「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(338) Curiouser and Curiouser

Charles' POV

"Splendid. This is your idea of we've got this," Jean chided with unabashed sarcasm as she urgently carted Lynn towards the operating theatre.

Evidently, our persuasions had proved futile to prevent the frivolous and premature conclusion of their family vacation. Adamantly leaving the wondrous holiday destination, the Summers returned to the mansion from Maldives, only to be received by a plethora of appalling revelations.

Firstly bewildered by Lorna's sleek chocolate locks and her role as the sole adult babysitter, Jean and Scott were further stunned by her nearly calling the ambulance. It was far too flagrant showing up at the doorstep of any hospital with our clandestinely acquired jet and without knowledge that Jean's medical expertise could be made available, we could only settle for the option that presented itself second best.

Horrified by the series of unfortunate encounters, but mostly affected by Lynn's grave injury, Jean darted towards the basement as Scott patiently comforted his once prospective sister-in-law with his smile-evoking daughter.

Jean's frenzied voice radioed over, not too long after Storm's SOS and instructions had been conveyed to Lorna, frantically and avidly volunteering her services. Once our aircraft touched down in the hangar, Jean hurriedly rolled in a stretcher and with very careful telekinesis, transferred Lynn onto the mobile unit.

"I'm sorry," Lynn gasped in a frail tone as her colourless face wrestled to be simultaneously sincere and free from torture.

Immediately softening to Lynn's aching croak, Jean stared at her foster mother with an empathetic gaze as my wrists struggled, vividly, to keep my chair up to her expeditious pace. Nevertheless, I was appreciative of the fact that Lynn was delivered to the emergency ward with uncompromised efficiency.

"Everything's going to be better once I fix you up, alright? I promise," Jean reassured generously as she again lifted Lynn in an invisible cradle and conveniently hoisted her onto the surgical table.

As I finally arrived at Lynn's bedside, I gently cupped her clammy palm and pecked her knuckles lightly before Jean invariably assumed my position, professionally hooking up Lynn to an array of sophisticated equipment.

"I'm placing you under full anaesthesia. You're not going to feel a thing," Jean asserted with a kind smile, as she easily clinched the little vial and syringe set from mid air, promptly administering the sedative into Lynn's intravenous drip.

"Thank you," Lynn weakly whispered, progressively slipping into total unconsciousness.

A select few of the X-Men had been scrupulously handpicked as Jean's assistants for the day but whilst I was not exactly one of them, she graciously allowed me to stay.

Before beginning the procedure, Jean withdrew a sample of blood from Lynn's arm and simply handed me the specimen for examination. As I routinely docked the sealed test tube into our hematology analyser, several X-ray snapshots were captured, each and every one unbosoming a dreadful picture.

Expectedly, the damage sustained by Lynn's left leg was tremendously severe, rendering her bones brutally shattered. Although the consequent haemorrhages were well contained under her skin, the sight of her highly swollen and contused limb as Jubilee meticulously snipped off the fabric of her hugging leather pants was not, by any means, encouraging.

"I think you should go," Jean suggested in a meek tone as I stared stiffly, overwhelmed by the alarming scene.

Gradually shifting my gaze to her concerned eyes of emerald, I seemingly glimpsed a bizarre occurrence in the distance. I continued to look in her direction but my vision was wholly attracted to the screen behind displaying a strange multitude of findings and instantly piqued by the apparent peculiarities, I naturally grabbed my rims.