Chapter 3
With a large combo pizza and a half-gallon jug of orange juice for nourishment, Hank collected a significant amount of plasma from Wolverine. That didn't stop him from leaving Storm's side though – he sat there all night holding her uninjured left hand and talking to her; taking a break only to relieve himself. As the others filtered in the next morning, He remained ever so vigilant by her side. Unfortunately, nothing had changed – neither that day nor night; except the unpredictable weather.
A little after 11pm, Rogue stopped by to visit.
"Sugah, you okay? Why don't you go get some sleep. Ah'll stay with her tonight and come get you if there's any change."
"That's alright Darlin', I couldn't sleep anyway. Besides, she's close to beatin' this thing – I can feel it."
"She's a tough gal."
"Yeah, and she ain't goin' out by the hand o' no FOH gutter trash."
"Ah know. Damn, ah wish there was somethin' else ah coulda done. If only ah was a little faster."
"Don't go beatin' yerself up over this Rogue. It ain't yer fault, and Storm'll be the first ta tell ya that as soon as she wakes up."
"Thank you Logan – ah just really hate ta see her like this. She's mah best friend…been there for me so many times ah can't remember 'em all."
"She's been there for all of us more times than we can remember. That's the way she is."
"The little girl alright?" Logan asked – thinking about the one redeeming quality of Storm's ill-fated mission.
"She's doing fine – considering her world just came crashing down. She's copin' with the loss of her parents as well as she can – been doing a lot of cryin' and sleepin'. Professor Xavier is keepin' a close eye on her."
"Charlie gonna keep her here?"
"Ah don't know – he's havin' a pretty difficult time finding any relatives. The family musta kept to themselves – being mutants and all. Everyone we've contacted has wanted nothing ta do with her."
"What's her name? Tamra?".
"TASHA, Tasha Jordan. Ah can't say ah blame her relatives…considering how her parents died, they probably want ta stay as far away from her as possible."
"Figures…blood may be thicker than water, but fear and hatred rot clear to the bone." Logan grunted "Why don't you get some rest Darlin' – I'll let YOU know when things change."
"Yeah Shug, it is getting' kinda late. Ah'll check back in the morning. You need anything? A pillow? Blanket? Cup of coffee?"
"That's alright – um fine. G'night."
Hank came in bright and early the next morning to check on Storm. Wolverine greeted him before he was even fully in the door.
"No change Hank. She's still unconscious." he said in a low disappointing voice without turning around to look at the entering physician.
"Logan, have you been here all night? Have you gotten ANY sleep yet?"
"Don't worry about me. Worry about her – SHE'S your patient."
"I worry about ALL of my friends."
"Whatever floats yer boat Hank – whaddya gonna do about Storm?"
"I must admit – I'm at a loss. I wanted to have her in the fluid-regeneration tank by now but I was hoping she would be conscious – it makes the transition so much easier."
"Whaddya wanna put her in there fer? She ain't no fish."
"The flu-gen tank has been known to significantly help tissue regeneration. It's had limited success on burn victims, but I believe it WILL help Storm out – at the very least, it will make her more comfortable and the circulating fluid will keep her injuries clean."
"I ain't too good at all that medical mumbo jumbo but if you think it'll help, go for it."
"I'll give her one more day – if she hasn't regained consciousness by tomorrow, I'll prep the tank. I'd also like to get some more plasma from you. We can integrate it right into the tank."
"Hank, I'm really glad you're here takin' care o' her. I don't trust them medicos at the hospital. There's no tellin' what they'd do ta her if they found out she was a mutant. You might be a bit long-winded on yer explanations, but I know you're the best there is."
"Your gratitude and confidence in me is most appreciated my good fellow – especially at this particular juncture in time." Hank replied with a slight smile.
"Heh – that's the first thing you've said that sounds like YOU since all this started."
They both chuckled a bit and the mood in the room lightened for a few seconds. Hank set Logan up for another plasma donation then headed off to the kitchen to get some much needed food for both of them.
Logan stayed with her the rest of the day; leaving only for short periods of time to shower, grab a quick bite, and cut some fresh flowers for Storm. Although the med-lab wasn't the best place for fresh cut flowers, Hank didn't object – opting for anything that might bring Storm out of her unconscious state. By the end of the day, the scent of roses and carnations hung heavy in the room.
The other X-men were quite surprised by Logan's reactions. Half of them expected him to have gone after the FOH in one of his berserker rages – leaving them to clean up the mess and tend to Storm. The other half expected him to roam the halls of Salem Center in a bad mood – which he had done all to often for far less…like someone drinking his beer. Nobody expected him to remain constantly by Storm's side; but then none of them really knew him like Storm, and she definitely brought out the best in him.
