Title: A Friend in Need 04/18
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Archive: Sure, just please ask first
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and disturbing imagery
Summary: Synch and Jubilee are captured by Tessa and Shaw. A thoughtful look at how
the resulting scars have lasting effects on the whole GenX team.
Disclaimer: The X-Men and Generation X are property of Marvel Entertainment.
Characters are used without permission, no profit is being made, and no infringement
on copyright is intended.
*****
A Friend In Need
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 4
"Knock, knock." Everett looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. "Up for
some company, amigo?" a gray-skinned young man asked, sticking his head in the
door.
"Sure, Angelo. Come on in." Everett managed a smile at the sight of his friends
and teammates as they came inside one by one.
Angelo Espinosa, who had six extra feet of skin that he could control, entered
first. Paige, who was a metamorph, followed him, able to remove her outer layer
of skin to reveal a body made of some other substance below. After her came
Mondo, a large Samoan able to mimic any substance that he touched. Then came
Jonothon Starsmore, a psi who had inadvertently blown off the lower portion of
his face and his upper chest the first time his energy-powers manifested; the
young Brit wore a scarf wrapped around his face to mask his true appearance.
Last was Monet, who had super-strength, invulnerability, could fly, and was as
close to being Ms. Perfect, (as Jubilee often referred to her), as one could
get. Together with Jubilee, Everett, and Penance--who no doubt remained at the
school because her razor-sharp skin and long taloned fingers made her rather
conspicuous--under the guidance of Sean and Emma, they made up the mutant team
known as Generation X. They were more than a team, though; in the months they
had been together since joining Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in order
to learn better control over their powers, they had become a family. His family.
And he certainly needed their love and support right now.
"These are for you, Ev," Paige said, handing him some flowers and sitting down
on the edge of the bed.
"And these, as well," Mondo said, showing off the half-a-dozen "Get Better Soon"
balloons he held.
"Artie'n'Leech made this for you," Angelo said, handing Everett a homemade
greeting card with colorful crayon drawings decorating the cover.
Jonothon communicated psionically.
"I only wish it was worse, Jono," Everett said gravely.
"Does it hurt much?" Paige asked, trying to change the subject.
"Not too bad. They've got me on some painkillers."
"That must give you quite a trip, huh?" Angelo quipped.
They all chuckled. The laughter faded quickly, leaving only an uncomfortable
silence.
"How's the food?" Mondo asked him.
"Terrible," Everett replied. "Not that I've felt much like eating."
Silence again. They all looked around at one another, none wanting to be the one
to ask the question that was foremost in all of their minds.
As was often the case, Monet was the one to break the ice. "Any word on
Jubilee's condition?"
Everett sighed. "I wish I knew. Nobody around here will tell me anything. I've
been wanting to go see her since yesterday, but they won't let me. They keep
reciting the rules about a minimum age requirement."
"That's ridiculous!" Paige said. "For God's sake, you've been through enough
already. You should be allowed to see her."
"Tell me about it." *There's some stuff I really need to tell her. . . .* "Did
Mr. Cassidy come with you?" Everett asked.
"Si. He went to go see la muchacha. Is it true that Phoenix is here? That
redheaded babe?"
"Angelo! Will you keep your hormones in control, please?" Paige shouted,
scowling at him. "We've got more important concerns right now, comprende?"
"Mr. Cassidy, for one," Paige said. "Mrs. Summers for another. The nurses. . .
."
"How?" Everett asked.
"Leave that to me and my sticky fingers," Angelo told him.
"And don't worry about the adults," Monet stated. "I know just the way to
distract them for the time it'll take for everyone to get in to see Jubilee. If
we don't stay too long, we can all be gone before they return."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Paige said. "As soon as Angelo gets the chair,
Monet'll go distract Mr. Cassidy and Mrs. Summers, and we'll sneak past and into
Jubilee's room."
"Thanks, guys," Everett told them. "I knew I could count on you."
*****
"Any change?" Sean asked, walking into Jubilee's room and standing beside Jean's
chair. He gently reached down to stroke the girl's cheek.
Sadly, Jean shook her head. Gently returning Jubilee's hand to her side, she
motioned for them to step outside. "I'll be right back, sweetie," she told the
girl, bending to kiss her forehead.
As they stepped into the hallway, Jean sighed and placed her hands on her hips,
arching her back as she stretched her tired muscles. "There's been no change.
I've been talking and talking to her, but she hasn't stirred. Sean, I'm really
starting to worry. What if the psychic damage is so severe it's preventing her
from regaining consciousness?"
"Ye said yerself Jean that you didnae want t' risk enterin' her mind f'r fear
you'd do more harm than good."
"Yes, and that is still a possibility. But you heard Dr. Knight: the longer
she's in the coma, the worse her chances of recovering. I think that if there's
still no change by tonight, I'm going to try a psi-scan. I'm afraid that if I
don't try to repair some of the damage Tessa did, she'll never wake up."
Sean silently stroked his goatee. "If ye think it best, Jean, I'll support ye.
