Unhealthy

Over the next few weeks, Remy stayed in bed, not even attempting to open the door for anyone. He had lost his hair completely and mainly wore a dark red knit cap when he did receive visitors but mainly stayed to himself in the confines of his darkened bedroom. Rarely getting dressed and when he did, he wore only black sweatpants with a long T-shirt under a movie themed sweatshirt. Occasionally he would peek out the side of his window and watch the other X-Men and/or the children play, talk, laugh about everything they did in their free time.

Logan stood outside the door and took a breath before knocking and listening for movement. He knocked again and turned the handle to peek inside. He knew Remy was in there and could hear him breathing like a scared little puppy but Remy wasn't answering. "Remy-? Remy? Hey kid, it's just me." Logan squinted until his eyes adjusted after shutting the door behind him.

"Go away." Came the muffled reply from under the covers. Remy lay in the middle of the bed, just below the pillow, scrunched into a ball.

Logan sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. "You haven't been outside this week. It's time to get up and move."

"No. An' I don' wanna go anywhere wit' you! Leave me alone."

"Well you ain't doin yerself any good mopin." Logan grit his teeth. "C'mon. I don't care if yer naked or wearin Cookie Monster pajamas, yer goin outside for at least 10 minutes." He stood up and turned back to look at the covered lump. "It ain't that bad out there, and the sun's goin down so, you don't have to worry about the sun in yer eyes."

Remy twitched but didn't move. "Non. Don't feel like jokin, Logan. Leave me be, kay?"

Sighing again, Logan reached down and yanked the covers off to see him still curled up and wearing long, flannel Cookie Monster pajamas and clutching a stuffed white kitty that purred when squeezed. "C'mon, I said yer gettin up." Holding Remy's legs over one arm as the other cradled his back, Logan picked him up and held him close. He was cold and gave Logan a slight chill as he held the faint boy close to him. "Damn yer freezin. We're gonna have to get you outside more often."

"Put me down, please." Remy hadn't the strength to be upset, let alone resist. His head lay on Logan's shoulder as he burbled his protests. He was carried down the stairs, through the foyer and out onto the front porch. As Logan set him down to stand by himself, he held tightly to the sturdy man. Squinting his eyes as the last remaining bits of sunlight had blinded him, he held up his left hand and turned to face Logan. "Now dat I'm here, take me back, please."

Logan shook his head. "Nope. You need to spend a bit more time outside, and we still have 9 minutes to go. C'mon, there's somethin' I wanna show you." Helping Remy over to a bench on the far right side of the property, he sat down beside him and removed a pair of black sunglasses from his back pocket. "Here." Placing on Remy's face, Logan then pointed at the horizon. "Beautiful, ain't it?"

Remy's voice was monotonous. "Outstanding. Take me back, please." Sarcasm had filtered through and lack of heading Remy's plea was beginning to upset him. He sighed in anger but didn't bother to move from his seat.

Walking up behind them, Storm and Jean came around to say "hello" to them and see how Remy was fairing. Remy greeted them and held a hand up as if to hide behind it.

"Remy, would you be joining us for dinner, tonight?" Jean asked as she rubbed his back. She sat down beside him on the bench.

"Non."

Logan sighed inwardly and nodded. "He'll be there if I have to carry him to the dinin room, also."

Storm knelt in front of him. "Remy, it's fine if you wish to dine alone but, we do miss your company at the table." She smiled as she stared at her long-time friend.

"Not hungry tonight. Non. Jus' go away, leave me alone." Struggling to stand up by himself, Remy headed back for the house but on the twentieth step, he clutched his stomach and fell to his knees, heaving empty stomach fluid into the grass. He knew they were staring at him but he made no effort to move or hide what he had done.

Looking to Logan, Jean bit her lip. "Maybe tomorrow." Calling for Hank with her mind, she got up and went over to where Remy still knelt on all fours.

When Hank arrived with his medical bag, Remy was lying on his back, in the grass and staring up at the sky. "Hm. We're going to have to get him to the med lab. Sorry to cut your evening outside short, Remy."

"Dat's alright, didn' want to be out here, anyway." Grumbling as Hank helped him to his feet and refusing to be carried but, accepted assistance from Jean and Hank back inside.

*******

Remy spent the next three nights in the med lab, lying on a cot with five blankets over him. He curled himself into a ball and turned away from the door to stare at the wall.

A day after that, he was feeling a bit better and sat up to chat with Jean as she examined him. His stomach wasn't hurting and the gurgling sound he heard meant that he was actually hungry. "D' you t'ink I could get somet'in t' eat? Tired of applesauce." He smiled as she set down her instrument and smiled up at him.

"I think we can do that. Do you want to eat down here, or go for a walk upstairs?" She was hoping he would pick a walk upstairs for exercise but also to help him slowly come back to being with other people.

