Ten minutes later, the majority of the group was safely on the ground at the bottom of the rocky cliff. Scott let out a small breath as Jubilee was freed from the rope harness and guided to shore. She immediately joined the others in a cluster around Logan, who still had not stirred. Scott was beginning to worry about the strong X-men. He had never seen the Wolverine so still for so long.
Scott placed a hand on Bobby's back as the teenager pulled the slack rope up the cliff. There were four of them left; Bobby and John, and Scott and Marie. "You're next," he said, patting John on the shoulder briefly. There was no hesitation from Pyro as he stepped into the harness.
The sun was starting to slide into the horizon now, just past the high point in the sky. With any luck, they would be out of this nightmare before dinner time. Scott sent out a silent prayer to the canopy of trees below.
A small moan grabbed his attention and Scott hurried back to Marie. He had laid her down in an attempt to ease her pain and now she was shivering with fever. He placed a hand to her clammy forehead ever so briefly, removing it before her mutation could begin it's pull. Scott kept his face stony as he realized with dismay that Marie was losing ground against the venom racing through her veins. A small shout from the bottom of the cliff announced John's safe decent. Scott sighed, gathering his strength and hope, then scooped Marie into his arms and quickly carried her to the edge of the cliff.
"She doesn't look good," Bobby noted as he hurried to pull up the rope.
"I need you to take her down," Scott said. He looked around the clearing and spotted a forgotten back pack laying nearby. He snatched it, took out a blanket, and carefully wrapped the unconscious girl in the soft material. "Think you can do it?"
Bobby nodded and Scott couldn't help but notice his nervous swallow. "She'll be okay, right?"
Scott rocked back on his heels and brushed a strand of blonde hair off Marie's forehead. "Jean will take care of her."
"What about you?" Bobby asked, stepping into the harness.
"I think I'll have some help from Jean," Scott replied, not really having thought about it before.
Bobby bent and scooped up Marie. "Can you handle both our weight?"
Scott ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
The two men looked at each other, the silence between them conveying the seriousness of the situation. Finally Bobby spoke, "Well, I guess I'll see you at the bottom."
Scott nodded, causing the bright sunlight to reflect off his visor. "At the bottom," he agreed. He tightened his grip on the rope as Bobby sat on the edge of the cliff and peered into the calm water below. "You'll be fine," Scott reassured him. "I wont let you fall."
Bobby nodded and took a deep breath. "Ready?"
Scott situated himself behind a good sized boulder and prepared to use it for leverage. "Go."
With both hands wrapped tightly around Marie's bundled form, Bobby was forced to simply let himself fall over the edge. Scott was nearly pulled into the rock at the sudden weight, but stopped himself and tried to ignore the burning rope burns on his palms. With a grunt, he leaned backwards, placing both feet on the rock and allowing the rope to slide slowly through his clenched fists. Sweat ran down his spine in a feather-light caress, eliciting goose bumps in the midsummer heat. Scott ground his teeth in an effort to maintain his hold on the raw rope.
A distant purr renewed his hope. He knew the quietness of the Black Bird as well as he knew the rumble of his motorcycle. His muscles burned in protest but a smile graced his face and Scott continued feeding the rope over the edge of the cliff. Help was on the way. He was more than willing to turn his injured friends over to the red-haired doctor.
Just as the rope went slack at last, a good omen in the form of a jet appeared over the canopy of trees. Scott allowed himself to collapse against the boulder, breathing heavy from the exertion and relieved that help had at last arrived.
The tree tops twirled in the wind from the jet, bending backwards in an effort to make room for the large aircraft. The group receded into the tree line as the Black Bird was gently lowered onto the small stony shore. Almost immediately after touchdown, the jet fell silent and the trees resumed their normal upright posture.
Scott ran to the edge of the cliff as the ramp lowered from the tail of the jet. "Jean!" he yelled, catching the doctor's attention as soon as she was visible.
Storm rushed past Jean as the doctor froze on the metal ramp. Scott could hardly make out her features, but he knew she would be closing her eyes, gathering her energy and focus. Her hand extended, fingers aimed right at him, and Scott felt a tug. Fearful of the height but confident in her power, Scott swallowed hard and tried to remain still as he felt himself being pulled over the edge of the cliff. Jean remained frozen as Storm dropped to her knees at Marie's side, forty feet away.