Ye know better than me in matters like this. Now," he said, holding up a paper
bag he held, "Cook made some nice turkey sandwiches, an' some of her special
coffee t' go with it. What say we get some food into ye, hmm?"
"Thanks, Sean, but I'm really not hungry. And I don't want to leave Jubilee."
"I'll sit with her. Come, now, Jean. Ye've hardly slept, ye haven't eaten a
thing. If ye don't put somethin' into your stomach, ye'll be the next t' wind up
inna hospital. Ye've got t' keep your own strength up--if only f'r Jubilee."
"All right, Sean. But only if you join me. I know you well, and I'm sure you
never bothered to eat when you were back at the school."
"I had some coffee. . . ."
"Much as either of us are loathe to admit, coffee's not food. Besides, from the
size of that bag, I'm sure there's more than enough for the two of us."
"Aye, knowing Cook, 'tis true. But someone should sit with Jubilee. . . ."
"I can," Monet said, walking over.
For a moment, Sean considered it. Of all his students, Monet was, by far, the
most mature. She would likely be capable of handling the situation. Then again,
he did not want to subject any of them to having to deal with circumstances like
this if not absolutely necessary. Besides, he would never hear the end of it
from the others if he allowed her, and not any of them, to see Jubilee.
"That's very kind of ye, lass, but I think it best if ye an' the others not
visit Jubilee right now."
"But, sir, she's our teammate. Everyone is very worried about her."
"I know that, Monet. But she's also very sick. To be frank, lass, it's not a
pretty sight. An' I'm not sure that any of ye are ready t' deal with this sort
of thing yet."
"But--"
"I said no, Monet, an' I mean it. I'm the teacher here, and ye're t' follow me
wishes. Now, why don't ye go back an' visit Everett with the others, an' I'll
get a nurse t' sit with Jubilee f'r a little while until Jean an' I return."
"Yes, sir."
As he was about to leave, Sean put his hand tenderly on her shoulder. "It's not
that I don't appreciate yer concern, Monet. An' I know Jubilee would, too. Once
she gets outta intensive care, I'll let ye all go see her. I promise. Now, I'll
see ye later." He and Jean walked down the corridor toward the nurse's station.
*_If_ she gets out of intensive care,* Monet thought gravely. *I could tell from
your expressions before I arrived that her condition does not appear to be
improving. And we have every right to see our friend--if only to say good-bye.
But it seems that you're not even considering the possibility that our presence
could help her on the road to recovery.*
She saw a heavy-set nurse heading her way. *And now I've got more important
things to deal with. This wasn't part of our plan, so I guess I'll just have to
improvise.*
Just at the nurse walked past her, Monet screamed as if in great pain and
doubled over. The nurse immediately rushed to her side.
"What is it, hon?" she asked.
"It's my side, it hurts. I--*Aiee!*" Monet screamed, grasping her lower right
abdomen.
"What kind of pain? Is it like a cramp, or--"
"It's a sharp, shooting pain. Oh God, it hurts. It--*eeargh!*"
"Sounds like you might have appendicitis. Come on, hon, lean on me, I'll get you
to a doctor to be checked out. It's going to be all right." As she led Monet,
moaning and groaning, down the hallway, the teenager placed one hand behind her
back and made a thumbs-up sign to the others, who watched from around a corner.
"M should get an Oscar for her performance," Angelo said. "If I didn't know
better, I'd say she was really hurting."
"Let's not waste the opening she gave us," Paige said. "C'mon."
With Mondo pushing Everett's wheelchair, they all quickly made their way to
Jubilee's room. The moment they entered and got a look at her, however, they
began to wonder if perhaps Mr. Cassidy had not wanted them to come with good
reason.
"Dios Mio!" Angelo exclaimed, quickly crossing himself.
They expected her to look sick, a little worse than Everett had, but nothing
could have prepared them for the sight of Jubilation Lee.
Silently, Everett took in the sight of his best friend. His eyes wandered from
her chalk-white complexion to the gauze and bandages that covered her entire
head. He looked first at the arm that was in a cast, then at the other one,
swollen to at least twice its normal size from the intra venous fluids that were
being administered. Despite the plastic tubes up her nose, giving her oxygen, he
could see that her breathing appeared terribly shallow. The steady beeping of
the heart monitor made him realize just how grave her condition must be.
"Sweet Lord!" Paige gasped, bursting into tears. Jono, the closest to her,
silently took her in his arms. She was too upset to resist him, and she simply
clung to him, burying her face in his shoulder, unable to look.
he told her, holding her close.
"She looks so still, so . . . lifeless," Angelo muttered.
"Shut up!" Everett snapped before continuing in a hushed tone. "She can hear us.
Mondo, can you move me closer, over to the bedside, please?"
"Sure, Ev," he replied, doing as his friend asked.
Gulping, Everett reached for her hand with his free one, and found himself
shaking. Taking a deep breath, he took her hand in his. He was surprised by how
cold her fingers felt. Still, he held her hand tightly. "Hey there, Lee," he
began softly. "It's me, Ev. Your buddy. We're all here, actually. Angelo. . . ."
