"Hey" She murmured softly before sitting down beside her. Someone had dragged in a sofa so Isabelle had somewhere to sleep – not that she had yet – and sit comfortably,
"Hi, how are you doing?" Isabelle asked, stroking her thumb over the back of Hanks hand absently,
"I'm fine, just fine" Storm wrinkled her nose, "Kurts gone off on some mission" She sighed, "so I've come to take over whilst you go get yourself something to eat" Isabelle felt a rush of something that was near panic,
"I couldn't leave him-"
"He isn't going to be alone and you haven't eaten for days" Storm said sternly, frowning a little, "you're not going to be much use to him if you starve yourself to death are you?"
"But-"
"Go" Storm said, pushing her gently, taking hold of the Doctors hand almost before Isabelle had let it go, "he'll be fine" She said in a reassuring tone. Isabelle dithered by the doorway, torn between going and not wanting to leave, "if you don't go I'll get Bobby down here to drag you up" She threatened. Isabelle laughed, an odd sound to her ears and nodded. She was inside an elevator before she realised that she didn't know where the kitchen was. The elevator 'ding'd as the doors slid open and – she gasped, backing up against the wall as the man they'd called Wolverine stepped inside before hitting him as hard as she could with the back of her fist. He staggered a little, reaching up to rub his jaw and frowning as he turned back to face her,
"I ain't gonna hurt ya, kid" He murmured,"that wasn't me back there" She nodded stiffly but stayed pressed against the back of the elevator. The man looked shame faced, barely meeting her eyes as he asked, "how is he?"
"Unconscious" She said, not realising how dry her mouth had gone. He nodded, rubbing a hand over his stubbly chin, "h…how are you?"
"Fine. I heal faster than he does" He said simply, the elevator 'ding'd again and they both stepped out,
"Could you tell me where the kitchen is?" She asked, unsure of how she should react to this man. They'd told her that he was being controlled by someone else, that he hadn't intended to hurt Hank but…this was the man that was the cause of Hank lying down in the medical lab, barely seeming to breathe,
"Sure. Come on" He stalked off down the corridor and Isabelle had no choice but to follow, "We ain't got nothin' but juice and chocolate milk" He said as they entered the vast, beautifully fitted kitchen, "but ya can have one of my beers if ya likes" He growled, flushing a little. Isabelle suspected that it was his way of saying sorry,
"Wow, he offered you a beer, he must really like you" Bobby grinned, head bobbing up from a nearby sofa, Isabelle couldn't help smiling back, she liked the sandy haired boy and his quirky sense of humour,
"Thank you but I'm a chocolate milk kinda girl" She offered Wolverine a tentative smile and the tension seemed to go out of his shoulders. She was thrown a small carton of the stuff before he waved at the fridge,
"Help yourself, kid" He murmured before padding out of the room,
"Is he always that friendly?" She asked, musing over whether to take the chicken or – her eyes started to fill – the cold pasta. She picked up the little plastic box,
"Hey are you alright?" Bobby asked, getting up and moving over as she sobbed a little,
"Rubbery pasta" She laughed wetly, "got any burnt potatoes?" He looked at her like she was insane, "Hank's version of microwavable meals" She let her head drop as she sat at the table, hiding her face in her palms as all of the worry and grief she was feeling poured out. Get a grip! It's only pasta, girl! She could still hear the whirr and click of the machines, just how many seconds one breath in took, how many moments one breath out, the soft beep of his heartbeat on the monitor…she knew if someone handed her a pen she could draw the shape his heartbeat made from memory. Bobby patted her shoulder awkwardly, totally unsure of what to do, he looked around for help but only saw the kitchen towel. He handed it to her and she laughed again, "sorry" She tore a piece off and wiped her face clean, "he's going to be alright, isn't he?" She asked him in a tiny voice. Bobby smiled, ignoring the fear that wanted out, and shrugged a little,
"Sure he is, you know big blue, he always bounces back" He said as confidently as he could manage. She took another piece of kitchen towel before standing up,
"Thanks Bobby" She smiled at him, "would it be alright to take this down to the medi lab?" The Iceman shrugged,
"I don't see why not…give Hank a squeeze from me, k?" He called, going back to his sofa and re-runs of Star Trek: the next Generation. Isabelle nodded and made her way quickly back down to the medi lab, clutching the little plastic box and a fork to her,
"-ere's Isabelle?"
"I forced her to go upstairs a while ago, she hasn't left your side for three days" Storm's voice filtered through the corridor,
"Is she alright?"
