Chapter 6

When Mutant X entered the Medbay, Adam already had Aralyn seated in the Medchair.

"Okay Adam what's the deal?" Jesse demanded. Adam was busy getting his equipment to answer. Either that or he didn't want to answer it. Jesse turned to the other three. Emma came forward and patted his arm.

"Jesse you remember Gabriel Ashlocke?" she asked gently. Jesse nodded slowly; he didn't like where this was going.

"I'm turning into him," Aralyn told him. Jesse was completely shocked.

"Adam you said that that problem was over. No one else would be like that ever again," Jesse blurted.

"I said nothing like that. I said we might end up dealing with someone who's like Ashlocke," Adam said. Jesse still wasn't convinced.

"But you can help her right? Right!?" Emma rubbed his arm, Shalimar wrapped an arm around him and Brennan stood by Aralyn, looking really pissed off. Adam looked away and went back to his work.

"I'm working on it. That's all I can promise," Adam said, "I'm sorry Jesse. It's all I can do."

"You have to help her!" Jesse growled. Shalimar was stunned; Jesse never broke out like that before to Adam. He was kind, quiet, and very sensitive. Shalimar never thought he would do that. That was Brennan's job. And on the odd occasion, Shalimar's too.

"Jesse calm down," Emma said soothingly. Jesse was glaring intensly at Adam's turned face.

"Jesse I'll be alright you'll see," Aralyn said as brightly as she could, "Adam'll find a cure wait and see."

Jesse relaxed a little and Emma steered him away and Shalimar took Aralyn's hand, leaving Adam and Brennan in the Medbay. Brennan turned to Adam.

"How long does she have?" he asked. Adam never answered. Instead, he kept his head bowed over his work. Brennan walked up to him and put a hand on top of his work.

"How long," Brennan repeated. Adam sighed and finally looked up at Brennan.

"She only has until tomorrow," he answered sadly, "tomorrow afternoon sometime." Brennan sat down on the Medchair and put his head in his hand. They were going to loose someone who was very close to them. Adam never found a cure for Ashlocke, so who knows if he'll find one for Aralyn. Brennan payed he would; he prayed desperately.

"I'll go see how everyone's coming along," he sai at last. He left Adam alone, to ponder his own sad thoughts.

Brennan found everyone sitting in the kitchen, quite cheery. Aralyn was giggling at something Jesse had said. Emma and Shalimar had a little flour fight and looked as though they were doing that to kill time. In Brennan's opinion, they were doing that because they knew they couldn't cook. Well that did go with Shalimar, but Brennan liked Emma's cooking.

"Well this mood setting sure changed quickly," he smiled, a fake smile. He certainly didn't feel like the happy soul right now. Not after what Adam had just told him.

"You know Bren, we have to make the best of it," Aralyn said, stifling her giggles long enough to say it. Jesse nodded and ducked in time to miss a puff of flour. It coloured the tips of his hair.

"Oh now you girls are gonna get," he smiled, taking an egg up in his hand. Shalimar and Emma backed up until they were touching the counter.

"You wouldn't dare," Emma gasped, trying hard not to laugh. Shalimar flashed her golden eyes at him but even Brennan could see the glee in her eye.

Jesse threw the egg and the girls both ducked at the same time. The egg landed splat on one of the cupboards. Shalimar growled and through a chunk of dough, which landed in Aralyn's face. Even Brennan managed a real laugh out of that. It was a funny sight. Aralyn turned to Shalimar with handful of flour. Shalimar ducked and missed the first one. Then.....SMACK!! Shalimar got hit in the face with a clump of dough. Brennan held onto the counter to stop himself from falling over, he was laughing so hard. Shalimar wiped the dough of her face and threw a nearby egg at Brennan. It hit Brennan in the forhead making him stagger in surprise. Soon everyone was having a food fight.

Adam came in to see everyone covered in flour, dough, and egg, and even butter. He had to sifle his laugh at the sight.

"Now that you're done with your childish games, I'd like you to clean up and bring Aralyn into the Medbay. As he left, the mood suddenly changed drastically. Brennan remembered what Adam had said and tromped off to his private bathroom to get cleaned up. Jesse stormed back to his room and slammed the door. Aralyn started shaking from head to toe and Emma led her to the main bathroom, sending her calming thoughts while doing so.

Shalimar put her head down on the dirty counter, and a single tear slid down her face. She actually felt like she was going to lose someone close to her.

Get a hold of yourself Shal , you never think about that, she thought, she isn't going to die. She isn't. Adam'll find a cure I know he will.

And she stood up and went to her private bathroom to get that horrid dough out of her hair. And she kept thinking to herself that Aralyn was going to live no matter what.

End of Chapter 6