Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Bored, Rogue slumped in the chair, drumming her fingers on the armrests. Every now and then, her eyes strayed from the clock back to the young, but grey-haired man sitting across from her.
They gave each other stare for stare until the older man cleared his throat and said pleasantly, "Nice weather we're having."
Rogue flahsed him a look that said she did not find that amusing at all and returned to studying the clock.
Dr. Green let out a disappointed sigh and furrowed his brow thoughtfully at the reluctant teen. He had met tough cases before, but this one had to be the worst. She never spoke more than two sentences in a row to him and express any emotion. It was like this girl was ice through and through.
Rogue chuckled as if she had read his thoughts. He glanced at her amused face and gave a half-hearted smile. "You the kind of patients who like to make my job difficult?"
She shrugged. "Maybe." After a moment's pause, she said with a half-grin, "Gotta make sure yah earn yah're pay."
'At least she has a sense of humor,' he thought. Taking her answers to be a sign of her willing to talk, Dr. Green asked, "Do you believe in fate?"
Silence.
He was about to give up waiting for her answer when he heard an unmistakeable, "Yes."
More silence.
He coughed and pursued, "Why?"
She raised her eyebrows as if it was obvious. "Things happen for a reason. There's nothing we can do t' control or change tha future, so we hafta deal with whatever hand fate gives us."
"So, the Holocaust were the Jews' fate?"
"Was it their choice to let it happen?" she countered.
Hiding his excitement from her rapid responses, he asked seriously, "What about you? Are you saying it was fate that you took 43 innocent lives?" Rogue's eyes widened, but she recovered quickly and did not give an answer. Taking mental notes on her reaction, he said instead, "Why are you so strong on the existence of fate?" but it was too late. Rogue had lasped back into the security of silence.
Trying to interest her with other questions, he gave up engaging any conversation with her when she refused to say a word.
Shifting her eyes from the clock to Dr. Green, she finally said, "Time's up." An escort entered the room and led her to the door. Before Rogue closed the door however, she glanced back at her psychiatrist. In a low voice so that only he could catch it, she said, "If Ah had a choice, do yah t'ink Ah would'ave done it?"
Dr. Green opened his mouth to ask what exactly she meant by that, but the door clicked shut and she was gone.
------------------------------------
Back in her room, Rogue paced back and forth, then peered through the window of her door. Her eyes caught sight of Gambit flirting with the head nurse, who giggled like a schoolgirl and turned a pretty shade of pink.
Her mouth went dry and she ignored the pit feeling in her stomach. Instead, she mused, "So that's how he's able to get past them." Normally, only the patient's immediate family members were allowed to visit. Trudging back ot her bed, she fell face down onto the covered mattress. She shifted to her side and counted the black tally marks on her wall.
According to the wall, it has been two months so far. A pang of sadness hit her and she wistfully wondered why Pietro hadn't visited. Before she fell into the selfish depths of self-pity, the door creaked open. Sliding to the floor, Rogue pulled out a boardgame and gestured to the floor. "Yah up for some Scrabble?"
At his weird look, she retorted, "Jus' 'cause Ah'm 'mentally insane' doesn't mean Ah don't get bored."
Smiling lazily, Remy plucked the bag of letter tiles from her. "Let Remy do t'at for you, chere."
Blushing and cringing from his touch at the same time, Rogue silently watched him set up the game. She still wasn't used to the concept of being able to make skin-to-skin contact and it made her nervous.
Sensing her discomfort, Gambit also felt Rogue's sullen aura blended with a tinge of sadness and fear. He noticed that when his fingeres had brushed hers, she winced as if his touch somehow hurt her skin and jagged lines of fear swirled around her. Inwardly frowning, he dug deeper into her turmoiling emotions and what he hoped to find made him grin with relief. There was a small spark of love within her. He frowned; something about her aura didn't feel right but when he tried to figure out what was wrong, it slipped through his fingers and darted deeper into the depths of Rogue's emotions.
It felt something similar to a dimming fire.
Unaware of Remy's discoveries, Rogue rummaged through the letter tiles and picked out a D. "Hmmm, think yah can beat that?"
He grinned, but when he picked out an O, he mocked sadness by heaving a huge sigh. "Guess t'at means chere's first." A wicked smile played upon his lips and he said huskily, "Don't t'ink Remy's gonna go easy on yah jus' 'coz you're pretty."
