Cassie slowly opened her eyes, her head was pounding her arm hurt and she just felt like crap. Cassie looked around trying to arrange her foggy thoughts together, then she stiffened when she remembered everything. The truck, throwing Dylan to the side of the road, getting hit, pain, cold, waking up in this same room, and finally Hank. Cassie tensed to get out of bed, she STILL didn't know where Dylan was and that was priority number one.
-Peace Cassandra-
Cassie looked around fearfully she didn't hear anyone speaking.
-My name is Charles Xavier you have successfully arrived at Xavier's School for the gifted. Your nephew Dylan is alright, he's eating dinner with the rest of the children.-
Cassie realized with slight fear and wonder that the voice was in her head, someone was speaking in her head.
-Henry has administered to your wounds, again might I add and I assure you everything between you two shall work out in time.-
Cassie blinked, what the hell did that mean. Cassie looked over when she heard the sound of rustling paper, she saw Hank reading a book and he was hanging from a beam on the ceiling. Her eyes widened as she took everything in, her ex-fiancé was a mutant covered in enough hair -should she call it fur?- to put a shag carpet to shame. She watched him read remembering all those nights from before, when he was human. It was all confusing and stressful Cassie didn't know what she should believe anymore, Cassie felt the tell tale burn behind her eyes start up she looked away from Hank hanging from the ceiling trying to put the emotions she'd been locking up for past couple of weeks back into the box she'd stuffed into.
Hank looked up -or down in his position- when he heard a hitching of breath, he saw Cassie raise a hand and scrub at her eyes furiously. he dropped down from the ceiling flipping in mid-air to land of his feet easily, Hank hurried over to her and gently placed a hand on her bedside.
"Cassie what's wrong do you need more pain medication?" He asked thinking maybe the morphine he'd given her had worn off. Cassie looked at him and Hank felt his heart give a pang at how she looked at him, she looked at him like a tormented animal would plead for someone to stop the abuse and pain. When she lifted her arms to him, Hank didn't think twice when he gently pulled her to him. It was clear that Cassie's body may have changed but it was clear she was still the same on one thing at least. Even when they had been dating Hank had learned fast that Cassie was a crier, she cried when she was filled with joy and under extreme pressure. Happy, sad, angry, or just plain frustrated she even cried when she laughed, if there was one thing Hank had gotten used to it was being the shoulder she cried on. Even after a year of not seeing her, it was still second nature for him to hold her when the tears started to fall, and it was clear to him while she sobbed against his sweater that Cassie had been through the wringer and back.
Cassie clutched at his sweater like a child would to its parent; she sobbed brokenly against him and hated herself for it. She hated crying she hated the fact that she was a crybaby, Cassie hated that she was letting Hank hold her again, even though this fucker had left her at the altar without so much as a goodbye she still let him hold her when she cried. Cassie hated herself so much she was supposed to stay strong for Dylan's sake and here she was crying like a two year old to this man, she hated that he was murmuring soft words of comfort to her, she hated that she was a crybaby, she hated that he was rubbing her back, she hated the fact she was so weak, she hated that he still smelled so good, she hated that she was being so predictable, she hated that he was so warm, she hated the fact her eyes now hurt, and she hated his damn sweater for being so soft!
After what felt like hours Cassie's cries slowed to soft sobs and finally hiccups, the entire time Hank just held her and rubbed her back. Hank looked down at the fragile woman in his arms to see that she'd fallen asleep against him, Hank gently laid her back down on the bed slowly being carefully. He felt reluctant to let her go, but finally he did knowing she needed her sleep.

Cassie passed in and out of consciousness one moment she felt sick to her stomach and ended up leaning over the side of the bed trying to puke but nothing coming up. Heavy hands touched her shoulders pushing her back down on the bed gently, Cassie felt the world spin when she was laid back down. She tried to shake the hands on her shoulder off, but she felt so weak cloth was plastered to her back. She felt cold but her body was covered is sweat, Cassie's legs and arms felt like lead. She whimpered when the hands pressed her down to the bed once more, she tried to open her eyes but only succeeding in cracking them open. Hank hovered over her while he held her back down to the bed, Cassie saw his mouth move and she heard him say something but she couldn't seem to comprehend. But she passed out soon afterwards, falling back into a troubled sleep. Rising and falling from sleep, first she was cold and couldn't get warm, no matter how many blankets Hank tucked around her. Next she was burning up and found enough strength to kick the blankets away from her in frustration. She couldn't get comfortable in this bed she wanted to get up and wash the sweat sticking to her off, but every time she tried to get up Hank pressed her down to the bed. Finally Cassie was able to roll off the bed onto her feet, the tile beneath her soles blissfully cool. Cassie cracked her eyes open to see that Hank had actually left the room. She tried to stand but dizziness attacked her senses and she fell to the floor like a ragdoll. Cassie vaguely was aware of a throbbing in her side now, but other than that she sighed in pleasure as the stone-like floor sucked away all the sweltering heat she'd been suffering.

