The moment Rob was moved into the med. lab, he was hooked up to a bunch of different monitors. Even Rogue knew what the one long continuous beep from the heart monitor meant. In all the TV shows and movies, it meant the patient was dead.
Rogue stepped out of the room. She had watched as Ororo hooked Rob up to different monitors and IV's and machines. She had watched as she injected him with different concoctions and medicines, only to have Rob not respond to any of them. But Rob couldn't be dead. Rob was only eighteen. He'd only been at the Institute for a few days. He hadn't even gotten to know any of them real well. Except her.
She began to walk around the hallways of the mansion. Each place she went to held some memory for her. The open hallway where they'd first met Rob. His bedroom. The dining room. She quickly left the house and went outside, only to find herself looking at the basketball court. She walked out to the edge of the court and sat down. At least she might have some of his memories to remember him by. She had touched him, hadn't she? She always took comfort in the fact that if somebody she had come in contact with was killed, she could keep them living in herself.
Then it hit her. This time it wouldn't work. Her and Rob's powers cancelled each other out. She wouldn't be able to remember him that way. She wouldn't be able to relive the painful moments in his life when she was trying to sleep. She wouldn't be able to smile when one of his happier memories hit her. She would have to remember Rob through the few encounters she had had with him. The not-so-charming encounter would play an even bigger part in her memories of him.
If he's dead, the voice in her head told her. The annoying little voice had often preached true and untrue facts alike to her. She couldn't always tell whether or not to believe it. Usually, it was only half-right. But this time, she trusted it. She ran as fast as she could back to the med. lab.
"Any changes?" she asked, breathlessly. The other X-Men weren't there. The only person there was Ororo and the Professor. They were both looking at the still body lying on the bed. They both shook their heads, unconvincingly. Rogue stepped out of the room.
"Did you contact his grandparents?" she heard Ororo ask. She stepped back towards the door and put her ear to it.
"Yes. They're coming tomorrow," the Professor responded. "Make sure the students are all prepared. I don't want this to be a shock for them." Rogue didn't want to hear anymore. Rob was dead. She had to accept it. She took off running as fast as possible towards her bedroom. She locked the door, knowing it wouldn't keep Kitty out, and put on her headphones. She slowly began to drown out her sadness in music.
"Rogue? Are you there?" Kitty's voice sounded through the door. She rattled the doorknob. It was locked. Slowly, she phased through the door and looked around the room. "You know Rogue, you can't lock me out," she said.
Then she saw Rogue. She was lying on her bed, asleep with her headphones on. "I guess my news will have to wait until you wake up." Kitty whispered. She phased back through the door and went into the rec. room where all of the X-Men had gathered.
"She's asleep." Kitty told them.
"Good," the Professor said. "I don't want the shock to be more painful then it has to."
