CHAPTER 45

Laura was stiff in his arms at first and he had a hard time to make her relax and lean her body and head against his chest. Logan felt her hot skin of her forehead against his neck and his sensitive ears caught on her labored breathing, making him panic inwardly. His feet moved faster down the hallway and soon he was jogging the stairs down to the foyer, with the girl pressed protectively to him, rubbing her back gently. She whimpered when he took the last two steps as one. "Shh, sorry, babygirl." He kissed her on the top of her head and sniffed the air. Wolverine followed Jean's scent to one of the classrooms and burst in, making all students jump and look his way, as was the redhead. "Logan?"

He ignored the stares and whispers and strode forward towards the teacher. "You have to take a look at her, Red." He demanded in his gruff voice, his scowl burning into the woman.

Jean placed the chalk onto her desktop and approached the worried man, inwardly cheering that Rogue was nowhere to be seen. 'Got too much for the runt?' "What's wrong, Logan?"

Wolverine did his best to keep the worry banned from his features and voice. "She's got a temperature." He watched Jean place her hand on the girl's forehead. "And Rogue said her tonsils are swollen." The man didn't miss the anger flare up in Jean's eyes.

'Who does that little slut think she is?' She let a faked smile plaster her lips. "It doesn't look bad, Logan. My class will be over in a quarter hour. I'll meet you down in the Med Bay."

Logan's jaw tightened and a low growl rumbled through the air – making everybody, especially Laura, jump in fear. "The kid is burning, Red!" He leaned forward their noses almost touching, he could smell her fear grow at his intimidation.

Jean swallowed and stepped back, her gaze travelling swiftly over her students, "It won't bother you, if we'd end the class now. Please remain quite, the others are still learning." before returning to a very angry feral.

The Canadian turned on his heels and guided the doctor out of the class-room and towards the elevator. During the short ride down he kept scowling at Jean, showing her clearly that he was pissed at her, while he stroked Laura's back gently.

X X X X X

Jean tried to calm the feral's temper and took the girl's temperature, a smear test and a blood sample – during the last one Laura began to tremble uncontrollably and pressed herself further into Logan's side. "See, sweetie, it didn't hurt that much." She smiled and applied a plaster with horses on it to the small wound. "You were very brave, Laura."

She had to admit – only to herself – that Rogue had been right and Laura's tonsils were very swollen and red, so she looked through her medicaments for liquid antibiotics that wouldn't be too strong for the child's metabolism. She found one and poured some water into the little bottle and shook it. "Here's an antibiotic, Logan. Give her one spoon" she lifted a small plastic spoon up, "three times a day with some juice postprandial. She has to take it for at least ten days even when she feels well again. Make cool packings and keep tabs on her temperature." She placed a thermometer in Logan's waiting hand and then stroked Laura's head, making the child flinch away. "You'll feel better soon, sweetie."

The worried feral arched his eyebrow while lifting his daughter up and picking up the medicament. "That's all, Jeannie?"

The redhead smiled at the man. "Logan, this is no mysterious disease, every child is sick sometimes." An idea dawned on her. "But it would be best if Rogue and the baby wouldn't be in contact with Laura or you as long as she's sick. It could be dangerous for Becca to get an infection at her young age."

Logan nodded and turned to leave. "Thanks, Red," he pressed out and placed a peck onto Laura's forehead.

"And Logan, if you need anythi-"

The feral cut in, sickened by the redhead's sweet smile. "I know."

X X X X X

When he arrived at his room, he found a bowl with cold water with ice cubes swimming in it and washcloths on his nightstand and a plastic bag on his bed and the TV running on some cartoon channel. Logan placed the girl down on his bed and called over to the other room, hearing Marie talk quietly to Becca. "We're back, Kid. We got antibiotics."

The teenager kissed her baby's nose and placed the musical stuffed rabbit, Logan had bought on his way to Canada, into the girl's chubby hands. "Ah'm sorry, honey, but mommy and daddy have to take care of Laura now. She's sick. Play a little with bunny." Then she hurried over to the adjoined room and sat down next to Laura. "Hey, sweetie, how are ya?"

Logan frowned and placed the medicine on his nightstand. "Marie, I don't think it good that you're so close to Laura. Jean said an infection could be dangerous for Becca." He lifted one washcloth and turned to face the teen. "What's the bag for?"

Marie smirked and pulled the legs of Laura's pj's up and placed the bag under her bare shins. "Sugah, and AH don't think it a good idea to leave a sick child in the care of a man, who doesn't have the slightest idea how swollen tonsils can hurt." She heard him huff/growl but carried on. "We'll simply be careful with Becca. We ain't the first parents to have two kids with one of them sick."

