(Seven)
The next morning, Fallen and Karen walked into Security, Logan and Seth trailing them like unwanted pets. Karen was here to do an evaluation on Kimble and the others were here to support her.
Karen had gotten very comfortable here in this house. Charles had taken her on as a councilor for the team and she had to wonder if he had known how busy she would be. Most of her time was spent on educating Molly and she enjoyed it. The girl was taking on quickly and really coming around. It was hard to believe that she had come here in chains, she was now a normal girl in spite of her inability to speak.
Another achievement for Karen had been her ability to get Logan to open up to her. Their conversations were discreet and confidential, the subject matter kept private, even from the Professor. Charles had no room to complain, Wolverine had been very good lately, more focused on himself and the others around him. His relationship with Karen had brought about a sense of peace in Logan that everyone was aware of. What no one knew was that Logan was an almost carbon copy of her dad. She had been well loved by a very stubborn and bullheaded man. It had taken her years, but she had learned how best to approach him to get what she wanted and how to talk him down when he was angry. It was a skill that continued to pay off for her. Karen was pleased to see she had been accepted so readily here and that no one minded she'd taken up with Logan. Now she hoped to maintain her perfect record by getting this new charge back in better shape.
Karen had read all the material on Kimble she could get a hold of and wanted to see him for herself now. She had the notes from all the meetings she had attended and of course the two Danger Room video files, plus the file from the Friend's of Humanity office where Lakotashay had murdered the security guard. This meeting would generate her first report to Fury as he had demanded.
Remy had been good and faxed her a quick report on Kimble from New Orleans as soon as he arrived. He documented as best he could the four personalities and their dispositions as they had presented themselves to him the last time they spoke. He cautioned her about Zander, giving her a description of the Punisher's Channeling trick with the sword although he still doubted anyone would really believe it. It was the sort of thing that had to be seen in order to be thought real. Karen wondered at what Remy claimed to have seen. She was more curious about his impression that Kimble was split than some mystical transformation too fantastic to be true. If Kimble was a true split personality, he would lose time as one personality usurped the other. That wasn't happening. All four seemed to be conscious at the same time, switching back and forth amongst themselves freely. She didn't know if that was good or bad. Maybe Kimble was really jerking them all around. Either way she was damned if she was going to wait any longer to find out.
The small group came to the holding cells and Logan relieved Bobby who was on guard duty. He sat at the desk and put his feet up, comfortable. He was here to observe and intervene only if Kimble freaked out.
Seth started to follow the two women further, but Fallen motioned for him to stay back. She wanted Kimble to be as alone with Karen as much as possible. She was technically now his therapist and wanted the setting to be as normal as possible. Fallen was here to introduce Karen to her patient, nothing more.
Fallen entered the cell and crouched down next to Kimble. He was out cold, made as comfortable as possible from one of Henry's potions. He was dressed only in a pair of loose boxer shorts and was curled up on his bare mattress. The shorts were made of thin cloth and merely a token attempt to cover his nudity for the prudish. He wouldn't be allowed to cover himself so much that he would grow too cold. Time and repeated doses of Ristle had done nothing to heal his injuries, but Gambit had been correct about taking his blankets. His core temp continued to fall, but it was at a much slower pace now. The stifling heat of his cell was keeping him comfortable. Henry had given Fallen another tonic to give him in case he was stressed out after the session.
Fallen brushed his hair back and whispered in his ear. "Kimble, love. Wake up."
Kimble's hand twitched and he smiled without waking. "Sheyman? Uhhnn...fuck me... please!"
Fallen laughed. "Same old Kimble. Nice try, buddy. Wake up."
His brow crinkled in confusion and he whined sharply as he became more aware. With that awareness came the return of his pain. He opened his eyes and immediately started to cry. "No..no...I wuz sleepin'!"
"Easy, Kimble. It's Fallen."
"What's goin' on? Why'd you wakes me up?" he asked like an accusation. Sleep was his only escape from the constant droning pain.
"I brought someone to see you."
Karen crouched down in his line of sight. Henry had warned her of Kimble's pain and she had promised to keep this short. "Hello, there. My name's Karen." She offered her hand and startled when Kimble suddenly jerked away from it like it was poison.
"Don' touch us!" Lakotashay hissed.
