Title: A Friend in Need II: Sweet Child of Mine 08/22
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Archive: Sure, just please ask first
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and some disturbing imagery
Summary: Jubilee is well on the way to recovery from the physical injuries she
sustained during "A Friend in Need," thanks to the help of Logan and Jean. The
psychic damage, however, has been slow to heal: she is still plagued by regular
nightmares and her memory has not yet returned. And while Jean's endless devotion
to Jubilee is helping her to recuperate, it is starting to put a strain on Jean's
marriage to Scott.
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 II: Sweet Child of Mine
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 8
Jubilee shuffled into the kitchen, where she found Scott sitting at the table,
sipping a cup of coffee as he read the Sunday paper.
"Mornin'," she said, the word half-swallowed by a yawn.
"Barely," Scott remarked with mock sternness as he turned a page in The Times.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep the whole day."
Jubilee glanced up at the clock. "It's just past eleven-thirty. The day is still
young. Got any more coffee?"
Scott glanced up from his paper to regard her. Suddenly, his jaw dropped.
"Jubilee . . . where are your crutches?" he asked, realizing that she was
walking unassisted.
"Hmm? Oh, those? Well, when I woke up, they were nowhere to be seen. And I tell
ya, I had to pee like the dickens. So I had no choice but to hall butt to the
bathroom without `em. It was a bit of a shaky start, but I managed okay. I
remembered then that I had put `em down by the couch before I sat down to watch
t.v. with you last night. Which still didn't do me a bit of good. So I just
decided to go get `em. `Course, on the way, my stomach grumbled, so I then
decided to make a detour to the kitchen. And here I am."
Scott shook his head in astonishment, even as a proud grin spread across his
face. "Jubilee, this is wonderful. You've achieved an incredible milestone
today. You should be proud."
"Yeah, yeah, it's great. But first things first. I need some eats."
"What do you feel like? I could whip up some eggs. I've been told that I can
make a killer omelette."
"Nah, I think I'll just have some cereal. I think I need a sugar buzz to get me
kick-started."
"Well, why don't you have a seat, and I'll get it for you. Don't overdo it on
your first try."
Her first instinct was to tease Scott for sounding a bit too overprotective like
Jean. But then she felt her knees getting a little wobbly, and realized that he
was probably right. So she pulled out the chair opposite from his and sat down
as he got together her breakfast for her.
"Did you eat already?" she asked as she poured herself a big helping of sugar
pops.
"Yeah, I had a bagel with my first cup of coffee."
"First? What number's this one?"
"Two," he replied with a smile. "I had to find some way to pass the time while I
waited for you to get up."
"Sorry `bout that. I had kinda a rough night."
"I know. And it's no big deal. This is a vacation of sorts for you. You deserve
to be able to sleep in."
"Amen to that." Truth to tell, since she had come to stay with Jean and Scott,
six days of the week, Jean had her up before seven a.m. for her physical therapy
sessions with Logan. Sundays were her allotted day off, but even then, Jean
rarely let her sleep past eight; sleeping until nine was an extra-special
indulgence. While she would have expected Scott to be even more strict when it
came to discipline and schedules, apparently he also valued the importance of a
respite.
"Did you sleep okay . . . afterwards?" he asked her as he folded up the section
of the paper he had been reading.
"Like a log. Thanks for sitting with me. I didn't mean to sound like a baby
asking you to leave a night light on."
"You didn't. After the dream you described, I don't think *I* would have wanted
to sleep alone. I'd have done whatever I could to put you at ease. If you had
asked me to check under your bed for monsters, I would have done it without
hesitation." There was no mistaking the stark sincerity in his voice.
Jubilee nodded her appreciation. "Thanks, Scott. I hope your neck didn't pay the
price for your consideration."
"Not too bad. I figured maybe we could take another swim this afternoon. That'd
probably get out any remaining kinks."
"That sounds great," she said, nodding, even as she closed her eyes and pinched
the bridge of her nose.
"What's wrong? Still tired?"
"A little. But I think I'm getting a headache."
"Do you think you're getting sick?" he asked, concerned.
"Nah, I tend to get them when I don't sleep well the night before."
"You sure?" He reached across the table to feel her forehead with the back of
his hand. "Well, you're not warm. You feel okay otherwise? No other aches or
pains?"
"Nope. Just this pressure behind my eyes. Like I said, I get these kinds of
headaches once in a while."
"Do you want to take something for it?"