He grumbled irritated. "Still, you didn't answer my question. WTF are you doin'?"

Marie sent him a sharp look about his choice of words. "Wet the clothes and wring them out." She watched him follow her instructions and took one of the cool washcloths from him and wrapped it around one of Laura's legs. She felt the girl shiver and heard her whimper. "Sorry, baby. But this will help ya to get that fever down." She repeated her action with the second leg and then placed a second plastic bag over the wet fabric, before pulling the blanket up to Laura's chin. The brunette held her open palm towards Logan to receive the last washcloth, which she placed onto Laura's forehead, stroking her hair lovingly. "Tell me if ya need something."

"Choo!"

"Oh, baby." Marie fetched a paper tissue from the box on the other nightstand and wiped the toddler's nose.

Laura stared up at the young woman, confused about the way she behaved. That other woman, her father called 'Red', was without a doubt a doctor and behaved like the ones back at her old 'home', but Rogue was different than the other doctors. She was really nice and seemed to really care. Her attention was caught by a high pitched scream coming from the TV. She knew those devices – the people at her old home used them to teach her things – but the weird blue creatures with white hats didn't remind her to the educational programs she was used to watch. "What tat?" She pointed at the TV and whimpered a little when she swallowed.

Marie smiled weakly at the little girl. "Ah thought ya might want to relax a little and watch some cartoons. Ah liked doing it when Ah was little and sick." The blank stare of the child pierced her heart. "We could switch it off, if ya don't enjoy it, baby."

Logan watched the interaction and was impressed about the maturity and care his young mate showed. How did a brutal animal like him deserve her? "She needs to eat something before taking the medicine," he eventually said, feeling kind of useless and misplaced.

Marie was already in the bathroom, opening the warm water tab. "Ah know. Could ya please fetch the chicken broth from the kitchen? It should be ready by now. Ah'll make her a warm salt-packing for the neck."

Logan stared at his mate amazed. "OK." He was about to leave, but faced her, standing in the doorframe. "How do you know what to do?"

A chuckle escaped Marie at his hitched brow. "That's what mah momma did when Ah was sick."

He let this information sink in and nodded. Marie hardly spoke about her parents and he wouldn't press her to it. "I'll make her a mug of hot milk."

"No, ya won't." Marie said sharply and saw him frown. "Milk reduces the effect of antibiotics."

"Oh."

Marie smirked slyly. "See ya need me."

X X X X X

Kitty watched her neighbor Rogue rest her head in her palm, her elbow propped up on her desk, while her eyes closed every few seconds. Eventually the young mother's eyes remained closed.

Jubilee leaned towards Shadowcat when Scott began to write on the blackboard. "I hadn't thought it possible for Rogue to look even paler than usually, but looking at her now every zombie would look more alive than her."

Kitty nodded. "Not to mention those dark circles under her eyes…" She hadn't closed her mouth when Rogue's elbow slipped away and the brunette woke with a start.

"Is everything ok, chica?" the Asian whispered – it was a good thing the three sat in the back of the room.

"You look awful."

Marie stifled her yawn and tried to decipher the hieroglyphs, she had written in half-sleep. "Gee, thanks, Kitty."

"I didn't mean it like that… well… did you get any sleep last night?"

"Sleep? What is that?" snorted Rogue with a low voice. "Laura had earache all night, next to her sore throat and sneezing, and we made her warm packings and packings with mashed potatoes or garlic for her ears. Logan fetched eardrops for toddlers from the pharmacy some time 'round 11PM and Ah made her a chicken broth in the middle of the night and when Laura FINALLY fell asleep at half past five and Ah was eventually in mah bed, then Becca demanded her early breakfast." The brunette finally took a breath. "And all the time we had to be careful that Laura wouldn't pass on her disease to Becca or that Ah wouldn't, so Logan insisted that Ah would take his healing." 'And then Ah had a growly worried feral in mah head, who doesn't have the slightest idea how it is to be sick!'

'Sorry, Darlin', but I felt so fuckin' helpless!'

Marie ignored her inner Logan. "And did Ah mention that Ah have mah period and mah stomach and mah back hurt?"

The bell rang and everyone packed their stuff together to walk to the next class-room. "You would think Laura'd have a better immune system being Wolvie's…"

"Damn yes! But she's 24 hours here and already sick!" Marie exclaimed, making her classmates and Scott look her way – she was usually well-behaved and calm. When one boy coughed, she groaned. "If Ah hear someone cough again, Ah'm gonna shoot mahself!"

