"What's wrong with me?" She closed her door and leaned back against it. "Jean, get a hold of yourself."
She lifted her hand and noticed it was shaking. She quickly looked away.
Her mind threatened to answer her question : What's wrong with me?
Because after all, that's what's now wrong with Rogue.
Jean shook her head. And set her jaw. She walked to the bed and sat down on the edge.
"It's not me." She told herself through clenched teeth. "It's the world."
Meanwhile, downstairs, Jamie couldn't sleep either. He had crept down to the living room and curled up in one of the chairs, then divided himself in two. The other him took the opposing chair.
"What's wrong?" The duplicate asked.
"You know." Jamie told him.
"I know that I know. But you wanted to talk. So – I'm talking."
Jamie smiled ruefully. "I know. I'm sorry."
"It's scary, isn't it?" The duplicate pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them.
Jamie nodded. "What if she dies?" He asked in hushed tones.
"She wont." The duplicate looked away.
"We don't know that." Jamie reminded himself.
"But we're going to remain optimistic." Came another, more commanding voice.
Both Jamies gasped and whipped their heads around to see Storm sitting across the room, on the far wall, bathed in the shadows.
"We have to have faith." She said softly. "It's all we can do at times like this." She seemed to be smiling softly at him through the darkened room.
Both Jamie's nodded. Finally, the original spoke. "Storm? I hope I'm not out of line," he rubbed the back of his neck. "But, I mean, this could happen to any of us, right? On any mission?"
"Not this, not what's happened to Rogue, this is an isolated conflict between Jean and Rogues abilities and mental states."
"You know what he meant." The other Jamie grumbled. The original was staring at the floor.
"You're right." Storm sighed." I know what you meant. And yes, it could happen to any of us, on a mission, here at home, crossing the street or slipping in the cafeteria at school."
"But we do get in harms way, don't we?" Jamie leveled his eyes at her through the darkness.
"Yes." She said again.
"So don't you think, " He bit his lip.
"What is it?" She whispered
"Shouldn't we know what it's all about?" He seemed intent and focused, but then it dissolved in to embarrassment. "Life." He looked away "I mean." He knew she couldn't answer.
Storm sat quietly. She tried to choose her words carefully.
"It could be that we are not given that answer for a reason." She said, sounding unsure. "And so the best that we can do is trust in our hearts."
She had both Jamies attention now. "We have to strive to be happy, try not to hurt other people, and hope to fall in love." She told him. "And if that is all our hearts can ever teach us in this world, then maybe it's enough."
Jamie smiled. It was a genuine smile and it came from the heart.
"I'm going to try to go to bed." Storm told him, rising to her feet. "And that's just where I want you to be within the hour." She told him.
"Thank you Ms. Munroe." Jamie looked up at her. "But I'm ready now." He hopped up and pulled himself together.
"Good night then." Storm smiled down at him.
"Good night." He waved and scurried off.
His words echoed through her mind "It could happen to any of us, right?" He was so young. She thought. They're all so young.
Jamie slipped up and in to his room without any trouble at all. When you're used to being a crowd it's easy to be sneaky as an individual.
He pulled out a pen and one of his notebooks. He pulled off the cap and dropped it. It fell away in to the darkness and he heard it scuttle off across the floor.
"Strive" He penned the words "To be happy."
And he smiled slightly.
"Try not to hurt other people." He darkened in the word 'not' and underlined it.
"And hope to fall in love." He finished.
But it didn't look finished.
He tapped his pen twice and bit his tongue in concentration. Something was missing.
And the he remembered.
He raised his pen and wrote on the top line, so that this item was first on the list. "Have faith." And with that he was finally able to climb in to bed and fall asleep.
In the infirmary, Hank leaned back in his chair.
Al l manner of machine monitored Rogue for him, but he still rose, and slowly lumbered in to the next room to see for himself.
She had slid down the bed. He quickly reduced the angle of the incline and took hold of her, under the arms, but through her blanket.
She was so light that he had trouble believing it. He swallowed although his mouth was dry.
He pulled a stool over to her bedside and took one of her gloved hands. He had seen to the gloves himself, just so people could hold her hand.
"We're trying everything you know." He said softly. "Xavier's got some of the best people, all over the world, working on your case. Right now." He told her.
He sighed, and found a glint of humor. "I know what you're doing." He whispered. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" he chuckled a bit to himself. "I mean, come on. You'll fight Sabertooth, Magneto, even the Juggernaught." He leaned in close and whispered "And I know you've absorbed them all, even Mystique."
Hank glanced side to side. "Now tell me the truth." He said. "This is all very political, right?" He chuckled as though they were sharing a joke. "It's because you don't like Jean. Now isn't it?" He smiled at her. But it didn't last long. He slowly sat up and let the smile drift from his face.
"You don't have to tell me." He said, using a single (and safe) fingernail to draw the hair out of her face. "But if you feel like talking, I keep a mean secret." He pursed his lips and rubbed his eyes before standing up and lumbering back to his office.