"I won't hurt you," Karen promised. She observed the change in Kimble's voice. The pilot's four voices were very distinctive and convincing. It was creepy and she shivered.
"We done the baddest bloodiest things. We'll hurt you. We's vera vera dangerous," Lin said, popping out and forcing Fallen to translate.
"How are you going to hurt me?"
"We hurted people jus' bein' around 'em."
"Oh, Kim...that isn't true," Fallen breathed, wounded by his belief. She hadn't witnessed Kimble's transformation into a fractured being as willingly as Gambit. She kept herself in denial by insisting this was some kind of game, a way of punishing her for letting him go. She didn't want to think of him of as something other than the playful Siskan he had always been for her.
"You can't hurt me," Karen said, plowing forward. "You're a Siskan Courtesan. You can't carry disease."
"Ain't no real sickness. It's our bad luck. We's hurted people," Lin insisted, again for Fallen to translate. The translation didn't hide Lin's pain. His voice sounded so strange, it wasn't natural to hear such a tiny child speak so seriously. He backed away, desperately looking for something to cover up with. Everything was gone so he grabbed his pillow, wrapping it around his head so his face was only barely peeking out. Covering his head like that made him feel small and feeling small was safe. "Go away!" he hissed at her, seeing she wasn't backing down.
"Well, then it's my risk," Karen insisted, offering her hand again once he had settled. She tried to hide her shock at the sight of his body. His physique was beautiful but he was covered with large splotchy bruises from when he had been shot. His feet were mangled beyond recognition and gave him obvious pain. He was careful to protect them as he had moved the pillow around his head. His partial nudity didn't bother her at all, she was just sad for him that he had been so terribly damaged and couldn't heal from it. "What do you say? Friends?"
Lakotashay was still very much aware of what was going on and grieved for their lack of power, their telekinesis had faded with the plasma. Lin wouldn't do anything to make Karen back off so she would. Reduced to conventional weapons, she hissed like a cat and gave Karen a shove, toppling the unsuspecting doctor down on her ass. "Leaves us alone, ya fuckin' cuntball! Jeez, ya don' listen fer nuthin'! Fuck off!"
"That's enough, ladies!" Wolverine said to Karen and Fallen, rising from the security desk. "Maybe you two should just back off."
"Are you Lakotashay?" Karen asked, scootching back to give the pilot some space. She wasn't ready to give up yet. "That's who you are, isn't it? The Quitter."
"Yeah. So what?" 'Shay replied, her voice dripping malice.
"Well unlike you, I'm no quitter. We need to know what happened while you and Kimble were away so we can help you get better."
"You cain't do shit fer us or you'd've done it already. Go fuck yerself. Leave us alone!" To make her point, 'Shay gathered the pillow and pulled the whole thing over head, hiding herself away as Lin did.
"Well, that could've been better," Karen sighed and rose stiffly. She walked out, scratching her head. She wasn't about to give up, she was one thing if not persistent. She would make out a report as best she could and come back tomorrow.
"Let me try, Fallen," Seth suggested. He had seen very little of Kimble since his return and very much believed he could reach his brother when perhaps others could not. Seth was meek and passive, often on the outside of things. He'd been quiet while everyone fussed over his brother without having much of a say. He had decided that now was the time to change that.
"He's upset," Fallen replied, with a dismissive gesture. "Maybe tomorrow."
Seth shook his head and moved into the cell, all done with asking.
Fallen growled in frustration at his boldness. This wasn't typical of him, but she decided to let him have his way. Karen hung at the door of the cell. She wanted to listen and wouldn't interfere.
Seth sat on the floor next to Kimble's bed and whispered. "I love you."
Lakotashay didn't move.
He took this as a good sign and gently eased the pillow away from his brother's head. 'Shay had covered her face with her hands and was still hiding. Seth leaned in close like a lover and repeated his words, laying his hands over his brother's and pulling them away from his face.
In the short time since Kimble's return, Seth had done some research on plasma and the hologram components. He enlisted Henry's aid and also read through some of the texts on Siskan technology Fallen had laying around. He learned that with a full charge, direct contact with Kimble's skin could harm him. Thing was, the Ristle surge had altered Kimble's chemistry, as well as the time he had been melted. Again, Kimble was his own unique creature and not the same as himself. Seth was guessing that those changes combined with his current weakened state, Kimble's body would not hold enough raw plasma to hurt him. It seemed Seth was right, he felt no tingling or burning sensations as took Kimble's hands into his own, he could touch his brother without injury. Kimble's touch had always been important to him, just this simple thing of running his hands over Kimble's skin sent a thrill right through him. It cemented the idea in his mind that Kimble was in fact home where he truly belonged.
