The Purpose of Hope
Chapter One
By: Lily Handle
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Author's Note: Ta-da! I am proud to introduce the fifth original story for the Hope Series, The Purpose of Hope. Dr. Hope Chandler's theories may have gained her fame in the world of mutant studies, but all she has are just that, theories. Untested, unproven assumptions that are mostly guess work. Her medical skills and theories are finally put to the test when the students of the Institute and the Brotherhood mysteriously fall into comas. Hope is left scrambling to find a clue as to what's the cause and trying to figure a way to wake them up because with the weakened numbers it is the perfect time for the X-men's enemies to attack. And they know it.
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Dr. Hope Chandler hummed to herself as she walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, reading the latest medical journal on mutant genetics. She adjusted her reading glasses as she studied the article.
"Good reading?"
Hope looked up and smiled at Hank, "Fascinating. Want to borrow it when I'm finished?"
"Ah, my specialties are in chemistry and biology," Hank waved a hand "I'll leave the medical jargon to you."
"A wise decision, you mad scientist you," She patted his cheek and he gave her a weak smile. She frowned, "Is something wrong Hank?"
"No, just remembered something I should have done earlier." He shrugged, "It'll just put me behind schedule is all."
"Well, then I won't hold you up much longer." He nodded and walked past her, she called after him, "Aren't you going to wish me luck?"
"Ah, that's right; you're teaching your first class today," Hank nodded sagely, "Luck won't help you. Body armor, however."
"You know, Jean said the same thing to me," Hope frown, "Honestly, they can't be that bad, can they?"
Hank opened his mouth to answer but he just shook his head, "Good luck Hope." She stood there while he walked away. Hank had been acting so odd towards her lately. She couldn't figure out what was going on with him. Before they could talk for hours about things, and now she almost had to force a conversation out of him. The little affectionate gestures that seemed so common between them now Hank shrugged off. It was almost like he didn't want her touching him. Those moments hurt Hope the most. And she often caught him looking at her, but he looked like he was in serious pain. She wondered if there was something medically wrong with him, but that didn't explain why he wouldn't talk with her about it. She had tried to ask him about it once before and he had just shook his head saying it was nothing she should worry about. Her train of thought was cut off when Kurt poofed in front of her, "Hey, Doc, there you are," He said before vanishing again.
"Goof grief!" Hope clutched at her chest, "I hate it when he does that! It was certainly interesting. Wonder what that was all about." Then Hope heard it. It was the unmistakable sound of the thunder of returning students and it sounded like it was heading right for her. Like a massive flood the students, new recruits and X-men, poured into the hall, all of them heading for Hope. They surrounded her in a mass, all waving papers in her face.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Hope yelled over the nonsensical chatter that the mass made, "One at a time, please!" She snagged one of the papers that were waving in her face and the student that was waving it, "Okay, Kitty, what is this?"
"I don't know," Kitty said, her head and shoulders sticking out of Amara's middle, "I like got it in home room today, the teacher said we're suppose to let the person in charge of our "medical needs" look at it and then we're, like, suppose to have our parent or guardian sign it."
"Okay, now, all of you back up a bit, and I'll just read Kitty's form here, then tell you what to do," Hope adjusted her glasses while she quickly scanned the document. "It's a medical form, informing you about some shots that are going to be administered in school." There was a collective groan from the mass, "Well, the good news is it's only two. Now, I'll take all of these, you'll need my signature along with the Professor's." She grabbed the papers that were shoved in her face, and as nosily as the mass of students had come, it left and Hope breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's always harrowing when they attack you en mass," Ororo said, coming down the main steps.
"Is it just me or do they all replicate suddenly when they're in a group?"
Ororo chuckled, "It does seem that way. Now, what did they have for you?"
"Medical forms," Hope tucked the medical journal under her arm and started putting the forms in alphabetical order, "Seems like Bayville High is going to be playing doctor for a day and they need my medical permission."
"Explains why they attacked you en mass. So, prepared for your first class?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, though I do admit a slight case of the nerves."
"I'd be worried if you weren't nervous, Hope. Don't worry though; the first day is always the worst." That was exactly why Hope had a plan, one that would make her life infinitely easier.