"Hank prescribed me some meds, but they make me too wonky. Knock me out for a
few hours. And we were gonna go out this afternoon."
"Well, are you feeling up to it?"
"Maybe not both shopping and a movie. I don't think I'm up for both."
"Well, a mall sounds like it'd probably be too much for you right now." He
watched as her face sank almost imperceptibly. "But I know how much you want to
get the skates. So how about this: let's skip the mall, but rather hit a couple
of sporting goods stores. Then maybe we can rent a movie, that way you can feel
free to lounge around more comfortably on the couch."
"Can I wear my pajamas?"
"Sure, but only if I can wear mine, too."
"Deal."
"So, that sounds okay?"
"That sounds awesome, Scott."
"Great. So why don't you go get dressed, and I'll take care of the dishes?" he
asked, grabbing his mug and her bowl and carrying them to the sink.
"Okay." She pushed out her chair, but paused before attempting to rise.
Scott took notice of her lack of movement. He was about to ask her what was
wrong when he realized the cause of her hesitation. "You want me to go grab your
braces for you?"
"If you don't mind," she replied, smiling sweetly.
"Sure thing. Be right back."
"Thanks, Scott," she called after him.
*****
Their shopping trip proved successful. At the second store, Jubilee found the
perfect pair of roller blades. They were even on sale. When she had tried them
on and skated a few yards down the store floor, Jubilee had never felt more
excited: not just at the prospect of owning the skates, but of the newfound
freedom they would provide once she was ready to use them. She vowed then and
there to work extra hard so that she could use them as soon as possible.
So, with skates in hand--along with a new helmet and all the necessary
accompanying protective gear--they headed to a video store. There the trouble
began as they tried to agree on what movie to rent. Scott ultimately let Jubilee
pick out two videos; she chose *Mystery Men* for some mindless comedy and *The
Matrix* for some "kickass action" as she colorfully phrased it. And so, missions
accomplished, they headed back home.
After Jubilee put her new purchases away, Scott asked her if she was feeling up
to that swim. Encouraged by her newfound desire to heal her body ASAP, Jubilee
excitedly agreed. She changed into her suit and donned shorts and a tee-shirt
over it, shoved a towel and hair brush into a bag, put on her flip-flops, and
then walked with Scott to the mansion, talking non-stop the entire way. Scott
merely nodded and smiled, laughing often, getting a few words in edgewise now
and again. She was so distracted by their conversation--practically one-sided
though it was--that it did not even occur to her that she had made the entire
trip on her own. Scott did notice, however, and planned to point it out to her
later that afternoon. He was sure that once Jubilee realized her latest
accomplishment, she would not be able to wait to tell Jean.
*****
"I still can't believe you managed to talk me into doin' that," Jubilee laughed
as she and Scott began the walk back to the house.
"As I recall, you did not require much in the way of convincing," Scott pointed
out.
"Yeah, well, still . . . God, when Jean hears that I dove into the pool--man,
she's gonna freak!" Something in her tone made it perfectly clear that Jubilee
was reveling in her recent roguish behavior.
"I think it would be in both of our best interests if we didn't mention this to
Jean."
"Probably right. So, you think she's having as good a time as we are?"
"So we're having a good time?"
"Well, aren't we?"
"I can only speak for myself. . . ."
"Well, *I've* been having a great weekend," Jubilee said plainly. "Can't
remember the last time I've had this much fun. `Course, that could have
something to do with being semi-crippled for the past couple months, but hey. .
. ."
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Jubilee. It's been a pleasure spending time
with you."
"Bet you never thought you'd ever say that to me, eh, Cyke?"
"Honestly, no. But I'm glad to know that I was wrong." Smiling, he turned to see
her reaction and realized that she had stopped a few paces behind him. He
quickly closed the distance between them. "Jubilee, are you okay?"
"Just . . . a little . . . winded," she panted. "Can we . . . hold up . . . a
minute?"
"It's no wonder you're tired, what with walking all the way from the house to
the mansion yourself, and then all that swimming and diving."
Eyes wide, Jubilee looked up at Scott, who was grinning knowingly. "Geez Louise!
I did walk the whole way myself, didn't I?"
"I think you were so entranced by the sound of your own voice, you didn't
notice."
Jubilee moved her hand to slug him on the arm. But when she let go of the brace,
she found that one crutch was not sufficient to hold up her weary form. Losing
her balance, she began to fall.
Scott caught her almost instantly, and held her upright.
"Thanks," she muttered, grasping his arms for added support. "Guess I overdid it
a bit today, huh?"
