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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 17, 2008 15:44:22 GMT -5
Alice was never one for eating lunch in cafeterias. As a child, she ate lunch away from everyone else at school. Even as an adult, she chose to go to the park instead of eating with her colleges at the hospital. That and she didn't really enjoy hospital food. In her opinion, it was rather gross.
Taking a bite of her soft pretzel, she set her soda down on a park bench, pulling her coat farther around her. She had exchanged it for her white lab coat back at the hospital before she had left. Sighing, she sat down on the bench, quietly plucking apart her pretzel and eating it. Working at the hospital was tiring sometimes, but she supposed it was better than some of the things she would be doing back in Paris - though she did miss the way the city lit up at night.
Leaning back, Alice took a drink of soda and closed her eyes. Normally, the blonde would be peppy and hyper, bouncing around all over the place, but today was just an off day for her. Mainly because of the amount of files and paperwork she had waiting for her back at her office, waiting for her to get done with all her patients so she could finish it.
Alice groaned just thinking of it.
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Post by tom on Jul 17, 2008 17:37:10 GMT -5
[ooc: awww... yay. I get to be Thomas again. Thomas is a little slow waiting until lunch to actually find the paper... but still...]
Thomas liked to spend time in the park as it was one of the few places that actually reminded him of home. Everywhere else in this city was too big... too crazy... and he'd never been much for Sydney living, rather than L.A. living.
This time however, the park was the only place he could go to calm himself. The newspaper in his hand with the article 'Survivor Sibling Scandal' trembled and it wasn't from the wind. He clenched his fingers, one hand still gripping the paper and one hand punching the nearest tree. Jack. That complete arsehole.
"Bugger!" He exclaimed in pain as he backed away again, but then proceeded to give the tree another punch, bark from his digging into his skin. Tears pricked his eyes as he thought about what kind of a day he'd just had. He finally got to see his son but then finds out that the guy he trusted to take him there was the guy lying to everyone about Claire's disappearance.
He leaned against the tree, breathing heavily and trying to pick the bark out of his skin before staring straight ahead and having his eyes meet a young blond girl's making him drop the paper in surprise and stare at her with wide-half embarrassed eyes.
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 17, 2008 17:55:51 GMT -5
Her eyes snapped open as she heard a shout. Cofnused, she glanced around before her eyes locked with a man's who was leaning against a tree, obviously angry about something. There was several chunks of bark now missing from the tree, and he was doing something with his knuckle, so she could only assume he had punched it.
Alice tossed the wrapper of her pretzel into the trash bin next to her, grabbing her soda as she stood, walking over to him. She noticed the paper on the ground, her eyes briefly scanning the headline. She had already read the paper, so it wasn't really news to her. Besides, she didn't really care about them much - she was just glad their top spinal surgeon was back working at the hospital so others would stop complaining about it already.
"Are you all right there Mr?" She questioned after a moment, glancing at his hand. She was a doctor and she couldn't help but worry when others were hurt - even if she did mainly work with children. Her tone had the slightest French accent in it, something she had been trying to get rid of.
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Post by tom on Jul 17, 2008 18:02:46 GMT -5
Thomas looked up at the girl and stuck his head back against the tree. Was he alright? He'd be a lot more alright if some twit named Jack Shephard wasn't trying to ruin Claire's life... and his, that was for sure.
"It's Thomas" he answered and glanced to the paper. "And no I'm not alright." He began angrily. "Can you believe this guy is actually supposed to be a doctor?" He was breathing heavily, "and what... everyone is supposed to listen to what he says and what choices he makes for people because he's medically trained?"
He shook his head and leaned forward. "It's just not bloody right!" The whole thing wasn't bloody right and now he was going off about it to a complete stranger. Maybe it was true. Maybe living in L.A. really did make you insane.
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 17, 2008 18:28:50 GMT -5
"Okay, then. Thomas." She spoke quietly, listening to him rant slightly. "Dr. Shephard is a rather good doctor, but he doesn't have rights to make desicions for others." Alice said. "Then again, Ms. Littleton is his sister, and if she was currently unable to make the decision herself, then Dr. Shephard has all rights to decide for her."
Alice knew she probably wasn't helping this man - she didn't even really know who he was. Sighing, she removed her hands from her pockets.
"Let me see your hand. That looked like it hurt." She said softly, brushing hair from her face as she looked at him, a small smile on her face. "A lot of things aren't fair. And there's nothing you can do to stop them or reverse them."
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Post by tom on Jul 17, 2008 18:35:19 GMT -5
Sister. Yeah... he just found that out. When did this bloody happen? His mind cried. It would have been nice to have found out why everything had changed after getting off the island. It would have been nice to get some more information before flying over the bloody Pacific to get here.
"What about her rights?" Thomas asked, still an angry tone in his voice. "What about my rights?" He said again. He couldn't even bring his son back home because this guy said 'no' and really, it was pathetic. It was his son. Thomas should be able to bring him where ever he wanted to.
He put his hand forth to her, and finally realized what he was doing, his eyes softened and became grateful. "Thanks." He said quietly. "It's just that this man has my son..."
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 17, 2008 18:48:41 GMT -5
"If she's... well, not mentally cabable, she doesn't really have many rights. She has the right to be submitted to a place like Santa Rosa's. A place that can help her get well." Alice replied in the same quiet tone, looking at Thomas.
"So you're that close to her? I didn't realize it." She commented. "But if he's your son, why won't they let you care for him? You are his father after all - that's not right." Alice muttered, frowning slightly.
