Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men or their world, and am making no money
from this story. Corrinth owns Dr Ilehana Xavier. I own Blaze.
A/N: Reviews are gold dust, and duly appreciated.
06
Blood flowed in the infirmary. All the X-Men routinely gave blood, for themselves in essence, just in case. An unwritten law, no one was excused, not even Logan though he had little chance of ever needing any. But his blood, rich and strong, was universally accepted by all blood types. His potent immune system, transferred briefly with the blood, was a powerful tool for scourging out any early signs of infection in the others. He gave blood now, a scowl like a snarl on his face as he clenched and unclenched his hand slowly, forcing his blood to leave him.
On the other side of the room, Blaze was still and sleeping, drugged by Storm as she received a transfusion to replace the blood she'd lost. It had taken long hours, but Ororo had just finished stitching together most of the mess that had been Blaze's left forearm and hand. Now she turned to the redhead's split palm, weariness in her eyes. This had been almost beyond Storm's skill as a nurse, and she longed that Dr Xavier were here, or the Professor for that matter, just for his strength.
But the Professor wasn't, and Cyclops had just entered to tell them that he couldn't even get hold of him at all.
"He's in some meeting with the President all morning. They wouldn't let me speak to him, said they'd let him know when the President was though with him."
"Did you tell 'em it a emergency?" Gambit would not leave, would not calm down no matter how many times he was told to do both. He stood now aggressively facing off with Scott. It irritated Cyclops; Blaze was his friend too damn it! What did Gambit think he was, some kind of idiot? But no, best not to ask. "Did you tell 'em someone dyin' here?"
"Gee, no, Gambit, I forgot that part." Scott folded his arms and met Remy's eyes.
"Alright, I'm outta here." Logan was already ripping the needle from his arm, cutting across any reply Gambit might have had for Scott.
"No." Ororo was adamant. Scott and Gambit were less than useless, at least Logan had some field medicine experience. "I need you here Logan, not running around the countryside after Vixen. What if Blaze needs more blood?"
"An' why would she need that?" Logan asked. "You gonna let her hurt herself again Storm?" Ororo shook her head, swallowing back on her fear. "Then you don't need me, you're doing just fine."
"Are you sure about this Logan?" Scott asked as Gambit came to Blaze's side. "You're sure you can find Ilehana?"
"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be tryin' it." Logan was convinced. "She's only in a national park, they're not that big that she won't know I'm there looking for her."
Scott wished not for the first time that he had Logan's confidence. But much as Cyclops hated to admit it, much as Storm was a fantastic nurse, they needed their doctor back at the mansion. Shit, how he missed Jean! Would that pain never leave him?
Logan took a lack of protests as an excuse for him to leave. Dr Ilehana Xavier was the Professor's daughter, a lean, blonde haired, blue-eyed telepath with animorphing capabilities. He scoffed at himself. Last night with Blaze must have seriously messed with his head if he could describe the Vixen to himself like that. She was......... Indescribable. And he couldn't wait to see her again, no matter the circumstances. And as for why she was in a national park, giving counselling to a bunch of picnic-napping bears; he'd told her before she went to give Yogi his best. She hadn't found it funny.
Gambit did not see Logan or Scott leave. Neither could he focus on Storm, making her work around him as he sat by Blaze's side. He longed, dreamed, damn it he even prayed for a way to talk to Blaze right then. What the hell was wrong with her? He knew her! Knew her better than she would ever know herself! All her cheap chat-up lines, her favourite soccer team......... The only food she really hated was olives; the only place she'd never go back to again was England, where she was from. She'd visited her parent's graves there just the once. She'd killed them, an accident, but she'd never forgive herself for it.
He knew if she died here, she wanted to be cremated. Only fitting, for a fire elemental. But her ashes, they were to be scattered in Paris. Scattered about the city that was essentially where she had found herself. Where she had become an accomplished thief even before he'd met her, saved her, offered her a life. His life.
He still wanted to scream. He choked on it; it kept him going when he was exhausted to the point of collapse worrying about her. After everything, everything they'd been through, he could not lose her! He'd seen her safe through everything else that had ever threatened them.
