A/N: Thanks so much for all the great reviews!!!
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The Nightengale: Chapter 9
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Later that night, long after Jean had discussed things with Dr. Xavier, she sat alone in her room, left with nothing but her thoughts.
Jean realized that she hadn't seen much of Rogue at all recently. Normally she'd stop into Jean's room and talk for a little while, but lately...nothing. She knew that Rogue was going through hard times right now, with Bobby's death and all, but she was getting worried that the young girl would be leaving the hospital. Perhaps it was selfish of her, wanting Rogue to stick around just so she'd have someone to talk to, besides Logan. She really felt that it was probably better for Rogue to leave all the tragedies of the war behind her. Jean knew better that she could not forget the war herself; her future that lay inside the hospital, possibly, was within reach if she only knew how to grasp it.
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A week had passed, Rogue was gone, Logan and Jean had been spending more time together with therapy and Logan's hearing was almost fully restored. Doctor Xavier told Jean that he'll need another hearing test in about a week, but if it hasn't fully returned by then, it probably never will and Logan won't be able to go back into battle with the rest of the troops.
Jean told Logan not to get his hopes up, but he was determined to get better and jump back into the fight. That was what Jean was afraid of. What if he did go back? Would she ever see him again? Would he even remember her? What if he was killed in battle? Could she live with that? Would she even know? Many things ran through Jean's mind when she heard a yell. It was pretty late, too late for any other nurses to be around, and too early for any patients to be up. But that yell...it was familiar...it was...Logan.
Jean was somewhat close by, and she raced to Logan's room to find him sitting up in bed with his hands clamped over his ears. She ran by his side and called out his name softly, but for a while he didn't respond. His hands were covering his ears so tightly he probably couldn't hear her.
"ARRHHHH!!" Logan yelled, thrashing violently at an unknown enemy.
Jean jumped back away from Logan. He was actually starting to scare her. What was wrong with him?! She slowly made her way closer to him when he seemed to calm down. The worst of it looked to be over, whatever "it" was. "Logan!" Jean called to him sternly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Logan's eyes snapped open but they were wild looking, like a cornered animal. Something about his eyes made Jean back away again. This was so unlike him. He was so close to recovery, why is this happening now? "Logan...? Please...say something okay? You're starting to scare me." No, that wasn't all true, he had already scared her.
Logan took in some deep breaths, but his body was shaking, almost in convulsion. He began shaking so violently, Jean wasn't sure if he really *was* having a seizure or not. Not willing to take the chance of another dangerous outburst, worse than before possibly, she rushed to the closet and pulled out an emergency medical kit. Inside it she grabbed a syringe in a sealed bag and a sedative. Jean quickly but carefully plunged the needle into Logan's shoulder, injecting him with the drug.
The shaking seemed to slow down and his breathing became more steady. Jean tentatively took his hand in hers, stroking it gently. "Hey...Logan? Can you hear me?"
He nodded, his head jerking for a second uncontrolably. Logan looked at Jean, shame in his eyes, but no wildness. The sedative had taken care of that, thankfully. "Yeah...I can hear you...loud an' clear."
Jean bit her lower lip, reaching out for his chin so he would look her in the eyes. "Louder than normal loud?" She saw the uncertainty in his features. "Don't lie to me Logan."
He grunted, clenching his teeth. "Yeah...more like...near sonic boom..loud."
Jean gently brushed a hand through his sweat soaked hair. She tried whispering lowly so it wouldn't be so loud to him. "What happened?"
He knew what she was talking about, but he didn't really know how to answer. "I..I don't really know." Logan told her truthfully, in a whispering tone of his own. "Somethin'...popped inta my head..." He closed his eyes tightly, trying to remember. "...from that battle I was in. The Vietnamese were all 'round us...attackin' from all angles...shootin' at us...slaughtering us. We..we were left there without any ammo left...no water...nothing. Our Lieutenant was killed...leaving me in charge. We were told to hold our position..but everyone around me was dyin'...Then....I charged at the enemy, killin' some of 'em with my knife...then I heard gunfire overhead...big shells bein' fired...an explosion beside me...then I was down..." Logan clutched at his ears again...as if he was back on the field and his hearing was being damaged for the first time. He was tired, not only physically, but mentally too, only his body wasn't allowing him to rest. Every time he tried to heal and sleep, something else would happen to set him back.
