Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Mutant X. Any you
haven't heard of before, however, are the product of my own overactive
imagination.
Author's Note: I'm not sure where I'm going with this yet. It just writes itself, and so hopefully there'll be a spark of inspiration some time soon. Any ideas will be gladly considered.
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Chapter 7
"Why won't he wake up?" Shalimar asked Adam in exasperation.
Adam sighed and prepared himself to explain for the millionth time. "The canine feral's DNA is attempting to mutate his own DNA. It's a good sign that he's still unconscious. It means his body is rejecting the foreign DNA."
"So he could be a werewolf when he wakes up," she stated.
"Well, yes. In a nutshell." Adam hated hearing his own scientific explanations being broken down into such simple language.
"There's nothing we can do," Emma told her gently as she took her arm and led her out of the room.
"You'll call me as soon as he wakes up, right Adam?" she yelled over her shoulder as Emma ushered her and Jesse out.
Adam put his arms on the bed, closed his eyes and rested his weight on his hands. It had been a gruelling hour with Shalimar giving him the third degree and Jesse pacing around like a caged lion. Emma had been his constant saviour during the past hour, intercepting Shalimar's endless questions and soothing Jesse.
He opened his eyes and checked Brennan's vitals for the umpteenth time. He was stable. If only he would wake up. Although he had told Shal it wasn't a bad sign, he was more eager than any of the others to see Brennan finally surface.
He wandered aimlessly around the lab. He was tired and feeling a little unfocused. There was nothing else he could do for Brennan and all his efforts at finding out more about the canine feral had proved fruitless. Maybe he should go to bed as Emma had suggested earlier.
As he wandered back to Brennan's bedside, his thoughts focused once again on Emma. He stared at Brennan's blank face thoughtfully. He desperately needed to talk to somebody, but no one in the team would understand.
"Brennan, I'm an idiot," he whispered to the unconscious elemental. He figured that Brennan wouldn't hear him, so he could talk freely. There was silence. "I think I'm in love with Emma." More silence.
"I've felt like this for a long time now, and my feelings are only getting stronger. I know that you and the others must think I'm deluded to think she could feel remotely the same for me, and I agree, but that really doesn't help me shut away my feelings for her."
"Why am I telling you this?" he asked with a small grin. "You're unconscious." His smile faded as his emotions flooded through him once again. "There's no way I'm going to be able to tell her any of this, and that's killing me even more."
He turned away from the bed and proceeded to shut off the non- essential equipment in the lab. "Well, thanks for listening anyway," he told him as he tidied up. "I think I'm off to bed. And remember, it's between you and me," he laughed sadly.
A few metres away, a stunned Emma stood in the shadow of the doorway. She had taken Shal and Jesse off to wind down, and had come back to try and convince Adam to take a break. She crept away silently, trying to digest what she had just heard. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that Adam felt that way about her. What was she going to do about this?
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Back in the centre of town, an irate wolf pounced up through an open window and into her bare room. Things certainly hadn't gone her way. Maybe she had underestimated the man. He had fought back as if he were used to fighting animals, and when that woman had turned up, she knew she was beaten.
There was something about her, a sense of wildness, that she could identify with. Just as she had refused to harm the labrador out of some sort of solidarity, a part of her couldn't bring herself to harm the woman as if she were merely prey. She wasn't prey. She was predator. She could feel the pull of likeminded souls with the woman.
Nevertheless, she was angry that her feeding had been disrupted. She had had to search the town for some other prey. She was pretty certain that she had killed him, and it bugged her that there was a carcass going to waste.
Maybe next time she would be luckier. Certainly next time she would be more prepared.
She shook her head in annoyance. She could feel it happening. Her teeth and claws were beginning to retract and her fur was shortening and thinning out. She growled angrily as she looked at the waning moon. Not yet. She was having so much fun.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Back at Sanctuary, the silence hung in the air. Everyone was asleep. Jesse and Shalimar had curled up together in Jesse's bed after Shal had begged for his company. She hadn't wanted to sleep alone that night, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep for thinking about Brennan's fate. She had lain in the crook of Jesse's arm as he played with her hair, and they had both fallen asleep in that position.
