Queen of Random: Sorry about all the confusion. This is just the finished
version of chapter seventeen. The version that had been posted was
incomplete, and so was posted by mistake. On a lighter note, however, I
have finished my exams and so have had time to devote to my writings.
However, I did not have a lot of time after all to do that kind of thing.
First, there was my 17th birthday, which was on the same day as the Lord of
the Rings: Return of the King world premiere. I'm still excited about the
fact that Peter Jackson wished me a Happy Birthday, and remembered me from
last year. I'm also very happy that I saw Sir Ian McKellen on the same day
(unlike the rest of the crowd, I was shouting 'Magneto!' and 'Can I join
the Brotherhood?!'). Then, the next day, I had to go back to school (sigh)
for leadership training. This was really starting to annoy me, as I have
been waiting a while to watch X1.5 and X2. The next day, I had our school's
Prizegiving, and that cut into a lot of my time. On the up side, though, I
am now a Prefect. I don't know if our school has ever had a Prefect who
also writes fanfiction. We have had a mutant student at our school, though
(Anna Paquin a.k.a Rogue), which is kind of cool.
Now if only I could be in the next X-Men movie(s). . .
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Seventeen: Reunion
Hank quietly moved to Jennifer's bedside, and sat down. He hesitated as he reached out to gently touch her right hand, which showed no sign of injury from the fire.
"I'm so sorry, Jennifer," he whispered. "If only-" he began, but he stopped when Jennifer stirred. "Jennifer?"
Her mouth moved, almost painfully. But she managed to speak. "Hank?"
"Yes, Jennifer, it's me."
Her eyes fluttered open. "Am I still dreaming?" Although she could not move her head, her eyes flicked around the room. "Where am I?"
"In the hospital. Your house - it caught on fire."
"It did?" she asked, confused. "I - I don't remember." She was obviously out of it, especially when she asked, "Hank? There's something different about you. I can't quite put my finger on it."
Just then, the light must have gone on in her head, and she remembered everything. She reached out and took Hank's hands. She pushed up his left sleeve, and smiled. There, on his wrist, was a holowatch just like the one Kurt wore to disguise his true form. "It's different, but I like it." Then she frowned. "How long have I been here?"
"Three days."
"Three days?" she asked, shocked. "I've been asleep for three days?" She closed her eyes. "That explains my really strange dreams." When Hank did not ask about the dreams, she told him about them, anyway. "I dreamt that we were on a tropical island, and there was a heat wave. The next thing I knew, I was struck by one of Ororo's lightning bolts."
"That must have been when the paramedics brought you back to life using a defibrillator. I - I was so worried," Hank stammered, losing his composure. "I thought I had lost you for good."
"I'm not that easy to get rid of," she whispered, reaching out to stroke his cheek with her good hand. "And I would never leave you willingly. It would take more than a house fire to do that."
Hank captured the hand in his own, and held it close to his heart. "I know. But still-"
The look in Jennifer's eyes stopped Hank from saying any more. "It's over now. I'm alive, and with you. That's all that matters to me. And should matter to you." She looked confused, and looked down at her left arm, and at her legs beneath the blanket. "How bad are my burns?" she asked, more to herself than to Hank. "I - I can't feel anything."
"Don't worry," whispered Hank, holding on tight to Jennifer's right hand tightly. Then he leant forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I love you," he whispered into her ear.
"I love you, too."
The sound of the door to the ward opening caused the couple to look up. A doctor was standing at the door, looking kind of embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?"
"No."
"That's good," said the doctor. "I'm Chris Winner, head of plastic surgery here at the hospital."
"Plastic surgery?" asked Jennifer in a tome of mock horror. "I'm not that disfigured, Hank, am I? I know we agreed that looks don't matter, but I don't think this is quite necessary!"
Dr Winner laughed. "It's always good to see a patient laugh so soon after the injury. They're normally the ones who recover the fastest." Dr Winner looked at Hank. "You must be the lucky man who will get to take this lovely woman home," he said with a smile. He extended a hand to Hank. "Nice to meet you."
Hank did not know how to react to the offered hand. If he took it, the doctor would know that he was not human, but to refuse. . .
Luckily, Jennifer was fast. "I'm sorry," said Jennifer, tightening her grip on Hank's hand, "I'm just so glad to be alive that I can't let go of his hand. You'll just have to go without."
"No problem," said the doctor. He flipped through the notes that he held in his hands. "Now, Ms Reed, it's good to see you awake - we were quite worried that your brain might have been damaged due to a lack of oxygen. But now that that seems to be just a concern, our main focus is now are your burns. Now, the one on your face is actually quite mild - it's just like a bad case of sunburn. The burns on your left arm are second degree, and are more serious."
"And the ones on my leg?"
The doctor sighed. "The burns on your leg are third degree - very serious. But luckily, it is only a small portion of the leg itself that is burnt to that extent. That is because a piece of the ceiling fell onto your leg while you were unconscious. The rest of your leg is not so bad, and should heal quite quickly."