She took his hand with gently hands, examining his knuckles. They were red, bits of bark stuck in it, with a few cuts and was probably going to hurt like hell in the morning, but nothing that wouldn't heal within a day or two with the help of a bit of Neosporin. "I'm Alice, by the way." She added, realizing she had forgotten to tell him her name. She began to pull the tiny bits of bark from his hand.
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Post by tom on Jul 17, 2008 18:57:13 GMT -5
"Yeah, not mentally capable" he muttered. He just couldn't believe that about Claire. He didn't know what she went through on this island but it was probably finding out she was supposed to be the sister of a dickhead like Jack that put her over the edge.
"He's technically my son" Thomas looked downward, he felt like he was going to carry this shame around forever. "If I hadn't left Claire before she had him." He added the last part in barely more than a whisper. Maybe he was no better than Jack. Maybe Jack really was a hero, while he was a zero. He didn't even know anymore.
"Hi Alice" He said, with a wry smile as she pulled painful bits from his knuckles. "I know I probably deserve it" he added, justifying himself to this complete stranger somewhat. "I probably deserve everything that's happening... but not Claire. She didn't deserve this."
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 17, 2008 19:09:12 GMT -5
Alice looked up at him when he mentioned leaving the young woman. "Oh." She said simply, not knowing much else to say. She frowned, and picked out a few more pieces of bark from his fist gently.
"Maybe that's why then. Maybe because you did leave, that revoke's your rights or something. I'm not sure on legal matters when it comes to children - I only take care of them." Alice replied quietly, glancing back up at him.
"Well, if you're referring to the bark now imbedded in your knuckles and the pain you'll probably have in them, no you don't deserve it. No one deserves to be in pain, no matter what they've done." Alice told him.
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Post by tom on Jul 17, 2008 19:20:45 GMT -5
"I meant this whole situation... but thanks..." Thomas said with a small smile. He didn't know anything about parental rights either. He didn't think about finding out. But he did feel that smile come on when she said that she took care of children.
"So you like them then?" He asked, "kids?" He looked at her, she seemed down to earth enough. Sweet... actually. He would have liked to have thought with a girl like her who seemed born to be a mother, instead of Claire who was as terrified as him, that he wouldn't have run. But that probably wasn't true. "That's refreshing." He said with a small chuckle.
"I didn't think I would... I really didn't think I was supposed to be a father" he rambled, "but I don't know... maybe I was wrong,"
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 17, 2008 19:39:03 GMT -5
"I love them." She smiled, making sure she had removed all the bark from his knuckles. "It's why I became a Pediatrician. It's impossible for me not to like kids."
She allowed his hand to gently drop to his side once she had finished examining it. Alice looked back up at him, the smile still on her face. He seemed nice, much better than a lot of guys she had met.
"You seem like the type that would be a pretty good father." She told him. "I've seen a lot of men that really weren't fit to be father's when they come in with their children - you seem far from like them."
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Post by tom on Jul 17, 2008 19:47:01 GMT -5
He lifted his hand and examined it himself when she had dropped it. "You do a good job" he told her. "Pediatrician. Wow. You must have known what you wanted to do right after you finished school to be a Pediatrician already." He smiled. "I spent a little longer than that" he told her. "I'm an artist now... but I don't know... most of the times I felt like I was wandering around not knowing what in the world to do, you know?"
He gave a rueful chuckle when she said he'd be a good father. If that wasn't as far from the truth as he could picture. "If I was such a great father I would have been there. I wouldn't have waited until today to actually get to see my kid" he told her. Maybe there was still hope for him yet, though.
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 17, 2008 19:53:44 GMT -5
"Thanks." She smiled. "And yeah, I had decided on it right after I had started college. My parents wanted me to become a lawyer, but I'm no good at that kind of stuff. I prefer being a Pediatrician instead." Alice replied.
"And artist sounds like fun. So what kind of art do you do? Painting, sculpting, sketching...?" She trailed off, listing some of the ones she knew off the top of her head. She tucked several blonde curl behind her ear with a small laugh. "The only art I do is just doodles when I'm procrastinating doing work."
"So you've never seen the baby except for today?" She questioned, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry." Alice said softly after a moment. "But maybe you were just afriad. I know I'd be afriad at first probably - then I'd get over it because I would realize that I'd have another life to protect and are for besides my own."
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Post by tom on Jul 17, 2008 19:58:47 GMT -5
Thomas smiled again. She actually seemed to get it. Making him feel like less of a monster after all. "I'm a painter mostly and yes... I think I'm finally realizing that." He told her. Aaron was a good kid, it seemed. And Thomas only wanted to protect him by taking him back to Australia. "I do just want to protect him now, even though I've probably gone and stuffed everything up by letting my fear get the better of me. Now they're not letting me take him back to Australia, so I guess I just have to stay here if I want to see him." He sighed and his eyes crinkled. Now he was making some friends, he supposed he could live with that. "I'd be happy to show you my paintings if you have time. A guy name Mr Widmore was the one that gave me the contract to come out here."
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 17, 2008 20:08:34 GMT -5
"I'm sure they'll let you see him. You're his father - you have some rights at least." She said, taking a drink of soda as she listened to him. "They can't deny you that. I do believe that one is against the law."
She smiled. "Sure. I'd love to see some of your paintings. I'm a fan of them myself." Alice replied. "Though I can't paint worth crud. I've tried and it ends up being something like a giant swirl blob." She laughed.
"Mr. Widmore? Really?" She questioned, slightly surprised to hear the name. "My father's company is in alliance with Widmore's company." She said. "I've never met the man but I hear he can be pretty harsh on some people."
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