Title: A Friend in Need II: Sweet Child of Mine 21/22
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 21
Jean and Scott sat in a lounge at the Mid-County Medical Center, waiting for
Jubilee's physician to come speak to them. Apparently, the doctor wanted to
brief them before they would be permitted to see her.
"She'll be right with you," a nurse had told them, not unsympathetically. "Dr.
Foxx is just finishing up with another patient." That was over twenty minutes
ago, and with each passing minute, their apprehension was growing by leaps and
bounds.
They sat side-by-side, clasping each other's hands tightly, as they waited. They
said nothing. The silence was occasionally punctuated by Jean's sniffles, which
prompted Scott to give her hand an encouraging squeeze.
"I think I'm going to go speak to the nurse again," Scott said finally, starting
to rise.
"Scott--wait," Jean called, tugging on his hand. She inclined her head toward
the doorway.
Scott followed her gaze. A thirty-ish woman in green scrubs and a white labcoat
was walking toward them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Summers?" she asked as she approached.
"Yes," Jean replied, rising to stand beside Scott.
"I'm Dr. Foxx," she said, shaking each of their hands in turn. "So you two are
Jubilee's foster parents?"
They nodded. "Doctor, how is she?" Scott asked.
"She's doing all right. Please, why don't we sit down?" she suggested,
indicating the chairs. Scott and Jean resumed their seats, while the doctor
pulled a chair over so that she could sit facing them. "I've worked in the ER a
number of years, and let me tell you, it was a damned good thing that she was
wearing a helmet. Her injuries are relatively minor. Jubilee's got a rather
large laceration running down her temple and onto her cheek, which required a
number of stitches. She suffered a mild concussion, and was unconscious for a
short while before arriving at the hospital. In addition, her hands were
scraped up pretty badly--probably from when she tried to break her fall. Other
than that, no other injuries. She is one lucky young woman."
"Oh, thank God." Jean fought back tears of relief. "So, she's awake? Can we see
her?"
"Of course. First, though, I wanted to ask you about something."
Jean's brow furrowed. She felt Scott's grip on her hand tighten.
"What is it, Doctor?" Scott asked.
"How long has Jubilee been staying with you?"
"Almost two-and-a-half months," Jean replied.
"Has she recently sustained other injuries?"
Jean nodded. "Shortly before we took her in, she had been kidnapped and beaten.
She had a serious head injury, which required several operations. Broken ribs, a
fractured wrist. She was comatose for a few days. When she awoke, she had
amnesia and was temporarily paralyzed."
"Oh my." Dr. Foxx's eyes widened.
For a moment, both Jean and Scott were worried that the doctor would question
them further, and that they would have to concoct a more mundane explanation for
the true nature of Jubilee's attack. It did not take them long to realize,
however, that while she was obviously surprised by the cause of Jubilee's
previous trauma, Dr. Foxx was not especially shocked by the news. Glancing at
the physician's face, Jean realized that her eyes seemed much older than her
years. Lord only knew what horrors she had seen first-hand. Her unflappable
demeanor was undoubtedly the consequence of witnessing countless injuries like
those that had befallen Jubilee during her years working in a hospital emergency
room. Not completely unlike the X-Men, she was privy to knowledge of some of the
worst things of which humanity was capable. But while mutants such as Jean
usually fought battles from the forefront, these doctors were left to pick up
the pieces and deal with the damage left behind.
"But Jubilee has obviously managed a dramatic recovery," Dr. Foxx was saying,
"if she was injured while roller blading."
"My wife and I work at the Xavier Institute, over on Graymalkin Lane," Scott
explained. "Jubilee is being cared for by the doctor on staff. We've been
utilizing the facilities there to help her recuperate. Physical therapy, and the
like."
Dr. Foxx nodded. "All right. It's beginning to make a little more sense."
"What is?" Jean asked. "Doctor, is something wrong? Is there something you're
not telling us?"
