Rogue jolted awake. The sudden brightness of the overhead fluorescent
lights shot fresh pain to her eyes. Where was she?
"Rogue? Rogue, can you hear me?"
Someone was talking to her.
"Scott?"
Her eyes slowly adjusted and her vision became clear.
"Yes, Rogue, it's me."
She saw his face, right above hers, covered in worry. Jean was next to him with the same expression on her face. Kurt and Storm were on the other side of her bed. What was going on?
"Where's Logan? Where's Bobby? Oh God! John!! Where are the Drakes?!"
"Fine. Everyone is fine. The Drakes made it here safely. Bobby is upstairs with them right now. Logan is fine, he'll just need a day to recover." Jean said soothingly, trying to calm the hysteric girl down.
As Rogue tried to get her breathing back to normal, Scott hugged her.
"We almost lost you."
Rogue lifted her arms and hugged him back. It was then she became fully aware of how badly her clothes where burnt and how much of her body was being revealed. As if sensing her thoughts, Scott let go of her and produced a blanket from under her hospital bed. He gently wrapped it around her shoulders. As he did so, he bent down and whispered softly in her ear, "It's ok, Rogue. Everything is going to be all right."
*~*~*
The first thing Rogue did after she received the ok from Jean, about a half hour later, was to find Bobby and his family.
She walked down the hallway in fresh clothes and set out to find the Drakes. She nervously pulled her hair back in a ponytail, not caring about how nice she looked. She had thrown on dirty, black jeans a wrinkled gray sweatshirt and mismatching black gloves to complete the train wreak look she was going for.
She was still in shock.
She could still feel the flames burn her flesh. It was a feeling she wouldn't easily forget.
The first place she checked was Bobby's room, only to find it empty.
~Rogue, we're in my office.~
The sense of the Professor in her mind left as quickly as it came. That was one thing she still had yet to get used to.
She knocked on the Professor's door and silently waited to be let in. The door swung open and before Rogue could blink, Bobby had his arms tightly wrapped around her. She willed herself not to cry.
"When I heard that you were missing, I didn't know what to think." He said, not loosening his hold on his girlfriend.
"I'm sorry for not telling you, but I didn't have enough time."
"I know."
William Drake watched silently as his son hugged the girl, what had that Pryo boy called her? Rogue. Madeline Drake watched too, her more emotionally than her husband.
"I think now would be an appropriate time to show you to your rooms." The Professor told the Drakes.
*~*~*
Rogue couldn't sleep. Every time she tried flashes of flames and the horrible sound of screaming would cause her to awake suddenly drenched in sweat. Her room was like an oven and she couldn't stand the heat. She walked outside on the courtyard and sat on a wooden bench. She took off her long sleeved over-shirt and just sat there, eyes closed, in a black tee and loose pajama pants finally cooling off.
"Can't sleep?" a voice drawled from behind her.
Never moving from her relaxed state, Rogue asked, "How can you tell?"
"Because you're not sleeping."
Rogue opened her eyes, grinning. She turned to face Logan as he sat down beside her on the bench. He was wearing a green, button up long sleeved shirt and loose, black pants. As always, her wore his brown leather jacket. He had just gotten out of the hospital wing.
Rogue threw her arms around him hugging him just as tightly as Bobby had hugged her.
"Don't tell me you're getting soft on me, kid?"
She pulled away laughing. It was the first time she had done so all day. Suddenly reminded of the day's events her, her mood grew dark. Logan sensed this change and put his arm around her.
"That was a very brave thing you did today."
Rogue rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, "I just didn't want him to go through what I was going through. His family was still alive and I just had to save them. For his sake."
They just sat there for a moment, soaking in each other's company before Logan asked, "What's that for kid?"
Rogue looked at what he was. It was a small, clear patch on her upper right arm.
"That's the trouble of absorbing one person so many times. Some of the personality traits stay with you. Their addictions included."
He took this into consideration.
"Sorry, kid."
"You thinking about quitting?"
"I will if you want me to."
"Thank you."
Logan grinned as Rogue smirked up at him with the same smart-ass expression he had used so many times before. She rested her head on his shoulder once more and by the slow change in her breathing Logan knew she was asleep.
He gently gathered her in his arms and headed towards her room. After placing her on her bed and pulling the sheets over her sleeping form, he slowly turned to leave the room.
