One Thousand Paper Cranes
"Scott, vait up!" A voice called from the crowd . Scott turned to see a young boy with black hair
and khaki's racing towards him.
"Kurt " Scott smiled "your almost on time today....I'm impressed"
Kurt groaned jumping into the front passenger seat of the car, and flinging his books back behind
him. "Don't you start" he laughed "I'm so glad it's za weekend , no detention for two whole
days!"
Scott shook his head and steered the car out of the school grounds .
"So is zare anything interesting going on tonight ?" Kurt asked as his hands flung above his
head and his hair whipped around in the breeze. "Be careful Kurt" Scott said watching him hang
out the side .
"Ja , yes mommy" Kurt teased
Scott laughed to himself , Kurt could be so carefree and innocent at times, he couldn't help but
be over protective of him, not to mention that Kurt was the youngest and smallest member of the
team and a bit too flamboyant for his own good.
"Jean rented a movie for tonight " Scott said in answer to Kurt's question "Evan and Kitty are
bringing munchies care to join us ?"
"Ja!" Kurt cried "but of course !"
The rest of the ride home was spent in relative silence, Scott driving , Kurt laughing , the both
of them talking , Scott occasionally grabbing Kurt before the boy flew out the window.
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"Hey guy's like hurry up already" Kitty called from the room, Evan and Jean sat on the floor
waiting for Scott and Kurt , while Kitty called to them from the door.
"Be right zare Kitty" Came Kurt's voice from the kitchen.
Kitty "hmphed" and sat down.
In the kitchen Scott had just finished pouring the drinks and adding the ice , he picked up the
tray and started out lounge area , "you coming?"He asked turning towards Kurt.
"Ja, I want some popcorn" Kurt said tapping his fingers on the counter , waiting for the
microwave to finish. "You start za movie, I'll be only a moment"
"Alright" Scott turned and left with the drinks
Kurt , slid a chair over to the cupboard and climbed up to grab a bowl ,
He was just pouring the popcorn into it when an angry shout from Kitty told him to hurry.
Kurt grabbed the bowl and raced towards the door , but as he ran he suddenly felt lightheaded ,
he felt himself veer to the left sharply, unable to stop he hit the wall, going full force.
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"Is he like coming?" Kitty huffed
"He'll be here in a sec he's just getting the popcorn" Scott said
Evan was about to say something when a loud "THUD" took their attention .
Scott reached the kitchen first and knelt down by Kurt .
"Kurt , are you okay?" he asked the small blue mutant
Evan ran in behind him, "Dude what happened man?.. you trip on yer tail?"
"Kurt ?" Scott said again.
".....Ja.......ja ..." Kurt replied clearly shaken, "I just....slipped.......I'm okay ......really"
"What happened in here ?" Jean asked coming in with Kitty.
"It's ok , Kurt just slipped ...he's ok" Evan said .
"Ja .." Kurt stood up trembling , "I ..must be tired...perhaps I'll vatch za movie later..." With
that he ported away.
"Kurt " Scott called to him.
"Come on guys, like he can watch it later" Kitty said heading back to the room
"Yeah, Scott, leave him alone for awhile " Evan said walking out after Kitty.
Jean stopped to look back "he'll be ok Scott" she smiled .
Scott frowned for some reason he thought otherwise.
"It's odd that the most agile member of the team would suddenly slip right into a wall " he
thought walking out of the kitchen, He would have to talk with Kurt later, for now it was best to
leave him alone .
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Kurt flopped on his bed clutching his temples , the pain in his head had grown till it felt like a
knife cutting through him. He tossed on the bed squeezing his eyes shut trying to fight the ache,
every minute was torture for him, his blue fur was soaked with perspiration, and the dizziness in
his head made him feel like hurling.
He took a deep breath and curled into a tight little ball on his bed , trying to will the pain to
leave and hoping sleep would take him soon.
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"Great movie guys , good night!" Evan called to the others as he headed for his room, Kitty and
Jean were headed to Kitty's room to look at a new CD she bought.
Leaving Scott by himself in the kitchen, he put the dishes away and cleaned up the spilt
popcorn then headed upstairs to Kurt's room.
Scoot knocked gently on the door and was surprised to hear a painful groan coming from the
other side. He opened the door and went in quickly .
