In Fear of Three Little Words

Chapter 6


Kurt lay back in the chair and let Logan strap him in. He closed his eyes and tried to quell the fear still running rampant through his body. But he was afraid. Afraid this was an illusion, a fever dream and that if he opened his eyes he’d find himself strapped to a table about to be carved up like a lab animal. Trask hhoughought of him that way.

“Kurt,” Kitty said beside him. “I have some water here. Are you thirsty?”

Kurt slowly opened his eyes and no laboratory appeared, just Kitty, pretty Kitty. “Yes...thank you.” He pushed back the desire to cry and took the bottle from her.

She handed one across to Logan as well.

“Thanks, half pint. I could suck down about a hundred gallons of this stuff.”

Kurt fumbled with the bottle cap, unable to get it open with shaking fingers. Logan took the bottle and opened it.

“It’s okay, elf. Take it easy.”

“No, it’s not okay, Logan,” Kurt said his voice filled with anger and loathing for how he was acting. “It’s not at all okay.”

Logan let out a long sigh and looked away out the window. “Yeah, I know.”

Kurt touched Logan’s arm, drawing the man’s attention back. “I’m...sorry. Forgive me. I’m not angry with you.”

Logan’s gaze held such regret, such shame and his own self-loathing. “I don’t know why, kid. I’m sure not too happy with myself right now.”

“Logan, it wasn’t your fault.”

“You’re amazing, elf. But let’s save this conversation for later.” Logan reached up and caressed Kurt’s face then turned away to the window again and sipped at his bottle of water.

Kitty hovered, obviously wanting to be of help. She knelt down in the isle and Kurt drank down the water to show her how grateful he was. And he was once the water touched his throat. He drank it down too quickly and waited for his stomach to rebel.

She reached out tentatively. “Oh, your poor face...your head.”

Kurt flinched away.

“It must hurt,” she said and pulled back. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Kurt said realizing he was repeating himself.

“Whose fault is it?” Scott demanded.

“Scott, don’t. Not now,” Jean injected. “He’s hurting.”

“Trask,” Logan spat out. “Not only does he have his Sentinels back, but he’s in charge of some new research horror house for mutants as well.”

“Trask,” Professor Xavier said breathlessly. “What happened?”

Kurt looked around at his interested team mates then flung a frantic glance over to Logan.

“Not now, Charles,” Logan said, acknowledging Kurt’s response to the question. “It’s...touchy and it’s...ugly.”

The Professor gazed at Logan for several seconds then nodded and rolled up next to Ororo.

The others settled into their seats and Kurt felt their piqued curiosity, but also their empathy. And they could empathize for this could have happened to any one of them. Each of them must be conjuring scenarios of what might have happened and none of their imagings could possibly come close to the truth.

*****************

Charles Xavier shuddered inwardly. Extreme agitation, pain, humiliation. He sensed something truly horrible had happened to both Kurt and Logan. Both dodged their own thoughts, chaotically dancing away from thoughts of each other and back again.

Charles clamped down on his telepathy. Kurt and Logan must already feel invaded. They did not need him adding insult to the injury by invading their minds as well. But a terrible foreboding closed around his heart and Charles feared the worst, though he wasn’t at all sure what worst contained.

They were alive. They were relatively uninjured. They were free from Trask’s clutches.

He’d have to accept as reward that he hadn’t forever lost two most valued team members...two good men that he called comrades.

He certainly understood Kurt’s reaction though, still young and world inexperienced. Kurt had learned much in the last few years at the Institute, but four days in Trask’s control had obviously traumatized the boy.

But Logan wasn’t easily disturbed or distressed, a man almost impossible to frighten, yet Charles knew that fear had been a factor even for Logan. Maybe not for himself, but definitely on Kurt’s behalf.

‘Professor,’ Jean sent out to him. ‘I’m very worried about both Logan’s and Kurt’s state of mind. I’ve never sensed anything like it from either of them...ever. Kurt is on the verge of exhaustion yet I sense he’d flee even from us if someone said boo to him right now. And Logan’s mind is...well...most un-Logan like.’

‘Yes,’ the Professor sent back. ‘Thank you for your observation, but don’t invade their thoughts too deeply. Give them their privacy. I think they are in dire need of it at the moment.’

‘Of course, Professor. Will they be all right?’

Charles sensed Jean’s trepidation. Whatever had occurred just might prove to be a challenge for all of them.

‘I wish I knew, Jean. I wish I knew.’