Here we are. Extra love going out to all of you who reviewed and offered to beta, you've been wonderful!
Ororo placed the sandwich on the table quietly, touching Mortimer's forearm gently to rouse him
from his daze. "Come on Mortimer, eat up." He responded like clockwork, something she couldn't quite
decide was a measure of his loyalty to her, or his training under Magneto - Instant Gratification. Do what
you're told, avoid punishment. Contradict orders, expect pain. At any rate, he ate ravenously, barely
pausing for a breath.
The professor had given his consent at her request to have him eat in her quarters occasionally, so
that he might have a bit more time out of his cell. She watched him sadly. Already there was little chance
of his ever permanently leaving the cell, for his safety as much as others.
"Use you napkin, Mortimer."
Flinch
"Sorry, Ms. Munro."
Does thunder have a smell? Storm sniffed the air doubtfully, perched with her legs crossed elegantly on the balcony railing just outside of her quarters. A student had asked her the peculiar question over a melting bowl of vanilla ice cream. Her first answer would most certainly have no, have known the elements for the better part of her life… But then, she had never truly stopped to ponder possibility… She watched lightning streak recklessly across the blackening sky. There was a real storm brewing here, not one of her own. She could taste the energy on the wind - it was a colossus, as dark and foreboding as she could have hoped for. If you can taste the energy, can you smell the thunder? She sniffed again, more thoughtfully. No, sound didn't have a smell… Did it? Shouldn't a physics teacher know this already?
Her thoughts, ever so meaningless, were brought to an abrupt halt as the real peel of thunder roared through the clouds. The balcony positively vibrated under her… How she loved the glory of a summer storm. Unfortunately, a troubling thought stumbled rudely into her mind - Mortimer. She stood briskly, her fair locks fluttering about her face like snow white tapestries, hanging in her eyes and obstructing her view. She pushed them aside impatiently, breezing through her room and down the hall, her mind on the matter at hand.
000
For reasons quite obvious, problems often arose concerning Mortimer and Thunder storms… The solution, one that Ororo hardly approved of, was a heavy sedation that wore off after and hour or so - Long enough for the storm to pass. The drug, however, had rather unpleasant side affects… She shuddered sadly.
0000000
"No!" Mortimer leapt with cat-like grace away from Dr. McCoy, the image of a child waiting for his shot. Mortimer hated needles. God knew why. Ororo entered the holding cell with a determined pace, replacing all traces of worry with a mask of motherly care, a charming grin taking to her lips. "Mort, come on now, you know it won't hurt…" She tilted her head coaxingly, eyeing him as he clung feverishly to the wall.
"He hurt me…" His voice, young and innocent… Soft. Not nearly enough to account for the years he had seen… For the hell he had been through.
"He doesn't try to, Mortimer. It'll make you feel better. Come on down." She extended a hand, feeling a sigh of relief from Dr. McCoy as Mortimer reached out to accept it. "It's okay, Mortimer…"
000
The sedations took affect in seconds, leaving him drowsy and listless. He lay on the steel-framed bunk that Xavier had supplied his cell with, his eyes closed but not having fallen completely into slumber. Ororo had seated herself beside his bed, a hefty children's book open on her lap. Stroking his forehead gently, clammy though it was, she began to read, her voice filling the lonely room like only and angel's could.
"Rain fell that night, a fine, whispering rain. Many years later, Meggie had only close her eyes and she could still hear it, like tiny fingers tapping on the window pane. A dog barked some where in the darkness and however often she tossed and turned. Meggie couldn't get to sleep."
It wasn't three sentences more before a muffled snore interrupted the flow of words fluttering from her lips… She looked to Mortimer's face, closing the book with a sigh. Now it was only to wait for the worst.
000
The first nightmare reared it's ugly head in only moments, dragging a cry of fear from the slumbering man. Storm flinched. Conflict battled out beneath the green mutant's eye lids as he whimpered feebly. She slipped a set of slender fingers into his, cooing to him and going as far as to kiss his brow, like only a mother would. His skin had broken forth in sweat, which she dabbed tentatively at with her shirt sleeve.
"God…"
Crappy closing for this, I know, but I haven't much time for this chapter, so bear with me. Gah! the spacing isdreadfull at the moment, Fanfiction's prob, not mine.