Scott tensed when the ground dropped out from under him and suddenly there was nothing between him and the shallow pond below. He watched Jean's hand begin to lower and Scott floated down in synchronization with her movements. A hawk flew over head, cocking it's head at the curious sight, then blinked and beat it's wings in an effort to flee the area. Scott's heart was pounding from adrenaline and it seemed like minutes before his feet sank into the pebbles coating the shore. Jean opened her eyes and Scott breathed in relief. "Thanks," he said as feeling crept back into his numb body.
Jean smiled in return and at once they were in movement. "Storm?" she called as together they ran to the group of teenagers.
Storm looked up from the pale and trembling girl on the ground before her. "She needs help Jean."
"Let's get her into the plane," Jean ordered, moving to Marie's head. "Scott, you and Peter get Logan. We need to get Marie back to the mansion now."
Scott nodded and gently shoved a few of the children in the direction of the jet before turning to the large teenager already at Logan's side. "Has he moved yet?" Scott asked as he quickly crossed the short distance to Peter's side.
Peter shook his head. "He's still bleedin' pretty bad."
Scott knelt down, knowing that the moisture seeping into the knee of his jeans was Logan's blood. "His body's pumping it out as fast as it's making it," he observed, noting the jagged, splintered tree limb and how it had swelled, plump with warm blood. Scott briefly wondered how long Logan would be able to exist in this state of limbo, if left untreated. "Let's get him in the plane," he said, reaching down and scraping his knuckles against the warm, wet pebbles as he reached under Logan's shoulders.
Peter gripped the fallen man's legs under his knees and together they lifted Logan off of the wet ground. Scott felt warm blood drip down his forearms as they moved slowly to the jet. It reminded Scott of the way his old car dripped oil. 'Faithful thing never did break down,' Scott thought grimly.
They were five feet from the jet's ramp when Scott heard rather than saw six adamantium blades erupt from Logan's flesh. The heavy body tensed simultaneously, then jerked. Scott dropped his burden in shock and stepped back as silver claws sliced the air in blind defense. Pain sliced through Scott's forearm as Logan landed on the rocks with a thud and a grunt. Scott barely recognized his own blood filling the trademark wound on his arm as he yelled for Peter for get back. Scott's attention was captivated by the writhing body on the ground.
Logan's face was contorted in pain, or at least the part of if that wasn't being hidden by the pebbles. He was breathing heavy know, Scott could hear the gasps even from his position at the base of the jet's ramp. Peter slowly circled around the injured, confused Wolverine and came to a stop beside Scott.
"What should we do?" he asked, concern and fear both evident in his voice.
Scott was mesmerized by the sound of adamantium scraping rock as Logan clawed the ground, seemingly in an attempt to right himself. The vicious, splintered wood was became visible on both sides of Logan's body as he flailed on the ground like a dying insect.
"Professor?"
"Get Jean," Scott whispered, unsure of how to help now. Peter must have followed instructions, because Scott suddenly found himself alone with a dangerous Wolverine. "Logan," he tried, projecting his voice and hoping to cut through the pain he knew must be overwhelming the man before him.
The claws of Logan's right hand retracted and Scott allowed himself a moment of hope. "Logan, it's just me. You gotta let us get it out of you," he said, taking a step forward. The branch was impaled in Logan's left shoulder, which Logan had wisely turned up before he had fallen, letting his right side take the brunt of the impact. Scott felt sympathetic as he watched Logan whimpering, rocking slightly on his side, probably unaware of what was happening.
"Logan!" Jean appeared beside Scott for a moment before moving forward.
Scott grabbed her arm. "Jean, wait!" he warned, looking in her eyes. "I think he's out of it. He might turn on you." He looked to his bleeding arm to enunciate the danger that the fallen man posed.
Jean's face filled with sympathy at the sight and remained that way as she turned back to Logan. She took a deep breath and Scott could tell that she was struggling with her thoughts. "Stay here," she said at last, very softly. "We'll tranquilize him."
Scott was once again left alone with Logan, feeling strangely sympathetic for the man they were about to dart like an animal. It was his fault, Scott realized, watching as the branch ripped Logan's skin in protest to his thrashing. "Logan," he tried again, ready to give his teammate another chance. Scott took a step closer.
Three sliver blades cut through the air and plunged deep into the pliant layer of pebbles three feet from Scott's foot. Belatedly, Scott jumped back and watched as the claws raked through the pebbles, retracting from their strike and continuing to pierce the ground in front of Logan's heaving chest.
Scott must have turned pale because when Jean reappeared, she asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing," Scott replied. He looked at the syringe in her hand, full of a pale green liquid, then back to the heap of agony on the ground before them. "Will that work?"