"Buenos dias, chica."
". . . Mondo . . . "
"Hi there, Jubilation."
". . . Jono . . ."
". . . Paige . . ."
Jono gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "H-hi, Jubes," she said between sniffles,
still not able to look at her, though.
". . . and Monet, she's--"
"Right here," Monet said, hurrying into the room, a little out of breath.
"Hello, kiddo. Have I got a great story to tell you about my adventure with
Nurse Atilla the Hun." They were all a little surprised at the ease with which
Monet dealt with the sight of Jubilee, despite the fact that they were beginning
to realize that nothing she did should surprise them anymore.
"We're all thinking about you, Jube," Everett continued.
"Yeah, Artie'n'Leech, too," Angelo added, walking up behind Everett and placing
his hands on his shoulders.
Jono told
her.
"Yeah," Mondo agreed. "Much too quiet."
"Come to think of it, I even miss all your stories about when you were with the
X-Men," Angelo joked. "Well, maybe. . . ." He walked over to her bedside and
reached behind his head to undo the clasp to the chain that held a gold cross
around his neck. He gently refastened it behind Jubilee's neck. "I think you can
use this right now," he said softly.
"Could . . . could you give us a moment alone, guys?" Everett asked them.
"Sure," Angelo told him. "C'mon, amigos, let's go outside. We'll catch you
later, Jubilee." They silently filed out of the room, leaving Everett alone with
Jubilee.
"Jubes, I want you to know I'm okay," Everett told her. "My shoulder's a little
stiff, but, other than that, I'm just fine. I only wish it were me that was
lying here instead of you. I'd give anything for this never to have happened. I-
I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I tried to stop them from hurting you. I swear
I tried. I'm sorry. So sorry. . . ."
Meanwhile, outside, the others were still trying to deal with the shock.
"Man o man o man," Angelo said, pacing the floor. "She looks bad. . . ."
Jono said, still holding Paige tightly as she
wept.
"It will take a long time for her to recuperate from such grievous injuries,"
Monet said. "She may never be the same, mentally or physically."
"So? We can help her," Mondo said. The idea seemed simple to the selfless young
man.
"*If* she ever wakes up," Angelo muttered.
"Stop it!" Paige screamed suddenly, breaking away from Jono. She stared at them
all, her face wet with tears. "Stop it, all of you! This is our friend you're
talking about, not some vegetable. That is a person lying in there--a person we
all care about deeply--a person we all love. At least, I know Ah do. Ah don't
know 'bout the rest of you. . . ."
"It's funny, hearing that holier-than-thou attitude comin' from someone who
couldn't even stand to look at her a couple'a minutes ago," Angelo spat.
Jono said in her defense.
"That's okay, Jono, Ah can fight mah own battles," Paige said, the southern
accent she usually tried so desperately to hide reemerging as her emotions got
the best of her. "Unlike you, Angelo, it truly pains me to seem mah friend lying
in there like that. Jubilation Lee is the most vibrant person Ah know. Always so
full of life. She's got this energy about her, an' it's contagious. But t' see
her reduced t' this, it's almost more than Ah can bear!"
"Hey, I'm upset, too, Paige! Just because I'm not bawling my eyes out doesn't
mean that I don't care about Jubilee, too. Like Jono said, we all deal with this
sort of thing differently. When you grow up in the barrio, seeing half of your
friends gunned down, you get a little hardened, 'cause you know that if you let
each one get to you, you'll break. Doesn't mean you don't still care--that you
don't feel it, right here," he said, putting an elongated finger on his chest.
"I-I'm sorry, Ang," Paige whispered, reaching for him.
"It's okay," he replied, embracing her. "We're all really upset right now, an'
likely to say things we don't really mean."
"Look at Everett," Mondo said to no one in particular as he peaked through the
window in the door to Jubilee's room. "He looks very upset."
They all looked to see the young man sitting, grasping Jubilee's hand in his
own, his head hung low.
"He looks like he's about to cry."
Jono stated.
"That, and the fact that he cares very deeply for Jubilation," Monet added.
"Sure, they're best buds, right?" Angelo said.
Monet was about to say more when they all heard an annoyed voice from behind
them.
"Just what are you all doing here?" Jean asked them, hands on hips.
*Caramba!* "Would you believe we were takin' a tour, an' we got lost, Senora
Summers?" Angelo asked feebly.
"I thought Sean asked you all not to come here."
"He did, ma'am, but Everett really wanted to see Jubilee, and so did all of us.
We care about her, ma'am. She's our friend."
"I know that, Paige, but as you all no doubt realize by now, Sean had his
reasons for asking you not to come."
"Sean's doing what he thinks best, and it is not your place to question his
decisions."
"Nonetheless, his decisions are not necessarily the right ones," Monet said. "He
is teaching us, trying to help us to mature. And yet, how can he expect us to
become adults if he continues to treat us like children?"
"Do adults feign illness in a hospital?" Jean retorted. "Imagine the nurse's
surprise, Monet, when she examined you, thinking your appendix was about to
burst, only to find an old appendicitis scar. That doesn't sound very mature to
me."