Adam had fallen asleep the minute his head had touched the pillow. He had been exhausted and feeling somewhat relieved after spilling his guts to the unconscious Brennan.
Not far away, Emma lay on her bed. She had kept awake for ages, trying to work out what her next move would be. She had been taken completely by surprise when she heard how Adam felt. She had longed to walk in and make her presence known to him, but she sensed that it wouldn't have been welcomed. Adam was intensely private, and she wasn't sure how to proceed. She desperately wanted to go to him and explain how she felt about him, but that would mean exposing the fact that she had overheard him during an intimate moment. She had tossed and turned, pondering the dilemma for a while, finally deciding to tackle him in the morning, and giving in to the sleep that was washing over her.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
The next morning, Rhian woke up with the sun streaming in through her curtains and into her eyes. She sat up sleepily and surveyed the scene. There were streaks of blood across the floor, and the bed sheets were also stained with blood. She heaved, the memories of the previous few days running through her mind, and made her way straight to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth vigorously and got into the shower.
She had to get rid of the taste and smell of blood. She felt disgusted with herself, but she could never stop herself when she was in its grip. The usual guilt and nausea welled up in her as she stood under the cold spray of the shower, the memories becoming clearer. How many was it this time? More than last time. This was starting to get out of hand. She needed help, but there was nowhere she could turn. She hated having to move every couple of months, but it was either that or expose herself to a barrage of tests from doctors and scientists. She would start scanning the obituaries and front page news items immediately. As usual, she would be trying to find ways to make it up to the victims.
She suddenly froze. There was something different this time. Something that hadn't ever happened before. Her blood ran cold as the memory crystallised in her head. There was a confrontation. Someone who had fought back and challenged her. Did she kill him after all? She couldn't quite remember. There had also been a woman, someone who she had sensed had more in common with her than anyone else, and she had backed away. Maybe the woman could offer some explanation, or help her find the help she needed.
She quickly stepped out of the shower and dried herself roughly. She had to know whether he had survived. She had to find them.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Author's Note: I'm not sure where I'm going with this yet. It just writes itself, and so hopefully there'll be a spark of inspiration some time soon. Any ideas will be gladly considered.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Chapter 7
"Why won't he wake up?" Shalimar asked Adam in exasperation.
Adam sighed and prepared himself to explain for the millionth time. "The canine feral's DNA is attempting to mutate his own DNA. It's a good sign that he's still unconscious. It means his body is rejecting the foreign DNA."
"So he could be a werewolf when he wakes up," she stated.
"Well, yes. In a nutshell." Adam hated hearing his own scientific explanations being broken down into such simple language.
"There's nothing we can do," Emma told her gently as she took her arm and led her out of the room.
"You'll call me as soon as he wakes up, right Adam?" she yelled over her shoulder as Emma ushered her and Jesse out.
Adam put his arms on the bed, closed his eyes and rested his weight on his hands. It had been a gruelling hour with Shalimar giving him the third degree and Jesse pacing around like a caged lion. Emma had been his constant saviour during the past hour, intercepting Shalimar's endless questions and soothing Jesse.
He opened his eyes and checked Brennan's vitals for the umpteenth time. He was stable. If only he would wake up. Although he had told Shal it wasn't a bad sign, he was more eager than any of the others to see Brennan finally surface.
He wandered aimlessly around the lab. He was tired and feeling a little unfocused. There was nothing else he could do for Brennan and all his efforts at finding out more about the canine feral had proved fruitless. Maybe he should go to bed as Emma had suggested earlier.
As he wandered back to Brennan's bedside, his thoughts focused once again on Emma. He stared at Brennan's blank face thoughtfully. He desperately needed to talk to somebody, but no one in the team would understand.
"Brennan, I'm an idiot," he whispered to the unconscious elemental. He figured that Brennan wouldn't hear him, so he could talk freely. There was silence. "I think I'm in love with Emma." More silence.
