Part Eight

Jubilee cried out as her rib cage shifted and Hank began to re-wrap the most painful of the gashes in her back. Most of the smaller cuts where healing and didn't need wrapping but she had some bigger cuts along her spine and shoulders that needed to be re-wrapped, thought not as much as the first time. It wasn't pain that bothered her, because she now felt none, it was the uncomfortable pull on her ribs that bothered her, straining her insides until she could imagine the pain. Hank coughed a bit at the smell of he disinfectant and continued to apply it to her cuts. Jubilee closed her eyes and Logan squeezed her hand quickly, still keeping one hand around his nose to block out the overpowering stench of pure cleanliness. Jubilee moaned as the sedative began to wear off slightly, the sharp stings of pain a dull ache now. Logan petted her hair, staring at her still form. "Little quicker Hank, the stuff's wearing off."

"I am hurrying as quickly as I can, my friend. To wrap the many injuries takes time." he replied, wrapping a layer of gauze over the largest part of the cuts. Swabbing some liquid onto another cut, Jubilee groaned and buried her head into the pillow underneath her. "The wrapping will all be over in a few moments Jubilee, and then I will give you a painkiller to complete the full examination and see if you are healing correctly."

"Please make it stop." she whispered to Logan, her forehead beading up with sweat as Hank wrapped another bandage around her ribs. He bent in to hear her a little better and her hand went limp in his. "It hurts...so...much."

"It'll be over in a bit, Jubes...just a few more minutes." Logan straightened and glared at Hank. "Hurry it up." he muttered, still holding the weak hand in his.

"Finished." Hank said, sitting up from his hunched over position. "Jubilee, your back is healing remarkably well. After only four days, it seems to be in excellent shape. The larger cuts are closing well and the smaller ones have cleaned themselves up and will be no more soon enough. Now Jubilee, if I was to slip a mild painkiller into your bag, would you allow me to do the full physical examination?"

Jubilee nodded with tears in her eyes. She hadn't wanted others to know about what had happened with Bastion, and Logan had told Hank everything. Hank injected a clear liquid into the IV bag and re-adjusted the tubing out of the way. With Logan's help, Jubilee felt herself being turned over to her back again and laid down on the pillows again, her eyes closed. Tears streaked her cheeks and Logan brushed them away as Hank dragged over a twist-able chair and began to record Jubilee's information on a doctor's sheet. He checked her blood pressure and temperature, then recorded her name and the date, watching as Logan whispered comforting words to the little, beaten child in front of them. Hank recorded everything Logan had told him about the experiments Bastion and Operation: Zero Tolerance had put Jubilee through, frowning and shaking his head the whole time.

* * * *

"Jean?" Bobby called into the kitchen. Pushing open the door, he looked inside to find Jean and Sabine sitting at the kitchen table eating a late breakfast of eggs and toast. They ceased their talking quickly as Bobby joined them at the table and glanced at them.

"What's wrong Bobby?" Jean asked, taking another bite of her toast. Sabine sipped at her orange juice and smiled at him quizzically.

"I just went to ask Kitty about what to get Jubilee, 'cause she's around the closest age here with anything close to similarity, and she practically bit my head off. And to top it all off, she accused me of doing nothing to help Jubilee and spend time with her!"

Jean fidgeted nervously in her seat, not looking directly at Bobby. "Well, we didn't do much...but why would she actually accuse a teammate of something like this, when she is at a much fault as we are?"

"Ah don't know sugah." Sabine stood and dumped her dishes in the sink, licking a bit of egg yolk from her fingertip. "But Ah gotta go an' get Joseph up to take me shoppin'. Ya wanna come Bobby? Ya might find somethin' for Jubilee." she said, waiting by the counter.

"Sure. Uh, have a good morning Jean." Bobby said as he stood to go and get dressed and washed up for the day ahead.

Jean smiled and patted his hand, standing herself. Opening the patio door, she stepped outside and began to walk to the boat-house to wake Scott up from his late sleep. Apple blossoms fell from the gnarled crab-apple trees on the wind and floated down to tangle in her long red hair as she thought of the small girl that she and the others have failed so many times in the past.

(Written by Nova Zion)

* * * *

Later that afternoon, as a hot breeze wound its way through Salem Center, giving little relief to the searing day with humidity climbing into the seventies, and the mercury into the upper nineties, Jean found Kitty in cutoffs and a halter top, sitting on the dock, slender ankles disappearing into the cool dark waters. Sitting beside the young woman, the redhead removed her Burkenstocks and followed suit, watching the breeze ruffle the water and listening to the waves lap wetly on the underside of the dock. "Where's Lockheed?" she asked, referring to the small purple "dragon" that seemed to follow young Pryde everywhere.

Not looking up, the brunette motioned to the mansion, saying simply, "Inside. Dead in front of the AC, probably. He won't come out."

Jean watched as a very large goldfish darted around her feet, brushing gently past her ankles before disappearing into deeper, cooler depths. "I spoke to Bobby this morning," she informed the other woman. "He seemed concerned about you."

"He caught me in the middle of a workout."

"You're angry." The telepath could feel it, even without lowering her mental shields. It coursed white-hot through her, and she reinforced the barriers around her mind to keep from getting swept away by it. "Tell me how you're feeling about Jubilee."

"I'd rather not."

"Please, Kitty, I just want to help."

"Then leave me alone." She stood and began walking back to the house, but Jean followed, her footsteps light as she used her flight powers to keep from having to do any more exercise than necessary on this horrid day.

"Kitty, you can't just ignore this."

"Watch me."

"This won't go away by itself."

"And, apparently, neither will you."

Jean was taken aback. "What?"

Whirling, Katherine faced the telepath, an aura of anger about her. "Okay, you want to hear what I think of Jubilee? A few months back, she told me I was a wimp. That I had wimped out of everything I had ever set out to do. But you know what I think? She's the real wimp. Everything she does is to gain herself attention. And everyone falls for it. And one day, when they finally don't, she pulls this. I'm sick of her. And of course, everyone rushes to her side, just like they always do."

"What are you saying?"

"Jubilation's a smart girl. A genius, if you listen to Logan. If she really wanted to kill herself, she would. This is just another one of her stunts."

Saddened by her words, Jean shook her head, gazing with new eyes upon her teammate. What she had become was nothing more than a walking incarnation of jealousy and spite. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Kitty," she responded and floated ahead, into the cool, shadowy house.

(Written by Dana Night)