Angelo snickered, but quickly regretted his outburst. While the others looked
down at their feet or away from Jean's gaze in guilt, Monet appeared unfazed.
She crossed her arms and looked Jean in the eyes. "I did what I felt was
necessary so that we could see our friend--what I felt was in all of our best
interests. And if that conflicts with what you and Mr. Cassidy think best, I'm
sorry. But I don't regret my actions."
"If you want to deal with this in a mature way, as you all claim to want to do,
then perhaps you should all discuss this with Sean later, rather than sneaking
around behind his back. Can't you see how much he's going through? He's feeling
incredibly guilty about Jubilee and Everett's injuries. So right now he's being
overly protective of the rest of you. I know it may not make sense and it
probably doesn't seem very fair, but believe me when I tell you that he really
does have your best interest at heart. And judging from the look on all of your
faces, by now you no doubt realize the reason for his decision. So maybe you can
try to look at things from his perspective, and cut him some slack. Believe me,
Sean would really appreciate it."
Now, even Monet looked a little remorseful. Jean realized that her words had cut
to the quick, and while she hated to be so harsh with these children, she felt
confident that by being up front with them, they now had a more well-rounded
view of the situation, and would likely do their part and not act in any way
that would add to Sean's worries.
She sighed, wondering how the professor had managed to always seem to know what
to say and do. He made it seem so easy. But she was quickly learning how much
was involved when dealing with teenagers. "Where is Everett?"
"In with Jubilee," Angelo replied.
"Could one of you please go get him?" Jean asked.
Mondo volunteered.
"Sean was on his way to see Everett and you kids," Jean told them. "He's going
to be a little suspicious when he finds you gone. I suggest you all head back to
Everett's room and tell him you took him for a walk around the hospital because
he was going a little stir crazy in his room. He won't hear about this incident
from me. And I'll try suggesting to him that he allow you all to come visit her-
-but only under the condition that you won't try anything like this again. Do we
have a deal?"
They all nodded as Mondo returned with Everett.
"Go on, then. I'll see you all later."
As she watched them leave, Jean could not help but smile. They reminded her a
great deal of herself, Scott, Hank, Bobby, and Warren, back when they first
joined the X-Men. She had no doubt that had one of them been injured, the others
would have stopped at nothing--including disobeying Professor Xavier's direct
orders--in order to see their injured teammate. She knew that these kids were
more than teammates--they were family, just as the five of them had been all
those years ago. The fact that these kids were able to work together to get the
job at hand done, without Sean or Emma's leadership, was a testament to the
success of their teachers. These kids were learning, and they were growing up.
Joining Generation X was the best decision Jubilee ever made. Jean just hoped it
would not cost her her life.
*****
Sean was walking out of Everett's room when he saw the kids returning. "I was
just gettin' ready t' call hospital security," he said, his voice strained.
"Where have ye been?"
"Ev needed some air," Angelo told him, "so we went for a walk."
"I see." Sean looked them over, one by one. His gaze lingered on Paige, whose
eyes looked red and puffy. Everett seemed rather morose. Sean had a good idea of
what they had been up to, but that could wait until later; right now, he had
more pressing matters with which to deal. "Well, Ev here seems a little worn out
by yer visit. I think it's time ye called it a day. Why don't ye all head back
t' the school, an' I'll see him t' his room."
The kids said good-bye, Paige and Mondo each hugging Everett, Angelo gripping
his hand in one of his street shakes, Jono clasping him on the shoulder, and
Monet--surprising everyone--gave him a tender kiss on the cheek.
Sean silently wheeled Everett back into his room and helped him into bed. "I
just got off the phone with yer folks," Sean told him as he adjusted the
blanket. "I thought they should be notified about your injuries."
"What did they say?"
"They were quite upset at yer bein' hurt. A great deal of their anger was
directed at me an' Emma, which is quite understandable. T' them, it seems like
we're not doin' our jobs as yer teachers." Sean paused, clearing his throat.
"They . . . they want t' withdraw ye from the school."
"What?! They can't do that!"
"Yes, lad, they can. Yer still a minor, an' 'tis their decision. I tried me best
t' explain that this is the best place for a young mutant like yerself, that
with yer brains and skill, ye have a lot of potential, but they just didnae
wanna listen. I guess that whole situation with Emplate possessin' ye was still
fresh on their minds. I had t' do a lot of smooth talkin' then to convince them
t' let ye stay. This time, I guess me tongue was not so skillful. I'm sorry,
lad."
"They don't understand." He looked up at Sean, his uninjured eye glistening with
tears. "You guys are more than my teammates and teachers--you're my friends, a
second family. And Jubilee, she . . . she's the closest friend I've ever had. I
can't leave her. Not now. Not like this. She needs me."
Sean placed a consoling hand on Everett's shoulder. "Aye, lad, that she does."
"I-I'm going to call them. Try to talk them out of it."
"Good luck, Ev. Fair warning t' ye that they seemed adamant about the whole
situation."
"Well, I'll just have to see if I can't change their minds. They're reasonable
people, after all."