Hadn't he?
A/N: Reviews are gold dust, and duly appreciated.
06
Blood flowed in the infirmary. All the X-Men routinely gave blood, for themselves in essence, just in case. An unwritten law, no one was excused, not even Logan though he had little chance of ever needing any. But his blood, rich and strong, was universally accepted by all blood types. His potent immune system, transferred briefly with the blood, was a powerful tool for scourging out any early signs of infection in the others. He gave blood now, a scowl like a snarl on his face as he clenched and unclenched his hand slowly, forcing his blood to leave him.
On the other side of the room, Blaze was still and sleeping, drugged by Storm as she received a transfusion to replace the blood she'd lost. It had taken long hours, but Ororo had just finished stitching together most of the mess that had been Blaze's left forearm and hand. Now she turned to the redhead's split palm, weariness in her eyes. This had been almost beyond Storm's skill as a nurse, and she longed that Dr Xavier were here, or the Professor for that matter, just for his strength.
But the Professor wasn't, and Cyclops had just entered to tell them that he couldn't even get hold of him at all.
"He's in some meeting with the President all morning. They wouldn't let me speak to him, said they'd let him know when the President was though with him."
"Did you tell 'em it a emergency?" Gambit would not leave, would not calm down no matter how many times he was told to do both. He stood now aggressively facing off with Scott. It irritated Cyclops; Blaze was his friend too damn it! What did Gambit think he was, some kind of idiot? But no, best not to ask. "Did you tell 'em someone dyin' here?"
"Gee, no, Gambit, I forgot that part." Scott folded his arms and met Remy's eyes.
"Alright, I'm outta here." Logan was already ripping the needle from his arm, cutting across any reply Gambit might have had for Scott.
"No." Ororo was adamant. Scott and Gambit were less than useless, at least Logan had some field medicine experience. "I need you here Logan, not running around the countryside after Vixen. What if Blaze needs more blood?"
"An' why would she need that?" Logan asked. "You gonna let her hurt herself again Storm?" Ororo shook her head, swallowing back on her fear. "Then you don't need me, you're doing just fine."
"Are you sure about this Logan?" Scott asked as Gambit came to Blaze's side. "You're sure you can find Ilehana?"
"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be tryin' it." Logan was convinced. "She's only in a national park, they're not that big that she won't know I'm there looking for her."
Scott wished not for the first time that he had Logan's confidence. But much as Cyclops hated to admit it, much as Storm was a fantastic nurse, they needed their doctor back at the mansion. Shit, how he missed Jean! Would that pain never leave him?
Logan took a lack of protests as an excuse for him to leave. Dr Ilehana Xavier was the Professor's daughter, a lean, blonde haired, blue-eyed telepath with animorphing capabilities. He scoffed at himself. Last night with Blaze must have seriously messed with his head if he could describe the Vixen to himself like that. She was......... Indescribable. And he couldn't wait to see her again, no matter the circumstances. And as for why she was in a national park, giving counselling to a bunch of picnic-napping bears; he'd told her before she went to give Yogi his best. She hadn't found it funny.
Gambit did not see Logan or Scott leave. Neither could he focus on Storm, making her work around him as he sat by Blaze's side. He longed, dreamed, damn it he even prayed for a way to talk to Blaze right then. What the hell was wrong with her? He knew her! Knew her better than she would ever know herself! All her cheap chat-up lines, her favourite soccer team......... The only food she really hated was olives; the only place she'd never go back to again was England, where she was from. She'd visited her parent's graves there just the once. She'd killed them, an accident, but she'd never forgive herself for it.
He knew if she died here, she wanted to be cremated. Only fitting, for a fire elemental. But her ashes, they were to be scattered in Paris. Scattered about the city that was essentially where she had found herself. Where she had become an accomplished thief even before he'd met her, saved her, offered her a life. His life.
He still wanted to scream. He choked on it; it kept him going when he was exhausted to the point of collapse worrying about her. After everything, everything they'd been through, he could not lose her! He'd seen her safe through everything else that had ever threatened them.
Hadn't he?