A New Hope

Chapter Three

By: Lily Handle

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Author's Note: (This would be the second rewrite of Chapter three, amazing isn't it?) Thanks to all of you who have reviewed. Please enjoy this chapter, read and review.

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There was no explaining it, Hope though, pulling off a blood coated pair of gloves. How a kid, barely old enough to drive could deal drugs, and run with a gang. She'd just finished another exhausting shift, finished it with a DOA gun shot victim. Her day hadn't started all that well either, her mother had called asking when she'd be able to visit, which led to a conversation that had almost made Hope late for work, again. Her timing had been excellent, though, she'd arrived at the hospital at the same time as an ambulance and gotten pulled into the case. It was a forty something man with a heart attack, no need for her actually since she was a trauma surgeon, and Hope had politely bowed out of the case. She'd been called in for this case to open the boy's chest and stop the bleeding around his heart. It hadn't worked, or saved the boy, but Hope had tried her best and sometimes that was all she could do.

"Hey, Hope," one of the nurses, Berry, stuck her head in the trauma room, "There are two guys here asking for you."

"Are they dressed like this one?" Hope asked, pointing down at the dead gang member.

"No, one of them keeps scowling though, and the other says his name is Hank," Berry said, looking over her shoulder towards the waiting room and front desk, "The one who's scowling probably would be cute if he stopped looking so mean."

"Hank? Oh, right, I have a meeting," Hope sighed, "I'll have to bring my charts home."

"You want me to tell them to wait in chairs?" Berry asked while Hope rubbed her neck, debating.

"No, no, I'll go talk with them," Hope patted her hair, "Do I have blood anywhere?"

"Shoes, but you have another pair in your locker right?"

"No, these are the other pair, first pair has someone's lower bowel on them" Hope closed her eyes, "Wish me luck."

"Good luck." Hope smoothed her hair down, and then stepped outside the trauma room. She could see them both, Hank and Mr. Logan, leaning against the front counter, looking around.

"Hank, I didn't expect to see you so soon," Hope said as she started towards them. At least not until I got a chance to shower and change, she thought while smiling.

"Ah, yes. Sorry, Hope, you'll need one of us to come with you to open the gate to the Institute. Mr. Logan drove me as a favor," Hank explained.

"Oh, I see. Well," Hope looked up at Logan, "Thank you, both of you. Hank, I have a few things to finish here before I can leave, but if you want you can wait in the lounge." Hope placed a hand on Hank's shoulder, "Follow me." The lounge was tucked into a back corner of the Emergency ward; it had two run down couches, an ancient coffee machine and lockers for all the residents inside.

"Nice place," Hank said dryly, "I must get the name of your decorator."

"You're lucky, we just had the bullet holes patched up," Hope said, "You want coffee?"

"That thing works?"

Hope glanced at the coffee machine, "Maybe, it seemed to be working this morning."

"No thanks, I'll pass. I'll just sit and wait for you to finish with your rounds, do doctors do rounds anymore?"

"Yeah, we do," Hope smiled at Hank, "I'll go pass on my cases and then we can go to the Institute." Hope ducked back out the door, "Is Dr. Dominguez here yet?" She asked the nurses behind the front counter.

"Ah, Dr. Chandler, can't stop thinking about me?" Dr. Rodger Dominguez asked, smiling charmingly.

"Can't stop thinking about how if I don't get going I could blow my second interview with Charles Xavier," Hope said, walking behind the counter and picking up her charts.

"A second interview? When was the first?" Another nurse, Lola asked, walking past.

"Yesterday, now, I've got three up in recovery," Hope explained while Dr. Dominguez looked over her shoulder. She went through the cases she had been shuffled to her, "Alright, anything else that comes through those doors, as of now, is yours."

"Right-o, Doctor C. Now, get going, don't want to keep Daddy Warbucks waiting," Dr. Dominguez said with a wink.

"Honestly, it's nothing," Hope muttered, walking around the counter and back into the lounge. She smiled at Hank when she stepped inside, "Right, let me get my shoes out of my locker and then we can go."

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"Hey, look," Kitty said to Rouge as they walked through the front parlor of the Institute, "I've never seen that car before. You think it's a new student?" Kitty darted to the window and peered out it, trying to get a closer look.

"Maybe the Professor got a new car," Rogue said, rolling her eyes, "Come on, Kitty, if we're late, Wolverine's goin' to kill us."

"But, look, they've stopped," Kitty looked over her shoulder and frowned at Rogue, then turned back to look out the window again, "It's Mr. McCoy, and he's got a woman with him." Despite herself Rogue moved closer to look out the window.

