Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I making any money from the X-Men
characters. Thank you to Corrinth for the use of her character Dr. Ilehana
Xavier. I do own Blaze, and appreciate authors not using her without
asking.
A/N: Reviews always welcome! Thank you to author Tamora Pierce, for her inspiring 'Circle of Magic' quartet, and for all the stories of Tortall that made me want to write in the first place. Also thanks to author and friend, fellow fanfic-er Corrinth for the all-conquering Trip and Da'Nela mind-bond in the Star Trek Enterprise Lone-Wolf trilogy, sorry I've kinda nicked it!
Scene 15
"Just put her on that bed, Logan, I'll be with you in a minute or two." Ilehana slowly pierced the seal on the bag of the intravenous drip that ran into Blaze's arm with a syringe of the miracle virus. This process would administer the cure for the neurotoxin slow enough for Blaze's body to cope with the change. Withdrawing the needle the rubber seal closed behind it, and Vixen could turn to assess her newest patient. It was times like this, rushed off her feet, when she felt as keenly as most of them the loss of Dr Jean Grey. Not that she'd ever liked the woman.
Electra lay pale and still on the bed where Wolverine had deposited her. She'd been unconscious the whole way back from Magneto's mansion, apart form when she had briefly regained consciousness just long enough to vomit all over Kurt.
"You found her strapped to the mutation accelerator?" Vixen asked as she put on her stethoscope and started to examine the blue-haired female.
"Yeah." Logan stood back from the bed, arms crossed over his muscular chest, frowning slightly as he watched the Professor's daughter work. Behind him, Storm came into the room with elegant but purposeful strides.
"You called, Ilehana?" Vixen didn't even look up from her examination of Electra.
"Yes, there's a syringe ready on the work surface, and the second vial. Give Gambit 10ml exactly through the intravenous drip please. And monitor them both, closely. Any change, call me, okay Ororo?" Ilehana glanced up worriedly at Wolverine. "Help me turn her over, Logan?"
Storm did as she was told; overwhelmed by the concern that Ilehana was experiencing about Electra. The black woman frowned slightly, brows knitting together as she measured precisely the amount of the mystery virus for Gambit. She could only hope it would work.
"Damn it!" Vixen swore, making Storm turn around. "We are too late!"
With rough fingers Wolverine touched the holes in the back of Electra's outfit. Holes that went deep inside her and leaked green-blue fluid. Holes that now he looked were matched by pinpricks around her face and on her chest and arms. How could he not have noticed this before? Magneto had done the unforgivable, tried to tamper with a mutant's DNA, with her powers, he'd already used his mutation accelerator...
A sudden cough, followed by a splutter and a choke made all three X-Men turn from Electra. Blaze was turning an interesting shade of blue. Rushing over, Storm and Vixen raced to clear her airway, easing her breathing as the redhead regained a semblance of consciousness.
"Gambit..." She gasped, eyes roving unseeing around the medical room. A shudder passed through her, Logan grabbed her shoulders to offer her support. Unthinking, Storm glanced to the next bed, where the Cajun still didn't move, eyes closed and face pale, monitors bleeping around him.
**Don't tell her. ** Ilehana demanded telepathically. **She can't know, not yet. If she knows how close he is to leaving, she wont want to come back herself. **
Wolverine and Storm both nodded their agreement. They supported Blaze so she could breathe properly as Vixen went to a cabinet and returned with a new syringe and potion-bottle.
"Blaze..." She said, softer than Wolverine had ever heard her speak. "You are safe at the mansion. You are going to get better. I am going to give you a drug to make you sleep now. When you wake up, everything will be okay."
"Remy..." Blaze whispered. "I can't find him...."
"What does she mean?" Storm questioned the others. Wolverine shook his head.
"She means telepathically, through that bizarre bond they have." Ilehana said as she directed the needle into the junction where drip met Blaze's arm. "I just hope she'll forgive me..."
In Blaze's mind, a familiar face grinned at her. He was all right then. Almost silently he spoke to her.
**Sleep now, chere. Talk later. **
Blaze closed her eyes, leaning back and drifting into more healthy, natural healing sleep.
"What did you do?" Logan asked as he eased Blaze back to lie down.
"I gave her Gambit." Vixen sighed, walking over to the Cajun, whose condition was still unchanged. "She's too out of it to know it was only me..."
Wolverine's hand rested on Vixen's shoulder, a reassuring presence. Storm averted her eyes, going instead to inspect Electra for herself. Ilehana risked a half-hearted smile.
"You did good, kid. Blaze wont hold it against you." For a second she let him support her, she was so tired. Then she moved away, as she always did, back to her newest patient. Logan shook his head, time for a cold shower and a cigar. Without saying goodbye, he left.
"What about Electra?" Storm asked quietly.
"There's nothing I can do for her." Ilehana acknowledged stiffly, hating to be unable to help. "I'll give her drugs to help her sleep through whatever changes Magneto has wreaked on her. If she survives, at least she's in the right place, with plenty of help to learn to control her powers again. But it's a big 'if'."
Storm could feel Vixen's exhaustion; it ran like rivulets through the air towards her.
"Take a break." Storm ordered her friend. "I can handle this for a while. Go get some rest."