Logan – WOLVERINE – was a warrior plain and simple and nobody denied that. But the one thing people failed to understand about him or others like him was the driving force behind him…the heart of the warrior. It wasn't love of the battle that kept him going. It was the inspiration BEHIND the battle – the love of the WOMAN. The other X-Men were finally starting to realize that and see the true nature of his heart and the immenseness of its depth. Deep in his heart, buried in the very essence of his soul was the core of his being – his love for Storm…his motivation; quite possibly his reason for living.
Even Scott was impressed with his dedication. Seeing this new side of Logan gave him a different perspective on their coarse and sometimes down-right nasty friendship. For years, Logan remained a thorn in his side with his constant "attention" to Jean; but it was all starting to fall into place now. The peace Logan so often sought but never found until he started dating Storm, the resentment toward Cyclops for being the one that Jean loved all those years, the unpredictable behavior he always showed, even his berserker rages in a limited sense…all linked to his heart; his motivation…now his love for Storm. He had a new respect for Logan.
"Hey Cyke – how's it goin?" Logan asked, again opting to keep his attention on Storm as Scott entered the med-lab.
"What? No brash remarks…no "Whaddya want One-eye…can't ya see she's sleepin'?!" I'm shocked Logan.
"Another time Scott. Right now Storm needs all the encouragement she can get. Pull up a chair and have a sitdown."
"Thank you Logan. I brought you some coffee."
"Thanks. I could use some right now."
"When's the last time you slept?"
"Can-it One-Eye…I've already heard it from Hank."
Scott opted not to tell him that THAT was the type of reaction he half expected from him.
"Okay Logan, I understand. The room looks pretty nice. I think Storm will like all the flowers when she wakes up - though she'll probably kick your butt from one end of the rose garden to the other when she finds out where they all came from."
The laugh they shared induced a very pleasant conversation about Storm and how she always managed to brighten up the mansion. They sat and chatted for about a half hour before Scott returned to his ever-vigilant duties of watching over mutant and mutant-related activities from the Control Room.
About an hour after that, Remy walked in.
"Logan, mon ami. Can you step outside f'r a minute? Gambit need t' talk t' you 'bout something tre important.
"Just for a minute Cajun."
The two X-men stepped outside the med-lab and Gambit handed Wolverine something – a small box…it even had a ribbon on it.
"What's this? It ain't my birthday…but then again, it could be."
"Dat's jez a li'l present from Gambit. I trust you'll know what t' do with it when the time is right."
Logan opened the box and found a wallet.
"Whuzzat? You gave me a wallet? Somebody else's wallet? Storm's laid up in med-lab and you're out stealin' people's wallets?"
"B'cuz you haven't slept in so long, Gambit overlook dat last remark. Dis is a special wallet. It belong to Triggerman. Gambit grab it before we left – figure it might come in handy sometime, no?"
"TRIGGERMAN!" Gambit could see the berserker rage starting to radiate off Wolverine's head – but then he did something that left Gambit completely shocked; he stopped and calmed down. Just as fast as the berserker rage started, Logan put it in check, shook his hand and thanked him.
"Thanks buddy – this'll come in real handy in the near future."
"No problem mon ami – jez one t'ing…when you decide to use dat, you tink about takin' Gambit along wit you. Gambit got a score t' settle with dat particular fran."
"No problem Cajun."
"Dis jez one warrior to another…we gotta look out for each other."
Though he was a thief by heart, Logan acknowledged Gambit's "warrior" sentiment. He then returned to Storm's side.
As the clock passed1:30am, Logan's head began to wobble. He hadn't slept in 3 days and was really beginning to feel the effects. His head flopped back and he was jerked awake by the momentum of the swing. Wanting to make sure he hadn't missed anything, he quickly looked at Storm and at the monitors keeping track of her vital signs…nothing had changed.
"Jesus Ro…"he whispered in a low voice. "Ya gotta come back. It just doesn't work without you."
He held her hand tighter as if he were pleading with her to respond.
"Don't you know what you mean to me? Don't you know what you've done to me and how you've affected my life? You're a part of me now.
Do you remember when we first met…I joined the team and most people shunned me because of my animalistic behavior, but not you – you were so willing to look past that and give me a chance. You made me feel welcome.
