Sitting up in bed, Nora clutched her chest, feeling her heartbeat flutter rapidly against her hand.  "Luke," she whispered.

"Nora?"  The figure standing in her doorway sent her a look of concern.

Surprised, she jumped, but then allowed her shoulders to relax as she gradually recognized Dr. Clairmonde.  She looked around the hospital room the X-Men had afforded her as the memories came flooding back.  She suddenly remembered with painful clarity the attack on her house… The soldiers at the campsite… Luke's disappearance…The car crash…Her fit aboard the jet…

Closing her eyes, she gave a soft groan and ran both her hands through her ragged brown hair. 

"Are you alright?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah," she said, though it wasn't true.  The images from her dream had faded fast, but the terrified look upon her brother's face remained emblazoned behind her eyes.  "Yeah, I'm fine…"

The doctor squinted at her, but somehow knew not to pry further, much to the appreciation of the girl before her.  Instead, she plopped down a pair of light green towels with a travel-sized bottle of shampoo and conditioner resting on top of them.

"If you're feeling up to it, there's a shower at your disposal," Dr. Clairmonde let her know.  "And a toothbrush in the sink."

When the doctor turned around, Nora curiously lifted up her arm and put her nose in her armpit.  The stench sent her reeling backward.  "Ugh…" she intoned.

There was a soft chuckle, and Dr. Clairmonde tossed her a new bar of deodorant.  "Now that, we can cure."

Nora caught it in her hand.  "Thanks," she said, applying the deodorant underneath of her hospital gown.

"Compliments of Xavier's School for the Gifted," she returned with a wink.

Nora blinked.  That's right.  She remembered the man in the wheelchair from a few mornings before.  She was at a 'mutant school.'  A few fleeting images of a chaotic classroom filled with students who could disappear, change color, and blast bolts of lightning into their teachers' rears played in her mind.

She climbed to her feet.  But while she was curious as to what the school was like, she wanted nothing more than to speak to the people who had said they would find her brother.  They had promised her that, and Nora planned to take full advantage of any help they could offer her, because she was going to bring him back.

But if she was going to earn their aid… She looked down at her grimy hands and then to the shower stall in the cheerily-lit bathroom.  She would have to be clean.  Once inside the shower, Nora washed herself several times over, using up all the shampoo in the bottle and scrubbing her skin until she was sure the stench was gone.

When she returned from the bathroom, she found a hairbrush, a hairdryer, and a clean set of clothes waiting for her.  Blinking, she picked up a note-card that lay on top of a light purple v-neck.

Welcome to Mutant High!  The note exclaimed, decorated with colorful flowers around the message.

Nora traced her fingers along its edges before putting it aside.  Over the whirl of the hairdryer, she pursed her lips pensively.  Hopefully, they were as friendly as they sounded.

* * * * *

When she emerged dressed and dried, Dr. Clairmonde looked to her in approval.  "You're looking spry."  Nora offered her a sheepish smile.  "Ready to enter back into the world of the living?"

"Yeah," she said, trying to look like she entered into mutant schools every day.  "Yeah.  Let's do it."

A few moments later Cyclops and Storm entered into the med-lab.  As she exchanged a few awkward pleasantries with the two, she felt her stance crumple and butterflies take over her stomach.  They had only seen her at her worst, she realized.  They couldn't see Nora Blaize.  They saw an unstable, wild girl, who punched people and crashed cars when she got angry.  Which to be fair, only made sense.

Nora could feel her face turning red as they spoke.  She had done all that, and still they had given her a room and meals and medical assistance without question.  It was hard not to feel embarrassed, standing before them in clothes they had given her.

After the doctor gave her a quick check-up and declared her ready to be discharged, she was led her into the main section of the school.  She learned that it was Saturday, and they were taking her to see 'the professor.'

"You said he was going to help find my brother," Nora reminded them.

Scott knew to regard her with a serious nod.  "He's going to do everything he can.  Just like we promised."

"Okay," she declared, more to herself than anyone else.  "Okay…"

As they continued down the hallway, Nora looked for a distraction and found herself immediately drawn to the beautiful structural design of the school.  Its architecture was in a word, spectacular.  In two, it was friggin' incredible.  The entire building was strong and solid, looking like it could easily withstand a hurricane and a couple world wars, and for all Nora knew, it already had.  The craftsmanship was that of an older building, but the windows and furnishing designs gave it a modern edge, Victorian Age meets 21st century posh.

But the second thing that caught her eye was how many younger children were making their way through the school on a Saturday morning.  Even more surprising were their mannerisms.  Many of the mutants, most of whom looked no different than human children, smiled their way and openly regarded Cyclops and the woman with affection.

A wavering smile reached her lips as she watched the way the students interacted with her rescuers.  Though she'd passed by empty classrooms, well-furnished lounges, and long hallways, she could already see that it wasn't just a school.  There was a sense of safety, of home, which was something that she hadn't expected.

It calmed her.

Instinctively, she began to wonder what Luke would think.  "I dunno," she could almost hear him say, before giving a sly grin.  "Show me the male to female ratio and the food in the cafe, and then we'll talk."

She frowned as she was reminded of the painful void of his absence.  Imagining what he might say was all she had left of him right now…

Nora had become so lost in her thoughts that she barely even noticed that Cyclops and Storm had come to a stop at a mahogany door that read the nameplate "Professor Charles Xavier."

They had opened the door and started inside before looking back, waiting for her to follow.

Nora took a deep breath, feeling for a moment like a diver about to plunge into the deep end of a pool.

You can do this, she told herself.  This is how you're going to find Luke.

Gathering her courage, she straightened her shoulders, looked to both of them, and stepped inside of the office.