A/N: - I'm sooooo sorry I haven't updated this recently guys and girls, I could give you a huge bunch of excuses but you don't really wanna know. so. on with the story (and yes I know this chapters short but the next one isn't too bad ;) )
Chapter 7
…three months ago…
"Logan?"
"Hank?" Logan stared at the phone in surprise – this wasn't like the doc, "What-"
"I don't want to spread any panic or alarm but come down to the lab right now"
"Gotcha" Normally Logan would have argued, begged, anything to get out of going down to that sterile, hostile little room, but there was just…something in the tone of the usually stoic doctors voice. Logan slammed down the phone and grabbed a shirt, jogging through the hallways,
"Logan, hey, what's the rush?" Ororo's smile dazzled him momentarily as he went past,
"Just got somethin' to do, Ro, we'll talk later" He hated himself for brushing her off so brusquely but his instincts were going crazy at him, something wasn't right. Down three flights of stairs and along a corridor he skidded to a halt in front of the door, "McCoy?" He called out, pushing the door open…it was too quiet…the silence was too deep… "Blue?"
"Wolver…ine…" Voice so quiet it would have been missed by anyone without heightened senses would have missed it,
"Blue!" The doctor was in a crumpled heap behind his customary desk. There was no blood and no bruises on Hank but there was such an expression of pain,
"Logan…" A strained whisper, Hanks powerful hand fisted in the front of his shirt, "Shadows…don't forget…shadows" Logan barely caught Hank before the larger, blue man hit the floor,
"Blue?… HANK?"
…the present day...
"And that's pretty much how it started" Logan said with a shrug, frowning as he glanced at Doctor Hank McCoy who was still hooked up to all sorts of machines that whirred and clicked and beeped. Denday frowned in thought, absent-mindedly chewing the end of a pen,
"No blood at all? Are you sure about that?" She asked softly,
"Couldn't be more positive" Wolverine said, backing slowly towards the door, "y'gonna be ok on your own?" Denday nearly missed the genuine concern hidden very carefully under a growl. She snapped out of her thinking and managed to dredge up a smile,
"Ja, I vill be fine" She replied, that was all it took before Wolverine disappeared. Denday re-arranged herself, kicking off her shoes and curling her feet up onto the chair, leaning a little against Hanks hospital bed as she looked at him, frowning in thought. So…shadows…
Hank woke slowly to the beep of a heart monitor. Frowning as his fuzzy vision focused – as much as he could with his lack of glasses – on the ceiling tiles. Tilting his head slowly to one side, he watched his own heartbeat on the monitor for a moment…what the heck happened?…turning his head the other way – his frown deepened and his nose twitched as he was confronted with a dark head of hair, a few tickly strands irritating his sensitive fur,
"Denday?" He croaked, voice rough as if he hadn't spoke for days. The head didn't move but it was definitely her…no one else smelled like –
"Mmm?" Sleepy little sound from her and she sighed, shifting closer, her head moving to rest on his shoulder,
"Denday?" He repeated a little louder. He felt sore all over, very tender as he breathed,
"What?" Slightly grumpier, slightly more snapped but she still didn't move,
"Can I have my shoulder back please?" He asked gruffly. Denday went stiff suddenly and sat up with a speed that Hank would have expected from Quicksilver, fixing her hair with deft hands she seemed to refuse to look at him,
"So you're avake, glad you could join us, Dr McCoy" She said in icy tones. Hank groaned inwardly, raising a hand that felt like it weighed a tone to pinch the bridge of his nose,
"How long was I out?"
"Two days" She replied softly, looking at him this time with worried forest green eyes, a little frown marring her smooth brow,
"What happened?" He replied, unconsciously mirroring her frown as she sighed and stood up, picking up a clipboard and preparing a lecture,
"You over vorked yourself…again…from vhat ve can tell anyvay"
"Overworked? I hardly-" Hank scowled as she cut him off,
"You collapsed again. For no reason" She said sharply, watching as he struggled to sit up, squinting as he perused the bedside table for his glasses, "from vhat ve can tell"
"You've said that twice now, madam, I hope you can explain what you mean" He was aware that his voice was little more than a growl but he was starting to loose patience with this woman. Who did she think she was? Coming in here, re-arranging his life (and his lab) and telling him what to-
"That's zer problem, Doctor, ve can't"
"What?" He asked, positioning his glasses on the end of his nose, "Madam you're not making any-" Dendays exasperated sigh cut him off,
"Tell me vhat you remember about shadows, Dr McCoy"
