The cab ride took a while. The driver didn't seem to say much, so it left Garrett thinking of his destination. There was alot riding on this for him. What if they reject him? He hadn't considered this before. Since it seemed to be a school for teenagers, he was riding the cusp of that requirement already. The setup was probably like the many group homes he had been in, though the freaks might not only be emo or angry, but have a nasty power to back it up when they lashed out. Well, anything beat the streets.

He did have the card and knew of Raina though, even though their meeting was brief at best. Hopefully he wouldn't need transcripts and the like. He knew how to read and was fairly intelligent, but most of the high school subjects were lost on him as he had only personal computer time to learn. Usually at the group homes, they just had you do free labor and threatened you with an accusation of theft if you didn't act right when the inspector types came by.

All this worrying was giving him a bit of an itch in the back of his neck. He tried to keep his eyes closed and keep his breathing easy. This was neither the time or place for an incident. His meditation was disrupted as the cab came to a halt. After paying the driver and getting his one bag, he seemed to have just a few dollars left. Certainly not enough to get back. As he put his money in his pocket,his fingers twitched slightly. Please, not yet.At least let me get somewhere safe.

It was a mansion, indeed. A huge, three storied structure with lots of green and space. The gates here were a bit imposing, though it seemed there was something wrong. As he approached closer, he could see large holes in a few walls, piles of rubble, people milling about here and there doing work. So, it was a work camp, after all. At least he might get three hots and a cot out of it.

Nothing to do now but push that button at the panel by the gates. He found himself sweating, though it wasn't unusually hot. He looked himself over. Thankfully, he was clean and his clothes were, thanks to Petunia. No street smell, as he sniffed himself. Though by now, he might smell different to others. His left eye twitched slightly. Whatever he was going to do, he had better do it. He closed his eyes and pressed the button. The panel looked damaged, so he wasn't sure if anyone could even hear it. He sat down next to the column the panel was in, trying to relax and breathe deeply.

Because the doorbell wasn't working just yet, Neena had delegated watch-duty to a young bird-shifter named Chad. The youth had leapt at the job, since it basically meant he could spend all day in the trees near the gates. He chose his favorite owl form, because the smaller birds form made him feel jittery, and a vulture might be too obvious and too disconcerting. So as another young man approached the gates, and pressed the panel, Chad's shadowy form took off and soared over the wall.

He spotted Neena near the lake, helping dredge out some of the trash that had collected over the winter.

"There's a new arrival, Night Owl." He used one of the teacher's nicknames.

Neena waved at him, and called out, "Tell 'em I'll be right there!" The large bird bobbed his head, and returned back toward the gate. He landed on the stone column, besides which the young man had decided to sit.

"One of the teachers will be with you shortly." The nocturnal avian blinked his yellow eyes slowly.

--------------------------

About five to ten minutes later, Neena jogged up to the gates. She paused, and waved, trying to catch her breath.

"Sorry! Was stuck--in mud--cleaning--lake. Whew!" She took a deep breath, and stretched out her back. "Guess I'm not--in as good--shape. As I thought."

She grinned, still breathing deeply. "What can I do for ya, kiddo?"

"One of the teachers will be with you shortly"

He looked up and an owl was telling him this. He nodded in an nonchalant manner. Sure, talking owls. Made perfect sense. Though he did get a strange feeling of Harry Potter when that occurred. But no, this was a school for mutants. He stood up and brushed himself off and waited patiently. The sweat was running down his back now and felt cold to his spine, yet another bad sign.

His fingers rummaged through his pockets, between the card and his Chi coins. It seemed to be getting brighter, his pupils dialating slightly as the attack was surely in the mail now. He looked around for something to bite. There was a small branch here, so he picked it up and broke it in two, leaving a 6 inch piece for himself, discarding the rest. He prayed someone came soon, a wave of nausea moved through him, threatening to send Raina's earlier breakfast right back out. that would be some greeting. He started pacing back and forth. He tried focusing, keeping himself calm, but now his arm was ticking rather obviously.