"It's just that when we asked her if she knew her phone number--to test her
mental clarity--she gave us a 617 number. And when we asked her for her address,
she told us of a different school. Also Xavier's, but a School for Gifted
Youngsters. In Massachusetts."
"That's the school she attended before her injuries," Scott explained. "Because
of the amnesia, she didn't remember going there."
"Dr. Foxx, are you saying . . . does Jubilee remember her time at the school in
Massachusetts?" Jean felt her hope rising.
"Apparently. When we asked her whom we should contact, she said Mr. Cassidy--
insisting that it not be Miss Frost. She did not mention either of you.
Although, when we mentioned your names, she knew exactly who you were. Once she
started talking about you, it seemed like things were starting to come back to
her--albeit a bit vaguely. I suspect she'll recall more recent memories more
clearly after she's rested."
"Oh my God," Jean gasped, and this time she could not prevent the tears from
falling. "Scott, did you hear that? She's gotten her memory back. She
remembers." She turned to face him, saw her own joy and relief echoed on his
face. She reached for him, and he pulled her into a tight embrace.
Smiling, Dr. Foxx sat silently, allowing the couple a moment to rejoice for the
good news that had come out of this near-tragedy.
Finally, Jean pulled back. Looking at Scott, she could not help but smile. He
returned the gesture, reaching to gently dry her cheeks.
"So, Dr. Foxx, can we see her?" he asked.
"Of course," she said, rising. "I'll take you to her now, if you'd like."
Scott also rose, holding out his hand to Jean. She took it and got up. Still
holding hands, they followed Dr. Foxx into a small room just off of the main
emergency room.
"She's in the far bed, by the window," Dr. Foxx told them. "We're going to have
her transferred to a room upstairs. We'd like to keep her overnight, for
observation."
"Thank you, Doctor," Scott told her.
Dr. Foxx smiled. "I'll talk to you more later." With a final nod, she took her
leave.
As Jean and Scott approached, they saw that both of Jubilee's hands were
bandaged, as was the left side of her face--forehead to cheek. She looked pale
and tired, but otherwise none too the worse for wear.
At the sound of their approach, she slowly turned her face toward them. Catching
sight of the familiar couple, Jubilee's eyes immediately lit up, and her face
broke into an enormous grin. "Jean, Scott," she called, her voice weak. "Hey
there."
"Hi, sweetie," Jean said softly, as she walked up to the bed. She gazed down at
the girl tenderly. She slowly reached toward her, gently caressed her uninjured
cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I was hit by a Mac truck," she replied with a wry grin.
"Luckily, it was only a small sedan," Scott deadpanned.
Jubilee smirked.
"Do you remember what happened?" Jean asked.
"Bits an' pieces." Jubilee closed her eyes a moment, as though searching her
mind for the memories. "I remember bladin'. The sun was startin' to set. All of
a sudden, I heard a car horn blarin'. I glanced over my shoulder, saw a car
headin' straight toward me. I tried to veer off, to the other side of the road.
There was the screech of brakes, then the car started to skid. Before I even
knew what was happenin', I was knocked offa my feet. I was headin' across the
road. I threw out my hands, tryin' to stop, but I went slidin'. Then everythin'
went black. When I woke up, there were these doctor-types, pokin' an' proddin'
me."
Jean gently sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're lucky to be alive,
sweetie."
"Yeah, I know. Guess it was a good thing you insisted on me gettin' all that
gear, huh, Scott?"
He smiled. "I'll say."
"So you remember staying with us all these weeks?" Jean asked her.
"Yeah. It's comin' back now. I think I was a bit confused when I first woke up."
"And you also recall your time with Generation X?" Scott questioned.
"Uh huh. That's clearer than it's been since what Tessa did to me."
"You remember that too?" Jean asked, concerned.
Jubilee took a shaky breath. "I know that she an' Shaw tortured me an' Ev.
