Jean ran in on the heels of Hank. "What's going on!" she cried, taking in the scene before her. Lorraine gently detached Rouge's arms from around her, and helped the other girl to her feet.
Jean took note of the way Lorraine's hands were wrapped around Rouge's bare wrists.
"Lorraine!" Jean began in alarm.
"You okay, kid?" Logan asked roughly, though it was not apparent to whom he was directing the query.
Hank moved towards the girls, reaching for Lorraine, and instinctively Logan's arm shot out, blocking his path.
"Nothing is happening." Logan said brusquely.
Jean regarded the two girls in concern, "Rouge, are you injured?" she asked, the foremost thought on her mind the wellbeing of the children. Rouge nodded, attempting to reach downwards, Lorraine immediately released her arms, and Rouge gingerly pressed her hands onto her ribcage.
"My side does hurt." Rouge admitted. "I don't think anything is broken," she added hurriedly.
"What were you doing in here alone?" Hank asked, examining the smoking ruins of the control panel.
"Training." Rouge answered shortly, the barest hint of bitterness seeping into her voice. "You know nobody can spar with me anyway." Hank looked taken aback, and Jean merely sighed. "Rouge, why don't you go down to medical," she suggested.
"It's only a bruise." Rouge objected, her lips forming into a pout.
"We should still run a few scans," Jean insisted, placing her hand square on the back of Rouge's jacket and began gently steering her towards the thick titanium doors.
"But..okay..." Rouge conceded. As she passed through the doors with Jean, Rouge cast a glance over her shoulder at Lorraine. "I'll see you later then," Rouge called back to her. "What class are you in?"
"I haven't been put in any class yet." Lorraine replied.
"I'll have her come see you later." Logan interjected.
Rouge nodded her assent as she excited the room with Jean.
Hank watched them leave, then turned back to Lorraine and Logan, "May I ?" Hank asked, extending his hand out to Lorraine. Lorraine shot a quizzical look at her father, Logan gave a curt nod, and Loraine allowed Hank to take her hand.
Slowly, Hank examined Lorraine's hand, from the start of the wrist, to the end of the neatly cropped fingernails. "What are you looking for?" Logan growled after a near two minute examination of his daughter's hand.
Hank immediately dropped Lorraine's hand, looking rather sheepish. His expression morphed into one of seriousness a moment later.
"You weren't wearing gloves, or anything covering your hands, were you?" he asked Lorraine. Lorraine shook her head, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
Hank glanced towards Logan for conformation. "No, she wasn't." Logan said.
"Then I don't understand how..." Hank begin.
"She could touch Rouge." Loan finished.
"Yes," Hank said, shooting Logan a look through his glasses. Logan bristled under the questioning gaze.
"No, I don't know how she did it." Logan snapped.
Hank took a step closer to him. "Listen, Logan" Hank began earnestly, "This could be a big discovery for Rouge, if we could find out how Lorraine was able to withstand her touch, we could possibly do something for Rouge. A few tests is all I am asking. You know, now that Rouge is with Bobby, it is more important to her that she..."
"I know." Logan cut him off, trying to dispel the uneasy feeling that had been raised by the mention of 'tests' and 'Lorraine' in the same sentence.
"There's plenty of time to do stuff like that later, I want to get her settled in first." Though Hank was equally intrigued by Logan's insistence on situating his daughter, he said nothing, wary of dissuading Logan from his apparent willingness to stay at the mansion for an extended period of time.
"Alright then." Hank conceded genially. "I'll ask Colossus to help clean this up."
"Fine." Logan said shortly, not at all interested in who was to be saddled with janitor duty.
Lorraine cleared her throat behind them, causing the two men two turn and look at her.
Tendons rippled under the skin of Lorraine's hand as she clenched and unclenched it. "What's going on with me, Dad?" Lorraine said, surveying her other palm.
Hank launched into an explanation as he headed towards the doors. "The girl, Rouge..."
"What about her?" Lorraine prompted.
"She, ah, well, she has poisonous skin, nobody can touch her, and she cannot touch anyone else."
"But, I touched her?" said Lorraine. "Yes, and you are the first and only person that was able to, that I know of." Hank mused, stopping in the doorway and staring down at his watch. "I'm sorry, I have a class." he said apologetically.
Logan shrugged. "Go on then." he acknowledged carelessly. "And so do you." Hank reminded him.
Logan groaned.
"You'll be co-teaching with Scott, " Hank added, then beat a hasty retreat down the corridor, away from Logan's seething disapproval.
"Ah, fuck no," Logan sighed.