"Scott wait!" He turned at the distant sound of Jean's voice and braced himself to face her. 'It can't be that bad…or she would have yelled your name, not called it,' He tried reassuring himself. 'Sides, this hallway is too narrow for me to hide anywhere.' She caught up to him and grabbed him in a hug. "Oh you!" she gurgled out as he hugged her back, totally baffled.
"Okay, what brought this on?"
"I just found out…Kurt!" Scott stumbled as she let go and pushed by him. He turned to say something and watched Kurt faint into Jean's arms. Rushing to the blue elf, he helped turn him over and winced. "Man, I've never seen him so pale, well, blue pale that is." He mumbled. "Jean can you?" he trailed off as she lifted Kurt's body up telekinetically and moved him through the air. "I'll get the Professor and Beast." Running down the hallway past the other student's bedrooms, his mind raced for an explanation with what could be wrong.
Ten minutes later he felt relieved and embarrassed for his friend. Watching through the glass, he waited for details as Jean finished assisting Hank. The Medlab's white sterile environment emphasized the red spots on Kurt's skin. Clad in shorts, his whole body seemed covered with them, even his tail. Jean gently wiped Kurt's face with a cool rag then patted his hand and said something that Scott couldn't hear. Kurt answered back and Scott fidgeted. "Come on, I want to know," he whined and paced the narrow space behind the sterile barrier. 'Finally,' he grimaced and moved towards the pass thru door. The door's vacuum seals hissed and Jean emerged. Removing her facemask and gloves, she chucked them into the trash. "Well?!" Scott demanded.
"We think he had a reaction to something he ate. That caused him to throw up then black out about the time we found him." Jean washed her hands in the nearby sink and grabbed the towel. "It's not contagious or tied to his mutation as near as we can tell."
"And those red swellings everywhere?"
*Those are called hives Scott,* The Professor sent and rolled up to the two of them. Switching to verbal communication, he continued. "I've been monitoring the situation. They are a perfectly normal reaction to stress or poisoning, in this case, an unforeseen allergen."
"I just heard!" Kitty phased through the floor and looked distressed. "It wasn't my cooking was it?" Clad in blue shorts and a yellow tank top, she had obviously been working out when she heard.
"In a manner of speaking, yes." The Professor answered then hastily added. "The particular food you cooked Kitty. Apparently Kurt is allergic to one or more of those vegetables." Scott motioned to Jean and they left. Rogue came running around the corner as Ororo rushed from the other edge and nearly collided. "How is he?" They both asked simultaneously. A quick explanation and Rogue sighed. "I wondered. I ate those vegetables too and I feel fine."
"My nephew ate them too without reaction."
"So, it was something Kurt alone reacted to," Scott contemplated and ignored the exasperated looks from the girls. "Hey, just reasoning it out. That's my job as team leader you know."
"Speaking of out, has Evan made an appearance? He is set to drill with Beast in the hour." Ororo asked quietly and frowned.
"Ah saw him in uniform headin' for the Dang'r Room coming har." Rogue replied and pointed. "Beast is right thar."
"Kurt is in no danger," he reassured everyone there. "Kitty is attending to him. I have a bet to complete with Evan. He is to drill as me this time."
"This ah gotta see," Rogue chirped and followed. The phone rang and Scott beat Jean to grabbing it. "Oh, hi Terryn." He smiled then glanced at Jean and got serious. "Hold on, she is standing right here." Jean took the phone and listened for several minutes. Fragments of questions were asked and Scott glanced at Ororo, mystified at what they were discussing. The call ended and Jean glared at Scott.
"Where were you this morning at about 7 am?" She slammed a fist into his arm.
"Ow, Jean! I was still in bed. I slept in. Why?" She marched forward and backed him up tight against the wall.
"The hayride picnic has been cancelled this weekend because the barn burned down this morning. They got the horses out but lost the equipment. The only witness reported strange flashes of red light just before the fire started."
"I do concussive blasts, not energy or heat Jean, You know that." Scott stated and raised his hands defensively.
"But you draw your power from solar energy for your mutation." Ororo commented thoughtfully.
"But no heat. Sides, I would never do anything to endanger animals. Don't I stop for critters when driving?"