"I think we both took things a bit too quickly today. Here, grab hold," he said,
stooping down in front of her.
Jubilee was too tired to protest. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around
Scott's neck as he placed one arm across her back and the other beneath her
knees and lifted her into his arms. He then bent down enough for Jubilee to
retrieve the crutches, which she held under her arm and across her lap. "Hmm . .
. feels like you've put on some weight," he remarked as he resumed their trek.
"Must be the braces," she muttered, even as she felt a flush creep across her
cheeks.
"No, I think it's you. But that's a good thing. You were skin and bones when you
first came to stay with us. You look much healthier now."
"I do have decent biceps now," Jubilee pointed out. "I could give Linda Hamilton
in T2 a run for her money.
"That you could," Scott laughed. "That you could."
A few minutes later, he put her down in front of the house so that he could
unlock the door. "You okay the rest of the way?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks," Jubilee replied, using the crutches to enter the
house.
"You know, you're probably ready to move on to just using a cane soon."
She turned to look at him, face expectant. "You really think so?"
Scott nodded. "Why don't we ask Hank about it tomorrow?"
"Okay." A bright smile quickly spread across her face. "I'm gonna go shower."
"Me, too. Wanna watch one of the movies afterwards?"
"Sure. Mystery Men?"
"It's a date."
"I won't tell Jean you said that."
Laughing, they each headed to their rooms.
*****
When the credits started to roll, Scott reached for the remote, clicked the
movie off, and started to rewind the tape. "That was one sick movie," he
remarked, shaking his head.
"Oh, I thought it was quite realistic. Seems like an average day in the life of
the X-Men."
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Oh yeah. The Shoveler reminded me a bit of you."
"Me? Please."
Jubilee nodded emphatically.
"Personally, I felt more of a sympatico with Roy."
"Mr. Furious? You? Puh-lease, Cyke, don't make me laugh." At that moment, the
only sound was of her stomach rumbling.
"Hungry?" he asked.
"Yeah. Guess a bowl of cereal didn't cut it. What's for dinner?"
"What are you in the mood for?"
"Something quick and easy."
"Pizza," they said in unison. Then they laughed.
"Topping?" Scott asked, getting up from the couch.
"Pepperoni okay?"
"Sounds good."
"I'm gonna go take a Tylenol," Jubilee told him, also getting to her feet.
"Headache still bothering you?"
"Yeah, it's gotten a bit worse."
"You sure you don't want to take the meds Hank gave you?"
"Nah. I don't want to miss dinner and *The Matrix.* I want to be perfectly lucid
when I watch Keanu," she said, heading for the bathroom. "But if it's still this
bad before I go to sleep, I'll take one."
"Okay. I'm going to go order the pizza." Scott headed into the kitchen, found
the take-out menu in a drawer, and placed the order. Then he returned to the
living room. The tape had finished rewinding, so he ejected it and returned it
to its case. He was in the process of placing the other movie into the VCR when
he thought he heard a noise from the other room. It sounded like a crash.
"Jubilee?" he called, standing up. "Are you okay?"
There came no reply.
"Jubilee, did you drop something?"
Still, no response.
Concerned, Scott headed for her room. Finding it empty, he headed for the
bathroom. The door was ajar. He noticed the light reflecting off of the metal of
one of her braces on the tile floor. His first thought was that she must have
dropped one of her crutches.
"Jubilee, everything all right?" he called, knocking on the door. As he did so,
it pushed inward a few inches, and he got a better view of the fallen brace--
laying beside Jubilee's prone form.
"Jubilee!" he called, concerned that she had tripped and fallen. He began to
push the door open the rest of the way, but found its movement hindered by the
crutch. Bending down to move it out of the way, Scott quickly pushed the door
open and entered the room. "Jubilee, are you all right? Are you hurt?"
But she did not respond. It was only then that Scott realized that she was
trembling slightly.
"Jubilee?" He knelt down beside her and reached out to touch her. She did not
react to his touch. He looked at her face, saw that her eyes were glazed over,
her mouth slightly agape. No awareness of her surroundings. What the hell was
going on?
Looking at her more closely, he realized she was not merely shivering. In fact,
the movements were increasing in severity. Within seconds, her limbs began to
jerk erratically, her entire body shaking. Scott realized then in horror that
she was having a seizure.