"She looks like a doctor," Rogue said on a frown, "You think she's a friend of his?"

"I don't know, oh, they're coming in." Kitty and Rogue backpedaled away from the window, and almost ran into Storm and the Professor.

"Don't you two have a session to get to?" The Professor asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Sorry Professor," Kitty said, "We just wanted to see…"

"We're goin', Professor," Rouge said, grabbed Kitty's arm and then dragged her away. "You wanna get us in trouble?"

"Well, I was just trying to find out who was visiting," Kitty said, jerking her arm away.

"If it was someone important, don't you think the Professor would have told us?" Rogue muttered, "Come on, we're gonna be late."

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"You have a very lovely school here," Hope said, turning away from the window she was looking out of. Charles had greeted her at the door, which surprised Hope. She had expected being led to the man, and then being questions through a stiff interview. Instead he had smiled warmly and chatted companionably as she was led to his office. While she was still nervous about the interview, she was mostly relaxed and at ease, which probably had been Xavier's intention all a long.

"Thank you, Doctor," Charles said, settled comfortably behind his desk, "A lot of time was spent on making sure they stay that way."

"Are the students that rowdy?" Hope asked, walking away from the window and towards a seat across from Charles.

"They have their moments," Charles smiled, "I think you'll enjoy meeting them."

"It's rumored you have twenty something students. Am I to meet them all?" Hope asked while she sat down.

"Only a select few." Charles leaned forward, "I know I asked earlier for your complete discretion, but I must ask again. You won't speak of anything that you see here to the public?"

"Of course not." Hope heard a door open behind her, and turned to glance over her shoulder, "Hello Hank," She said, getting up from her chair, "Is there a problem?"

"Actually, Dr. Chandler, this is Beast, one of the mutants I mentioned I knew," Charles said from behind her.

Hope looked back to him, astonished, "A mutant, I already knew that," Hope looked back towards Hank after Charles nodded, "Hank, don't you remember telling me?"

"I had my mutation under control for a while, I'm a different person now, Hope." Hank held his wrist out and took of his watch. Instantly the image of her friend from high school was replaced with a beast. Blue hair, yellow eyes, and hunched knuckle dragging frame was not what Hope was expecting and gasped out of natural surprise. The images of her college friend, who she had spent hours with in the library was gone, replaced by something that looked like he came from a pages of a horror comic. Hope didn't know what to feel first, she was afraid, anyone would be when faced with this, but she also wanted to race across the room and hug Hank. She couldn't believe her friend was gone, but the disbelief would have to wait, there was a look of resigned pain on Hank's face.

"I'm sorry," Hope said quickly, reaching a hand out towards Hank, "You took me by surprise."

"It's alright, Hope, I surprise most people," Hank said, "What do you think of me now, Hope?"

"I'm curious," Hope said slowly, dipping into her mental research files, "It's a very rare type of X-gene, you have."

"Dr. Chandler, we're not asking about your view points on him as a doctor or researcher," Charles elaborated, "What's your human reaction?" Hope looked at Charles, who was watching her intently, as if he could see right into her head. She took a deep breath, pushed the doctor part of her away and reached for the part of her that was Hank's old friend. She then looked back at him.

"I can't believe it, Hank, you never told me it could get this bad," Hope said, walking towards him, "I can't believe you haven't called me or asked for my help."

"A very human reaction Dr. Chandler," Charles said from behind her, but Hope was focused on Hank.

"You did have to go through this alone you know," She said, and then hugged him.

"I'd say you'd been waiting to be human for a while, Doctor."

Hope, straightened, turned back to Charles and smiled, "I know a test when I see on, Mr. Xavier, but you're right. I've spent hours with mutants who's mutations are not as noticeable as Hank's and wished for a second I could stop being a researcher and be someone human for them."

"Can you be both if you were asked to be?" Charles asked.

"I don't know," Hope said, letting Hank lead her to the couch.

"If you did work here, you would take care of the students as a doctor, work as a researcher, but you'd also have to be approachable for the students," Charles said "I've read your record from Charity, as well as the school where you were an intern. All your teachers and co-workers speak highly of your ability to think clearly and your ability to reach out to patients."

"I try," Hope said, wondering why Charles was tooting her horn instead of Hope listing all those things, "It's easy to forget the patients are people sometimes, but as a surgeon, I get more one on one time with my patients."

"You spend time in the emergency ward when you're a surgeon, why?"

"I'm a member of the trauma team, I'm also study trauma surgery on a fellowship. I spend my time down there just because they find me charming." Hope smiled, "Isn't that why you hung around me so often, Hank?"

"Of course," Hank smiled back at her.

"Do you have any training as a field paramedic?" Charles asked.

