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Somebody Else's Song - Chapter 10
Dread filled Remy as he entered her private room in the Med Lab. Walking was difficult for him. He hadn't been on his feet in days and the blood loss made him tire too easily - not to mention the throbbing bullet hole in his belly. He finally found himself next to her bedside and nearly passed out from the shock.
Her skin was ghastly white, at least that that he could see was. Most of her small body was covered in bandages, slings, and casts.
"Petite..." he whispered, his voice cracking.
Beast came up behind him and spoke quietly. On some level, Remy heard every word Beast said. Comprehended the doctor's horrible words in the same way he had done Xavier's moments before.
Both legs broken. Both arms.
Seven broken ribs.
Several fractures on her skull.
Internal bleeding.
Punctured lung.
Shattered collarbone.
Shattered. He remembered Xavier's words:
'Rogue's mind is completely shattered.'
Remy wasn't aware of any other word that could describe the way she looked. Or the way his heart felt. Shattered.
He felt the other X-Men behind him. A chocolate colored hand came to rest on his shoulder.
"Remy," Storm began. He swung around quickly, surprising her.
"Don' touch me, 'Ro. All o' ya'll," he addressed the other X-Men, "Leave me de hell alone."
No one moved.
"I said LEAVE!"
"Gambit, calm down," Cyclops stepped forward. Without warning and with a sudden surge of strength, the injured Cajun launched himself towards Scott. In one swift movement, he had Scott hauled up on the wall, a kinetically charged Ace of Diamonds pressed against his throat, "Why didn't ya tell me how bad dey hurt her?! You kept me sleepin' for a week knowin' she was hurt like dis!"
"Enough, Gambit!" Jean used her telekinesis to pull Gambit off of her husband. Caught in Jena's telekinetic bubble only frustrated Gambit further. Jean felt him struggling against her hold. She began to weaken, but refused to let him, or the others, know it.
"Are you alright, Scott?" She asked, never taking her eyes off Gambit.
"I'm fine."
"Alright then, all of you get out."
"Jean?" Charles questioned.
"We'll be fine, won't we Gambit?" The thief said nothing.
"I'm not leaving you alone with him after the stunt he just pulled!" Scott looked at her like she'd just asked him to shoot himself in the foot.
"Come on, Slim," Logan placed a hand on his shoulder, "Jeannie knows what she's doin'." Scott turned and was about to tell Logan exactly where he could go when the Professor telepathically assured him that Jean was safe. With a last look at his wife, Scott stormed out of the room, followed by the other X-Men. Wolverine was the last to leave.
"He tries anything, Jean..."
"I'll be fine." He nodded and closed the door.
"I'm going to let you go now, Remy. Please, I know it's hard, but try to stay calm." The young man said nothing as Jean lowered him to the floor. He didn't look at her as he slowly stood up and made his way over to the bed. He felt tears sting his eyes as he looked down at the battered woman.
He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and licked his lips, "Why did dey do dis ta her, Jean? She---" he closed his eyes. Jean watched as the tears made their way down his slender face, "She don' deserve dis..."
"I know."
"Why did ya'll make me sleep when ya knew it was dis bad?" There was betrayal and sorrow in his voice.
"You were seriously injured, Gambit. We knew this would be hard on you so---"
"Hard on me?" He turned away from Rogue, "You have no idea, Jean. You ain't gotta clue as to how it feels to see her like dis."
She started to say something, but he cut her off.
"Y'know, it pisses me off de way de rest of you write off mine an' Rogue's relationship like you do."
"What do you mean?"
"You all act like dis t'ing between me an' her ain't as deep as what you have wit' Scott. You treat it like it's no big deal. It's jus' a li'l crush. Ya never even consider the fact dat I would lay down my life for her without a second thought. She means more to me dan anyt'ing in dis world."
"I know, Remy."
"Non, you don't. You all like to see me as de womanizing boy I used to be 'stead of the man she's help me become. An' ya'll don't see her at all. Not really. You know, she cries herself to sleep every night. Not dat any o' you would know that. Not dat she'd let any o' you know dat. And sometimes when we're together she gets dis look on her face---" He looked down at her bandaged face and then closed his eyes to the image.