End Chapter 4
*****
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Archive: Sure, just please ask first
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and disturbing imagery
Summary: Synch and Jubilee are captured by Tessa and Shaw. A thoughtful look at how
the resulting scars have lasting effects on the whole GenX team.
Disclaimer: The X-Men and Generation X are property of Marvel Entertainment.
Characters are used without permission, no profit is being made, and no infringement
on copyright is intended.
*****
A Friend In Need
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 4
"Knock, knock." Everett looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. "Up for
some company, amigo?" a gray-skinned young man asked, sticking his head in the
door.
"Sure, Angelo. Come on in." Everett managed a smile at the sight of his friends
and teammates as they came inside one by one.
Angelo Espinosa, who had six extra feet of skin that he could control, entered
first. Paige, who was a metamorph, followed him, able to remove her outer layer
of skin to reveal a body made of some other substance below. After her came
Mondo, a large Samoan able to mimic any substance that he touched. Then came
Jonothon Starsmore, a psi who had inadvertently blown off the lower portion of
his face and his upper chest the first time his energy-powers manifested; the
young Brit wore a scarf wrapped around his face to mask his true appearance.
Last was Monet, who had super-strength, invulnerability, could fly, and was as
close to being Ms. Perfect, (as Jubilee often referred to her), as one could
get. Together with Jubilee, Everett, and Penance--who no doubt remained at the
school because her razor-sharp skin and long taloned fingers made her rather
conspicuous--under the guidance of Sean and Emma, they made up the mutant team
known as Generation X. They were more than a team, though; in the months they
had been together since joining Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in order
to learn better control over their powers, they had become a family. His family.
And he certainly needed their love and support right now.
"These are for you, Ev," Paige said, handing him some flowers and sitting down
on the edge of the bed.
"And these, as well," Mondo said, showing off the half-a-dozen "Get Better Soon"
balloons he held.
"Artie'n'Leech made this for you," Angelo said, handing Everett a homemade
greeting card with colorful crayon drawings decorating the cover.
Jonothon communicated psionically.
"I only wish it was worse, Jono," Everett said gravely.
"Does it hurt much?" Paige asked, trying to change the subject.
"Not too bad. They've got me on some painkillers."
"That must give you quite a trip, huh?" Angelo quipped.
They all chuckled. The laughter faded quickly, leaving only an uncomfortable
silence.
"How's the food?" Mondo asked him.
"Terrible," Everett replied. "Not that I've felt much like eating."
Silence again. They all looked around at one another, none wanting to be the one
to ask the question that was foremost in all of their minds.
As was often the case, Monet was the one to break the ice. "Any word on
Jubilee's condition?"
Everett sighed. "I wish I knew. Nobody around here will tell me anything. I've
been wanting to go see her since yesterday, but they won't let me. They keep
reciting the rules about a minimum age requirement."
"That's ridiculous!" Paige said. "For God's sake, you've been through enough
already. You should be allowed to see her."
"Tell me about it." *There's some stuff I really need to tell her. . . .* "Did
Mr. Cassidy come with you?" Everett asked.
"Si. He went to go see la muchacha. Is it true that Phoenix is here? That
redheaded babe?"
"Angelo! Will you keep your hormones in control, please?" Paige shouted,
scowling at him. "We've got more important concerns right now, comprende?"
"Mr. Cassidy, for one," Paige said. "Mrs. Summers for another. The nurses. . .
."
"How?" Everett asked.
"Leave that to me and my sticky fingers," Angelo told him.
"And don't worry about the adults," Monet stated. "I know just the way to
distract them for the time it'll take for everyone to get in to see Jubilee. If
we don't stay too long, we can all be gone before they return."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Paige said. "As soon as Angelo gets the chair,
Monet'll go distract Mr. Cassidy and Mrs. Summers, and we'll sneak past and into
Jubilee's room."
"Thanks, guys," Everett told them. "I knew I could count on you."
*****
"Any change?" Sean asked, walking into Jubilee's room and standing beside Jean's
chair. He gently reached down to stroke the girl's cheek.
Sadly, Jean shook her head. Gently returning Jubilee's hand to her side, she
motioned for them to step outside. "I'll be right back, sweetie," she told the
girl, bending to kiss her forehead.
As they stepped into the hallway, Jean sighed and placed her hands on her hips,
arching her back as she stretched her tired muscles. "There's been no change.
I've been talking and talking to her, but she hasn't stirred. Sean, I'm really
starting to worry. What if the psychic damage is so severe it's preventing her
from regaining consciousness?"
"Ye said yerself Jean that you didnae want t' risk enterin' her mind f'r fear
you'd do more harm than good."
"Yes, and that is still a possibility. But you heard Dr. Knight: the longer
she's in the coma, the worse her chances of recovering. I think that if there's
still no change by tonight, I'm going to try a psi-scan. I'm afraid that if I
don't try to repair some of the damage Tessa did, she'll never wake up."
Sean silently stroked his goatee. "If ye think it best, Jean, I'll support ye.
