Sketty; Along with the good memories comes the bad ones..but don't worry, we can all give Logan hugs after. hehe. *grins* Angel; Nope, not the end, doesn't that make you smile? Hehe. It makes me smile! *grins insanely* Heh. Everyone; thanks all for reviewing!! Aw, yer all sooooo special. Hehe.
Institutionalized: Chapter 12-When It Rains It Pours part 1
Simple living is my desperate cry
Been trading love with indifference yeah it suits me just fine
I try to hold on but I'm calloused to the bone
Maybe that's why I feel alone
Maybe that's why I feel so alone
*****
The normal brightness of a new day beginning did not make it's presence known this very morning, but instead a thick black rain cloud hovered in the sky above the mansion, making everything seem dark and eerie.
Rogue had just taken a shower, and was heading down for breakfast when she ran into Jean on her way to the infirmary. "Hey Jean-" she started as she began thinking of Logan and what had happened at the Psychiatric Institution.
"Hm? Oh, 'morning Rogue." Jean greeted as she turned with a smile while making her way to the elevator.
"...How's Logan?" the young southern girl asked after a brief moment's hesitation. She realized she hadn't been to see him since he'd returned, and was feeling a little guilty about it. He was, after all, like a brother to her. Rogue had been spending a lot of time with Bobby lately, mainly because he'd felt left out when she took off with Jean in search of their feral teammate.
Smiling as she turned and entered the elevator, Jean answered, "He's...adjusting, I assume. I'm going to see how he's doing right now."
Rogue nodded slowly, watching as the elevator doors closed and the redheaded doctor descended to the lower levels of the mansion. Turning slowly, she started down the stairs, different thoughts running through her mind.
*****
As Jean entered the med lab, she was surprised to see that Logan wasn't in bed. Brows furrowed, she slowly walked to the bathroom door that was slightly ajar, only to step back as Logan emerged, his hair damp, wearing a pair of boxers.
"Hey." Logan greeted with a partial smile, unabashed that he was barely dressed. It's not like she hadn't seen him like that before, like the other day when he was puking his guts out with his head in the toilet. Now that was something more shameful, especially to someone who never remembered being that sick in their life.
Jean smiled as she looked him over, stepping toward him and gently laying a hand on his chest. "Your burns have healed nicely I see." she pulled her hand away, looking down at Logan's bare feet and hands that were no longer scarred.
A low grunt escaped Logan's lips and he nodded, going toward the medical bed and sitting down. "Yeh, healed up over night jus' like ya said. I jus' took a shower ta wash away all the dirt an' stuff."
"Oh, do you want to get some clothes from your room?" Jean asked him, realizing that he didn't have anything wearable in the med lab.
Logan looked uncomfortable for a moment, closing his eyes tightly and trying to remember something, but failing. "I...uh..don't remember where it is..." he mumbled, ashamed.
Jean smiled sympathetically. "That's okay, we're going to work on that today. I could take you up there, or go get you some clothes and bring them back here?"
"Uh.." sighing, Logan glanced off to the side, tightly gripping the edge of the bed. He didn't want to be traveling through the mansion and stumble upon someone that knew him, but he didn't remember. The infirmary wasn't his most favored place in the world because it reminded him so much of the Institution, but he'd rather not be forced in an awkward situation until he was ready.
"Don't worry," Jean assured him with a soft smile, sensing his tension. "I'll get you something to wear and be right back." she nodded at him, then retreated from the room.
Logan watched sorrowfully, wishing that his memory of this place would come back to him sooner rather than later. He wanted to move on, and he didn't like the fact that he had to rely so much on others to tell him what did and didn't happen in his life since he'd been there.
*****
Water poured from the sky, soaking the ground so much that the earth couldn't retain it all, only to have the mansion's lush green grounds completely covered in swampy puddles.
