Second Chances
Chapter 3
Hank stopped Logan at the Med Lab door the next morning and guided him to the tiny office off the main ward.
"Before you take Jubilation out of the lab, there is something you need to know," Hank said.
"What?" Logan asked, his heart leaping into his throat.
"Her wounds are not healing as quickly as I had initially predicted. The artery is completely healed and the fractures are strong enough to support her weight but the muscles are healing at her normal rate."
"Why didn't Fly-boy's blood heal her like the last time?"
"There was nearly an eight hour delay this time," Hank explained. "It took time for us to get back to the mansion and for Rogue to locate Angel. I'm afraid that the delay cost us in healing. She will be unable to stand on the leg for long periods at first and the initial goal of physical therapy will be to stretch the muscles without tearing them."
"How long will it be before I can get her to a rigorous workout?"
"I will begin a therapy of electro stimulation and cellular regeneration today but it will be at least three weeks before she will tolerate anything more than stretching and massage. Scar tissue is very fragile at first. You must give her time to heal the soft tissues before you start a training regimen."
"Does she know?" She wasn't going to be very happy about this. Restrictions have a tendency to make her testy.
"I have attempted to explain but I am not sure she understands. You will have to prevent her from re-injuring her leg."
"Alright," Logan sighed. "I'll give her limits."
Hank watched him as he absently rubbed his chest. He seemed to be fixated on the area of the worst of his injuries from the explosion. It almost looked like he was still in pain.
"Does your chest still cause you pain?" he asked, concerned.
"Now and then," Logan admitted. "Don't worry 'bout me. I'll be fine." He left the office before Hank could ask more questions.
"Wolvie!" Jubilee greeted him enthusiastically. "Can I leave here now? I'm so hungry and by the time the food gets down here, it's cold and there's nothing grosser than cold pancakes (except maybe cold eggs) and can I please get a hot breakfast?" She gave him a pleading puppy look as she took a deep breath after her tirade.
"Good morning to ya too Jubilation," he smiled. "Yes, I feel much better today, nice of ya ta ask."
She ducked her head in chagrin. "Sorry," she said, embarrassed over her lack of manners.
"It's okay," he told her. "How's the leg?"
"Sore," she admitted. "How come? I mean, last time I needed some of Birdie's blood, I got better pretty quick."
"Hank's not sure," he told her. "He thinks it's 'cause of the time delay. Last time, he was here and gave ya the blood right away. This time it was almost eight hours. Ya didn't heal completely this time. Yer gonna hafta heal the old fashioned way and let yer body do it fer ya."
"Poo," she pouted. "How long?"
"At least six weeks for the initial healing then another four to six weeks to bring the muscle mass up to fighting strength," Hank said as he entered the med lab carrying a pair of silver crutches. "You will need to limit the amount of time on your leg for the first two weeks."
She looked at the crutches, appalled. "No way I'm usin' those ugly things," she told him.
"Your leg will not support you weight," Hank told her gently. "I know they are not in the high fashion you are used to but if you try to walk before I give you the okay, you will tear the internal sutures and I will have to operate again. You will set back your recovery at least a week."
"C'mon Jubes," Logan pleaded. "Do what Blue asks. I need my partner back healthy."
"But they're ugly," she protested. "They're silver for god's sake."
"What color ya want 'em?"
"You'd paint them for me?"
"Sure."
"Electric pink," she told him, smiling.
"Ya got it," he told her. "Let me take ya ta yer room and Jeannie can help ya get cleaned up while I'm gone ta the store."
Armed with a supply of pain killers, a bottle of antibiotics and the dreaded crutches, she slowly made her way upstairs. Logan stayed close to her knowing that her strength would give out before she made it all they way to her bed.
Her uniform had been cut off of her when she was injured so she left the med lab wearing a standard issue hospital gown. Logan was thrilled to get flashes of bare bottom as she crutched her way down the hall. Every glimpse of skin shot through him like a jolt of electricity, straight to his groin. By the time they made it to her room, they were both trembling, her with exhaustion, him with arousal. This is going to be harder than I thought, he told himself.
They stood at the end of the long hall leading to their rooms. Jubilee was leaning against the wall, shaking and pale.
"Wolvie?" she said weakly. "I'm not going to make it."
He caught her before her knees gave out. She made it farther than he had anticipated. He figured she'd collapse before they made it to the elevator. She's a whole lot stronger than he had thought. He swept her into his arms, leaving the crutches where the fell, and took her to her room. He toed open the door and made his way to the bed through the piles of dirty laundry to place her gently on the bed.
"Can I have a pain pill?" she whispered.