Ye know better than me in matters like this. Now," he said, holding up a paper
bag he held, "Cook made some nice turkey sandwiches, an' some of her special
coffee t' go with it. What say we get some food into ye, hmm?"
"Thanks, Sean, but I'm really not hungry. And I don't want to leave Jubilee."
"I'll sit with her. Come, now, Jean. Ye've hardly slept, ye haven't eaten a
thing. If ye don't put somethin' into your stomach, ye'll be the next t' wind up
inna hospital. Ye've got t' keep your own strength up--if only f'r Jubilee."
"All right, Sean. But only if you join me. I know you well, and I'm sure you
never bothered to eat when you were back at the school."
"I had some coffee. . . ."
"Much as either of us are loathe to admit, coffee's not food. Besides, from the
size of that bag, I'm sure there's more than enough for the two of us."
"Aye, knowing Cook, 'tis true. But someone should sit with Jubilee. . . ."
"I can," Monet said, walking over.
For a moment, Sean considered it. Of all his students, Monet was, by far, the
most mature. She would likely be capable of handling the situation. Then again,
he did not want to subject any of them to having to deal with circumstances like
this if not absolutely necessary. Besides, he would never hear the end of it
from the others if he allowed her, and not any of them, to see Jubilee.
"That's very kind of ye, lass, but I think it best if ye an' the others not
visit Jubilee right now."
"But, sir, she's our teammate. Everyone is very worried about her."
"I know that, Monet. But she's also very sick. To be frank, lass, it's not a
pretty sight. An' I'm not sure that any of ye are ready t' deal with this sort
of thing yet."
"But--"
"I said no, Monet, an' I mean it. I'm the teacher here, and ye're t' follow me
wishes. Now, why don't ye go back an' visit Everett with the others, an' I'll
get a nurse t' sit with Jubilee f'r a little while until Jean an' I return."
"Yes, sir."
As he was about to leave, Sean put his hand tenderly on her shoulder. "It's not
that I don't appreciate yer concern, Monet. An' I know Jubilee would, too. Once
she gets outta intensive care, I'll let ye all go see her. I promise. Now, I'll
see ye later." He and Jean walked down the corridor toward the nurse's station.
*_If_ she gets out of intensive care,* Monet thought gravely. *I could tell from
your expressions before I arrived that her condition does not appear to be
improving. And we have every right to see our friend--if only to say good-bye.
But it seems that you're not even considering the possibility that our presence
could help her on the road to recovery.*
She saw a heavy-set nurse heading her way. *And now I've got more important
things to deal with. This wasn't part of our plan, so I guess I'll just have to
improvise.*
Just at the nurse walked past her, Monet screamed as if in great pain and
doubled over. The nurse immediately rushed to her side.
"What is it, hon?" she asked.
"It's my side, it hurts. I--*Aiee!*" Monet screamed, grasping her lower right
abdomen.
"What kind of pain? Is it like a cramp, or--"
"It's a sharp, shooting pain. Oh God, it hurts. It--*eeargh!*"
"Sounds like you might have appendicitis. Come on, hon, lean on me, I'll get you
to a doctor to be checked out. It's going to be all right." As she led Monet,
moaning and groaning, down the hallway, the teenager placed one hand behind her
back and made a thumbs-up sign to the others, who watched from around a corner.
"M should get an Oscar for her performance," Angelo said. "If I didn't know
better, I'd say she was really hurting."
"Let's not waste the opening she gave us," Paige said. "C'mon."
With Mondo pushing Everett's wheelchair, they all quickly made their way to
Jubilee's room. The moment they entered and got a look at her, however, they
began to wonder if perhaps Mr. Cassidy had not wanted them to come with good
reason.
"Dios Mio!" Angelo exclaimed, quickly crossing himself.
They expected her to look sick, a little worse than Everett had, but nothing
could have prepared them for the sight of Jubilation Lee.
Silently, Everett took in the sight of his best friend. His eyes wandered from
her chalk-white complexion to the gauze and bandages that covered her entire
head. He looked first at the arm that was in a cast, then at the other one,
swollen to at least twice its normal size from the intra venous fluids that were
being administered. Despite the plastic tubes up her nose, giving her oxygen, he
could see that her breathing appeared terribly shallow. The steady beeping of
the heart monitor made him realize just how grave her condition must be.
"Sweet Lord!" Paige gasped, bursting into tears. Jono, the closest to her,
silently took her in his arms. She was too upset to resist him, and she simply
clung to him, burying her face in his shoulder, unable to look.
he told her, holding her close.
"She looks so still, so . . . lifeless," Angelo muttered.
"Shut up!" Everett snapped before continuing in a hushed tone. "She can hear us.
Mondo, can you move me closer, over to the bedside, please?"
"Sure, Ev," he replied, doing as his friend asked.
Gulping, Everett reached for her hand with his free one, and found himself
shaking. Taking a deep breath, he took her hand in his. He was surprised by how
cold her fingers felt. Still, he held her hand tightly. "Hey there, Lee," he
began softly. "It's me, Ev. Your buddy. We're all here, actually. Angelo. . . ."
"Buenos dias, chica."
