A TWIST OF FATE
Chapter Six
Jean slid her hands in her pockets as she casually walked up to Scott, who was busy washing his car.
She looked him over and couldn't help the smile the spread across her lips. He was scrubbing his car, shirtless, and she couldn't help but stare at him. He looked good.
At that moment Scott saw her. "Hey."
Jean didn't realize he saw her, caught up in her thoughts.
"Jean?" He repeated, drawing her attention.
She shook her head dismissing her thoughts. "Hey."
"You seemed a little caught up in your thoughts. You ah, wanna talk or something?" He asked casually.
"Yeah but actually I was just thinking how good you look." She said honestly and followed it with a small smile.
That sentence peaked Logan's curiosity from across the parking lot, and he couldn't help but smirk.
"-I mean you're very fit." She scrambled to explain.
Scott set the washcloth on the hood of his car and smiled. "You're looking pretty good yourself."
Jean shrugged. "Yeah I guess."
She looked around nervously appearing to be a little jittery.
"You said you wanted to talk?"
Jean alerted her attention back to him. "Yeah I do."
"Okay so talk."
She stared at Logan nervously. He didn't have to be a mind reader to know what she was thinking.
"Don't mind me. I gotta go teach some runts a trainin' session in a few anyway, might as well take a break." Logan said drying off the rest of his motorcycle before stepping off the pavement unto the grass. It sounded personal anyway, something even he didn't want to overhear.
"Look, Jean if this is about Warren, I know he's here." Scott started after Logan was out of sight.
"Yeah. But it's also about the other night." She added.
Scott nodded. "So that's where this is going."
"Look, it was good, it was great, but it was a mistake. A big mistake."
"So you're regretting it?"
Jean shook her head. "No, No. I have no regrets. It was just a mistake it shouldn't have happened."
"You really believe that?"
"Yeah I do."
"See that's not the way I see it. To me it said something, it said that we have a second chance. Obviously the feelings are all still there and they have gotten stronger."
"Look, Warren loves me, he trusts me and I can't do this. I can't abuse that."
"So you're just gonna cut your losses?"
"I'm not losing anything."
"Is that what you think? That I'm nothing?" He asked.
"I didn't say that. Look all I'm saying is that there is too much between us. Too many unresolved issues that by now can't be resolved. I mean we hardly get along as it is." She tried to reason.
"That's not my fault." He said sternly.
"So our constant fighting is my fault?"
"What I think is that you have some personal issues that may or may not involve me, but I think they're the main source of all this hostility."
She nodded to prove her point. "See now we're even making this conversation into an argument. My point is you had my past, and Warren has my future."
"That's it? That's all you're going to say? You're just gonna move on to Warren and forget about me?"
"You don't understand, that's not what I want."
"Well Jean, it appears to me that you don't know what you want. So when you figure it out, let me know."
He started to walk away.
"Scott, Why do you have to be like this?" She yelled after him in frustration.
He turned back. "Why do you? Have you forgotten what we shared? Here you are totally committed to this guy, to Warren, how do you think that makes me feel? You left me like our life together meant nothing to you, but you're going to extreme lengths to preserve your future with him. How do you expect me to feel, Huh? How?" He asked.
He waited for a response, when he got none, he nodded his head and turned back. "That's what I thought."
Scott walked until he disappeared out of Jean's view. He shut his eyes trying to calm down his raging temper. He couldn't believe things had ended up like this. He knew what had started it, but at that time he didn't know what he was getting into.
Flashback
Hank walked out of the Lab's operating room.
Scott ran to meet him. "How is she?"
Hank remained silent.
Scott continued in a worried tone. "Please tell me she's okay…Hank she's okay right?"
Hank removed his surgical mask, and fiddled with Jean's chart as he spoke. "I believe you're aware of Jean's condition. As you well know Jean was infected with the legacy virus."
"Yeah… and that is?"
"A very rare virus. It's only attraction is to mutants because of our genetic makeup. Once infected it'll move slowly through one's system. The symptoms one will feel are weak, faint, aching muscles, sore throat, you'll feel tired, and you could lose temporary consciousness without warning. In whole it'll act like you have contracted a permanent cold. But in truth the virus is working slowly within you, eating away at you from the inside, it'll sink its tendrils into you're DNA strands rewriting you're genetic makeup, replacing it with a polymer not that different than cold, hard steel, until finally there's nothing left of you to corrupt."
"And this works slowly… so you can help her?"
"Well yes it does work slowly, but all cases are different. I believe Sinister has found a way to speed up the virus' contracting time."
