.:Accident on Purpose

[Alexia Flynn]

Alex strode purposefully across the field, following the kid who'd come to fetch her. She'd heard that one of the students was flying and had gotten hurt, but the kid who'd come to get her didn't know much more than that. Her eyebrows rose to her forehead as she saw the PE teacher yelling at someone who was obviously much shorter than she was. Certainly the woman wasn't yelling at the injured student...? But then Alex saw the flash of bright red hair, and a sigh escaped her lips. It was the new professor, K:anode.

"What's going on here?" she said. The words were fairly soft, and not particularly threatening, but were spoken with such an air of authority that even the PE teacher fell silent, as well as the students, who'd been practically buzzing with chatter before.

"Professor K:anode better watch it," one student whispered to his neighbor, "He's about to get Warden'd."

The headmistress's eyes, completely unfriendly, narrowed as she surveyed the scene. A girl, Kylie, lay on the ground, and a new boy Alex didn't recognize was trying to keep Kylie's nose from bleeding. Her eyes turned then to K:anode who, from what Alex had heard from the PE teacher's tirade, was supposed to have been watching the children.

"Professor. I think you and I need to have a little chat in my office after the class is dismissed," she said, her tone icy. She turned to the PE teacher.

"Get Kylie to the infirmary, have the boy go with her." Then addressing the whole class, she continued, "Your class is dismissed. You are free to go." She watched as the kids left, some rather disappointed that they didn't get to see the new teacher get in trouble, then she turned her gaze to K:anode once more, waiting for him to give some reaction.

[K:anode]

From the corner of his eye, K:anode could see the headmistress striding across the field. He looked a little relieved for a second, and even more so when the PE teacher ceased her yelling. He hadn't even heard half of what she said. However, when she turned her attention to him, the colour in his face drained completely.
"U--Uhm... Y-Yes of course."He replied, his voice barely audible and looking positively faint. He could understand why she was upset, but he noticed something in the atmosphere of the students, something like fear. Most probably she would simply ask questions, but it seemed it was already his fault. He'd better accept that, he could hardly blame some students. So, if that was the case, what he really needed to know was what exactly she would do about it. He shuddered at the thought.

[Vix]

Vix watched in silence as the PE teacher screamed at K:anode, like it was his fault the kid threw a ball at Kylie. He shook his head lightly, then turned his gaze back down to Kylie, concern lurking in his eyes. He placed her head up on his knee, so he wouldn't have to hold it with his hand, and he wiped off the blood from her face. He brushed the straggling hairs from her face, putting them back in place. He tried not to squeeze her nose too hard, but he didn't want her to keep bleeding. Then he heard someone else come closer, her voice's tone rang of authority. He could practically feel her glaring without looking. She commanded the PE teacher take Kylie to the infirmary, and that he was to go with her, but not before telling K:anode she wanted to have a word with him. Vix wanted to object, Vix wanted to tell her it wasn't K:anode's fault, but he knew it wouldn't do any good, and that K:anode could handle himself. He picked up Kylie again, and looked at the PE teacher for directions on where to carry her to.

[Kylie Jenson]

"Go ahead and sit down, Professor," Alex said, tone still icy, as she held the door to her office open for the red-headed teacher. She followed him inside and walked to her own seat across the desk from him. Her office had been made especially for occasions such as this, when Alex had to either interrogate and possibly reprimand someone, although it was more often students than teachers. The desk was large, and her chair was somewhat taller than the one on the other side, giving the person sitting in that particular seat the feeling of speaking to a judge while on trial. Now she steepled her fingers, looking coolly over at the professor.

"So, Mr. K:anode," she said, gesturing with one hand, palm up, "explain."

~*~

Kylie's eyes fluttered open, and she let out an involuntary groan. Her face- especially her nose- was throbbing with pain. Blinking a couple times, she surveyed her surroundings curiously. The room was mainly a white-ish cream color, with a few colorful posters of various body systems hanging on the wall. A kind-looking lady dressed in Scooby Doo scrubs was messing around with some stuff on a table, and Vix sat nearby.

