A New Hope

Chapter Five

By: Lily Handle

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Author's Note: Amazing what I've managed to get done on this rewrite. Here's the rewritten chapter five.

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Hope was use to waking up to noise, thundering footsteps, shouting, and laughing. When she caught naps while on shift at Charity she usually woke up to noise. Only this time there wasn't a nurse sticking in her head in the room, telling her someone was crashing. This time she could hear the students outside her room, yelling about the line for the bathroom, or missing shoes. Temporarily Hope was lost, where the heck was she? It only took the sounds of a minor explosion to remind her that she was in the Institute. Hope lay there in bed for a few minutes listening to chaos because she didn't have to get up. She wasn't on call technically until the afternoon so she didn't have to get up. Hope sighed, it was actually pretty nice, but she hauled herself out of bed and stumbled to the shower. She liked that her major dilemma was what to wear, but since the school seemed to be a casual place she went with casual clothes. She didn't have to wear her traditional black skirt, collared shirt and doctor's coat. But she put the doctor's coat on anyway, like armor it made her feel protected and she could face the sounds outside her door. The instant she stepped into the hallway she was almost run over by two students running past her, shouting loud enough to wake the dead. She followed them down stairs and back into the dinning room where breakfast was spread out over the table. It was more hectic than it had been at dinner; students were calling out plans to each other, grabbing muffins and glasses of juice before running out. It was well practice insanity. While Hope dodged her way to the coffee machine she answered good mornings and hellos, a little surprised at how many of the students noticed her. It was like a massive trauma, Hope thought watching two students run right into each other and then laugh it off while picking up their spilled breakfasts. Hope held her coffee mug over her head while she made her way to the table for a seat. With practiced skill she managed not to spill a single drop and sat down with a little sigh. She was pretty sure there was nothing like a morning at the Institute, it was like a roller coaster, the noise rising and falling, students whipping around the room, leaving Hope a little dizzy when it began to die down.

"Good morning, Dr. Chandler," Ororo said, sitting down in the chair next to Hope.

"Please, call me Hope, and morning," Hope said watching the student appear in the puff of smoke, "Tell me something, are mornings always like this?"

"Then you can call me Ororo, and yes usually," Ororo then addressed the student who had poofed into the room, "Kurt, you're not suppose to appear unexpectedly like that."

"Sorry, gotta go!" and in another puff of smoke the student, Kurt was gone.

"It will sometimes slow down during the weekends and summer breaks," Ororo said lovingly while watching the students. It was pretty obvious she cared about them all, it reminded Hope of the staff at Charity and she sighed a little longingly.

"Uh, did you and Mr. Logan decide on the students that would be helping me?" Hope asked, reaching for a bagel.

"Yes, we did. Jean Grey and Kitty Pryde will be helping you after school. They're very good students, responsible and reliable."

"Thank you, I'm sure I'll find them helpful. Is there anything like a staff meeting or something in the mornings? I'd like to get started on the inventory right away, but if there is one I can wait."

"No, not today, we do have some on occasion. You won't be working on any theories today?"

"No, not yet. That can wait for awhile, I do have enough notes from previous interviews that I can hold off on interviewing the students here."

"Well, if you do want someone to interview and soon, I'll be happy to offer some time to you," Ororo smiled at her and Hope stared a little stunned back.

"Wow, thank you. I didn't expect anyone to volunteer so soon," Hope managed, "Thank you."

"You work is quite interesting, Doctor," Charles said as he came into the room, "Ororo is actually curious about your work."

"Well, there's no solid evidence any of my theories are correct," Hope said blushing a bit, "Mostly its speculation." Suddenly a student came rushing into the room, startling Hope.

"Bobby," Charles said, and the student who was halfway to the other door stopped, "This is the third time this week you've almost missed your ride."

"Sorry, Professor, I know. I'll try not to do it again." Bobby said in a rush and then sprinted out of the room.

"Does he eat enough?" Hope asked before she could stop herself.

"Yes, actually, more than enough. He takes more than his fair share usually," Ororo answered, smiling, "I believe it's a growth spurt."

"He may just being going through a growth spurt," Hope mused, "They normally cause an increased appetite, but my theories are running towards the idea that many of those with the X-gene have quirks and some of them may be the over extension of powers leads to a physical drain, thus they eat more to make up the lost energy," Hope rambled from the huge list of side ideas she had on the X-gene and its effects.

"Quite an interesting theory Hope, any others?" Charles asked, joining them at the table.

"Quite a few actually, but all my work is based off of three base ideas."

"And those are?" Logan asked walking into the room, looking at her coolly.

Hope responded just as coolly, "That all of those with the X-gene have three basic adjustments to the normal human DNA. The first is a physical change of the person themselves, the second is physical change of the world around them, and the third is the manipulation of others," Hope explained, ticking off the three she had discovered or invented however you wanted to put it.