That's still kinda fuzzy too, but less so than it's been. Can't say that I mind
forgettin' mosta that experience."
"That's great that you've gotten your memory back, kiddo," Scott told her. "Too
bad it took another knock on the head to do it."
"I shoulda tried it sooner. That's how it always works in the movies."
"Just so long as this is the last injury you get for a long time," Jean said.
"Fine by me."
Smiling, Jean warmly clasped the girl's arm, afraid that touching her hand would
cause her pain. "Jubilee . . . sweetie, do you remember why you ran away?"
She hesitated, nibbling on her lower lip. "I . . . I just . . . I needed to get
away . . . from everythin' an' everybody. It was just too intense."
"I'm sorry if you felt caught in the middle," Scott told her. "You do know that
all that was going on between Jean and me--the arguing, the shouting--had
nothing to do with you."
Jubilee looked down at her bandaged hands. Her lower lip trembled. "But . . .
you were fightin' about me."
"No, sweetie," Jean said, squeezing her arm. "We were fighting about us. The way
I was treating Scott--"
"But I heard you, Jean. I heard both of you. You were arguin' about me--about
how you stopped payin' as much attention to each other since I came to stay with
you."
"That's not your fault, kiddo," Scott insisted.
"It's mine," Jean said. "The problems Scott and I have been having had to do
with my behavior. I was pushing him away. It shouldn't have come as a surprise
that it put a strain on our marriage."
"I'm sorry," Jubilee murmured. "I never meant to come between you."
"Oh, sweetie, you didn't."
"I *did*. I ruined everythin'. I nearly broke you up. And I-I. . . ." She broke
into tears, unable to voice the words.
"What, Jubilee?" Jean asked gently. "What is it?"
"It's all my fault," she sobbed. "I never meant. . . ."
"Never meant what?" Scott asked, walking closer. "What do you think is your
fault?"
"It was 'cause of me that . . . that . . . that Jean lost the baby," she
finished, her voice barely a whisper. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. So sorry. . . ."
"Jubilee, look at me," Jean said firmly, taking the girl's face in her hands.
When Jubilee tried to avert her eyes, Jean repeated, "Look at me."
Finally, she did, albeit hesitantly.
"You listen to me, Jubilation. My miscarriage was in no way your fault. You had
absolutely nothing to do with it. I do not want you to go on believing for
another second that you are to blame."
"B-but--"
"No buts, sweetie. Unfortunately, sometimes terrible things like this happen.
But it's no one's fault. Certainly not yours. Please tell me you believe that."
"I. . . ."
"Jubilee, we don't blame you for what happened," Scott said. "We never did. I'm
just glad that you were there for Jean, to help her. I should have been; but
since I wasn't, I'm so glad it was you."
He reached for her shoulder, gave it a gentle squeeze.
She looked from Scott to Jean. "I-I'm so sorry about the baby. You two would've
made the best parents. I should know."
"Oh, sweetie," Jean murmured, reaching for her.
Sitting up, Jubilee gladly moved into the waiting embrace. Holding tight to Jean
with one arm, she reached toward Scott with the other. Smiling, he sat down on
the other side of the bed and hugged her.
"Thank you, guys, for everythin' that you've done for me," Jubilee whispered,
holding tight to both of her foster parents. "Thank you for carin' for me, for
watchin' out for me. For givin' me the family I thought I'd lost forever." She
gave a small, quavering sigh. "I just want to let you know . . . to tell you . .
. I love you guys."
Jean hugged her even tighter. "We love you, too."
"We're so incredibly lucky to have you in our lives, kiddo," Scott said, kissing
her temple. "You're everything we could ever hope to have in a daughter."
Jubilee pulled back enough to look at him. "Really?"
Smiling, Scott gently cupped her cheek in his hand. "Really. I couldn't be more
proud of you if you were my own flesh and blood."
Blinking back tears, Jubilee lightly covered his hand with her own.