But it seemed that her body wouldn't stop cooling down, one moment she was sweating now she was shivering her teeth chattering loudly. Cassie laid there on the floor for what felt like forever before she heard a door opened and the sound of someone hurrying to her prone form. The very same hands that had been holding her to the bed now gathered her up and held her. Cassie whimpered she was sick of being sick and she didn't like going from hot to cold and everything in between. Cassie groaned when she was lifted back into that damn bed, she hated this bed for some reason she couldn't comprehend. She sighed in defeat and just let her body sink into darkness for what felt like the hundredth time.

The next time Cassie woke up she was able to comprehend things, and she no longer felt like she was seconds away from passing out again. Cassie licked her dry lips and tried to understand where she was, she tried to move around then realized she couldn't.

"Shhh." A voice whispered quietly.

Cassie looked up right into Hank's face, then she realized she was still in bed only this time he was in it with her, his arms wrapped around her. Cassie was aware of a number of things, one the hand rubbing her back slowly, two how warm Hank was, three how easily she seemed to fit against him, and four just how big he was compared to her. When he'd been human he'd been bigger than her as well but now he was a giant in various ways. His shoulders were broader and as far as Cassie could tell his mutation had given him a larger body in a way of iron like muscles. She could feel the power in his body, it was greater than the last time she'd seen him. Cassie looked at her hands on his blue t- shirt, she remembered how self-conscious Hank had been about his size when they'd been dating he'd always had a body to give a football player a run for him money. Now though he could have probably run a football player down without breaking a sweat. Cassie felt a trickle of fear shoot through her spine, he could have probably snapped her like a twig if he wanted to.

Hank looked down at the woman in his arms, he'd crawled into bed with her because she had simply refused to stay in bed. Also her body kept behaving erratically one moment she was feverishly hot the next she was breaking out into cold sweats. Hank cupped her face and tilted it up so he could look at her face, he could see the gears in her head turning as she thought, her eyes were clearer than they had been before. She wasn't alarmingly hot nor cool to the touch anymore, simply normal maybe a few degrees warm but nothing to worry about. She was probably reaching the end of her sickness by now.

"How are you feeling?" Hank asked quietly.

Cassie looked back into those eyes they were the same eyes, the same striking blue and she felt shame for thinking Hank would hurt her in anyway shape or form.

"Better." She croaked flinching at her fog horn of a voice. Her throat was drier than a desert and her tongue felt like sand paper.

Hank carefully got out of the bed and got the pitcher of water of his desk and a cup. Cassie watched him move about, then she carefully sat up wondering if he'd push her back to the bed once more. Cassie sat up in time for Hank to come back to her with a cup of water, he held it out to her and Cassie took it gratefully.

"Slowly," Hank admonished gently taking the water from her when she tried to chug the water down like a dying fish.

Cassie grumbled in protest but listened and sipped it. There was a long pause, Hank watched Cassie drink her water, and Cassie tried desperately tried to ignore him. Finally Hank broke the silence.

"What happened to you Cassie?" He asked quietly.

"What happened to you," Cassie shot back bristling at the question.

Cassie glared up at him, Hank would have cringed had she not looked like she was about to fall over from exhaustion.

"I'll go and get you something to eat." Hank said turning to leave.

"I want to see Dylan."

Hank paused at the doorway and thought about it for a moment. "I'll see what I can do."

.

Hank exited the med bay feeling exhausted in various ways, mentally and physically part of him craved what he and Cassie had once been. But he crushed that hope flat he wasn't that man anymore, she may have accepted a man with large feet in her arms before. But the was no way she would accept what he was now; he wasn't a man with big feet anymore he wasn't even a man anymore. He thought feeling an immense weight fall on his broad shoulders at the knowledge.