Disclaimer: Gambit and the
X-Men are copyright and property of Marvel Comics. I am making no money from this. Besides
getting money out of me would be like getting blood out of turnip, it isn't gonna happen
so don't even try to sue me. Any other characters you don't recognize and the plot in this
story are owned by Tammy Zuleger. Anyone wishing to use them must get permission from me
first.
Recovery
Part One
Tammy
Austin looked up just in time to see the man collapse next to the Harley Davidson. He
called to Tammy in the house and ran over to the stranger.
“What’s goin’ on?” Tammy asked coming out of the house and wiping her
hands on a towel. Then she saw the unconscious man. “Oh my God! Austin, what
happened?” she asked running over to them.
“I’m not sure, he jus’ collapsed,” the Texan explained as they rolled
him over. “Any idea who he is?”
“Oh Remy, what did you get yourself into?” she asked checking his pulse at the
artery in his neck.
“You know him?” Austin asked slightly surprised.
“Yeah, Remy used to live with me. He left before you came to town looking for
work,” Tammy replied.
“How was . . . is he?” Austin asked.
“His pulse is a little uneven and his breathing’s shallow,” she replied.
“Let’s get him in the house.”
“I’ve got ‘im,” Austin said picking up the limp Cajun.
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Remy slowly opened his eyes. He immediately realized he wasn’t in a hospital bed or
on a laboratory table. “Welcome back,” he heard a female voice say from his
right side. “You’re six months late you know.”
“Ah made it,” he whispered, relief pouring over him. “Ah made it.”
“How’re you feelin’?” Tammy asked.
“Tired, real tired,” Remy replied opening his eyes in the dimly lit room.
“What day is it?”
“It’s Thursday, the tenth,” she answered, then glanced at her watch,
“and it’s about seven A.M.”
He nodded and then asked, “ When did Ah get here?”
“Around noon on Monday,” she said. “Why do you ask?”
Remy smiled a little and then lay back in the bed again. “Ah lef’ Seattle Friday
night really late an’ got here aroun’ noon Monday,” he said closing his
eyes. “Made pretty good time, neh?”
“So now what?” she asked.
“Umm, Ah gotta take a leak?”
“You can get up, you’re not naked,” Tammy smiled. “Besides, it’s
not like I haven’t seen what you’ve got before.”
Remy pulled the covers back and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “Who’s
underwear am Ah wearin’?” he asked.
“Those would belong to Austin,” she replied.
“Who’s Austin?” he queried slowly getting to his feet.
“Austin is my business partner, we’re gonna turn this place into a working
ranch,” she explained.
“Anyt’ing else?” he asked going to the door.
“None of your business,” she blushed.
“Ah t’ought so,” Remy smiled.
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“Is dis mine or some odder guy’s underwear?” Remy shouted from the bathroom
a few moments later.
“It’s yours,” she replied smiling.
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“Ah’m so hungry, Ah could eat a horse,” Remy said putting on a bathrobe.
“I s’pose you could eat the one in the barn, but I don’t think Austin would
be very happy. He’s kind of attached to it,” Tammy replied jokingly.
“Ha, ha, got any real food?” he asked following her into the kitchen.
“Well, there’s some goulash, Austin’s Texas chili, and some beef
roast,” she said turning on the lights in the kitchen.
“Ah’ll have de chili,” he said sitting at the table.
“You sure? It’s really spicy,” she warned.
“Chere, you forget who you talkin’ t’. Ah put de ‘spice’ in
spicy,” he smiled and leaned back in his chair.
“It’s your stomach,” she said turning on the burner under the pot.
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Remy lay in bed dozing away the afternoon. As he lay on the verge of sleep he noticed that
his stomach felt a bit queasy. He rolled over hoping to find a more comfortable position.
Unfortunately every time he moved, he felt worse and worse.
Suddenly he felt his stomach begin to rebel. Remy leaped out of bed and ran to the
bathroom. He fell to his knees in front of the toilet and emptied his stomach into it.
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“Remy, are you O.K.?” Austin called from the hallway. He had sensed Remy’s
distress with his empathy and had come to check on him.
He was answered by more retching sounds.
Austin tried the knob and found that the door wasn’t locked. So he opened the door
and went in. Austin found Remy gripping the edge of the toilet bowl and vomiting up the
contents of his stomach.
