Authors Note: Well, since Rogue77 is the only one to review (and I love you for it hon!) I have some bad news. Meranda and Logan aren't Rogue's parents in this one. Sorry, I know it's sad. But in my later story, they will have a close relationship. Sorry to burst your bubble. Ah so that's why you asked me. I was trying to figure out why, but to answer your question, yes I am. But I live in a dominantly c/c community, so yeah. Makes ya not want to share too much. Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully some more will review, if not, THANK YOU! You are great.
Tortured Hearts
Chapter 5: Waiting, Propositions, Changes & Good-byes
Cece and Tony sat and watched Logan pace across the waiting room. "Logan, I'm sure they'll come out and tell us something soon," she said getting up and placing her hand on his arm. "Why don't you sit down and rest?"
"I'm fine. Why don't you guys go home? There's nothing you can really do here."
"You need us," Cece began before Logan interrupted her.
"No," Logan said pulling his arm away. "I don't." He turned and walked out of the waiting room and went down the hall, turning a corner and finally stopping, resting his head against the wall.
"James Howlett?" a mans voice asked behind him.
"Who wants to know?" Logan growled.
"Someone who can help you. That is, if your interested."
"Yeah well, I hate to tell you," Logan said turning around and getting in the shorter mans face, "but I don't need your help. And I'm not James." Logan began to walk past him toward the waiting room.
"That's right. It's Logan now isn't it? You know it's a shame. You have that wonderful healing ability and no way to share it with the woman you love."
"What do you know about it?" Logan asked, stopping and turning back to face the man.
"More than you think. I know who you are, and I know who she is. And I know how to help her. How you can save her. All you have to do is agree to help us."
"Help you with what? And who are you?" Logan asked, suspiciously.
"William Stryker and you'll see."
"What do I have to do?"
"Just come with me, and we can make her good as new."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Logan stood in a large hospital room. On the table next to him was Meranda, comatose. The doctors had told him that they'd be lucky if she made it through the night and that there was no hope for the baby at all. Logan knew that would break her heart. He reached out his hand and took hers, rubbing his thumb gently next to the IV tubing.
"Don't worry Logan, this will only take a moment," William Stryker said as the doctor inserted a needle into Logan's arm, extracting some of the bone marrow. "Dr. Townshend will take some of your DNA and give it to her. And then she'll be well again and you'll be mine."
"What will you tell her?" Logan asked never taking his eyes off of Meranda.
"You died in the crash. She'll never know anything else."
"We're done Mr. Stryker," Dr. Townshend said, taking the needle over to Meranda. "He can be removed."
"I want to stay," Logan said holding tighter to Meranda's hand and looking dangerously at the Doctor.
"Very well, but you're going to have to let go of her hand," Townshend replied coldly. He injected the material they had retrieved from Logan into Meranda's IV as Logan backed away next to Stryker. This had been Townshend's dream for years. He had been beginning to wonder if he'd ever get the opportunity to test his theory until Meranda and Logan had come into the Gynecologists office two months ago. A blood sample and a phone call led Townshend to a mutant whose DNA could be easily changed and enhanced. It was a shame that the accident Stryker arranged had cost them the baby but those losses could always be recovered later. Now they would have two specimens.
He finished the injection and turned the ray onto Meranda. He keyed several buttons and a powerful radioactive beam shot out into Meranda. After several moments, her eyes shot open and she let out a blood-curtailing scream as the pain intensified. It was working perfectly.
Logan jumped toward Meranda but Stryker stopped him. "If you take her out now she'll die. It's a very painful procedure but it's guaranteed to work. Be patient." As Meranda's screams intensified, Logan turned away to keep from reaching out and taking her away from all of this. Maybe it would have been better if he'd just let her go. Let her join the circle of nature. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the Polaroid that Cece had taken of them a few days earlier. They looked so happy. They were so happy, and he couldn't take that away from her. Not after everything she had been through. Not after everything that he had been through.
