Rob's eyes opened slowly. He wanted to just sit straight up in the bed he was lying in. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know how he got there. He just wanted to get out of there.
"Easy," a voice said to him. He looked in the direction of the voice. A dark skinned woman with white hair stood there. He vaguely recognized her, but he couldn't quite remember her name. Just like he didn't know what he was doing here. He was supposed to be at the train station by now. He was supposed to be hiding out in a new city, as far away from New York as he could get. Somewhere where he would be safe from the ties he was starting to form with this family.
"Let me out of here," he said. The woman looked towards him again. She silently shook her head.
"You're injured," she told him.
Rob decided not to fight her. He would get better in a few hours and then take off. He couldn't stay here. He was beginning to become better friends with the other students. He was talking to Rogue and becoming better friends, playing basketball with Evan, and developing a small crush on Kitty. He couldn't stick around. It would mean attaching himself to people that he didn't wanted to get attached to. And then they'd kick him out, just like his grandparents did.
"Rob?" a voice came from the hallway by his bed. He struggled to look up. The Professor was sitting nearby in his wheelchair. His balding head was shinning in the light. Rob looked away.
"Yeah?" he responded, with absolutely no enthusiasm in his voice. He didn't really feel like talking to the mind reader. The man would just go and read his mind without his permission. Rob knew he was immune to Cerebro, but how long could he prevent the Professor from looking around in his head? He didn't want anybody poking around in there. They were his private thoughts.
"I need to talk to you. Just why did you feel the need to leave the mansion this morning?" the Professor wasn't trying to probe for an answer yet, but Rob expected him to begin any moment.
"I don't know. Just didn't want to be here anymore," he said, as vaguely as possible.
"I don't think that's right, Rob. I think that you're afraid. Afraid of getting attached to us. Afraid of loosing somebody you love. Afraid of being left alone." The Professor seemed to be concentrating awfully hard. Rob started to become prepared for him to probe his mind.
"How would you know? You don't know anything about me," Rob shot back. The Professor slowly shook his head.
"I know more then you think, Rob, and I'm not looking in your head to find out. I know this because we've all gone through it. All the mutants that were left homeless and beaten, kicked out by the people they love, feel it. It's just hitting you harder. I know that you feel like you can't become close to anybody. I know that you think that they'll reject you. Rob, you've got to understand that's not what the X-Men are about. Once you're a member, you're accepted here. You won't loose anybody except in some dire circumstance that I hope never happens, and you won't be left alone because the X-Men stick together."
"So?" Rob understood what the Professor was trying to tell him. He was trying to tell him that no matter what happened, he would have a home here. His grandparents had told him that right after his parents had died, and they hadn't kept their promise.
"Rob, stay with us. If you don't, I can guarantee that you will suffer the emotions that you wish not to." The Professor looked into Rob's eyes. Rob turned his head.
"I've taken care of myself for awhile. I can do without your help," he said. "I'm leaving when I'm healed."
"If that's what you want. Our doors are always open to you." With that, the Professor turned his chair around and left the room. Rob watched him go. His words were really starting to sink in. He wanted to stick around and hang out with everybody, he really did. But he didn't want to suffer the consequences of getting close to people. It hurt too much when they left. When they abandoned him. If he got close, it would just happen all over again.
He lay back in the bed. Rogue and Evan would be incredibly mad at him if he took off once again. But they shouldn't care. He was a Loner. They should know that. Maybe he would come back and visit every once in awhile, but he didn't want to live there. Not even if he could finish his senior year and go onto a good college provided by the Professor. Not even if he could touch Rogue. Not even if his grandparents came to see him. He didn't want to suffer anymore. It was time for the suffering to end.
And the only way to end it is to leaveā¦he thought.
~
Out in the hallway beyond the Med Lab, the Professor shook his head sadly.
No Rob, you can get rid of the pain if you stay and experience a family again. he thought. But of course, Rob didn't hear him.
