"Aquiel"
By Andrea Malcolm
"Fathers are biological necessities, but social accidents." -Margaret Mead
August
Ororo Munroe had never remembered being this sick before. She did not get queasy very often. But in this last month or so, she had spent more time running to the bathroom than she cared to think about. It was just not in her body's nature to spend so much time nauseous.
In the bathroom near her loft bedroom, she stood up, somewhat dizzy, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. What sort of infection could I have contracted that could make me this sick? If she didn't know better, she would think she was pregnant. But there was no way that could be possible, so it had to be some sort of illness. The funny thing was, she could be fine one minute, and sick to her stomach the next. And what sort of sickness lasts more than a month? Shaking her head, Ororo took a sip of water. She had been trying to avoid it, but it seemed she would have to face the inevitable. She would have to go and see Henry McCoy, Xavier Institute's renowned doctor and biochemist. She hated to waste his time on a mysterious case of stomach flu, especially when she knew he was busy working on a cure for the Legacy virus, but she couldn't stand this any longer.
After her most recent wave of nausea subsided, Ororo made her way from her loft down to Hank's lab, on the other side of the school. Thankfully, she did not meet any of her friends along the way. She knew she didn't look well, and the last thing she wanted was a lot of questions that she couldn't answer.
Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, was exactly where Storm thought he would be, sitting at his computer, meticulously going over formulas, hoping to find some kind of breakthrough in the most recent mutant crisis-an outbreak of disease that effected mutants, known as the Legacy virus. So far, Hank had not been able to do anything to help those already affected, or to stop further outbreaks. It had been most frustrating to the man, who for all of his medical experience and genius-level intelligence, had not been able to come up with any good news.
Hank's door to his lab was open, but Ororo knocked anyway before entering. "Good Morning, Hank. Am I disturbing you?"
Beast paused, and swiveled around in his chair, a smile playing on his furry blue face. "Of course not, my dear. I was just in the process of taking a break, so I welcome the interruption. Can I assist you with something?"
Storm noticed how tired he looked. She figured that he probably hadn't really intended to stop working, and wondered if he had even gone to bed last night. As another wave of dizziness hit her, she unsteadily made her way over to the nearest chair. Beast immediately went to help her, his face showing concern. "Are you ill, Ororo? I have never seen you so unsteady before." Before Storm could even reply, he was already examining her.
She nodded, but was cut short when the room began to spin. "Yes. I am afraid I am ill. But I have no idea what could be wrong with me, so I decided that you may be able to help in that department." She managed a weak smile.
Beast helped her to her feet, and onto his examination table. "What symptoms have you observed?" He asked, his pen posed to take notes.
"Mostly nausea," she replied, watching him as began to take notes. "Occasional dizziness, as well, as you noticed right then. That's about it, as best I can tell, but then I am not a doctor."
Hank nodded, and stopped writing. "How long have you been feeling like this?"
She felt her cheeks flush slightly with embarrassment. "Well...slightly more than a month, I guess."
Hank's face turned stern. He looked at her over the rims of his glasses, eyes blazing. "You have been sick for more than a month and you haven't been to see me until now?" His voice rose slightly, but Storm knew it was more out of concern rather than anger.
"I am sorry, Hank. Truly I am. I only hoped it might go away by itself. I am usually very resilient to sickness, and I am not used to having to ask for help in dealing with such things. Do not think of it as an insult. I have great faith in your abilities as a doctor."
Hank's face softened once again. "I will forgive you this time, but do not let it happen again. There is certainly no need for you to suffer when I am here more than happy to help you. Now, hold this under your tongue like a good girl." He held up a thermometer.
Storm smiled, and obediently opened her mouth. After Hank had taken her temperature, checked her blood pressure, and finished his examination, she began to get the impression that he was not telling her something. She sat up on the table. "What is it, Hank? Please tell me. Whatever it is, I can deal with it."
Hank cleared his throat, and once again returned to his seat. "Well...because I can see no signs of an infection of any kind, the most obvious thing I must ask is if there is any chance you could be pregnant."