Jean leaned toward him, stroking his hair. She bent down, kissing the top of his head. "Shh..it's okay, you're alright Logan..." It was a surprise to her, that he'd told her about this. She didn't think he felt as close to her as she felt to him...maybe she was wrong.
Logan's body started to shake slightly again, but Jean pulled an extra blanket off the bed and wrapped it around his broad shoulders. She sat with him, without saying a word, just holding him and being there. The whole rest of the night Jean stayed by Logan's side, stroking his hair like a child, until he was asleep.
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In the morning Jean found herself sitting on Logan's bed with her arms wrapped around him. She blinked a few times, getting rid of the sleepiness and trying to fully waken. She knew she shouldn't be there, with a patient. She couldn't fall in love with a patient...but she already had. Jean knew, right then, things would be different between the two of them. Logan told her things that he probably hadn't told anyone, or even thought of to himself, until that night. Now neither of them could go back.
Jean slowly and gently pulled away from Logan as he began to groan back to consciousness. She wondered if he remembered what had happened. After all, he was in an odd state and might not recall what went on. Jean hoped that he was feeling better, he really worried her last night.
Logan opened his eyes, smiling half-heartedly at Jean. Right then, she knew that he remembered. The look in his eyes, the glint that showed her that he understood her feelings towards him. "Jeannie."
She brushed a hand through his hair and smiled at him sympathetically. "Are you...better this morning?"
Logan nodded with a sigh, remembering the uncontrollable shaking that overcame him the other night. He realized also, that his hearing seemed much more normal this morning. "Yeah, I'm good." He cocked his head to the side. "And it seems my hearin' is pretty good right now too."
"Good, I'm glad." Jean stood up, smoothing out her crinkled nurses uniform. "I better go clean up, I'll be right back."
Logan nodded, winking at Jean as she walked out and smiled back at him.
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The Nightengale: Chapter 9
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Later that night, long after Jean had discussed things with Dr. Xavier, she sat alone in her room, left with nothing but her thoughts.
Jean realized that she hadn't seen much of Rogue at all recently. Normally she'd stop into Jean's room and talk for a little while, but lately...nothing. She knew that Rogue was going through hard times right now, with Bobby's death and all, but she was getting worried that the young girl would be leaving the hospital. Perhaps it was selfish of her, wanting Rogue to stick around just so she'd have someone to talk to, besides Logan. She really felt that it was probably better for Rogue to leave all the tragedies of the war behind her. Jean knew better that she could not forget the war herself; her future that lay inside the hospital, possibly, was within reach if she only knew how to grasp it.
---------------
A week had passed, Rogue was gone, Logan and Jean had been spending more time together with therapy and Logan's hearing was almost fully restored. Doctor Xavier told Jean that he'll need another hearing test in about a week, but if it hasn't fully returned by then, it probably never will and Logan won't be able to go back into battle with the rest of the troops.
Jean told Logan not to get his hopes up, but he was determined to get better and jump back into the fight. That was what Jean was afraid of. What if he did go back? Would she ever see him again? Would he even remember her? What if he was killed in battle? Could she live with that? Would she even know? Many things ran through Jean's mind when she heard a yell. It was pretty late, too late for any other nurses to be around, and too early for any patients to be up. But that yell...it was familiar...it was...Logan.
Jean was somewhat close by, and she raced to Logan's room to find him sitting up in bed with his hands clamped over his ears. She ran by his side and called out his name softly, but for a while he didn't respond. His hands were covering his ears so tightly he probably couldn't hear her.
"ARRHHHH!!" Logan yelled, thrashing violently at an unknown enemy.
Jean jumped back away from Logan. He was actually starting to scare her. What was wrong with him?! She slowly made her way closer to him when he seemed to calm down. The worst of it looked to be over, whatever "it" was. "Logan!" Jean called to him sternly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Logan's eyes snapped open but they were wild looking, like a cornered animal. Something about his eyes made Jean back away again. This was so unlike him. He was so close to recovery, why is this happening now? "Logan...? Please...say something okay? You're starting to scare me." No, that wasn't all true, he had already scared her.