"Well, since I've got the time I'm going to get these signed and to Charles before I'm once again attacked en mass."
"Good luck, Doctor Chandler," Ororo said and winked. It did nothing to make Hope feel any better.
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Carrying the normal tools of her trade, Hope walked towards the classroom where she would be teaching the basics of emergency care. Since the older students already knew most of the basics, her first class was going to be the new recruits. She was a little worried. From what Jean had told her they were terrible students and generally misbehaved if you weren't heavy handed with them. Hope was terrible at being heavy handed, which was why she had a back-up plan. She heard the students before she saw them, and goodness they were off to a rip-snorting start, judging by the level of noise. Hope pushed the door open with her hip and headed for the desk at the front of the room. The new recruits paid her no mind. Perfect, she thought, setting the two orange emergency care bags down along with Chester the CPR dummy. She had named the dummy Chester because he looked like a kid she had known growing up with the same name. Both Chester's were open mouth breathers. Smiling Hope looked up and studied her class. Ray and Roberto and Jamie, including three clones were playing poker. Amara was reading Teen magazine while Bobby and Sam tossed an ice ball back and forth. Yup, she was sure glad she had an ace up her sleeve. Hope stuck her pinkies into the corners of her mouth and drew a deep breath. The recruits covered their ears at the shrill whistle.
"Afternoon," Hope said smiling lazily, "Glad you could make it. Now, before I lose your attention again, let me make one thing clear, Wolverine has made it perfectly clear that I should tell him about anyone who misbehaves in my class. Now, I'm not one to tattle, but neither am I one to joke around about medicine and emergency situations, so I'm gonna make all y'all a deal. You pay attention through out class and I'll let you goof around for the last five minutes. Don't pay attention, and well, I'm sure Wolverine will give you the proper incentive for an attitude change. Am I makin' myself clear?"
Hope was chagrined with the response. Every focused their attention towards the front of the room and was quite. Man, why would anyone bother being intimidating with Logan could do it for them? Hope wondered, smiling even brighter.
"I thought so, first line of business." Hope picked up Chester, "Quick review of CPR. Yeah, groan all you want, but this is as basic as it gets. So, very simple question, what's the first step to CPR?"
"Check if the person's breathing?" Bobby said confidently.
"Good, and check for a pulse too. If there is no pulse, call 911 immediately," Hope gave a shrug, "Of course, knowing us 911 is a bad idea since they'll probably arrest us. Get my attention, somehow, someway, I don't care if you have to blow up somethin', but none of you are learning how to use a defibulator in this class."
"Awww!" Everyone said, and Hope chuckled.
"Yeah, no fun stuff in this class, sign up for the advanced one and I'll show you how to do stitches and pop a knee back into joint. Now, back to CPR, after checking a pulse and breathin' if they aren't?" Silence created her and Hope sighed, "Okay, Ray, get your butt up here, you're my unlucky victim." The other recruits giggled as Ray trudged up to the front of the room and Hope handed him Chester.
"All of you are going to have to prove to me you know what to do before we move on you know, so pay attention. Ray, please, tilt the head back," Hope watched as he followed her instructions, "Good, good, now pinch the nose closed, cover Chester's mouth with yours."
"Aw, come on, Doc, do I have to?" Ray groaned.
"Yup, you do," She patted his shoulder, "Cover Chester's mouth with yours and blow until you see the chest rise. Since Chester's chest won't rise, just give two short breaths." Ray reluctantly did as he was told and then made a face when he pulled away. "Now, everyone's gonna do this." Hope held her hands out in front of her "Take your left hand, lay your right hand over it and lace the fingers together. Palm of your right had to the back of your left hand, like this." Hope scanned the room, making sure everyone had it right and when they didn't she called out instructions on how to fix what they had wrong.
"Good, good, you guys are mighty quick. Now, this is how your hands are gonna be for chest compressions, and you're gonna press down right between the nipples, stop giggling, on the sternum. Fifteen compressions, very quick, but not that hard Ray, you're gonna crack Chester's ribs."
"Whoops," Ray said, easing up on the compressions.
"Better, so after you do fifteen of these, check to see if they are breathing again, if they're not start all over again with two breaths, then fifteen compressions and check again. So, now that Ray's proven he knows what he's doing, who's next?"
