Next thing I know, I’m back in the med lab, covered in sweat and dried blood.
“Ohhh…” I groan as I open my eyes and see Jean, Beast and Wolvie standing over me.
“How’re you feeling, HLM?” Jean asks.
“Like I’ve been sucked into a tornado and spit out into a pile of rusty nails. Is Charles ok?”
Wolvie nods. “He came to with a bad headache. He rested fer a while before goin’ ta Cerebro ta see if he can find this menace o’ yers.”
“I’m glad he’s all right…”
“How does your back feel?” Beast asks.
“My back? Uh, hurts…but so does the rest of me…” I blink “Uhm…why am I hurting so bad? And where did all this blood come from? I thought I was fighting this battle with my mind…not my body…”
“The blood came from when your wings sprouted out of your back,” Jean starts.
“My what?!? I have wings now?”
Jean nods as I sit up and strain my neck to look at the two new appendages on my back in shock.
“As for the fighting with your mind, you were. The thing is, the type of psychic battle you were doing will affect your body the same way it would if you were fighting the battle physically.”
I nod. “That would explain a lot of things.”
“I must admit,” Beast says, “I will never forget seeing your knee pop in and out of place with such spontaneity.”
“Yeah…I’ll bet that looked odd. Anyway, do you know if the professor needs anything else for his search? I now have a name for the face.”
“Oh? I’m sure that would help him,” Jean answers. “First though, do you need some rest?”
I blink, suddenly realizing just how tired I am. “I could use some, but I think I could use a shower more…”
They nod, and I frown. “What’s to stop Vincent from taking me away again?”
Wolvie arches a brow. “Vincent?”
I nod. “That’s the guy’s name.”
Beast nods a bit. “I shall inform the professor.”
"I'm still worried, though. We don’t know much about this guy short of his first name, some of his powers and how badly he wants me and my ‘power’.”
“Don’t worry, HLM, I’m going to put a psi shield around you before you go to sleep,” Jean tells me comfortingly.
I bite my lip, still nervous. “Thanks, Jean…”
“Would you like to have someone stay up with you?”
I nod sheepishly. “Well…yeah…just to wake me up if that bastard somehow finds a way to get around the shield…if…if it’s not too much to ask…”
Jean nods. “It’s ok. We’ll get it all sorted out after your shower.”
“Nothin’ ta sort out,” Wolvie says.
“Huh?” I ask.
“Nothin’ ta sort out, I’ll stay with ya, darlin’. Jeannie can do more good wit’ Chuck, an’ Beast still has a lot o’ work ta do ‘round here.”
I smile gratefully at him. “Thanks.” He smiles back and I head off to the shower.
After I’m done in the shower and Jean put her psi shield on me, Wolvie tucks me into bed and lounges in a chair by the bed.
“Don’t have those cute lil’ pjs anymore, ‘eh?” Wolvie asks out of the blue.
“Huh? What pjs?”
“The ones you were wearing the first time we met.”
I chuckle softly. “Lost those in the quake in Tokyo.”
We both sober up at that comment.
After a few moments, Wolvie clears his throat. “Darlin’, I’m sorry about Mariko…”
I nod a little and sigh. “Yeah…thanks…I’m sorry for not telling you earlier…”
He silently reaches over and gives me a tender hug. “It’s all right, HLM, it had ta be real tough on ya…”
I nod a little and take a shuddering breath. “It was just so horrible…”
He nods a little, holding me tight and letting me talk.
“It would have been hard enough just hearing she died…but…I found her body…and then it struck me…if I had only been a few minutes earlier, I would have been able to save her…” I feel my heart crumble and tears rise to my eyes.
“Darlin’,” Wolvie starts after a few moments, “You couldn’t have been able to tell the future, and that woulda been the only way ta save her. She wouldn’t want ya ta blame yerself like this…just…remember her for all the great times you shared together; remember her for the love you held for each other, and remember her for the wonderful woman she was. Long as ya hold ‘er in yer heart, she’ll never be truly gone from yer life.”
I listen to him through my tears and allow his gentle embrace and soothing touches to comfort me. I know I’ll always remember those words, and as I drift off into a dreamless sleep, I’m profoundly grateful to my friend for his wise words and strong comfort.
Part
Nine
Part Eleven
Mind Index