"Hey, Vixen," Kylie said, wincing as she did. Every movement of her face, no matter how slight, hurt like heck. "What happened, and where are we?"

[K:anode]

K:anode walked quietly to the office, trying to think through how on earth something like this could be explained. He was dreading it. With every step he considered turning and running. Still, it seemed he had enough backbone to at least make it to the office. He cursed himself, noticing that his fingers were twitching almost manically. He knew there was nothing more he could do about it then stuff his hand into his pocket.

He walked in, still quiet, only nodding. He took a seat, feeling all the more intimidated. Why were all the women in the academy terrifing?

"Uuuhm.. well...."He began to explain how PE teacher had him supervise the two and how the ball struck while he was too far to help. It took a while, with about a hundred apologizes included for both the event and the amount of stamming, stuttering, stopping and starting he included. His cool completely broken. It was all he could do to not just leave the room altogether. He didn't appear like this often, but he died inside every time he did.

[Vix]

Vix cringed as he saw the pain in Kylie's face as she spoke. "You got hit in the face with a baseball. We're in the infirmary. You're nose is broke, but I think you've figured that out." He half chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. It was somewhat awkward, and tense, and he hated seeing her in pain. He hadn't left her side since she was hit, too afraid she'd be seriously hurt. He was still worried, paranoia haunting his thoughts, and filling his mind with horrible things that could still go wrong. He still thought she could have a concussion, and the fact that she had passed out when she was hit only made the worry more plausible. He wanted to ask the nurse to check, or do whatever to see if she had one but he was too nervous, of both worrying Kylie and what the results may be.

[Kylie Jenson]

Alex listened to K:anode's story quietly, more watching his facial expressions than paying extreme attention to what had happened. He did look sincere, that was for sure. He also looked like he was scared snotless, which would've amused Alex had it not been for the solemness of the occasion. He'd apologized numerous times and was stuttering and stammering so bad that at a few points Alex wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him.

"You don't have to be so frightened," she said when he was finished. "You're shaking like a leaf. What, do you think I'm going to eat you or something?" She sighed and leaned back in her chair, placing one hand over her eyes. She really wasn't sure what to do in this situation.

"Professor, the first thing I don't understand is why you were out there in the first place. The PE teacher has an assistant who should've been out there instead. And why on earth did you let them fly around so close to a baseball diamond, instead of just taking them to the football field on the other side of fields. There would've been no way a stray ball would've made its way over there."

~*~

Kylie tried to nod, saying that yes, she had figured out that her nose was broken, but she found out that that was a bad idea, as pain shot through her temples, and she let out a little moan.

"Yeah. Think I got that last part, thanks," she grunted, shutting her eyes. The lights were too bright, they were hurting her head.

"Oh, you're up, sweetie? Alright, then, let's get you checked out, make sure you haven't got a concussion," said the nurse, coming over to do whatever it was that nurses did to check for concussions. The nurse had been smiling as she came over, but the smile faded slightly as she saw what she hoped she wouldn't.

"Hmm, well, sweetie, it looks like you've got a concussion, alright. We'd best get you to the hospital so a real doctor can give you a little look-over, but first I've got to notify the headmistress. You'll be okay staying here with Vixen while I do that quick, won't you?" the nurse said. Kylie just said, "Yeah," instead of nodding, having found out that nodding was a bad idea.

[My knowledge in doctoring is lacking so...that's what we get as far as checking Kylie out for a concussion]

[Vix]

Vix frowned when Kylie moaned from the pain, and he wished he could help, or that the nurse would give her some pain medication already. He let out a small sigh of relief when she went to check for a concussion, but was not pleased with the results. He bit the side of his lip, and took Kylie's hand in his and gave her a light reassuring squeeze, half smiling at her. His stomach had dropped when he'd heard the word "Hospital." Hospitals frightened him. They always had. It wasn't a terrible fear though. He just got the creeps going into one. But, for right now, that didn't matter, as long as Kylie would be okay. He would just have to ignore the hospital, and focus on her well being for the time, but he would make sure to get it out of there a soon as he possibly could.