At ease with his flirty behavoir, Rogue laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but dere ain't no pretty filles here, so get goin'."
Some time later while Rogue put down a word that earned her 36 points alone, she suddenly asked, "Why do you visit?"
As he received 16 points for his word, Remy playfully teased, "'Coz Remy can't resist a beautiful fille when he sees one." At her look that said to get serious, he said with equal earnest, "Remy remembers how Marie askt for help." He shrugged. "So, Remy came."
"It's that easy for you...?" her voice trailed off. After a pause, she said softly, "Yah're a nice guy, Remy LeBeau."
He quirked his brows at her. "Mon ami... for a pretty fille, you're kinda slow."
She smacked his arm. "And yah can be overly flirtatious."
"All part o' Remy's charm." Suddenly, he said, "You up for some fresh air?" Scratching his chin, he amended, "T'at is, does chere want t' get outta t'is room?"
Eyeing him with a questioning look, she asked carefully, "Am Ah allowed to?" At his solemn nod, she gave a broad grin and scrambled to the door.
Leading her outside to the hallway, he whispered, "Stay close to Remy, Marie."
Nodding balefully, Rogue observed a young boy no older than her, ranting away at nothing. An older man and woman who had to be his parents were at his side and a younger girl stood along with them. Rogue's heart ached at their obvious love and concern for their son.
"Matt, honey, it's me... don't you remember you're own mother?"
Matt blinked at her before returning to his nonsense chattering.
His little sister tugged at his hands and stamped her feet. Tears marked her face while she said angrily, "Stop it Matt! That's not funny! Stop being so mean to Mom and Dad."
A doctor approached the family and the weary father said apologetically, "Elizabeth doesn't understand."
Clenching her hands into fists, Elizabeth bleated tearfully, "I do TOO understand!"
A hand touched her shoulder and Rogue looked up to Remy's gentle face. "Let's go." Blinking, Rogue realized she had been staring at the scene like an idiot and wished she could phase right out of their sight. Following Remy, Rogue looked back to the devastated family and felt foolish. These were people with bigger, more serious problems. All Rogue ever did was pity herself while others suffered through tougher things.
Clutching Remy's hand like a child, she realized more than ever of her feelings for him. She liked Remy much more than she thought she should and the knowledge of that weighed like a heavy stone in her head. Her two months of unresponsive treatment here had taught her what she needed to know and she wished more than ever that Pietro was here.
As if he had heard her thoughts, Rogue looked straight into the familiar shockingly blue eyes. For a moment, she stood frozen and stared disbelievingly at him as she unknowingly let go of Remy's hand.
Looking carefully from Gambit to Rogue, Pietro approached Rogue until they were face to face.
Rogue broke the silence and snapped, "Well look who finally decided to show up."
Trying to make amends, Pietro protested, "But Rogue, I--"
"Ah don't want t' hear it!" she said angrily.
Sensing he wasn't needed, Gambit ambled off to the side and watched the two from a safe distance.
Hitting Pietro's arm, she said with feeling, "Ah thought at least YAH wouldave visited, but nah, some stranger shows up instead! Honestly, do Ah mean nothin' to yah?" Her anger cooled as Pietro took the abuse silently and a tear stole down her cheek.
He silently wiped away the bitter salt from her cheek, but left the weight of his hand on her cheek. He softly said, "Sorry."
Angrily throwing off his hand, she said bitterly, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Her feelings dying to a tiny hint, she said balefully, "Who am Ah supposed to turn to when everyone turned their backs on me?"
"Is that what you think they did?" he asked.
Her eyes cast to the floor. "Ah don't know what to think anymore."
"Oh Rogue..." he patted her arm tenderly. Pietro sensed there was more to Rogue's anger than that met the eye. "What's the matter?"
Her voice cracked. "Ah'm dyin', Peety."
Off to the side, Gambit observed the two and briefly wondered if that small spark of love in Rogue was meant for Pietro.
A/N: I have a feeling that this story is far from over. *Heaves huge sigh* I was so counting on it being only 10 chapters... in the meantime, why don't you check out "The Darkest Hour" by Taineyah?
Thanks to those who have reviewed lately; I appreciate your support and flattered by your words. Keep up the reviews!
