An Unexpected Visitor

Chapter 19

Logan and Rogue went down to the med-lab around 12.00 A.M. the following day. They had barely slept at all last night, since Rogue had not been able to calm down, but babbled constantly about how happy and exhilarated she was, and Logan had not slept either, since he’d been forced to listen to her.
It had taken some time for him to realize the meaning of it, but when he did, he became almost as crazed as she.
Rogue could start touching people again. They could go back to having a normal relationship. If now doctor Lecter’s serum worked.
Whoever that Lector is, we owe him a lot! he thought on their way down.
Logan and Rogue instantly noticed that they weren’t the only ones who had come. Charles was there, as were Cyclops, Storm, and Magneto. And then the “scientists”, of course. Jean and doctor Lecter, looking very neat and professional in their white lab coats and glasses.
Now Rogue was no longer manically happy and talkative. Now she was restless and nervous. Her future depended on this moment. Logan was also tensed up, but he tried to calm Rogue by saying that there was nothing to worry about.
Jean approached them while doctor Lecter was preparing an injection syringe with a sample of the new serum.
- Marie, Jean said seriously. I hope you have realized that there are always risks involved. The medicine has not been tested before, and we can’t know for sure how your body will react.
- I wanna do it, Rogue said, determined to go through with her decision. If you never take any risks, you never get anywhere. Go for it.
Jean looked at Logan. - And you support her decision?
Logan nodded. - Absolutely. I remember when you tested the first serum. It’s the same thing now.
- Okay. I see, Jean said with a serious nod. Doctor Lecter!
Hannibal hurried with the syringe ready in his gloved hand. Together they brought Rogue to a chair in the med-lab and prepared to give her the injection.
But first they gave her a general medical examination. They measured her blood pressure, blood count and asked her if she had felt dizzy or nauseous lately, or if she had been ill.
- I had a cold one month ago, or so, said Rogue. Nothing else. Why?
- It was only a general examination, replied doctor Lecter. But you seem to be a very healthy young woman, Marie. I believe it is safe to give you the injection.
- Go ahead, Rogue said.
She removed her right glove and held out her arm, so that Hannibal could give her the injection in her forearm. It stung a little when he injected the substance, but nothing more. Rogue held her breath.
- Does it work? she asked nervously. When will we know?
- Not before half an hour, at the very least, replied Jean. You’ll have to wait here until that. You have to wait for the substance to diffuse in your body.
Rogue sighed impatiently and leaned back in the chair. She glanced at the great wall clock hanging above the entrance. Mostly a minute had passed since she received the injection. Yet no one would know.
She got up and started walking back and forth. Constantly she looked at the clock and anxiously bit her left thumbnail.
The minutes crept along.
- Don’t we know if it works soon? Rogue said at last.
- Soon, Jean replied and placed her hand on her shoulder. How are you feeling? You are not feeling ill, or anything?
Rogue shook her head. - No... I’m just... nervous, she confessed.
Jean smiled. - It will be alright, Marie. Don’t worry.
But she did worry. The rest did too, that was obvious. Cyclops pulled Jean aside and whispered something to her that Rogue couldn’t hear. She just nodded and whispered something back in a low voice.
Professor Xavier and Magneto sat next to each other, looking serious and resolute. Storm sat by herself and didn’t say much.
Only doctor Lecter appeared calm. He was sitting at a table, with his eyes closed, and actually looked quite peacefulke hke he was having a really nice dream, or something.
He is surely thinking about something else than me, Rogue thought.
Logan tried to keep a straight face, but it could be seen that he was nervous as well, because he constantly lit cigarettes without taking more than a couple of pulls out of them. He seemed to have forgotten that smoking actually was forbidden in the med-lab.
Rogue waited for 35 minutes. Jean said that it was probably safe to try then, and Rogue almost got so nervous she couldn’t keep her hands still.
She - as well as the rest - realized the the test would happen, even though no one had mentioned it yet. The only way to really find out was to let Rogue touch someone without her gloves on.
But before Rogue could ask for a volunteer, Logan offered himself.
- Try it on me, darling, he said and approached her, seemingly cool and fearless, but the corners of his eyes twitched.
Rogue said nothing, but she gave him a grateful and loving look. Then she slowly started pulling off her gloves.
Oh, please God, let it happen... she prayed. Please...
Logan stood in front of her, straight and stoical, and pulled a deep breath when she raised her bare hand to place it on his cheek. Her hand trembled.
- Oh, Logan, what if I hurt you! she whispered.
- Just do it now. If it doesn’t work, you’ll know at once, said Logan.
- But...
- Do it.
Logan was frightened, but he was more than anything hopeful, and was not going to lose the chance of touching her again, after five months of inability to do it.
Without thinking further, Rogue placed her hand on Logan’s cheek. Simultaneously she heard some others in the room gasp for breath. She felt Logan’s warm skin and coarse stubble against her hand, and terrified she expected him to drop to the floor, unconscious, because she had stolen his life force, but nothing like that happened.
Logan stood, as solid as before, and gasped when he realized that it had actually worked.
He grabbed her hand and held it in his own. They had direct skin-to-skin contact, but nothing happened, no energy-transfer. It was just like touching anyone.
Rogue began to scream. She pulled her hand away and threw herself around Logan’s neck with such power that he almost fell backward.
- It’s working! she cried. Oh my God! It’s working! I can touch you! I can really touch you! Oh, Logan...
Logan held her tightly and laughed too. Or then he cried. He wasn’t sure which.
She took his face between her hands again andked ked at him with shiny eyes.
- Logan... she breathed. Oh, Logan...
Logan bent down and kissed her. He could kiss her! It was hard to understand after such a long time without kisses.
Finally Rogue turned away from Logan and threw herself around Jean’s neck instead.
- Oh, Jean, thank you so much, thank you, thank you, I don’t know what to say... It’s so wonderful.
- Much of this is actually due to doctor Lecter, said Jean. He found the error, and I had never done it without him. You should thank him too.
- Of course. Rogue tried to sound serious, but her face shone like a sun.
Hannibal Lecter had risen from the table and joined the others. Rogue did not fly around his neck, but she just gave him a careful hug, and thanked him sincerely.
- Hannibal... you have no idea how grateful I am to you. You have saved my future.
Doctor Lecter smiled. - Well, I don’t believe I did that much, but I am happy because it worked, and because you are happy. Since that you are, right?
- Oh, yes! sighed Rogue. I am!
The others hugged and congratulated her by turns. When it was Charles’ turn, Rogue seemed to forget he was the school’s headmaster, and bravely kissed him on the cheek.
Charles was not offended. He laughed warmly and grabbed Rogue’s hands.
- I am so happy for you, dear, he said.
- Thanks, professor Xavier.
- What would you like to do now?
- I don’t know... There’s so much... I can’t even imagine everything I’d like to do.
- Would you like a party? the professor asked.
Rogue’s eyes widened until they resembled flying saucers. - A party? she exclaimed.
Charles nodded. - Yes, but only if you want to, of course.
- That’s an amazing idea! Can I really?
- Of course. You can start preparing at once. Invite anyone you want to. Invite the whole school if you wish. I will pay for everything.
- Oh, thank you, professor Xavier! I want to! Tonight already?
- Yes, tonight already. But you should start preparing soon so you’ll get everything done.
Rogue just felt she had to bend down and give him another hug. Then she even hugged Erik, who was sitting next to him.
- You’ll come, right? she asked. I want everybody to come!
- Sure, we will be there, Erik replied and took Charles’ hand in his own. It will be fun. I haven’t been to a party for centuries!
- Very well, you have managed to persuade me, Charles smiled. Just promise me it won’t be too wild.