We feel free when we escape - even if it be but from the frying pan to the fire.
-Eric Hoffer
***
We've got to get out of here, was the only thing running through her mind as she frantically searched for an exit. Her red headed companion seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she was running her hands over the walls, looking for a door, or a crack. Something they could use to escape.
She realised that light was coming in from above them so she looked up. High above her head was a glass window. "Jean!" She yelled to her companion, "The window."
The red headed Jean turned and looked where she was pointing. It was night time, and only a faint glimmer of moonlight was slipping through the window.
As Jean was much taller than her, she could easily reach the window with her arms out stretched. "I'll boost you up, and then you have to help me get out as well." She said in a hurry. The shorter brunette nodded and ran over. Jean had her hands placed in front of her as a step. The girl gingerly used the foot as a boost and grabbed the windowsill. She hoisted herself up, mentally thanking Logan for all of those harsh aerobic workouts. Even though they were so long ago.
Luckily the window was open, so she balanced herself while she helped Jean up. She looked down to their escape, it was a fair drop. A good three metres, into what looked like a back alley. Dumpsters and trashcans lined the sides, while another building rose up on the other side.
They'd have to be careful when they jumped, or they might injure themselves. Jean could get up herself now, and the brunette realised she was in the way. She took a deep breath and jumped, remembering to bend her knees when she landed as to avoid any injuries.
She landed on her feet luckily, but almost fell over as soon as she hit the ground. Her back ached from that jump, as she had jarred her back on her landing. Jean was doing the same thing she had just done. She jumped, and landed awkwardly on her ankle.
She let out a soft moan. "Shit, Kitty, don't wait for me,"
Kitty ignored that statement however and helped her up. Jean stood gingerly on her foot and winced.
"How bad?" Kitty asked quickly, glancing around. People were going to start pouring into this alley any minute now.
"I think I just sprained it," Jean assessed testing it again.
"Well you better be a quick healer, cos we have to run now," Kitty grabbed Jean's arm and draped it over her shoulder. They hobbled off down the alley.
It wasn't long until they reached a street, it wasn't a busy one, but it was all they needed. Kitty flagged down a Taxi, which stopped in front of them. She helped Jean into the car, and jumped in after her slamming the door behind herself.
"Drive," She ordered the driver, who nodded complacently, before pulling off the curb.
Jean looked worse for wear. Her clothes were the identical grey uniform that Kitty herself was wearing. And she also had the same identical collar fixed around her neck.
Kitty glanced down at her friend's ankle. It was very swollen, if it wasn't for the very worn out sneakers that she wore, she probably would have snapped her foot.
"We need to get you to a doctor." Kitty said quietly.
"No," Jean said urgently. "We have to find everyone else. I'll heal fine, I can do first aid."
"But your ankle…"
"Finding the others is more important. And getting these things off." Jean pulled at her collar, as though trying to pull it off. It didn't work, she needed tools, or a really big saw to get something like that off.
"Where to?" The Taxi Driver said kindly.
"Can you take us to a hardware store please?" Kitty told the driver.
"There ain't none open at this time of night girly. It's 2:00 in the morning."
"Well then take us to the nearest one. We can wait, unless you have a screwdriver in somewhere."
"What do you need with a screwdriver?" He glanced in the rear-view mirror. Upon seeing the collar around her neck, he nodded. "Yeah I got one, so I can change the tire."
"Can we get it out?" She asked him quickly. Jean was steadily turning a death white colour.
"Yeah sure, it's under the passenger seat." Kitty nodded and felt around under the seat. When her hand grasped the smooth cold metal of the screwdriver, she let out a great sigh of relief.
She told Jean to hold still while she began to unscrew the several rivets holding the collar on her friend's neck. She only had to remove two before the collar fell away.
Jean managed to concentrate enough to remove the collar from Kitty's own neck. As soon as it was fully off Kitty rubbed her neck, to get rid of the feeling of constriction.
The Taxi driver had now pulled over, as he had no where to go, and he doubted that his passengers would be able to pay him. They looked like they had been through hell. Both were injured, though one wasn't half as bad as the other. They looked like escapees from a prison. They had the uniforms. Though they weren't the ones that regular inmates wore. Plus they had been wearing funny collars.