". . . Mondo . . . "
"Hi there, Jubilation."
". . . Jono . . ."
". . . Paige . . ."
Jono gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "H-hi, Jubes," she said between sniffles,
still not able to look at her, though.
". . . and Monet, she's--"
"Right here," Monet said, hurrying into the room, a little out of breath.
"Hello, kiddo. Have I got a great story to tell you about my adventure with
Nurse Atilla the Hun." They were all a little surprised at the ease with which
Monet dealt with the sight of Jubilee, despite the fact that they were beginning
to realize that nothing she did should surprise them anymore.
"We're all thinking about you, Jube," Everett continued.
"Yeah, Artie'n'Leech, too," Angelo added, walking up behind Everett and placing
his hands on his shoulders.
Jono told
her.
"Yeah," Mondo agreed. "Much too quiet."
"Come to think of it, I even miss all your stories about when you were with the
X-Men," Angelo joked. "Well, maybe. . . ." He walked over to her bedside and
reached behind his head to undo the clasp to the chain that held a gold cross
around his neck. He gently refastened it behind Jubilee's neck. "I think you can
use this right now," he said softly.
"Could . . . could you give us a moment alone, guys?" Everett asked them.
"Sure," Angelo told him. "C'mon, amigos, let's go outside. We'll catch you
later, Jubilee." They silently filed out of the room, leaving Everett alone with
Jubilee.
"Jubes, I want you to know I'm okay," Everett told her. "My shoulder's a little
stiff, but, other than that, I'm just fine. I only wish it were me that was
lying here instead of you. I'd give anything for this never to have happened. I-
I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I tried to stop them from hurting you. I swear
I tried. I'm sorry. So sorry. . . ."
Meanwhile, outside, the others were still trying to deal with the shock.
"Man o man o man," Angelo said, pacing the floor. "She looks bad. . . ."
Jono said, still holding Paige tightly as she
wept.
"It will take a long time for her to recuperate from such grievous injuries,"
Monet said. "She may never be the same, mentally or physically."
"So? We can help her," Mondo said. The idea seemed simple to the selfless young
man.
"*If* she ever wakes up," Angelo muttered.
"Stop it!" Paige screamed suddenly, breaking away from Jono. She stared at them
all, her face wet with tears. "Stop it, all of you! This is our friend you're
talking about, not some vegetable. That is a person lying in there--a person we
all care about deeply--a person we all love. At least, I know Ah do. Ah don't
know 'bout the rest of you. . . ."
"It's funny, hearing that holier-than-thou attitude comin' from someone who
couldn't even stand to look at her a couple'a minutes ago," Angelo spat.
Jono said in her defense.
"That's okay, Jono, Ah can fight mah own battles," Paige said, the southern
accent she usually tried so desperately to hide reemerging as her emotions got
the best of her. "Unlike you, Angelo, it truly pains me to seem mah friend lying
in there like that. Jubilation Lee is the most vibrant person Ah know. Always so
full of life. She's got this energy about her, an' it's contagious. But t' see
her reduced t' this, it's almost more than Ah can bear!"
"Hey, I'm upset, too, Paige! Just because I'm not bawling my eyes out doesn't
mean that I don't care about Jubilee, too. Like Jono said, we all deal with this
sort of thing differently. When you grow up in the barrio, seeing half of your
friends gunned down, you get a little hardened, 'cause you know that if you let
each one get to you, you'll break. Doesn't mean you don't still care--that you
don't feel it, right here," he said, putting an elongated finger on his chest.
"I-I'm sorry, Ang," Paige whispered, reaching for him.
"It's okay," he replied, embracing her. "We're all really upset right now, an'
likely to say things we don't really mean."
"Look at Everett," Mondo said to no one in particular as he peaked through the
window in the door to Jubilee's room. "He looks very upset."
They all looked to see the young man sitting, grasping Jubilee's hand in his
own, his head hung low.
"He looks like he's about to cry."
Jono stated.
"That, and the fact that he cares very deeply for Jubilation," Monet added.
"Sure, they're best buds, right?" Angelo said.
Monet was about to say more when they all heard an annoyed voice from behind
them.
"Just what are you all doing here?" Jean asked them, hands on hips.
*Caramba!* "Would you believe we were takin' a tour, an' we got lost, Senora
Summers?" Angelo asked feebly.
"I thought Sean asked you all not to come here."
"He did, ma'am, but Everett really wanted to see Jubilee, and so did all of us.
We care about her, ma'am. She's our friend."
"I know that, Paige, but as you all no doubt realize by now, Sean had his
reasons for asking you not to come."
"Sean's doing what he thinks best, and it is not your place to question his
decisions."
"Nonetheless, his decisions are not necessarily the right ones," Monet said. "He
is teaching us, trying to help us to mature. And yet, how can he expect us to
become adults if he continues to treat us like children?"
"Do adults feign illness in a hospital?" Jean retorted. "Imagine the nurse's
surprise, Monet, when she examined you, thinking your appendix was about to
burst, only to find an old appendicitis scar. That doesn't sound very mature to
me."