"It seems very simple," Ororo commented.

"It can be, but sometimes it's not. A mutant can have more than one trait, such as you Mr. Xavier; you can manipulate the world around you as well as others, two of the three base categories." Hope noticed Logan was giving her a skeptical look, "Well, Mr. Logan what are you powers?"

"Healin', and these," he said as three long metal claws slid out of one hand.

"Bad example then," Hope muttered, "You only fall into one category." Hope glanced at her watch, "I should start working on the Infirmary, and with the size of the place it could take awhile."

"Of course, Doctor," Charles said, "If you need help feel free to ask."

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It was the middle of the afternoon, Logan was lying under the X-van, changing the oil when Charles interrupted his thoughts, "Logan, I'd like to speak with you," Charles' voice echoed in his head, something Logan was use to now and he pushed himself out from under the van.

"On my way," Logan responded wiping his hands on a rag. He found Charles in hi study, sitting behind his desk, looking contemplative. Charles always looked to be thinking about something, though, today it looked like whatever he was thinking about was bothering him.

"Alright, Charles, what about?" Logan asked, sitting in a chair in front of Charles's desk.

"Have you figured out what caused the platform to jump, that day Jubilee was hurt?"

Logan instantly felt a deep annoyance settle in his gut, there was something still bothering him about that platform and that day, "No, and I've run every test possible, the platform is in perfect order. Works like a charm, now."

"None of the students involved in that exercise could have done anything to the platform, without us knowing?" Charles asked.

Logan looked up and met Charles's eyes with one eyebrow raised, "What are you thinking Charles? You know none of the kids involved could do something to the platform and leave it untouched."

"How long has it been since Magneto's last attack?" Charles moved away from the desk to the window, looking out on the school grounds.

"It's been awhile, Charles, but you would have sensed something if Magneto had done something to the platform." Logan groaned when Charles didn't fill in the pause, "You can't possibly be serious? He's back to attacking us?"

"It's just a feeling, Logan, that's all." Charles shrugged.

"Is this the same feeling that you got from the Doc?" Logan asked casually, leaning back against his chair, propping his feet up on the desktop.

"I know you have problems with hiring a non-mutant, Logan, but the Doctor will be important to getting mutant accepted to the normal world. She's doing great things, right now, and when the world accepts her idea she go on to do greater things."

"All this from a feeling from a Doctor, and you don't have anything on Magneto," Logan gave a shake of his head, "You need to focus on what's really important, Charles." Charles gave Logan a knowing smile, and Logan just rolled his eyes.

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Hope was annoyed beyond belief with the hospital wing and the mess whoever had been running it had left it in. She had been here all morning and had managed to only sort through the first line of cabinets. There was no excuse for this, Hope thought, pulling another tangled mass of Ace bandages free from a cabinet, this one had not spilled out when she had opened it. Any person with a decent sense of order would have made sure things were kept at least in some sort of order. How had anyone managed to get treated with this mess around? And the cabinets should have glass fronts, so anyone could see what was inside. And the drawers should be labeled clearly and Hope sighed, when she finished there was going to be a very long list of suggestions for Charles. She was glad Jean and Kitty would be helping her this afternoon, but if she was going to do this every morning she was going to go insane. It was nothing like Charity, which had a small army of nurses that kept everything in order. Hope let loose a cruse as a bottle of polymyxin fell to the floor, exploded spilling glass and medicine everywhere.

"Colorful language, Doc," Hope felt like cursing again when she jumped at the sound of Logan's voice. He was standing just inside the room, his hands stuffed into his pockets, one corner of his mouth tilted up in a smile, obviously not here to help.

"Thank you, Mr. Logan, is there something I can help you with?" Hope asked, turning away from him. She teetered on the tips of her toes, carefully pushing a box of something back on to a shelf so that it didn't crash into her head, she had enough bumps from the previous stuff that had cascaded out of the shelves.

"No, I just thought I'd see if you were hurt." Hope puffed out a breath to push the little strand of hair that had fallen before her eyes and missed Logan's quick smile.

"Well I'm not, so if you don't mind, I'd prefer to have help or be left alone," Hope snapped, stepping back with an armful of medical charts carelessly heaped in a manila folder. She stacked them on top of the pile of other paper work she had found within the depths of the shelves.

"What do you need?" Hope had to admit she was surprised when Logan stepped towards the cabinets without a second thought. There wasn't a lot Hope knew about Logan as a person, but she never thought he's easily change from kind of stand off-ish attitude he had shown before to this willing helpful person.

"Just help me with making sure nothing falls, such as that bottle that you heard me lament." Hope ran a hair through her hair, which was escaping the bun she had put it in. This was going to be a challenge, a bigger challenge that Hope had originally figured on.

"So, hang back until you need me?" Logan asked standing back and watching her with those intense eyes.

