Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or X Men
Imaginary Friend
Chapter 20
Evie turned and saw an image of Brennan. He was looking directly at Shalimar. Anger was rolling off him in waves as lightning played in both his hands. Quickly she turned around and shook Shalimar hard. "No, Shalimar! Look at me! It's not real! Do you hear me! It's not real!" She glanced back over her shoulder just as Brennan took a firm stand. Increasing the energy in his hands he flung both out toward them. Shalimar pulled from her hands and fell to the floor screaming. Rushing to her again she fought to get her full attention. When finally she had it, she looked deeply into her eyes and implanted what was necessary for Shalimar to be able to deal with everything that happened…temporarily. Inducing a deeper sleep, Evie sighed and left her mind.
Adam watched as she lowered her head and began to rise. He moved to her side and helped her up.
"I did what I could," she whispered. Turning to Brennan she took his hand. "She'll be ok. It'll take some work but she's strong and we'll all be there."
Cassie sat in her room, painfully aware of the trouble she caused. "I'll pack up and be out by morning."
"You don't have to do that," Lisa tried.
"Yes, I do. It'll be better for Shalimar if there's no chance of her seeing me."
"What will you do?" As Lisa spoke, Adam walked in.
"Oh, I've been able to survive this long. I'll find another city far from here and a job to occupy my time. Maybe I'll even go back to school, take a couple of courses. Who knows?"
"Thank you," he said. "I can take care of Shalimar, now."
"When you get the chance, will you tell her that, for what it's worth, I'm sorry?"
Adam smiled and nodded. "It's worth a lot. When the time came to make a decision, you made the right one."
By early evening, as the sedative began to wear off, Shalimar began to toss. Moaning and mumbling, she began turning her head back and forth.
Brennan sat in the chair beside his wife. He felt helpless and desperately needed to feel like he was doing something to help her. The only idea he could come up with was to read to her. He knew how much she loved to hear his voice as he read poetry and those quiet times were some of their most precious. After a while of reading he began to doze. When her tossing and mumbling became more active, he awoke. By her side in an instant, he touched her face and tried to gently soothe her with his voice. To his shock the opposite occurred. With each passing second as he tried to wake her she became more uncontrollable. He called out for Adam. Just as the others rushed into the lab her eyes opened wide and she screamed in fright.
Shalimar screamed at the sight of him reaching out and grabbing her. Without reasonable thought, her instincts took over and her eyes glowed. With a hiss she pushed away from him with such force as she sprang back that he was pushed across the room. There she stayed, far opposite her attacker, crouched and ready to defend herself again.
Adam and Jesse preceded the girls and Bobby in the room. They watched as Brennan sailed passed them and Shalimar scurried in the opposite direction. With only a glance between them they knew exactly what needed to be done. Adam looked at Jesse with heaviness in his eyes. Jesse just nodded and turned.
Adam and Evie rushed to Brennan's side as he was trying to shake the daze from hitting the wall…hard. "Easy, Brennan," Adam warned.
"Shalimar,…what happened?" He tried to stand but was stopped by both husband and wife as Evie checked for broken bones. He turned a very deep scowl on them.
"No broken bones," she whispered. "I didn't think I'd find any. I know that no matter what, she couldn't really hurt you." Evie smiled as her hands shimmered around his head.
Brennan closed his eyes as he felt Evie's healing take away the stinging after-affects. When he felt whole again he stood and nodded affectionately to her. He quickly found that though she smiled up at him she wouldn't let him pass. "Evie?"
"I'm sorry, Brennan," was all she offered.
Confused, he looked across the room and watched as his best friend carefully and very slowly approached his wife.
Jesse moved as slowly as he could, continually whispering calmly to her. He was only about halfway to her when she jumped further back. He turned and noticed Brennan on his feet. Thankful that he was ok, Jesse turned to continue. He noticed that Shalimar's full attention was on her husband though the look in her eyes was anything but loving.
Brennan called out to her but she growled and looked around frantically. She was scared…and she was trapped.
Jesse tried to get closer but stopped to mass just in time as a scanner was thrown at his head.
Bobby grabbed Kitty and pulled her back as she instinctively gasped and stepped toward her husband.
Adam and Evie both put hands on Brennan and braced themselves to hold him back.
Adam turned to the couple at the door. "Bob, get Kitty out of here."
"Kitty, go. Jesse will be ok." Evie's voice was calming in her mind. Still fearful for everyone, Kitty let Bobby guide her.
Evie turned her face upward. "Brennan, you have to come out with me," Evie linked her arm in his and took his hand. "I'll try to explain, but we have to leave now."
"What? No! She's my wife. I'm not leaving her." He again tried to step passed Evie but she pulled with strength that defied her petite stature. Brennan was spun around in mid step.
"Brennan, I know this is hard but you have to try and understand…Look at her…That's not your Shalimar…At least not right now. She's afraid, Brennan…afraid…of you." The look of shock and anguish in his eyes broke her heart. "I'm sorry…come with me…come on. I'll try to explain. Adam and Jesse will take care of her." With a heavy heart and a firm grip she led him out of the lab.
Jesse watched as Brennan walked out. When Brennan had completely disappeared from view he turned and could see Shalimar visibly relax. Though her defenses weren't completely down, they were relaxed enough that he knew he could talk to her and she would understand. "Shalimar," he called to her gently. "Shalimar, it's me…Jesse." Slowly he began moving toward her once more. "Shalimar, let's talk. Can we do that?" He watched as she stiffened again and growled in disapproval and warning. When he turned, he noticed Adam moving closer to the computers.
Adam heard the sound as well and immediately froze. Moving only his eyes to meet Jesse's he considered the situation for a moment. "Jess," he whispered.
"Adam, she's really bad off. I don't think it was ever this bad years ago. Leave us alone. I'll run the scan after I get her calmed down a bit."
Adam nodded in agreement and silently placed a syringe on the table. He knew by the look in Jesse's eyes that he understood what it was for. He just hoped that it wouldn't be necessary. After a heart broken look at his daughter, setting the locks on delay, he turned and walked out of the lab.
Jesse watched Adam walk out and heard the lock click. He turned back to the wild eyed confused woman in the corner. His heart twisted in pain as his mind took him back years to a time when he had first come to live in Sanctuary and it was only the three of them. Life was hard for two teenage mutants who were rejected by their families. Love and trust were not easily bestowed. It was a miracle that they had both somehow been able to trust Adam enough to let him into their lives. He remembered being so young and afraid when he moved in with them. Adam tried the best he could to befriend them both but Jesse remembered the hours he would spend silently in his room trying not to cry. More often than not he would fail only to have Shalimar noiselessly appear by his side. He quickly learned to read her moods and knew when she, too, would cave in to the wild emotions she tried to rein. They spent most of their evening and night hours talking…or crying. She was always there for him. He was always there for her and in the process a bond of trust grew between them. A bond that they both knew could never be broken. A bond he hoped he could now rely on to pull her back to him from the depths of the prison in her mind.
This time it would be harder. Think Jess…I have to calm her down but how? She's really afraid this time. I don't think I've ever seen her, this terrified. The last thing I want to have to do is sedate her but her feral side is wild…wild…afraid…trapped…that's it. Jesse prayed this would work. Slowly he stepped back and made his way to one of the med beds in the lab, the one farthest from Shalimar. Sitting on the bed he made himself as comfortable as he could. Without looking back at her again he waited…and waited…and waited…there was nothing else to be done now. It was her move.
TBC