"His healing factor is weakened now, I don't think he'll be able to fight it off. I determined the dosage shortly after he returned to the mansion several months ago."
Scott didn't know what to think about that statement. Why had Jean calculated how much drugs it would take to subdue Logan? Was Logan aware of it? "How-" he stammered, clearing his throat, "How are you going to give it to him?"
"It needs to be given intramuscularly," she replied, not really answering his question.
Peter appeared on the other side of Jean. "Maybe I can help."
Jean nodded. "Just hold his wrists. I'm going to inject his thigh."
Peter quickly steeled himself, becoming Colossus. He marched forward, his now considerable weight causing him to sink into the pebbles as if they were sand. Logan lashed out, unseeing, but weaker than before and his claws merely scraped over Colossus's armor with an ear-tickling shriek.
Jean ran forward the second Peter had Logan's trembling hands secure. She plunged the needle into his thigh, through the wet and bloody denim covering his legs. She slowly forced the thick drug into tense and fighting muscle. Logan jerked and Scott wondered if it burned.
As soon as the syringe was empty, Jean withdrew the needle and stepped back. Logan's feral cries quickly died away, as did his attempts of freedom. Peter transformed, no longer needing the power of his armor to control the injured man. Logan's claws retracted.
"Get him inside," Jean said, sounding almost heartbroken. "We need to leave immediately."
Scott moved forward, once again grabbing Logan from under his armpits and hoisting him into the air. Between Peter and himself, they loaded the cumbersome, still form onto the jet without incident. The students parted like the Red Sea as they made their way to the area Storm had cleared for them. Storm was now at the front of the plane, preparing it for takeoff and Jean was making Marie as comfortable as she could. With a small grunt, Scott eased Logan down, mindful of jarring the injury further. Peter released Logan's legs and stepped back, panting.
"You know, I think I was wrong about how heavy he is."
Scott nodded and wiped sweat from his brow. "Yeah."
"Should we... you know... I mean, what if he wakes up?"
Scott closed his eyes behind his visor. As cruel as he would feel, and as much as Logan would resent him, perhaps they should restrain Logan. Tie him up. Like the animal he has been trying so hard to overcome. "Yeah," he sighed, looking away. "Hand me that rope."
Peter grabbed the smooth, green and yellow cord from it's hook on the wall and handed it to Scott. "I mean, it's for his own good. It would kill him if he hurt somebody."
"Yeah," Scott agreed, but couldn't get over the feeling in his gut. He freed a section of rope from the coil and rolled Logan against him while gently binding the large wrists together behind Logan's back. When he was done, he let his hand linger briefly on his teammate's arm.
"How is he?" Jean interrupted, kneeling next to them.
"Not a peep," Scott informed her as Peter moved away.
Jean raised a delicate hand to softly touch the wood protruding from Logan's chest. "What happened?" she asked.
"I-" Scott opened his mouth and paused. Confession time. "We got into it after Marie was bit. He lunged, I ducked."
Jean let her hand fall to her side. "It needs to come out."
"I know."
"You tied him?" she asked, her eyes moving to the coil of rope behind Logan.
"I thought it was for the best."
Jean nodded. "I'll need your help," she said at last. "We had better move now before he wakes up."
Scott nodded and moved behind Logan, stepping in the puddle of pooling blood. "What do you want me to do?"
Jean glanced at him and Scott could see pain in her eyes. "Just hold him. It will hurt."
Scott glanced up and noticed the kids watching their movement with concern. He raised his eyebrows, then remembered the visors had blocked the motion. "Hey guys, I need you to keep an eye on Marie," he said, nodding towards the unconscious girl.
They took the hint and turned away. Scott looked at Jean and tightened his grip on Logan's torso. "Ready."
Jean looked at him with pain in her eyes before wrapping a gloved hand around the accessible wood. She pressed her other hand to Logan's chest for leverage. Jean closed her eyes, visibly gathering her strength, then opened them, focusing on her patient, and pulled, hard.
Logan stiffened and arched away from Scott to follow the path of the pain, crying out even through his unconsciousness. His head pressed against Scott's shoulder in what had to be agony. Before Logan fell silent, Scott heard the distinct sound of metal slicing metal, the shriek of it audible over Logan's feral cry. Scott held on and glanced down to see Logan's claws piercing the jet's floor only an inch from his knees.