Then, as suddenly as the screaming had started, it stopped. Logan replaced the picture to the safety of his pocket and turned around. Meranda was unconscious again, but her breathing was steady and the cuts on her head were healing themselves.
"It worked," Dr. Townshend exclaimed excitedly. "It'll just take a few hours for her internal organs to repair themselves, but other than that she'll be fine by tomorrow."
"Come now Logan, she needs her rest," Stryker said placing his hand on Logan's arm and pulling him toward the exit. "You can see her before we send her on her way."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Are you sure it's a good idea for her to see me? Especially since you told her I'm dead," Logan asked walking down the hall next to William Stryker.
"Would you rather not having this last goodbye?" Stryker asked amused.
"No."
"Well then, here we are."
Logan let out a long breath before opening the door and entering the small white room. It looked like a hospital room with the same sterile smell. It had only been a day since they had performed the gene splicing experiment and she was already back to full health. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, a book in her hand. She looked up when he walked in and smiled, but something about her was different. The light seemed to be gone from her eyes.
"Hey darlin', how are you feeling?" Logan asked entering the room slowly.
"Fine thank you," Meranda replied putting her book down and standing. "Are you another doctor?"
"What?" Logan asked, surprised that she didn't recognize him.
"Are you another doctor?"
"No, I'm your husband. Don't you remember Meranda?" Logan took a step toward her and put his hands on her shoulders looking into her eyes and saw no recognition there. "You have to remember darlin'," Logan said placing a picture into the pocket of her gown.
"I'm sorry. Maybe you're thinking of someone else," Meranda said looking sadly up at Logan. "Maybe the doctor can help you find her?"
"What's going on here?" Logan asked, knowing that Stryker had entered the room.
"It's simple Logan, you trusted us to restore her health and we did. You agreed to join us and you are. But we never did agree to let her return to the world. We did agree to let her leave here and she will with Dr. Townshend, and her mutant abilities will be enhanced turning her into the perfect weapon. As will yours."
"Weapon for what?" Logan asked through gritted teeth, standing protectively in front of Meranda.
"Well that's simple. Destroying all the Mutants. But don't worry. You won't care what happens to her after this. Just like she doesn't care about you now."
From the doorway two soldiers walked in and fired several darts into Logan, sending him toppling to the ground.
Meranda knelt down quickly to help him when Dr. Townshend walked in. "Come Meranda. It's time for another treatment. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine."
"Dr. are you going to help him find his wife? He's looking for her," Meranda said rising to her feet, brushing her hands against Logan's forehead on the way. She walked slowly toward the door and looked back at his still form on the floor.
"Of course we will Meranda, now come it's time for you to meet a woman known as the Prophet. She's going to help you see things more clearly."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Logan woke up in a large white room and looked around.
"Hello Logan, how are we feeling?" William Stryker asked as Logan got up from the bed.
"Where am I?" Logan asked dazed, "And who are you? And who's Logan?"
"You'll find out soon enough young man. Now why don't we get started with your training?"
Logan looked around one more time before following Stryker out of the room.
"When we're finished Logan, you'll be the strongest creature in creation. Now, what do you think of the name Wolverine?"
* * * * * * * * * * *
Dr. Townshend opened the door to Meranda's room and led her inside. "Here you are Ebony, your training went very well today. And your new powers are developing nicely. I'm very proud of you."
"Thank you Doctor. Why are you calling me Ebony again?" Meranda asked walking over to the bed.
"That's the name you'll be using on missions. Do you understand?"
"Yeah. Just checking."
"Very well, I'll leave you to rest. Goodnight Meranda."
"Night."
Alone in her room, Meranda laid tiredly on the bed. The sessions took a lot out of her. She sighed as she reached into her pocket and removed the paper that the strange man had put in there earlier that day. "I sure hope he finds his wife," she thought as she turned the paper over and discovered it was a picture. The color drained from her face as she realized who was in the picture. It was her and the man from earlier, and they looked so happy it scared her. "If he's telling the truth, then who am I?"
