Tarin had been halfway joking about staying in the cab. ”Well, good. Because I would much rather you come in with me,” she told him.

When Tarin continued, Lee reached out her hand and gave his a squeeze. ”I know you weren’t. But…I mean, I know I’m nowhere near a fan of seeing doctors in general myself, and with how you reacted the other day to even the idea of EMS checking you out…I wasn’t going to force you to come in with me.”

Glancing out the window, Lee saw that they were getting close. They should be turning toward the mansion very shortly.

Well, that settled things. If Lee wanted him to go in with her, then Tarin would go in with her.

Lee squeezed his hand and Tarin shook his head S she spoke. ”You were right about hospitals. I really hate them, but I haven’t been to one in decades. I doubt it would be a big deal now.” he just avoided them, like he avoided everything else that made him uncomfortable. ”I didn’t want to deal with the EMS because they always want your info, and they want to know what happened…and all the poking and prodding and touching.” Tarin actually shuddered at the thought ”After everything that had just happened, it was too much.”

A lot of things had been too much. A lot of them still were, but Tarin had managed to get a handle on things after his…talk…with Lee? At least well enough that he wasn’t falling apart at the drop of a hat. They’d even gone out the night before.

They were getting close now, Tarin could see the Met Cloisters out of his side of the cab, ”But yeah, I’ll go with you…”

While she held his hand in the back of the cab, Tarin explained the reason he hadn’t wanted to be checked by the EMS that day. And while it sounded like he wouldn’t want to do it any day, this instance made particular sense to Lee.

”Yeah, there always seems to be too much poking and prodding for what they are trying to do,” Lee agreed with a slight shake of her head. And then the needles for blood draws and IVs…I’d had enough of all that for a lifetime before I turned 15.” [/font]

That was a large part why she always tried to deal with any injuries, no matter how they happened, by herself unless there was a healer available. If her options were a doctor or herself, most of the time she would choose herself.

Tarin then confirmed that he would come in with her and Lee flashed him a smile. ”Thanks, hon.”

Then Lee had a sudden realization: normally, she would take the elevator down to the infirmary. That was obviously not going to work today. So Lee lapsed into silence as she tried to remember where the stairs down there were located.

Lee had mentioned before that she had ended up at seemingly endless doctors appointments when her powers had emerged. That her parents had thought something was wrong with her and had done everything in their power to figure out what.

It made so much sense that she didn’t like doctors and didn’t necessarily want to see one. It was a testament to how much she must have been hurting, and how much she trusted his advice that she was there at all.

The cab was pulling down the drive of the Mansion now, the gate had been ready to open just as Lee said it would be and again Tarin marveled at the sheer size of the place as the cab pulled to a stop.

It only took a minute to pay the fare, they’d have to call another cab from inside when they were ready to leave. But once the car was paid they climbed out and headed up the stairs.

”Lead the way…” Tarin said, waiting for Lee to do exactly that.

The rest of the short drive was quiet as Lee thought, trying to create a mental map of the mansion so she could remember where the stairs were.

But the cab stopped before she did.

It didn't take long at all for them to pay and climb out of the cab, with her bag over her shoulder again. And then Tarin was saying for her to lead the way.

Maybe she'd remember better once she was inside?

After going through the front door that Tarin held open for her, Lee walked through the entrance way a little slower than she normally would and her bottom lip gradually found its way between her teeth.

She knew where the elevator was, and Lee knew that the main staircase upstairs off to the left, but she didn't remember there being stairs down there.

But she would remember any moment, Lee thought. It was just that it had been so long.

In they went and Tarin couldn’t help but look around again. It was really cool that Kevin was going to get to go to school here full time next year. Not only was the place absolutely gorgeous, the facilities were top notch and the adults really seemed to care about the kids.

Something seemed wrong with Lee again though and as they stood in the foyer, Tarin could see that she was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth…and not in the good way.

”I’m sure someone is around if you don’t remember the way.” Tarin said, instantly obliged as what had to be an older student made their way towards the doors.