"How soon will I be able to leave here?" asked Jennifer. Then she looked down. "Not that I really have anywhere to go when I do," she added quietly.
"Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it?" suggested the doctor. "Your first priority is getting better." Dr Winner smiled, and left the room.
Once they were alone, Jennifer turned to Hank and said quietly, "I - I don't know what will happen, what I can do. I don't know how long I will have to stay here, and even if I do get out of here quickly, it's not like I have anywhere to go. My home, my possessions, my car - they're all gone. I have nothing." Jennifer leaned back against the pillow, and closed her eyes.
Hank saw the tear that trickled out from beneath the closed lids. Gently, he wiped it away. "You have me," he whispered. "And you always will. I love you, nothing can change that."
Jennifer opened her eyes and looked at Hank. Her hazel eyes seemed empty, and almost devoid of the light that Hank had become used to seeing. "I love you, too, but there is only so much love can do. It can't turn back time, no matter how much love you have for me, and how much you want it, Hank. You can't change the past."
"Then I'll find a mutant who can."
"Don't bother, Hank. I know it sounds cold and callous of me to say so, but this accident has changed everything for us. We can't go back to what we once had. You told me a long time ago that I made a sacrifice, and at that time you were speaking of my job. But now it is much more than that. I almost died -"
"You were dead. But you came back to me."
"I almost died," repeated Jennifer. "And, to me, had I not been revived, it would have been no sacrifice, but to you. . . what would you have done if I had not survived?"
"That's a moot point, because you are alive."
"Answer my question, Hank."
Hank did not answer, instead, he buried his head in his hands.
"You see," she whispered. "Now you know the fear that has plagued me for a long time. I get so worried when I hear about these Danger Room sessions, and these missions you go on. I saw that news broadcast of when you and the X-Men, along with the Brotherhood, were fighting that robotic monstrosity that hunts mutants. You worry about me, when I am really the one who really has to worry about you. How could I not worry, when I may have to face the reality that I may one day have to send the man I love to his death?"
Still Hank was silent. All this was flooding him with questions. What was Jennifer trying to say? That it was over?
"I love you, Hank, but I think all our time recently has been focused on one thing - my getting my job back. It's caused so many problems, not just for us individually, but as a couple, too. All we have talked about recently was that one thing - we forgot to just be together. Is that making any sense, Hank?"
Slowly, Hank nodded. "Yes, Jennifer."
Jennifer smiled. "While I was asleep, I suppose, I had an epiphany. I thought that we should just let that whole problem go for the moment, and just let things happen, let things be like they were before." Jennifer gently placed her hand against Hank's cheek. "But as long as I have you, and your love, that's all that matters to me."
Hank smiled, and took Jennifer's hand in his own. "That is all that matters to me, too."
"That's good to know," said Jennifer, smiling. "Now tell me one thing, Hank. Is it just my imagination, or were you really wearing Speedos the night of the fire?"
Now if only I could be in the next X-Men movie(s). . .
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Seventeen: Reunion
Hank quietly moved to Jennifer's bedside, and sat down. He hesitated as he reached out to gently touch her right hand, which showed no sign of injury from the fire.
"I'm so sorry, Jennifer," he whispered. "If only-" he began, but he stopped when Jennifer stirred. "Jennifer?"
Her mouth moved, almost painfully. But she managed to speak. "Hank?"
"Yes, Jennifer, it's me."
Her eyes fluttered open. "Am I still dreaming?" Although she could not move her head, her eyes flicked around the room. "Where am I?"
"In the hospital. Your house - it caught on fire."
"It did?" she asked, confused. "I - I don't remember." She was obviously out of it, especially when she asked, "Hank? There's something different about you. I can't quite put my finger on it."
Just then, the light must have gone on in her head, and she remembered everything. She reached out and took Hank's hands. She pushed up his left sleeve, and smiled. There, on his wrist, was a holowatch just like the one Kurt wore to disguise his true form. "It's different, but I like it." Then she frowned. "How long have I been here?"
"Three days."
"Three days?" she asked, shocked. "I've been asleep for three days?" She closed her eyes. "That explains my really strange dreams." When Hank did not ask about the dreams, she told him about them, anyway. "I dreamt that we were on a tropical island, and there was a heat wave. The next thing I knew, I was struck by one of Ororo's lightning bolts."
"That must have been when the paramedics brought you back to life using a defibrillator. I - I was so worried," Hank stammered, losing his composure. "I thought I had lost you for good."
"I'm not that easy to get rid of," she whispered, reaching out to stroke his cheek with her good hand. "And I would never leave you willingly. It would take more than a house fire to do that."