Ororo shook her head. "I am certainly not out of it that much, Hank. I would have told you if I thought that was at all possible. I can assure you that there is no way that I can be pregnant."
Hank maneuvered his chair over to one of his supply cabinets. "Are you absolutely certain? Every sign points to that as the most logical solution to your mysterious illness." He fiddled around in the drawer, and pulled out a small plastic cup.
Ororo noticed it, and shook her head. "I am certain that I am not pregnant. It is just not possible. Forge and I broke up a year ago, and I haven't..." she paused. "Um...been with anyone since then."
Hank considered this, and pushed his chair back over to her. "It's not that I don't trust you, my dear. But as a doctor, I won't be satisfied until I explore every possible avenue." He handed her the cup. "I believe you know what to do with this. Humor me, please."
Storm sighed, and took the cup from him. "Alright, Hank. If it will make you feel better, I will do it. But after you determine that that is not the cause, how long can I expect until you find out what is?"
Hank shrugged. "I assure you that I will get to work on it. If the pregnancy test is negative-
"Which it will be."
Hank raised an eyebrow. "Then I will draw a sample of your blood and proceed from there." He frowned slightly. "A normal stomach virus just does not last this long. And it certainly does not fluctuate from day to day like you said. Hmm." He mused, thinking. "Off hand, I cannot guess what the culprit may be, but never you fear- I will not let even a single bacterium allude me." He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Now if you wouldn't mind taking care of that for me," he said, pointing at the cup. "I shall divest my attention in the mystery-post haste."
-An hour later-
"What?! How can that be possible?" Ororo stared at her friend as if he had just informed her that the moon was indeed made out of green cheese.
Hank sighed and handed the piece of paper to her that contained the test results. "I believe this speaks for itself. You are indeed five weeks pregnant. As for how this is possible, I believe you are better equipped to answer that than I."
Storm snatched the paper from him, and read over it several times. After a minute or two, she looked up, shaking her head. "Are you absolutely certain that the test is accurate?"
Hank chuckled softly, and cleared his throat. "I assure you that this is not some over the counter, store brought test. My test is 100% accurate, and I am sorry Ororo, but you are without a doubt pregnant. Might I be the first to offer my congratulations?"
Storm furiously slammed the paper onto his desk. Hank flinched, not remembering ever seeing her so emotional. If she really lost control, they could expect some sort of atmospheric interference, of that Hank was certain. She took a deep breath, and said, "I did not lie to you before."
Hank took her hand into his own massive blue furry one. "I never said you did, my dear." He paused and shrugged, trying hard not to smile. "Well, there is one case of Immaculate Conception on record, perhaps now we can up that number to two?"
Storm, however, was not in the mood for jokes. "Be serious, Hank. That it not a viable conclusion. There is only one answer to this. I was violated without my knowledge."
Hank sucked in a noisy breath. "But"- He paused, not being able to come up with a logical argument. He knew Ororo well enough to know that she would not lie to him. Confusion crossed his face as he said, "Are you certain, my friend? I mean-who would do such a thing? Certainly no one here."
Storm sighed and shrugged. "Can you think of any other possible answer? I most certainly cannot. And I have heard that such things are possible to do. Date rape drugs, I believe they are called."
Hank sat down in his chair slowly, a hand pressed to his forehead. "Yes, certainly it is possible. Especially recently, when such drugs are so easily accessible to the general public. I am totally at a loss. I know that you would never even suggest such a thing unless you truly believed it was true. But now the question remains- who do you think could have done such a horrible thing?"
As the shock began to ware off, Storm felt fear and disbelief wash over her. "I haven't the slightest idea. But I do know this much-with the exception of the men living in this house-I have not been alone with any male for several months. And it couldn't have been an intruder. Cerebro and the various telepaths, including the Professor, would have certainly known." She stopped, and let her gaze shift to meet Hanks. He couldn't help but notice the dread in her eyes. "Do you realize what that means? Someone in this house has done the unthinkable."