"I've felt like this for a long time now, and my feelings are only getting stronger. I know that you and the others must think I'm deluded to think she could feel remotely the same for me, and I agree, but that really doesn't help me shut away my feelings for her."
"Why am I telling you this?" he asked with a small grin. "You're unconscious." His smile faded as his emotions flooded through him once again. "There's no way I'm going to be able to tell her any of this, and that's killing me even more."
He turned away from the bed and proceeded to shut off the non- essential equipment in the lab. "Well, thanks for listening anyway," he told him as he tidied up. "I think I'm off to bed. And remember, it's between you and me," he laughed sadly.
A few metres away, a stunned Emma stood in the shadow of the doorway. She had taken Shal and Jesse off to wind down, and had come back to try and convince Adam to take a break. She crept away silently, trying to digest what she had just heard. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that Adam felt that way about her. What was she going to do about this?
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Back in the centre of town, an irate wolf pounced up through an open window and into her bare room. Things certainly hadn't gone her way. Maybe she had underestimated the man. He had fought back as if he were used to fighting animals, and when that woman had turned up, she knew she was beaten.
There was something about her, a sense of wildness, that she could identify with. Just as she had refused to harm the labrador out of some sort of solidarity, a part of her couldn't bring herself to harm the woman as if she were merely prey. She wasn't prey. She was predator. She could feel the pull of likeminded souls with the woman.
Nevertheless, she was angry that her feeding had been disrupted. She had had to search the town for some other prey. She was pretty certain that she had killed him, and it bugged her that there was a carcass going to waste.
Maybe next time she would be luckier. Certainly next time she would be more prepared.
She shook her head in annoyance. She could feel it happening. Her teeth and claws were beginning to retract and her fur was shortening and thinning out. She growled angrily as she looked at the waning moon. Not yet. She was having so much fun.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Back at Sanctuary, the silence hung in the air. Everyone was asleep. Jesse and Shalimar had curled up together in Jesse's bed after Shal had begged for his company. She hadn't wanted to sleep alone that night, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep for thinking about Brennan's fate. She had lain in the crook of Jesse's arm as he played with her hair, and they had both fallen asleep in that position.
Adam had fallen asleep the minute his head had touched the pillow. He had been exhausted and feeling somewhat relieved after spilling his guts to the unconscious Brennan.
Not far away, Emma lay on her bed. She had kept awake for ages, trying to work out what her next move would be. She had been taken completely by surprise when she heard how Adam felt. She had longed to walk in and make her presence known to him, but she sensed that it wouldn't have been welcomed. Adam was intensely private, and she wasn't sure how to proceed. She desperately wanted to go to him and explain how she felt about him, but that would mean exposing the fact that she had overheard him during an intimate moment. She had tossed and turned, pondering the dilemma for a while, finally deciding to tackle him in the morning, and giving in to the sleep that was washing over her.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
The next morning, Rhian woke up with the sun streaming in through her curtains and into her eyes. She sat up sleepily and surveyed the scene. There were streaks of blood across the floor, and the bed sheets were also stained with blood. She heaved, the memories of the previous few days running through her mind, and made her way straight to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth vigorously and got into the shower.
She had to get rid of the taste and smell of blood. She felt disgusted with herself, but she could never stop herself when she was in its grip. The usual guilt and nausea welled up in her as she stood under the cold spray of the shower, the memories becoming clearer. How many was it this time? More than last time. This was starting to get out of hand. She needed help, but there was nowhere she could turn. She hated having to move every couple of months, but it was either that or expose herself to a barrage of tests from doctors and scientists. She would start scanning the obituaries and front page news items immediately. As usual, she would be trying to find ways to make it up to the victims.
She suddenly froze. There was something different this time. Something that hadn't ever happened before. Her blood ran cold as the memory crystallised in her head. There was a confrontation. Someone who had fought back and challenged her. Did she kill him after all? She couldn't quite remember. There had also been a woman, someone who she had sensed had more in common with her than anyone else, and she had backed away. Maybe the woman could offer some explanation, or help her find the help she needed.
She quickly stepped out of the shower and dried herself roughly. She had to know whether he had survived. She had to find them.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
