Yup, that's a mutant all right. Unconscious.

Unconscious behind a dumpster. And she can't be older than, what, thirteen? Fourteen at the oldest. And--shit.

The school was, first and foremost, a school. But it was also a refuge. A heartbreaking number of students had not been sent by loving parents who wanted their children to have the opportunity to explore their abilities and identities. 

This isn't the first case of, unless she misses her guess, tapping into the girl's autonomous systems and wincing at what she found there, refeeding syndrome she had ever seen, but it was probably the worst, and at least at the school they'd had medical facilities.

The smart thing to do would probably be to call an ambulance and get her to a hospital. 

Yeah.

Except that she's an underaged mutant hiding behind a dumpster. At least, I think she was hiding; her condition is by no means non-appalling but I don't see the kinds of bruises that would suggest she was attacked and left there. 

Getting her medical care is a great idea. Putting her into the system without her consent--

Yeah.

Making hard decisions sucks. I wish Dad and Papa were here. 

I wish Hank were here, with a bevy of medical equipment. 

Well. Yes.

She might wake up. For now we can smuggle her back to the dorm where we can look after her and if she looks like she's not going to wake up before--things get worse--then we can call an ambulance. I can at least stop her heart from doing all kinds of unwise things. Poor kid.

Yeah.

If--we end up regretting this--

Shit for options.

Mhm.

She peels some metal off the dumpster that won't immediately cause it to spew garbage all over the street, heats it to a searing red to sterilize it, and the two of them sit and watch the girl while they wait for the makeshift stretcher to be cool enough to carry the unconscious teenager.

--I think I recognize her. Missing persons report. Escaped from some kind of mental facility.

Definitely not calling an ambulance except as a last resort. 

Yeah.

It could be innocuous.

Not likely. 

No. Not likely at all. But if they are I don't want you irretrievably biased against. 

Sigh. Fair.

She continues monitoring the teenager. 

She's not in great shape - she's significantly underweight, and while it's subtle, it seems like there might already be some damage to her heart - but she's holding on, as stable as someone in her condition can be.

Edie purses her lips and pays particular attention to the heartrate. 

Her hands, curled into fists, tremble with barely-suppressed rage, and she promises herself that if this is what it looks like there is going to be a visit paid to the institution that this girl got out of. For now the anger is irrelevant. It won't help with the task at hand. 

And eventually the stretcher is cool enough and the two girls (carefully, carefully) lift the third onto it and begin to make their way back to campus. Emily makes sure there aren't any cameras pointed at the pair of them even as Edie makes sure no one sees their rescuee. 

She stiffens when they touch her, and her heart rate jumps a little, but she doesn't wake.

Oh dear.

In that case when they get her back to their dorm room (and have hurriedly prepared Emily's bed for a non-her occupant, she can share with Edie, it'll be fine) they settle the stretcher down on top of it and have it gently melt out from under her instead of trying to touch her with their hands again. 

Her heart rate gradually returns to normal.

Okay.

They don't know how long she's been unconscious but they know what got her there. Emily fetches a cup of water and gently slides a quicksilver-fluid sheet of titanium under her to prop her up a little and attempts to slowly feed her sips of water. 

Edie stands by to intervene if she can't swallow on her own or something goes down the wrong way. 

For the first moment, it looks like she's not going to be able to swallow, but then she manages it.

She's too far gone to react in any particular way.