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At the end of class Hope was deeply relieved she hadn't screwed up and let the new recruits see how nervous she way about teaching them. They had all done reasonably well on CPR, probably she'd have to spring surprise test on them to keep them in shape about it. When she had started talking about how to deal with bleeding wounds she'd discovered that blood made Amara queasy and that Bobby made a handy emergency ice pack. She decided that tomorrow they would learn what basic first aid consisted of and then move through the list. By the end of the week the new recruits would be learning how to treat burns and symptoms of shock. As she tucked Chester under the desk she wasn't too surprised to see Charles enter the classroom.
"Hello, Professor," She said, "Come to see if I survived?"
Charles chuckled, "Yes, actually. I'm glad to see the students didn't get the best of you."
"Well, I just casually mentioned how I might tattle on them to Logan if they misbehaved and miracles or miracles, they behaved." Hope shrugged easily.
"Clever, very clever," Charles smiled and Hope smiled back, "What are you planning to teach the older students since they've already been instructed on the basics?"
"Setting a broken bone, stopping a serious bleed and maybe putting in an IV, we'll see what I get to. Once I get past the lovely inventory explanation. Can't do much if you don't know what you got to work with." She adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose, "Something you need, Charles?"
"Yes, actually, I'm curious about these medical inoculation forms I found on my desk," Charles moved closer to her and Hope sat on the top of the desk, anticipating a long conversation, "You obviously approve of the idea since you signed them all."
"Well, it's a very common practice for students to receive inoculations while in school. Usually it's done at a younger age, elementary school and sometimes middle school," Hope explained, "I'm assuming you read the forms, so you know it's just a tetanus booster and meningitis shot. The tetanus will only be given to those students who have their forms marked for one."
"And the meningitis?"
"Well, usually most teenagers get meningitis shot before leaving for college or over seas travel. I checked the records, none of the students here have received one, so why wait? If the school is administering them for free, why not? Seems like good preventative medicine to me."
"Now, normally these shots would be administered during a regular six month check up if need, correct?"
"Sure, but then you have to pay for all those shots, and medicine's so expensive these days. Charles, if it really bothers you enough to ask about it, don't sign the forms. I'm sure the kids will be glad they don't have to get any shots," Hope said, shrugging, "It's not that big of a deal."
"No, no, it's nothing, just general curiosity. I don't think the schools in this district have ever done this before," Charles said, waving away Hope's concerns.
"Probably they're trying to cut down on sick days. In the fall I'm sure they'll send home another form announcing flu shots."
"Well, thank you, Hope, I'll leave you to your class then."
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"Man, I hate shots," Kurt mutter, rubbing his right arm where the nurse had stuck in the needle, with a little more force than he thought necessary.
"Ah haven't meant anyone who does like 'em," Rogue said, joining him in the hall outside the nurse's office.
"At least you guys didn't have to get two," Evan grumbled, "Stupid tetanus booster."
"Hey, come on guys with all the metal we deal with keeping up to date with tetanus is a good thing," Scott pointed out.
"Only you would rationalize shots, Summers," Lance growled, scowling at the group.
"Let's hope they updated your rabies shots too," Scott shot back, glaring at Lance.
"Oooh, Cyclod made a joke," Pietro zipped past the group, "Someone tell Satan to by a heater."
"Ah would but Ah don't have your Daddy's numbah," Rogue said, pretending to be interested in her manicure.
"Woah!" Toad bounded into the hallway, "We starting a fight?"
"I don't think so Mr. Tolansky," Principle Kelly swept a look over the two groups, "Unless you want to be expelled."
Lance snorted, "Come on guys, let's get out of here before we catch any of their goody-goody germs."
"A good idea Mr. Alvers," Kelly watched them until the Brotherhood turned a corner then focused his attention back on Scott, "Why don't you and your…friends go wait somewhere else too, Mr. Summers. Always from Mr. Alvers, preferably."
"Yes sir, Principle Kelly. Come on guys, we'll wait outside for everyone," Scott motioned for everyone to follow and they traipsed off. Principle Kelly glared from behind them.
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Author's Note: Mmm, chapter one goodness, which I hope you enjoyed. Please read and review.