milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Oh, right. Not as such, just annoyed."

He shakes his head and forces a smile, not prepared to discuss it with this total stranger. "Sorry, where are my manners? Dr Guppy Sandhu, nice to meet you."

"I hear ya. Had a fun night, myself."

She whistles and spins a finger, in a look how much fun I'm having gesture.

"Hi. Veronica Mars."

If that was an innuendo Guppy doesn't get it.

"Veronica Mars?"

Lookie, the smile's gone.

"I take it you are a doctor from a very advanced world."

Veronica gives him a 'huh?' look.

"What, is 'Mars' the next big name in medecine or something? No."

"Definitely not a lawyer anyway. Doesn't know the meaning of 'slander'."

Seeeeeethe.

He's trying not to explode.

Ah. Of course.

Brightly, "No, but I know the meaning of 'malpractice'!"

When she next speaks, her voice is very loud.

"Tell me Doctor Sandhu! How is YOUR PENIS today?"

He's been on the boil all day.

This is just one step too far. He slams his hand down on the bar and stands up, almost trembling with anger.

"You think this is a fucking joke? You just told me you aren't a doctor from the future, so what the hell would you know about what is and isn't malpractice? I may not be familiar with the treatment Hank was offering because he is from a world much more advanced than mine, but I would trust that man with my life, and have done on occasion, and damnit I will test the drug myself if proof is needed that it's safe. I may not have a uterus but I can prove it isn't poisonous. Did you actually read into this before you decided to victimise a good and talented physician, or did you just think it would be funny? A good piece of gossip? And if you're so bothered about tact what the hell was that all about?"

"OH DEAR!", she continues, just as loudly, but no longer so cheerful. "IT SEEMS YOUR HORMONES ARE AFFECTING YOU TODAY. I SUPPOSE THAT'S A PROBLEM, WHEN YOU HAVE A MALFUNCTIONING PENIS. MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST TAKE SOME PILLS AND HAVE A LIE-DOWN, AND THEN TALK TO ME WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR RIGHT MIND."

She gets to her feet. It's not anger that she's trembling with, but some kind of intense energy that she can't let go of, can't ignore. She's not that tall, but doesn't mean she's not using every inch of her frame to it's greatest potential.

"Tell me Doctor Sandhu. Do you take candy from strangers?"

It is testament to Guppy's anger at the moment that he hasn't gone bright red at this criticism of his penis. But the hot rage has passed into pure, cold anger.

"What now Miss Mars? Do we stoop even further into childhood and go from immature penis jokes to name-calling?"

He sits down, pours her a cup of tea and passes it over, his expression keeping its coldness.

"If we are going to discuss this then let it be in a civilised manor, rather than this petty sniping. What is it that you wish to achieve?"

She doesn't sit. She doesn't get to tower very often, so she takes full advantage fo the moment. "I'm making a point. You think I'm being childish? You think it's not right for me to call such blatant attention to an issue that is, excuse the pun, private? What I'm doing right now is just the same as what Hank did yesterday.

"He crossed the line, offering totally unsolicited - and uneeded, too - advice on a topic that he had no reason to talk about. And when I spoke to him about it? He brushed me off. Treated me like I was some kind of crazy irrational person, not worth listening to because -" she waves her hands around her head for emphasis, "- my miiind was being controlled by the forces of darkness that dwell within my womanly nether-regions."

She stops, takes a breath, drops her hands to her sides. "And on top of that? He's not my doctor. He's not from the same world as me. And he's handing out drugs like they're candy?

"He might have had good intentions - he might have thought that it was a good idea - but come on. Parallel universes. How does he know that one person's carbon isn't another person's cyanide?

"I don't care if he's a doctor. I don't care if he's from a," (air quotes) "'advanced reality'. He's not going to know everything. What he did was dangerous and stupid."

Veronica pauses, and takes the tea. But she doesn't sip it. "I was right to put up the sign. I don't think you could convince me otherwise."

