July 15, 1960
Raven walked through the halls, shifting her stack of paperwork. Her eyes glanced around the hallway. It was nearly a month since the Restriction law had been buried under a stack of protest and anger. It was a bygone conclusion and Erik had, in the end, become more popular by opposing it than hanging on.
She knew that there were political repercussions. Her brother was the Prime Minister. There was an increasingly radical faction forming and Erik was seen as something of a traitor by them. Charles had said that they were misguided. Azazel had called them mu'daks. She didn't know what it meant, but his unpleasant expression had told her everything she'd needed to know. It also made her feel inclined to agree with him.
Yet, there was a sort of balance to the world now. Things looked clearer. She didn't know how she felt about humans in general, but her brother and Azazel's elation over the destruction of the law had her feeling optimistic. She supposed it was just the way everyone felt after a major political triumph.
Charles and Erik were also rebuilding the trust that they'd shared before it. She knew that to Charles the withdrawl of Erik's support was a sign that he would, in time, always do the right thing. At the same time she knew that they could never allow something similar to happen again.
The papers in her arms started to shift again and she stopped to adjust them. She was on more clerical duties now and she found that she was a sight better at them then helping out the patients one on one. She still made time in her day for Doug. He was one of Rahne's best friends and she felt bad when she didn't have news for her on the days Rahne didn't visit.
She walked into the room, opening the door with her foot. Rahne looked up from a board game, her eyes questioning. Raven shook her head. Her niece had a habit of forgetting what time it was when she was playing with Doug. Often times she didn't know that it was time to leave until Raven came in to get her.
However, it wasn't time to go yet. Rahne grinned and went back to her board game. They were playing checkers and, unlike Monopoly, Rahne tended to win that game. Raven supposed it came from living in the same house as Charles the chess whiz. He'd been teaching her checkers as a precursor ever since she came to Genosha. It had been another way for them to bond, which assured that Rahne would play it often. It was why Doug didn't like to play it so often.
The door opened again and Dr. Hudson walked in. Doug waved to her and Dr. Hudson smiled. It was a comfortable pattern that they had gotten into. He'd come a long way towards trusting Dr. Hudson after his first few tentative steps. Dr. Hudson leaned over and checked his chart. As she did she glanced over at Raven from time to time.
Raven met her eyes before looking away. Today was the day they'd decided to talk to Doug about his plans after the hospital. Against all the odds he'd not only stabilized but recovered. His progress had been phenomenal. In a month or two the doctors agreed that he'd be able to leave the hospital.
Dr. Hudson sat on the edge of the bed. Rahne took this as a cue to put down her checkers. She cocked her head. Her face looked so serious that Raven had to remind herself that Rahne wasn't biologically related to Charles. She wondered how many other habits the girl had picked up since she'd been adopted.
"Doug," Dr. Hudson said, "You've been making great progress lately. Some of the doctors are talking about taking you outside in a few days."
Doug grinned. Rahne held up her hand and he high-fived it.
"I'll bring a kite," Rahne said, "They're real fun in the summer. I've got a red one and a blue one. Which one do you want?"
"Red," Doug said.
"Gotcha," Rahne said.
Dr. Hudson smiled and nodded.
"But…overall," she said, "they're thinking you'd be well enough to leave the hospital in a month or so."
Doug froze. Rahne turned her head and looked at Dr. Hudson, her eyes wide. For a moment no one said anything. Then Doug let out a long breath.
"I could go?" he asked.
"Yes," Dr. Hudson, "Provided as long as you keep on recovering, but there doesn't seem to be any indications that your health won't continue to improve."
Rahne smiled but Doug didn't say anything. The lights on the scarred side of his face were blinking on and off and he bit his lip. In the past months they'd come to realize that that meant that he was thinking. Raven wondered just what he was thinking about that made him look so grave.
"Where would I go?" he asked.
His voice was plaintive and Raven fought the urge to sigh in sadness and relief. There was sadness because, after everything Doug had been through, he didn't have any family to go home to. His equation of normal had been taken from him a long with how he originally viewed himself and his health.
There was relief because they had come prepared for such a situation. They'd been figuring it out ever since they'd been told that he was slotted to be released in the upcoming weeks. Dr. Hudson nodded to Raven. She stepped forwards, pulling a brochure for the school out of her paperwork.
"There's a lovely school on the edge of the city," she said, "It's got a few vacancies. From what we've seen your gifts would put you very high in the classes. It's got spacious grounds and dormitories on campus if you want."
Doug looked uncertain. Rahne peeked over the top of the brochure and snatched it out of Raven's hands. The motion gave her a small paper cut on her thumb. Raven withdrew her thumb and put it inside of her mouth to stifle the pain. For all of Rahne's poise she could act incredibly childish at times. However, she couldn't rebuke Rahne in front of Doug at such a crucial moment. It would have to wait until later.
Rahne turned the brochure over as her eyes devoured it. She grinned.
"I go to this school," Rahne said,
Next to her Doug cocked his head.
"It really is great," Rahne said, "It's the place with those huge bannisters I was telling you about, even though we're not supposed to slide down them anymore. We weren't ever actually, but it was fun. And then there's this one room that the older kids do simulations in for combat, and there's this huge pool!"
She unfolded the brochure and nodded to herself.
"The food's good too, except the meatloaf," Rahne said, "That's awful. Tastes like a sponge soaked in gravy. Sometimes I think it is a sponge soaked in gravy."
Doug's eyes lit up in interest and he looked over at the brochure. Raven let out a breath and glanced at Dr. Hudson. Dr. Hudson nodded. Having Rahne in the room when they told Doug about his future had been a great idea. She'd managed to convince him to go to the school more in five minutes than they would have been able to in an hour.
