Here's 23 for you all. Thank you again for your kind thoughts, and I hope you all enjoy this one. PS...it's looking like there will be 2 (possibly three) chapters left of this story.
When we finally made it outside the compound and I felt the cool breeze on my skin, I allowed myself to stop. Before I could relax, however, my grip tightened on Scott's hand at the sight before us. A large, black helicopter stood a short way away, its main rotors still spinning. I watched as a man in a wheelchair rolled down a short ramp and headed our way. He stopped a few yards short and smiled. I glanced toward Scott who first looked just as confused as me, but then started grinning excitedly.
"You're safe now, but we have to go," the older man explained kindly, motioning toward the helicopter. The other stared moving forward, but I pulled myself from Scott's grip.
"What are you doing?" he muttered while looking slightly to my left.
I glanced at Emma and then back to Scott. "I can't leave without him," I explained softly. "You go with Wheels over there…I'll be fine." I reached over and gave Scott a squeeze.
"No, you need to –"
"I need," I interrupted, "to find Logan. He's the only family I have…and you don't leave family behind. Not ever." I pushed myself away from Scott who finally allowed Emma to lead him to the strange man and helicopter. I stood still, wanting to make sure they took off all right and made it away from the Island. I'm really not sure how long I stood there before I heard a small cough behind me.
I whipped my head around and groaned. "Oh God…"
"No, ma chere, Remy will do just fine." I rolled my eyes at the Cajun before me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as he shifted one of his arms around my waist. He raised one of my arms around his neck and held it in place to make sure I was steady and wouldn't collapse. Now that I had stopped running, the pain in my body was quickly coming to the forefront of my mind.
"How do you think your boy toy got here?" he responded with a chuckle. I flushed and shook my head. "You, ma chere, look like shit."
"And here I thought you were supposed to be charming…asshole." I turned my face away from his as he led me around the outside of the main compound. Grateful he wouldn't make me go back in, I released a small smile.
"Hey…where is Logan? Is he okay?" Immediately my thoughts moved in the worst possible direction.
"Relax, he's fine! We split up to find all of you and look, I won." He threw me a wink and a rolled my eyes again. I cringed. The eye rolling needed to stop. Every time my eyes changed direction to quickly pain seared through my skull like lightning. Or maybe I just needed to not be around someone so infuriating.
I released a cry of pain as Remy gripped my side a little tighter.
"Shit," he muttered, setting me down.
"What are you doing? We need to find Logan," I urged, biting my lip. I felt him place a hand softly onto my left side and I cringed, trying desperately to hold back my tears. I watched as he reached to unzip the top of my red jumpsuit, but I slapped him away. "Get off!" I cried.
"Stop! Nadya, I need to see how bad it is…come on now girl!" I glared at him as once more he made for the zipper at my collar.
"Don't –" I asked softly.
"Don't worry, it's okay…" I looked away as he brought the zipper down to my waist and eased my arms from the sleeves. I blushed heavily despite the perfectly adequate tank top covering me. I knew he wanted to check my side, but I knew he could see my burn. I don't know why I cared…I barely knew the guy. He hit on me in a bar for Christ's sake. But that didn't make my unease dissipate any faster.
He carefully lifted up one side of my tank top and I hissed out a breath. "Okay, that hurts," I muttered.
"Well yeah! You've got a couple a ribs ready poke out through your skin, girl. Shit, you done walking…come on." He helped me to my feet and then, without warning, had me in his arms.
"You don't have to –" I tried to argue, but man did it feel good to be off my feet.
"No way are we meeting up with Logan and have him thinking I didn't do everything to keep you safe. Besides, ma chere, you weigh about as much as a bird." I rolled my eyes again, but allowed myself to lean into Remy's chest.
We moved in silence for a while before we found ourselves in the main part of the Island. I looked around in disbelief at the destruction surrounding us. One of the cooling towers had been completely destroyed with chunks laying in waste throughout the area. It was nearly impossible to get a clear line of visibility due to the dust still settling in the air. I coughed and tried to clear my lungs, but nothing helped.
"Where is he?" I asked, continuing to glance left and right.
"Over there," Remy replied with a grin. "Come on." I looked over and grinned, finally seeing Logan ahead of us. He was sitting on the ground with his back to us, so I urged Remy forward. I needed to make sure he was all right.
"You're okay," I exclaimed gratefully.
"The police will be on their way and they are not going to like what you've done," Remy stated seriously. I watched as Logan slowly stood and turned to face us. I shrunk back at the look of confused rage on his face.
"Who the Hell are you?" he asked forcefully. He glanced from Remy to me and stepped forward. "Where the Hell am I?" I blinked rapidly, unsure of what was going on.
"Hey relax," Remy ordered.
"How did I get here?" Logan shouted as he took an aggressive step forward. Remy set me down and stepped between me and Logan. I had no clue what was going on, but it was freaking me out to no end.
"I brought you here…don't you remember?" Remy asked slowly, hands raised slightly.
"Who the Hell are you?" Logan asked again, rushing forward and taking hold of Remy's shoulders.
"Stop!" I cried.
"I'm a friend!" Remy assured him. "A friend."
"What's my name?" Logan growled.
"Your name is Logan…" Remy replied softly.
"Logan, we have to go…come on," I begged. "Let's go." His eyes met mine and in that instant I knew…I knew that he didn't. There was no recognition, no familiarity, no compassion…he didn't know me.
We stood in silence as the siren grew louder in the distance. Finally, Remy turned to me and shook his head. "We need to go."
"But Logan –"
"I'll find my own way," he muttered. And before I knew it, he was gone. I was left standing in the debris layered waste with only the man I had met a day or two earlier and my own pathetic company. Remy turned to me and moved to pick me up again.
"Come on," he urged, lifting me into his arms once more. I only nodded blankly. My oldest friend…my family, because that's what I told Scott Logan was…was gone. He didn't know me, so he didn't even know how much his absence hurt me. No…not his absence…but his brief and uncaring dismissal.