+ + + + +
Hours later, Logan awoke from the drug-induced sleep, pain slicing through every square inch of his tortured body.
"…Rogue…" He mumbled without opening his eyes, grimacing at the agony it caused him to move his jawbone in speech.
Suddenly it registered with him that she was not there.
His eyes shot open and he scanned as much as he could of the room {due to his immobility} for her, his face contorting into a snarl.
"You're up!"
He winced as the cheerful voice of the redheaded telepathic telekinetic filled the space around him.
"How're you feeling?"
He groaned.
"Gawd…awful."
Jean smiled grimly.
"That's understandable, considering the trauma you've just been through."
He growled.
"Fuckin'…bastard…that Magneto…I'll gut him…good…"
Jean cleared her throat.
"There will actually be no need of that. 'Ro has seen to it already."
Logan lifted an eyebrow in surprise.
" 'Ro? Aw… c'mon…Jean…you've got to…be kiddin' me…"
Jean chuckled as she examined her clipboard.
"No I'm not."
Logan sighed.
"Always…knew…that 'Ro…was…sensible,"
Jean, still smiling, held out her hand to a bag of liquid that was floating across the room.
Logan squinted at the bag, reminded of something.
Something important. Something---
"Where's Rogue?" He demanded suddenly.
Jean shot a surprised look at him.
"Don't you remember?"
He attempted to shake his head, frowning when it wouldn't comply.
Jean sighed.
"She told you some, uh, disturbing news, and you lost it."
Logan closed his eyes.
"Shit!"
After a few moments he reopened them.
"So what…was this…disturbing…news?"
Jean bit her lip.
"Logan…can you promise that you will keep your cool if I tell you?"
He sighed.
"I'll try…"
Jean took a moment to collect herself.
"Alright. Rogue left Ryan with Forest while she came to rescue the team."
She paused for breath.
"Meanwhile she was busy with Magneto, Sabertooth came to the mansion and…took…your son."
Logan had to use every bit of his human side to suppress the animalistic fury that threatened to let loose.
"What?" He said, struggling to keep calm.
"Ryan was kidnapped by Sabertooth."
A low growl escaped Logan.
"Sorry. I'm tryin'…"
Jean nodded sympathetically.
"We are doing our best to locate Ryan and Sabertooth---'Ro and Scott are with the Professor and Cerebro at this very moment, scanning for Brotherhood members that may have information on their whereabouts."
Logan tried to smile.
"Thanks…Jeannie…I appreciate…the help…but I'll…gut that bastard…when I'm on my…feet…again."
Jean shook her head.
"That may be a very long time, Logan. Your skeleton was stressed to near breaking point---in fact, many of your bones * were * fractured. And your healing factor---it seems to be overloaded right now, so it will not provide you with any help. I'm afraid you'll be healing the traditional way."
Logan groaned.
"Why the fuck…does all the…bad stuff….always happen…at once?"
Jean smiled sadly.
"That is a question many of us would like an answer to, Logan."
She clasped her clipboard to her chest.
"Well! I suggest you just try to take it easy and rest for now. Is there anything you need?"
He bit back a comment.
"No…there's nothin'…I need…thanks."
Jean flashed a smile.
"It's no trouble at all, Logan. I've got to get back to the Lab now. Don't hesitate to call me if you change your mind."
Logan smiled back stiffly, letting out the breath he held as soon as Jean had left the room.
"Yeah," He whispered to himself.
"I need Rogue."
+ + + + +
Rogue gazed into her cup of tea demurely.
It's mah fault. Logan has every right to hate meh. Ah lost his son. Ah wasn't here when Ryan needed meh.
She set her cup down on the table with an almost inaudible clink.
Ah even caused Magneto to tear out his skeleton!
A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered egging on the mad master of magnetism.
There's no wonder he doesn't love yah, Rogue. All yah do is cause him pain an suffering.
"Der you be, cher! Remy been looking all ovah for you!"
She turned abruptly.
"Remy! Ah didn't heah yah come in."
The Frenchman grinned and slid into a stool beside her.
"Mebbe dat be why Remy is a good thief, non petite?"
Rogue smiled sadly.
"Ah guess."
Remy frowned.
"What be ailin' you, cher? Missin' de little one?"
Rogue sighed.
"Yeah."
She looked into her cup, submersing the teabag repeatedly without much enthusiasm.
"Dat not be all, petite."
Rogue glanced back up at him, twirling the string of the teabag between her gloved fingers slowly as her mind worked to process the situation.
Logan doesn't love yah anymore, Rogue. Stay with Remy---he's the best thang that'll evah happen to yah again, shugah.
She forced a smile.
"Nothing. Nothing else, Remy. That's all."
Remy leaned back in his chair.
"If dat be all, den we fix dat soon, eh cher?"
Rogue looked up into Remy's red-on-black eyes with an expression of gratitude.
"Thanks, Remy," She said slowly.
Remy stood up.
"It be no problem at all, petite. De least Remy can do for his fiancée, non?"
Rogue chuckled softly.
"Ah guess. Thanks anyways."
Remy held up his hands and left the room, a broad grin on his face.
She returned to her cup of tea with a sigh, his words ringing in her head.
If yah only knew.
+ + + + +
Her feet seemed to make their own way to the lab, dragging her protesting mind and aching heart along with them as they made the turn and halted in front of the entrance to Logan's recovery room.
She paused for a moment.
"Come in…Rogue…"
She cursed herself for not remembering Logan's incredibly sharp hearing and his sensitive sense of smell.
"You just…gonna…stand…there? I said…come in!"
She forced herself to move again, through the doorway and into the sterile looking space.
"Hey."
Rogue raised her eyes to meet his hazel ones.
"Hi."
There was an awkward silence.
"How ahr yah feeling?"
Logan sniffed.
"Fine. A lil achy…but okay…thanks to Jeannie's…drugs."
She gave him a small smile.
"Look Rogue…I'm sorry…'bout…what I did earlier…"
She sighed.
"It's---it's okay, shugah. Don't—don't apologize."
Logan winced.
"No…really…it was…my fault."
She shook her head and glanced away.
"It's all watah under th' bridge now."
Logan caught the flicker in her gaze and frowned.
Why's she actin' like that? He wondered.
"What's wrong, darlin'?"
She looked back at him and winced.
"Nothing. Really. Ah'm fine."
She shifted uncomfortably.
"Ah—ah gotta go…Scott—wants—t' see me."
Logan sighed.
" 'K."
The silence descended on them once again, making him want to squirm as it filled the air with so many unsaid words.
"Uh—yeah—so ah'm gonna go now. See yah."
Rogue turned around and made for the door, leaving Logan with only his thoughts.
"See you," He whispered, his mind churning.
What the hell was that about? He wondered. Why the fuck did she wince when she looked at me?
He suddenly became conscious of the multiple scars holding his body together.
Did she---oh shit, I must look real bad.
He gritted his teeth, as the word 'repulsive' came to mind.
No wonder she was so damned uncomfortable. I'm a fuckin' circus sideshow!
He closed his eyes.
An I ain't been treatin' her like no princess neither. Fuck.
He sighed.
No wonder. I'm a monster---I'm not better than an animal. I don't deserve her.
I don't deserve her.
+ + + + +