Hank's eyes widened at that. "Oh my stars and garters...I just...I can't believe that any of my friends could have done such a thing. It is inconceivable."
Storm swallowed and closed her eyes, trying to keep her emotions in check. "We all have dark sides to our souls, Hank." She replied. Wild suspicions flew through her mind, and she shuddered as she felt Hanks hand still clutching hers, her mind briefly considering the chance that it could have been him. He had access to the kind of drugs that would be necessary, after all. She clucked her tongue, disgusted at herself for even considering such a thing. Certainly it was not he. I have known Hank longer than any of the other men here, with the exception of the Professor. He would never, ever do such a thing. But who would?
Rising to her feet, Storm opened her eyes, and said, "I believe we must speak to the Professor at once. There is a person with an appalling secret living right here amongst us, and I will not stand for it. I demand some answers."
* * * * * * * *
Professor Charles Xavier glanced from Storm to Beast and back again. Because he possessed one of the most powerful brains on the planet, there was very little that he could be told that would shock him. But what two of his most trusted and respected students were telling him now was indeed horrifying.
Leaning back in his hoverchair, he shook his head in disbelief. "Are you absolutely certain?" He asked. A quick scan of their minds had already revealed to the man that they did indeed believe what they were saying, but he still could not believe it.
Storm leaned back in chair, trying to control all the shock she was feeling. She hoped that this was some sort of bad dream; that she might wake up and discover that it didn't really happen. "It is the only solution that makes sense, Charles. You have known me for a long time, do you honestly think I would make such an accusation unless I believed it to be true? I give you full and absolute permission to scan my mind to see if you can find the truth."
The professor cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. "Although I would normally never do such a thing, I will tell you that I already have without your permission. This is a most serious accusation, and I felt it best to try to get to the bottom of this immediately."
Hank leaned forward in his chair anxiously. "And? Have you found anything of value? Some sort of clue?"
Charles shook his head sadly. "Admittedly, I have not. You seem to have no lasting memory whatsoever of what may have happened." He told Storm. "Whoever did this seems to have erased all traces of the event from your memory."
Hank frowned, thinking. "A telepath, perhaps? Certainly, it would have been easy for someone with telepathic powers."
Storm turned to him. "But you are forgetting that, with the exception of the Professor, there are no male telepaths living here." For a second, her mind raced over the possibility that her beloved friend Gambit could be the one. He had never been very clear about his powers, and everyone had suspected that he had some hidden powers, possibly similar to telepathy, that he wasn't letting on about. And certainly, he would not need drugs to get her to go to bed with him, his charm powers would be more than sufficient. And if it were possible for him to erase the event afterward...Storm shuddered, not wanting to consider the fact that he may be capable of such a thing. He was her dearest friend in the world, and closer to her than a brother.
A quick glance at Hank and the Professor let her know that they were thinking much as she was. After an agonizing moment of silence, Charles said, "I do not believe that it was necessarily a person with telepathic abilities. Certainly, anyone who put enough planning into it could have pulled something like this off." He sighed, not liking the task that inevitably lay before him. "I find it very hard to believe that one of my X-Men could be capable of such an act, but if it was, Ororo, I must not allow them to get away with this. Everyone must be questioned immediately."
Storm nodded miserably. How could she look her friends in the eye after this? Even if one of them was the guilty party the others would resent her even accusing them. Oh, Goddess, why has this happened to me?
Charles gave her a sympathetic look. She had known the man since she was a child in Cairo, and if there was another she respected more, or even considered her only paternal connection, she didn't know whom. This would be hard for him as well. "Perhaps it would be best if I questioned everyone without you being there. It might make everything go more smoothly."
Ororo considered this for a minute. "I do not want to be thought a coward. It is not that I am afraid to face them..." She trailed off, not sure what to say.
"I think that they will understand with time. Certainly no one here thinks you are a coward."
Storm closed her eyes, wishing once again that this would be a dream. That she would wake up any moment now, and the nightmare would be over. She nodded her head slowly. "Thank you, Charles."