"Okay so what do you do?"
"Well Scott the virus only targets mutants so of course we'll have to take precautionary measures to ensure our health and safety because all of us here are susceptible to it."
"So you're not going to help her?"
"No, I will. I've already ran all the basic tests to see what I can give her to help. But the truth is the legacy virus is a modern-day plague, I don't believe there is anything I can do to cure it."
"B-But you can help her…right?"
"I'm not finished I still have more news. I ran a BP test and Jean's blood pressure is elevated high above normal for a woman who's pregnant. High blood pressure alone is a great health risk to a woman and her baby but Jean not only has high blood pressure she's also infected with a very deadly virus…and Scott…in all truths I don't know what could happen."
"Okay so how is Jean's condition now?"
"She's still in critical condition but she's stable for now. I have discovered that the stab wound inflicted to her abdomen was used as the entryway for the virus, and I honestly believe that there may be a way that I could drain the virus from her body through tubes that lead the virus into biohazard containers."
"Well, yeah, do that…absolutely."
"I can't make you any promises…Scott. The procedure is still experimental. There is a 10 chance of survival."
"If it'll save both Jean and Rachel-
"Yeah…Scott…ah-About that…"
"What Hank? What is it?"
"I wish there were an easier way to say this but-ah…In normal cases Jean's would be considered a high risk pregnancy. In normal cases of high blood pressure the baby would be at extremely high risk to be born still. But in Jean's case-Well as you know the abdomen was the entryway for the virus-
"Yeah so? What's this have to do with our baby?"
"The knife that inflicted Jean's abdomen pierced through the uterus, allowing unrestricted access for the virus to pass right through. There's no other way to say this but your baby was directly infected and ah-there's a chance she may not live."
"What?"
"But there's also a chance she might. Although a slim one. Scott either way by the virus or Jean's high blood pressure…your baby has a grim chance of survival."
"Wait, wait, wait…you're telling me our baby will die?"
"Scott what I'm telling you is that I can't save them both."
"What? Wait….back up I'm confused…what?"
"Scott…chances are because of Jean's high blood pressure you're baby will be still born add that with the fact that she has been infected with the virus first hand…I don't see a chance of survival there. Look…Rachel was infected with the virus, her immune system is still to young and weak to fight off such high risk viruses'. Look all I'm saying is that neither one of them has very much longer if I don't get back in there soon."
"Okay…so you're telling me that outside or inside our baby's going to die…and Jean…she'll live? Is that what you're saying?"
"What I'm saying is…that after 5 months the baby has a chance to live outside of the womb. But your baby probably won't if she makes it out alive. Scott what I'm telling you is that for one to live It would be impossible for me to save the other. I can try to drain the virus out of Jean's body…but in order to do that I'd have to extract your baby. Or I could let your baby live and try to prolong her life to the full term of 9 months."
"You mean like use Jean as a human ventilator?"
"It has been done…but Jean doesn't have 4 to 3 months to live. Chances are that Jean will die before the baby reaches full term and in that case neither will live. Tests have confirmed that your baby has been fully infected but because Jean's immune system is stronger and because Jean's an adult she hasn't been fully infected and I can still try to save her, but in order to do that I have to do it now."
"So you're saying I have to choose?"
"I'm sorry Scott…but you're the husband and father, you have to do this. It's your decision. There's no other way…You can choose to save your baby and bring her to full term…or you can choose to save Jean. It's your choice Scott."
"B-But I don't want them to die! I-I mean…What would you do Hank?"
"I don't know what I'd do in a personal tense…but as a Medical Doctor…I'd say that Jean has the better chance of survival. There is a 90 chance that your baby is stillborn…and the other 10 is that she's not…and normally that would be good…except for the fact that if she's not stillborn she's still infected with the virus and in that case there's no way for me to save her…and I'm sure than that her suffering will be great until she dies."
"So you're saying I could choose to save our baby…but to do that most likely I'll lose them both…unless I choose to save Jean…in which case we'll lose our baby. What kind of a choice is that? I can't do it Hank!"
"You have to Scott! Look it's your choice but I need an answer now!"
"Now?"
"Scott you have to make a decision…and you have to make it now while there's still time!"
Scott slumped down to the corner of the floor and put his head in his hands..
"Jean has the better chance of survival…?" Scott asked his voice cracking.
"Yeah…I can say for a fact that she could come out of this thing alive…which is more than I can say for your child."
"Okay…Scott hesitated his heart hurting to even think about his decision "…Jean…" Scott paused fighting back tears to know avail "…try to drain it out."