After what seemd like an eternity, a young woman in sunglasses jogged up to the gates. She mentioned being out of shape, but he couldn't see where. And he was looking. He swallowed hard and pulled the card from his pocket, though now from his sweaty hands, it had become damp, the corners turned. He said, " Hello, I am Garrett Wills. I met Raina and she gave me this card. I......nnnnnnnnn.." It was coming, full on now. He sat quickly and lied on his side. As he could feel it coming from within, he desperately moved to get the stick in his mouth. All he managed to get out was "Donnnnn...touch mmmmmmmm...." He went into the old floppy fish routine. What a way to say hello.

Neena noticed the pacing man looked very pale, and was sweating. He didn't look very well. And his arm was twitching.

" Hello, I am Garrett Wills. I met Raina and she gave me this card. I......nnnnnnnnn.."

"Garrett?" Neena frowned as he knelt, then lay on his side. She immediately moved to open the gates. "Chad. Get the DocProf. Fast!"

She didn't wait for the gates to fully swing open before slipping through. She knelt by Garret's side, and reached to try and restrain his flailing.

"Donnnnn...touch mmmmmmmm...."

She stopped, and actually danced out of the way when one of his thrashes brought him with a few inches of her. Her frown deepened. He was having a seizure, obviously, but if he was a mutant with touch-based powers, like his words indicated, restraint was out of the question. But he obviously needed help.

There wasn't much she could do, except dance around, and make sure he at least didn't hit anything as he flopped.

The little dancing lights.They were coming to him as the day's light and Neena's look of concern followed. He blinked a few times, still a bit disoriented. "Thank you for not touching me.", he said as he spit the stick out and got into a half seated position. "My power is based on the nervous system. I think it comes from my own nervous system. I can project pain and seizure to others without touching, but the initial manifestation came from people touching me while I am seizing. It is automatic, usually." He was glad he hadn't hurt her and had the control to keep it to himself.

He then had his wits about him, so he stood and brushed himself off, wiping the sweat from his face with his shirt. He smiled at the teacher and said, " Now, I am Garrett Wills. Here is the card Raina gave me earlier. I've been on the streets for ayear or two, so I just sort of went out on a limb coming out here. I need to learn control, so I don't hurt others. I also think there are more possibilities for good with it if I work on it." That all seemed to come out smoothly. Now for the facts.

"So, it looks like there is alot to be done here. I learned some handyman skills in the many state run schools or group homes Ihave lived in. Perhaps I can stay here if I work off my board?", he asked. His skills were mediocre at best, but he could do most things with some instruction. He waited to hear what the woman had to say. Judging from Raina and now this one, all of the teachers here must be gorgeous. Or so he hoped.

Neena spared several glances back toward the Mansion, searching for the young birdshifter and the DocProf. It was amazing how slow time moved when you were waiting for something to happen. Or to stop happening.

Only a few minutes passed before the seizure began to slow. Neena was able to kneel closer, now that the thrashing had passed. Finally Garrett sat up, just as an eight-foot ostrich skidded to a halt besides the gate, carrying an older man on its back, nearly as pale as Garrett had been. He all but fell off, stumbling to regain his balance, mumbling about only horses were meant to be ridden.

"Thank you for not touching me." Neena looked down. Garrett had sat up, and seemed to be okay. "My power is based on the nervous system. I think it comes from my own nervous system. I can project pain and seizure to others without touching, but the initial manifestation came from people touching me while I am seizing. It is automatic, usually."

"Does this happened often?" she asked as he stood. The DocProf moved to Garrett's other side. She waved him away, not sure if the boy's mutation was still active. Just in the space of a minute or two, his skin regained a bit of color.

" Now, I am Garrett Wills. Here is the card Raina gave me earlier. I've been on the streets for ayear or two, so I just sort of went out on a limb coming out here. I need to learn control, so I don't hurt others. I also think there are more possibilities for good with it if I work on it."