By Andrea Malcolm
"Fathers are biological necessities, but social accidents." -Margaret Mead
August
Ororo Munroe had never remembered being this sick before. She did not get queasy very often. But in this last month or so, she had spent more time running to the bathroom than she cared to think about. It was just not in her body's nature to spend so much time nauseous.
In the bathroom near her loft bedroom, she stood up, somewhat dizzy, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. What sort of infection could I have contracted that could make me this sick? If she didn't know better, she would think she was pregnant. But there was no way that could be possible, so it had to be some sort of illness. The funny thing was, she could be fine one minute, and sick to her stomach the next. And what sort of sickness lasts more than a month? Shaking her head, Ororo took a sip of water. She had been trying to avoid it, but it seemed she would have to face the inevitable. She would have to go and see Henry McCoy, Xavier Institute's renowned doctor and biochemist. She hated to waste his time on a mysterious case of stomach flu, especially when she knew he was busy working on a cure for the Legacy virus, but she couldn't stand this any longer.
After her most recent wave of nausea subsided, Ororo made her way from her loft down to Hank's lab, on the other side of the school. Thankfully, she did not meet any of her friends along the way. She knew she didn't look well, and the last thing she wanted was a lot of questions that she couldn't answer.
Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, was exactly where Storm thought he would be, sitting at his computer, meticulously going over formulas, hoping to find some kind of breakthrough in the most recent mutant crisis-an outbreak of disease that effected mutants, known as the Legacy virus. So far, Hank had not been able to do anything to help those already affected, or to stop further outbreaks. It had been most frustrating to the man, who for all of his medical experience and genius-level intelligence, had not been able to come up with any good news.
Hank's door to his lab was open, but Ororo knocked anyway before entering. "Good Morning, Hank. Am I disturbing you?"
Beast paused, and swiveled around in his chair, a smile playing on his furry blue face. "Of course not, my dear. I was just in the process of taking a break, so I welcome the interruption. Can I assist you with something?"
Storm noticed how tired he looked. She figured that he probably hadn't really intended to stop working, and wondered if he had even gone to bed last night. As another wave of dizziness hit her, she unsteadily made her way over to the nearest chair. Beast immediately went to help her, his face showing concern. "Are you ill, Ororo? I have never seen you so unsteady before." Before Storm could even reply, he was already examining her.
She nodded, but was cut short when the room began to spin. "Yes. I am afraid I am ill. But I have no idea what could be wrong with me, so I decided that you may be able to help in that department." She managed a weak smile.
Beast helped her to her feet, and onto his examination table. "What symptoms have you observed?" He asked, his pen posed to take notes.
"Mostly nausea," she replied, watching him as began to take notes. "Occasional dizziness, as well, as you noticed right then. That's about it, as best I can tell, but then I am not a doctor."
Hank nodded, and stopped writing. "How long have you been feeling like this?"
She felt her cheeks flush slightly with embarrassment. "Well...slightly more than a month, I guess."
Hank's face turned stern. He looked at her over the rims of his glasses, eyes blazing. "You have been sick for more than a month and you haven't been to see me until now?" His voice rose slightly, but Storm knew it was more out of concern rather than anger.
"I am sorry, Hank. Truly I am. I only hoped it might go away by itself. I am usually very resilient to sickness, and I am not used to having to ask for help in dealing with such things. Do not think of it as an insult. I have great faith in your abilities as a doctor."
Hank's face softened once again. "I will forgive you this time, but do not let it happen again. There is certainly no need for you to suffer when I am here more than happy to help you. Now, hold this under your tongue like a good girl." He held up a thermometer.
Storm smiled, and obediently opened her mouth. After Hank had taken her temperature, checked her blood pressure, and finished his examination, she began to get the impression that he was not telling her something. She sat up on the table. "What is it, Hank? Please tell me. Whatever it is, I can deal with it."
Hank cleared his throat, and once again returned to his seat. "Well...because I can see no signs of an infection of any kind, the most obvious thing I must ask is if there is any chance you could be pregnant."