Tamping down any feelings of panic, he forced himself to remember his first aid
training. He gently turned her onto her side and pointed her head downwards to
allow any secretions to flow outward so that she would not choke on them--which
was a good thing, because a moment later, she began to vomit. She did not bring
much up, thankfully, since her last meal had been hours ago. When she seemed to
be done, Scott reached into her mouth to make sure her airway was clear and then
pulled her body back away from the mess.
He did not restrain her, but he did try to limit the movement of her head so
that she would not injure it on the hard tile floor. He quickly reached for a
nearby towel and folded it beneath her head to cushion it. Then all he could do
was wait and watch helplessly as her body spasmed uncontrollably.
The minutes ticked by like eternities as the seizure continued to torment her
body. Scott was beginning to fear that it would never end when the tremors
noticeably declined in intensity. Before long, there was only an occasional
twitching, until finally she was still save for the movement of her chest as she
breathed.
"Jubilee?" Scott called, gently pushing her hair back from her sweat-soaked
brow. "Kiddo, can you hear me?"
She made a sound low in her throat, but it was swallowed by a coughing gag.
Scott held on her side as she continued to cough, the movements wracking her
body. When she was done, he slowly helped her to roll onto her back.
She looked up at him, trying to get her eyes to focus. "M-Momma? Daddy?" she
called, her voice soft and high-pitched, like that of a scared, small child.
"Jubilee, it's Scott."
"D-Daddy?" she whimpered again. From the glazed look in her eyes, it was evident
that she was not truly seeing him. "`M . . . c-c-cold. . .." She started to
shiver.
"I'll be right back." Scott hurried into her bedroom, grabbed the comforter from
her bed, and carried it back into the bathroom. When he returned, he found
Jubilee on the floor, knees bent practically to her chest as she curled herself
into a tight ball. She was still shaking. As he knelt beside her, he realized it
was not just a chill that was wracking her body; she was sobbing as well.
"Jubilee, what's wrong?" he asked, gently touching her shoulder.
"'M sorry, Daddy."
"Sorry? What are you sorry for?"
"I- I . . . d-did-n't m-m-mean to. . . ." She began to sob harder, and her body
quaked even more.
He reached for her, and she flinched from his touch.
"Shh," Scott soothed, letting his hand remain and gently rubbing her back.
"Jubilee, it's okay. I won't be angry with you."
"Y-you pr-promise, Daddy?"
He was about to correct her, but then paused, deciding against it. It seemed
easier not to contradict her present hallucination, but rather just go with the
flow. "I promise."
She paused, licking her lips. "I wet my bed," she whispered finally, fresh tears
falling.
At first, Scott stared at her questioningly, knowing that there was no bed to be
seen in the vicinity. But then he took a better look at Jubilee, and saw that
her sweat pants were indeed soiled. He knew that it was common for a seizure
victim to lose bladder or bowel control, just as it was likely that they could
vomit.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she cried repentantly.
"It's okay, kiddo," he assured her. "No big deal. No need to cry," he told her,
reaching to cup her cheek.
"Y-you . . . you're not mad?"
"No, kiddo. Why would I be mad?"
"'C-cause last time. . . ." Her voice caught on the words.
"I'm not mad at you, Jubilee. Now, how about we get you cleaned up?" he asked,
tenderly stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Getting out of the wet clothes
should also help warm you up a bit."
She nodded emphatically.
"Okay, I'm going to take off your sweat pants."
Nodding, Jubilee rolled onto her back and straightened her legs, allowing Scott
to grab the pants by the ankle cuffs and tug them off of her. As he put them
aside, he saw that she began to shiver again. He hurried to retrieve a wash
cloth, which he wet-down with warm water. Kneeling beside her, he gently wiped
her legs with the cloth.
"Better?" he asked her.
She nodded. "'M tired. . . ." she whispered, closing her eyes.
"You just rest, kiddo," he told her as he dried her legs with a towel. Then he
carefully lifted her in his arms and laid her on the open blanket, which he
wrapped snugly around her before once more taking her into his arms. By then,
Scott knew she was half-asleep, but he still felt the need to assure her that he
was going to do everything in his power to make sure she was well. "I'm going to
get you to Hank, let him examine you and run some tests. Hopefully he'll be able
to figure out what caused your seizure, and prevent it from happening again."
She murmured something unintelligible before snuggling closer against his chest.
Looking down at her face, Scott was struck by how peaceful it looked at that
moment. He could not help but smile. "Don `t worry, kiddo, we're gonna get to
the bottom of this," he said as he carried her out of the house and toward the
mansion. "I promise."
