X-Men

Danny

"Jean!" The voice echoed off the cavernous hallways of The Xavier School For Gifted Youngsters. Dr. Jean Grey paused in the middle of a genetics experiment, looking up and toward the source of the sound.

Logan. She'd recognize that senatorian bellow anywhere. She left the experiment and went to the doorway of the Med-Lab. She hadn't heard Logan yell like that since the end of the school year and the kids dumped a bucket of frigid water on him as a prank.

Jean, you're needed down by the front gate. Bring your medical bag. Professor Charles Xavier's calm, English-tinged voice echoed in her head.

"Jean?" Logan appeared in the Med-Lab's doorway, drenched in sweat. "You've got to come with me."

"I know. You can tell me on the way." She left the experiment where it was, hoping it didn't mutate into something else, picked up her medical bag and followed Logan out the door. Once she stepped outside, she was reminded of why she had stayed inside on such a pleasant looking day. A wall of heat and humidity slammed into her, making her instantly grateful for air-conditioning. All of Lower New York State was wilting under the fifth straight day of 90º plus temperatures. The high temperatures combined with humidity levels in the 70 range conspired to make the outside feel like it was over 100º and had prompted a rare heat advisory, 'Do Not Remain Outside for Long Periods of Time'.

The majority of the students at the school had chosen to stay inside but a hardy few chosen to work out outside under the watchful eye of Logan. It was toward this group that Logan led Jean. The students stood by the front gates in a loose group, clustered around someone on the ground.

"It's not one of the kids." Logan said, reading her mind.

She shot him a look but did not say anything. The students parted as Jean came up and allowed her her first look at the person sprawled on the ground. A young man, no older than sixteen, sandy brown hair, fair complexion and skinny as a rail. His clothes were clean and showed obvious care. A small knapsack lay nearby. A brief once-over of the the young man told Jean all she needed to know. Rapid pulse, rapid breathing, red-tinged skin hot to the touch. It was a classic case of heat stroke.

"Logan, could you carry him back to the Med-Lab?" Jean asked, looking back at him.

He nodded.

She then looked at the hot, red-faced, sweaty group of kids surrounding her and said "Workout is over. Everyone back inside, someone pick up that knapsack."

Not a single student complained.

In the Med-Lab, Logan put the boy down on the bed Jean pointed at, then stepped back. As Jean began to work, Professor Xavier rolled into the Med-Lab and over to Logan.

"What happened?" the Professor asked.

"I don't know." Logan said with a shrug. "We were on the last lap when Chris tripped over something and went sprawlin' in the dirt. That somethin' was him." He jerked a thumb back at Jean and the boy. "He couldn't'a been there long. It only takes us maybe ten minutes to finish a lap and he wasn't there when we started."

Professor Xavier nodded and said "Where do you think he came from?"

Again, Logan shrugged. "I'd say no more than days walk, maybe a little farther if he hitched a ride."

"Go through his bag and see what you can't find out." Professor Xavier said.

Logan nodded. He went over to where the boy's bag had been placed, picked it up and went out the Med-Lab's doors.

Professor Xavier looked after Logan for a moment before joining Jean at the boy's bedside. Whoever the boy was, he was in excellent hands but had he been reached in time?

"How is he?" Professor Xavier asked Jean.

"He should be fine." Jean said, sparing a look at her mentor and friend before returning her attention to her patient. "He'll have to be watched carefully for the next few days. Heat stroke is nothing to play around with. My biggest concern right now, is getting his temperature down. It's at 104º and that's in the danger zone."

Professor Xavier reiterated his conversation with Logan, then asked Jean the same question regarding the boy's origins.

"I agree with Logan. He couldn't have come that far in this heat unless he had help. As it was, he was pushing himself. We found him just in time."

"Or he found us."

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A jumble of images bombarded his mind. The unrelenting heat, the urge to just lie down, the need to keep going. The gate! He was there! He was safe! He was ... falling? He couldn't catch his breath! Why did he feel like this? Then, blessed darkness swept over him and he didn't care anymore.

When he woke up, it was cool and dark and quiet and he was lying down. He blinked and tried to sit up but that made his head hurt, so, he laid back down and closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him again. Where ever he was, he was safe, for the moment. If he felt better when he woke up, then he'd try to figure out where he was. He wasn't in a hurry anymore.