"Are you sure?"
"No…But-But she'll live so j-just do it."
"I'm sorry Scott I really am. I can't imagine how hard that was for you."
"It still is."
"Yes…of course. You're sure about this than?"
"Hank…how sure can I be? It has to be done if I don't want to lose both of them." Scott snapped his head still in his hands.
Hank nodded and placed his surgical mask once more over his nose and mouth as he disappeared behind the double doors.
Scott stood up weakly, he took a moment to recollect his thoughts. Than in a flash of anger and sadness Scott punched angrily threw the wall before collapsing weakly to the floor in a flood of heart aching tears.
The memory lingered in his mind a little longer. It had been years ago but the emotions were still so clear in his mind. It was his job as an X-man to work well under pressure, but he couldn't do that he couldn't choose. Little would he know than that It would cost him much more than just his child.
"Hey, you 'kay?"
Scott looked up to see Logan approaching.
"You weren't here for the whole time were you?"
"Nah, I had ta come back out here ta put away my bikes."
Scott nodded as Logan looked him over. "Somethin' the matter?"
Scott shrugged. "I dunno maybe."
"This have ta do wit' Red?"
"Not really, well sorta."
"Oh I see, ya been havin' some problems wit' you memories comin' back ta haunt ya."
Scott looked at Logan quizzically. "How'd you know?"
"There's just somethin' 'bout memories. Sometimes a bad memory will stick wit' ya, everytime ya close yer eyes it's there. Sometimes outta the blue, it fades overtime though, sometimes if yer lucky ya can ferget. But even than you'd give anythin' just ta remember the bad memories just as long as ya got 'em."
"Hey I'm sorry about that, with your memories and everything."
Logan shrugged. "Nah, don't be, it's been a long time. But trust me bub, right now you want so badly ta be rid of all those bad memories, but ya don't, not really. Ya gotta accept the fact that they'll always be there and one day it'll get easier to remember and it won't hurt as much, the only way ya can ever truly ferget is ta have somethin' done ta ya, and you don't want that."
"I know I don't. But that was the day that changed everything. I didn't know that I would have to choose just to get them both taken away from me. When she left it was like they both died. But there was hope because I knew she was only miles away. And that maybe one day she'd be back. Now here she is and everything between us has changed it's not like it used to be."
"It's never gonna be the same again. But I'm findin' it hard ta believe that everythin's changed, you two had such a potential, I can't believe it's just fadin' away."
"Well not everything, I mean everything we felt is still there, all the passion and the chemistry, is undeniable. But Jean-there's something holding her back, as much as I feel towards her…I can feel this sense of hostility but she won't talk to me, and I think it's because she doesn't know how she feels herself."
"Well obviously she's gotta feel somethin' I mean like ya said there's still feelin's between ya-
"-Yeah there is, And I know she knows it. I know she feels something. I know she does."
Scott looked to the ground his mind wandering.
Logan followed his gaze and somehow he could sense what Scott was feeling.
"Hey it'll get easier to deal with. Ya know she's wit' the angels now ya gotta find some comfort in that."
"I didn't think you believed in angels, Logan."
"Look people die all the time. People that should die, but also innocents. Includin' young kids, includin' babies. Fer their sakes I gotta believe they're out there."
Scott looked Logan over as he talked there seemed to be a hint of pain in his eyes.
He nodded his head. "Yeah, I've thought about that. I do take comfort in that. But there are so many times when I just think about what could have been. You know, like I lost so much. I lost my whole life."
"But ya still got one."
"But not with Jean, and that's all I wanted. I would've done anything for her. I would've gone anywhere with her. But in the end, I screwed up Logan. I should've been there for her and I wasn't. I forced her away. She was my wife, I should've done something."
Logan shrugged. "What could ya have done?"
Scott shook his head. "I don't know, I could've tried harder. I should've tried harder to realize what I had, and not what I'd lost. Jean is…she's…everything to me."
"I know that, kid. I know that."
Scott continued; "She's just. She's everything that I ever wanted. She's—She's perfect, you know? Perfect for me. I know what she is, and I know what it is I lost. At least I know now, because than I had no idea. But after so many years apart, I realized how much I needed her, how much she meant to me. I didn't know what I had until it was gone. I was such a coward for letting her leave."
"Look ya weren't in the right frame o' mind ta be thinkin' like that."
"Yeah but I gave up without a fight! I mean we fought, but I just let her leave. What was I thinking? I just gave up. I thought there was no hope, that I didn't deserve her. So I let her leave. I mean for months after that, I just, I wanted her to be happy. So I gave up! I gave up and I gave her what she wanted, I signed the papers, and now…Now I have nothing."