End Chapter 21
*****
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 21
Jean and Scott sat in a lounge at the Mid-County Medical Center, waiting for
Jubilee's physician to come speak to them. Apparently, the doctor wanted to
brief them before they would be permitted to see her.
"She'll be right with you," a nurse had told them, not unsympathetically. "Dr.
Foxx is just finishing up with another patient." That was over twenty minutes
ago, and with each passing minute, their apprehension was growing by leaps and
bounds.
They sat side-by-side, clasping each other's hands tightly, as they waited. They
said nothing. The silence was occasionally punctuated by Jean's sniffles, which
prompted Scott to give her hand an encouraging squeeze.
"I think I'm going to go speak to the nurse again," Scott said finally, starting
to rise.
"Scott--wait," Jean called, tugging on his hand. She inclined her head toward
the doorway.
Scott followed her gaze. A thirty-ish woman in green scrubs and a white labcoat
was walking toward them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Summers?" she asked as she approached.
"Yes," Jean replied, rising to stand beside Scott.
"I'm Dr. Foxx," she said, shaking each of their hands in turn. "So you two are
Jubilee's foster parents?"
They nodded. "Doctor, how is she?" Scott asked.
"She's doing all right. Please, why don't we sit down?" she suggested,
indicating the chairs. Scott and Jean resumed their seats, while the doctor
pulled a chair over so that she could sit facing them. "I've worked in the ER a
number of years, and let me tell you, it was a damned good thing that she was
wearing a helmet. Her injuries are relatively minor. Jubilee's got a rather
large laceration running down her temple and onto her cheek, which required a
number of stitches. She suffered a mild concussion, and was unconscious for a
short while before arriving at the hospital. In addition, her hands were
scraped up pretty badly--probably from when she tried to break her fall. Other
than that, no other injuries. She is one lucky young woman."
"Oh, thank God." Jean fought back tears of relief. "So, she's awake? Can we see
her?"
"Of course. First, though, I wanted to ask you about something."
Jean's brow furrowed. She felt Scott's grip on her hand tighten.
"What is it, Doctor?" Scott asked.
"How long has Jubilee been staying with you?"
"Almost two-and-a-half months," Jean replied.
"Has she recently sustained other injuries?"
Jean nodded. "Shortly before we took her in, she had been kidnapped and beaten.
She had a serious head injury, which required several operations. Broken ribs, a
fractured wrist. She was comatose for a few days. When she awoke, she had
amnesia and was temporarily paralyzed."
"Oh my." Dr. Foxx's eyes widened.
For a moment, both Jean and Scott were worried that the doctor would question
them further, and that they would have to concoct a more mundane explanation for
the true nature of Jubilee's attack. It did not take them long to realize,
however, that while she was obviously surprised by the cause of Jubilee's
previous trauma, Dr. Foxx was not especially shocked by the news. Glancing at
the physician's face, Jean realized that her eyes seemed much older than her
years. Lord only knew what horrors she had seen first-hand. Her unflappable
demeanor was undoubtedly the consequence of witnessing countless injuries like
those that had befallen Jubilee during her years working in a hospital emergency
room. Not completely unlike the X-Men, she was privy to knowledge of some of the
worst things of which humanity was capable. But while mutants such as Jean
usually fought battles from the forefront, these doctors were left to pick up
the pieces and deal with the damage left behind.
"But Jubilee has obviously managed a dramatic recovery," Dr. Foxx was saying,
"if she was injured while roller blading."
"My wife and I work at the Xavier Institute, over on Graymalkin Lane," Scott
explained. "Jubilee is being cared for by the doctor on staff. We've been
utilizing the facilities there to help her recuperate. Physical therapy, and the
like."
Dr. Foxx nodded. "All right. It's beginning to make a little more sense."
"What is?" Jean asked. "Doctor, is something wrong? Is there something you're
not telling us?"