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Jean's newest patient, still nameless, slept and slept and slept. Day slipped into night and back into day before there were even the slightest of movements from him. One good thing about all that sleeping was that the longer the boy slept, the longer his body had to recover and when he did, he would be able to identify himself. Lord knows they weren't making any success on that front.

Logan had searched the boy's bag but had learned almost nothing. There was no i.d., nothing with a name or a place on it, nothing that would give the slightest hint as to where he had come from or even what his name was. There was a change of clothes, an empty water bottle, two cereal bar wrappers and a handful of change but that was all. What a supreme waste of time that had been. So, with nothing coming from the boy's belongings and not wanting to enter the boy's mind unless absolutely necessary, Professor Xavier had had Jean take the boy's fingerprints and sent them on to his sources. If the boy was in any system of any kind, the Professor would find out.

A whisper of air was all that alerted Jean to her patient's new wakeful state. She looked up and saw the young man, sitting up, looking around, confusion etched on his face. She intended to get up and see how he was feeling but something kept her in her seat. As she watched, he detached himself from the I.V. and the heart monitor, threw back the sheet and slipped out of bed. Not wanting to alarm him, Jean switched off the monitoring equipment telepathically. He wobbled some when his feet touched the floor but his steps were sure as he figured out which door led out and headed for it.

She sighed, then grinned. He would be just fine. She got up from her seat and stepped into his line of sight, making sure to stay out of arms reach. Of course, if he was a mutant, it wouldn't matter but she always took the precaution.

He stopped and stared at her with large, frightened eyes, his slim frame shaking with the effort of just standing. Jean had thought him to be at least sixteen but now that he was standing in front of her, he didn't look much older than fourteen. Poor kid, he must be scared out of his mind.

"Hello," she said "my name is Jean. What's yours?"

He didn't respond. He just looked at her.

"C'mon, what am I going to do with a name?" she asked.

He chewed on his lower lip and looked as if he was considering her words. He licked his lips and said, softly "Danny. My name is Danny. Where am I?"

"You're in the home of Professor Charles Xavier. Where are you from, Danny?"

"The Professor Xavier that runs a school for the...the...gifted?" Danny said. He almost spit the last word out like it was a curse.

Jean nodded. "Would you like..."

"I want to talk to Professor Xavier." Danny said. His eyes darted past Jean and locked on the Med-Lab's sliding doors.

"Of course. He'll be happy to talk to you, especially since you come so far." Jean replied. With her practiced eye, she could tell he didn't have much energy left. She needed to get him to sit down before he collapsed. "Have a seat."

But Danny did not move, he couldn't bring himself to believe Jean.

"You'll feel better if you sit down." Jean told him.

He scowled at her.

Inwardly, Jean sighed. It was never easy convincing the new arrivals that they were safe from harm at the school.

Into this stand-off, came Scott, just back from a trip with Storm. The Med-Lab's doors opened, Danny saw Scott and panicked. He raised a hand and a beam of energy shot out from it, forcing Jean to step out of his way.

"What the ...?" Scott's sentence was cut off as he dodged out of the way of the beam but he wasn't quite quick enough. The beam glanced off his arm, spun him around and knocked him to the floor.

Danny wasn't done either. He turned to Jean and raised his hand again but that was as far as he got. Jean froze him in place with her own power.

"Danny, calm down! No one is going to hurt you." She told him.

Danny glared at her. From the floor, Scott watched, waiting for his opportunity.

"I know you're upset and confused but I am not going to allow you to hurt anyone, including yourself. Understand?"

He thought about it, then, slowly, nodded.

"I'm going to let you go now. When I do, I want you sit down, okay?"

Again, Danny nodded.

Jean released him and he folded onto the floor. She crouched down next to him and put her hand on his back. "I'm going to have someone help you back into bed. Just relax."

"I want to talk to Professor Xavier." he said, not without some difficulty.

"I know." She motioned for Scott to join them. He came over and picked up Danny.

"I want to talk to Professor Xavier." Danny repeated, his voice slurring on the last few words. But the conversation with Professor Xavier would have to wait for Danny was asleep even before Scott put him back in bed.

Jean tucked Danny back in and reattached the I.V. and heart monitor before casting a look at her husband. "Welcome back." she said, planting a kiss on Scott's cheek. "Are you okay?"