A small smile passed over Neena's face, as the DocProf hovered. She wasn't sure what Chad had told him, but she could tell the older man was itching to check Garrett over. She held out her hand to accept the card, then to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet you Garrett. I'm Neena, one of the teachers, and this is the DocProf, our local healer. That was quite an entrance. Are you sure you're okay now?"

"So, it looks like there is alot to be done here. I learned some handyman skills in the many state run schools or group homes Ihave lived in. Perhaps I can stay here if I work off my board?"

Neena opened her mouth and started to answer, but the DocProf interrupted pointedly.

"Work can wait, and so can the 'Welcome' schpiel. First I want to be sure you're okay." He glared pointedly at the dark-skinned woman. "Now, what happened? You say these seizures are part of your mutation? Even so, I want to be sure you haven't hurt yourself. Is contact only dangerous when you are seizing?"

Neena hrumphed and crossed her arms. Doctors always asked so many questions. Sure, she was nosey too, but the healer's rapid fire questions were likely to drive the poor kid away.

"Does this happen often?"

"Well, actually, it's been happening less and less when I use my power on someone. As if the power builds up an amount of tension and must be released." He shrugged. He wasn't sure of the full spectrum of his abilities. That is why he had come here. He was wary of the doctor watching him. This one might be different, but maybe not. He turned to face this 'DocProf', trying to answer his questions.

"Are you sure you are okay now?

She really was sweet and caring. He appreciated it and replied, " Yes, thank you. I actually feel quite good, without that springboard type of tension going on." Neena. He'd remember this one, for sure. He had reached to shake her hand and gripped it surely. The immediate anticipation was evident, but as far as he could tell, she wasn't afraid of him. You could tell when people were, whether they said so or not.

At this point, the doctor's curiosity was reaching its own point of no return. He could feel the desire to probe, so he listened and tried to answer the man. "Well, Sir, for the most part, the touch factor is only a problem when I am seizing. I can surely do it on contact, but it is something I will to do, not automatic. I can affect others' nervous systems, I have done so at a distance of maybe 15 to 20 feet. It might be line of sight, I am not really sure. That's why I came here, to learn the scope of my abilities and limitations in a safe place." He looked at the doctor pointedly as he spoke. He seemed to be a caring man, but being a doctor already gave him a bad mark. Garrett knew there would be testing, but his experience at Medical made him skittish around all doctors and their intentions.

He looked at the two of them. They really seemed to care, but no reason to have a Hallmark moment just yet. He rolled his neck in a circle, preparing himself for whatever came next. He added, " So, I understand that you want to do tests, but please take it easy, okay? I have had alot of bad experiences with doctors, so just take that into account, please." The smallest bit of a smirk appeared. He really hoped he didn't end up in a lab soon.

At least his grip was strong; that backed up the claim he was feeling better. Neena listened to his explanation of his mutation curiously.

"That's why I came here, to learn the scope of my abilities and limitations in a safe place."

She nodded, and glanced at the card he'd handed her again. "Makes sense. You've met Raina already, eh? That's good."

" So, I understand that you want to do tests, but please take it easy, okay?"

"Tests?" She glanced up, confused, and realized he'd been speaking to the DocProf.

"I have had alot of bad experiences with doctors, so just take that into account, please."

She wrinkled her nose. "That makes two of us," she grumbled. The Doc inhaled and exhaled slowly. He shook his head.

"I can respect that. I simply want to be sure you haven't hurt yourself." He motioned for Garrett to come closer, so he could place his first two fingers on his temples. The Doc closed his eyes and concentrated. Mentally he relived Garrett's seizure, without the pain, and searched for any signs of injury, minor or major. Any wounds would begin to feel warm for a few moments, as if under a heating pad, then would vanish.

After a minute or two he opened his eyes and stepped back, with a small smile. "That's all there is to it. Quick and painless." He tossed another glare at the dark-skinned teacher, who simply shrugged.