Hank captured the hand in his own, and held it close to his heart. "I know. But still-"
The look in Jennifer's eyes stopped Hank from saying any more. "It's over now. I'm alive, and with you. That's all that matters to me. And should matter to you." She looked confused, and looked down at her left arm, and at her legs beneath the blanket. "How bad are my burns?" she asked, more to herself than to Hank. "I - I can't feel anything."
"Don't worry," whispered Hank, holding on tight to Jennifer's right hand tightly. Then he leant forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I love you," he whispered into her ear.
"I love you, too."
The sound of the door to the ward opening caused the couple to look up. A doctor was standing at the door, looking kind of embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?"
"No."
"That's good," said the doctor. "I'm Chris Winner, head of plastic surgery here at the hospital."
"Plastic surgery?" asked Jennifer in a tome of mock horror. "I'm not that disfigured, Hank, am I? I know we agreed that looks don't matter, but I don't think this is quite necessary!"
Dr Winner laughed. "It's always good to see a patient laugh so soon after the injury. They're normally the ones who recover the fastest." Dr Winner looked at Hank. "You must be the lucky man who will get to take this lovely woman home," he said with a smile. He extended a hand to Hank. "Nice to meet you."
Hank did not know how to react to the offered hand. If he took it, the doctor would know that he was not human, but to refuse. . .
Luckily, Jennifer was fast. "I'm sorry," said Jennifer, tightening her grip on Hank's hand, "I'm just so glad to be alive that I can't let go of his hand. You'll just have to go without."
"No problem," said the doctor. He flipped through the notes that he held in his hands. "Now, Ms Reed, it's good to see you awake - we were quite worried that your brain might have been damaged due to a lack of oxygen. But now that that seems to be just a concern, our main focus is now are your burns. Now, the one on your face is actually quite mild - it's just like a bad case of sunburn. The burns on your left arm are second degree, and are more serious."
"And the ones on my leg?"
The doctor sighed. "The burns on your leg are third degree - very serious. But luckily, it is only a small portion of the leg itself that is burnt to that extent. That is because a piece of the ceiling fell onto your leg while you were unconscious. The rest of your leg is not so bad, and should heal quite quickly."
"How soon will I be able to leave here?" asked Jennifer. Then she looked down. "Not that I really have anywhere to go when I do," she added quietly.
"Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it?" suggested the doctor. "Your first priority is getting better." Dr Winner smiled, and left the room.
Once they were alone, Jennifer turned to Hank and said quietly, "I - I don't know what will happen, what I can do. I don't know how long I will have to stay here, and even if I do get out of here quickly, it's not like I have anywhere to go. My home, my possessions, my car - they're all gone. I have nothing." Jennifer leaned back against the pillow, and closed her eyes.
Hank saw the tear that trickled out from beneath the closed lids. Gently, he wiped it away. "You have me," he whispered. "And you always will. I love you, nothing can change that."
Jennifer opened her eyes and looked at Hank. Her hazel eyes seemed empty, and almost devoid of the light that Hank had become used to seeing. "I love you, too, but there is only so much love can do. It can't turn back time, no matter how much love you have for me, and how much you want it, Hank. You can't change the past."
"Then I'll find a mutant who can."
"Don't bother, Hank. I know it sounds cold and callous of me to say so, but this accident has changed everything for us. We can't go back to what we once had. You told me a long time ago that I made a sacrifice, and at that time you were speaking of my job. But now it is much more than that. I almost died -"
"You were dead. But you came back to me."
"I almost died," repeated Jennifer. "And, to me, had I not been revived, it would have been no sacrifice, but to you. . . what would you have done if I had not survived?"
"That's a moot point, because you are alive."
"Answer my question, Hank."
Hank did not answer, instead, he buried his head in his hands.
"You see," she whispered. "Now you know the fear that has plagued me for a long time. I get so worried when I hear about these Danger Room sessions, and these missions you go on. I saw that news broadcast of when you and the X-Men, along with the Brotherhood, were fighting that robotic monstrosity that hunts mutants. You worry about me, when I am really the one who really has to worry about you. How could I not worry, when I may have to face the reality that I may one day have to send the man I love to his death?"
Still Hank was silent. All this was flooding him with questions. What was Jennifer trying to say? That it was over?
"I love you, Hank, but I think all our time recently has been focused on one thing - my getting my job back. It's caused so many problems, not just for us individually, but as a couple, too. All we have talked about recently was that one thing - we forgot to just be together. Is that making any sense, Hank?"
Slowly, Hank nodded. "Yes, Jennifer."
Jennifer smiled. "While I was asleep, I suppose, I had an epiphany. I thought that we should just let that whole problem go for the moment, and just let things happen, let things be like they were before." Jennifer gently placed her hand against Hank's cheek. "But as long as I have you, and your love, that's all that matters to me."
Hank smiled, and took Jennifer's hand in his own. "That is all that matters to me, too."
"That's good to know," said Jennifer, smiling. "Now tell me one thing, Hank. Is it just my imagination, or were you really wearing Speedos the night of the fire?"