Anna thrashed in her sleep. Kicking the blankets off tightening her grip around Logan so tight he had to pry her arm off at one point just so he could breathe; only for her to latch on tighter than before.
Must be a nightmare. He thought to himself having heard her thrash in her sleep before. But nothing could've repaired him for what came next. Anna took in a deep breath and screamed. Logan had never heard before a scream so bloodcurdling, that his own blood froze with fear. He sat up. And placed both hands on her shoulders.
"RED WAKE UP!" He shouted, shaking her violently. Anna opened her mouth again. But not to scream.
"No!" She began. "No!" She moaned. "NO! PLEASE! I beg of you please let him go!" More screaming this one met with the door bursting open. Anna sat up still screaming. "Please no! NO! NOOO!" Her voice growing louder. The lights flashed on.
The scene looked pretty much like this. A shirtless Logan on top of Anna grasping her by her shoulders shaking her violently screaming for her to wake up. And poor Anna emitting blood freezing screams.
"Please!" She moaned. "No! You can't!" She gagged. This scared Logan. She sputtered still screaming, dark rich blood seeped over the corners of her mouth and dribbled down her face. "No. No." Pain emerged in her voice freezing Hank the doctor who came to the rescue. He pried Logan off of her who looked to near tears. Jean rushed in to help.
"Logan, go get a cloth with water, cold if you can." Jean ordered. Logan jumped up from his gagging beloved and snatched a towel from under the sink and ran it under the bathtub faucet because it was faster. He brought the dripping mess of ice to Jean. She took it and rung it onto Anna's face.
She gagged once more coughing this time. She sat up straighter. Her eyes were flashing with tears and pain. Her breathing was heavy and labored. She looked around the scene of confusion. Her eyes flickered to the blood soaked sheets, then to the crowd in the door trying to get a view.
"Where is Logan?" She asked in Gaelic. She waved her hands the door slammed shut. Logan pushed through Hank and Jean. He took her in his arms. She trembled crying shaking with fear.
"What did you see?" He asked in Gaelic. Anna shook her head, tears of red pooling on her face.
"Hell." She answered in English, latching on tighter to him still. He wiped her tears from her eyes.
"Red you're bleeding." He still spoke in Gaelic. Anna only cried more. She coughed her body shaking with her. She looked to her hands blood. And lots of it, so much of it was almost black. Hank handed her a towel.
"Thank you." She muttered wiping her hands on it. She felt around her stomach. Her hands came up bloody. "Odd," She whispered. Logan looked horrified.
"Good lord," escaped his lips. "Anna, what's going on?" He watched her pull up her shirt to reveal three claw marks where she had been stabbed. They looked like her, own.
"Oh my God, Scott!" Jean called. Scott burst through the door, the closed it.
"What is it?" He asked her concerned.
"Clear everyone out of the way, we need to get Anna to the infirmity." Scott nodded and turned out the door. "Logan you'll have to carry her, she can't walk." Jean instructed. Logan stood up and threw her legs over his arms looping her arms around his neck.
"Alright everyone back to bed, nothing to see here," Scott shoved students off as Hank, Jean, and Logan with Anna in his arms, emerged from the bed room. They headed off in the infirmary, Logan's breathing heavy and worried.
"Oh Red," He said to her.
"Stranger," she moaned.
"Love you Red," He whispered.
"Love you too Stranger." She groaned back.
"Are you okay?"
"I don't know." She clung to him. Jean held open a door, and Logan carried her in.
"Lay her over there." Jean pointed to an empty bed. Logan obeyed. Hank came to him donning gloves and clean hands.
"She's lost a lot of blood you can tell by her breathing."
"Red how did this happen?"
"Logan, I really don't want to do this, but you need to go back to bed, get some rest she's in good hands." Jean begged him, Logan looked to her.
"I can-" Logan protested.
"Stranger," Anna held up her hand placing it on his bare arm.
"R-"
"Logan, listen to her. She knows. Please, for me?" She begged him with large doe eyes. Logan looked to her with a pained expression.
"I-I, you owe me." He said to her and turned to leave the bloody scene, but not before removing her shirt. "I'm washing this." He left slamming the door in anger. He walked back to his room with the bloody shirt. Holes were in it.