"Yes, but keep your hands busy will you, try to make sure the mess I am making outside of the cabinets doesn't become impossible." Hope said, facing the cabinets with renewed zeal. Of course renew zeal never lasts as long as you need it to, Hope thought, catching a bottle of antiseptic as is dropped from the top shelf. Of course there was the box full of antiseptic that was also falling towards her head. Hope braced herself for it to smack cleanly into her head, but it never came. Hope had forgotten about Logan, but she was very aware of him now. He was standing behind her, one arm raised to catch the box, of course this pressed his chest against Hope's back. Beyond surprised about being uncomfortable, Hope stiffened as Logan pulled the box down and stepped away. Once he had stepped away, Hope didn't relax, but she tried her hardest to act like it.

"Thanks," Hope said, a little annoyed at being breathless, "I thought I would end up germ free."

"That's what I'm here for," Logan commented, setting the antiseptic down.

"Of course, I'm really grateful for your help," Hope sighed, looking over the mess that was now lying over all three beds. "I'm going to be really grateful when Jean and Kitty come to help." Hope's mind jumped to a question and before remembering Logan didn't talk much she asked, "What do you do at this school exactly?"

Logan looked like he was musing over the answer, which wasn't what Hope wanted, "I do this and that," he said on a shrug. Of course, Hope thought, turning back to the seemingly endless task of cleaning out just the shelves. "Why don't you take a break?" Logan suggested, passing a bottle of antiseptic between his hands.

"Because, if I take a break I'll never get finished," Hope stated, use to working long and hard hours at Charity, and these shelves and cabinets couldn't be harder than a double shift in Trauma.

"What about lunch?" Logan asked as Hope pushed herself up on her tip toes again, reaching for the top shelf and cursing her height. Note to self, Hope thought, get stepping stool from Ace or Home Depot.

"I don't need lunch," Hope muttered her fingers just barely reaching another file of something on the top shelf. "I can survive on breakfast alone."

"From working at a hospital?" Hope could hear that Logan didn't think much of her choice of careers, but she was use to people who distrusted doctors.

"There's a lot I've learned from working at a hospital," Hope replied, dropping to her feet carefully balancing a large stack of folders.

"Such as?" Logan was giving her the third degree, Hope figured, he was getting very annoying about it.

"I can take more caffeine into my system than any human should be able to," Logan snorted and Hope glared, "I can splint a multiple femur fracture with Ace bandages and an intubation tube. I've been stabbed twice by a patient and still went on with my shift," Hope paused, she was bragging about that which was wrong.

"You've been stabbed on the job?" Logan looked surprised that the hospital could get so frantic.

"Yes, a prisoner from a jail, he had colon cancer. He had a shank about the length of my pinky hidden in his sleeve. He cut himself out of his restraints, and then stabbed a fellow doctor and myself. He escaped then hung himself. We both received a few stitches and got back to work," Hope said this casually, but the prisoner had come close to getting Hope's throat. It wasn't one of her better memories at Charity, but there were others, "That's not a typical day, by any means, and that's what was fun." Hope wasn't use to someone meeting her eyes so intensely; no one had a stare like Logan's. Hope refused to look away, she could look a leg run over by a car, she could meet Logan's eyes.

"Doctor, I'm here!" In bounded Kitty, and Hope still wouldn't look away.

"Hello Kitty," Hope said, contributing her jumpy nerves to having to get to know Jean and Kitty, and not Logan's unblinking stare. "I was just chatting with Mr. Logan here, I hope you two are ready to work?"

"Actually, Dr. Chandler, Jean has soccer practice until four, she's going to be late," Kitty said, obviously noticing the staring contest, but making no comments about it.

"What?" Hope was finally forced to look away from Logan, which didn't help because he was still looking at her.

"Well, Jean forgot about having it when she volunteered for helping," Kitty shied away from the glare Hope was giving her, and Hope instantly softened her look.

"It's alright, you and I can handle this," Hope said, looking back at Logan, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Logan, I know you're busy this afternoon."

"Any time," Logan walked towards the door, "Kid, make sure you do your homework." And he was gone, though Hope still glared at where he had been, before letting a little sigh escape.

"Kitty, why don't you start on those files? I'd like to clear the beds."

"Sure thing, how do you want them organized?" Kitty rubbed her hands together and moved to the first bed.

"Alphabetical please," Hope sighed. They worked in a comfortable silence, Kitty humming some sort of pop tune while she worked. Hope mostly ignored her urge to ask the girl questions about her powers, or the school, but after a while Hope couldn't resist any longer, "Kitty," She said catching the girl's attention, "I was wondering, and don't feel as if you have to answer, what exactly is your power?" Hope turned towards the girl again, noticing that she had the first bed clear and was already starting on the second one.

"I can walk through things," She said, sticking her hand through the stack of files she was working on and the bed.

