CHAPTER 3 - Like Death

I tried for a few minutes to make my eyes open with no avail, once I gave up however they seemed to flutter open. I stared upwards at the immaculate ceiling, White. There was only one place in this entire mansion that had a white ceiling, but why would I be in the recovery room? I racked my brain trying to figure out what happened when it all came flooding back, along with a massive headache and a dull throb of pain in my arms.

"Hank?" I called out, knowing he'd be in here somewhere, once I found my voice. I shut my eyes again, the light started to make the head ache worse. Once I opened them again I saw the familiar toothy grin surrounded by blue fur that belonged to Dr. Hank McCoy.

"Well Hello there! We were wondering when you were going to wake up." Hank said. I managed a weak grin as he turned to check my stats.

"I feel like death." I said, my throat dry and scratchy. He laughed lightly. I rolled my head to one side to look at him. "What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that." He said, turning around and placing a furry hand on my forehead. I sighed and tried to move my neck back to a straight position. Wincing when I realized how much it hurt to move my arm. Hank rushed to my side and gently helped me move. "Does it hurt?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. I tried to sit up on my own, then gave myself a mental lashing for being dumb enough to think I was ready to move. Once again Hank came to my rescue and raised the bed so I could sit up slightly. I never understood why his codename was Beast. He wasn't a beast; he was a huge teddy bear. Completely harmless, unless you threatened to hurt him or the ones he loved. I gave him another smile, looking into the gentle blue eyes that hovered above me.

I looked down for the first time and noticed that there were bandages from my elbows to my fingers on both my hands. I stared at them for a while I guess, picking at a random string, before Hank came over and told me not to.

"How long have I been in here?" I asked. Hank brought over a glass of water and I gulped it down and waited for my answer.

"About three days. We had you heavily sedated for the first day, the second day you mostly just slept and the third day is today and your awake." Hank explained. "But now I have to go tell the Professor you're awake, he wanted to know as soon as you awoke."

"I'm right here Hank." Professor said coming into the recovery room. He wheeled himself up to the bed I was sitting up in. "You gave us quite a scare young lady."

I blushed, or at least I think I blushed. "I'm sorry Monsieur."

He laughed at me and then Hank brought him my clipboard thing.

"Papa hasn't come." I stated to no one in particular. I just stared at the closed door in front of the bed and sighed. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Your father has been waiting outside the room since 5:30 this morning wearing a rut in the floor from all of his pacing. But he can't come in until we make sure you're stable." The professor said, a smile dancing in his eyes. I smiled at the professor, he had always been the grandfather figure in my life. I laughed as the professor's smile changed into a frown.

"I'm not old enough to be a grandfather. Hank am I old?" Professor Xavier asked Hank. I laughed even harder as Hank nodded.

"If you two don' mind, I would like t' see my Papa, before I go back t' sleep." I said feigning a yawn. The professor wheeled himself to the door and opened it, Papa flew in like a bat out of hell. He grabbed my face and kissed my forehead.

The worry showed on his face, making him look older. I gave him the most convincing smile I could muster. But Papa could always see through me. He pulled a chair next to me as Hank and the professor left the room.

"Don' ever do dat to Papa again chere." Papa said kissing my temple. I sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry Papa, I didn' mean to." I said as my eyes fluttered shut. Papa just put the bed back down into a sleeping position and pushed a few stray hairs away from my face.

"You sleep now cherie. You sleep." Papa said as I drifted away.

I woke up later and looked over at the chair where Papa was sleeping. A smile danced across my face and I tried to clear my throat quietly, apparently it didn't work. Papa's eyes snapped open and he moved closer to my side.

"You need somethin' chere?" Papa asked worriedly. I smiled at the look on his face. "What's funny?"

"You are Papa." I said. It was amazing how tired one can be after they put burn up their arms, must be the morphine. "What time is it?"

"Almost 3 a.m." Papa said leaning back in his chair. I sighed and nodded.

"You should go home 'n sleep Papa, I be fine." I said swallowing harshly. Papa shook his head.

"I get you som' water cherie." Papa said and got up to go find me some water. His trench coat was left slung over the back of the chair. Papa hadn't called me cherie in years, it was a comfort. He came back with a glass of water for both of us, I drank mine quickly and then laid back down on my pillow.