Meranda laid her head down on the pillow, placing the picture over her heart and covered it with her hand. "There's more to this than I thought. I'll have to keep my guard up. And work on remembering who I am." Around her the lights dimmed as she pushed the light from the room and tried to sleep.
Not far down the hall in his own room Logan tried desperately to figure out who he was and how in the hell he ended up in this place.
Tortured Hearts
Chapter 5: Waiting, Propositions, Changes & Good-byes
Cece and Tony sat and watched Logan pace across the waiting room. "Logan, I'm sure they'll come out and tell us something soon," she said getting up and placing her hand on his arm. "Why don't you sit down and rest?"
"I'm fine. Why don't you guys go home? There's nothing you can really do here."
"You need us," Cece began before Logan interrupted her.
"No," Logan said pulling his arm away. "I don't." He turned and walked out of the waiting room and went down the hall, turning a corner and finally stopping, resting his head against the wall.
"James Howlett?" a mans voice asked behind him.
"Who wants to know?" Logan growled.
"Someone who can help you. That is, if your interested."
"Yeah well, I hate to tell you," Logan said turning around and getting in the shorter mans face, "but I don't need your help. And I'm not James." Logan began to walk past him toward the waiting room.
"That's right. It's Logan now isn't it? You know it's a shame. You have that wonderful healing ability and no way to share it with the woman you love."
"What do you know about it?" Logan asked, stopping and turning back to face the man.
"More than you think. I know who you are, and I know who she is. And I know how to help her. How you can save her. All you have to do is agree to help us."
"Help you with what? And who are you?" Logan asked, suspiciously.
"William Stryker and you'll see."
"What do I have to do?"
"Just come with me, and we can make her good as new."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Logan stood in a large hospital room. On the table next to him was Meranda, comatose. The doctors had told him that they'd be lucky if she made it through the night and that there was no hope for the baby at all. Logan knew that would break her heart. He reached out his hand and took hers, rubbing his thumb gently next to the IV tubing.
"Don't worry Logan, this will only take a moment," William Stryker said as the doctor inserted a needle into Logan's arm, extracting some of the bone marrow. "Dr. Townshend will take some of your DNA and give it to her. And then she'll be well again and you'll be mine."
"What will you tell her?" Logan asked never taking his eyes off of Meranda.
"You died in the crash. She'll never know anything else."
"We're done Mr. Stryker," Dr. Townshend said, taking the needle over to Meranda. "He can be removed."
"I want to stay," Logan said holding tighter to Meranda's hand and looking dangerously at the Doctor.
"Very well, but you're going to have to let go of her hand," Townshend replied coldly. He injected the material they had retrieved from Logan into Meranda's IV as Logan backed away next to Stryker. This had been Townshend's dream for years. He had been beginning to wonder if he'd ever get the opportunity to test his theory until Meranda and Logan had come into the Gynecologists office two months ago. A blood sample and a phone call led Townshend to a mutant whose DNA could be easily changed and enhanced. It was a shame that the accident Stryker arranged had cost them the baby but those losses could always be recovered later. Now they would have two specimens.
He finished the injection and turned the ray onto Meranda. He keyed several buttons and a powerful radioactive beam shot out into Meranda. After several moments, her eyes shot open and she let out a blood-curtailing scream as the pain intensified. It was working perfectly.
Logan jumped toward Meranda but Stryker stopped him. "If you take her out now she'll die. It's a very painful procedure but it's guaranteed to work. Be patient." As Meranda's screams intensified, Logan turned away to keep from reaching out and taking her away from all of this. Maybe it would have been better if he'd just let her go. Let her join the circle of nature. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the Polaroid that Cece had taken of them a few days earlier. They looked so happy. They were so happy, and he couldn't take that away from her. Not after everything she had been through. Not after everything that he had been through.
Then, as suddenly as the screaming had started, it stopped. Logan replaced the picture to the safety of his pocket and turned around. Meranda was unconscious again, but her breathing was steady and the cuts on her head were healing themselves.
"It worked," Dr. Townshend exclaimed excitedly. "It'll just take a few hours for her internal organs to repair themselves, but other than that she'll be fine by tomorrow."