Heh – I remember all those training sessions we had after you asked me to teach you what I knew about hand-to-hand combat. During that first week you ended up on yer ass so many times I lost count. I told you ta put quarters on the floor every time you ended up on yer backside. By the end o' the week, I had enough ta buy me a CASE o' beer and a mess o' munchies. You were so mad I thought fer sure you were gonna blow me away with one o' yer tornados or sumpn. But you never did, you stuck with it and one day you told me that every time I ended up on MY ass, I would have to put a quarter on the ground. You got so good usin' them damn kendo sticks that I ended up payin' YOU $5. What a hoot that was!
What about the time when I was hidin' in the trees checkin' you out as you went for yer midnight dip in the lake. Every time there was a full moon, there you were – givin' YOUR full moon. I still don't know how you knew I was up there – musta lost my touch or sumpn, but that gust o' wind that knocked me outta that tree came outta nowhere…it HAD ta be you. I couldn't look you in the eye for a week – but you never said anything about it. You just snickered, gave me a smile and kept it our lil secret. Even back then I fell hard for you – literally!
God Ro – I really miss you. You remember our first date – that night we went to Paganini's? I remember the look on yer face when I kissed you the first time. You were so surprised. What about that second kiss – the one where you lifted me off the ground. Heh – what is it with you knocking me off my feet? Later on that night when we went on that motorcycle ride, I remember how nervous you were at first; but later on you really got into it and enjoyed yerself – once you dug your nails outta my sides. On the way back, you asked me to teach you to ride. Who woulda thought it…you ridin' a Harley? Nobody knows you sometimes take my scoot out late at night for yer own little ride…that's still our lil secret.
Hah – I remember that night in San Francisco after the Raiders game; we were havin' drinks at the Hyatt and those guys kept starin' at you…couldn't blame 'em fer that though. They came over and one of 'em asked if you wanted ta hang out with some REAL men instead of a shrimp like me. I started to get up and you stopped me and told me you'd handle it. You turned to them and said "Do you want to know what kind of man turns me on? A man that has a 9th degree black-belt in 7 different forms of martial arts, knows his away around high explosives, is an expert in all forms of small arms fire and can hit a bullseye in high wind from 1500 yards out. Can you do that? MY man can! On top of that, he has a quick temper and keeps 6 razor sharp blades on him at all times. I don't think he's the kind of guy you want to piss off – do you?" What a hoot that was – they were back-steppin' so fast they almost tripped over each other!
What is it about you Ro? You always make me feel good. You never look down on me because of my wild side, in fact; you embrace it. Maybe that's why we get along so well – you never try to change me. Ro! You gotta come back to me! I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you so much!" he slowly bent over and kissed her hand in silent remorse.
"And I…you…" she weakly said. Wolverine's head shot up in attention.
"Ro?! You're awake?! The smile on his face stretched ear to ear as he jumped to his feet – still clutching her hand and looking intently at her.
"Can't sleep…" she said in a slightly stronger voice "not with you talking so much." Then she let out a faint smile – just enough to let him know it was a joke.
"I gotta get Hank – I'll be right back!" he yelled as he took off through the corridor.
The thunder outside cracked so loud the walls rattled. If anyone was still asleep, they were either deaf or dead….
"Something must have happened to Storm!" Jean yelled as she sat up in bed.
"What do you mean?" Scott asked, putting his glasses on and focusing his attention on her.
"That thunder – that was no ordinary strike…something must have happened. Wait – do you hear something?"
"HAAAAAAAAANK!" Logan yelled running through the halls. SHE'S AWAKE HANK – GET DOWN TO THE MED-LAB…STORM'S AWAKE! HAAAAAANK!!!
"I think you're right Jean." Scott said with a sarcastic grin.
The thunder, coupled with Wolverine's wake-up call, had every X-Man in the mansion running to the med-lab inside 2 minutes. They all crowded around Storm telling her how glad they were she was awake. It wasn't until Hank Yelled to get everyone's attention that they finally left and let him examine her.
"My dear, you gave us quite a scare. How do you feel?"
"Like a baked potato. My back feels awful. How bad is it?"
"I won't lie to you Storm, it's pretty bad – 3rd degree burns over 30 – 35% of your back, right arm and leg. But the worst has passed – now that you're awake, we can begin tissue regeneration."
"Bring me a mirror – I want to see for myself."
"Ro, I'm not sure that's such a good idea right now." Logan interrupted – him being the only other X-Man remaining in the room.
"I want to see it!" Her voice was still weak, but her attitude convinced Hank and Logan that it was probably best to do as she said.
Logan grudgingly brought a small mirror to the head of her bed. Lying on her stomach, she could see the damage all the way down her body. She started to cry almost immediately.
"Baby don't cry – it's gonna be alright."