Bored, Rogue slumped in the chair, drumming her fingers on the armrests. Every now and then, her eyes strayed from the clock back to the young, but grey-haired man sitting across from her.
They gave each other stare for stare until the older man cleared his throat and said pleasantly, "Nice weather we're having."
Rogue flahsed him a look that said she did not find that amusing at all and returned to studying the clock.
Dr. Green let out a disappointed sigh and furrowed his brow thoughtfully at the reluctant teen. He had met tough cases before, but this one had to be the worst. She never spoke more than two sentences in a row to him and express any emotion. It was like this girl was ice through and through.
Rogue chuckled as if she had read his thoughts. He glanced at her amused face and gave a half-hearted smile. "You the kind of patients who like to make my job difficult?"
She shrugged. "Maybe." After a moment's pause, she said with a half-grin, "Gotta make sure yah earn yah're pay."
'At least she has a sense of humor,' he thought. Taking her answers to be a sign of her willing to talk, Dr. Green asked, "Do you believe in fate?"
Silence.
He was about to give up waiting for her answer when he heard an unmistakeable, "Yes."
More silence.
He coughed and pursued, "Why?"
She raised her eyebrows as if it was obvious. "Things happen for a reason. There's nothing we can do t' control or change tha future, so we hafta deal with whatever hand fate gives us."
"So, the Holocaust were the Jews' fate?"
"Was it their choice to let it happen?" she countered.
Hiding his excitement from her rapid responses, he asked seriously, "What about you? Are you saying it was fate that you took 43 innocent lives?" Rogue's eyes widened, but she recovered quickly and did not give an answer. Taking mental notes on her reaction, he said instead, "Why are you so strong on the existence of fate?" but it was too late. Rogue had lasped back into the security of silence.
Trying to interest her with other questions, he gave up engaging any conversation with her when she refused to say a word.
Shifting her eyes from the clock to Dr. Green, she finally said, "Time's up." An escort entered the room and led her to the door. Before Rogue closed the door however, she glanced back at her psychiatrist. In a low voice so that only he could catch it, she said, "If Ah had a choice, do yah t'ink Ah would'ave done it?"
Dr. Green opened his mouth to ask what exactly she meant by that, but the door clicked shut and she was gone.
------------------------------------
Back in her room, Rogue paced back and forth, then peered through the window of her door. Her eyes caught sight of Gambit flirting with the head nurse, who giggled like a schoolgirl and turned a pretty shade of pink.
Her mouth went dry and she ignored the pit feeling in her stomach. Instead, she mused, "So that's how he's able to get past them." Normally, only the patient's immediate family members were allowed to visit. Trudging back ot her bed, she fell face down onto the covered mattress. She shifted to her side and counted the black tally marks on her wall.
According to the wall, it has been two months so far. A pang of sadness hit her and she wistfully wondered why Pietro hadn't visited. Before she fell into the selfish depths of self-pity, the door creaked open. Sliding to the floor, Rogue pulled out a boardgame and gestured to the floor. "Yah up for some Scrabble?"
At his weird look, she retorted, "Jus' 'cause Ah'm 'mentally insane' doesn't mean Ah don't get bored."
Smiling lazily, Remy plucked the bag of letter tiles from her. "Let Remy do t'at for you, chere."
Blushing and cringing from his touch at the same time, Rogue silently watched him set up the game. She still wasn't used to the concept of being able to make skin-to-skin contact and it made her nervous.
Sensing her discomfort, Gambit also felt Rogue's sullen aura blended with a tinge of sadness and fear. He noticed that when his fingeres had brushed hers, she winced as if his touch somehow hurt her skin and jagged lines of fear swirled around her. Inwardly frowning, he dug deeper into her turmoiling emotions and what he hoped to find made him grin with relief. There was a small spark of love within her. He frowned; something about her aura didn't feel right but when he tried to figure out what was wrong, it slipped through his fingers and darted deeper into the depths of Rogue's emotions.
It felt something similar to a dimming fire.
Unaware of Remy's discoveries, Rogue rummaged through the letter tiles and picked out a D. "Hmmm, think yah can beat that?"
He grinned, but when he picked out an O, he mocked sadness by heaving a huge sigh. "Guess t'at means chere's first." A wicked smile played upon his lips and he said huskily, "Don't t'ink Remy's gonna go easy on yah jus' 'coz you're pretty."