"Now, where do you want to go?" He asked them for the second time that night. This time the brunette didn't answer. She seemed lost. Like she had no idea where she was, or when it was, or who she was.
The redhead who was looking quite faint, mumbled something under her breath, and opened her door. "We need to get out of here as quickly as possible," She said to the brunette, as she pulled herself out the door. Kitty nodded and scooted over the seat and out the door Jean had open. She didn't say anything to the driver. Not even a "Thanks," for lending her the screwdriver.
The taxi driver sighed and watched as the two girls hobbled across the street and into an alleyway. He didn't bother asking about the fare. It was obvious that these girls couldn't pay.
Jean and Kitty hobbled as fast as they could across the street and into the alley. Jean was looking paler by the minute, and her foot was beginning to resemble a small watermelon. As soon as they were well away from the street, Kitty helped Jean to sit down next to a dumpster.
"Wait here, if anybody, or thing comes, send me a telepathic message, and I'll be here to help ok?" Kitty told Jean as she looked up and down the alleyway.
Jean nodded weakly, and Kitty ran through the external wall of a large apartment block, hoping to find some money, or food, or clothes in one of it's many rooms.
She was lucky. The first room she entered was a jackpot. It was probably owned by the landlord, as their apartment looked fairly well off. The food cupboard was full, and the fridge was stocked to the bream.
She found her way into the bedroom where there was a whole cupboard full of clothes. She quickly changed out of the uniform she was wearing and into a comfortable shirt and sweater, and jeans. She grabbed some clothes for Jean and ran back into the kitchen.
She found a plastic bag in one of the cupboards underneath the sink and filled it with food. She was just grabbing a packet of instant noodles, when she noticed a jar at the back which had in it several bank notes and coins.
She didn't even think, she just grabbed the jar and placed it in the bag along with the noodles.
As soon as the bag was full, she looked quickly about the room, nervously checking to make sure no body was there. She didn't spend too long doing that though, and quickly ran back out into the alley where Jean was still leaning against the wall.
She was looking extremely exhausted now. Kitty was pretty sure that her friend's foot wasn't sprained, but much much worse. People didn't turn that colour if they only sprained something.
Jean sat up a bit straighter when she heard Kitty phase back. She smiled weakly.
"I got food, clothes and a bit of money," Kitty announced holding up the bag. Jean nodded.
"We need to find them, if they're still alive." Jean said calmly, the pain not showing in her voice.
"They're alive. I know Rogue got out, and Logan too. Kurt probably did." Kitty said softly, opening up a packet of dried fruit, she handed some to Jean.
Jean grabbed a handful of fruit and popped some in her mouth. "I can try contacting people, when I feel a bit better."
"We really should get you to a doctor," Kitty said softly, eyeing her friend's foot. "I don't think that a sprained ankle would swell that much."
"I know," Jean said softly, "It hurts something horrid. But don't you understand we can't, I don't want to go back there." Fear cloaked her voice, and one glance at her friend's eyes was enough to drop the topic.
"Neither do I, but we need to get you medical attention. Maybe if we go and see a local doctor, and not go to a hospital." Kitty suggested. "And then you can brainwash them after we've gone, telling them that we were never there."
"I hate doing that to people." Jean said softly.
"I hate stealing clothes and food and money from people, but I'm still doing it to survive Jean," Kitty burst out angrily. "Think of what those people did to us. Think of Evan and Hank, what happened to them. Do you think that they cared that we were people too? No. They didn't, this time, we have to go against our morals a little."
Jean nodded meekly, "Ok, I will, but we can't go yet, the sun isn't even up." She looked up at the starry (yet half obscured) sky.
"That taxi driver said it was 2:00. So we have another 7 hours or so, before the first clinic opens." Kitty calculated aloud. "You go to sleep, I'll keep a watch out, and I'll wake you if anything comes."
Jean nodded, and tried to get comfortable. Eventually she did fall asleep, but her sleep was riddled with Nightmares, and horrible dreams of the facility that they had just escaped.
***