"How can you say that? Look at me – look at my skin! It's all burned away."
"Hank's gonna do everything he can ta fix you up real good – just wait."
"Don't patronize me Logan – I know what happens to burn victims…the damage is permanent!"
"No Storm!" Hank interjected. "A lot of work has been done in this area, I think I can help. I may not be able to get it back to normal, but I'm sure something can be done."
"My skin…" she sobbed "I'll…I'll never…" she started crying again, thinking about what her future would now be like. Both men knew what was on her mind. She was never one to worry about her looks; but this went way beyond that. They both knew what it felt like to be different - Hank more so than Wolverine; and neither wished it on another person. To see Storm face this painful future was unbearable for both of them, and it broke Wolverine's heart.
"Ro – you're every bit as beautiful as you were before, and anyone that says any different will have to deal with ME." His statement didn't phase her one bit; but he knew it wouldn't. Kind words rarely helped in situations like this.
"That's enough for now." Hank interrupted. "Storm, I want you to rest up. Tomorrow morning I'd like to put you in the flu-gen chamber and get you started on tissue regeneration."
"The flu-gen chamber has NEVER been that effective on these types of…"
"Shhhh…" Hank interrupted. "Get some rest – we'll talk about this in the morning. You too Logan – let's leave her alone for now."
Logan stopped Hank outside the med-lab.
"Are you sure it's such a good idea leaving her alone tonight? She ain't too happy right now."
"I understand your concern Logan, but she'll be alright. She just needs some time to adjust to the things that have happened to her. She's a tough woman – she won't do anything…crazy. If you're worried though, I'll keep the monitor on her tonight and if for some reason she DOES try anything, I'll know about it."
"If you say so Hank – but you keep a close eye on her." Deep down inside Logan knew Hank was right. Storm needed time to sort through the things that had happened to her and come to terms with her current situation. He also knew she wouldn't do anything to hurt herself – it just wasn't in her…no matter what the circumstances were.
With that, they both returned to their rooms and for the first time in 3 days, Logan slept. Although he only slept for a couple hours, it was a much-needed rest. It didn't stop him from getting up and meeting Storm in the med-lab at the crack of dawn though.
She had calmed down quite a bit by the time morning rolled around. Logan was now helping her come to grips with what had happened and had lifted her spirits quite a bit. Seeing all the flowers around the room also helped. It showed her that Logan loved her no matter what. Of course she knew that, but it was always nice to be reminded. Having kept the monitor on, Hank wasn't a bit surprised to see Logan when he walked into the med-lab. He was also very happy to see Storm's change in attitude as it would make the transition to the flu-gen chamber that much easier.
"My stars and garters – what a wonderful morning it has turned out to be."
"Mornin' Hank." Wolverine said.
"Good morning Henry" Storm said – turning her head to see the happy-go-lucky doctor. She tried to wave with her right hand but Hank quickly stopped her, convincing her not to make any movements that might aggravate her injuries.
Hank finalized preparations on the flu-gen chamber as Storm and Wolverine continued their conversation. As the electrical systems on the chamber hummed to life, He turned to her.
"Are you ready to give this a try?"
"I'm not sure… but if you think it will help"
"I think there is a good chance it will help. Not only will the chamber keep your injuries clean, it will also induce regeneration and give us a good prognosis on how serious the damage really is. From that point, we can decide the next course to take. Are you ready?"
"I am as ready as I will ever be. How long will I have to remain in there?"
"It's hard to say right now; once you're in there and we start monitoring your progress, we can…"
"HOW LONG HANK!" Logan interjected…the tone in his voice told him that the next words out of his mouth better involve some sort of time increment."
"I'd like to keep you in there for the next 72 hours…minimum. After that, depending on how well you respond…anywhere from 8 – 16 hours/day for 6-8 weeks."
"You're kidding right Hank? You wanna keep her in that fishbowl for the next 2 months?"
"Storm," he said, looking directly at her and ignoring Logan for the time being. "your injuries are quite extensive. This is the best course of action I have RIGHT NOW. I'll tell you more once I KNOW more."
"I understand." She said. If there was a better course of action, he would have taken it and they both knew it.
Wolverine and Hank helped her get into the tank. Because of the lengthy period and Storm's history with claustrophobia, Hank suggested sleep induction during the entire time. She was quick to agree.
In her rather exposed state, access to the med-lab was restricted except for emergencies. The only ones allowed in were Hank, Wolverine and Jean. Even Xavier wasn't allowed in to check up on his second-in-command. Though he didn't like it, he agreed to abide by Storm's wishes.