life she'll end up with.

"Hm... Maxine, could you stop by the clinic after 4? Maybe bring Courtney with you? I think it'd help little Mikayla if she got to meet Cyclone and Stargirl. I won't make her any promises, but if she sees she has a visitor, it could probably help. Her mother told me she has little homemade dolls of you and Courtney she made at one of those Build-A-Bear stores." Pieter looks at Maxine, even though he knows she can't see through the lenses of his blackout glasses.