"Sleep easy, kid."
And then he was gone.
"Rogue? Rogue, can you hear me?"
Someone was talking to her.
"Scott?"
Her eyes slowly adjusted and her vision became clear.
"Yes, Rogue, it's me."
She saw his face, right above hers, covered in worry. Jean was next to him with the same expression on her face. Kurt and Storm were on the other side of her bed. What was going on?
"Where's Logan? Where's Bobby? Oh God! John!! Where are the Drakes?!"
"Fine. Everyone is fine. The Drakes made it here safely. Bobby is upstairs with them right now. Logan is fine, he'll just need a day to recover." Jean said soothingly, trying to calm the hysteric girl down.
As Rogue tried to get her breathing back to normal, Scott hugged her.
"We almost lost you."
Rogue lifted her arms and hugged him back. It was then she became fully aware of how badly her clothes where burnt and how much of her body was being revealed. As if sensing her thoughts, Scott let go of her and produced a blanket from under her hospital bed. He gently wrapped it around her shoulders. As he did so, he bent down and whispered softly in her ear, "It's ok, Rogue. Everything is going to be all right."
*~*~*
The first thing Rogue did after she received the ok from Jean, about a half hour later, was to find Bobby and his family.
She walked down the hallway in fresh clothes and set out to find the Drakes. She nervously pulled her hair back in a ponytail, not caring about how nice she looked. She had thrown on dirty, black jeans a wrinkled gray sweatshirt and mismatching black gloves to complete the train wreak look she was going for.
She was still in shock.
She could still feel the flames burn her flesh. It was a feeling she wouldn't easily forget.
The first place she checked was Bobby's room, only to find it empty.
~Rogue, we're in my office.~
The sense of the Professor in her mind left as quickly as it came. That was one thing she still had yet to get used to.
She knocked on the Professor's door and silently waited to be let in. The door swung open and before Rogue could blink, Bobby had his arms tightly wrapped around her. She willed herself not to cry.
"When I heard that you were missing, I didn't know what to think." He said, not loosening his hold on his girlfriend.
"I'm sorry for not telling you, but I didn't have enough time."
"I know."
William Drake watched silently as his son hugged the girl, what had that Pryo boy called her? Rogue. Madeline Drake watched too, her more emotionally than her husband.
"I think now would be an appropriate time to show you to your rooms." The Professor told the Drakes.
*~*~*
Rogue couldn't sleep. Every time she tried flashes of flames and the horrible sound of screaming would cause her to awake suddenly drenched in sweat. Her room was like an oven and she couldn't stand the heat. She walked outside on the courtyard and sat on a wooden bench. She took off her long sleeved over-shirt and just sat there, eyes closed, in a black tee and loose pajama pants finally cooling off.
"Can't sleep?" a voice drawled from behind her.
Never moving from her relaxed state, Rogue asked, "How can you tell?"
"Because you're not sleeping."
Rogue opened her eyes, grinning. She turned to face Logan as he sat down beside her on the bench. He was wearing a green, button up long sleeved shirt and loose, black pants. As always, her wore his brown leather jacket. He had just gotten out of the hospital wing.
Rogue threw her arms around him hugging him just as tightly as Bobby had hugged her.
"Don't tell me you're getting soft on me, kid?"
She pulled away laughing. It was the first time she had done so all day. Suddenly reminded of the day's events her, her mood grew dark. Logan sensed this change and put his arm around her.
"That was a very brave thing you did today."
Rogue rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, "I just didn't want him to go through what I was going through. His family was still alive and I just had to save them. For his sake."
They just sat there for a moment, soaking in each other's company before Logan asked, "What's that for kid?"
Rogue looked at what he was. It was a small, clear patch on her upper right arm.
"That's the trouble of absorbing one person so many times. Some of the personality traits stay with you. Their addictions included."
He took this into consideration.
"Sorry, kid."
"You thinking about quitting?"
"I will if you want me to."
"Thank you."
Logan grinned as Rogue smirked up at him with the same smart-ass expression he had used so many times before. She rested her head on his shoulder once more and by the slow change in her breathing Logan knew she was asleep.
He gently gathered her in his arms and headed towards her room. After placing her on her bed and pulling the sheets over her sleeping form, he slowly turned to leave the room.
"Sleep easy, kid."
And then he was gone.
