August 16, 1992
It was two in the morning. Alex stumbled through the hall, trying to stay awake. He hadn't managed to get a wink of sleep on the way over. He'd received the call from Sean when he was about to take his last connecting flight to Westchester, to his son and wife.
The call had lasted about two minutes before Sean had hung up. Alex hadn't hesitated after hearing it: he'd changed his ticket to Providence. Apparently SHIELD had a base there. While waiting he'd called Lorna and told her what had happened, why he would be late. With Sinister on the loose they would need everyone on high alert. Westchester also had to know what had happened to one of their own.
He'd received clearance to come inside the base: he'd told Sean that he would be coming after all. A few agents gave him a strange look, wondering what a civilian was doing there no doubt, but he kept walking. They didn't matter.
An infuriating sense of deja vu came over him. He'd done this before, walked a hospital hallway with feelings of horror, grief, and determination coursing through him. He remembered the broken look on Hank's face. The situation had turned out alright in the end, but Carly had ended up losing five years of her life. They hadn't even known that the ramifications would be that far reaching at the time. This time they knew for a fact that something horrible was going to happen.
Alex finally found the right door. He felt old as he watched in and saw Sean seated at the edge of his chair, his hands clenching the rails of his daughter's hospital bed. Alex could see that his friend's knuckles had turned white.
He sat down and looked at Terry. He remembered when she had been a shy little girl who had clung to her father after years of abuse. Alex had seen her grow up, remembered when she had been under his command as an X-man. Terry had come such a long way, and she had fought for every inch.
Seeing her so pale, her bright red hair looking more like a pool of blood beneath her head than hair, was disturbing. He saw the row of stitches on her throat, the heavy bandages that had been wrapped around it. Alex swallowed and looked at Sean.
"Sean?" he asked.
"They're keeping her in an induced coma right now," Sean said, "They can't risk her damaging her stitches. Not right now."
His voice was low, cracking. Alex remembered the way he had spoken when he'd found out Maeve had died, when he'd thought that Terry had died before she'd gotten a chance to live. He swallowed.
"But she's going to be alright?" Alex said.
Sean paused.
"The SHIELD doctors managed to save her life," he said, "She'll be...she'll be alive."
Alex furrowed his brow.
"What aren't you telling me?" he asked.
Sean took a deep breath, sobs shaking his frame.
"They say...they say her vocal chords were ripped out...Alex, they say she won't be able to talk again," he said.
Alex felt the world slow. He looked over at Terry, the girl who had always talked back and stood firm in her beliefs. He remembered her tossing her hair and telling the world that, after so many years of abuse, she wasn't going to let anyone put her down anymore. Lorna had told Alex that she always felt that Terry could be great, if only she could find her voice. She had, and she had been amazing.
Terry was, of course, much more than her voice. However, Alex couldn't help but feel his friend's anguish. Terry had been so outspoken and strong, her voice lending her the strength to stand up to Black Tom in her first battle. He put his hand out on his friend's shoulder.
"Hey, hey, it's gonna be alright," Alex said.
Sean shook his hand off.
"What would you know about it?" Sean said.
Alex felt taken a back. He suddenly remembered how angry Sean had been the last time grief had consumed him. He tried to backtrack, but Sean was already racing down an unsteady path.
"You're always the lucky one, aren't you?" he said, "Your wife, your children, they're all fine! You got married, settled down...you got everything Alex, and everyone you love always gets to live happily ever after."
Alex looked down.
"Not everyone," he said.
Sean looked at him, his eyes reflecting his fury and anguish.
"If you don't get to 'live happily ever after,' then everyone I care about doesn't get to," Alex said.
Sean deflated, hanging his head.
"I'm sorry...I-"
"No, it's okay," Alex said, "Get it all out now if you have to."
"I don't," Sean said, "I don't..."
He took another shuddering breath.
"Terry needs me to be strong but...Alex I don't want to have to tell her she'll probably never speak again," he said.
Alex put his hand out and gripped Sean's shoulder. This time Sean didn't shake it away.
"There's no one else who can tell her," Alex said, "It's part of what being a father is about."
"I know..." Sean said.
Sean straightened slightly and looked out the window.
"We need to work on finding Sinister," he said.
"I've got Westchester on it," Alex said, "And I'll get on it personally. I might not be an X-man anymore, but you don't just waltz out and try to take down Sinister without all of your firepower."
"No, you don't," Sean said.
His fingers tightened on the bed rails of Terry's bed. Alex was worried that he was going to break it.
"That machine that Magneto used at New York," Sean said, "Sinister designed it."
Alex's eyes widened.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"I recognized his signature," Sean said, "And one of the people breaking Sinister out was Sabretooth."