Ororo shook her head. "I am certainly not out of it that much, Hank. I would have told you if I thought that was at all possible. I can assure you that there is no way that I can be pregnant."
Hank maneuvered his chair over to one of his supply cabinets. "Are you absolutely certain? Every sign points to that as the most logical solution to your mysterious illness." He fiddled around in the drawer, and pulled out a small plastic cup.
Ororo noticed it, and shook her head. "I am certain that I am not pregnant. It is just not possible. Forge and I broke up a year ago, and I haven't..." she paused. "Um...been with anyone since then."
Hank considered this, and pushed his chair back over to her. "It's not that I don't trust you, my dear. But as a doctor, I won't be satisfied until I explore every possible avenue." He handed her the cup. "I believe you know what to do with this. Humor me, please."
Storm sighed, and took the cup from him. "Alright, Hank. If it will make you feel better, I will do it. But after you determine that that is not the cause, how long can I expect until you find out what is?"
Hank shrugged. "I assure you that I will get to work on it. If the pregnancy test is negative-
"Which it will be."
Hank raised an eyebrow. "Then I will draw a sample of your blood and proceed from there." He frowned slightly. "A normal stomach virus just does not last this long. And it certainly does not fluctuate from day to day like you said. Hmm." He mused, thinking. "Off hand, I cannot guess what the culprit may be, but never you fear- I will not let even a single bacterium allude me." He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Now if you wouldn't mind taking care of that for me," he said, pointing at the cup. "I shall divest my attention in the mystery-post haste."
-An hour later-
"What?! How can that be possible?" Ororo stared at her friend as if he had just informed her that the moon was indeed made out of green cheese.
Hank sighed and handed the piece of paper to her that contained the test results. "I believe this speaks for itself. You are indeed five weeks pregnant. As for how this is possible, I believe you are better equipped to answer that than I."
Storm snatched the paper from him, and read over it several times. After a minute or two, she looked up, shaking her head. "Are you absolutely certain that the test is accurate?"
Hank chuckled softly, and cleared his throat. "I assure you that this is not some over the counter, store brought test. My test is 100% accurate, and I am sorry Ororo, but you are without a doubt pregnant. Might I be the first to offer my congratulations?"
Storm furiously slammed the paper onto his desk. Hank flinched, not remembering ever seeing her so emotional. If she really lost control, they could expect some sort of atmospheric interference, of that Hank was certain. She took a deep breath, and said, "I did not lie to you before."
Hank took her hand into his own massive blue furry one. "I never said you did, my dear." He paused and shrugged, trying hard not to smile. "Well, there is one case of Immaculate Conception on record, perhaps now we can up that number to two?"
Storm, however, was not in the mood for jokes. "Be serious, Hank. That it not a viable conclusion. There is only one answer to this. I was violated without my knowledge."
Hank sucked in a noisy breath. "But"- He paused, not being able to come up with a logical argument. He knew Ororo well enough to know that she would not lie to him. Confusion crossed his face as he said, "Are you certain, my friend? I mean-who would do such a thing? Certainly no one here."
Storm sighed and shrugged. "Can you think of any other possible answer? I most certainly cannot. And I have heard that such things are possible to do. Date rape drugs, I believe they are called."
Hank sat down in his chair slowly, a hand pressed to his forehead. "Yes, certainly it is possible. Especially recently, when such drugs are so easily accessible to the general public. I am totally at a loss. I know that you would never even suggest such a thing unless you truly believed it was true. But now the question remains- who do you think could have done such a horrible thing?"
As the shock began to ware off, Storm felt fear and disbelief wash over her. "I haven't the slightest idea. But I do know this much-with the exception of the men living in this house-I have not been alone with any male for several months. And it couldn't have been an intruder. Cerebro and the various telepaths, including the Professor, would have certainly known." She stopped, and let her gaze shift to meet Hanks. He couldn't help but notice the dread in her eyes. "Do you realize what that means? Someone in this house has done the unthinkable."