"I love you, Kimble," Seth repeated, pleading softly. "Please come talk to me. I've missed you so much. I love you."
"We done the baddest thing," Lin said in soft Siskan. The Confessor was often the first one to speak, but he was closest to Kimble and the Lover was often not far behind.
"Please," Seth insisted, still hopeful, and gave him a kiss. "I love you so much, Kimble. Talk to me, please."
"Go away..." Kimble whimpered, drawn out by the need in his brother's voice.
"Not a chance, buddy," he said, smiling and giving Kimble another kiss.
Kimble opened his eyes. They were rimmed red with his pain and his suffering was plain. "Seth?"
"That's right."
"Yer out now," he asked, his mind blurry. He didn't remember much of the past few days.
"Uh huh. Since July. It wasn't long after you left. I've missed you so much. We've come a long way, you and me. Welcome home."
"This ain't my home. Not no more. Gots no home, no place, no Master."
"Gambit's your Master now. I saw the papers."
Kimble snorted derisively, but all that came out was his pain. "He don't mean it. It ain't fer real. It's just another stupid lie."
Seth was startled to hear the rancor in his brother's voice. It wasn't what he would have expected from his brother speaking about one he so clearly had loved. Seth didn't think arguing would be helpful here so he said, "Well, we're all going to take care of you. Look, I brought you something." Seth had brought a small wooden box in with him, it had his travel checkers set in it and something else as well. He opened the box and took out a bar of chocolate. He unwrapped part of it and took a bite. "This is the best stuff," he said, shivering. He couldn't hide his pleasure any better than Kimble could. He broke off a piece and lay it on Kimble's bed. "Gambit gave it to me. He's the best."
Kimble took his offering and nibbled on it just to be polite. He had a strong association with chocolate and it wasn't with Seth. He had no memory of Remy's departure although the thief had come to see him just as Logan said he would. He was still in and out of his fog and had no sense of time or of what was going on around him. He was growing forgetful and disoriented, something Henry was at a loss to explain. He could only guess it was symptom of Kimble's power ebbing away. Right now, Kimble was hoping his new Master would just leave him for good, but he knew better. Gambit's lecture had cemented that.
Knowing his brother was out of sorts, Seth felt compelled to explain Remy's absence. "Gambit's dad got sick and he had to go. He's been trying to call you since yesterday, but you've been asleep. He's going to call you tonight. Henry will bring you a phone."
The Lover shivered, still frightened at the prospect of using a phone. It would take him a long time to recover from Creed's savage beating, if at all. "Don't wants no phone, I'm tired. I jus' wants ta go sleep," he said sadly. Being awake simply reminded him of just how suckass this world was. He wanted none of it.
"You've been sleeping all day. Play checkers with me."
"You'll lose."
"I don't care."
"Don' feels like gitten up."
"You don't have to," Seth said, refusing to let Kimble get away from him. He grabbed one of Kimble's stools and dragged it over. The furniture in the cell was uniform and functional, that was it. He had a small table with two wooden stools, plus the bed. The stools weren't made for comfort, but they were flat enough for the checkers board. He moved the stool to where Kimble could reach it and set up the pieces. He made the first move as usual.
Kimble reached for a piece but his fingers were sluggish and he had a hard time grabbing it. Seth saw what he wanted and he finished for his brother without comment. Instead he decided to talk about happy things. "The first week I was out, Fallen took me up to the roof and I saw my first sunrise. It was so beautiful and red. Now I know why you like them so much. It's too cold to go out all the time now, but sometimes we do. Fallen puts this big ski suit on me. I can hardly move. It's really quite funny."
"Didja'll see the snow?" Kimble asked, fumbling another move.
Seth helped him again, happy that at least Kimble was willing to play. "Yeah, it was cool. Henry says that all the snow flakes are different. Neat, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess," Kimble replied with a soft laugh. He had forgotten how much he loved the sound of his brother's voice.
"Did you have Christmas where you were?"