"Come now Logan, she needs her rest," Stryker said placing his hand on Logan's arm and pulling him toward the exit. "You can see her before we send her on her way."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Are you sure it's a good idea for her to see me? Especially since you told her I'm dead," Logan asked walking down the hall next to William Stryker.
"Would you rather not having this last goodbye?" Stryker asked amused.
"No."
"Well then, here we are."
Logan let out a long breath before opening the door and entering the small white room. It looked like a hospital room with the same sterile smell. It had only been a day since they had performed the gene splicing experiment and she was already back to full health. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, a book in her hand. She looked up when he walked in and smiled, but something about her was different. The light seemed to be gone from her eyes.
"Hey darlin', how are you feeling?" Logan asked entering the room slowly.
"Fine thank you," Meranda replied putting her book down and standing. "Are you another doctor?"
"What?" Logan asked, surprised that she didn't recognize him.
"Are you another doctor?"
"No, I'm your husband. Don't you remember Meranda?" Logan took a step toward her and put his hands on her shoulders looking into her eyes and saw no recognition there. "You have to remember darlin'," Logan said placing a picture into the pocket of her gown.
"I'm sorry. Maybe you're thinking of someone else," Meranda said looking sadly up at Logan. "Maybe the doctor can help you find her?"
"What's going on here?" Logan asked, knowing that Stryker had entered the room.
"It's simple Logan, you trusted us to restore her health and we did. You agreed to join us and you are. But we never did agree to let her return to the world. We did agree to let her leave here and she will with Dr. Townshend, and her mutant abilities will be enhanced turning her into the perfect weapon. As will yours."
"Weapon for what?" Logan asked through gritted teeth, standing protectively in front of Meranda.
"Well that's simple. Destroying all the Mutants. But don't worry. You won't care what happens to her after this. Just like she doesn't care about you now."
From the doorway two soldiers walked in and fired several darts into Logan, sending him toppling to the ground.
Meranda knelt down quickly to help him when Dr. Townshend walked in. "Come Meranda. It's time for another treatment. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine."
"Dr. are you going to help him find his wife? He's looking for her," Meranda said rising to her feet, brushing her hands against Logan's forehead on the way. She walked slowly toward the door and looked back at his still form on the floor.
"Of course we will Meranda, now come it's time for you to meet a woman known as the Prophet. She's going to help you see things more clearly."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Logan woke up in a large white room and looked around.
"Hello Logan, how are we feeling?" William Stryker asked as Logan got up from the bed.
"Where am I?" Logan asked dazed, "And who are you? And who's Logan?"
"You'll find out soon enough young man. Now why don't we get started with your training?"
Logan looked around one more time before following Stryker out of the room.
"When we're finished Logan, you'll be the strongest creature in creation. Now, what do you think of the name Wolverine?"
* * * * * * * * * * *
Dr. Townshend opened the door to Meranda's room and led her inside. "Here you are Ebony, your training went very well today. And your new powers are developing nicely. I'm very proud of you."
"Thank you Doctor. Why are you calling me Ebony again?" Meranda asked walking over to the bed.
"That's the name you'll be using on missions. Do you understand?"
"Yeah. Just checking."
"Very well, I'll leave you to rest. Goodnight Meranda."
"Night."
Alone in her room, Meranda laid tiredly on the bed. The sessions took a lot out of her. She sighed as she reached into her pocket and removed the paper that the strange man had put in there earlier that day. "I sure hope he finds his wife," she thought as she turned the paper over and discovered it was a picture. The color drained from her face as she realized who was in the picture. It was her and the man from earlier, and they looked so happy it scared her. "If he's telling the truth, then who am I?"
Meranda laid her head down on the pillow, placing the picture over her heart and covered it with her hand. "There's more to this than I thought. I'll have to keep my guard up. And work on remembering who I am." Around her the lights dimmed as she pushed the light from the room and tried to sleep.
Not far down the hall in his own room Logan tried desperately to figure out who he was and how in the hell he ended up in this place.