"Papa?" I asked as we both drifted back to sleep.

"Oui cherie?" Papa answered during a yawn.

"Who was dat lady?" I asked, but the only answer that came was the snore heard from my father. I sighed and gave into the sleep that threatened to pull me away from reality once more.

A few hours later I awoke to Hank checking my stats with Jean. "Hey."

"How are you feeling Kaley?" Jean asked rushing to my side and putting the back of her hand on my forehead to check my temperature. I shrugged, taking a deep breath and sat up a bit. "We were hoping that you would stay asleep while we changed your dressings but since that didn't work out.I guess you can just shut your eyes."

I shook my head. "I don' mind."

Little did I know that it was a bit more severe then I thought. They peeled off the old bandages and I turned away. The room air hit my arms and gave them a few seconds of a calm cooling sensation. I took a deep breath and looked at my right arm. IT was covered in dead skin, a bit of it was hanging off, the blisters were all popped and the middle of them were shiny and wet. Dried blood was caked in a few spots, mostly on the palms of my hands. The skin was pink and very tender. The look of them made me almost sick, but I hadn't eaten anything so I didn't throw up. I studied the ceiling as they changed my left hand.

"See that wasn't so bad was it?" Jean asked nervously, I shook my head and pretended like it was nothing.

"Hey can I have a cheeseburger?" I asked a few moments later, making Hank laugh.

"Not a cheeseburger my dear but we will find you something to eat." Hank said after he finished his laughing fit. I put on my best pout and Jean winked at me, I smiled back at her.

"Can we find something for me t' eat soon?" I pleaded with Hank. He nodded and went out of the room, probably to find me some celery or something. "Jean? Can you get me a cheeseburger?"

Jean nodded and smiled at me. " You have a bunch of people who want to come see if you're okay.want me to let them in?"

"Oui." I said studying my lovely bandages. Before I knew it the door swung open and everyone walked in. "Hey."

"You okay short stuff?" Jubilee asked me. I nodded quietly.

"Are you sure?" Ororo asked, completely worried with how I was doing. I gave her a smile and nodded again. She smiled back and smoothed down my hair. IT was like having a room full of parents, but I was used to it.

"How are your arms feeling?" Scott asked looking towards my bandages. Well at least I think he was looking at my bandages, you can never tell with his little reflective sunglasses.

"Like I burnt them severely." I said with my regular cocky attitude. "So what did I miss?"

"Absolutely nothing young one, but it has been very quiet for a change." Bishop said. I smiled up at the massive man. "Not that it's a good thing."

I smiled up at all the sympathetic faces surrounding me when I noticed Wolverine standing just inside the door, a confused look crossed my face as I rested my eyes on him.

"Just came to see you were still breathin'." He snarled my way. I nodded. I noticed that Luke didn't come, but I didn't think anything of it. It wouldn't make much sense for him to come. Everyone started chatting at once, to make sure that I wasn't too depressed that Wolverine didn't care.

A few moments later Hank and the professor came in and started talking to me too. I saw Papa slip into the room and stand behind the crowd, trying to make it seem like he didn't leave. Which I had already noticed, I rolled my eyes at him and he gave a guilty smile. I was just about to ask everyone to calm down when Cerebro's voice came over the speaker informing us of the present danger in some country that I can't pronounce.

Scott, Wolverine, Bishop, the professor and Jean fled the room. The people who hesitated looked at me and obviously didn't want me left alone. Papa didn't look like he planned on moving.

"Hey all of you, get goin'! I be fine!" I said shooing hem from my room as best I could. "Papa, you too!"

Papa just shook his head. "I ain' goin' anywhere chere."



"Dey might need you Papa, you go." I stated, as sure as I could make my voice sound. Papa's face broke into a grin and he grabbed his trench coat and left the room. Just Hank and I remained. "Hank, I can see you! You go!"

"I don't think so, what if you need anything?" Hank asked worriedly. I shurgged.

"I can stay here Hank." Luke said walking into the room and leaning in the exact place that his Papa had been a moment before. "I ain't got nothin' better to do anyway."

Hank nodded and ran to catch up with the rest of the team. Luke smiled at me and walked over to my side.

 

 

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