"I've done a few ride-alongs with the paramedics at Charity, field medicine isn't my specialty." Hope jumped as an alarm went off, startling her to her feet, "Who's crashing?" she said out of habit, then blushed, "Sorry, natural reaction."

"It's quiet alright, Dr. Chandler," Charles said, "Hank, can you see what the problem is?"

"Of course," Hank rose from the couch, "I'll be back soon," He said to Hope and then left through another door.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is the alarm for?" Hope asked, moving back to the chair in front of Charles's desk.

"It's a medical alarm," Charles explained, "A student who is in need of medical care goes to the Infirmary and activates the alarm, or an instructor brings the students in and activates the alarm."

"Is it serious?" Hope asked, wondering about what might be wrong.

"No, the alarm isn't one that's serious," Charles titled his head, "Would you like to see what's going on, Dr. Chandler?"

"You'd let me? I mean, I was just suppose to be here for an interview," Hope stuttered, "If it's nothing serious then, I wouldn't be needed, would I?" She certainly wanted to see if the student was all right, it was an urge that came from so many years as a doctor, but so far it wasn't her place.

"Doctor, I don't think there will be a problem if you just come to observe," Charles pushed back from his desk, "If you'll follow me." Hope got up from her chair and followed Charles to a hidden elevator in the wall behind his desk.

"Impressive," Hope commented as the doors slid close.

"My little escape route," Charles explained, "But the school has many levels. The students bed rooms are on the second floor, west wing, and the staff lives in the east wing. First floor is mainly the living area, you have television room, a study, dinning room, etcetera."

"Do you have a cleaning crew? Of any other staff besides the teachers?" Hope asked, watching the set of lights above the door slowly move from left to right.

"The students are in charge of cleaning up after themselves and their rooms."

"A large responsibility," Hope said as the doors opened, and Charles took the lead off the elevator. The hallway down here wasn't as well made up as the ones up stairs, Hope noticed right away. The one down here was smooth metal walls and large bright florescent lights spaced evenly along the ceiling. Hope watched a section of the wall slide open, and Hank stick his head out.

"Ah, I thought you might bring her down," He said, "Well, Hope, come in, I think there might be a chance of fractured ribs."

"Is it that serious?" Hope asked, walking into a dream.

"Dr. Chandler, this is the Infirmary," Charles said.

"It's incredible," Hope gapped, "Do all three beds have a complete monitoring system in them?"

"Yes," Charles edged around Hope, towards the middle bed where a girl sat, an ice pack pressed to her side. It was the first time Hope had noticed the girl, which was embarrassing. She should have noticed the patient right away instead of being taken in by the advanced technology of the Infirmary. "Care to tell me what happened Jubilee?"

"One of the floor pieces malfunctioned," the girl said, "It hit me."

"Are you having any trouble breathing?" Hope asked, looking around for a stethoscope. "Do you have…" Hope started to ask then Hank held one out to her, "Uh, thank you. Well, Miss. Jubilee, any trouble breathing?" Hope gently took the ice pack from the girl, then pressed the stethoscope and listened.

"It kinda knocked the wind out of me," Jubilee said reluctantly.

"Did you take any x-rays?" Hope asked, looking over her shoulder to Hank.

"Two, one from the side, one from the front," Hank said, then reached behind him and picked up an envelope. "Here you go." Hope pulled them out, picked the front view one and held it up to the light.

"Yup, hair line fracture," Hope moved to stand next to Jubilee's bed and held it up over her head, pointing out the small, jagged line, "Third from the top, looks like you fractured your rib."

"What does that mean?" Jubilee asked, sounding worried.

Hope gave the girl a reassuring smile, "That means you get out of gym for the next three weeks," Hope slid the x-rays back into the folder, "When you go out, wrap an ace bandage around the spot, put ice on it, and sit up straight. Prop yourself up when you sleep too, laying down puts more pressure on it and will hurt more."

"Can I have something for the pain?"

"Tylenol, Advil," Hope looked at Charles, "Which ever one you have around. Do you have a doctor's notice I can write for her?"

"You know, Doctor, I think we do. You have your research grants, I'll send you a check you can deposit within the week, and if you decide to take more time for your research, there's a job for you here at the Institute."

Hope went dead still, "Really?" She managed to get out past the astonished lump in her throat.

"Yes, Dr. Chandler, really."

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"And he just offered her the job right there?" Evan said, looking up from the latest issue of Thrasher magazine. Jubilee sat on the couch, pillows propping her back up, with an ice pack pressed to her side. After she'd been released from the Infirmary she'd raced as fast as she could to the television room where everyone was hanging around, waiting for dinner. After she'd put to rest every ones concern, she'd told them about her encounter with Dr. Chandler.