End Chapter 8
*****
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Archive: Sure, just please ask first
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and some disturbing imagery
Summary: Jubilee is well on the way to recovery from the physical injuries she
sustained during "A Friend in Need," thanks to the help of Logan and Jean. The
psychic damage, however, has been slow to heal: she is still plagued by regular
nightmares and her memory has not yet returned. And while Jean's endless devotion
to Jubilee is helping her to recuperate, it is starting to put a strain on Jean's
marriage to Scott.
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 II: Sweet Child of Mine
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 8
Jubilee shuffled into the kitchen, where she found Scott sitting at the table,
sipping a cup of coffee as he read the Sunday paper.
"Mornin'," she said, the word half-swallowed by a yawn.
"Barely," Scott remarked with mock sternness as he turned a page in The Times.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep the whole day."
Jubilee glanced up at the clock. "It's just past eleven-thirty. The day is still
young. Got any more coffee?"
Scott glanced up from his paper to regard her. Suddenly, his jaw dropped.
"Jubilee . . . where are your crutches?" he asked, realizing that she was
walking unassisted.
"Hmm? Oh, those? Well, when I woke up, they were nowhere to be seen. And I tell
ya, I had to pee like the dickens. So I had no choice but to hall butt to the
bathroom without `em. It was a bit of a shaky start, but I managed okay. I
remembered then that I had put `em down by the couch before I sat down to watch
t.v. with you last night. Which still didn't do me a bit of good. So I just
decided to go get `em. `Course, on the way, my stomach grumbled, so I then
decided to make a detour to the kitchen. And here I am."
Scott shook his head in astonishment, even as a proud grin spread across his
face. "Jubilee, this is wonderful. You've achieved an incredible milestone
today. You should be proud."
"Yeah, yeah, it's great. But first things first. I need some eats."
"What do you feel like? I could whip up some eggs. I've been told that I can
make a killer omelette."
"Nah, I think I'll just have some cereal. I think I need a sugar buzz to get me
kick-started."
"Well, why don't you have a seat, and I'll get it for you. Don't overdo it on
your first try."
Her first instinct was to tease Scott for sounding a bit too overprotective like
Jean. But then she felt her knees getting a little wobbly, and realized that he
was probably right. So she pulled out the chair opposite from his and sat down
as he got together her breakfast for her.
"Did you eat already?" she asked as she poured herself a big helping of sugar
pops.
"Yeah, I had a bagel with my first cup of coffee."
"First? What number's this one?"
"Two," he replied with a smile. "I had to find some way to pass the time while I
waited for you to get up."
"Sorry `bout that. I had kinda a rough night."
"I know. And it's no big deal. This is a vacation of sorts for you. You deserve
to be able to sleep in."
"Amen to that." Truth to tell, since she had come to stay with Jean and Scott,
six days of the week, Jean had her up before seven a.m. for her physical therapy
sessions with Logan. Sundays were her allotted day off, but even then, Jean
rarely let her sleep past eight; sleeping until nine was an extra-special
indulgence. While she would have expected Scott to be even more strict when it
came to discipline and schedules, apparently he also valued the importance of a
respite.
"Did you sleep okay . . . afterwards?" he asked her as he folded up the section
of the paper he had been reading.
"Like a log. Thanks for sitting with me. I didn't mean to sound like a baby
asking you to leave a night light on."
"You didn't. After the dream you described, I don't think *I* would have wanted
to sleep alone. I'd have done whatever I could to put you at ease. If you had
asked me to check under your bed for monsters, I would have done it without
hesitation." There was no mistaking the stark sincerity in his voice.
Jubilee nodded her appreciation. "Thanks, Scott. I hope your neck didn't pay the
price for your consideration."
"Not too bad. I figured maybe we could take another swim this afternoon. That'd
probably get out any remaining kinks."
"That sounds great," she said, nodding, even as she closed her eyes and pinched
the bridge of her nose.
"What's wrong? Still tired?"
"A little. But I think I'm getting a headache."
"Do you think you're getting sick?" he asked, concerned.
"Nah, I tend to get them when I don't sleep well the night before."
"You sure?" He reached across the table to feel her forehead with the back of
his hand. "Well, you're not warm. You feel okay otherwise? No other aches or
pains?"
"Nope. Just this pressure behind my eyes. Like I said, I get these kinds of
headaches once in a while."
"Do you want to take something for it?"
"Hank prescribed me some meds, but they make me too wonky. Knock me out for a
few hours. And we were gonna go out this afternoon."