X X X X X

Meanwhile in Logan's room:

"You need to eat somethin', kid," pleaded Logan, holding a spoon with mashed bananas in front of Laura's lips while Becca crawled in Marie's room towards the connecting door. The baby gargled happily as she reached her father's leg and he groaned stressed, putting the spoon down in the full bowl and lifting a giggling Becca up once again, holding her away from his body in case he had some bacteria on his clothes. "Stop bein' difficult and stay on your blanket, lil' skunk!" He hissed with emphasis, but the girl simply laughed and sucked on her fist as her father brought her once again back to her blanket and baby-gym.

Obviously her father didn't enjoy her new game as much as she did. Logan had already tried several times to put her into her crib, but every time she began to cry like it's the world end and then he returned her to her blanket. He was already on his way back and turned around to see his little shadow crawl his way. "Becca!" The baby sat onto her bottom and looked up at him innocently with her large hazel eyes – Logan had been insanely proud when it turned out that Becca's eye-color took after him. With a growl that would have scared his students shitless, he approached the girl picked her up and delivered her to her toys on the floor – Becca laughing all the while. "Stay here! I mean it!"

When Logan returned to his own room, he arrived just in time to see the three spoons bananas reemerge from his clone and cover his beddings. "Fuck!"

"Sor-" Laura heaved again during her apology, staring terrified up at the man.

Logan held his breath and ran to the window opening it widely, before picking the toddler up and carrying her – holding her as far away as possible – to his bathroom and holding her over the toilet when she heaved again. "Jesus, kid! You haven't eaten this much!"

While he tugged bile-smeared strands with a paper-tissue from the child's face, his sensitive ears didn't miss the light padding of a baby crawling on tiles. "Becca! You'll stay the fuck outta here!"

Luckily for him the baby sat back on her bottom in the doorframe and – or maybe not so lucky for him now – made a face before whining and spitting her supper onto the marble-tiles. "Christ!" Logan felt his last ounce of strength leave his body and he slumped down to his knees, leaning his back against a shelf with Laura placed on his lap, still hugging the porcelain. "I don't believe this is happenin'…"

X X X X X

Her classes were finally over for today and Marie was looking forward to snuggle into her bed and resume her nap from Storm's class.

"Rogue?"

The brunette slowly turned around to see Scott approach her. "Hello, Mr. Summers." She stifled a yawn.

Scott began walking next to her and scrutinized the girl. "Is everything alright?"

"Umm, yes."

"You don't look like it. Are you sick?" He asked concerned and watched her open the door to her room.

Marie smiled weakly. "No, Logan gave me a little of his healing. Ah just didn't get enough sleep last night."

Jean had checked on the pair twice the evening before and seemed a little worried – Scott had decided was the right term – that they had turned down her offer for help with the sick child. "Is Laura better?"

Marie sighed and stepped into her room. "Ah hope so." There she was greeted by the sound of water running in her bathroom. "Hey, Ah'm back. How ar-"

Logan poked his head from her bathroom, looking anxiously towards the crib. "Shhhh!" But it was too late and baby Becca began her brawl. "Fuck!"

Marie threw her books onto her bed and rushed over to her crying daughter, lifting her up and cradling her small body to her chest. "Shh, honey."

Meanwhile Scott observed the big bad Wolverine, who looked everything else than scary – fine he looked pissed, but not terrifying. The feral hadn't shaved, his hair was messier than ever and his eyes were blood shot. All in all, he looked like a man without his healing after a long night with a lot of alcohol. "Geez, Logan, when was your last shower?" He ignored the death glare from his fellow X-Men and saw him return to Rogue's bath. "Hey! Did you already forget the professor's conditions? No sharing of the bathrooms!"

Logan snarled, but then an idea dawned in his tired mind. "Then go into my bathroom, Scooter."

"Why should I?" He frowned suspiciously. "What have you monkey done?"

"I did nothin'." Logan entered the room with a wet cloth in hand and walked past the other man into his room. Scott followed and watched the Canadian put the cool packing onto Laura's forehead, stroking her head gently.

Marie also approached her mate's room and smiled softly. "Hey, Laura, how are you, sweetie?" The toddler only shrugged and returned her gaze to the cartoon, while Cyclops opened the door to Logan's bathroom.

"Oh God!" Scott closed the door quickly as he took a breath of the stench caged up in the bath. "What in the world have you eaten?"

"If you would listen to me once in a while, you would know I said I didn't do it." An evil smirk plastered the feral's features. "Believe me or not, but it were these two innocent lookin' monsters." Logan pointed his thumb towards a blushing Laura and then a sleepy Becca.

Those words worried Marie. "Becca, too?" She immediately felt the baby's forehead.

Logan rolled his eyes at the teenager's immediate worry. "Yeah, but I don't think she's sick, she just took her big sis as example."

X X X X X