PART 3 – WESTCHESTER
Two days later…
The monitor glowed alive in the med-lab's sterile environment. Mikael read the various entries filed under Logan's name. Mikael's mind almost stumbling in it's assimilation of the extent of information listed in front of him.
Mission after mission filed past him. Impalements, gunshot wounds, poisonings, stabbing, limbs pulled from joints, concussions, various mutant attacks of diverse natures… and the list continued.
A personal footnote caught Mikael's eye: "The entire school, excluding Gambit and Scott who are currently on a mission, has been bought down by a particularly nasty strain of the flu. Logan's incredible healing prowess has once again saved him the hell of congested sinuses and he is the only one not to suffer from this winter's affects."
Approaching footsteps sounded from the next room. Reaching over and switching of the computer, Mikael leaned back on the counter feigning interest in the test tubes.
Jean walked around the corner and saw Mikael studying the equipment.
"How is he doing?" he asked. Looking up, he smiled at her, tail swishing.
Jean returned his smile. Putting down the clipboard she said, "As fine as is be expected."
Mikael stood up. "Regained consciousness yet?"
"Briefly," Jean sighed. "He should be up and about by the end of the week."
Walking over to where Mikael was standing, she looked at the tubes he was starring at so intently. They contained blood samples. Picking up the tray, she placed it into the medical fridge next to her.
Mikael watched her. "Those are samples from your X-Men team, yes?"
"Yes," Jean closed the fridge door. "I take samples every month to keep records on health levels."
She smiled at him again and started to busy herself around the lab. She had no problem letting Mikael hang around the Med-lab. He was a fellow doctor, but… Jean looked at him closely.
There was something about him she just didn't like. No particular reason. Maybe it was some unconscious broadcasting her abilities were picking up. She would have to speak to the Professor about that.
Although, thinking about it, they hadn't actually bothered to do a background check on Mikael to see if his story corresponded with what he had told them. Another thing to talk to the Professor about. Jean filed it mentally away for later and almost dropped her box of gauze when Mikael voice broke the silence of the room. "I noticed one was missing."
"Excuse me?" Jean turned around to face him.
"One blood sample. One of the team's samples is missing. I counted one short."
"Oh," Jean laughed nervously and started to pack away some beakers.
"Actually, three are missing," she started to count them off using her fingers.
"Hank. He's also a doctor by the way. He helps out the team every now and then. He took Marie's sample to try and work on a block for her 'gift'. Gambit has not yet returned from his latest mission for me to take an updated sample. And Wolverine doesn't need to leave a sample because he is the personification of perfect health," Jean concluded.
"Except when he has a large curved farming tool in his chest," Mikael grinned.
Jean laughed. "Yes, except for then."
"Quite frankly, I find your Logan's abilities quite amazing."
"I can assure you, we all have had a moment when we've stepped back in amazement," Jean ran out of things to put away. "His ability has saved many lives already, including his own."
"I have been wanting to ask you something."
"Sure, go ahead," Jean leaned back against the counter.
"Why where you there? And please do not misunderstand me. I'm immensely glad that you were."
Mikael held his throat and rubbed it.
"I'm sure you were," Jean laughed, thinking quickly about how best to give the details without giving too much away.
"About three months ago, Wolverine volunteered to infiltrate one of the core cells of the 'Friends of Humanity,' an anti-mutant group. His main target being information gathering. Logan is one of the easiest members of our team to infiltrate with humans. That is if we can get him to behave and make some minor adjustments."
Jean laughed inwardly at her reference to Logan's 'hair cut.'
"He was very good. He actually managed to rise to one of Dawson's personal guards in only two months. He contacted the team last week. Dawson had mentioned being involved in the Chicago mutant riots ten days ago and had suggested using more violent force in the future. Twelve mutants where killed and anyone with any connections to the event was wanted by the government."
Jean continued her story. "Logan suggested that his assignment should culminate in Dawson being taken by us and handed over to the authorities. Dawson is notoriously hard to find, almost mythical in his appearances and always well guarded. Fortunately, Logan knew about Tuesday's barn meeting. We where there to get Dawson. It was just fortunate that we got you too."
They where silent for awhile, each pondering their own thoughts and the events that lead up to the currant situation. Mikael was the first to speak, his soft accent breaking the quiet in the lab.
"May I ask you another question, Dr. Grey?" Mikael asked.