"Like a little scrape is gonna kill ya if it heals up on its own," she muttered. Numerous scars on her arms showed that she preferred to let things heal naturally. She motioned for Garrett to follow her onto the grounds. "C'mon then, let's get you set up with a room, so you can settle in. We can talk after you've had a chance to rest. And a hot meal. Do those attacks make you hungry? Thanks Chad!"

The tall ostrich bobbed its head once, and wandered off around the side, while the Doc fell into step on Garrett's other side.

"So, where're ya from, m'friend?"

"I can respect that. I simply want to be sure you haven't hurt yourself."

The doctor approached him, apparently wanting to touch his temples. Eye coordination? What was this? He started to recoil, but the look in the man's eyes was soothing. As the doctors fingers pressed against Garrett's temples, he could swear there was a warm, radiant effect in his temples. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

A warm, gentle light moved through his body. In his mind's eye, a landscape of rolling pastures under an August evening's sun appeared. A sensation unlike any he had felt, it coursed through every cell, every nerve and he hadn't felt so refreshed and warm in years. This wasn't like any doctor he had ever experienced. He must be a mutant with healing powers. The two of them might get alot of work done, if he could stand to drop the stubborn attitude.

"That's all there is to it. Quick and painless."

His eyes fluttered open, seeing the DocProf's eyes and smile. He found himself also smiling, quite naturally and easily. He nodded to the doctor. "Thank you, Sir. That was wonderful." He couldn't resist but to give the doctor a hug. He stepped back and made a little cough, still smiling. He hadn't hugged anyone in...when? Oh, well. Neena was ready to go and he was ready to follow. He picked up his satchel and slung it over his shoulder.

As they all entered the grounds, he listened to Neena, replying, " A hot meal is always welcome. The seizures leave me a little drained, I suppose. I guess being hungry alot, I couldn't tell the difference." He chuckled at the thought. " Also, I am happy to take the most wrecked room, I am used to the minimums anyway. I can work on it, try to get it or anything else back into shape." He was trying to resist the urge to sound needy, but he was.

"So where ya from, m'friend?"

"All over the northeast, really. I was born in Delaware, but I spent a large amount of time in a coma. Other than that, when I became of age, I was shuffled out into the system and ended up losing even that. I have been on the streets for a year or so. Of course, there was my time in the camps, hence my fear of doctors. Maybe some other time we can talk about it." The grass was green here and the people friendly. It might not be so bad.

Neena frowned slightly. "You were in the Camps, too, eh?" She paused to look a bit closer at him, to see if she recognized him. "Sorry to hear that, but glad to see you made it out all right."

Then the frown melted back into her usual, carefree grin. "And don't worry about the room. We've got plenty of room, and the repairs will probably be done within a few weeks. At least, the major damage. Repairs are kind of par for the course 'round here."

As they entered the front door, the smell of garlic wafted toward them from the direction of the Kitchen. She motioned the way, and poked her head in the door. One of the teens had just turned off the burner beneath a pot of noodles. Another pot sat nearby with tomato sauce simmering. In the trash were numerous cans, bags and vegetable peelings. They entered from one direction as three other youths headed out the other door.

"Hey Dubby. Got room for two more?"

Dubby startled a bit, eyes wide. "Um, sure." He hesitated, and looked toward his leaving companions. Neena winked, and ran her fingers across her lips, as if zipping them. The startled look disappear into a bright smile, then just as quickly into a scowl as he ran after his companions.

"He lost a bet," she explain in an exaggerated whisper, "on purpose. He loves to cook, but doesn't want to be teased. Don't tell anyone you know." She reached into the cupboard and handed him a bowl.

"Here, help yourself. I'll be right back with a Welcoming packet, 'kay?" With that she headed out into the hall.

"You were in the Camps, too, eh?"