"It's just that when we asked her if she knew her phone number--to test her
mental clarity--she gave us a 617 number. And when we asked her for her address,
she told us of a different school. Also Xavier's, but a School for Gifted
Youngsters. In Massachusetts."
"That's the school she attended before her injuries," Scott explained. "Because
of the amnesia, she didn't remember going there."
"Dr. Foxx, are you saying . . . does Jubilee remember her time at the school in
Massachusetts?" Jean felt her hope rising.
"Apparently. When we asked her whom we should contact, she said Mr. Cassidy--
insisting that it not be Miss Frost. She did not mention either of you.
Although, when we mentioned your names, she knew exactly who you were. Once she
started talking about you, it seemed like things were starting to come back to
her--albeit a bit vaguely. I suspect she'll recall more recent memories more
clearly after she's rested."
"Oh my God," Jean gasped, and this time she could not prevent the tears from
falling. "Scott, did you hear that? She's gotten her memory back. She
remembers." She turned to face him, saw her own joy and relief echoed on his
face. She reached for him, and he pulled her into a tight embrace.
Smiling, Dr. Foxx sat silently, allowing the couple a moment to rejoice for the
good news that had come out of this near-tragedy.
Finally, Jean pulled back. Looking at Scott, she could not help but smile. He
returned the gesture, reaching to gently dry her cheeks.
"So, Dr. Foxx, can we see her?" he asked.
"Of course," she said, rising. "I'll take you to her now, if you'd like."
Scott also rose, holding out his hand to Jean. She took it and got up. Still
holding hands, they followed Dr. Foxx into a small room just off of the main
emergency room.
"She's in the far bed, by the window," Dr. Foxx told them. "We're going to have
her transferred to a room upstairs. We'd like to keep her overnight, for
observation."
"Thank you, Doctor," Scott told her.
Dr. Foxx smiled. "I'll talk to you more later." With a final nod, she took her
leave.
As Jean and Scott approached, they saw that both of Jubilee's hands were
bandaged, as was the left side of her face--forehead to cheek. She looked pale
and tired, but otherwise none too the worse for wear.
At the sound of their approach, she slowly turned her face toward them. Catching
sight of the familiar couple, Jubilee's eyes immediately lit up, and her face
broke into an enormous grin. "Jean, Scott," she called, her voice weak. "Hey
there."
"Hi, sweetie," Jean said softly, as she walked up to the bed. She gazed down at
the girl tenderly. She slowly reached toward her, gently caressed her uninjured
cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I was hit by a Mac truck," she replied with a wry grin.
"Luckily, it was only a small sedan," Scott deadpanned.
Jubilee smirked.
"Do you remember what happened?" Jean asked.
"Bits an' pieces." Jubilee closed her eyes a moment, as though searching her
mind for the memories. "I remember bladin'. The sun was startin' to set. All of
a sudden, I heard a car horn blarin'. I glanced over my shoulder, saw a car
headin' straight toward me. I tried to veer off, to the other side of the road.
There was the screech of brakes, then the car started to skid. Before I even
knew what was happenin', I was knocked offa my feet. I was headin' across the
road. I threw out my hands, tryin' to stop, but I went slidin'. Then everythin'
went black. When I woke up, there were these doctor-types, pokin' an' proddin'
me."
Jean gently sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're lucky to be alive,
sweetie."
"Yeah, I know. Guess it was a good thing you insisted on me gettin' all that
gear, huh, Scott?"
He smiled. "I'll say."
"So you remember staying with us all these weeks?" Jean asked her.
"Yeah. It's comin' back now. I think I was a bit confused when I first woke up."
"And you also recall your time with Generation X?" Scott questioned.
"Uh huh. That's clearer than it's been since what Tessa did to me."
"You remember that too?" Jean asked, concerned.
Jubilee took a shaky breath. "I know that she an' Shaw tortured me an' Ev.