"Yes," Jean thoughtfully admitted. "Still, seems awful convenient that you losing and having Logan escort me instead is now a moot point." The phone rang again and Jean grabbed it first. "Hi Amanda, yes I know about……who…..you're kidding……that's how……uh huh…..thanks girl, bye." She smiled and turned to Scott. "You are off the hook mister. Two kids admitted to playing laser tag in the barn and one left a candle burning."
"Laser Tag?" he repeated in disbelief. "That is so ancient. That does explain the red flashes. But a candle around hay?"
"Somebody should tag their empty heads," Logan added from behind and grinned as everybody jumped. "On my way to watch Evan and Hank work out. Wanna join the fun?" He smirked mercilessly and received three negatives. "Suit yourself, I'm gonna enjoy this one."
In the control room, they watched in expectation as Evan swung from bar to bar quickly, barely able to keep the pace. He slowed on the hand over hand rope but landed on both feet without collapsing. Hands rubbed raw and stinging with sweat, he panted for breath. Beast grinned and neatly somersaulted to land nearby, "Not bad for a warm-up program?"
"Warm-up?" Spyke echoed and watched in horror as the room configured with seemingly endless bars and ropes from ceiling recesses. He moaned when landing platforms, rings and free swinging bars appeared out of walls and flooring. Logan and Rogue just grinned at each other from their vantage point. Twenty minutes later, they stood outside the Medlab observation window and watched Evan's hands get tended to while Kurt slept nearby.
"You should have said something," Hank reproached quietly and wound another layer of bandaging.
"I didn't think it would be so hard Teach, to be you, I mean owwww!" Evan shifted on the metal exam table, still in the borrowed uniform and blue dyed hair.
"Shhh!" Hank grinned, showing his fangs. "That pain will serve as a reminder not to move your fingers. Now keep these dry. The blisters need to stay, no popping them." Securing the metal clasp at the wrapping edge, he nodded at the work. "The ones already broke and oozing are at risk of infection, hence the bandages. Return tomorrow for some balm to spread on the open ones, it will prevent cracking and bleeding until the new skin grows over."
Outside, Rogue leaned back on the wall, idly playing with one of her gloves. "Man, all this trouble came of a poker game two days ago? How lame is that?"
"Unforeseen consequences, big part of life darlin'." Logan commented but stayed clear of her bare hand.
"It's gotta be like a guy thing." She retorted then walked off, putting the glove back on.
An hour later, in Bayville.
"Man, I cannot believe I am doing this! This is so not kewl in the hood. I am never going to tell my friends about this…this…" Splashing sounds accented each grumbling word.
"It's called a Tea and Bathhouse porcupine. A traditional Japanese way to relax." Logan waved an arm, as if to show off the rice papered walls, tea set, and bonsai plants throughout the room.
"Man, if I want to relax it ain't sitting in three separate pools butt naked with my friends. Listening to these screeching sounds."
"That is a woman singing." Scott informed Evan.
"Still, sitting like this, it's so…so…so…unmanly." He continued to grump.
"Right now any guy could come up and ask me for anything and I'd snarl and tell him to get lost. I know where I stand and I only want a woman." Logan asserted defiantly and slid deeper into the water, closing his eyes.
"I agree." Scott added and tilted his head, trying to decipher the stylized writing on the nearby wall screen.
"Easy for you two to joke about this. You're ancient and have lots of experience and Scott has Jean."
"HEY! I've always treated her like the Lady she is and been a perfect gentleman around her!" Scott leaned over his pool side, flush with anger.
"No wonder you're so stiff. You probably don't even get a taste of… *Bazzup!* an optic blast scored through the water, nearly missing a vital part of Evan's anatomy.
"Stop it now Summers," Logan warned and sat up.
"He insulted her honor…and mine!" He sputtered out.
"I was about to say her lips as in a kiss. Man, you really need to get..."
"Shut up!" Logan yelled. *Snikt* three claws slid out full length. "Or I'll ram these into both your behinds!"
"You wouldn't, would you?" "You're kidding right?"
"Short of slitting your throats, it'll keep you quiet! Now honor my winning bet. No guff for the next hour!" Scott leaned back and stretched his legs out, scattering another bowl of floating flowers onto the water to cover the surface completely. The flowers of all shapes and sizes blended into a pleasing aromatic scent and he inhaled deeply and relaxed. Evan shifted uncomfortable, careful to keep his bandaged hands dry. "This stinks," he muttered and crossed his legs and hunched over. And Logan, he just settled back and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a tall, beautiful oriental woman with cream skin and a smile reserved just for him.