"Yes, I do think you were being childish, towards me at least, but that is besides the point. My main concern is that two different issues have been underlined here, and the indignation of one has been allowed to overcast the other in a serious manor.
I agree with you that a woman's menstrual cycle is not a subject that is happily discussed, and that perhaps Hank's methods were a little too direct. But at the same time I think it was kindly meant, and add that no woman was forced to go and see him. He was merely offering something to ease the suffering of those that wanted it. Even those who went to see him were not necessarily accepting such an offer. I went to talk to him myself and I was certainly not suffering from that."

He sips his tea, forcing this newer calmness. Rage is no way to deal with this fiery young woman.

"Your second accusation is of a much more serious nature. Hank comes from a world of mutants, which means if there are any qualms about susceptibility to adverse side effects then they should occur on his world also. There are also extraterrestial lifeforms in his world. You have no reason to suspect that he would not ask a person's species before administering such a thing. As for one person's carbon being another's cyanide, that is the risk that people take when coming to a place of many worlds. You take it all the time, every time you talk to someone you are at risk of catching a disease from their world that may not be present in yours. Any medical intervention in here has that risk, and I hope you are not suggesting we should treat nobody.
If after having read the full details of the drug trials you are still dissatisfied, then I suggest you take your complaint up with the proper authorities, rather than spreading rumours and causing mass panic, probably unnecessarily. The way this has been handled is frankly appalling. You have caused the victimisation of a man who has faithfully served the bar and its patrons, making massive contributions to the welfare of people. In one instant, without investigating the full facts, you have created an extremely dangerous and unpleasant situation, that has cast a shadow over the whole bar."

Veronica sighs.

"I know I was being childish. I was acting like Hank did yesterday. That's what I'm trying to point out.

"Also? It's not suffering. I'm just going to assume that that's said out of ignorance, because you're male. But it's not the case that each and every woman needs a doctor to rush onto the scene, once a month. If a women needs help, she can go and get it.

"Like I said, I'm sure he had good intentions. But he just didn't get it. I went and I spoke to him, and he just ignored me. He didn't get it. If he'd taken the sign down, moved it into the infirmary, anything - that would be have been okay. We all have bad judgement sometimes. But he just didn't.

"For the record? Unless the dictionary in your world is wildly different from mine? I'm not victimizing anyone. If anyone is victimizing Hank, that's you.

"And please. Let's not condescend here. We both know there's a huge difference from talking to someone, and taking pills from someone you barely know. Pills are designed to have an affect on someone's chemistry."

She rolls her eyes. "Okay. Now we're agreeing. You shouldn't take drugs from anyone without looking into it first. Right? Right. You just said it. That's what I've been saying from the beginning. That's what the sign said. Don't just pop something in your mouth if you don't know what it is. I felt an immediate warning was necessary, just in case. Hank was going to keep telling people that everything was okay, no worries. What if someone did get sick? Things would have been much worse for him then.

"Hey?" She snorts, shakes her head. "The only thing casting a shadow here is the sexism and patronizing attitude that people are taking. I never expected to find that at Milliways. I deal with that enough at home."

"I fail to understand how I am victimising Hank. I assure you I have no intention of doing that or patronising you or any of the other female patrons. The fact that I know that some women do get very uncomfortable is at this point in time irrelevant. You have made your feelings quite clear, and I see that there is no way you would condescend to change your mind on the subject. I wonder if he really ignored you, or whether he tried to explain and you cast him aside just as you have me, without any willingness to accept another's opinion."

He sips his tea. "So I ask what is next? You are adamant of your correctness in every way, therefore there is no sense in wasting my breath by arguing with you. Indeed you have decided that I, as a man, know nothing of the subject, which could in itself be described as those traits you so dispise. Do you intend to disgrace a man who has saved countless lives and given so much time and effort to running the infirmary here, just for a moment of misguided kindness? I am sure he will not attempt to perform such an act again."

He stares at her directly in the eyes. "Do you intend to prolong this situation you created, based without a single solid fact, and spread chaos through the bar? I have seen what happens when people do not trust doctors. Ultimately, it costs lives. I do not want to see that happen here, and I don't think you do either. What is it you want Miss Mars?"

[ooc: must run to class, but I'd love to continue in slowtime if that's cool with you? :)]