****Authors Note: Just wanna say a few things: First, thanks for continuing to review, and for emailing. Second of all recently my ISP (Blueyonder.co.uk/Telewest) deleted my email account, so now my email address is dismal_angel@blueyonder.co.uk, so anyone who might have been emailing me at the old address might have not received replies, I'm truly sorry for this. Third, this episode was meant to be put up last night (I had promised it would be to a few people) but my internet went down and I couldn't update. Sorry again. Hope you enjoy the episode. - Ash ****
Chapter 1: Good to be Home
The first thing Remy LeBeau noticed as he left the Blackbird Jet and entered into the large hanger underneath the Xavier Institute was that the place seemed so much more larger than he had remembered. Almost ten times larger, the metal walls sparkling, the hard cement floor vast. He tightened his grip on Hank McCoy, his arm around Hank's shoulders for support.
He'd spent five days recovering on Muir Island since his coming out of unconsciousness from an accidental explosion that he himself had caused. Although there had been no fractures or permanent damage left to any of the bones in his back, he was still in extreme pain, and could barely walk without accompaniment, something he found, a bit of an inconvenience, and, not very good for his pride.
"Take it slow, Remy," Hank commanded as Remy tried to pick up his pace. They entered into a nearby elevator, the Professor moving along behind in his wheelchair.
Remy drew his breath in pain, he'd been uncomfortable the whole flight, unable to sleep at all the last few nights, and even the painkillers were barely helping anymore. He was also advised – since his lungs were still tender from the inhalation of smoke during the fire the explosion had caused – he should steer clear of his cigarette habits for a long period of time. Something he had absolutely no problem with, the way his lungs were feeling.
When they were all in the elevator, Hank pushed the button for the ground floor, and the elevator began to move slowly upwards, Remy felt the soft jolt and vibration of the mechanisms right through his spine, and winced.
"Perhaps its time for another painkiller," Hank reasoned.
"They aren't working anymore," Remy remarked testily, and this, he felt was certainly true. He was beginning to wonder if it was possible he'd built up a quick resistance to them.
The elevator stopped, and the doors slid open, the three entered into the extremely large foyer. Everything looked beautiful and lavish, and more inviting than Remy had ever remembered, he smiled a little to himself, "it's good to be home," Remy said softly, they stepped forward a little more, Professor Xavier in tow. Remy's spine feeling every movement as he walked, he grasped, and stopped for breath.
"The pain will recede, with time," Professor Xavier assured, "If you like I could telepathically block some of the nerves in your brain which might dull the pain a little."
"No…" Remy said, he frowned a little, "I don't want anyone in my head…the pain is my fault, I'll deal with it," he sighed. He guessed he was deserving of the pain. Apt punishment for the things he'd done a week previous. Perhaps the pain should have been even more excruciating than it was to make it an apt punishment.
Hank carried Remy's bag with one hand, "lets get you to your room, more rest, I think, is what you need."
"I've rested for what seems like forever," Remy said, "I'd rather find something to do."
"You're in no fit state to do anything," Hank chuckled, "You can barely lift a spoon without feeling an ounce of pain. No, my boy, rest for you."
"Go on, Remy," Professor Xavier smiled slightly at the young injured man, "the more you rest, the better you'll feel and the faster you'll heal."
Remy didn't like having to take orders from Hank McCoy, who, with doctoring experience, seemed to know better. Remy hated having to be helped to change clothes for bed, it was…nothing short of humiliating. Remy knew he could have managed, but it would have taken him probably an hour or more to manage to pull his bed clothes on – but this would have let him save what little dignity he felt he had left.
"Don't worry," Hank had told him, cheerful, yet professional and kindly as ever, "I've had to undress patients before, Gambit, you haven't got anything I haven't seen before."
Soon, Remy was laying in his comfortable bed in his bedroom, with all his familiar things surrounding him, the familiar grey carpet, and his familiar plaid bedspread. He rested his back against the pillows, "so what am I gonna do now?" he asked.
"You could try sleeping," Hank said, "you haven't slept in the last few days, don't think I haven't noticed," Hank stated, "and I will be making sure you're taking your pills," he said, he tapped the pocket of his very large cardigan, the clatter of pills against plastic could be heard from within it.
"Are you going to be keeping custody of them as well?" Remy asked curiously, "what if I'm in absolute distress and really need one."
"Ah…well…" Hank looked away, "You know the policy in the mansion about Pills, now don't you?"
Remy felt a very familiar pulling at his chest as if something were trying to rip his heart out completely. Yes, he was very aware of the policy, and in some ways, it was his fault that policy had been set in the first place. Just like several other things that seemed to happen around him were always his fault. But this policy was also partly Rogue's fault. Rogue, being upset with Remy, decided to use a permanent solution to a temporary problem by taking an overdose with painkillers several months earlier. Now, all pills were locked away, and all bathrooms and bedrooms, now had no locks on their doors, as a lock had almost prevented Rogue from being found.