Remy looked to the ceiling a moment before glancing at the clock that hung on the far left wall and then back to her. "Walk."

Smiling, Jean helped him down off of the table and gave him a sweatshirt to wear over his T-shirt. His red cap was always present and he occasionally reached up to make sure it was there. He wore black sweatpants that had looked a bit big for him but Jean gave him a cord to tie around his waist to keep them up.

Helping him down the corridor and into the lift was the easy part, getting him out of the lift after hearing several noisy children wander by, was the hard part. "Remy, hunny, It'll be just fine. I promise, no one will laugh at you. Just let me open the door so I can show you we're alone, alright?"

Remy hummed and shook his head nervously. His arms out to the sides as he stood in front of the door. "I think I wanna go back now."

"Remy, it'll be okay. Just, let me open the door..... and then we can go get something to eat, and I'll take you right back." Her voice was calm as she stared straight into his eyes, placing her hands gently on his shoulders. "Good," she smiled as he nodded and took a breaath, lowering his arms to his sides.

Opening the door and guiding him to turn around, Jean rubbed his back and told him he could look as there were no children in the halls. "Come on,....." she said softly. She guided him to the cafeteria and stopped in front of the door. "Do you want me to go in for you? We'll eat out here?" Not telling him that it was crowded in the lunchroom, although he heard, she let him decide and smiled sympathetically as he nodded. "I'll be right back,okay? Just sit here, on the step, and I'll be back in a few minutes."

He sat down and watched as she disappeared into the room. Blinking and looking around, Remy froze at every sound he heard that resembled a child. It had been his experience that- child or not- people could be cruel without meaning to be. Remy had taken pride into how he presented himself, and it wasn't in his best interest to have anyone other than who he wanted, see him in his present state. When the door opened again, he held his breath in until he saw Jean, and released it slowly. His chest was beginning to ache and his stomach would not silence its demand for food.

Jean placed the tray of cooked carrots and cut up bits of chicken, noodles and bread with jam, on his lap. "I had them put together some easy food that won't upset your stomach. I also had Logan run out and get you something- not applesauce- but it will help your digestion." Pulling out a small bottle of banana and pear baby food from her labcoat pocket, she showed him the label and carefully concealed the rest of the bottle in her hand. "Is that okay? I have a plum one, too. Logan said you liked plums and bananas." She sat down beside him and checked the area with him to reassure him that they were alone.

Remy nodded and looked away as she unscrewed the top and set it on her lap before retrieving a small spoon from the same pocket before holding a bite up for him. Looking back at the spoon, Remy couldn't help but feel degraded and reduced to being a baby as he opened his mouth and let her feed him. It was good, so far. He paused before another bite as the door opened again and backed away from her as a hand came up to hold the door before Logan peered around to see them.

"Hey, how ya feelin'?" Logan smiled and closed the door behind him before kneeling in front of Remy and placing a hand gently on his left calf. "Feelin' any better?"

Forcing a smile back, Remy nodded as his voice was lost.

Another spoonful was held up for him and as he opened his mouth, he watched Logan carefully take the spoon from Jean and casually feed him. The baby food was good but it was doing little to sate the hunger. Remy was slightly surprised to see that he could keep it down when the first bite of applesauce made him sick. He was happy when they finished the bottle and Jean tucked it back into her pocket before they moved on to the chicken and noodles.

The food was cool but Remy didn't mind, he was just hungry and glad it was something solid. Logan fed him what was on the tray but paused as the door opened again and two teen students came out.

Snickering and whispering as the three of them sitting on the stairs, the two boys stopped and stared wide eyed as Logan turned and stood up to growl at them.

"Beat it." He watched them run up the other staircase before turning back to Remy and Jean. "Try and eat some more?"

Remy shook his head. "Go back now, si vous plait."

"Please? You hardly ate your chicken--"

"Now!"

"Okay."

Jean stood up and took the tray and spoon, deciding that Logan could take him back and spend time with Remy as she went back into the cafeteria.

Logan looked up to the top of the stairs and had an idea. "How about, I take you up to my room,.... give you a bath..... and we can lay down together? You can sleep in a real bed instead of a cold medical room."

Nodding reluctantly, Remy let Logan pick him up and carry him upstairs, laying his head on Logan's shoulder, he closed his eyes.

Logan inhaled and tried not to blanch at the scent of cancer and death that clung to Remy. Clearing his throat and turning the knob on his door, Logan placed Remy on the bed while he went into the bathroom to fix a bath. When he came back, he undressed Remy and then himself and carried the frail young man to the luke warm bath and eased them both down into the water. "Doin' okay?"

"Oui." Remy curled up closer against Logan's chest as handfuls of water began to caress his skin.

Next....