Indeed, he was. He could tell she was examining his face then, to try to recognize him. Thanks to the executioner style hoods that he and the others were forced to wear, there wouldn't be any of that. He could never figure out the point to those, surely not to protect his identity from the others. Those cruel bastards had no care for him or anyone else. And he was thankful that he did not recognize her as a 'patient'. But any of those he had tortured could have been a friend or relative.

"Sorry to hear that, but glad to see you made it out alright."

Physically, yes. Mentally, well, the jury was still out on that. Sometimes when he was doing the deeds he was, he had lost time. These episodes usually ended with him being tied down in his room, maniacal laughter and screaming in the midst of heavy sedatives being administered. Something was still inside of him, lurking like a burglar through his mind. Its presence is what had sent him here in the first place. It was just a matter of time before this unwelcome guest decided to rear his head again, so best to learn how to work his abilities to stay away from that.

He had watched the little scene go on in the kitchen. The kid, Dubby, seemed nice enough. He hadn't seen anyone with the telltale stare of a bad group home. Maybe he was the only one with that kind of look. The smell of the spaghetti made him drool a bit, as he hadn't eaten since this morning, due to Raina's kindness. He got himself a plate and sat down at the table, poised to tear it to pieces. He tried to chew this time, eating slower and remembering that no one was coming to take it away. He looked around a bit, seemed that it wasn't in nearly as bad shape as he had thought. He hoped there was still plenty of work to do, so he would have a reason to stay.

Neena had to go all the way to the Office to find a packet, so she decided to grab an entire stack while she was at it. She deposited the bulk of her load on the foyer table, then pulled out a single file for Garrett.

She had it open when she reentered the kitchen, and saw Garrett all but gulping down a plate of pasta. She chuckled a bit.

"Help yourself to seconds if you'd like. Would you like something to drink?" She walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

After sitting down again, she slid the file over to him and began to explain it.

"This is a record for our files. You can drop it off to me later. I'll need you to fill out this section here, mainly." She indicated the spot that asked, 'What is your mutation?' and 'Is it dangerous to you or others around you?'. "I also need your age, so we know which set of rooms to settle ya in, 'kay? Now, there's a map in the back, since its a big place. This is the Office here, and this is my room. If you can't find me in either of those, ask around. I might also be in the Danger Room, here, since that's essentially my classroom. You'll need access to go in there though, so try and find me or one of the other teachers first. And don't let the younger set try and trick you into going in with them," she warned with a chuckle. " 'cause they will. No one under sixteen is allowed in there unsupervised, especially not the technopaths."

She paused for a bit to take a drink, and let him absorb all of the info she'd tossed out.

She returned with a large stack of folders and also gave him a bottle of water. He cracked it open and drank most of it at once. He immediately felt alert and awake. It was good to have a full stomach for once. He listened carefully to her explanations of the layout and of his forms. It appeared that he was going to stay, indeed. Best to just enjoy the optimism, even if it was due to food in his belly. It was hard to tell with the sunglasses she was wearing, but he could tell she was looking a bit tired. It seemed she was the only adult around here, trying to keep up with all these kids.

In response to the part of the form she had pointed out, he said, "Neural Manipulation. It definitely has the capacity to be dangerous to others." He said it meekly, hoping this wouldn't mean a 'special' room, one with padded walls. He also lied about his age, slightly, hoping it would separate him from the kids. He told her he was turning 21 in a few months, though he was actually turning 20. He wasn't sure what the age cutoff was, but maybe 21 would get him around adults.

He enjoyed the rest of the pasta and water, having a look at the map and information before him. He waited for further instructions, but also wanted to get right to work, especially now that he was fed and watered. " Thanks for letting me stay, Neena. Once you have done what you need to, if I can see my room and maybe an area I can work in, I'll be good to go. I appreciate your help, but I would like to earn my keep around here."

"Neural Manipulation. It definitely has the capacity to be dangerous to others."