"Remy---"
"Didja ever consider, Jean, dat what we feel for each other is as strong, if not stronger, dan what you an' Scott have because we can't touch? Has it ever occurred to you that I love her so deeply dat I don' care if I never touch her, jus' so long as I can always be wit' her?"
Jean didn't know how to respond, so she let him vent.
"Don' you t'ink dat I deserved to be here wit' her. Don' you t'ink dat she deserves to have me by her side when she's hurtin' dis bad?"
"Gambit, you were near death yourself. We were trying to protect you. Everyone knows how you feel about Rogue---"
He nearly laughed, " You t'ink anyone woulda kept you away from Scott if dis situation was reversed?"
She looked down at her hands, "I'm sorry. You're right."
She heard him exhale and looked up to see him in the chair next to Rogue's bed.
"It really as bad as it looks, Jean?"
"I'm afraid so," she walked to the other side of Rogue's bed. It was unreal seeing her strong friend reduced to such a helpless state. He digested that as he stared at the floor. They were silent for a few minutes and the only sound in the small room was the beeping of Rogue's heart monitor.
Remy looked up and Jean was taken aback by the deep sorrowful look in his red on black eyes. Without a word, he stood up and slowly made his way toward the door.
"Remy?"
"Jus' goin' up to Rogue's room for a minute. Need to get some t'ings. You stay wit' her 'til I get back?"
"Of course."
xxxx
It was nearly an hour later when Gambit returned. He made his way into the infirmary and strait to Rogue's room, ignoring Celia's inquiries as to how he was feeling.
"Sorry it took me so long, Jean," he set several things on the table across the room, "Took me a while to find some o' dis stuff."
He was lying. She didn't have to be a telepath to see that. His voice and the redness around his eyes gave him away. He had been crying.
"It's alright, Remy. What did you bring?"
"Jus' some t'ings I thought she might like...You can leave now if ya want. Go be wit' your husband..."
Jean smiled knowingly. He needed to be alone with her. She stood and walked over to her friend. She embraced him, and to her surprise he not only let her, he hugged her back.
"We're here, Remy. We love you. You're not going to be alone."
She felt his breath catch, "Merci, belle. Dat means a lot." He pulled away and didn't look at her. Jean took the hint.
"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." He nodded as she left the room, closing the door behind her.
"Mais, Chere...Jus' me an' you." he looked over at her, half-expecting her to respond to him. When she didn't, he continued talking.
"Look at what I brought for ya Rogue. Dis room, it ain't exactly cozy." He walked over to the table and began picking through the pile of Rogue's things, "First of all, we gotta get dis smell outta here. I know how much you hate de way de Med-Lab stinks. All de medicines an' chemicals...Beast gonna kill me when he finds out I lit one o' dese t'ings down here." He placed a large purple candle next to Rogue's bed-side table, " 'Fine merlot scented'," he read the label, "I still say it ain't as good as de real t'ing." He struck a match and lit the wick. Almost immediately, the room was filled with the sweet scent.
"Dat's better," he said to himself. He again visited the table, limping clumsily on his crutch, and came away with a small pink and white blanket. He pulled away the white hospital blanket and was taken aback. Her broken body was fully revealed to him now and the site brought fresh tears to his sore eyes. He brushed them off in annoyance as he gently covered her with her own blanket. He folded the hospital blanket up and placed it at the foot of the bed tucking it gently around her feet.
"I brought you some o' your own pajama's too." He placed a pair of flannel Scooby Doo p.j.'s on the table with the candle, "Figure Celia can put 'em on you later..."
For the next few minutes, Remy worked to make Rogue's room more familiar to her. He brought several pictures and placed them around the room. A picture of the two of them at Scott and Jeans wedding; one of her, Storm and Kitty taken down by the lake; one of Bobby and Jubilee at Iceman's last birthday party.
Along with the pictures, Gambit placed little trinkets and favorite stuffed animals around the room as well.
"Dere we go, petite," he settled in the chair and tilted his head back, his eyes closed. After a few moments, he straitened and looked over at his love again.
"Good night, mon coeur," he whispered, "I love you."
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Okay gang, dat's chapter 10. Good night all.
Much Love,
-Alyx