Alex gritted his teeth.
"Then it looks like we'll be having a little chat with Magneto," he said, "Ask him about where he gets his tech from."
"Just like old times," Sean said.
His voice was absent and distant.
"Sean, you don't have to come with us," Alex said.
"I wasn't volunteering to," Sean said.
He looked down at Terry. One of his hands let go of the bed rail. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
"Not until she wakes up," he said, "And even then..."
Alex nodded in approval. Sean was still shuddering, and Alex wondered how long he had been waiting for news of his daughter.
"Have you eaten?" Alex asked.
Sean shook his head.
"Coulson had to go and make sure none of the other prisoners had escaped and...I couldn't leave her," Sean said.
"I understand," Alex said.
He got to his feet.
"I'll get you something at the cafeteria," he said, "Just stay here, okay?"
"You don't have to tell me twice," Sean said.
Alex put his hands in his pockets and walked down the hall. He followed the signs and was a floor away from the cafeteria when someone put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, how is she?"
Alex turned around. There were few people who could sneak up on him and, even though he was distracted and thus an easy target, Alex was impressed. He was a little less happy with the sight that greeted him.
He'd never actually met Deadpool, although Sean had talked about him often. They were the only people that they could really complain about their children to, and Sean had been very unhappy that Terry was dating him. He'd taken their advice about how to deal with the problem, but he had still talked about it with irritation to them.
He'd shown them a picture of the two of them once, and Alex had wondered just why Deadpool had insisted on wearing his uniform in a casual pictue.
"Shouldn't you already know that?" Alex asked.
He knew his voice was coming off as clipped and cold, but he couldn't help it. Deadpool shifted and took his hand off of Alex's shoulder.
"I...I don't. Just...her father wouldn't be happy to see me," he said.
Something clicked and Alex had to hold back a snarl.
"Were you with her when this happened?" he asked.
Deadpool didn't answer, but the look of shame was enough for Alex.
"Right," Alex said.
He clenched his hands into fists.
"She's going to live," he said, "But the doctors think that she'll never speak again."
Deadpool went rigid. He pulled away his hand, looking lost and confused.
"What?" he whispered, "But...she-"
"She's lucky to be alive," Alex said.
Deadpool gave him a desperate look. Even beneath the mask Alex could feel the anguish. Despite himself, he felt a brief stab of pity for the man. Alex ran a hand through his hair. His years as a father had made him soft. Years ago he would have already punched him.
"Look, the important thing is that she's alive. That's what we all need to be thankful for," Alex said, "And when she comes to, you can apologize to her all you want-"
"No."
Alex frowned.
"Say that again?" he asked.
"I'm leaving," Deadpool said.
Alex closed his eyes for a moment.
"Don't be such a coward," Alex said, "After her father sees her and she's-"
"Look, I don't know who you are," Deadpool said, "But you look ex-military, maybe mercenary, damned if I know. Terry's dad runs with some weirdos. But there are things that you can come back from, and things that you can't. You look like the type that knows that."
Deadpool shook his head.
"And I can't come back from this," he said.
He turned around.
"And here I was thinking you might've given a damn about her," Alex said.
Deadpool paused for a second.
"I shouldn't have," he said, "Woulda made this easier."
"Don't be such an asshole!" Alex said.
Alex felt the red light pulsing in his veins, and he struggled to keep it under control. Deadpool chuckled at some sort of joke, but the sound was dark and mirthless.
"I'm the best asshole there is," he said.
He took off down the corridor. Alex looked after him for a minute before walking towards the cafeteria. He thought of Terry, the girl he'd trained, the woman who had depended on a teammate and the man she loved to have her back. It looked like she wouldn't have the opportunity to make that mistake again.
Terry woke up, feeling groggy. She put a hand on her head and her father looked up at her. His eyes lit up and he took her hand.
"Hey Terry," he said.
She managed a smile, and then remembered Sinister coming out of his cell. She opened her mouth to tell him, to say that they had to form a response team at once, but nothing came out. Terry tried again and she saw her father's eyes widen. She frowned and put a hand to her throat.
Thick bandages met her hand. She felt a trickle of panic enter her, and she looked at he father.
"Terry, honey...that woman ripped out your vocal chords...the doctors...they don't think..." he said.
Her father swallowed and tightened his grip on her hand.
"The doctors think it's unlikely you'll speak again," he said.
Terry stared at him, unable to process the information. She swallowed the motion, feeling as though someone had poured fire down her throat. Tears trickled down her cheeks and she broke out into silent sobbing.
Her father moved and gathered her up in her arms.
"It's gonna be okay honey," he said, "It's gonna be okay."
Terry continued to cry, a scream of anguish dying before it had the chance to pass her lips.