"Sure darlin'," he said as he pulled the bottle from his pocket and read the label. He got her a glass of water and gave her the pill. Her head fell back onto the pillow in exhaustion. "Get some sleep," he told her as he tucked her in. "I'll have Jeannie or Rogue look in on ya. I'll be in the garage paintin' yer crutches."
"Thanks Wolvie," she yawned. "Love ya."
"Love ya too," he murmured. She didn't hear him.
He began to pick up the dirty clothes and stuff them into the hamper. If she was going to stay in her room, she would need a clear floor. He didn't need her to trip on a pile of clothes and break a leg.
This was how Jean found him; cleaning Jubilee's room. She shook her head in amazement. She never thought she'd live to see the day Wolverine would pick up after a woman.
"I'll take care of that," she told him in a low voice. "You need to go and get some paint."
"I don't mind," he told her.
"I know," she smiled. "But you promised her that you'd paint the crutches."
"You reading our minds?" he asked mildly.
"Hank told me," she said. "I won't invade your privacy and Jubilee has very strong shields. Her private mind is very private."
He stuffed the last of the clothes into the hamper and looked around. Jubilee never claimed to be a housekeeper and it showed. Dust covered every surface. The floor had dust bunnies skittering across it like they were alive.
"Gonna hafta teach her how ta clean," he said shaking his head.
"She knows how to clean Logan," Jean told him, "but you have to realize, she's working full time at the library, going to grad school and on missions with the X-Men. She just doesn't have a lot of time these days. Something had to give and it appears that the housekeeping was elected."
"Shit," he swore. "I forgot about her job and school. I need ta call her professors and her boss."
"I already did," she told him. "She was scheduled for a shift and a class the day after she was hurt."
"What'd they say?"
"Her adviser said she would have to withdraw for this semester but Pinky will keep her job open until she's better."
"Pinky?"
"The librarian."
"The librarian is named Pinky?" he snorted, shaking his head. "I'm gonna go get the paint. Can you put a load of laundry in fer her?"
"Sure," she replied. "And I'll give her a bath as soon as I have some clean clothes."
"Thanks Red," he said as he left.
He didn't do what she asked. He couldn't paint the damned things pink no matter how hard he tried. He took them to his favorite motorcycle repair shop and had them paint them.
It was worth the trouble and expense when she saw them three days later. He had them painted to resemble candy canes with red and white stripes crawling up the metal.
"I love them," she cried when she saw them. "But now I'm hungry for peppermints."
He had anticipated her reaction and pulled out a bag of Starlight mints.
"Oh," she squealed. "You're the best!" She flung an arm around his neck and kissed him on the lips. She pulled back, surprised at herself. "I'm sorry," she stammered. She didn't get the chance to continue her apology.
His mouth descended, reclaiming hers in a searing kiss that curled her toes. She froze in shock for about a half a second before allowing herself be swept away by his desire. She felt his hands grab her bottom and pull her toward him. She moaned as his heated bulge connected with her belly. Her crutches fell unnoticed to the ground as she wound her arms around his neck, trying to deepen the touch. She lifted herself higher in his arms, grinding her hips against his, frustrated by the clothing separating her from what she wanted.
"Wolvie!" she gasped as his mouth trailed to her neck, sucking and licking.
"Jubes," he moaned and pulled his mouth away from her skin. His eyes were dilated with desire and something more.
"Wolvie?" she asked, confused.
He swallowed hard and let her body slide down his, setting her on her feet. "Time fer yer therapy," he growled.
"Huh?" she asked stupidly. What the hell just happened?
"Therapy," he repeated. "Hank wants ya in the lab." He made sure she was steady on her feet then bent over and picked up her crutches. He gently slipped them under her arms and kissed her forehead. "I'll come ta get ya in an hour," he said as he walked away.
She watched his retreating figure in opened mouthed astonishment. 'Okay,' she thought. 'That was stranger than usual.' She turned and crutched her way to the lower levels, her body still on fire. Every step sent jolts of electricity through her veins, her clothes rubbing her in a way that kept the fire stoked. 'Damn him,' she thought.
She groaned to herself when she saw Hank set up the electro stim machine. He alternated electro stim with cell regeneration. On the days she had electro stim, Logan massaged her leg to increase the circulation to the wounds. His massages had been clinical so far. She doubted that they would remain that way. Now, his touch would be torture. She didn't think it would be his intention to torture her but it would turn out that way.
She stripped to her panties and climbed on the bed. Hank raised an eyebrow at her as he attached the electrodes. Jubilee wondered at that until she remembered that Hank was a feral and could probably smell her arousal. She groaned in embarrassment.