"Yeah, I mean, she was nice and everything. She didn't even freak out around Beast, but she's doing some sort of research and the Professor's giving her grants."

"The Professor wouldn't let her research on us," Kitty said, she was sitting down next to Jubilee.

"And if he hired her, then he'll tell us about her at dinner," Scott said, looking up from his Algebra homework.

"What was she like?" Kurt asked, since he had come in late to the conversation and missed hearing about the mysterious guest.

"Jeeze Kurt, she was kinda short, you know," Jubilee said, rolling her eyes, "She was from the south, too, had the accent."

"Wow, she pretty?" Kurt wiggled his eyebrow, then poofed away when a pillow came flying towards him. "What I'm just curious." He said when he reappeared.

"Kurt, get off the furniture," Ororo said as she stepped into the room, "Dinner." In one wave the students went for the stairs, and the dining room. They settled around the table, chit-chatting between each other, the most popular topic the mysterious Dr. Chandler. When Charles cleared his throat, everyone went quiet, knowing a speech was coming, and turned there attention on full.

"As you've probably already heard, I have made an offer to hire on a nurse for the school," Charles started, "As you've also probably heard, I have offered a research grant to this nurse. Dr. Chandler is a leading expert on X-gene mutations; if you are curious about her research I can give you her article to read. It is up to Dr. Chandler whether or not she comes to work her, but the money is hers. I would also like to ask that some of you step forward and become part of her study."

"She's gonna do test on us and stuff?" Jamie asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Dr. Chandler doesn't run test on subjects who are unwilling," Charles said, "Her brother is a mutant, she understands the difficulties that a mutant can experience. The Doctor is a good person, her research will bridge the gap between us and humans, I am asking you to accept her, like you have each other."

"Is she a mutant?" Jubilee asked.

"No, Dr. Chandler is human," Charles held up a hand as more questions came, "After dinner, after dinner I'll answer the rest of your questions."

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Hope had a hard decision to make, so she did what always happened when she needed some advice, she called her older brother. Michael Jonas Chandler lived in Nebraska, farming wheat, hiding from the public eye. He had turned to Hope shortly after she came back from medical school, telling her about his mutation. Hope was his confidant, and he was hers. They were only a year apart in age, unlike Hope's little sister, who was five years younger than Hope. Michael was able to make things grow, Hope's most poignant memory of seeing his abilities was him walking across the lawn of the Chandler mansion at night, the grass growing under his bare feet. It had just grown like mad where he stepped, going from the nicely manicured lawn to wild untamed tuffs. Hope settled on her couch, the portable phone in one hand and a nice glass of white wine in the other. She hit the speed dial for her brother, and leaned back into the comfortable cushions behind her.

"Chandler Wheat, how can I help you?" Michael answer quickly.

"Mike, it's Hope," She said cheerily, "Can you spare a minute?"

"For you, baby sister, I can spare a whole hour," Mike said, "What's up?"

"I got a new grant," Hope started off, "Charles Xavier is paying me to do more research."

"Wow, nice work, but I can tell by your voice there's a catch."

"Can't hide anything from you can I?"

"Not a thing, baby sister, now what's the catch?"

"I do my research out of his school, but my schedule is so busy that I don't know if I can be that flexible."

"You can," Mike said, "If it's important enough to you."

"He gave me another option," Hope sighed, "I could be the nurse at his school, live there, even get paid a salary, but I don't know if I should quit Charity."

"Do you ever think about being a nurse for some prep school?"

"I don't know, I mean," Hope sighed again, "I think I'm burning out at the hospital, Mike. I've been there for almost twelve years, I've seen everything there is, and operated on countless cases, and just don't know if I can take it anymore."

"Sounds like you need a break, Hope."

"I know, but what if I make the wrong choice, Mike? What if I'm not burning out, just getting the flu or something?"

"You got a temperature?"

"No Mike," Hope rolled her eyes, even though her brother couldn't see, "I'm making theories."

"Sounds like your making excuses, baby sister," Now Mike sighed, "Hope, you've been dreaming about doing this research for years, this is an opportunity to finally get serious about your work. Once in a life time kind of stuff, take it. You know you want to."

"How do you talk me into these things?" Hope asked, feeling much better because Mike had done what he always did, said exactly what Hope needed to hear.

"I'm a silver tongued fiend, baby sister, now, go call Mr. Xavier and accept the position."

"As you wish, oh wise and mighty brother."

"You've got that right."

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Author's Note: I love Mike! He's just so great, I wish I wrote him more often. Anyway, thank you for reading and please review.