by Jaz Johnson
On the first floor, Lupin was stepping out of the elevator, and turning the corner into the lobby. There he was met by a very shaky, and very dysfunctional Maverick. Upon seeing the doctor, Maverick rushed past the talking secretary over to him, nearly colliding into him.
“Doc! You gotta help me doc,” Maverick stuttered as he forced his body to tremble, slightly brushing into Lupin. Lupin arched his back and rose his hands in defense, not wanting to touch Maverick, who to the office, appeared to be on drugs. Maverick scratched restlessly at his arm, shaking his head.
“I messed up, doc, you gotta help me,” he continued, looking up at the obviously uncomfortable doctor.
“I’m – sorry, sir. Do I know you?” he asked, turning his head away from Maverick in discomfort.
“They, they said you fix people, doc. I-I-I need fixin’, see. I messed up,” Maverick pleaded, adding a twitch to his neck as he stumbled over his words. Lupin glanced over to the secretary in concern, who responded with a worried shrug and a shake of her head.
“I – err, what it is you messed up, sir?” Maverick lowered his head, and scratched against his chest.
“I-I-I uh, I didn’t – they talked me into it. I didn’t wanna use it, doc. But n-now I think I’m hooked.” Maverick moved a little too close to Lupin, trying to whisper to him. “Hooked on that stuff, you know what I’m sayin’, doc?” Lupin tilted his head back in painful understanding of what he meant and attempted to take a step away from him.
“I’m – I’m sorry, sir. But this isn’t that kind of facility,” said Lupin, trying to reason with him. Maverick shook his head, closing his eyes tightly, and opening them again to look around the lobby.
“No, no – no doc come on, you – I know you fix ‘em. Come on, doc,” Maverick continued, peeking down the hall to see if Saphora had come down to the first floor yet. Seeing that she hadn’t, he kept up his act, moving closer to Lupin, and making sure that he was getting his full attention.