Chapter VII:

In the end, she'd had mercy on him and allowed him to ride back in the carriage with her. It was funny, a few years ago he wouldn't have been caught dead in something like that. White horses, and carriages covered in flowers just weren't his thing. She'd said that they weren't always that... girly, but most of the normal carriages had to be used in the war, leaving the town itself with the leftovers. That didn't make him like the ride any better.

Of course... there was one good aspect of it all. He had the chance to watch Marie closely. She concentrated on the scenery, leaving him free to look without getting caught. Or so he thought, anyway. He started at the top and worked his way down, it was the way he always studied people. Two features stood out more than anything else; her eyes, and her hair. Well, the auburn coloring of her locks wasn't anything to pay attention to, but the white shock of hair between them certainly drew you in. He wondered if they were natural, or if she somehow had it done.

Her eyes were large, but then, many women had large puppy eyes. He cocked his head slightly and wondered what it was that made you notice them. The dark, striking, deep green coloring certainly was a compliment to the rest of her. At first glance, they looked like normal, every day eyes. He'd seen plenty to know that. But then, when you looked deeper, you saw the sadness. And it made him curious as to what could have put it there. Her mutation could have added to it. After all, he was sure after years without any physical human contact, anyone could be deeply effected by it. But that wasn't it, not entirely anyway.

Abandoning the question of her eyes for the time being, he let his own wander further down the way. The dress she was wearing definitely flattering to the rest of her, even if he didn't say so out loud. He skipped the obvious parts that men generally wanted to study, granting that he'd have time for that later on, until his eyes fell upon her hands, folded properly in her lap. He couldn't help the half grin that grew, as he saw her legs crossed. Glancing up at her face, he waited to be sure that she was looking anywhere but at him, then shifted slightly in his seat to get a better view.

Sitting half slumped, it suddenly occured to him how ridiculous he must look to anyone watching them pass by. When his eyes fell upon their intended target, he forgot that realization and grinned a little more. With her legs crossed the way they were, he could just barely see up her skirt. "Enjoying the view?"

"Yup." A minute later he realized that it wasn't the driver asking, as he'd thought, but Marie herself. He didn't even think twice about the voice. That is, until Marie suddenly uncrossed her legs and pulled her skirt down some. That was when he realized she'd been the one talking to him. He remained in the position he had been in for a moment, wondering how he could possibly get out of this situation without looking like a complete idiot. Seeing none, he straightened his back and folded his arms over his chest and looked into her face.

Her lips were pursed tightly, and after the surprise wore off, he noticed she was trying not to laugh. Not only that, but she had a faint pink coloring in her otherwise pale cheeks. He kept up the gaze, wanting to see her smile and blush a little more. Nonchalantly, he stretched some and cocked his head again. "Of course... I'd enjoy it a lot more if you could move your skirt up just an inch more..."

"Logan!" Her eyes grew wide and she blushed a deep scarlet color at his comment. Desired effect granted, he grinned and leaned back, against the seat, always watching her. His good nature was spoiled only when they reached the hospital again. "From now on, your gaze wanders silently, understand? We get caught talkin' an' actin' like this, an' Ah'll be shipped home on tha next boat."

"Yes ma'am!" He saluted her again and allowed the driver to help him back into the wheelchair. True, he felt utterly ridiculous in the chair, because at the same time, he appeared useless. Mind you, anyone who said that to his face would have a personal introduction to all three adamantium claws.

A sharp "Miss Marie!" turned his attention away from her and to a small, portly woman waddling out toward the two of them. Her face was etched with concern, her hands wringing the life out of the bottom half of her apron. At closer inspection, one could see small spots of blood splattered over the nurse calling for Marie.

"What is it Betsy?"

"Bed number 7, Miss Marie. He's hurting real bad..." At mention of the patient, Logan saw her face fall slightly, and for a moment he knew she was caught trying to figure out what to do.

"Betsy, please help this man to his bed. Floor 2, bed 3." Without a parting word to Logan, he watched her move swiftly into the hospital, and Betsy took hold of his wheelchair. He wanted to growl and push her aside, saying he could do it himself. But he remained calm, letting her take him back to bed.

"What's wrong with the guy?"

"Excuse me?" He took in a slow deep breath, trying to control the impatience this woman had pushed him to without even doing anything. He wasn't sure why he was so touchy suddenly, especially since it was a small nurse as his apparent enemy.

"I said... what is wrong, with the guy?"

"What guy, sir?" He clenched the arm rests on his wheelchair, watching as his knuckles turned to a white color. "Oh! You mean the man Miss Marie is helping?"

"Yeees!" He could feel her flinch from his sarcasm, and he muttered a gruff apology under his breath.

"I'm not permitted to say sir."

"Well, why's he need HER then? Can't somebody else do it?"Amazing how he suddenly sounded like such a spoiled child.

"I suppose someone else could. But he's so very fond of her. And she seems to like him fine."

"Oh is that right?" He mocked her perky tone, though she wasn't aware of it. She just assumed he was a cheerful person and laughed.

"Yes. Now, I didn't tell you this, but... she does seem to spend quite a bit of time with him. And I heard he asked her to marry him! Why... if she wasn't his nurse I should think she would have accepted!" Funny how, until prompted and asked the right questions, she wasn't at liberty to speak about other patients to him.

"Really? Isn't that grand?" His good mood was dissipating at a faster rate now. Damn her for leading him on like that. And damn himself for believing the bull she was feeding him.

"Do you need anything?" A beer would be nice.

"No." Noticing his slowly changing mood, she was quick to dismiss herself. A permanent scowl imprinted on his face, he folded his arms and watched the door, waiting for Marie to come to him. There were a few things he had to get off his chest.