[K:anode]

K:anode wasn't sure how to answer her question. He kind of did think she would do something to that general effect, or at least make him feel like he wanted to be eaten.
"...I don't either..."He half mumbled, "She insisted. I told I didn't care for those things, but I don't think she was listening." He remembered how she just kept walking, with him pretty much chasing after, trying to explain that he didn't know anything about PE. When they reached the courts she barked the task he was gievn in such a manner he completely forgot to argue and couldn't find the courage to try and leave later either.
He didn't really have any kind of answer for her second question. It had occurred to him when they picked the race course that a stray ball could hit them. He'd seen many all that afternoon whilst collecting them. No way could he say he didn't think the students were capable of it.
"That..... was my mistake."He finally answered, his voice tiny. Regardless of simply terrified of the consequences, he would take responsibility for the matter.

[Kylie Jenson]

Alex rolled her eyes as K:anode told her about the situation with the PE teacher. As much as she hated to admit it, it made sense. "That does sound like something she would do, especially if her assistant decided to skip working today..." the headmistress mumbled to herself. Really, she like K:anode, mainly because her daughter thought so highly of the teacher, and she found herself hoping that it was really the PE teacher's fault that the two students had been flying where they were. It was easy to punish the PE teacher; she was a tough lady who Alex had never really liked in the first place. The woman scared Kierra half to death, and she was a bit too rough in Alex's opinion, but she'd come with high credentials and Alex had been in desperate need of a PE teacher at the time she'd hired the woman.

The headmistress's heart fell a little when K:anode admitted that being in the field was his own fault. She'd really begun to hope that it wasn't. "Wherein lies the problem, Mr. K:anode." she said simply, folding her hands together on top of the desk's shiny surface. "So, Mr. K:anode, what do you believe would be a proper punishment for your lack of judgement?" This was something Alex always did. She always liked to ask the person what they thought the punishment ought to be. If they gave her a steep punishment, Alex knew that they realized what they'd done was wrong, and usually gave them a very gentle punishment. But those who insisted on very meager punishments were given much worse ones, just to drill in their heads that they were in the wrong. Alex wondered which sort of person K:anode would be.

Just then, the nurse walked in and whispered in Alex's ear that Kylie would need to be taken in to the hospital. Some of the color drained from Alex's face, but she nodded, saying, "That's fine. Do what you need to, I'll head to the hospital as soon as we're finished here."

~*~

Kylie kept her eyes closed, not wanting to face the brightness of the lights again. They hurt her head too much. She smiled slightly as Vixen squeezed her hand. The pressure felt reassuring, as fleeting as it was.

"Hey, Vix?" she asked once more, eyebrows raising slightly but eyelids staying in place. "Are you going to come to the hospital with me? I don't really like them, and it'd be nice to have someone I know around..."

[Vix]

Vix nodded, even though he knew Kylie couldn't see him, "Of course. I wouldn't want you to have to go alone, beings if it were me, I wouldn't want to be going to a hospital alone." He half chuckles again, still attempting to ease the tension. He kept her hand in his, his grip just enough to be felt, just to let her know he was there. He let out a small sigh and frowned, then looked back to Kylie. "Anything else you want me to do? Want me to see if the nurse could get you some pain meds or something? Seems like the lights been bugging you..." His voice trailed off, unsure of what to say or do to make her feel better, even thought that was all he wanted to do, all he aimed for as of right now. She was injured, and deserved some comfort.

[K:anode]

K:anode cringed at her response. While it was just part of his nature to take responsibility, he had hoped it might sway her opinion a little.
"huh? I..."He looked up, looking completely surprised. Before he could try to answer and further, a lady walked in and spoke with the headmistress. It was probably for the best she had come in, any attempt K:anode made to answer would have been stuttered, un-thought nonsense. "Hospital?!"He repeated without meaning to, then looked quiet and reserved again. In his mind he was cursing himself. Of course she'd be going to hospital, she was hit in the face with a freaking baseball! What really bugged him was that it was his fault. He was quiet for a few more moments, though his fingers still twitched involuntarily. Eventually he replied.
"Firstly apolgize to you. Then Miss Jenson's and her parents."For the first time since walking into the room he was speaking clearly, almost confidently, though with a strong undertone of regret. "Frankly, leave then. I'm not up for a job like this. I can barley look after myself, never mind other people's children."

