[ video ]

[hostage]

[From what's visible behind him, Jesse's seated at the nurse's desk of the Xavier School infirmary. That's not really relevant to anything, just that he's at work and he's bored and out of anything useful to occupy his time. He's currently wrapping a gauze bandage around an empty soda can. An art piece, maybe. Or just keeping his hands busy.]

What's up? Anything exciting going on?

[He's talking to the comm device, but his eyes are on his "work".]

We got new guys coming in, right? How 'bout you? Freaking out about this superhero thing? It's pretty wild...

[That might be touching on sardonic. He knows it's no fun to be new here.]

You guys wanna talk or anything, I got nothing better to do.

[As thrilling as it is to keep winding this bandage around a soda can.]

Comments

[ahappyending]

Well you live near rivers and swamps now! No time like the present, right?

It's surprisingly relaxing.

[hostage]

I guess I'll have to try it sometime. You mostly gotta sit around waiting, though, right? I'm bad at that part.

[ahappyending]

Not sitting! You're standing in water up to your thighs. It's really nice when it's warm out, I bet.

[hostage]

Maybe...

[Standing around in water still sounds like a difficult task for him.]

[ahappyending]

Well, it's just an option. Helps take your mind off of things.

Why not taking up painting?

[hostage]

I used to paint. I dunno. I wasn't very good at it. Plus, it's been ages.

[ahappyending]

Got anything better to do?

[hostage]

I guess not.

[...anymore.]

You like to paint, too, Didi?

[ahappyending]

Mm-hmm! It's fun! I actually work with preschoolers here in art therapy. We get to fingerpaint. It's kinda neat to get all messy like that.

I like a lot of things.

[hostage]

[That sounds like a job he would love.]

You got a favorite painter?

[ahappyending]

I have a lot of favorite painters!

But if you asked me to pick a favorite, right now I'd say Monet. There's something fun about Impressionism. About painting something that isn't right, but it makes the right thing anyway.

[hostage]

[He doesn't know who Monet is, but now he's going to make an effort to find out.]

My girlfriend... Before she died, we went up to Santa Fe to check out the Georgia O'Keeffe museum. That was the first time I ever really looked at paintings, you know? I didn't even get it 'til later, what it was all about.

[ahappyending]

She's a wonderful painter, isn't she?

What is it all about? To you, I mean.

[hostage]

Making it last.

[Jane told him that at the time, of course. But it didn't sink in until she was gone.]

If you just look at something and look away, it's gone a second later. But if you sit down and paint it, you're spending hours with it. Everything it means to you, it sorta stretches out. You're not just memorizing it, you're making it all over again on a canvas. Even when that moment's gone, at least you have a painting of it. And that painting's not even about the thing you just painted. It's like... it's your time together.

[ahappyending]

[She's quiet for a bit.] That's a really good way of looking at it, Jesse.

Everything ends; nothing's forever. It's up to you to make it last in whatever way you can.

You should take up painting again.

[hostage]

Yeah, maybe I will.

[Maybe it'll be a better pastime than cooking meth.]

[ahappyending]

We could paint something together! Wake up early, hoof it to the beach, paint the sunrise. See how we each see something differently.

[hostage]

Seriously? I mean - Yeah, totally! That sounds amazing.

[ahappyending]

Seriously.

I'm up for it if you are, Jesse.

[hostage]

I'd love to, yeah. I, uh - I guess I better pick up some painting supplies.

[ahappyending]

Great. Give me a call when you're all set, okay?