”Excuse me…which way is the infirmary?”

The kid barely even paused, “Elevator is just over that way.” They said before walking through the doors that Lee and Tarin had just shut.

Cool. One word stuck out to Tarin though, and he suddenly thought he knew what had Lee worried.

”You heard the kid…elevator is this way.” Tarin said. Yes elevators were hard, but how far down could this one really go and have the infirmary easily accessible. Besides, the whole point of being there was to make sure Lee got seen as quickly and easily as possible. If that required an elevator, so be it.

That was the thing, though, Lee thought as Tarin spoke. She knew the way. She just didn’t know where the stairs were.

And just then, Tarin was asking one of the students how to get the infirmary, and he got the exact answer Lee expected. But before Lee could ask where the stairs to the infirmary were, the kid had left, having walked through the doors outside.

Well then. That left them exactly where they had been a moment ago.

”You heard the kid…elevator is this way.”

Lee turned to look at Tarin, slightly surprised. He had not done well in the elevator the previous night when they had gotten home from the bar, and that had been the first time he’d been in one since the collapse. Lee didn’t like the thought, but she didn’t imagine that Tarin would be much better today.

And they wouldn’t need to take the elevator if she could just remember where the damn stairs were.

But she was still at a loss. She couldn’t remember. ”Are you sure?” she asked as she looked up at Tarin. ”I know that there are stairs down there. Somewhere.”

The very thought of going and walking into an elevator made Tarin a little queasy, but that was just silly, wasn’t it? Last night had been tough, but that elevator was particularly small and slow. Surely in a place like this the elevator would be roomy and smooth and fast.

It didn’t matter though, Lee needed to get to the infirmary and the best way to get there was down the damn elevator.

Lee spoke and it seemed that there were stairs around somewhere, but Lee couldn’t remember exactly where.

”I’m sure.” Tarin said, deciding that he was simply going to ignore the ball of anxiety that had suddenly settled in the pit of his stomach.

Tarin didn’t answer right away, but when he did speak, it surprised Lee. He definitely did not look like he was ok with the idea of taking the elevator down. But unless Lee was suddenly able to remember where the stairs were, they didn’t really have another option to get to the infirmary. Where DocProf was waiting for her.

Lee nodded and reached for Tarin’s hand with her uninjured one. She then started toward the elevator at a much more normal pace.

Lee knew exactly where the elevator was. She could probably lead Tarin there while she was only partially awake. Because she had made her way to the elevator while only partially awake on a number of occasions.

Around a corner and a short way down a hallway and they were there. Reaching out, Lee pressed the button and almost immediately the door opened. Lee turned to look up at Tarin. ”Ready?” she asked, her voice soft.

This was dumb Tarin couldn’t help but think as Lee looked at him like she could see straight through him. They were talking about a damn elevator and Lee was the one with the potentially broken hand.

He didn’t want to be frustrated or aggravated about it, but as Lee took his hand Tarin almost didn’t want to take it back. He reminded himself again that they were there because Lee needed a doctor and he gripped Lee’s hand as they walked the short distance to the elevator. Lee knew exactly where it was and Tarin sighed a little bit. She really had just been looking for stairs.

Yeah, Tarin was done with this. It was a small inconvenience to find stairs most of the time, but he simply was not going to continue letting this stupid phobia continue to cause him problems.

But when Lee pushed the button and the elevator doors opened, it was like Tarin’s entire body froze up. Lee asked if he was ready and Tarin gave a curt nod and forced his legs to move forward in to the small, enclosed space. He wanted to push the button, to get things going as quickly as possible but he didn’t know where they were going so he dropped Lee’s uninsured hand so she could push the button.

There weren’t even all that many buttons. Trying not to make a big deal out of it, Tarin took a slow deep breath, hands clenching a bit on the hem of his t-shirt. He was fine, this was fine.

It wasn’t fine, but hopefully he could at least pull off sort of fine.

Tarin was not ok. Lee didn’t need to know him as well as she did to be able to see that.