"Please, Mikael, just call me Jean… and yes, go ahead."
"Would you think it would be possible for me to get a blood sample from him? Logan, that is." Jean stood still for a moment, "No. I'm afraid not."
Mikael opened his eyes wide and shook his head. "I'm sorry if I have offended your practice, uh… Jean. I am just so intrigued by his mutation that I would love to have a sample to work on."
Jean laughed good naturally. "No, Mikael, I'm not offended. It's just that you won't be able to get a needle within 100 feet of Wolverine. There is no way he would ever let you or any other doctor near him. Quite frankly, I'm surprised he allows me."
"I'm not really that surprised," Jean added in her head.
"Oh," Mikael looked disappointed, but then brightened considerably. "Maybe I could convince him."
"Not likely. And I strongly suggest you do not try." Jean looked sternly at Mikael who stood by the counter looking dejected.
"I'm finished here for the morning," Jean said. "I'm going up for some lunch in a bit. How about I meet you back here later?"
Mikael nodded in agreement and left. Jean went to the computer to fetch a note and noticed the machine was still warm. The monitor gave off static when she touched it. She hadn't used it all morning. Glancing at the door where Mikael had just went through, Jean switched off the lights and went up to talk with the Professor.
Lunch time…
Logan, Ororo, and Marie sat in companionable silence eating lunch in the kitchen when Mikael walked in.
"May I join you?" he asked.
"It's a free country, bub." Logan answered from behind his beer before anyone else could. He took another gulp.
Mikael laughed politely. "That it is." Pulling up a chair next to Logan, Mikael sat down and beamed at him. Logan, ignoring Mikael, put his beer down and dug deeper into his food.
"There is some pasta in the fridge, if you're hungry," Storm smiled at him and pointed to the fridge in the corner. Mikael's tail swayed rapidly back and forth.
"He looks like an over-eager puppy," Storm thought. The tail looked rather revolting, like a plucked monkeys tail, but she wasn't going to say anything.
Mikael's head snapped up to look to were her finger pointed. "Ah, no. Thank you very much. I'm quite fine at this moment."
"Probably doesn't like pasta, either," Marie grumbled over her plate. "Logan took all the good stuff—again." A noodle slipped off her fork and she made a face at it.
"It's disgusting," Marie wailed.
Storm laughed lightly.
"It's good for you, child. While you're eating wholesome, nourishing food, Logan over there is eating congealing animal flesh. Which, if it wasn't for his healing abilities, would be at this moment, clogging up his arteries."
"And you're just jealous," Logan said around a mouthful of rare beef. Marie grumbled some more and flung a limp noodle onto Logan's plate. He picked it up and flung it back… into her hair. He started snickering while Marie glowered at him and reached for another noodle.
Ororo jumped in before a full-out noodle war could begin "So, Mikael. How are you finding it here?"
"Most wonderful, I assure you. I am overwhelmed by your Professor's generosity." Mikael bowed slightly.
"And may I take this opportunity to thank Logan for saving my life? Something which I've been unable to do since I arrived." Mikael turned to face Logan and offered his hand.
Logan shifted slightly in his seat and nodded his head sharply. Quickly shaking the offered hand, he muttered, "No thanks necessary."
"Jean tells me you are a doctor," Storm continued, trying to brake the now stiff silence coming from the table.
"Yes… I am," Mikael stopped smiling and turned his head to once again face the man next to him.
"I have been pondering over your abilities, Logan, and quite frankly, I find them quite astounding. I wish to ask something of you, which, considering that I owe you, is not polite, but the doctor in me screams at the possibilities."
Marie stopped playing with her food and watched Logan cautiously as he continued to eat on as if Mikael wasn't even speaking to him.
"I was wondering, Logan, if I may get a blood sample from you," Mikael concluded.
"Oh, no!" Storm thought moving her head to look at Logan. His eyes didn't look away from his plate as he continued chewing.
"No," Logan replied bluntly.
Mikael didn't look the least bit fazed and he carried on.
"Jean told me you would not approve of a sample, but think of the possibilities. With just one test tube of your blood, the cures your healing abilities could provide are…," He fumbled for a word. "Immense. Think of the…," Mikael continued to rattle on.