"Are you in pain, Jubilation?" he asked, a smile playing around his lips.
"Shut up and hook me up," she ordered through clenched teeth.
An hour later, Logan showed up in the med lab to escort her to the gym. She was able to calm herself enough to fall asleep during the treatment and was a little groggy as she crutched after him.
"Slow up Wolvie," she called. "My shoulder's giving me trouble today." The ache had started that morning and was only increasing as the day went on. Now, it was throbbing in time with her heart.
He stopped and turned to her in surprise. The bone should have been healed by now. Worthington never had to sit out a broken bone for more than two days. He pushed her gently against the wall and took the offending crutch away. He could see the collar bone under her tee shirt. The line, which should have been straight and smooth, was rising in the center. He pulled her neckline down and saw the vivid bruise that radiated from the deformity.
"Shit, Jubes," he whispered. "It's broken again."
"What?" she gasped.
He swept her up into his arms, the crutches clattering to the floor, and rushed her back to the lab.
"Hank!" he yelled. "Get in here." He placed her gently on a bed
"Logan," Hank said as he left his office, "there is no need to yell. I am just in my office. What seems to be the... Oh my stars!" Logan had cut Jubilee's shirt off, revealing the ugly bruise. "Did you fall Jubilation?"
"No," she told him, groaning in pain as he probed the bone with a finger. "It started to hurt this morning." Hank frowned at it accusingly.
"Hank?" Logan asked. "What's wrong with her?"
"I need to do an angiogram immediately. If the wounds healed by Angel's blood are reversing, she is in great danger."
"Wolvie?" Jubilee's voice trembled with fear.
"I'm here darlin'. I won't leave ya." He grabbed her hand in his firm grip. "I won't let anything happen to ya, I promise." He sent a telepathic message to Jean. The redheads surprise and fear were palpable.
Within thirty minutes, Jubilee was sedated and in X-Ray for the procedure. Hank refused to allow Logan to stay with her. His adamantium gave off radiation in very small amounts but it was enough to make it difficult to get accurate films when he was in the room. He understood why he was thrown out but he didn't like it. He paced the outer lab with the rest of the team, waiting for Hank and Rogue to finish. The procedure took forty-five minutes. Logan could smell Hank as he to the lab to give them the news. He smelled worried.
"The healing is reversing," he told them. "The fractures have returned and the arterial wall is thinning. I will need to graft the artery within the next four hours or she will begin to bleed."
"Where are you going to get an artery to use?" Jean demanded. "It's not like you can go to Artery's R Us and buy one."
"Calm down Sweetheart," Scott told her. "You don't want to loose the baby."
"You don't understand," she cried turning on him. "She could loose her leg or even die. Oh God, Scott. I can't loose her. She's my baby too."
"My dear, please calm yourself," Hank told her calmly. "I will not allow her to die. I have a colleague at the Cleveland Clinic who may be able to supply a product that replaces a natural artery. It is frequently used to repair the largest artery in the body. It has been very successful."
"Call him," Scott ordered. "Where's Logan?" He looked around. He was nowhere to be found.
"Wit' the Petite," Remy said. "He did' wait ta hear Beast say she's gonna be okay."
"I will talk to him," Beast volunteered. "You will be meeting a physician named Emilio Chavez. There is a heliport on the roof of the clinic that will support the weight of the Blackbird I. I will call him and have him meet you on the roof."
"Bobby, you're with me," Scott told him. "Jean, call Ororo and let her know what happened. Make it clear the she will be fine. I don't want her to interrupt her vacation unless it's clear that Jubilee isn't going to make it. Everyone else, sit tight. We'll get through this."
Hank found Logan sitting beside a sleeping Jubilee looking distressed. The big blue feral could smell the scent of tears which surprised him. He couldn't remember ever seeing the smaller man cry.
"She'll be fine, Logan," he told him quietly. "I have Scott going to Cleveland to pick up a Teflon mesh that is used to replace the aorta. It will work on the femoral artery. I won't let her die, I promise."
"Can ya take one from me?" he croaked.
"Your blood type and hers don't match," Hank told him. "She can't reject your cells because they repair themselves too fast but yours will reject hers. Graft vs host rejection is usually fatal."
Logan was silent for a moment. Hank could smell the increase in his grief. "This procedure works Logan. She'll be fine."
"This Teflon thingy's been used fer a while?" Logan asked.
"About two decades," Hand confirmed. "There is one thing." Logan's eyes swung over to his. "The graft isn't as strong as the natural artery. Her leg won't tolerate the stress of a fight. She will no longer be an active X-Man."