Hank's eyes widened at that. "Oh my stars and garters...I just...I can't believe that any of my friends could have done such a thing. It is inconceivable."
Storm swallowed and closed her eyes, trying to keep her emotions in check. "We all have dark sides to our souls, Hank." She replied. Wild suspicions flew through her mind, and she shuddered as she felt Hanks hand still clutching hers, her mind briefly considering the chance that it could have been him. He had access to the kind of drugs that would be necessary, after all. She clucked her tongue, disgusted at herself for even considering such a thing. Certainly it was not he. I have known Hank longer than any of the other men here, with the exception of the Professor. He would never, ever do such a thing. But who would?
Rising to her feet, Storm opened her eyes, and said, "I believe we must speak to the Professor at once. There is a person with an appalling secret living right here amongst us, and I will not stand for it. I demand some answers."
* * * * * * * *
Professor Charles Xavier glanced from Storm to Beast and back again. Because he possessed one of the most powerful brains on the planet, there was very little that he could be told that would shock him. But what two of his most trusted and respected students were telling him now was indeed horrifying.
Leaning back in his hoverchair, he shook his head in disbelief. "Are you absolutely certain?" He asked. A quick scan of their minds had already revealed to the man that they did indeed believe what they were saying, but he still could not believe it.
Storm leaned back in chair, trying to control all the shock she was feeling. She hoped that this was some sort of bad dream; that she might wake up and discover that it didn't really happen. "It is the only solution that makes sense, Charles. You have known me for a long time, do you honestly think I would make such an accusation unless I believed it to be true? I give you full and absolute permission to scan my mind to see if you can find the truth."
The professor cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. "Although I would normally never do such a thing, I will tell you that I already have without your permission. This is a most serious accusation, and I felt it best to try to get to the bottom of this immediately."
Hank leaned forward in his chair anxiously. "And? Have you found anything of value? Some sort of clue?"
Charles shook his head sadly. "Admittedly, I have not. You seem to have no lasting memory whatsoever of what may have happened." He told Storm. "Whoever did this seems to have erased all traces of the event from your memory."
Hank frowned, thinking. "A telepath, perhaps? Certainly, it would have been easy for someone with telepathic powers."
Storm turned to him. "But you are forgetting that, with the exception of the Professor, there are no male telepaths living here." For a second, her mind raced over the possibility that her beloved friend Gambit could be the one. He had never been very clear about his powers, and everyone had suspected that he had some hidden powers, possibly similar to telepathy, that he wasn't letting on about. And certainly, he would not need drugs to get her to go to bed with him, his charm powers would be more than sufficient. And if it were possible for him to erase the event afterward...Storm shuddered, not wanting to consider the fact that he may be capable of such a thing. He was her dearest friend in the world, and closer to her than a brother.
A quick glance at Hank and the Professor let her know that they were thinking much as she was. After an agonizing moment of silence, Charles said, "I do not believe that it was necessarily a person with telepathic abilities. Certainly, anyone who put enough planning into it could have pulled something like this off." He sighed, not liking the task that inevitably lay before him. "I find it very hard to believe that one of my X-Men could be capable of such an act, but if it was, Ororo, I must not allow them to get away with this. Everyone must be questioned immediately."
Storm nodded miserably. How could she look her friends in the eye after this? Even if one of them was the guilty party the others would resent her even accusing them. Oh, Goddess, why has this happened to me?
Charles gave her a sympathetic look. She had known the man since she was a child in Cairo, and if there was another she respected more, or even considered her only paternal connection, she didn't know whom. This would be hard for him as well. "Perhaps it would be best if I questioned everyone without you being there. It might make everything go more smoothly."
Ororo considered this for a minute. "I do not want to be thought a coward. It is not that I am afraid to face them..." She trailed off, not sure what to say.
"I think that they will understand with time. Certainly no one here thinks you are a coward."
Storm closed her eyes, wishing once again that this would be a dream. That she would wake up any moment now, and the nightmare would be over. She nodded her head slowly. "Thank you, Charles."