"Yeah. Wuz after we moved to the cabin up at Maine. Mary brung us a goose. 'Course she didn' have no idear how ta cook the damn thing. She'd just gone up to the woods an' and shot it without thinking. Guess killers don' do the holiday thing much," Kimble joked with a snicker. "Anaways, I cleaned it all up and cooked it. The Master had a cook book so I figgered it all out."
"Did you do presents?"
"Well, I never wanted ta go out sos cookin' sumpthin' decent was good enough a present from me, I guess. M' Master give me sumpthin' nice."
"What's that?"
"He made loves ta me fer the first time. There wuzn't no hittin', no smashin' me down. Jus' the first time he used me lookin' at me fer real. I seen that he loved me deep inside and there wuzn't no need fer him to start out so hard, though I've come ta likes it that way. It's jus' that it wuz diff'rent in his mind. He stopped hittin' me so much after that, 'cept when I done sumpthin' wrong," Kimble said calmly as if what he was talking about wasn't the most horrible thing his brother could hear.
Seth shuddered. "He...he hit you all the time?"
Kimble shrugged and made another move on the board. He moved the piece incorrectly in his fog, but Seth made no move to fix it. He waited for Kimble to say something, but his brother seemed a little lost. "Kimble?"
"Shure he hit me," Kimble said eventually in his own defense. He had been thinking of how to explain this to Seth. " 'S no big deal. Sometimes when yer bad, ya gots ta be corrected -"
"We done a bad thing. We used the phone, made the Master angry, so angry... " Lin snuck in, right on cue.
Kimble continued as if he hadn't heard the child speak. " - Gitten' hit feels kinda good mosta th' time. It made him happy. Gots ta make the Master happy. It's the only thing what matters. Doncha likes it when ya make Fallen happy?"
"Yeah, sure," Seth answered numbly. He shivered as much from Kimble's words as he did Lin's soft interjection. Seth used the phone all the time, he didn't understand what the big deal was. He knew there had been an incident with Sabretooth and the phone, but hadn't realized just how bad the punishment had been, no one knew Kimble had been whipped. Whatever it was, it must have been very bad. Before he could press for details, Kimble went on.
"Then ya knows what I'm talkin' 'bout. When they's happy, their shine gits real bright. It's the best thing. Ya sees the shines, doncha?"
"Sorry, Kimble. I don't."
Kimble frowned. " 'S kinda of a shame then. Kin' ya feels the love? Right when her heart's all beatin' in yer head?"
Seth laughed softly. "Yes. I feel that. It's better than chocolate."
"Got that right. Heh... 's good. Sos ya knows what makes her happy cuz ya kin feel it. The shine makes the luvin' so bright. It kills the pain, so ya jus' don' feel it when they hitcha."
"Fallen doesn't hit me."
"Course she don'. Alla the Masters're different. Soon as ya find out what makes 'em happy, it's all good," Kimble said dreamily.
"Fallen isn't my Master."
Kimble snorted. "Course she is. You gonna serves anaone else?"
"I work for Henry and the Professor," Seth said stubbornly.
"It ain't who ya work for, it's who ya comes home to. Shure I fucked the rest of the gang, but when he wuz touchin me...cuttin' me...Oh, God...Them other folks couldn't even come close to what he wuz makin' me feel." Kimble swallowed and shuddered a little, he had shifted from becoming slightly aroused and the movement hurt his feet. He grimaced and continued, wanting to make his brother understand. He was more of a father than a brother to Seth and was trying to teach him what he believed was the truth of their whole existence. "We wuz made ta serve, it's what we are. When ya gots no one ta serve, there jus' ain't no reason ta even be alive."
"Fallen says I serve myself."
Kimble laughed at him a little sharply. "An' if she wuz gone?"
Seth bowed his head down. Kimble had made his point painfully.
"See? I knows ya know what I'm talkin' about. She's yer Mistress just as she useta be mine. Difference is she ain't gonna grow tired of ya an' leaves ya behind."
Karen turned as she heard Fallen whimper in surprise. Fallen had been quiet all this time, horrified from Kimble's words but understanding his twisted logic. She knew something of slavery and Siskan Courtesans. It didn't keep his statement from hurting her deep inside.
"Fallen never left you," Seth protested softly.