[Kylie Jenson]

Alex felt relieved at K:anode's response. She was glad that he was the sort to over-punish himself rather than the type to under-punish. Though her students may have disagreed, Alex didn't like giving out punishments, though she would if she had to, and would do it without hesitation. Luckily, it didn't seem needed in this case.

"Well then, Mr. K:anode, firstly, whatever apology you have for me is accepted. Secondly, I think the apology to Miss Jenson and her parents is a good idea. However, this leaving business, I'm not so sure about. I finally got my open chemistry and physics position filled and I'm not too keen on having to re-fill it so quickly. Job interviewing and whatnot just really isn't my cup of tea, so I'm really hoping that this third part to your punishment is a part you find as unnecessary as I do. Teaching is not something you just know how to do; it takes some practice. This may be the first mistake you've made, Mr. K:anode, but it certainly will not be your last, and I should hope you wouldn't give up on your new-found profession so quickly." The headmistress raised a questioning eyebrow and waited for his response.

~*~

Kylie smiled again as Vixen assured her that he would go with her to the hospital.

"Good," she said, "thanks, Vixen. You're a pal." She noticed that he hadn't let go of her hand yet; that was nice of him. She really did appreciate it. Then he mentioned medication, and her smile turned to a frown.

"Ummm, no, I don't think so, Vixen," she mumbled. "I'm not really a huge fan of taking pills. Besides, I'll be fine, really. I'm not so terribly uncomfortable, and the lights aren't horrible. It's just that laying like this, they're right in my eyes, and that would be hard for anyone to look at, whether they got smacked in the face with a baseball or not." As she finished, the door opened and the nurse stepped inside.

"Okay, deary, we'll be heading to the hospital soon. The headmistress has been notified, and all we have to do is get you to the school van. Do you think you can walk, or would you like me to carry you? And is this young man coming with us?" The last question was actually aimed more towards Vixen.

"Uh...maybe I can walk," Kylie said uncertainly, "I'd like to try, at least. And yeah, Vixen said he's coming." She eased her eyes open, still squinting, and pulled her hand gently out of Vixen's grip, using both hands to steady herself on the cot as she pushed herself into a sitting position. So far, so good! she thought to herself. She swung her legs over the side of the cot and tried to stand up.

"Uh, no, I don't think I'd better walk," Kylie admitted, sitting back down. Standing up had made her dizzy, and she really didn't think she'd be able to make it to the van. "I'm sorry you have to carry me..." It made her feel helpless, really, and Kylie hated that.

[K:anode]

K:anode looked like he might argue with her, but then thought better of it. He had moved to this job because he figured it would be safe. That he wouldn't have to see people get hurt anymore, and that he wouldn't be the cause. And yet still, this had happened. He couldn't help but feel quite useless. He couldn't stop a child in his care from being hit by a baseball....

"Maybe your right."He mumbled with a sigh. He was guilt tripping himself, he knew it. He'd done it before and it only made him all the more depressed. He'd promised himself to not do it again. "But still.... " He wasn't even sure what his argument was, but he couldn't fully agree with her. Not yet.

[Vix]

Vix nodded at Kylie, "Got it, no pills." He glanced up at the lights, squinting a bit, "Yeah, I see what you mean. They are pretty bright. " As the nurse walked in, Vix became nervous again. Going to the hospital. He shuttered inside. He nodded when she asked if he was coming, and looked back to Kylie. She said she thought she could walk and Vix kept his arm behind her back, ready to grab her if she couldn't. She tried to stand but fell back to the bed quickly, anouncing she couldn't walk and needed to be carried. Vix glanced at the nurse, sure Kylie was tiny, but this nurse didn't look too terribly strong. So he offered up, "Want me to get her?" He asked, but he couldn't tell if he was asking the nurse or Kylie in all honesty. He looked back and forth between the two, awaiting an answer.