"Oh, you're a god send, Kitty," Hope sighed in relief, "I've been having everything drop out of these top cabinets onto my head since I started this," Hope smiled and had Kitty smiling back. "What do you say we switch places, you can clear out cabinets, and I can file?"

"Sure thing," Kitty said, jumping to her feet and rushing towards a cabinet. Obviously she didn't like paperwork that much. Hope stepped over some of the boxes she had on the floor and started to go through the files. After awhile she noticed that Kitty wasn't much taller than she was, "Kitty, do you know where a step stool is?"

"No, I don't there's ever been one in here," Kitty said, standing on her tip toes to reach through the cabinet door and pulled out a glass jar filled with cotton balls and thus start the prosperous up swing in the work. Hope decided to let Kitty start conversation if she wanted to, she'd already asked her one nagging question.

"Do you like the Institute?" Kitty asked when the silence had dragged on for what seemed to be a long enough time.

"What I've seen of it," Hope said, carefully looking over the rim of her reading glasses to Kitty. "Everyone here is very welcoming. What about you, Kitty, do you enjoy it?"

"Yeah, this place is great," Kitty was shoulder deep in the cabinet, door closed. It was fascinating for Hope to watch, because Kitty could also pull objects through with her. It is transference of power, Hope thought, how does it work? "Why would you leave a hospital to work here?"

"Well, this is a once in a life time opportunity for me," Hope mused, "I have got a lot of questions about medical treatment for mutants. The hardest part about the research is finding a wide variety of subjects. Here I have the ability to talk with a wide variety of mutants as well as practice medicine."

"Oh, but don't you want to like, run test on us and stuff?"

"No, I don't force the mutants I talk to into test they don't want to take."

"But why would you care, I mean no offense, but you're not like us," Kitty hesitate in saying it, and added a blush for an effect, causing Hope to laugh.

"I'm a doctor, first off, Kitty, and if I was still working at the hospital and a mutant came in, how could I treat them if I couldn't get an I.V. line in? Or if my surgical tools slipped through while I was trying to repair a torn spleen?"

"Ewe, how can you not be grossed out by all that blood and guts stuff?" Kitty shivered a bit and Hope laughed again.

"Because getting covered in blood or guts isn't the worst thing I've been covered in," Hope said with a reminiscing smile, there was nothing like being a doctor.

"Sorry I'm late," Jean said as she came skidding into the room.

"It's alright Jean," Hope turned away from the cabinets, "Why don't you help Kitty, you can reach the higher shelves. You can stop things from falling on your head, right?" Hope asked.

"Yeah, I'm a telekinetic, don't worry."

"Good thing, stuff falls out of the cabinets like mad," Hope sighed and cracked her knuckles, "Can either of you tell me who was in charge of organizing or running this place before I was hired?"

"I think it was Mr. Logan," Kitty said, looking towards Jean for confirmation.

"Yeah, I think that's right." Jean nodded in agreement.

"Do you get many injuries for this place to be like this?" Hope opened another files and was met by a mess of papers.

"Just minor stuff," Jean answered, levitating some bandages that had fallen out of a cabinet and organizing them.

"Minor enough for you to have a crash cart," Hope said, noting the dephibulator in the corner of the room.

"That's for Berserker, he sometimes stops his own heart," Jean commented, sending the machine a sideways glance.

"What?" Hope was stunned, that just shouldn't be humanly possible.

"He's got this electrical power, sometimes he over loads his own heart," Kitty said, "Mostly does it when he shows off."

"And you all know how to use the crash cart?" Hope thought her time in the Institute was going to be an interesting experience to say the least.

"No, Logan, Ororo and I do," Hank walked in, and Hope smiled, finally someone who can explain this, Hope thought.

"Hello, Hank, what can I do for you?" Hope asked, noticing that the hallway outside seemed to be in a furry of activity.

"Charles needs Kitty and Jean to suit up," Hank said, standing to the side as Jean and Kitty went racing out of the hospital wing.

"Hank what's going on?" Hope thundered, amazed that she had finally gotten both her helpers and now they were being whisked away, "I need their help!"

"Everything will be explained, Hope, I'm here to help you clear the beds and make sure you have everything you might need for multiple traumas." Hank said as he began to haul some of the medical papers off the three metal beds.

"What? Hank, you've got to give me more than just I should expect multiple traumas and then take away my assistants okay?" Hope ordered, even though she was already helping the clear the beds. Hank walked over to the panel of buttons in the wall and pressed one. On the far blank wall a plasma screen TV appeared and turned on to the news channel. On it a man who looked to be on steroids and in desperate need of a hair cut was lifting cars and tossing them towards innocent bystanders.

"That would be Sabretooth, and he's the reason your helpers were borrowed."

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Author's Note: Look I still left the cliff hanger ending, aren't I a doll?

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