Rogue and Storm could both see the warning signs. They could almost feel Logan's hackles rise, but obviously Mikael couldn't because he just went on and on. Logan stopped eating and seemed to have froze in place. Storm looked frantically at Mikael trying to get him to look at her.
And to be quiet.
A low growl issued from Wolverine as he snarled and spun off his chair. "SNIKT"
Chairs went crashing down as he dragged Mikael from his seat and pinned him to the fridge. Storm gasped at the abruptness and violence of Logan's movement. He had a claw on each side of Mikael's face and the third middle one was grazing his throat.
"LOGAN!!" Storm shouted.
Barely breathing, Mikael looked at Logan calmly, staring him in the eyes. Logan held him there for another heartbeat before dropping the tailed mutant to the floor. He made a disgusted sound and slammed his fist in the fridge leaving a large dent.
"I said NO," Logan spat out between another growl.
Marie followed Wolverine as he stormed out of the kitchen. She stopping briefly to speak to the bruised Mikael.."He doesn't like doctors, especially ones who want something from him."
She ran off in search of her friend to try to calm him down before he caused anymore damage.
That evening…
The dinning hall buzzed with mutant activity.
The kid who could stretch was once again getting a lecture from Scott after once again reaching and grabbing food from the end of the que and denying the kid who could create illusions the last portion of the chocolate mousse.
Rogue sat with her best friends, Jubilation Lee and Kitty Pride.
They watched Scott give his lecture. Marie watched the latest mutant to be saved by Wolverine, Mikael, who was watching Logan.
"I don't like him."
"Wha?" Jubilee turned to face Marie and nearly sent her green Jell-O into flight from her spoon.
"Him… Mikael," Rogue broke her watch to start eating her now not so warm meal.
"Oh… him," Jubilee peeked over Marie's shoulder. "You know, he's always watching Wolvie."
Nothing got passed Jubes.
Chewing her Jell-O thoughtfully Jubilee said, "Could be some sort of crush, you know. Post rescue infatuation."
She swallowed. Looking over to Marie, Jubilee's eyes lit up like she had just hit upon some priceless bit of knowledge.
"I warned you about giving him that haircut. Before he was, like, all hairy. Major hairy. Now, he could make Ricky Martin swoon. Well, at least before it all started to grow back in."
Kitty nodded in agreement. "His hair grows really fast."
Marie gave them both a filthy look.
Jubes ignored her and peeked over Kitty's shoulder to look at the main table were the X-Men adults sat.
Logan sat at the end, back against the wall, feet on a spare chair, listening to Storm talk about something. If Marie had decided to sit at the adult table, Logan would have spoken to her almost exclusively. Tonight, Marie decided to sit with her old friends.
"All the better to keep an eye on Mikael," Jubes surmised. Logan had already finished his supper and was probably getting ready to growl the kids out of line and fetch seconds for himself.
Jubilee turned back to Marie who was back to staring at Mikael. He was now busy leaving the dining hall.
Pushing her chair away from the table, Marie got up. "Ah'm gonna go finish up some stuff. Ah'll see y'all later."
Her friends watched her walk out. "What she really means is, she's gonna go keep an eye on that creepo," Jubilee said.
Kitty nodded her head in agreement as Jubes chewed her green Jell-O thoughtfully.
Logan listened halfheartedly to Storm. He was concentrating on the window beside his head. He was watching Mikael in the window's reflection, watch him. The guy had been staring at him throughout the entire meal. Finally, he turned from Logan and got up to leave the room.
"Logan… earth to Logan."
Storm's voice cracked through Logan's mind. "Huh, what?"
"What on earth is so interesting out there?" Storm looked at Logan as if he had gone mad. "It's pitch dark."
Gathering his plate, Logan pushed his feet off the spare chair and stood up. "Good eyesight, darlin'. It's amazing what those squirrels get up to after dark." He winked at her. "I'm going for seconds."
Storm sighed. "I'm still busy with firsts."
"Sure…" He left the table making sure the kids knew he was coming. They all quickly pretended to have gotten what they wanted and made off for their tables.
Logan glanced at Marie's table and saw her friends looking at the door. Turning his head to follow their eyes, he caught sight of Rogue leaving the room.
Forgetting all about seconds, Logan put his plate down on top of some kid's who was standing nearby.
Stalking off after Marie, he mumbled distractedly, "Thanks."
"No problem, sir. Uhh… Mr. Logan, sir," the kid called after his retreating back.
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