"Er…" Hank made a face, he could see Remy's face contort with emotion, "that still is a bit of a sore subject, isn't it? I'm sorry, I did not mean to bring it up," he sighed.
"It's okay, Hank, you're only advising me what you have to advise the others," Remy nodded curtly, and winced at the pain in his back again.
"I'll be back to check on you shortly…I'll send someone up with lunch," Hank stated, heading for the door, "now get some rest."
And with that, he was gone.
Remy had tried to doze off, but every time he closed his eyes, the face on his sister, Chantal, as she was about to be buried by the earth from the ceilings of the tunnels under Muir Island, flashed in front of his mind almost like a photograph. He couldn't close his eyes without it there.
He tried to read, but the nearest book to his bed was something he'd already read, and he had lost interest in it completely by the time he'd gotten to the first chapter.
His boredom left him with only one alternative…to think.
Thinking about Chantal, thinking about his mistake in sleeping with Carmel, and then…thinking about Rogue. He'd been lying in bed for two hours, and she hadn't come to see him yet. Then he reasoned with himself, of course she wouldn't have come to see him, and even if she'd wanted to, she couldn't, it was a Monday, and at this time she would surely be dealing with schoolwork.
Still, something in himself wished she would for once, sneak out of her lessons and come to see him. He had not seen her for two months.
At lunch time a knock at his door brought him out of his dull thoughts, and at first, hopefully he'd tried to sit up, thinking it was Rogue perhaps coming to see him, but as he called "come in," in a tired voice, only Kitty stepped through the door – or rather phased through it.
"Hey," Kitty said brightly, "Lunch for the invalid," she smirked, she sat on his bed, placing a tray upon his lap, a Sandwich, an apple, a glass of Orange juice, and some kind of strange round thing that he couldn't identify.
He feigned a smile, "what is this?" he asked, gesturing to the round brown blob.
"Bran muffin," Kitty responded, "I baked it, they're very good for you, keep you regular."
"I'll keep that in mind," Remy tried not to appear appalled at the sight of the thing, it looked nothing like a muffin, in fact, it didn't look remotely like anything edible he'd ever seen before in his twenty years on Earth. Still, everyone knew how it was with Kitty and her cooking. Her cooking was dreadful, and everyone pretended it wasn't, just so they didn't hurt her feelings, "what's on the sandwich?"
"Cheese and raw onion."
"No meat?" Remy raised an eyebrow.
"I can't handle meat or I'll gag," Kitty made a face, "I'm a vegetarian."
"I've seen you eat Pepperoni pizza!" Remy exclaimed.
"I make Kurt pick the pepperoni off for me," Kitty responded. "How are you feeling anyway?"
"Miserable," Remy sighed, "My back is…well…you can't begin to comprehend the agony I'm in," he admitted.
"So…I hear you caught the thief who was taking all the chemicals…"
"Yes, I did," Remy sighed, "But I don't feel like talking about it right now," he admitted sorely. "How's—" He was about to ask how Rogue was.
Kitty interrupted briskly, "You don't want to know," she looked quite firm, "believe me, you don't…really…really…REALLY don't want to know…"
"Why…?" Remy asked, his voice quivering a little.
"Uhm…lets just say, she's not her usual self," Kitty made a face, "I mean…you know how she was?"
Remy looked at Kitty, beginning to feel worried, "yes…"
"Imagine that ten times worse…" Kitty stated, her large blue eyes wide, she tucked one of her long bangs behind her ear, looking at him with much seriousness.
"What do you mean by ten times worse…?" Remy asked, he wasn't sure if this was just Kitty's over dramatic nature speaking or if something really was going on with Rogue more than he'd even expected..
"You'll find out eventually," Kitty drew her breath, "just, try and not look too shocked, and don't try to overreact…" she said coolly, "do you need anything before I go back downstairs?"
"Yes, I need something to do, I can't lie here all cooped up…" Remy sighed, he took a hold of the glass of orange juice and took a sip.
"Oh, uhm…" Kitty paused for a moment, "Oh, I know…here…" she reached into her back pocket and pulled out her Gameboy Advance, "this should keep you entertained for maybe an hour or two, I sometimes play it when I've finished all my writing during lessons, although Storm never notices." she smiled, "I gotta go now, I'll check on you later."
"Kitty…" Remy tried to sit up, but winced at the pain.
"Uh huh?" Kitty asked, she stopped at the door, almost having completely left.
"Ask Rogue to come see me…?" Remy asked slightly nervously.
"I can try…" Kitty trailed off, and with that, she left the room, abandoning Remy with his thoughts.