January 2, 1974
Sometimes Carly couldn't believe the turns that her life had taken. She had thought, over a year before, that leaving Boston for Jasper had been life-changing, an earth-shattering event. Compared with her new life, Carly hadn't even scratched the surface of an earth-shattering event then.
She'd helped Hank slog his way through the complicated legal forms required to do a civil case of this magnitude. Being Hank, he'd figured out most of it on his own, but there had been many nights where Carly had stayed up and assisted him. Paul had also been a constant help, his presence and support of the case giving it as much weight as possible.
Once it had begun the case had been given quite a bit of media attention. Carly figured that this was due, at least in part, to the fact that the same people who had helped endorse the process were now widely declaiming what was happening. There were other prominent names who were denouncing the process's obstruction it as well.
She'd woken one morning to find the press camped outside of their house. Hank had warned her that she should expect such things, but it had been difficult to expect the sheer magnitude of reporters. Hank had given her a briefing on certain things to say, reviewing the case with her. She knew that he had been reviewing it for her sake as well as for his.
Hank had been away that morning, having gone to a meeting before the preliminary trial. Carly was supposed to follow him in two days' time after certain documents had gone through the local courts. Now she was looking at a horde of reporters, and she knew that the worst thing she could say in that instant was 'no comment.'
So she'd tried something daring. She'd gotten dressed in casual, yet still fancy attire. She'd applied little make-up and allowed her hair to flow past her shoulders. Carly had taken a long look at herself in the mirror, taking deep breaths and calming herself down. She made up a big batch of coffee and, since no one was out back, put it there along with as many mugs as she could find. Then she'd picked a pair of shoes, put on a coat, and opened the door.
The initial light of the cameras had been blinding. Carly put on the most collected face that she could muster, trying to seem friendly. Then she'd calmly gone to the back and invited them for a cup of coffee and a chat. She'd tried to make it as though they were just old friends visiting, and she hoped that they decided to treat it that way too.
At first many of them were just stunned. She'd put on the most honest and open face that she could and waited. Although she tried to seem in control, her palms were sweating and she felt as though she could faint. After a few minutes a reporter had tentatively taken a cup of coffee and began asking her questions.
The next half an hour had gone well. Carly had answered as many questions as she could. Then, citing the cold as the reason for her to go inside, she went back into the house. As soon as she had put the dishes in the sink she collapsed onto her knees, feeling as though she were somewhere between panicking and crying.
She'd called Hank and told him what happened. He'd been worried about her privacy, but she'd already realized that she wasn't going to have much of that. As both the first patient of the process and Hank's wife she knew that she was going to garner quite a bit of attention. She could comfort herself that she'd at least handled things fairly well.
And, to her surprise, she had handled things well. There were jokes about the coffee, but a few reporters took it as an honest attempt to have a conversation with the press. They could, it appeared, appreciate that. Carly took it as a learning experience as she joined Hank on the trial circuit, trying to make sure that she preserved that image as best she could.
There was, of course, negative press. There were scurrilous allegations about Hank abusing his position as her doctor, which Hank very calmly rebuffed by showing proof of when they began their relationship, citing that he was just friends with her at the time he was her doctor. While both admitted that they'd had feelings for each other during the process, they were able to show that they hadn't acted on them until after the procedure.
Throughout it all Hank received regular calls from Westchester. Alex had even come down once to visit with them. He'd admitted that he wasn't an expert on such things, but Charles, Moira, and he had been working on finding a few legal precedents that might help them. Sean had even thrown in some laws from around the globe and foreign cases. Alex had handed Hank a thick folder, wishing him the best of luck.
The case soon became known as McCoy-Baulson vs. State. While the real question was one of human rights, both names had become attached to it due to Paul's support and his co-authorship of the process. Paul's motives were completely pure, but having both names also helped show a unified front.
The news sensationalized it, and people were seen taking sides on it on both issues. The press came to interview the denizens of Jasper and Carly was pleased and touched to see how the citizens of their hometown said that Hank had never been anything less than an exemplary doctor.
As time dragged on Carly could see the incredible amount of stress that it was putting on Hank. Often times she felt tired and worn out, so she could hardly imagine how he felt. Hank was having trouble sleeping and sometimes she found him asleep at his typewriter, his head down from exhaustion. At times like that she merely put a blanket over his form and propped a pillow beneath his head.
The amount of coffee he consumed made her worried and she had the feeling that he was too strung out. There were nights when Carly would put away his work and force him to lie next to her in an early sleep, comfortable in a place where no one was analyzing his every move. Carly wished that she could do more, but Hank told her it was enough that she was there.
In response Carly always tried to be there. She forced herself to keep his hours and, whenever he was in court, she was there too. She formed his constant train, someone to show that he was supported at home. She could tell that he appreciated it, and it was worth all of the tired, restless nights.
When the Friends of Humanity got involved Carly could see the real bitterness beginning. They'd thought that they'd won the battle over the process. At first she had wondered if Hank's thoughts about having them involved was just a touch of paranoia on his part. As time passed she could see that he was probably justified.
