Chapter 19- Quick Recovery
Charles sat in the infirmary, next to his daughter, holding her hand gently in his. Life with Amanda had almost gotten back to what it was before Stryker had stolen her. Granted, there was some differences like age and the times Amanda wanted to question any decision he and Moira ran past her, but for the most part Amanda had accepted his role as her father and her place at this school as his daughter and student. "So, what exactly happened, Charles?" Hank asked as Nicholls flashed a light in Amanda's eyes.
"I honestly don't know. She was working on a project for her history class and the next thing me and Erik knew, she had grabbed her head in pain," Charles said, touching her forehead gently and stroking it with the tips of his fingers.
"It could be the drugs I pumped into her when she was three," Nicholls commented as he grabbed a syringe to take a blood sample.
"You don't think it's left her bloodstream yet?" Erik asked.
"I don't know. But if it is that I wonder why she didn't start having this years ago. Unless it's been dormant all these years and the antidote woke it up. She would have told me or Naomi about it," Nicholls said.
"Not really, Abba. Have you ever heard me complain about anything?" Amanda's voice asked weakly. Everyone turned and looked at her as she opened her eyes.
"Amanda!" Charles exclaimed as Hank and Nicholls helped her sit up.
"What happened?" Amanda asked, looking around.
"You had a migraine that knocked you senseless, Sass. But you also have a point. You would never let me or your mother hear you complain about a headache," Nicholls said as he flashed the light back into her eyes.
Amanda looked over at Charles. "Dad, did I scare you?" Amanda asked.
"Only a lot, Sweets. But it's all right," Charles said, stroking her knee gently with his large hand.
"Does Mama and Ima know about it?" Amanda asked, looking at Nicholls.
"No. We haven't told them yet as it just happened. How do you feel, Sass?" Nicholls asked.
"A little woozy and the room is spinning a little," Amanda said as she closed her eyes tight and then opened them.
"Here. Let's see if you're running a fever, Amanda," Hank said, sticking a thermometer in her mouth under her tongue.
After a few minutes Hank pulled the thermometer out and he and Nicholls looked at it. "No fever," Nicholls said.
"Yay, but then again with my blood cells being what they are, have you ever known a fever to stick around for long?" Amanda asked, rolling her eyes.
"Good point. You do heal at a very fast, alarming rate," Nicholls said as Amanda hopped off the operating table and crawled onto Charles's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.
Do you think you can eat, my love?" Charles asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She nodded.
"I think so. Can Abba and Ima join us?" Amanda asked, sounding like a very small girl. Charles smiled as he ran his fingers through her dark hair.
"Of course they can. If that is what you want," Charles said. Amanda nodded again.
"It's what I want, Daddy," Amanda said, her voice slightly muffled.
"All things considered, I'd be very hard-pressed to deny you anything, love," Charles said as they all left the infirmary and Naomi and Moira was running down the hallway.
"What happened?" Moira asked sharply. Twin looks of concern was in hers and Naomi's eyes.
"Only a headache and she passed out, Moira," Hank said in a soothing tone.
"Only a headache and blackout?" Naomi asked, her dark eyes looking irritable on top of the worry.
"Ima, I'm fine, really. I mean, look at me. Have you ever known me to be sick for long?" Amanda asked.
"No, not really. Is she all right, Jack?" Naomi asked.
"As far as me and Hank can see and she's running no fever. But then again, she wouldn't tell us if she was," Nicholls said., ruffling Amanda's hair.
"Owww! Abba, you're pulling!" Amanda exclaimed, pulling away from Nicholls and they went to the Xavier family's private quarters.