"Kurt?" Scott looked down at his friend lying on the bed , his face was in a grimace of pain, and
his fur was damp, Scott put a hand to Kurt's brow and was shocked to feel the heat there.
"Scott?" Kurt whispered
" Yeah, you ok?" Scott asked for what seemed like the umteenth time that evening.
" ...Ja...just got a real bad headache... zat's all "
Scott wanted to press the issue put Kurt looked so pitifully exhausted that he let it be , tucking
his friend in he said good night and went to speak with the Professor .
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Monday morning at breakfast, Kurt bounded to the table and wolfed down his food as he usually
did. Scott was glad that he was feeling better .
"How are you feeling today , Kurt ?" The Professor inquired.
Kurt stopped looking up from his plate , syrup trickling down his chin "Vine Professor!" he gave
a wide grin, wiping the syrup from his face .
The Professor nodded, whatever had afflicted him was gone .
Or so they thought .
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"RING!!"
The bell signaled the end of lunch , and the student's made their way back to class, Scott sat in the
back of the history class, and Kurt took his place at the front grumbling , Scott chuckled , Kurt
had gotten the front seat do to his constant tardiness, so the teacher could see him whenever she
pleased .
"Today class" the teacher began, in her monotone voice , Kurt groaned and squirmed down
in his seat.
"And that is why Napoleon lost the battle at Water Lou "
Scott stifled a yawn it was a boring class , most of the other students were sleeping or doodling .
Or fanning them selves with their books , the day was unusually hot for October, and the inside of
the class room made it unbearably so.
Kurt's throat was so dry he could barley swallow, and he wriggled uncomfortably as rivers of
sweat made their way down his neck and back.
The Teacher who was still going on about the Water Lou defeat stopped when she saw Kurt's
face, the boy's eyes were shut tightly and he was grinding his teeth so hard she swore he was
going to snap them, and despite the heat , he was shivering terribly.
She opened her mouth to say something to him, when he let out a loud gasp of pain, clutching his
temples he began to scream in agony.
Scott was on his feet in a moment he ran to Kurt's side , picking him up off the floor "Kurt!"
he said forcefully.
Kurt opened his eyes a little but shut them quickly as the sun flooded into them.
"AAAARRRHHHHGGHH.......Arhgh....AHARRGHRRGHH !!!!!!!!!!!!" Kurt cried out , he
struggled to his feet and ran out the door.
" Kurt wait!!" Scott got up and dashed after him.
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/Pain/.....Vhite hot pain/.....Hurts so bad /.... Someone help meeee!!!!!!!!!/ Kurt's mind
screamed.
He stumbled outside as the world spun wildly around him, the sun was blinding almost as much as
the tears falling from his eyes.
He reached the end of the lot when a wave a vertigo took effect sending him over and down the
steep hill to rest unconscious at the bottom.
Evan, who was playing basketball on the court a few feet away came running , along with
Pietro, who reached Kurt first.
"HeyDanielswhats'wrongwithyourpalhedon'tlooksogood " Pietro said using his fast talk.
"Thank you Mr. Obvious ," Evan said running up to him, " get out of the way Pietro!" He
shoved the thin boy aside and knelt down by Kurt.
"Kurt, Kurt!" Evan shook him "Kurt wake up man"
Kurt gave a low moan , opening his eyes briefly to stare into the concerned faces of Evan and
Pietro. Then the pain gripped him again and bright flashes of colour swallowed up his vision, as
his eyes rolled back.
"Evan!!" A voice shouted Scott, ran down the hill to the small group .
"Kurt, is he ok?" Scott panted
"he took a nose dive from the top of the hill then fainted at the bottom," Evan answered .
"We'vebeentryingtowakehimupbutuhuhnoway" Pietro cut in his excitement making him more
hyper than usual.
Scott frowned"Come on" He picked up Kurt's delicate frame and took off, Evan and Pietro
behind him "we gotta get him to the mansion"
They raced to Scotts car in the parking lot and jumped in , Scott wretched the shift back and
tore out of the lot.
Pietro sat nervously in the passenger seat, he didn't know why he had gone with them but
looking at Scott he decided now was not the time to worry about it . He glanced into the back
seat where Kurt lay still unconscious , held securely by Evan.
Pietro glanced down at Kurt, "god he looked so pale " and this coming from a guy who was
practically an albino. Pietro's thoughts were brought to a sudden stop when.