Explains a lot, He thought to himself. Oh shit now I'm gonna be asked questions. He approached the scene. There were a few stragglers. Among them Jubilee and Kitty; Scott was doing his best to send them back to bed.
"Wolvie!" Jubilee cried seeing him.
"Hey kid." Logan said weakly, opening the door.
"Hey, you alright?" She asked. Logan shook his head collecting the sopping towel and throwing it in the tub.
"No." he answered truthfully.
"Whoa. What happened here?" Jubilee asked seeing the bloody sheets.
"Damn nightmares are staring up again." He answered her throwing the pillows to the floor and gathering the soiled linins.
"You mean a nightmare caused all of this?"
"Yeah, but not just any; she scares me when she haves a really bad one. Like tonight, once she starts dreaming, it's damn near impossible to wake her up." Logan shook his head. He threw them down the laundry shoot.
"Here. Let me get clean sheets for you." Jubilee offered. Logan nodded sitting on the bed, holding his head. She came back shortly with neatly folded white cloth. Logan looked up from his hands. He took them from her muttering his thanks.
"Look, kid, I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate that. I honestly do. But…" he trailed off.
"I know; it's hard isn't it?" She whispered under her breath. Logan looked up from his work into changing the sheets.
"It is. But Anna, she can get me real scared when things like these happen to her. It really dose. I've spent years with her." He looked mournful as he tucked the sheets under the mattress.
Jean and Hank tried franticly to stop the bleeding, hoping that her healing powers would come into effect soon.
"We might need to give her blood." Jean suggested to Hank.
"Who's? If her blood is like Logan's the only person she can accept is Logan's" Hank argued.
"Then what do you suggest? A tourniquet?" Jean asked. The heart monitor emitted the signal she had lost her pulse. Jean and Hank rushed to administer an electric shock.
Her body jumped. But no pulse, again, her body jerked, but still no pulse. They tried a few more times. But it didn't work. Her heart had gone.
Jean's hand went to her mouth, in a shocked way. Hank hung his head.
"We did all we could." He reassured her. "It was her time."
"I just, that was his only friend outside of the place that was friendly with him, and he worked so hard to keep her here with him. And so hard to keep his promise of help to her, and now she's dead." Jean looked away.
"Some times these things happen and we can't help them." Hank pressured. Jean began to cry.
"Poor, Logan…" She hissed through her grief. Hank looked away and stared at her lifeless body.
"He loved you, he still dose. Come back Anna, come back to Logan." He said to her. "Logan." He repeated. He bowed his head in silence preparing himself for Logan's wrath.
Anna twitched her finger. He was right she couldn't die, not after what Logan had gone through, he'd blame himself for everything. The monitor beeped signaling a pulse.
Hank looked up. "Impossible." He said staring bewildered at the monitor. Jean joined him.
"Oh my god," She breathed staring at the green peaks that came in a calm order. Anna stirred. "Oh, my god," She placed her hand to her lips in disbelief.
"It's a miracle." Hank gasped.
"No, it's my mutation." Anna sat up on her elbows. She rubbed her stomach. "I don't get it. Logan gets put into a coma, my heart stops." She rubbed her head. "I always thought he had the better end of the deal." She whispered to herself.
"OH MY GOD!" Jean shouted.
"And did I mention my hearing is sensitive too? And can you shut off that infernal racket?" Anna covered her ears in pain. Anna jabbed her fingers to the heart monitor.
"Um…uh…we're going to need to monitor while you sleep the rest of the night. You know just in case?" Jean said.
"Sure, but, where's Logan?" She asked looking around.
"Jean sent him back to bed." Hank answered her.
"Lot of good that'll do," She sniggered. "He'll drive himself crazy before dawn. Better he come see me." Anna said.
"She dose have a point though." Hank looked to Jean. Jean shook her head.
"Yeah
but Anna needs to sleep."
"At what cost? If we let her go
back to resting right after this, we risk another nightmare, and
Logan driving himself crazy, and possibly another attack like what we
just saw." Hank argued. Jean looked forlorn to Anna's fragile
form.
"Yeah
but…"
"Her body needs to get over the shock, and if Logan
comes here it'll have a better effect. Besides he doesn't have to
stay long just until she falls asleep." Hank countered.