Angelo snickered, but quickly regretted his outburst. While the others looked
down at their feet or away from Jean's gaze in guilt, Monet appeared unfazed.
She crossed her arms and looked Jean in the eyes. "I did what I felt was
necessary so that we could see our friend--what I felt was in all of our best
interests. And if that conflicts with what you and Mr. Cassidy think best, I'm
sorry. But I don't regret my actions."
"If you want to deal with this in a mature way, as you all claim to want to do,
then perhaps you should all discuss this with Sean later, rather than sneaking
around behind his back. Can't you see how much he's going through? He's feeling
incredibly guilty about Jubilee and Everett's injuries. So right now he's being
overly protective of the rest of you. I know it may not make sense and it
probably doesn't seem very fair, but believe me when I tell you that he really
does have your best interest at heart. And judging from the look on all of your
faces, by now you no doubt realize the reason for his decision. So maybe you can
try to look at things from his perspective, and cut him some slack. Believe me,
Sean would really appreciate it."
Now, even Monet looked a little remorseful. Jean realized that her words had cut
to the quick, and while she hated to be so harsh with these children, she felt
confident that by being up front with them, they now had a more well-rounded
view of the situation, and would likely do their part and not act in any way
that would add to Sean's worries.
She sighed, wondering how the professor had managed to always seem to know what
to say and do. He made it seem so easy. But she was quickly learning how much
was involved when dealing with teenagers. "Where is Everett?"
"In with Jubilee," Angelo replied.
"Could one of you please go get him?" Jean asked.
Mondo volunteered.
"Sean was on his way to see Everett and you kids," Jean told them. "He's going
to be a little suspicious when he finds you gone. I suggest you all head back to
Everett's room and tell him you took him for a walk around the hospital because
he was going a little stir crazy in his room. He won't hear about this incident
from me. And I'll try suggesting to him that he allow you all to come visit her-
-but only under the condition that you won't try anything like this again. Do we
have a deal?"
They all nodded as Mondo returned with Everett.
"Go on, then. I'll see you all later."
As she watched them leave, Jean could not help but smile. They reminded her a
great deal of herself, Scott, Hank, Bobby, and Warren, back when they first
joined the X-Men. She had no doubt that had one of them been injured, the others
would have stopped at nothing--including disobeying Professor Xavier's direct
orders--in order to see their injured teammate. She knew that these kids were
more than teammates--they were family, just as the five of them had been all
those years ago. The fact that these kids were able to work together to get the
job at hand done, without Sean or Emma's leadership, was a testament to the
success of their teachers. These kids were learning, and they were growing up.
Joining Generation X was the best decision Jubilee ever made. Jean just hoped it
would not cost her her life.
*****
Sean was walking out of Everett's room when he saw the kids returning. "I was
just gettin' ready t' call hospital security," he said, his voice strained.
"Where have ye been?"
"Ev needed some air," Angelo told him, "so we went for a walk."
"I see." Sean looked them over, one by one. His gaze lingered on Paige, whose
eyes looked red and puffy. Everett seemed rather morose. Sean had a good idea of
what they had been up to, but that could wait until later; right now, he had
more pressing matters with which to deal. "Well, Ev here seems a little worn out
by yer visit. I think it's time ye called it a day. Why don't ye all head back
t' the school, an' I'll see him t' his room."
The kids said good-bye, Paige and Mondo each hugging Everett, Angelo gripping
his hand in one of his street shakes, Jono clasping him on the shoulder, and
Monet--surprising everyone--gave him a tender kiss on the cheek.
Sean silently wheeled Everett back into his room and helped him into bed. "I
just got off the phone with yer folks," Sean told him as he adjusted the
blanket. "I thought they should be notified about your injuries."
"What did they say?"
"They were quite upset at yer bein' hurt. A great deal of their anger was
directed at me an' Emma, which is quite understandable. T' them, it seems like
we're not doin' our jobs as yer teachers." Sean paused, clearing his throat.
"They . . . they want t' withdraw ye from the school."
"What?! They can't do that!"
"Yes, lad, they can. Yer still a minor, an' 'tis their decision. I tried me best
t' explain that this is the best place for a young mutant like yerself, that
with yer brains and skill, ye have a lot of potential, but they just didnae
wanna listen. I guess that whole situation with Emplate possessin' ye was still
fresh on their minds. I had t' do a lot of smooth talkin' then to convince them
t' let ye stay. This time, I guess me tongue was not so skillful. I'm sorry,
lad."
"They don't understand." He looked up at Sean, his uninjured eye glistening with
tears. "You guys are more than my teammates and teachers--you're my friends, a
second family. And Jubilee, she . . . she's the closest friend I've ever had. I
can't leave her. Not now. Not like this. She needs me."
Sean placed a consoling hand on Everett's shoulder. "Aye, lad, that she does."
"I-I'm going to call them. Try to talk them out of it."
"Good luck, Ev. Fair warning t' ye that they seemed adamant about the whole
situation."
"Well, I'll just have to see if I can't change their minds. They're reasonable
people, after all."
End Chapter 4
*****