He sounded a bit timid when he stated that fact, and Neena could understand why. Living as a mutant presented many basic difficulties, and they only compounded with the knowledge of what may happen to others if you weren't careful.

" Thanks for letting me stay, Neena," he told her after finishing up his food and paperwork. "Once you have done what you need to, if I can see my room and maybe an area I can work in, I'll be good to go. I appreciate your help, but I would like to earn my keep around here."

She couldn't teasing him. "Any chance you can use that neural manipulation and give the kids some of that initiative? Some of 'em really need it. Tell ya what." The she reached out and patted his hand comradely. "We'll get you a room, and then I'll show you where the garden shed is. That's where we're keeping stuff like the paint and patching tools, and repairs lists. If you really feel like you want to do something right away, you can start there. As for earning your keep, working as hard as possible with us to figure out your mutations bounds is benefit enough. And that we'll start on whenever you're ready."

Once he finished eating, she stood up and motioned for him to follow her up the stairs.

>"Twenty-one, that means center hall,"< she mentally directed herself. [/i]

"Infirmary's that way," she pointed. "That's the Doc's lair, if you ever really do get hurt." She stopped outside an empty room, after quickly double-checking with her vision, and unlocked it. She handed him the key, and let him enter before her. The room was very simple, with two twin beds, a nightstand for each, and doors leading to a closet and the bathroom. A desk sat against one wall as well, giving the area the feel of a college dorm room.

"You can fix it up however you like, though if you could keep the walls and floors in one piece that would be heavenly. Let me know later if you'd like a roommate."

She let him look around a bit, before leading him back downstairs, and then back outside. The garden shed was a short walk from the Main House, down a dirt path scattered with stepping stones. They passed a young girl sitting in the dirt around the stones, working hard on planting a pretty green ground cover. She had a set of headphones in her ears with something playing very loudly, and didn't look up as they passed, but she was obviously enjoying what she was doing.

The double-garage-sized shed was already unlocked, so she led him inside and began showing him around. A laminated and blown-up version of the file map adorned one wall. Color filled in numerous sections, and a list in the corner showed what had been done, and what still needed fixing.

"Everything is labeled," she announced, "though I would still double-check before you start painting and such. This place seems to spawn pranksters."

That was partially true; it was natural for kids in a group pulled pranks, and dare each other to outdo the last one. However, some of the more daring youths had taken it upon themselves to test out her lack of fear for themselves. The spiders and frogs in her bed had stopped fairly quickly, and now they were moving on to more interesting ideas.

"Well, help yourself, m'friend. If you use up something, just stick it on the shopping list. And there's no set mealtimes, really, so just raid the kitchen when you feel hungry. Anything not initialed is considered group property, so help yourself."

She put both hands on her hips, and looked around thoughtfully. "I think that's everything. Any other questions or concerns?"[/color]

She had been so courteous and helpful. He was starting to believe this place might really be alright. They saw the Informary, somewhere he might be visiting the DocProf before long, then they went to his room. She gave him a key and they entered. It was great, two beds. One for sleep and one for meditation, he thought. "Everything's great, here. Thank you. " He was still amazed that he had a key.

They then headed down to the "shed", which was actually huge. But then again, everything was here. He looked around and saw the many mutant kids, working and walking, all pretty happy. Looking over the map and the lists, he saw that there was a wealth of things to do here and he should be busy for some time. He also thought on the idea of training his powers and even taking classes where he could get a GED at some point. Lots of opportunity here. And all he had to do was not hurt people. Seemed easy enough.

He listened to her and waited for her to finish. When she asked him about any other questions, he said, " I think I'll be alright, thanks. One question I can think of, is when you mentioned redecorating. I have no money and want to resist using my power to get it from others. So is there a way I could get on the payroll or something? Work for it or something? Also, though I could use the schooling, will I be in classes with the younger teens? I hope I don't stick out too poorly." He shrugged. It sounded worse coming out of his mouth. He really sounded like a bum. Oh, well. It was the truth.