Chapter 25: Voices

The county's mental health facility was small – not surprising considering its' relative poverty – but it was divided into two sections. One was for extended care, the other was for involuntary commitment. Many of the later patients had criminal records.

"I ain't gonna go in masquerading as a mental patient," I told Victor, "don't matter how many voices I really do have in my head."

He furrowed his massive blond brow at that. "What voices?"

I looked at him, stunned. "Do you really not know how my mutation works?"

"You suck out people's life and mutations."

"AND I get a copy of their consciousness riding shot-gun in my brain for all eternity."

He looked downright shocked. I shit you not, Sabertooth looked shocked. I kinda wanted to laugh, and the whole thing made me feel strangely smug.

"Magneto never told me that when he ordered me to grab you," he muttered and I tensed. Victor seemed too lost in his own thoughts to notice. "Bastard should have warned me, can't have some little girl knowin' everything about me."

I let out an overly-dramatic sigh which made him snap his attention to me. "I don't think he knew. As I'm sure you figured out when his mutation machine proved to be a monumental failure, the guys has more hubris than brains. Which is saying something, because the asshat is a friggin' genius."

"So how do you deal with the voices?"

"How do you deal with your feral side?" I shot back. He looked angry for a second, then he smirked. I gave him a sad smile and shrugged. "They're always there, always talking, always restless. Over the years I've learned to tune them out, but there's always background chatter. Sometimes it makes it hard to think, but sometimes it's like white noise – I wouldn't be at ease without it. The voices aren't distinct unless I focus on them, but I almost never do that. It feels like an invasion of privacy."

Victor had listened patiently as I spoke, digesting the information I had provided. For a moment I thought I had said too much, but there really wasn't any way he could manipulate that information into something advantageous for himself.

"Someone probably should have thrown you in there by now," he indicated the mental hospital.

"Gee. Thanks for that sympathetic ear of yours. Your compassion is remarkable," I said flatly, "especially seeing as you're the model of mental health."

"Hey! I don't got voices in my head. Just animal instincts. Big difference, sister."

I rolled my eyes, "Anyways – how do you plan on getting in there?"

"I don't. You gotta do this one. I'd draw too much attention."

"I told ya, I ain't playing a mental patient!"

"It wouldn't be playing," he muttered under his breath. "I was thinking you would draw upon those acting skills of yours, visit with our patient."

"I couldn't pass as family or a close friend. I barely know what Sarah looks like."

"Think, grasshopper," he said mockingly "What part are you able to play in this little melodrama?"

I thought for a moment, let the voices be heard, and a single word, uttered from an unknown voice chimed in. I smiled. "Okay, Victor, I got it. But first I gotta go home and dress the part."

tx peppa: not everyone is going to be what they seem in this story, but I hate the idea that there are not nice humans around.

Kayka: I love writing Rogue when she's drunk. You should check out my other story, "I Remember that Night," which is all about her being drunk. It was so fun to write.