That's still kinda fuzzy too, but less so than it's been. Can't say that I mind
forgettin' mosta that experience."
"That's great that you've gotten your memory back, kiddo," Scott told her. "Too
bad it took another knock on the head to do it."
"I shoulda tried it sooner. That's how it always works in the movies."
"Just so long as this is the last injury you get for a long time," Jean said.
"Fine by me."
Smiling, Jean warmly clasped the girl's arm, afraid that touching her hand would
cause her pain. "Jubilee . . . sweetie, do you remember why you ran away?"
She hesitated, nibbling on her lower lip. "I . . . I just . . . I needed to get
away . . . from everythin' an' everybody. It was just too intense."
"I'm sorry if you felt caught in the middle," Scott told her. "You do know that
all that was going on between Jean and me--the arguing, the shouting--had
nothing to do with you."
Jubilee looked down at her bandaged hands. Her lower lip trembled. "But . . .
you were fightin' about me."
"No, sweetie," Jean said, squeezing her arm. "We were fighting about us. The way
I was treating Scott--"
"But I heard you, Jean. I heard both of you. You were arguin' about me--about
how you stopped payin' as much attention to each other since I came to stay with
you."
"That's not your fault, kiddo," Scott insisted.
"It's mine," Jean said. "The problems Scott and I have been having had to do
with my behavior. I was pushing him away. It shouldn't have come as a surprise
that it put a strain on our marriage."
"I'm sorry," Jubilee murmured. "I never meant to come between you."
"Oh, sweetie, you didn't."
"I *did*. I ruined everythin'. I nearly broke you up. And I-I. . . ." She broke
into tears, unable to voice the words.
"What, Jubilee?" Jean asked gently. "What is it?"
"It's all my fault," she sobbed. "I never meant. . . ."
"Never meant what?" Scott asked, walking closer. "What do you think is your
fault?"
"It was 'cause of me that . . . that . . . that Jean lost the baby," she
finished, her voice barely a whisper. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. So sorry. . . ."
"Jubilee, look at me," Jean said firmly, taking the girl's face in her hands.
When Jubilee tried to avert her eyes, Jean repeated, "Look at me."
Finally, she did, albeit hesitantly.
"You listen to me, Jubilation. My miscarriage was in no way your fault. You had
absolutely nothing to do with it. I do not want you to go on believing for
another second that you are to blame."
"B-but--"
"No buts, sweetie. Unfortunately, sometimes terrible things like this happen.
But it's no one's fault. Certainly not yours. Please tell me you believe that."
"I. . . ."
"Jubilee, we don't blame you for what happened," Scott said. "We never did. I'm
just glad that you were there for Jean, to help her. I should have been; but
since I wasn't, I'm so glad it was you."
He reached for her shoulder, gave it a gentle squeeze.
She looked from Scott to Jean. "I-I'm so sorry about the baby. You two would've
made the best parents. I should know."
"Oh, sweetie," Jean murmured, reaching for her.
Sitting up, Jubilee gladly moved into the waiting embrace. Holding tight to Jean
with one arm, she reached toward Scott with the other. Smiling, he sat down on
the other side of the bed and hugged her.
"Thank you, guys, for everythin' that you've done for me," Jubilee whispered,
holding tight to both of her foster parents. "Thank you for carin' for me, for
watchin' out for me. For givin' me the family I thought I'd lost forever." She
gave a small, quavering sigh. "I just want to let you know . . . to tell you . .
. I love you guys."
Jean hugged her even tighter. "We love you, too."
"We're so incredibly lucky to have you in our lives, kiddo," Scott said, kissing
her temple. "You're everything we could ever hope to have in a daughter."
Jubilee pulled back enough to look at him. "Really?"
Smiling, Scott gently cupped her cheek in his hand. "Really. I couldn't be more
proud of you if you were my own flesh and blood."
Blinking back tears, Jubilee lightly covered his hand with her own.
End Chapter 21
*****