"Damn it!!!" Scott roared , Pietro looked up, ahead of them the road was jammed with traffic ,
left and right due to heavy construction work.
"Scott, isn't there another way around ?" Evan asked
"No" Scott stated firmly , as if to emphasize the point Kurt took that moment to let out another
wail of agony .
Scott turned to his small friend , withering in pain , Evan spoke softly to him hoping that
something he might say would give comfort .
Pietro was touched by the depth of caring his enemies showed towards each other , it was a
feeling he'd not encountered in a long time, ... he knew he must help.
"We have to get through!!!" Scott cried in despair looking at the blocked road.
"But we can't " Evan said quietly.
"I can" Pietro said as he stood suddenly by Scott's door .
"What?" Scott looked up at him.
"I can get him to the mansion " Pietro said again.
"Why should I trust you ?" Scott growled as if just realizing Pietro was with them, "your one of
our God Damn enemies for Christ's Sake !!!!!!!!"
Pietro gave him that stone cold stare he had mastered long ago , he would not let Summers
break though his defenses, and see how much those words had just hurt him.
"Scott , wait " Evan interrupted " He's right he can get Kurt to the mansion faster , and right
now we don't seem to have any other choice
Scott inhaled deeply , his glasses fixed on Pietro, deciding weather or not to trust him .
Kurt cried out again and Scott's mind was made up .
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Pietro ran as fast as his legs would carry him , while still keeping his cargo safe.
In his arms he carried the prone form of Kurt Wagner who in all respects was his enemy, and
yet he felt he shared a bond with this boy.
Pietro gulped approaching the mansion, he was worried, he knew if he ran into Wolverine ,
with Kurt in the shape he was in, his life span would be severely shortened .
Quickly ducking through the fence he dragged Kurt's dead weight with him up to the door.
A regal looking woman, with flowing white hair answered the door , Followed by a bald man in a
wheelchair and lastly Wolverine.
Wolverine let a low growl out when he saw who it was.
Pietro's eyes widened " What am I doing here? They're gonna tear me apart" he thought, he
hugged Kurt tightly he was shaking just as much as the little blue fuzz ball in his arms .
"K....Kurt help..need's .....Scott sent ..help...me ..e" Pietro stammered triple speed mixing up
his words.
" take it easy child " Professor X's calm voice said as he grasped the boys shoulder.
"Storm, take Kurt to the medical unit and contact Moira , I fear we have let this go to far "
The Professor turned back to Pietro, "I need you to tell me everything you can".
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The sun was getting low in the sky when a pair of girls made their way up the mansion drive.
"Did you see the way he looked at me !" Kitty exclaimed as she and Jean chatted about the
day.
"Yeah, I'll bet he ....what is that" Jean turned to the sound of tires squealing as Scott and Evan
drove into the drive and past them.
"How rude!" Kitty snapped , glaring at them.
"Scott?"Jean began to run towards him "What's going on?".
Scott and Evan dashed into the house "It's Kurt !!" Scott cried over his shoulder, before
disappearing through the door way.
All four of them ran up the flight of stairs , Scott kept ahead of them all , he would be first to
know what was wrong with his friend. "Kurt what's happening to you ?" He thought of the trip
home in the car, "so miserable, in so much pain"
He forced himself to go faster , to keep in front of the others , as he rounded the corner he was
forced to slam to a stop , the others banging into him, coming to a halt as well.
Outside Kurt's room was a stretcher, Pietro was standing off to one side of it, he looked up at
them with horror written across his face, there was a creaking sound and as they watched a young
woman came out with the professor , Scott noticed the grave expressions and his insides froze.
A moment later Logan carried Kurt's Small form to the stretcher , then the professor and the
woman took him away.
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It was well past midnight when the Professor returned home .
Scott rushed to meet him , trying not to seem as anxious as he felt.
"Professor ?" Kitty asked "Is Kurt alright?"
The Professor let out a long sigh, Scott's anxiety increased
"Did they find what was causing all his pain?" Scott asked hopefully
"Yeah, he was really hurting in the car" Evan said
Scott looked at the Professor , his face was drawn and there were dark circles under his eyes, he
knew he wasn't a mind reader but he could sense the Professor was holding back some vital peice
of the information, he tone was too grave .
"Professor" Jean look at him
The Professor turned sad eyes to them, "I'm afraid Kurt has Cancer"
To be Continued................
