Logan’s Past 17
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I had no idea what was going on when Logan collapsed into my arms. I was still in the midst of that déjà vu sorta disbelief at what we had just revealed to each other. But an unconscious Logan is not something to trifle with. I got him laid out on the floor, on his back, and checked him to make sure he was still breathing and then for any sort of injury. Not finding any I knew the next thing I had to do was get him to the med bay.
Even though everybody knows of my absorption of Carol’s powers, they still seem to get a little freaked out when I do something unexpected, like fly, or carry Logan’s unconscious form down the hallways. And just because I’ve got all her neat mutations, don’t think I’m totally impervious to regular stuff like strain and exhaustion. By the time I got down to the med bay and plopped Logan’s adamantium enhanced butt onto a bed, I was sweatin’ bullets.
Ok, so maybe the bullets were half from hauling him around the mansion and half was from wondering what the hell was going on with him. I mean, c’mon! We’d just had this other-worldly, emotional breakthrough and – whammo! He’s out cold like last night’s left over meatloaf.
So anyway, in strides Hank, looking his usual fuzzy self, polishing his glasses on the tail of his lab coat. He’s been here a couple of months now I guess, helping Jean out with the usual medical/doctor stuff. He’s in charge this week with Jean and Scott out of town for some ‘couple’ time.
His eyes are on me as he first clears the doorway to his office, but it doesn’t take him long to notice the big lump of unconscious Logan on the bed behind me.
“Oh! My stars and garters!” Yep, that’s our Hank for ya, whenever he pulls out the old ‘stars and garters’ you can be assured that you’ve just shocked him right down to his little blue toenails.
“Rogue, what’s happened here?”
“Logan and I were just sitting in my room talking, he leaned in to give me a hug and the next thing I know his metal enhanced carcass is passed out on me,” that sounds good, keep it simple for the time being,
Hank gave me a once over look, “He passed out on you?!? Are you injured?”
He’s so damn literal, “No Hank, I’m fine, I didn’t mean that Logan landed on top of me, I mean he was just all of a sudden limp and out cold in my arms.”
Sliding effortlessly into doctor mode, Hank gave Logan the full once over. Blood pressure, temperature, respiration count; he never even flinched when Hank stabbed him for the blood work. I think that surprised us both.
While standing around waiting for several of his machines to finish doing their voodoo to Logan’s blood, Hank turned to me and got inquisitive.
“There was no forewarning of this, Rogue? Logan didn’t fall pale or anything? Did he complain of feeling unwell?”
“No Hank, we were just sitting on my bed, talking –” about our recently revealed, very deep feelings for each other!
“Hmmmm, well, at this time his vital signs are stable and he doesn’t seem to be in any sort of physiological distress. The blood work and cultures I’ve drawn will take a bit of time before they’re complete. Is there anything, anything at all that you can think of, Rogue, that might have brought about this fainting spell?”
Well, yeah, sure! But I didn’t want to go blabbing Logan’s business around. I decided to just be honest, “Actually, Hank, there is, but it’s sort of a private matter for Logan.” I quirked my head in Logan’s general direction, “Do you think there’d be any problem with maybe having the Professor take a look around in there?”
Hank is a very sweet, empathetic person. Not that he has an empathic mutation; he just has this ability to read people. I think he could tell that this was a personal matter for me too. He smiled at me, laid a large furry paw on my shoulder and said, “As long as Xavier thinks it would pose no problem to his physical health, and you make sure I am here to counter any unforeseen complications, I don’t see why there would be a problem.”
I returned his smile, gratefully, and patted his paw. Hank then turned his attention to the myriad of machines that were whirring and ticking away over Logan’s blood.
I didn’t want to leave the med bay, so I pulled a chair over to the bed next to Logan and sat down. Taking a deep breath to sort of cleanse and center my mind, I closed my eyes and sent out a call to the Professor.
/Professor?/
~/~Yes, Rogue, what can I do for you?~/~
/I’m down in the med bay with Logan, he’s unconscious and Hank doesn’t know why./
~/~I see. I sense that you have a little more concern for his well-being right now than any of Logan’s other acquaintances here at the mansion?~/~
/Well, yes. He passed out while we were talking about some of the things from his past./
~/~And some discussion was had over what the future might hold?~/~
I could just picture the smirk on the Professor’s face. It’s not like you can hide stuff from a psychic, /Yes sir./
~/~I am already on my way. Relax your mind as well as your body, we will get to the bottom of this.~/~
It didn’t take the Professor long to make his way to the med bay. I appreciated his swift arrival. I think he can probably “hear” the strain someone’s under even if they’re just thinking words at him.
“Now then, let’s see if we can get our friend figured out. Hank, have you come to any conclusions from a medical standpoint as to why Logan is unconscious?”
Hank took a moment to polish his glasses once again. I’ve noticed he seems to do that a lot, I think he uses it as a sort of delay technique, to buy some time to gather his thoughts.
“No, Charles, as far as I can discern, there is no medical cause for Logan’s state.”
