Chapter 25. Hero.

I can talk now.

It's not something I ever really thought of as a gift, but turns out, it is.

'Cause you see, talking makes all the difference.

I talk to Fred, mostly.
It feels almost just like old times, when we're talking.
Old times... the X-Men say it was only a month ago.
A month...
But it feels so long ago.
Like a different life.

Fred and me, we're doing okay.

We took out the curtain things that were in between every bed. Yeah, all the curtains have been moved, except for the ones for Tabby and Wanda.

I'm worried about them.
Actually, I'm worried about all of my family.

Professor Xavier says we've been here fourteen days now. That's two weeks.
But Wanda isn't awake much, still.
And when she is...
I don't know.
It's like what happened before.
When we went to that ski place and she got captured by Magneto.

She doesn't remember.

At all.

It's like, to her, it never happened.

The X-Men tell us it's just because she's emotionally stressed and all that, but I'm still worried. She says she doesn't remember how she got hurt. She says she doesn't remember what happened the past month.
She just doesn't remember.

Tabby ain't doing much better.
We know she remembers.
But I think she remembers too much.

She hasn't said anything.
Nothing at all.

And until a few days ago, she didn't even realize where she was or who we were. She kept ripping off the medical stuff, and Hank and Ororo had to keep putting it back on.
She hasn't said anything. She doesn't even look this way, always facing the wall.

Pietro's doing better, and healing a bit better than Tabby too. He's taking lots of vitamins and weird stuff like that. He's not awake as much as me and Fred, but he likes talking to us when he is. He can't get up yet, though Freddy and I can sometimes sit up.
It's weird, but Pietro doesn't even seem to mind that we're with the X-Men.

Actually, I don't think any of us mind that anymore. It just... doesn't matter so much now, you know?

Besides, it helps Lance to see Kitty.
And if it helps him, I don't mind at all.
He's been really down.
Well, we all have, but we're getting better faster than he is. Me, Freddy, and Pietro I mean.

I think he's feeling guilty.
I wish he wouldn't.
But that's just like Lance, to feel that way.
He always did that went something went wrong.
Even if it wasn't his fault.
And this wasn't.
But he still feels that way anyway.

Still, he talks and he makes sure to see how we're all doing. He said not to worry about the X-Men, because they're not the enemy anymore. I think he almost said they never really were. In any case, what Lance said was what we all knew anyway- to prove our point, I think to ourselves, we even told the X-Men what happened to us, when Professor Xavier asked.

A lot of the X-Men have been coming to see us, as a matter of fact.

Well, they started yesterday. Before that, Professor Xavier didn't want them to, because we weren't really able to talk much or stay awake long and stuff.

I kind of like that they come to see us.

Well, I like that they talk to us.

It makes me feel more normal, even if I'm not used to them in particular talking to me.

I missed talking.
We weren't exactly able to do much of it, back... there.
Listening to other people is nice.

I just don't like being alone too much, you know?

It's too scary, being alone.

So far, I've mostly been hanging out with Kurt, out of the X-Men. I don't know; he just talks to me more. I guess it's 'cause we're both about the same age, even if I'm a bit younger. Or something. I dunno.

Kurt told me I was a hero.
For taking the bullet for Wanda, I mean.
I don't really think so.

If anyone is a hero, they're my friends, not me.
I mean, they've always defended me, protected me.

It was just time for me to do something for them too.
And besides, better me than Wanda, you know?

I told this to Kurt, but he says I'm still a hero.
I guess the X-Men just don't see things the same way that we do.
I don't really think it matters though, as long as things are all right.