"Hmm. Hank, I don't know, but if it's coming from you're mouth." Jean placed a hand to her face. "Oh alright, I can't stand seeing the man worry himself sick." Jean sighed exhausted. "In the meantime. A shirt?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Here she can wear this one." Hank said digging through a drawer. "And in any case just until hers is clean." Hank laughed passing her the white t-shirt. She accepted taking it from him. She pulled it over her head, and laid back on the pillows humming calmly to herself.
"Hey Logan?" Jean shuffled through the door nervously. And true to her predictions Logan jumped up alarmed and ready for any good news.
"Is she alright? She isn't dead is she?" He asked scared beyond his wits.
"She's asking for you." Logan didn't wait; he shoved past her and ran to the infirmity.
"Did I miss something?" Anna asked as he opened the door.
"Red."
He breathed. "Don't you ever scare me like that ever
again!"
"Love you too Stranger."
"Love you too Red." He said sitting by her side. Anna's eyes became teary. She held out her arms to him. He accepted holding her tight.
"I love you."
"Yes and you make a big show of that." Anna smiled through weak tears. She trembled.
"I do?"
"Screaming to wake up. Screaming to keep me here. Screaming to protect me, rushing to my side, haven't left it. Hell Logan I'm surprised you let my brothers near me." Anna laughed softly. She ran a hand through his hands. 'thank you' she mouthed to Hank as he slipped from the room. Logan pulled her form the embrace and kissed her lovingly.
"So what are you saying?" He asked not breaking the kiss.
"I should disappear more often." She laughed tilting her head up. He pulled her closer to him. She broke away and lay against the sheets tired.
"You think?"
"I know so." She smiled. He took her hand in his.
"I thought I was going to lose you after that dream."
"Doesn't matter. It's my body, I've gone so long. It's coming back now. You remember don't do you?"
"All too well," He said.
"I know,"
"You nearly killed a few people that first night."
"Don't remind me."
"You've
come along way, love. Don't ruin it. Believe me it'll
work."
"For your sake, Logan, I hope you're right." Anna
said tiredly.
"I know I'm right."
"Remember that last rehab place."
"Yeah,"
"I better not end up like that again." She hissed.
"You're going into withdrawals, it'll get better I promise, you gotta hit rock bottom first before you can break the surface." He smiled to her.
"I have, that's just it. I have, and I've yet to see the sun."
"You will."
"I hope." Anna's voice began to fade as she began to grow tired.
"Wish I could take you in my arms and make you mine." Logan said stroking her hair with his heavy hands. Anna leaned against his hands, closing her eyes.
"So do I," she yawned looking up to him. He smiled his ice blue eyes glimmering.
"Go to sleep now."
"Sure just as soon as I resign," Anna laughed softly to herself. Logan squeezed her hand.
"Meet me in the kitchen for coffee later on." He whispered in her ear. She nodded slightly falling asleep. Logan stood straightened himself out and kissed her cheek before turning to leave. He looked back on her watching her sleep.
Hard to believe that angle I call mine is deadly. He thought to himself. She wants out, I know, but how can I help her? How? I know Xavier can, I know that, but…His thoughts awash with mixed feelings. It had been so long ago since he last saw her. Sleeping, resting, relaxed. The nightmares are back, and they're worse than ever. Logan recalled the nightmares she used to have back when they shared rooms with each other. But this one, the one she had tonight was most defiantly the worst one she had ever had. Or that he, himself could recall. He turned down the hall.
Jubilee had gone to bed after Scott had pestered her. But apparently she made the bed for him. Logan sat on the fresh sheets thinking. He held his head in his hands trying not to cry.
I've tried everything, these nightmares they're real, and they hurt her. She needs a way to get rid of them. She needs a way. A place where she can rest in peace. That place used to be my arms, now, I dunno, I just want her to be safe and happy.
Logan covered himself up with the blankets. He was exhausted. Later on in the morning he'd drink coffee with her, and then take her to get her things at the hotel she was staying in. After that they'd write up a letter together of her resignation to SHEILD. He closed his eyes sleep playing on the edge of awareness. He allowed himself an image of her in his arms, wearing a white dress…