The Friends of Humanity had helped hire the prosecutor to fight the case against Hank. Their representatives appeared on news programs, denouncing Hank as a sore loser who couldn't take it when his work didn't get through. Hank didn't watch the news programs anymore, and he avoided talk shows with them on it. Carly was glad. It wouldn't do his health any favors.
However, when Graydon Creed showed up at the State Supreme Court, the last court they had to go through before it went Federal, it was all that Carly could do not to scream. Hadn't they been plagued enough? Now the prosecution was citing Creed as an attaché, granting him access to the courtroom if not a voice. Carly watched as he came in, trying to will him to stop smirking.
She kept her face indifferent, determined that he was not going to intimidate her. No matter what, he wasn't going to affect the outcome. She kept telling herself that, telling herself that they couldn't possibly have bribed the judges. They couldn't possibly have enough money for that after all of the chat shows they had bribed their way onto.
In spite of, or perhaps because of, Creed's presence Hank did an outstanding job in court. He used eloquent speech and dismantled the argument against them piece by piece. Carly found herself mesmerized by her husband's voice, by the way that he could do more by explaining calmly than the Friends of Humanity could do with all of their threatening.
They waited as the judges deliberated. Hank was still in the court room, answering some questions. Carly had gone out to get dinner for him and Paul, seeing how the deliberations were going to take quite some time. While she was a public figure in the case now, everyone's eyes were still fixed on Hank and Paul.
She had just come back and been let in through security when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Now what is a beautiful woman like you doing on the mutant team?"
Carly froze, swallowing what felt like icicles. She turned around and saw Creed standing behind her, his expression thoughtful. Keeping calm she raised an eyebrow.
"That was, I think, not the right question," she said.
He frowned.
"Pardon?" he asked.
"Well," she said, "by asking that question you're implying that you don't know who I am. If you don't know who I am, then I don't think that you're very well acquainted with the case in question."
His eyebrow twitched in irritation.
"I know everyone I need to know," he said,
"I don't think you do," Carly said.
"No, I do," Creed said, "I think that you're exaggerating your own importance."
She rolled her eyes. As both the first, and thus far only, patient and Hank's wife she knew that she figured prominently in several reports.
"No," she said, "I am."
He sneered at her.
"Well go on then," he said, "introduce yourself."
Carl felt her mouth go dry before she continued. Where were all of these words coming from?
"My name is Carly McCoy."
Creed's expression became one of profound sympathy.
"I'm so very sorry," he said.
Carly took a deep breath.
"Excuse me?" she said.
"Well, it's bad enough having a mutant in the family," he said, "But having your brother make such a circus out of your legal system, well, it must be embarrassing."
Carly felt like laughing. However, another deeper part of her was offended beyond words. She clutched the bag of food in one of her hands, the paper crumpling. A strange assurance entered her then, making her stand taller and narrow her eyes. He was not going to allow him to bad mouth her husband in front of her. She might not be able to stop his foul mouth, but she would not allow it if she could help it.
"I'm not embarrassed," she said.
Creed opened his mouth but Carly kept talking.
"After all, I'm not the one who is helping block a process that will help give the blind back their sight because of old prejudices," Carly said, "I know, because I was born blind. And I can tell you that getting your sight back against all the odds is some sort of miracle. And you're keeping that from people."
Creed began to look angry, but Carly wasn't about to let him get a word in edgewise. He couldn't say anything that she wanted to hear.
"And furthermore," she said, "I'm not Hank's sister, which is something you'd know if you'd been paying attention to the case that you so widely denounce."
His frown deepened and his eyebrows furrowed. She leaned in further, her eyes narrowed.
"I'm his wife," she said.
Turning on her heels she strode out of the room. She joined Hank and Paul, making her excuses before beginning to eat. Creed entered the room, looking flustered. Paul frowned.
"Wonder what's up with him," he said.
"He mistook me for Hank's sister in the lobby."
Paul's face immediately froze.
"What?" he asked.
"My sister?" Hank asked, "I don't have a sister. Why-?"
"I said my name was Carly McCoy."
She sighed.
"And then he asked me if I was embarrassed," Carly said.
She hadn't meant to tell them, but the words came out before she knew it. She wondered if she was going to start making a habit of it. Hank and Paul stared at her.
"I then asked him what kind of man isn't embarrassed about keeping a project that will give the blind their sight back from the world," she said, "And that I wasn't embarrassed."
She took a deep breath.
"Then I told him that I was your wife. I think that he might feel a little foolish for not knowing that now."
She took another deep breath, her hands in her lap. She felt Hank touch her shoulder and she looked up. He was smiling at her, his expression that of awe.
"You are amazing Carly," he said.
She managed a small smile. An hour later the judges came back in, announcing their verdict on the case. It was being sent up. Carly couldn't help but smile as the Hank held her tightly. They had got what they wanted; it was going to Federal level. The decision there wouldn't be able to be overturned.
Carly caught Creed's expression from the other side of the room. It looked sickened. She smiled.