"Well, are you feeling up to it?"
"Maybe not both shopping and a movie. I don't think I'm up for both."
"Well, a mall sounds like it'd probably be too much for you right now." He
watched as her face sank almost imperceptibly. "But I know how much you want to
get the skates. So how about this: let's skip the mall, but rather hit a couple
of sporting goods stores. Then maybe we can rent a movie, that way you can feel
free to lounge around more comfortably on the couch."
"Can I wear my pajamas?"
"Sure, but only if I can wear mine, too."
"Deal."
"So, that sounds okay?"
"That sounds awesome, Scott."
"Great. So why don't you go get dressed, and I'll take care of the dishes?" he
asked, grabbing his mug and her bowl and carrying them to the sink.
"Okay." She pushed out her chair, but paused before attempting to rise.
Scott took notice of her lack of movement. He was about to ask her what was
wrong when he realized the cause of her hesitation. "You want me to go grab your
braces for you?"
"If you don't mind," she replied, smiling sweetly.
"Sure thing. Be right back."
"Thanks, Scott," she called after him.
*****
Their shopping trip proved successful. At the second store, Jubilee found the
perfect pair of roller blades. They were even on sale. When she had tried them
on and skated a few yards down the store floor, Jubilee had never felt more
excited: not just at the prospect of owning the skates, but of the newfound
freedom they would provide once she was ready to use them. She vowed then and
there to work extra hard so that she could use them as soon as possible.
So, with skates in hand--along with a new helmet and all the necessary
accompanying protective gear--they headed to a video store. There the trouble
began as they tried to agree on what movie to rent. Scott ultimately let Jubilee
pick out two videos; she chose *Mystery Men* for some mindless comedy and *The
Matrix* for some "kickass action" as she colorfully phrased it. And so, missions
accomplished, they headed back home.
After Jubilee put her new purchases away, Scott asked her if she was feeling up
to that swim. Encouraged by her newfound desire to heal her body ASAP, Jubilee
excitedly agreed. She changed into her suit and donned shorts and a tee-shirt
over it, shoved a towel and hair brush into a bag, put on her flip-flops, and
then walked with Scott to the mansion, talking non-stop the entire way. Scott
merely nodded and smiled, laughing often, getting a few words in edgewise now
and again. She was so distracted by their conversation--practically one-sided
though it was--that it did not even occur to her that she had made the entire
trip on her own. Scott did notice, however, and planned to point it out to her
later that afternoon. He was sure that once Jubilee realized her latest
accomplishment, she would not be able to wait to tell Jean.
*****
"I still can't believe you managed to talk me into doin' that," Jubilee laughed
as she and Scott began the walk back to the house.
"As I recall, you did not require much in the way of convincing," Scott pointed
out.
"Yeah, well, still . . . God, when Jean hears that I dove into the pool--man,
she's gonna freak!" Something in her tone made it perfectly clear that Jubilee
was reveling in her recent roguish behavior.
"I think it would be in both of our best interests if we didn't mention this to
Jean."
"Probably right. So, you think she's having as good a time as we are?"
"So we're having a good time?"
"Well, aren't we?"
"I can only speak for myself. . . ."
"Well, *I've* been having a great weekend," Jubilee said plainly. "Can't
remember the last time I've had this much fun. `Course, that could have
something to do with being semi-crippled for the past couple months, but hey. .
. ."
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Jubilee. It's been a pleasure spending time
with you."
"Bet you never thought you'd ever say that to me, eh, Cyke?"
"Honestly, no. But I'm glad to know that I was wrong." Smiling, he turned to see
her reaction and realized that she had stopped a few paces behind him. He
quickly closed the distance between them. "Jubilee, are you okay?"
"Just . . . a little . . . winded," she panted. "Can we . . . hold up . . . a
minute?"
"It's no wonder you're tired, what with walking all the way from the house to
the mansion yourself, and then all that swimming and diving."
Eyes wide, Jubilee looked up at Scott, who was grinning knowingly. "Geez Louise!
I did walk the whole way myself, didn't I?"
"I think you were so entranced by the sound of your own voice, you didn't
notice."
Jubilee moved her hand to slug him on the arm. But when she let go of the brace,
she found that one crutch was not sufficient to hold up her weary form. Losing
her balance, she began to fall.
Scott caught her almost instantly, and held her upright.
"Thanks," she muttered, grasping his arms for added support. "Guess I overdid it
a bit today, huh?"