It was afternoon by now, but it seemed much later due to the ever-looming dark clouds outside. The rain was torrential, and the mansion's resident Weather Goddess could have delt with it, but Storm didn't like to mess with the weather conditions if she didn't have to, because it could upset nature's balance and cause weather problems later on. This, however, did not stop a few of the mansion's residents from bugging her for a nice day of sunshine instead.
Inside the rec room, many students were gathered watching tv or playing games to keep themselves busy while they couldn't enjoy a nice day outdoors. Among those students, Rogue and Bobby shared a bowl of popcorn on the couch as they watched a movie.
*****
Jean sighed patiently, swinging her feet on the medical bed as she watched Logan sitting across from her on the floor, his head leaning back against the wall with eyes closed in an attempt to concentrate. She had been working with him for atleast six hours now, and it was beginning to wear on both herself and Logan since they hadn't made much progress.
"It's okay if you don't remember yet Logan. It will come back to you given some time, like I've said before." she told him reassuringly.
Logan let out an exasperated sigh, heavily thumping his head against the wall with a low growl. "All I remember is you an' Rogue...an' now Xavier." he paused, wondering if he should reveal his rememberance of the day he'd left. He decided to work around that instead. "I get...flashes o' certain memories. They're outta order an' confusing an' I don't know what happens where, or if these flashes even fit together."
Jean brightened a moment. "Well that's a start!" she said with a smile, leaning her elbows against her knees and staring into Logan's eyes. "What are these flashes? Can you describe them to me?" she asked cautiously.
"Unh..." Logan started to shift in his seat on the floor, then raised his head and looked sideways as someone entered the med lab, saving him from explaining anything.
"Scott!" Jean said suddenly, obviously surprised to see him. She'd been avoiding him since finding out when he'd returned late the other night.
"Jean." he greeted flatly, noticing Logan on the floor to his right for the first time.
Logan grunted and started to stand. He stared at Scott, realizing that this was the man he'd remembered. This was the one who loved Jean...but did she still love him back? Logan looked away and focused on the floor when a memory jarred loose and flashed in his mind.
"You gonna tell me ta stay away from your girl?" Logan asked almost dangerously, with a bemused smirk.
"Well if I had to do that she wouldn't be my girl." the man with the sunglasses had replied rather smugly.
Jean noticed as Logan started to stare, unfocused and seemingly confused. "Logan?" she asked with furrowed brows, completely ignoring Scott's presence.
Blinking and shaking his head, Logan looked up, staring Jean square in the eye for a brief second before turning away and storming out of the med lab. He didn't know where the hell he was going, and he didn't much care. It was getting to be too many different and confusing memories all at once, overwhelming him and he needed to get out.
Jean started to go after him, but Scott had grabbed her arm, holding her back.
"Jean, wait." he'd said almost harshly.
She turned to stare at him, and Scott gently released her arm. "What?" Jean asked sharply and none too friendly.
Scott sighed in a defeated sort of way. "Jean, I...need to talk to you, about us."
Closing her eyes for a brief moment to think and calm herself, Jean then refocused and turned her green eyes to him without harshness. "Scott," she started softly, then looked to the floor, "I think...I think we're done." she admitted, to herself as well as Scott.
"No..." he replied, quietly and unbelieving. Shaking his head, Scott turned his ruby quartz gaze on her, his eyebrows furrowed in distress.
"I love Logan." Jean blurted out, accidentally picking up on Scott's mental question of 'why?'. Her eyes widened at her own statement, but she immediately held it back from her old love, not wanting to give him any doubts that Logan was her choice.
Scott shook his head, shocked and angry, but mostly in denial. Then he recomposed himself, determined not to let her get away, to convince her she wasn't thinking straight. "No, Jean. You don't really love him, you just...feel bad for him."
"Don't tell me what I really feel Cyclops." Jean said angrily as she glared at him, deliberately using his codename. She couldn't imagine what was going on in his head right then to make it seem okay to say something like that. Shaking her head, Jean looked away without giving Scott another chance to speak as she turned on her heel and left the med lab, searching for the route Logan had taken.
*****