At ease with his flirty behavoir, Rogue laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but dere ain't no pretty filles here, so get goin'."
Some time later while Rogue put down a word that earned her 36 points alone, she suddenly asked, "Why do you visit?"
As he received 16 points for his word, Remy playfully teased, "'Coz Remy can't resist a beautiful fille when he sees one." At her look that said to get serious, he said with equal earnest, "Remy remembers how Marie askt for help." He shrugged. "So, Remy came."
"It's that easy for you...?" her voice trailed off. After a pause, she said softly, "Yah're a nice guy, Remy LeBeau."
He quirked his brows at her. "Mon ami... for a pretty fille, you're kinda slow."
She smacked his arm. "And yah can be overly flirtatious."
"All part o' Remy's charm." Suddenly, he said, "You up for some fresh air?" Scratching his chin, he amended, "T'at is, does chere want t' get outta t'is room?"
Eyeing him with a questioning look, she asked carefully, "Am Ah allowed to?" At his solemn nod, she gave a broad grin and scrambled to the door.
Leading her outside to the hallway, he whispered, "Stay close to Remy, Marie."
Nodding balefully, Rogue observed a young boy no older than her, ranting away at nothing. An older man and woman who had to be his parents were at his side and a younger girl stood along with them. Rogue's heart ached at their obvious love and concern for their son.
"Matt, honey, it's me... don't you remember you're own mother?"
Matt blinked at her before returning to his nonsense chattering.
His little sister tugged at his hands and stamped her feet. Tears marked her face while she said angrily, "Stop it Matt! That's not funny! Stop being so mean to Mom and Dad."
A doctor approached the family and the weary father said apologetically, "Elizabeth doesn't understand."
Clenching her hands into fists, Elizabeth bleated tearfully, "I do TOO understand!"
A hand touched her shoulder and Rogue looked up to Remy's gentle face. "Let's go." Blinking, Rogue realized she had been staring at the scene like an idiot and wished she could phase right out of their sight. Following Remy, Rogue looked back to the devastated family and felt foolish. These were people with bigger, more serious problems. All Rogue ever did was pity herself while others suffered through tougher things.
Clutching Remy's hand like a child, she realized more than ever of her feelings for him. She liked Remy much more than she thought she should and the knowledge of that weighed like a heavy stone in her head. Her two months of unresponsive treatment here had taught her what she needed to know and she wished more than ever that Pietro was here.
As if he had heard her thoughts, Rogue looked straight into the familiar shockingly blue eyes. For a moment, she stood frozen and stared disbelievingly at him as she unknowingly let go of Remy's hand.
Looking carefully from Gambit to Rogue, Pietro approached Rogue until they were face to face.
Rogue broke the silence and snapped, "Well look who finally decided to show up."
Trying to make amends, Pietro protested, "But Rogue, I--"
"Ah don't want t' hear it!" she said angrily.
Sensing he wasn't needed, Gambit ambled off to the side and watched the two from a safe distance.
Hitting Pietro's arm, she said with feeling, "Ah thought at least YAH wouldave visited, but nah, some stranger shows up instead! Honestly, do Ah mean nothin' to yah?" Her anger cooled as Pietro took the abuse silently and a tear stole down her cheek.
He silently wiped away the bitter salt from her cheek, but left the weight of his hand on her cheek. He softly said, "Sorry."
Angrily throwing off his hand, she said bitterly, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Her feelings dying to a tiny hint, she said balefully, "Who am Ah supposed to turn to when everyone turned their backs on me?"
"Is that what you think they did?" he asked.
Her eyes cast to the floor. "Ah don't know what to think anymore."
"Oh Rogue..." he patted her arm tenderly. Pietro sensed there was more to Rogue's anger than that met the eye. "What's the matter?"
Her voice cracked. "Ah'm dyin', Peety."
Off to the side, Gambit observed the two and briefly wondered if that small spark of love in Rogue was meant for Pietro.
A/N: I have a feeling that this story is far from over. *Heaves huge sigh* I was so counting on it being only 10 chapters... in the meantime, why don't you check out "The Darkest Hour" by Taineyah?
Thanks to those who have reviewed lately; I appreciate your support and flattered by your words. Keep up the reviews!