"I think we both took things a bit too quickly today. Here, grab hold," he said,
stooping down in front of her.
Jubilee was too tired to protest. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around
Scott's neck as he placed one arm across her back and the other beneath her
knees and lifted her into his arms. He then bent down enough for Jubilee to
retrieve the crutches, which she held under her arm and across her lap. "Hmm . .
. feels like you've put on some weight," he remarked as he resumed their trek.
"Must be the braces," she muttered, even as she felt a flush creep across her
cheeks.
"No, I think it's you. But that's a good thing. You were skin and bones when you
first came to stay with us. You look much healthier now."
"I do have decent biceps now," Jubilee pointed out. "I could give Linda Hamilton
in T2 a run for her money.
"That you could," Scott laughed. "That you could."
A few minutes later, he put her down in front of the house so that he could
unlock the door. "You okay the rest of the way?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks," Jubilee replied, using the crutches to enter the
house.
"You know, you're probably ready to move on to just using a cane soon."
She turned to look at him, face expectant. "You really think so?"
Scott nodded. "Why don't we ask Hank about it tomorrow?"
"Okay." A bright smile quickly spread across her face. "I'm gonna go shower."
"Me, too. Wanna watch one of the movies afterwards?"
"Sure. Mystery Men?"
"It's a date."
"I won't tell Jean you said that."
Laughing, they each headed to their rooms.
*****
When the credits started to roll, Scott reached for the remote, clicked the
movie off, and started to rewind the tape. "That was one sick movie," he
remarked, shaking his head.
"Oh, I thought it was quite realistic. Seems like an average day in the life of
the X-Men."
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Oh yeah. The Shoveler reminded me a bit of you."
"Me? Please."
Jubilee nodded emphatically.
"Personally, I felt more of a sympatico with Roy."
"Mr. Furious? You? Puh-lease, Cyke, don't make me laugh." At that moment, the
only sound was of her stomach rumbling.
"Hungry?" he asked.
"Yeah. Guess a bowl of cereal didn't cut it. What's for dinner?"
"What are you in the mood for?"
"Something quick and easy."
"Pizza," they said in unison. Then they laughed.
"Topping?" Scott asked, getting up from the couch.
"Pepperoni okay?"
"Sounds good."
"I'm gonna go take a Tylenol," Jubilee told him, also getting to her feet.
"Headache still bothering you?"
"Yeah, it's gotten a bit worse."
"You sure you don't want to take the meds Hank gave you?"
"Nah. I don't want to miss dinner and *The Matrix.* I want to be perfectly lucid
when I watch Keanu," she said, heading for the bathroom. "But if it's still this
bad before I go to sleep, I'll take one."
"Okay. I'm going to go order the pizza." Scott headed into the kitchen, found
the take-out menu in a drawer, and placed the order. Then he returned to the
living room. The tape had finished rewinding, so he ejected it and returned it
to its case. He was in the process of placing the other movie into the VCR when
he thought he heard a noise from the other room. It sounded like a crash.
"Jubilee?" he called, standing up. "Are you okay?"
There came no reply.
"Jubilee, did you drop something?"
Still, no response.
Concerned, Scott headed for her room. Finding it empty, he headed for the
bathroom. The door was ajar. He noticed the light reflecting off of the metal of
one of her braces on the tile floor. His first thought was that she must have
dropped one of her crutches.
"Jubilee, everything all right?" he called, knocking on the door. As he did so,
it pushed inward a few inches, and he got a better view of the fallen brace--
laying beside Jubilee's prone form.
"Jubilee!" he called, concerned that she had tripped and fallen. He began to
push the door open the rest of the way, but found its movement hindered by the
crutch. Bending down to move it out of the way, Scott quickly pushed the door
open and entered the room. "Jubilee, are you all right? Are you hurt?"
But she did not respond. It was only then that Scott realized that she was
trembling slightly.
"Jubilee?" He knelt down beside her and reached out to touch her. She did not
react to his touch. He looked at her face, saw that her eyes were glazed over,
her mouth slightly agape. No awareness of her surroundings. What the hell was
going on?
Looking at her more closely, he realized she was not merely shivering. In fact,
the movements were increasing in severity. Within seconds, her limbs began to
jerk erratically, her entire body shaking. Scott realized then in horror that
she was having a seizure.