Logan took in some deep breaths, but his body was shaking, almost in convulsion. He began shaking so violently, Jean wasn't sure if he really *was* having a seizure or not. Not willing to take the chance of another dangerous outburst, worse than before possibly, she rushed to the closet and pulled out an emergency medical kit. Inside it she grabbed a syringe in a sealed bag and a sedative. Jean quickly but carefully plunged the needle into Logan's shoulder, injecting him with the drug.
The shaking seemed to slow down and his breathing became more steady. Jean tentatively took his hand in hers, stroking it gently. "Hey...Logan? Can you hear me?"
He nodded, his head jerking for a second uncontrolably. Logan looked at Jean, shame in his eyes, but no wildness. The sedative had taken care of that, thankfully. "Yeah...I can hear you...loud an' clear."
Jean bit her lower lip, reaching out for his chin so he would look her in the eyes. "Louder than normal loud?" She saw the uncertainty in his features. "Don't lie to me Logan."
He grunted, clenching his teeth. "Yeah...more like...near sonic boom..loud."
Jean gently brushed a hand through his sweat soaked hair. She tried whispering lowly so it wouldn't be so loud to him. "What happened?"
He knew what she was talking about, but he didn't really know how to answer. "I..I don't really know." Logan told her truthfully, in a whispering tone of his own. "Somethin'...popped inta my head..." He closed his eyes tightly, trying to remember. "...from that battle I was in. The Vietnamese were all 'round us...attackin' from all angles...shootin' at us...slaughtering us. We..we were left there without any ammo left...no water...nothing. Our Lieutenant was killed...leaving me in charge. We were told to hold our position..but everyone around me was dyin'...Then....I charged at the enemy, killin' some of 'em with my knife...then I heard gunfire overhead...big shells bein' fired...an explosion beside me...then I was down..." Logan clutched at his ears again...as if he was back on the field and his hearing was being damaged for the first time. He was tired, not only physically, but mentally too, only his body wasn't allowing him to rest. Every time he tried to heal and sleep, something else would happen to set him back.
Jean leaned toward him, stroking his hair. She bent down, kissing the top of his head. "Shh..it's okay, you're alright Logan..." It was a surprise to her, that he'd told her about this. She didn't think he felt as close to her as she felt to him...maybe she was wrong.
Logan's body started to shake slightly again, but Jean pulled an extra blanket off the bed and wrapped it around his broad shoulders. She sat with him, without saying a word, just holding him and being there. The whole rest of the night Jean stayed by Logan's side, stroking his hair like a child, until he was asleep.
---------------
In the morning Jean found herself sitting on Logan's bed with her arms wrapped around him. She blinked a few times, getting rid of the sleepiness and trying to fully waken. She knew she shouldn't be there, with a patient. She couldn't fall in love with a patient...but she already had. Jean knew, right then, things would be different between the two of them. Logan told her things that he probably hadn't told anyone, or even thought of to himself, until that night. Now neither of them could go back.
Jean slowly and gently pulled away from Logan as he began to groan back to consciousness. She wondered if he remembered what had happened. After all, he was in an odd state and might not recall what went on. Jean hoped that he was feeling better, he really worried her last night.
Logan opened his eyes, smiling half-heartedly at Jean. Right then, she knew that he remembered. The look in his eyes, the glint that showed her that he understood her feelings towards him. "Jeannie."
She brushed a hand through his hair and smiled at him sympathetically. "Are you...better this morning?"
Logan nodded with a sigh, remembering the uncontrollable shaking that overcame him the other night. He realized also, that his hearing seemed much more normal this morning. "Yeah, I'm good." He cocked his head to the side. "And it seems my hearin' is pretty good right now too."
"Good, I'm glad." Jean stood up, smoothing out her crinkled nurses uniform. "I better go clean up, I'll be right back."
Logan nodded, winking at Jean as she walked out and smiled back at him.
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