Jean threw the splinted wood to the floor as if it burned her. Logan fell limp against Scott and lay motionless and silent, save for his ragged breathing. Scott looked at Jean. Logan's claws retracted.
Jean began to move. She pressed her gloved hand to Logan's freely bleeding wound in desperation. "Jubilee, bring me the gauze. All of it."
Scott became aware of the warmth spreading over him, numbly realizing it was Logan's blood. "He's not healing," he said, watching the quickly pooling blood drain through the slices in the floor.
"His healing factor is depressed from the tranquilizer," Jean replied, keeping a professional tone even though worry was etched on her face. A large stack of sterile gauze appeared at her side and she grabbed half the pile and pressed it to the wound which was steadily pumping blood to the floor. "Here," she said, grabbing the remaining gauze with a bloody hand and thrusting it at Scott. "Press this to his back. Hard."
The stench of blood was thickening in the air around them, overpowering Logan's personal scent of wilderness and cigars. Jean was clearly worried. Scott was worried that she was worried. "What do we do now?" he asked.
"You guys okay back there?" Storm called over her shoulder.
Only then did Scott realize that they were airborne. Thank God.
"Just get us home quickly," Jean replied, once again meeting Scott's eyes. He didn't like what he saw in hers.
"Doctor Grey!"
Scott looked up at the teenagers surrounding Marie. The young woman lay gasping for breath, her skin having lost it's color. Her hair was wet with fever induced perspiration. Scott knew the paralyzing effects of the venom had begun and he silently prayed.
"Hold this tight," Jean instructed, placing Scott's free hand over the wound on Logan's chest. Then she hurried to Marie and began working with her back towards Scott.
Scott let his head fall back against the plane then brought it forward again. "Come on Logan," he murmured. "Marie needs you." Scott realized he was sticky with Logan's blood. "Stop bleeding all over me and help her, you big ox."
Scott wasn't sure how many minutes he sat like that, feeling the warmth of Logan's blood covering his chest, his lap. He was sure he was also sitting in it. But then, something changed. What had been a steady and growing warmth stopped being so warm and stopped growing. While Jean's back was still to him, Scott risked pulling the gauze off of Logan's chest. The wound was still there, but it was not bleeding freely. Scott breathed a sigh of relief. God bless mutant abilities.
Scott shifted out from behind Logan and lowered the heavy frame to the floor.
"What are you doing?" Bobby asked and Scott jumped in surprise.
"He's healing," Scott said and couldn't help but smile. "He'll be okay."
Bobby raised an eyebrow. "I think that's the most blood I've ever seen."
Scott looked at himself. There was no hope for this outfit. "Me too," he replied. He looked at Marie, or what he could see of her from behind the worried students. "How is she?"
"Doctor Grey had to put a tube down her throat so she could breathe. She looks awful."
A small groan escaped Logan and before Scott had fully turned his head, the claws popped, straining against the rope that bound them safely behind Logan's back. Logan's eyes were wide open as he struggled for breath, panting hard against the jet's cold metal floor.
Scott crouched near Logan's head. "Logan, relax. We're on the Black Bird. Jean got the branch out. Do you remember?"
The feral spark had already dimmed from Logan's clouded hazel eyes and Scott knew this was not a repeat performance. Logan looked up at Scott from his awkward position on the floor and Scott noticed the flesh had healed behind Logan's torn shirt. "Untie me," Logan grunted but it still sounded like an order.
"Get rid of 'em," Scott said flatly.
Logan's harsh breathing was slowly evening out. His eyes darted around his surroundings and finally, he relaxed. The claws retracted once more. "Untie me," he repeated. He sounded... tired.
"I'm sorry," Scott said, and he truly was. He quickly pulled the rope from Logan's wrists and tossed it aside, away from the clotting pool of blood.
"Did you do it?" Logan asked as he pushed himself upright, seemingly ignoring the blood he splattered by doing so.
"You were completely gone," Scott said. "It was for everyone's safety." It was the truth, why did he feel so horrible?
Logan looked at him with bright eyes, searching Scott for any dishonesty. Apparently finding none, he jerked his chin towards Marie. "How is she?"
"She needs you."
Logan grew very quiet. "How far away are we from the mansion?"
"We're only about halfway there."
"She's bad Logan," Bobby spoke up. Scott had forgotten he was there.
Logan nodded. "Help me up."
Scott and Bobby each took a sticky hand as Logan pushed himself to his feet, using the wall of the jet behind him for leverage. Scott watched with uncertainty as Logan tiled, then righted himself and took a step forward.