He ran his palm across his face.
"And it doesn't matter, you know? Because what I felt, It's the worst kind of pain. No matter how many children you have it'll never make up for the one you lost. Jean knows that, and I think that she blames me for it. I was the one that told her we lost our baby, and than I had to tell her it was my choice. After that, she was angry, devastated, we just both broke down. And somewhere along the way, whatever we had, whatever we shared…We lost it. We lost it." He repeated.
"There was nothing you could've done. Ya gotta get that outta ya system. Ya can't afford ta think that way."
Scott shook his head. "I don't know what I'm doing Logan. I don't know where to go from here. I keep thinking that it'll get better, but I lost everything, and now I don't know how to move on from here. I don't know what to do. I love her, Logan. I love her, she's all I want. I lost her once, I can't do it again."
"Scott, ya can't do this ta yerself." Logan sighed.
"I just don't know what else to do." He replied, distressed.
"Yer too hard on yerself. Ya don't believe that this is somethin' ya can get over."
"Because I can't! This isn't something that's going to heal. I don't know, but some wounds get deeper with time."
"So what, yer tellin' me that yer givin' up? That's it? After all these years, yer just lettin' it go, just like that?"
"What else can I do? There's no hope."
"What's that mean?"
Scott shrugged. "She doesn't want to be with me Logan, she's made that very clear."
"Than do the only thing ya can do." Logan suggested.
"What is that?" Scott asked.
Logan sighed and paused momentarily before he replied,
"Ya need ta let 'er go, Scott. Let 'er go."
Scott shook his head. He didn't want to. He didn't want to.
"Alright, look I gotta get goin'." Logan said, excusing himself.
He patted Scott's shoulder in passing. "Do what ya feel ya have to."
Logan sat down on the couch next to Warren.
"Hey Logan." Warren smiled weakly.
Logan formed a gruff smile. "Nice ta see ya 'gain."
"I'm sure you heard the news."
"Yup, sure did. Congratulations are in order."
"Not yet."
Logan popped out a claw and used it to open the lid of his beer as he replied. "Meanin'…"
"Well we've set a date, but who knows what'll happen before than."
"Yeah I hear it's next year."
"It's what Jean wants."
"But it's not what you want?"
Warren shrugged. "I just want her to be happy."
Logan took a swig of his beer. "So ya have yer doubts?"
"Jean's just got a pretty complicated history. I mean she shares a lot with Scott…"
"I see where this is goin'. Ya feelin' like ya can't compete with him? With everythin' that they've shared?"
"You have to admit, they share history together. Alot. There's so much there, a lot of emotions, a lot of pain, a lot of love…" Warren trailed off and sighed.
Logan glanced at the kid from the corner of his eye. "Look if it's any consolation I know fer a fact that Jeannie wants ta move on. I think she really wants ta marry you."
"I hope so." Warren sighed.
"Ya want a beer?" Logan offered.
He nodded.
Logan slid his second beer across the coffee table for Warren.
Logan picked up the remote. "Ya watch this crap?" He asked eyeing the TV.
Warren shook his head. "I wasn't really paying attention, Kitty had it on."
Logan rolled his eyes before flipping the channel.
Warren fingered the beer in his hand, but didn't drink it. Logan noticed it.
"Somethin' the matter?" He asked.
Warren shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me,"
He turned around in the couch to face Logan, anticipating a serious conversation.
"You've watched Jean grow up here, you've watched as her relationship with Scott progressed than deteriorated rapidly. What do you think? I mean what's your opinion on it all?"
Logan sighed and knew the kid was expecting him to blurb out everything he knew and had witnessed in the past years. He frowned and pushed the 'mute' button.
"That's a lot ta ask bub. We're talkin' many years here." He replied.
Warren nodded. "I know."
"Ya sure ya want to hear it? All of it."
"I've got a while. Jean's out in the garden, she's doing something she needs to do. In the meantime, I'm doing something I need to do. I want to hear about Scott and Jean. All of it. Everything you can remember."
Logan nodded and finished off his beer. "Ya want another one?" He asked motioning with the empty bottle towards Warren.
Warren glanced at the full beer in his hand and took a drink before answering, "Sure, why not?"
Okay well, we had a flashback there from Scott, and now we know what happened. We don't know all the details, but the death and aftermath and the way it affected both Scott and Jean will be dealt with in the next chapter.
So keep it up! And please leave your comments!