But Tarin was still walking into the elevator with her. The moment that Tarin let go of her hand, Lee reached out and pressed the button for the lower floor. Then she turned to look at Tarin as the doors closed.

”It’s not a long ride,” Lee said softly, hoping that would be reassuring. And as she stood there, Lee held her hand out toward Tarin as she looked up at him. Ready to help him if he needed her, but not forcing it.

It really didn't take long for the elevator to make its way down, and soon the doors were open. ”Do you need a moment?” Lee asked quietly as they stopped out.

As Tarin stood in the elevator, trying to convince himself that it was just an elevator nod the way that he was reacting was ridiculous, Lee pointed out that it wasn’t a long right and he didn’t even respond. This was getting downright embarrassing.

Tarin didn’t see Lee’s hand or take it because at some point he had closed his eyes hoping that maybe that would help. He could still feel and hear the elevator moving though and quickly opened his eyes to just stare at the doors and will them to open. Which they did after what had felt like an eternity, but had realistically only been a handful of seconds.

Lee was asking if he needed at moment and as he walked out of the elevator car he said, ”I’m fine.” his voice tight and somewhat clipped, but not not snappish. Forcing his hands to unclench from his shirt, Tarin took a breath, ”Which way now?”

Tarin didn’t take her hand, but he also didn’t seem to be panicking the same way he had the night before. That was a good thing, right?

He was very tense as he stood there, though.

Then the elevator doors were open and they were stepping out. And Tarin was claiming, falsely she could tell, that he was fine. She didn’t argue that point, that wouldn’t help either of them at the moment. Instead, Lee simply took Tarin’s hand and led him a short way down the hall to the right in silence before walking in through the very familiar door.

Even though more than a decade had passed since Lee had last set foot here, the infirmary looked exactly as she remembered it. Making her way over to one of the beds that she was not so familiar with, Lee set her bag down and took a seat on the bed as she looked up at Tarin.

”It shouldn’t take long. He is pretty prompt about coming out.”

The hallways down here weren’t tight or cramped, but Tarin couldn’t shake the feeling that they were still underground. Surrounded on all sides by dirt, the rest of the huge building above them as Lee took his hand and led him through the short way to the infirmary.

It was bright and somehow airy inside the antiseptic smelling room and Tarin had to wonder what the point of all of that was when the doctor was capable of healing injuries by simply using his power. Still, it was easier to breathe in here and that couldn’t be anything but a good thing.

Lee moved to one of the beds to sit down on one of the beds and Tarin moved to sit beside her, reaching out tentatively to pick up her injured hand and look at her knuckles. There was definitely some puffiness starting to show up and Tarin gave Lee a tight lipped smile, ”We’re going to have to figure out how hard you can hit without hurting yourself. Dunno how to do that without you hurting yourself though and I don’t like that.” he said softly.

There was a sound from the back of the room and Tarin didn’t know what he expected of the Doctor at the Mansion, but it wasn’t the kindly looking older man who emerged from the office and was making his way towards Lee.

Standing up and moving so he was out of the way, Tarin stayed close, but tried not to hover. Now that he could think about something other than stupid elevators and underground tunnels, his whole focus was on Lee.

Tarin sat down beside her on the bed and as she watched him take a look at her hand again. At first Lee watched his face and was glad to see that Tarin seemed to be a little more relaxed now that they were in the infirmary.

But then she looked down at her hand as well and saw that it was now swelling. Which was not great, but not surprising considering she hadn’t had a chance to ice it yet.

”That has never been an issue,” Lee said, referring to figuring out how hard she could hit. ”But it is probably a good thing to figure out. Somehow.”

Then Lee felt a person approaching from behind them. ”Hey Doc, long time no see,” Lee said without turning around.

”Hello Mrs Brooks. What brings you in again after so long?”

Lee’s eyes widened as she realized that DocProf had no idea about her divorce. ”Uh, it’s Smith now,” Lee said, her eyes darting over to Tarin quickly before moving back to DocProf. ”I was sparring, and I used a little too much strength with a punch.”

Well, that was true, if a bit of an understatement.