Tamping down any feelings of panic, he forced himself to remember his first aid
training. He gently turned her onto her side and pointed her head downwards to
allow any secretions to flow outward so that she would not choke on them--which
was a good thing, because a moment later, she began to vomit. She did not bring
much up, thankfully, since her last meal had been hours ago. When she seemed to
be done, Scott reached into her mouth to make sure her airway was clear and then
pulled her body back away from the mess.
He did not restrain her, but he did try to limit the movement of her head so
that she would not injure it on the hard tile floor. He quickly reached for a
nearby towel and folded it beneath her head to cushion it. Then all he could do
was wait and watch helplessly as her body spasmed uncontrollably.
The minutes ticked by like eternities as the seizure continued to torment her
body. Scott was beginning to fear that it would never end when the tremors
noticeably declined in intensity. Before long, there was only an occasional
twitching, until finally she was still save for the movement of her chest as she
breathed.
"Jubilee?" Scott called, gently pushing her hair back from her sweat-soaked
brow. "Kiddo, can you hear me?"
She made a sound low in her throat, but it was swallowed by a coughing gag.
Scott held on her side as she continued to cough, the movements wracking her
body. When she was done, he slowly helped her to roll onto her back.
She looked up at him, trying to get her eyes to focus. "M-Momma? Daddy?" she
called, her voice soft and high-pitched, like that of a scared, small child.
"Jubilee, it's Scott."
"D-Daddy?" she whimpered again. From the glazed look in her eyes, it was evident
that she was not truly seeing him. "`M . . . c-c-cold. . .." She started to
shiver.
"I'll be right back." Scott hurried into her bedroom, grabbed the comforter from
her bed, and carried it back into the bathroom. When he returned, he found
Jubilee on the floor, knees bent practically to her chest as she curled herself
into a tight ball. She was still shaking. As he knelt beside her, he realized it
was not just a chill that was wracking her body; she was sobbing as well.
"Jubilee, what's wrong?" he asked, gently touching her shoulder.
"'M sorry, Daddy."
"Sorry? What are you sorry for?"
"I- I . . . d-did-n't m-m-mean to. . . ." She began to sob harder, and her body
quaked even more.
He reached for her, and she flinched from his touch.
"Shh," Scott soothed, letting his hand remain and gently rubbing her back.
"Jubilee, it's okay. I won't be angry with you."
"Y-you pr-promise, Daddy?"
He was about to correct her, but then paused, deciding against it. It seemed
easier not to contradict her present hallucination, but rather just go with the
flow. "I promise."
She paused, licking her lips. "I wet my bed," she whispered finally, fresh tears
falling.
At first, Scott stared at her questioningly, knowing that there was no bed to be
seen in the vicinity. But then he took a better look at Jubilee, and saw that
her sweat pants were indeed soiled. He knew that it was common for a seizure
victim to lose bladder or bowel control, just as it was likely that they could
vomit.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she cried repentantly.
"It's okay, kiddo," he assured her. "No big deal. No need to cry," he told her,
reaching to cup her cheek.
"Y-you . . . you're not mad?"
"No, kiddo. Why would I be mad?"
"'C-cause last time. . . ." Her voice caught on the words.
"I'm not mad at you, Jubilee. Now, how about we get you cleaned up?" he asked,
tenderly stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Getting out of the wet clothes
should also help warm you up a bit."
She nodded emphatically.
"Okay, I'm going to take off your sweat pants."
Nodding, Jubilee rolled onto her back and straightened her legs, allowing Scott
to grab the pants by the ankle cuffs and tug them off of her. As he put them
aside, he saw that she began to shiver again. He hurried to retrieve a wash
cloth, which he wet-down with warm water. Kneeling beside her, he gently wiped
her legs with the cloth.
"Better?" he asked her.
She nodded. "'M tired. . . ." she whispered, closing her eyes.
"You just rest, kiddo," he told her as he dried her legs with a towel. Then he
carefully lifted her in his arms and laid her on the open blanket, which he
wrapped snugly around her before once more taking her into his arms. By then,
Scott knew she was half-asleep, but he still felt the need to assure her that he
was going to do everything in his power to make sure she was well. "I'm going to
get you to Hank, let him examine you and run some tests. Hopefully he'll be able
to figure out what caused your seizure, and prevent it from happening again."
She murmured something unintelligible before snuggling closer against his chest.
Looking down at her face, Scott was struck by how peaceful it looked at that
moment. He could not help but smile. "Don `t worry, kiddo, we're gonna get to
the bottom of this," he said as he carried her out of the house and toward the
mansion. "I promise."
End Chapter 8
*****