"Stressed I think but-" Storm was cut off as Isabelle came running in,
"Hank! You're awake!" She said foolishly, rushing over to the bed and squeezing his hand, wanting to cling to him and never let go but knowing it'd probably do more harm than good. He smiled up at her tiredly,
"So it would seem" His voice was croaky, dry and low from lack of use. He lifted one huge hand to gently stroke her cheek, "how long have I been out?" He murmured, eyes barely open as he glanced up at Ororo,
"Three days" She replied. Hank opened his mouth, frowning a little, "your healing factor, fast as it is, didn't take much effect because of the blood loss" She explained before she stood and stretched, "Well I've got, er, things to be doing, see you later Henry" She smiled at the oblivious pair before silently making her way out. Isabelle had all but thrown the pasta and fork onto the bedside table, running her hands over his gloriously awake face, though his eyes were heavily ringed in darkness and half shut he smiled up at her,
"How are you? How do you feel?" She asked, not realising she was crying until he wiped her tears away with the back of his hand,
"They tell me that my subscapular was perforated and my lung collapsed, I was quite auspicious thatLogan circumvented my internal thoracic but he severed a few intercostals so it might be a while before I can sit up or shrug or breathe quite properly and I feel excruciatingly tender all over" He said breezily, only having to pause once to clear his throat,
"I caught the bit about the collapsed lung but what was the rest in English?" She asked,
"An artery in my shoulder was cut and a few muscles in my chest are damaged so I feel like I've been hit with a train at high speed" He husked,
"Oh Hank" She sighed, gently resting her head on his chest, careful to keep her weight off him, "how could I have been so stupid? How did you do it?" She lifted her head a little to look up at him as he frowned in puzzlement,
"Do what?"
"How did you...stay upright after the attack? With all that damage done to you? With an artery cut?" She frowned at him, stroking a hand over his chest, over the bandage that encased it. He caught her hand with his own, kissing it gently,
"I stayed upright thanks to the muscles in my legs and a complete lack of respectfor the laws of gravity" He said dryly, eyes twinkling with laughter as he watched her try not to smile,
"You're lucky you're sick or I would have tickled you" She threatened. He winced as he laughed,
"Oh ow. I don't know how I stayed upright...all I could think about was you" He stroked her hair gently as she laid her head down again,
"I thought I'd lost you" She whispered against his fur,
"Why would I do that when I've got so much to come back too?" He winced as she looked up at him, "we're really getting good at this corny stuff, aren't we?" She laughed and kissed him, something she had missed doing,
"Yeah but I think I could get used to it" They smiled at each other a moment before Hank frowned, "what?
"Isabelle…" He sighed, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose tiredly, "You shouldn't have to be here...nursing me like some invalid" He said, closing his eyes, "you could be doing other thing with your time and resources-" She laid a finger on his lips,
"Stop right there McCoy" She whispered, surprised at the fierceness in her voice, it made him open his eyes and look at her though, so she didn't much care, "they're my time and resources, I can do what the hell I want with them…you think it's a pain in the ass to look after the man I love?" She kissed his forehead, "if it is a pain in the ass, then it's not my ass that's hurting but yours will if you suggest that I-"
"Hey y'all" Bobby grinned as he entered, metaphorically freezing as he felt the tension in the room, "uh, everything ok?" He asked awkwardly. Isabelle smiled at him a little,
"Bobby, if you go away right now I promise to show you where Hank keeps his secret stash of Twinkies" She said softly,
"Later" The Iceman darted from the room as they laughed softly,
"Traitor" Hank accused, voice still a little croaky, though he squeezed her hand gently in his own before brushing dry lips across her knuckles,
"I don't even know where your stash is Hank…here, drink this, you invalid and drain upon my time and resources you" She said, playfully, lovingly. He mock glared up at her before she slipped a hand beneath his head, helping him lift it as he took a sip from the cup she held to his mouth,
"I just meant-"
"I know" She smiled down at him, "but it's only a little while longer that you'll have to suffer at my unforgiving hands and then you can get back to playing in the lab and making sure government laws aren't restricting mutants as much as everyone else thinks they should" He laughed a little, wincing at the pain it caused, before tugging her down for a kiss,
"Angel" He murmured. She smiled,
"No, that's the tall guy with sandy hair and huge white wings.We met the other day.I'm Isabelle" She grinned as he fought not to smile in reply, "what? No smart ass reply from Mr 'I've-got-a-PhD-in-everything' McCoy" He brought her down for another kiss, grinning helplessly as he murmured against her lips,
"Oh do shut up"
