Alicia Masters Starts Getting Massages As Well

Nairobi learned everyone's names. There were parts of the Baxter Building she had access to, and others she did not. Her workspace. Bathrooms. Communal spaces. Not the bedrooms or labs, but then she didn't have any need to go there.

The masseuse was in the kitchen making a smoothie when she saw Alicia Masters frowning and rubbing her neck. The young, strawberry-blonde woman had a pixiecut and was wearing one of Ben Grimm's large shirts, which fell like a nightgown on her, the fit body hidden in the cartoonishly large sleeves. Her eyes, blank and unseeing, were open.

"Did you hurt your neck?" Nairobi asked.

Alicia turned toward the sound of her voice.

"Just slept on it wrong, I think," the blind woman said.

"Would you like me to massage it?" Nairobi asked.

The blind woman hesitated.

"I've heard you shouldn't go to chiropractors for neck injuries," Alicia said.

"I'm not a chiropractor," Nairobi said. "I work with the muscles, I don't mess with bones. You're correct that some of the movements chiropractors do can make things worse, but I won't be testing your range of movement, just trying to relax muscles."

Alicia's face was carefully neutral, then she said: "Well, if Sue trusts you, so do I."

Nairobi guided Alicia into the massage room. The blind woman took slow, careful steps. One hand out, always feeling, touching. She lay down on the table, not disrobing. But then, Nairobi hadn't asked her to disrobe. Some trust had to be earned.

The masseuse's strong, dark hands slid down over the back of her neck. Thumbs rubbing at the muscles, careful not to make any sharp movements. Feeling the tension ease out of her body.

"Just breathe," Nairobi whispered, as her fingers slid beneath the neckline of the shirt. "Try to relax. No sharp movements. No cracking bones. Just work out these neck muscles."

Slowly, carefully, Alicia relaxed.

Then Sue Storm walked into the room.