Ilehana smiled gratefully at Ororo, checked Blaze was truly sleeping now, and departed.
A/N: Reviews always welcome! Thank you to author Tamora Pierce, for her inspiring 'Circle of Magic' quartet, and for all the stories of Tortall that made me want to write in the first place. Also thanks to author and friend, fellow fanfic-er Corrinth for the all-conquering Trip and Da'Nela mind-bond in the Star Trek Enterprise Lone-Wolf trilogy, sorry I've kinda nicked it!
Scene 15
"Just put her on that bed, Logan, I'll be with you in a minute or two." Ilehana slowly pierced the seal on the bag of the intravenous drip that ran into Blaze's arm with a syringe of the miracle virus. This process would administer the cure for the neurotoxin slow enough for Blaze's body to cope with the change. Withdrawing the needle the rubber seal closed behind it, and Vixen could turn to assess her newest patient. It was times like this, rushed off her feet, when she felt as keenly as most of them the loss of Dr Jean Grey. Not that she'd ever liked the woman.
Electra lay pale and still on the bed where Wolverine had deposited her. She'd been unconscious the whole way back from Magneto's mansion, apart form when she had briefly regained consciousness just long enough to vomit all over Kurt.
"You found her strapped to the mutation accelerator?" Vixen asked as she put on her stethoscope and started to examine the blue-haired female.
"Yeah." Logan stood back from the bed, arms crossed over his muscular chest, frowning slightly as he watched the Professor's daughter work. Behind him, Storm came into the room with elegant but purposeful strides.
"You called, Ilehana?" Vixen didn't even look up from her examination of Electra.
"Yes, there's a syringe ready on the work surface, and the second vial. Give Gambit 10ml exactly through the intravenous drip please. And monitor them both, closely. Any change, call me, okay Ororo?" Ilehana glanced up worriedly at Wolverine. "Help me turn her over, Logan?"
Storm did as she was told; overwhelmed by the concern that Ilehana was experiencing about Electra. The black woman frowned slightly, brows knitting together as she measured precisely the amount of the mystery virus for Gambit. She could only hope it would work.
"Damn it!" Vixen swore, making Storm turn around. "We are too late!"
With rough fingers Wolverine touched the holes in the back of Electra's outfit. Holes that went deep inside her and leaked green-blue fluid. Holes that now he looked were matched by pinpricks around her face and on her chest and arms. How could he not have noticed this before? Magneto had done the unforgivable, tried to tamper with a mutant's DNA, with her powers, he'd already used his mutation accelerator...
A sudden cough, followed by a splutter and a choke made all three X-Men turn from Electra. Blaze was turning an interesting shade of blue. Rushing over, Storm and Vixen raced to clear her airway, easing her breathing as the redhead regained a semblance of consciousness.
"Gambit..." She gasped, eyes roving unseeing around the medical room. A shudder passed through her, Logan grabbed her shoulders to offer her support. Unthinking, Storm glanced to the next bed, where the Cajun still didn't move, eyes closed and face pale, monitors bleeping around him.
**Don't tell her. ** Ilehana demanded telepathically. **She can't know, not yet. If she knows how close he is to leaving, she wont want to come back herself. **
Wolverine and Storm both nodded their agreement. They supported Blaze so she could breathe properly as Vixen went to a cabinet and returned with a new syringe and potion-bottle.
"Blaze..." She said, softer than Wolverine had ever heard her speak. "You are safe at the mansion. You are going to get better. I am going to give you a drug to make you sleep now. When you wake up, everything will be okay."
"Remy..." Blaze whispered. "I can't find him...."
"What does she mean?" Storm questioned the others. Wolverine shook his head.
"She means telepathically, through that bizarre bond they have." Ilehana said as she directed the needle into the junction where drip met Blaze's arm. "I just hope she'll forgive me..."
In Blaze's mind, a familiar face grinned at her. He was all right then. Almost silently he spoke to her.
**Sleep now, chere. Talk later. **
Blaze closed her eyes, leaning back and drifting into more healthy, natural healing sleep.
"What did you do?" Logan asked as he eased Blaze back to lie down.
"I gave her Gambit." Vixen sighed, walking over to the Cajun, whose condition was still unchanged. "She's too out of it to know it was only me..."
Wolverine's hand rested on Vixen's shoulder, a reassuring presence. Storm averted her eyes, going instead to inspect Electra for herself. Ilehana risked a half-hearted smile.
"You did good, kid. Blaze wont hold it against you." For a second she let him support her, she was so tired. Then she moved away, as she always did, back to her newest patient. Logan shook his head, time for a cold shower and a cigar. Without saying goodbye, he left.
"What about Electra?" Storm asked quietly.
"There's nothing I can do for her." Ilehana acknowledged stiffly, hating to be unable to help. "I'll give her drugs to help her sleep through whatever changes Magneto has wreaked on her. If she survives, at least she's in the right place, with plenty of help to learn to control her powers again. But it's a big 'if'."
Storm could feel Vixen's exhaustion; it ran like rivulets through the air towards her.
"Take a break." Storm ordered her friend. "I can handle this for a while. Go get some rest."
Ilehana smiled gratefully at Ororo, checked Blaze was truly sleeping now, and departed.