"Shure she did, but I unnerstands why," Kimble said with another careless shrug. He was unaware of Fallen's proximity. His sickness made him oblivious to most things around him. He thought when she walked off, she had gone away. He was focused now only on his brother. Even the checkers game was neglected. He made another sloppy move, knocking a piece askew with his thick, resistant fingers. "See, I wuzn't ever who she really wanted in the firs' place. Not once did she ever lay with me, not once an' it wuzn't from me never askin' her. That's how I knew she loved ya like she does. I wuzn't ever good enough, not even fer the meantime 'till ya come out. Even then she couldn't quite trust me, same as I ain't no good fer Remy or anaone else. I'm dangerous. Cain't be trusted. I ain't one person like you are."
"We done a bad thing," Lin whispered. "We's always been bad."
"You were always Kimble to me," Seth said, not wanting to hear it.
"That's cuz it wuz diff'rent inside the system. It's safe there, quiet an' small. Out here, it's all one huge mess. When I gots melted...it jus' made evrathin' worse. I kept gettin' pulled all diff'rent ways cuz 'a what folks thought wuz best fer me, but the Master wuzn't like that. He took one look at me an' said, yer okay just like ya are. Don' care if yer broke so long as yer mouth an' yer cunt is workin'. That's good enough fer me an' it wuz. No lies, no tricks, no stupid stories 'bout angels or some such garbage. I took his pain an' he loved me for it."
"Then why did you hurt him?" Seth asked cautiously.
Kimble sniffed. "Zander done that cuz he wuz gonna kill Remy an' alla yous. I asked the Master not ta do it, but he said it wuz too late ta stops it. He wuz lyin' ta us an' Zander knew it. I wuz too weak to make him pay for it...so Zander punished him. It's all right. The Master said he knew he done wrong an' he fergave me fer hurtin' him so bad. He said he was gonna come an' gits us after."
"He cain't come. We killded him," Lin corrected, making Kimble pause as a tear spilled from his eye. He had forgotten, his dreams replacing reality. "We done the mostest baddest bloodiest things."
Seth was quick to reassure. "Maybe he's not all the way dead, Kim. Mr. Logan said he can heal."
"His shine... it wuz as good as gone. If... if he don't come then 'Shay will take care of us. Don' matter. There won' be no more pain an' I'll be with my father again. Either way I'll have the love Sheyman promised me," Kimble said, twisting everything all around so he could stomach it.
"I'll take care of us, don't you worry," 'Shay promised, happy that Kimble remembered.
Seth desperately wanted to change the subject. "I wish I had met him. Sheyman, I mean."
"He wuz the bes' Master I ever had. Always made time fer me, played with me. Bes' lover what ever laid his hands on me. Ain't no one ever come close, not even my Kristalay. 'Shay misses him so bad. 'S why she's hurtin' alla the time," Kimble said, closing his eyes. He felt the loss of his father as well and coupled with his present pain, made him wish only for the oblivion of one of Henry's potent tonics.
Seth made another move and waited.
Kimble just lay quiet and shivered.
"You okay, Kimble?"
"Yeah, jus' the hurtin's so bad. Whatever 'Shay's gonna do, I hopes she does it soon. I cain't stay like this...I jus' cain't..." Kimble whimpered, crying again.
"I'll take care of this," 'Shay repeated firmly. "There won' be no more pain."
Seth looked up as Fallen came in, Henry's potion in her hand. She didn't want to hear from the suicidal Quitter any more than Seth did. It was time to be done. "Here, Kimble," she said a little stiffly. She was still hurt from what Kimble had said about her. It hurt only because it was true and she knew it.
Kimble took the drink and knocked it back like a shot of whiskey. He grimaced from the taste, but was happy now. He looked up at her, his eyes already drooping a little. "Stay with me? Jus' till I falls asleep?"
"All right," she replied, happy that he had even thought to ask this of her. Kimble had been hard and distant, like a total stranger. She used her telekinetic power to lift Kimble's wounded body so she could scootch onto the bed and lay him over her lap and warm him a little. Seth moved in beside her with a smile and they lay Kimble over them like a blanket. Kimble grunted with happiness from their warmth and closed his eyes. He could feel the vibrations of love they gave off for one another and it soothed him. The tonic didn't take long and he slipped away once more. Fallen started to cry, wounded from Kimble's words and her inability to help him any way that mattered. Seth held her, whispering soft reassurances. He was optimistic that Kimble had at least spoken to them and felt that perhaps all this would fix itself, one way or another.