"Logan!" Jean exclaimed. "Sit down, you're in no condition-"
"I gotta help her," Logan interrupted, gently pushing past Jean and branding her with a handprint of tacky blood.
Jean glared at Scott. Scott shrugged. Logan had done this before, right? He would be fine in a few hours. 'Let him do it,' Scott said without opening his mouth.
"Logan, look at yourself, you can't even stand straight up right now. I think Marie can wait-"
"That's not good enough," Logan shot back, finally reaching Marie's side. He stopped, his eyes glued to her deteriorating form and stood motionless. Scott took a step closer, wondering if Logan had already passed out.
"Logan-" Scott started but was cut off when Logan almost violently ripped Marie's glove from her lax hand. Logan bowed his head and grabbed Marie's small hand in both of his. A hush spread throughout the plane.
Scott watched as the Wolverine's eternal life force flowed backwards through his body, being drawn into Rogue's by her equally as powerful mutation. Logan quickly turned pale then his breath hitched and failed to start again. He sank to his knees and Scott could feel his own body going numb at the sight. Marie's convulsing eased to a stop, or had it traveled through her arm and into Logan? Her eyes popped open and she quickly jerked her hand from the two imprisoning it. Logan melted to the floor, landing with a thud.
Scott's heart beat once before Jean began to move. "Damn him... Scott, get me an I.V. set and a bag of LRS. Marie, how are you feeling? You with us?"
Scott had no idea what the hell LRS was, but luckily the medical components of Jean's crash cart were clearly labeled. He grabbed the bag of tubing and an I.V. bag seemingly filled with water and hurried back to Jean. Marie was sitting up now, coughing, and Jean was holding a wet endotrachial tube in one hand and soothing Marie with the other.
"Here," he said, feeling awkward and holding out the supplies.
Jean grabbed Jubilee, mumbled something to her, then turned and took the items from Scott. "Can you bring the pump over here?" she asked, pulling a sterile needle from her pocket.
Scott wheeled the machine closer without words, content to just be of help. He watched Jean take the tubing from the plastic bag, attach the needle to one end, and plug the other end into the bottom of the I.V. bag. With expertise and precision acquired from practice, she quickly had the pump running and the tubing free from air bubbles. Scott watched the clear liquid dribble to the floor before Jean turned the pump off and grabbed Logan's hand. She quickly inserted the needle into the somewhat deflated vein in his elbow, then produced a small roll of white tape from somewhere and secured the needle. She smiled at him as she turned the pump back on and stepped back.
Scott, feeling a little dumbfounded, asked, "Won't he just heal on his own?"
"I'm not sure of the extent of Logan's healing capabilities, Scott," she sighed, then fumbled with the white tape. "I do know that giving him fluids will lessen the strain on his body."
"ETA is five minutes," Storm called over her shoulder.
Scott turned his attention to Marie. She was sitting up, quietly crying but looking very healthy. Jubilee and Kitty were at her side, as he had often seen them, murmuring reassurances. Scott left Jean to care for Logan and moved towards Marie. "He did this because he cares about you. He'll be fine, you'll see."
"You don't know!" Marie shot back, visibly startling her friends. "You don't care about him at all, we all saw what you did!"
"Marie," Jubilee scolded at the same time Scott replied, "It was an accident. He is just as much to blame."
"You're supposed to be the leader," Marie said, pushing herself to her feet. "You're-"
"Not suppose to defend myself?" Scott quipped.
"Not suppose to fight back," Marie replied, this time more subdued.
Scott wanted to argue, wanted everyone to see what had happened as he saw it, but wasn't given that option as Marie turned and walked away.
A warm hand grabbed his elbow. "Give her time," Jean said. "Everyone is a little upset right now."
"I'm sorry about what happened to him," Scott said, trying to assure himself that she was on his side. "I'm sorry he was hurt, that I tied him up-"
"Scott," Jean interrupted. "Marie is understandably upset right now. Don't take everything to heart just yet." Jean paused, glancing at Marie and smiled. "Besides, I think she sounds more like Logan right now."
Scott huffed. Jean had a point. He had never heard the southern girl be so bold unless she was suffering from the lingering effects of the big Canadian. If he pushed Marie any further, she may growl and deck him.
"Everyone grab a seat, we're coming in for a landing," Storm announced.
Scott gently corralled the students to their seats before taking his own. He looked back to Logan. Jean was sitting beside the still form, checking his pupils for a reaction. Scott sighed. Logan had better wake up soon. They had a lot to talk about.