+ + + + +
Rogue huddled in a corner of the vast jet as she watched Jean and Hank hover over the bloody mass of flesh and bones that was Logan's body.
A tear finally rolled down her cheek, leaking through her strong mental barrier and breaking her golden no-crying rule.
~What if he doesn't make it?~ She thought with panic. ~What if he-no, I won't let myself think of that. He'll heal this. He always has. He'll be fine. Don't think stuff like that.~
~Think about Ryan. He's so sweet. He's our son. He's waiting back at the mansion-Logan hasn't met him yet.~
A smile broke through her shocked expression as she thought of her newborn son.
~Not even a day old, and already talking! What a Christmas present.~
A worried murmur of voices broke through her thoughts.
"Hank, get the respirator!"
"I have it, Jean. Has the chart leveled at all?"
"No, I---dear god! Pass me the--"
Rogue got up and made her way to where the two doctors fuzz over the unrecognizable body of her newborn child's father.
"Is he going t' be okay?"
Jean whirled around, being so absorbed in her work that she had been startled by the quiet voice.
"Rogue! My, you scared me. I'm sorry, I can't tell right now. I'm a little occupied, could we talk later?"
Rogue nodded slowly, another tear trickling down her wet cheeks.
~She's in shock,~ Jean realized. ~She shouldn't be left alone.~
/ 'Ro! /
The tall, graceful figure of her African friend turned to face her from where she sat.
:: Yes, child?::
Jean glanced at Rogue.
/ Would you mind keeping Rogue company? The poor thing is in shock, and she shouldn't be left alone. But with Logan, both Hank and me have our hands full. /
'Ro stood up.
:: Of course, Jean, I would be happy to. Do not worry, I am on it.::
/ Thanks! /
"Jean!" Hank cried, his voice frantic. "He's going flat line!"
"Oh dear," She gasped, and spun back to her task.
'Ro made her way to her southern friend and put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
"Do not worry, child, I am sure he will be just fine, given time."
Rogue looked up.
"Ah know.....ah kn-now, 'Ro, it's j-just.....th-tha s-s-screams where....."
She seemed to collapse on herself.
"There, there, child. Let it out," Said her friend soothingly, embracing Rogue's form as it shuddered with unreleased sobs.
"Ah-ah'm s-sorry 'R-ro....oohhhh.....how c-could h-he.....what if he d-d- doesn't even l-live to see our...."
She clapped a hand over her mouth.
"It's alright, child," 'Ro soothed. "I already know of it."
Rogue gasped in a breath.
"H-how?" She asked. "W-who told you?"
"Jean did," 'Ro said calmly.
"She wasn't supposed to tell nobody!" Rogue said, anger leaking through her tears.
"Do not be angry, child," 'Ro said as she patted her friend on the back.
"It was necessary. I have never told anyone."
The rage faded from Rogue's features.
"Ah-h'm sorry, 'Ro. It's ahlraight. Ah can't blame Jean."
She hugged her friend before stepping back and wiping her eyes.
"Thank you, 'Ro. Yah're such a good friend. Always there when ah need a shoulder t' craih on."
'Ro smiled patiently.
"That is what friends are for, child."
The crackling of an incoming message cut through the otherwise calming atmosphere of the jet.
"Jean! Jean! Rogue! Anyone! Come in!"
Rogue floated over to where the receiver sat on the table and picked it up.
"Forest? Is that you, shugah?"
She heard a vicious crash in the background.
"It's---AHHHH!"
The radio clicked off, cutting Forest's words short.
Rogue stared at the mechanism.
"What is wrong, child?" 'Ro asked, seeing the sudden disbelieving expression on her friend's face.
"That was Forest."
A pause.
"Ah left Ryan with her."
The next words came out as a whisper.
"An' they're being attacked."
+ + + + +
Rogue huddled in a corner of the vast jet as she watched Jean and Hank hover over the bloody mass of flesh and bones that was Logan's body.
A tear finally rolled down her cheek, leaking through her strong mental barrier and breaking her golden no-crying rule.
~What if he doesn't make it?~ She thought with panic. ~What if he-no, I won't let myself think of that. He'll heal this. He always has. He'll be fine. Don't think stuff like that.~
~Think about Ryan. He's so sweet. He's our son. He's waiting back at the mansion-Logan hasn't met him yet.~
A smile broke through her shocked expression as she thought of her newborn son.
~Not even a day old, and already talking! What a Christmas present.~
A worried murmur of voices broke through her thoughts.
"Hank, get the respirator!"
"I have it, Jean. Has the chart leveled at all?"
"No, I---dear god! Pass me the--"
Rogue got up and made her way to where the two doctors fuzz over the unrecognizable body of her newborn child's father.
"Is he going t' be okay?"
Jean whirled around, being so absorbed in her work that she had been startled by the quiet voice.
"Rogue! My, you scared me. I'm sorry, I can't tell right now. I'm a little occupied, could we talk later?"
Rogue nodded slowly, another tear trickling down her wet cheeks.
~She's in shock,~ Jean realized. ~She shouldn't be left alone.~
/ 'Ro! /
The tall, graceful figure of her African friend turned to face her from where she sat.
:: Yes, child?::
Jean glanced at Rogue.
/ Would you mind keeping Rogue company? The poor thing is in shock, and she shouldn't be left alone. But with Logan, both Hank and me have our hands full. /
'Ro stood up.
:: Of course, Jean, I would be happy to. Do not worry, I am on it.::
/ Thanks! /
"Jean!" Hank cried, his voice frantic. "He's going flat line!"
"Oh dear," She gasped, and spun back to her task.
'Ro made her way to her southern friend and put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
"Do not worry, child, I am sure he will be just fine, given time."
Rogue looked up.
"Ah know.....ah kn-now, 'Ro, it's j-just.....th-tha s-s-screams where....."
She seemed to collapse on herself.
"There, there, child. Let it out," Said her friend soothingly, embracing Rogue's form as it shuddered with unreleased sobs.
"Ah-ah'm s-sorry 'R-ro....oohhhh.....how c-could h-he.....what if he d-d- doesn't even l-live to see our...."
She clapped a hand over her mouth.
"It's alright, child," 'Ro soothed. "I already know of it."
Rogue gasped in a breath.
"H-how?" She asked. "W-who told you?"
"Jean did," 'Ro said calmly.
"She wasn't supposed to tell nobody!" Rogue said, anger leaking through her tears.
"Do not be angry, child," 'Ro said as she patted her friend on the back.
"It was necessary. I have never told anyone."
The rage faded from Rogue's features.
"Ah-h'm sorry, 'Ro. It's ahlraight. Ah can't blame Jean."
She hugged her friend before stepping back and wiping her eyes.
"Thank you, 'Ro. Yah're such a good friend. Always there when ah need a shoulder t' craih on."
'Ro smiled patiently.
"That is what friends are for, child."
The crackling of an incoming message cut through the otherwise calming atmosphere of the jet.
"Jean! Jean! Rogue! Anyone! Come in!"
Rogue floated over to where the receiver sat on the table and picked it up.
"Forest? Is that you, shugah?"
She heard a vicious crash in the background.
"It's---AHHHH!"
The radio clicked off, cutting Forest's words short.
Rogue stared at the mechanism.
"What is wrong, child?" 'Ro asked, seeing the sudden disbelieving expression on her friend's face.
"That was Forest."
A pause.
"Ah left Ryan with her."
The next words came out as a whisper.
"An' they're being attacked."
+ + + + +