Sometimes she wondered just how much Rahne had changed things for Doug. She'd certainly made a difference; there was no doubt about that. Perhaps it was the idea of having a friend who would be sad if something happened to him that kept him going. Or maybe Rahne had represented a future that he'd thought he wouldn't have.
It could have been both of those things, or it could have been neither. Raven didn't know and she certainly wasn't about to ask. Raven had more tact than that. All she knew was that her niece had helped save the life of a boy that everyone else had just been expecting to die. That was absolutely certain.
Doug flipped to the back of the brochure and looked up. He seemed curious, more willing to listen than he'd been before.
"Would I stay at the school all the time?" he asked.
Raven nodded.
"If you went you'd be a ward of the school until you turned eighteen," she said, "You can leave for field trips, and of course you can always come and visit Rahne."
"I wanna be in the same class," Rahne said, "I wanna show him around."
Raven had to smile at Rahne's obstinacy. It was both charming and commanding. That had been inherited, no doubt about it.
"We'll see what we can do," Raven said, "But other than that you'd be at the school most of the time."
Doug bit his lip and looked down at the brochure again.
"Or…" Dr. Hudson began.
Raven looked up at her, frowning. Dr. Hudson didn't say anything; just kept her eyes fixed on Doug. They'd gone over how they were going to present Doug to the idea of life outside of the hospital several times. They'd always stopped at the school though. Raven didn't know what Dr. Hudson was going to say.
"If you want," Dr. Hudson said, her voice soft, "I could become your guardian."
The room became silent. Raven looked over at Dr. Hudson, but Dr. Hudson continued to look at Doug. She hadn't said a word to Raven. She hadn't needed to, of course she hadn't. They were friendly associates, but Raven wouldn't really call them friends. Dr. Hudson had thirty years to Raven's seventeen. She didn't even know her first name.
Doug bit his lower lip.
"I like you," he said, "I like you a lot but…"
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"You're not my mom."
Dr. Hudson smiled gently and touched his cheek. The side across from her was the withered side, the side that her hand brushed up against. Doug took a deep breath in as she did so. She didn't withdraw her hand though, perhaps trying to prove some sort of point. Doug looked up. From the way his lip was trembling Raven thought he was going to cry.
"I know," Dr. Hudson said, "And I won't try to be your mother."
Raven swallowed, wondering if she should take Rahne out of the room. It was a private conversation that the two were having, one that she wasn't supposed to be privy to. Rahne had politely moved back into her chair, taking the brochure with her. However, she wondered if she should really be hearing what Dr. Hudson was saying either.
"I'd take care of you, but I'm not going to try and replace your parents," Dr. Hudson said, "They were your parents and they loved you. And I know that you love them."
Doug nodded.
"They'll always have a special place in your heart," Dr. Hudson said, "And I wouldn't want to take that away from you for the world."
Dr. Hudson swallowed.
"You could just…think about me as an aunt or something."
She smiled, an expression which didn't quite reach her eyes. Doug's lip trembled for another moment and he closed his eyes. Dr. Hudson's smile faltered and Raven began to wonder just how much she wanted Doug to say yes to her proposal. She'd been his attending doctor ever since he'd been brought in. They were very close, but Raven had never seen it as anything more than the relationship between a deathly ill patient and an attentive doctor.
"Don't worry about it," she said, "This is a very important decision and I don't want to rush you into it. I'll give you a week or two to think it over, and you can tell me when you're ready. Does that sound good?"
Doug hesitated and then nodded. He opened his eyes and Dr. Hudson resumed smiling. She squeezed his hand and then got up.
"Well, I'll leave you to your game," Dr. Hudson said, "You'd best keep an eye on Rahne over there. She's winning."
"She always does," Doug said, chewing his lip.
"It's only because I plan ahead," Rahne said.
Dr. Hudson laughed and waved.
"I'll see you tomorrow Doug," she said.
Raven watched as Dr. Hudson left the room. She took a deep breath and walked over to the two children.
"I'll see you tomorrow too," Raven said, "And remember Rahne, we have to leave in another two hours."
"I know, I know," Rahne said.
"You'll remember?"
"I'll remember," Rahne said, moving her checker.
Raven knew she wouldn't. Waving goodbye Raven walked out of the room, hurrying to catch up with Dr. Hudson. To her surprise the woman was waiting for her, her hands shoved deep into her pockets. Feeling embarrassed Raven slowed down, but it was already obvious that she'd been trying to catch her.
"Sorry I didn't warn you," Dr. Hudson said, "It was a hard decision to make, and an even harder one to talk about."
Raven nodded like she understood, although she didn't.
"I know it sounds like it's coming out of nowhere," Dr. Hudson said, "But I've been thinking about this for quite some time. I want him to have stability in his life, someone who's helping take care of him, some sort of family. I'm sure he'd be cared for at the school but…well…"
She shrugged.
"Better safe than sorry," she said, "Especially when you're dealing with a child."
Again Raven nodded. Dr. Hudson turned as if to go away. Raven swallowed.
"I'm really impressed," Raven blurted out, "With what you're doing."
Dr. Hudson stopped, her eyes wide. The expression softened.
"Thank you," she said.
Raven smiled and swallowed again.
"What's your name?" she asked.
Again Dr. Hudson looked surprised, but not offended.
"Heather," she said.
A/N: The internet's supposed to be down where I live for the next few days. I'll try to see if I can get internet access, but the updates may be a little irregular for the next couple of days.