“Very well then, if the cause is not medical, let’s see about mental. Rogue, please tell me everything that took place right up until Logan fell unconscious.”
I would very much like to do just that, as I am just as eager to get to the bottom of this as anyone. I know it’s important for Hank to be here, in case anything the Professor does should cause a physical response, but I still feel that Logan would prefer to keep all this under wraps for as long as we can. My obvious reluctance to begin speaking seems to have made an impression on the Professor.
~/~Would you prefer to show me what happened, my dear?~/~
/Yes, I think that would be much easier, Professor. It’s not that I don’t trust Hank - /
~/~I understand completely, Logan is a very private person, even knowing how close he and Hank are, I agree that it would be best for him to decide with whom to share all this new information. Please, just relax and let your mind drift back to the conversation you were having before Logan collapsed. ~/~
I did as the Professor instructed. I tried to calm myself, to hush the din of questions, and worrying thoughts that were rushing around in my head. I closed my eyes and pictured my room; saw myself hunting for the book I wanted. I answered Logan’s knock….and the memory just kept on floating out of my head; like someone had hit the play button for the VCR.
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I don’t know how long the Professor was poking around in my head, taking a look at what all had happened before Logan passed out. I just suddenly realized my eyes were open and I’d felt like I’d had a very refreshing nap. When I looked over to the bed where Logan was, I saw Hank hovering, stethoscope to Logan’s chest; and the Professor. He was sitting at the head of the bed with his hands on either side of Logan’s head. He had his head bowed in obvious concentration, so I kept from disturbing him.
I tip-toed over and lay a hand on Hank’s arm. I raised my eyebrows at him, in a ‘is everything all right’ look when he turned to me. He patted my hand and motioned for the both of us to move away from Logan and the Professor so we could talk.
“Logan is doing fine, Rogue.”
“How long was the Professor poking around in here?” I asked, tapping my own temple.
“I honestly can’t say, I’m sorry to report. I was still collecting data on Logan’s condition when I noticed that you were asleep and Charles had refocused his attentions on Logan.”
I continued to stare at Logan’s still form, “How long has he been working on Logan?”
Hank glanced at the large, twenty four hour clock that hung over the double door entrance to the med bay. “I’d say he’s been in that deep concentrative state for almost thirty minutes.”
I sighed deeply, the myriad of questions and wonderings beginning to pipe up again. I knew all I could do was sit and wait, so I resumed my position at Logan’s side, taking his hand in mine and brushing my lips over it.
At just that moment, some of Hank’s machines began to record changes in Logan’s heart rate and breathing. It was a little disturbing, the quiet of the room broken by the screech of alarms. I was immediately afraid I had done something wrong, when I noticed the Professor straighten up and a broad grin spread across his face.
“Ah, Rogue,” he began with a small stretch and a deep breath, “May I assume you had a restful respite?”
It was hard to concentrate on answering the Professor with Hank scurrying all over, pushing buttons and taking readings and generally going into doctor overload. But the Professor was apparently done with Logan and I wanted nothing more right this second than to know what he found.
“Yes, Professor, I woke feeling very rested, but I have to admit to being back to concerned, scared and very worried,” even without the words, I knew the feelings running rampant through my heart and mind were clearly written across my face.
A wry, enigmatic smile crossed the Professor’s face, and I didn’t know what to make of it. As he turned his chair ‘round and exited the med bay, the Professor announced, “Concerned and worried are very good things to feel, my dear. Scared is not something that should enter into this equation.” And with that cryptic statement, the med bay doors swooshed shut behind him.
I barely had time to try and decipher the Professor’s confusing comment when I heard the unmistakable groan of an unhappy Wolverine. My attention immediately returned to Logan’s now stirring form.
*grooooaaaannn*
The sounds and movements from the bed also had Hank’s immediate interest. He took his position at the other side of the bed. “Logan? Logan, can you hear me?” Hank grabbed onto Logan’s hand, “Logan, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand.”
There was another long, drawn out groan, and then actual words began to form, “Unnngggghhhh, my head! Hank, you’re a good buddy, but I ain’t holdin’ hands with ya!”
Hank chuckled good naturedly, as if he expected nothing else to flow forth from Logan’s lips. I, however, still wanted to know what the heck was going on. Logan was apparently coming around faster than even Hank thought possible, when his next statement caused a look of shock and surprise to flash across the good doctor’s face.
“I know yer concerned, darlin’; it’s rollin’ off of ya like the water over Niagara. Let me get m’bearings and we’ll talk, I promise.”
It didn’t take but two seconds for Hank to compose himself and return to full doctor mode. He fussed and fidgeted over Logan, who was actually quite patient with being a patient, for about twenty minutes before being informed that he was fine and needed to, quote, get the heck outta this over disinfected, fluorescent nightmare of a room; end quote. Logan then proceeded to hop down off the table, grab me by the hand and make his usual exit from a room, swagger and attitude firmly in place
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to this. I had to do some research on other X-men to find out if I needed to create an OC to end this fic, or if one already existed with the powers I needed. This is the second to last chapter! Thanks to all that have read and given FB.