My Mutated Romance
Chapter Two
Gerard's head swam as he slowly made his way toward consciousness. He could hear someone moving close to him. What's more, he could smell the person. A woman, for certain. A very light, flowery scent.
It was not something he would normally notice.
He could also smell that he was in a very sterile environment. Probably a hospital, he guessed. Of course. The guys would certainly have called an ambulance after he had passed out.
The memory of it all brought the pain racing back to him. His back felt as though he'd been through a shredder. He couldn't imagine what had caused it. And that wing! He must have dreamed it in his terrible swoon. It was the only explanation.
He carefully opened his eyes. The bright lights hurt his head and eyes even more than usual. He was a night person by nature, and prefered darkness, but this was ridiculous.
"Light," he croaked. "Hurts."
"Whoa there, big fella," the woman said gently. "Just rest a minute, you've been through a lot."
The lights dimmed around him, and he could see her standing above him. She was quite pretty, with red hair and green eyes.
He began to glance around himself. The room was quite sterile indeed, and certainly some sort of medical lab. But it was nothing like any hospital Gerard had ever seen.
He began to panic.
"Where am I? Who are you? What happened? Where's my brother?" He began to shout desperately. "Mikey! Mikey! Where are you?"
"Mr. Way! Mr. Way! Please," said the woman imploringly. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and held him down as he struggled. "Please, calm down! Everything is all right."
"Like hell it is!"
"Mr. Way, please. I promise you, your brother is on his way down here as we speak."
"Who are you?" he asked her again.
"I'm Dr. Grey." She smiled once more. "Jean."
Slowly, Gerard's breathing became normal again. He looked Dr. Grey in the face and said, "How do you know my name?"
"Your brother, of course. And your friends. When we picked you up, they explained what happened." She sighed. "And your brother is quite shaken up by what happened. He'll be glad to see you're all right."
"What did happen?" Gerard asked, feeling fear begin to trickle back into his stomach. "And where the hell am I?"
Dr. Grey was quiet for a moment. She stared off into space, as if she hadn't heard him. Then she said, "I'll explain everything once your brother and your friends are here. They've nearly reached the door."
Less than a moment later, a large, circular door to Gerard's right slid open. A bald man in a wheel chair moved into the room, and Gerard saw that Mikey was just behind him. Mikey rushed forward as soon as he saw Gerard. Frank, Ray and Bob were close on his heels.
"Gee!" cried Mikey as he ran towards the table. Gerard tried to sit up, but the pain shot through his spine, anchoring him to the table. He watched helplessly as his little brother's face showed, at first, relief, then melted into horror at the sight of him.
"Gerard..." Mikey was at a loss for words.
"My God..." murmured Ray. "What the hell happened to him?!"
* * * * *
"What?" Gerard cried, beginning to panic again. "What do you mean? What's wrong with me?" His hands flew to his face.
"Why do I have all of these scratches all over me?" he asked.
"You were injured slightly during your... Mishap," said the old man. "I'm Charles Xavier. You and your friends were brought here for medical attention, and to be kept away from prying eyes."
"Sir, where exactly is 'here?' " Bob asked cautiously.
"Westchester, New York," Xavier answered. "You are at my school for mutants."
"Mutants?!" Gerard once again struggled to sit up. He still couldn't manage it. "We're not mutants! I've seen those freaks on TV! They have all sorts of powers and stuff! We're not like them!"
He glanced around the room incredulously. Dr. Grey's jaw set firmly in irritation at the mention of freaks. The other guys shifted uncomfortably and refused to make eye contact with him. Even Mikey bit his lip and stared at his shoes. Horrified realization dawned on Gerard's face.
"Oh my God... Those wings... They weren't a dream, were they?"
It was not something he would normally notice.
He could also smell that he was in a very sterile environment. Probably a hospital, he guessed. Of course. The guys would certainly have called an ambulance after he had passed out.
The memory of it all brought the pain racing back to him. His back felt as though he'd been through a shredder. He couldn't imagine what had caused it. And that wing! He must have dreamed it in his terrible swoon. It was the only explanation.
He carefully opened his eyes. The bright lights hurt his head and eyes even more than usual. He was a night person by nature, and prefered darkness, but this was ridiculous.
"Light," he croaked. "Hurts."
"Whoa there, big fella," the woman said gently. "Just rest a minute, you've been through a lot."
The lights dimmed around him, and he could see her standing above him. She was quite pretty, with red hair and green eyes.
He began to glance around himself. The room was quite sterile indeed, and certainly some sort of medical lab. But it was nothing like any hospital Gerard had ever seen.
He began to panic.
"Where am I? Who are you? What happened? Where's my brother?" He began to shout desperately. "Mikey! Mikey! Where are you?"
"Mr. Way! Mr. Way! Please," said the woman imploringly. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and held him down as he struggled. "Please, calm down! Everything is all right."
"Like hell it is!"
"Mr. Way, please. I promise you, your brother is on his way down here as we speak."
"Who are you?" he asked her again.
"I'm Dr. Grey." She smiled once more. "Jean."
Slowly, Gerard's breathing became normal again. He looked Dr. Grey in the face and said, "How do you know my name?"
"Your brother, of course. And your friends. When we picked you up, they explained what happened." She sighed. "And your brother is quite shaken up by what happened. He'll be glad to see you're all right."
"What did happen?" Gerard asked, feeling fear begin to trickle back into his stomach. "And where the hell am I?"
Dr. Grey was quiet for a moment. She stared off into space, as if she hadn't heard him. Then she said, "I'll explain everything once your brother and your friends are here. They've nearly reached the door."
Less than a moment later, a large, circular door to Gerard's right slid open. A bald man in a wheel chair moved into the room, and Gerard saw that Mikey was just behind him. Mikey rushed forward as soon as he saw Gerard. Frank, Ray and Bob were close on his heels.
"Gee!" cried Mikey as he ran towards the table. Gerard tried to sit up, but the pain shot through his spine, anchoring him to the table. He watched helplessly as his little brother's face showed, at first, relief, then melted into horror at the sight of him.
"Gerard..." Mikey was at a loss for words.
"My God..." murmured Ray. "What the hell happened to him?!"
* * * * *
"What?" Gerard cried, beginning to panic again. "What do you mean? What's wrong with me?" His hands flew to his face.
"Why do I have all of these scratches all over me?" he asked.
"You were injured slightly during your... Mishap," said the old man. "I'm Charles Xavier. You and your friends were brought here for medical attention, and to be kept away from prying eyes."
"Sir, where exactly is 'here?' " Bob asked cautiously.
"Westchester, New York," Xavier answered. "You are at my school for mutants."
"Mutants?!" Gerard once again struggled to sit up. He still couldn't manage it. "We're not mutants! I've seen those freaks on TV! They have all sorts of powers and stuff! We're not like them!"
He glanced around the room incredulously. Dr. Grey's jaw set firmly in irritation at the mention of freaks. The other guys shifted uncomfortably and refused to make eye contact with him. Even Mikey bit his lip and stared at his shoes. Horrified realization dawned on Gerard's face.
"Oh my God... Those wings... They weren't a dream, were they?"