Then he kneeled down by the sick Cajun and put his hand on his forehead to help support
his head while he threw up. “Let it happen kid, jus’ let it happen,” he
softly said in his usual Texas drawl. Austin gently reached out with his empathy to calm
the young man. “It’s all right. Tain’t nuthin’ ta be ‘shamed or
‘mbarrassed ‘bout.”
Several minutes later Remy’s stomach settled and he sat there with his eyes closed
while his breathing returned to normal. He sensed someone big reach over and flush the
toilet. Then whoever it was went to the sink and filled a glass with water. Remy sensed
the man, at least he thought so by his size, kneel down next to him. “Kid, you okay?
Can ya hear me?” he asked.
Remy slowly opened his eyes, “Yeah, Ah t’ink Ah’m awright,” he
answered.
“Here, rinse your mouth out,” the man said handing him the glass of water.
Remy took it gratefully and rinsed the sour and acidy taste out of his mouth. He returned
the glass and then gripping the sides of the toilet bowl, attempted to stand up.
Fortunately Austin was right behind him for as soon as his stood up, his legs buckled. He
would have fallen if the big Texan hadn’t caught him. “Whoa pardner,” he
said holding him up. “Looks like I’d bedder git you back ta bed.”
Remy didn’t even protest when the Texan picked him up and carried him to bed like he
was a little child. “You mus’ be Austin,” Remy mumbled against the other
man’s chest.
“Yep, an’ yore Remy. We met earlier this week,” he replied.
“Ah doan feel so good,” Remy slurred trying to keep his eyes open.
“I know, now you jus’ relax an’ git some sleep,” Austin said using his
empathy to gently put the Cajun to sleep.
Austin lay Remy back in his bed and covered him with the warm quilts. Then he sat in a
chair by the bed to make sure Remy didn’t get sick again while he was sleeping.
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Later that afternoon Austin was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee when Tammy came
home from work. “How’s Remy?” she asked sitting down across from him.
“Better now that his belly’s empty again,” he said getting up to make her a
cup of cocoa.
“What happened?” she asked immediately concerned. “I told him not to eat
spicy food right away.”
“I don’t think it was my chili,” Austin replied setting the mug in front of
her. “Did you know he’s empathic?” he asked suddenly.
“No, I didn’t. Austin, what’s the matter with him? What did he get himself
into?”
“I think someone was experimenting with ‘im,” he said crossing his arms
over his chest.
“The government?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think so. I’m empathic so all I
git is feelin’s an’ impressions. I don’t know who he ran from, but I know
he was bad, very bad. Remy’s scared to death of ‘im. And from what I can sense,
he’s got a good right ta be scared,” Austin explained.
“I wonder what happened to him,” Tammy mused.
“All I can say is that it’s sumthin’ I wouldn’t wish on my worst
enemy,” he replied. “And that boy is doin’ his best ta forgit it.”
“Well, since that’s the case, I think letting him be might be best. What
d’you think?” she suggested.
“I think you’re right, he’ll talk when he wants ta,” Austin agreed.
“Oh by the way, he just woke up if you want ta check up on him.”
“Thanks Austin,” Tammy smiled and walked to Remy’s room.
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“Hey there,” she smiled opening the door. “Heard you weren’t
feelin’ too good earlier today.”
“Non,” he replied opening his eyes.
“How ‘bout now?” she asked sitting beside him on the bed.
“Little better,” he answered trying to sit up.
“Here, let me get you something to lean on,” she said getting up. She went over
to the closet and pulled another big bed pillow out for him to lean on. “Okay lean
forward for me.” Remy leaned forward and she put the pillow behind his back.
“Better?” she asked after he’d leaned back against it.
“Yeah, t’anks Chere,” he sighed. “Damn, Ah’m t’irsty.”
Right after Remy spoke, Austin appeared in the doorway holding an empty glass and a
pitcher of ice water. “I figured you’d be pretty thirsty when you woke up,”
the Texan explained and poured him a glass. “And don’t gulp, sip it.”
“Yes sir,” Remy replied gratefully taking the offered glass of water. He took a
few sips and set the glass on the nightstand.
“I’ll jus’ leave this with you,” Austin said setting the pitcher on
the nightstand and leaving.
“You wanna try and eat some toast or something?” Tammy asked him.
“Yeah, mebbe jus’ some toast,” Remy answered.
“Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said and left.