Sept 27th: Coping Mechanisms

[Winston Sharpe]

Winston edged ahead of the glowing light platform that supported an unconscious Ayami as it went down the stairs. Worried she might slide off it, Winston was slowly walking backwards down the staircase, crouched low, readied to catch her if she did, though this position (which was somewhat uncomfortable due to his numerous wounds) caused him to trip over on the final step into the common hall.

Winston moaned as he landed with a Fwump on his back and rolled out from underneath the platform as it began to hover over him. He coughed a little as he got up before clutching his sides, they felt ready to burst and coated his arms in a fresh layer of blood as it seeped out of his gashes.

Winston glared at his stained-red hands as he stumbled on the spot and coughed again, This....sucks....balls.

[Narrator]

"Are you ok?" a pink haired girl asked, her butterfly wings fluttering nervously as she hurried over to him.

[Winston Sharpe]

Winston turned to the girl as she approached and looked down at himself in response to her question, he was practically coated in blood (not too much of which was his), his singlet was in shreds and more of his insides were still slowly oozing out of that one damned deep hole from where a vampire had forced the majority of his hand into him.

"Hmm, you know what? I don't think so."

[Trinity Cleaver]

"I kinda guessed." the girl said, helping him to his feet. "I'm Tink, by the way."

[Winston Sharpe]

"Winston." He tried to smile as he was helped to his feet, Tink?, "Um...thanks."

He coughed a little before flailing an arm at the saucer of light that was slowly carrying Ayami away, "Crap, I've," Winston coughed some more before slumping back against the doorway that led to the stairs, "I'm meant to take...I think she's called Mood, to Med."

Winston groaned as he pulled himself back up, only to find the light disc was now going faster than he could shamble, as he continously wound up having to stop for breath. Winston didn't turn to the pink haired lass by his side but she would know he was talking to her, "Could you...go with her? Please?"

[Trinity Cleaver]

"Can do." Tink said, sliding an arm under Winston's shoulder. Inspite of the fact that she was only 3 inches tall, she was able to support him fairly well. "And you are coming with me."

[Morgan Evans]

Morgan entered the common room, she was a little dazed and for some reason had felt the desperate urge for cola. Maybe this was a side effect of using her power? Maybe she was just thirsty?

She paused and turned to look out the window, watching stretchers carrying kids across the Quad, the Xteam members scuttling around looking all offical like Hall Monitors on their first day of duty. She habitually wrapped her arms around her middle thinking, something had happened with her power today - she had been stronger...

[Winston Sharpe]

Winston was visibly startled when Tink touched him, suprised that someone so small could support something comparitivley so much larger, "Um, thanks? Super-strength?"

As they began to shuffle forward Morgan entered the room and Winston caught her in his peripheral vision, he smiled weakly at Tink before he slowly eased himself off of her, "Thank you, but uh, thanks and...um, can you, um, just a sec?"

Winston took a step towards Morgan and coughed heartily, "H-hey! Morgan," he flailed an arm in what was meant to be a wave, "We're tying."

[Morgan Evans]

Morgan's mind was on her new power, it was elsewhere altogether and Winston's touch flipped a switch. Automatically the full force of her power turned on him before she could help it, dredging up the stuff of nightmares.

[Winston Sharpe]

Winston froze, he stopped moving, his eyes were locked and his breathing stopped. All the movement that seemed to occur on him was the slow dribble of red from his injuries. After a while his eyes went wide and he gasped hungrily for air, instead ending up vomiting up blood.

Winston lurched violently, vomited again and collapsed.

[Morgan Evans]

Morgan had realised a split second to late what she had done and she fell to her knees beside him. She tried to roll him onto his side and her voice when it came was panicky.

"WINSTON! PLEASE! WAKE UP!" Please I'm sorry, please wake up.

She made a hasty decision and let her power pour forth again, trying to fill him with happy light things, make him feel better - make him wake up.

[Winston Sharpe]

Winston made a gurgling noise before rolling his head over and drooling out more gunk. His features steadily became elated as an induced vision played out in his head.

Whispers faded away as the light drew back from Wins mind, revealing a calming lake surrounded by idealistic mountains.

"Mr Sharpe?" asked the same figure who'd replaced Maq in his last "trip", "Your table is ready, sir." Winston sleepily nodded and glided across the reflective pool of water over which a circular table levitated.

Winston stood upon the table and looked around expectantly, though unsure of what to expect. Ripples formed in the water in the distance as slowly a giant figure rose out of it, the titanic waves caused by its emergence parted around the table and when they passed him by, Winston found himself staring into Morgans gigantic eyes.

"Welcome back." she smiled, "and not for the last time either."

He stirred slightly.

[Morgan Evans]

Morgan was screaming out with her mind for Connor, for help, while she let her power try and ease his pain so therefor wasn't looking into Winstons vision. The pain she had inflicted upon him, she had to fix it. Oh god, he was vomiting blood I killed him..

Connor! Help Me! Please.. Morgan sobbed even through the residual glow of happy coming from the power.

"Winston, please.. Winston?"

[Connor Marshall]

It was only a few minutes by the time Connor hurried into the room. "Oh bloody hell, what happened?" he asked, hurrying over.

[Winston Sharpe]

Winston forced an eye open, the room was blurred and the ceiling was peeling away, undoubtedly due to Morgans power. Winston groaned half a sentence of gibberish incoherantly before blinking furiously and rolling his head over to face a tearful Morgan as Connor rushed to her side.

His face still blank as it had been since he collapsed, Win mumbled, "what what Wha?", the expressionless mask dissolved as he started chuckling to himself.

[Morgan Evans]

I bloody well killed him.. he's dying... Morgan lifted her tear streaked face to Connor's her eyes searching his face for reassurance or rescue.

"He.. he.. touched me. Startled me, I hurt him.. he was vomiting blood everywhere.." She disolved into tears again, on top of the days violent start she had killed her friend. She froze when he started to laugh, her face growing more horrified at the thought of him dying whilst laughing.

I tried to make it better..

[Connor Marshall]

"Vomiting blood? The hell?" He looked at Winston, then gave the boy a slap on the cheek. "Oi! Wake up!"

[Winston Sharpe]

Winston continued to giggle when Connor hit him, though his eyes fully opened. It didn't take too long for his laughter to die down into teeth grinding and Winstons' eyes began to survey the room which had now returned to normal, eventually his line of sight fell back upon Morgan and Connor.

His smile dissapeared quickly and he glanced at the mess of blood around him and gradually brought himself to sit upright. His skin had turned incredibly pale and his head was bobbing around in a daze.

[Connor Marshall]

Connor sighed. "Bloke's out of it," he muttered. A force field formed under Winston, then lifted into the air in front of Connor. "Guess we need to take him up to get some help," he said as he started toward the door to take him to the infirmary.