Indomitable Will, Tender Heart - 10
Author: Taryn
Email: Write
Me!
Rating: Strong R (language - this chapter)
Disclaimer: Don't own them, yadda yadda. See Chapter 1...
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With the temperature dropping steadily and the wind in their faces,
Logan
and Marie's climb back up from the ravine was considerably slower than
their
descent. To make matters worse, the already slushy ground beneath
their
boots was rapidly freezing into a thin layer of ice, and traction - or
lack
thereof - was becoming a major problem. Logan was faring a bit
better
due to his heavier build so he took the lead, Marie's hand firmly
grasped
in his, as they slowly navigated their way back up toward the road and
the
car. Neither of them spoke, too wrapped up in their exertions to
waste
the energy or oxygen on conversation at the moment. They seemed
to
be moving in sync with each other, as if they'd done this many times
before,
and Marie marveled - not for the first time - at how well two strangers
who,
at first glance, appeared to be so different could 'mesh' so
effortlessly
with one another. Logan's strong hand in hers just felt....right,
somehow. I don't know if I believe in 'kismet' or not, but it
sorta feels
like
maybe we were 'meant' to meet up with each other. Life is strange....
They rounded a bend, and Logan released her hand in order to more
easily
scale a particularly steep slope. Marie waited until he reached
the
top and turned back, once again offering his assistance. As she
reached
up to grab his hand, the loose rocks under her feet shifted and one of
them
gave way, tumbling back down into the ravine. Caught by surprise,
Marie
pinwheeled her arms, trying to regain her balance, but the ground was
too
slippery and gravity quickly won the tug-of-war.
Logan saw what was happening and reacted immediately. Leaning
forward,
his hands shot out, grabbing for her, but his fingers only whispered
through
the air. In the blink of an eye, she was gone, sliding backwards
down
the steep ridge they'd just crested. Shit!
"Marie....NO!" I never shoulda let go of her
hand! Fuck!
"I'm comin'....Hang on!" Heedless of the loose rocks and thick
undergrowth
hidden just beneath the blanket of snow, Logan continued his rapid
climb
down the hillside, frantically trying to reach her and assure himself
that
she was okay. If she's hurt, it's all my goddamned fault!
Marie flailed her arms, desperate for purchase, expelling her breath
with
an "Ooomph! " when she connected with something solid and her descent
abruptly
came to a halt. Her relief was shortlived, however; unaware that
her
lower leg had become tangled in a tree root, it twisted at an odd angle
as
she tried to stand up. She felt as well as heard the distinctive
'crack'
of bone and a sharp cry escaped her lips. Her mouth went dry and
her
stomach responded with a lurch as she pressed her hand against her
ankle
and felt a warm wetness seeping through the heavy wool sock and thick
denim.
The sharp stab of pain made her gasp and she snatched her hand
away. Owww....it hurts. It really, really hurts. Oh,
God....I am
not
gonna cry. I'm not.
I can handle this. I think. Oh,
shit...
She felt the sting of tears and bit her lip, forcing them back.
The
pain was excruciating and spots had begun dancing in front of her eyes.
"Marie!" Almost there....hang on, darlin'....
He could
sense the pain coming off her in waves. I'm too
late....Fuck! "What is it? Where're ya hurt?"
"Logan!" She was gasping and clutching her left leg, blood
slicking
her fingers. Muttering curses in several different languages, he
finally
reached her side, the smell of Marie's blood jacking his heart-rate up
several
knotches. Her face had gone white and her eyes were wide.
"My
ankle...I-..I think it's broken.... I- Oh, God --" Her teeth were
beginning
to chatter and he suspected it had nothing to do with the temperature.
"Shhh....I gotcha." Gingerly working her foot loose from the root
that
had snagged it, he sat down and pulled her into his lap, mindful of
getting
her off the cold ground. Gotta stay calm, here. She
don't
need to know that watchin' her fall like that scared the shit outta me...
"Just hold still, darlin'. I gotta take a look at it." She
nodded,
her eyes tightly shut. The coppery tang of her blood was bringing
the
animal in him ever closer to the surface, and it was only by sheer
force
of will that he was able to tamp it back down again. Not
now.
Logan slowly unlaced and removed the boot from Marie's left foot.
Although
he was careful not to jar her leg, air still hissed through her teeth
as he
worked
over her. "Sorry, Marie....God, I'm real sorry, baby...."
Her
arms tightened around his shoulders and he could feel her panting
against
his neck. "It-it's okay, Logan....just do wh-what you have to
do."
Through the fog that was rapidly enveloping her brain, one thought
stubbornly
managed to stand out. Did he just call me 'baby'?
If the pain hadn't been forcing her back to reality, she would've
lapsed
into giggles. I'm probably gonna bleed to death out here,
and
maybe I'll never walk again, but I'm sitting on Logan's lap and he just
called
me 'baby'....that's one helluva consolation prize!
When he peeled off her sock, Logan had to stifle a gasp of his
own.
Marie's ankle was, indeed, broken. 'Shattered' is more like
it.
Fuck. There was a fragment of white bone jutting out of the
skin
and the wound was still bleeding profusely, although the blood flow did
seem
to be slowing down somewhat, probably due to the cold. Christ.
It's even worse than I thought...
"Is it b-broken? H-how bad is it?" Marie was shivering
violently
now, but she lifted her head, craning her neck to see the injury.
"Logan?"
Wrapping his arms around her, he held her firmly against him, drawing
her
head back down to his shoulder while silently willing her shaking to
stop.
"I ain't gonna lie to ya, Marie....it - it's a pretty bad break."
He
could feel her fingers digging into his shoulder blades and he drew a
deep
breath. "I'm gonna have to wrap it up real tight, to stop the
bleedin'....okay?"
A shiver and a small nod were all the 'go ahead' he was willing to wait
for.
Gently scooting Marie off his lap and making her as comfortable as he
could
on a nearby tree stump, he stood up and shrugged out of his leather
jacket,
dropping it to the ground. Eyeing both his flannel outershirt and
his
t-shirt, he decided that the flannel would be warmer and make a more
efficient
wrap. He removed it, plucking off the buttons so they wouldn't
rub
against Marie's injury and then tearing the shirt into two pieces down
the
back. Kneeling in front of her, he tried to make his tone
light.
"This is probably gonna hurt like hell, darlin', so if hittin' me or
cussin'
me out makes ya feel better, you just go right ahead and do it."
Marie really wished the forest would hold still and quit tilting around
her....it
was making her feel more than a little woozy. She shrugged.
"Wh-why
would I want to hit you, Logan? This wasn't y-your fault. I
told
you I'm a k-klutz!" He shook his head, but a lopsided grin
ghosted
across his face and she did giggle then. Working quickly, he wound the
fabric
around, above and below her ankle several times, snugging it up as he
went
while wincing apologetically at her gasps of pain. Finally, he
removed
his belt from the loops and secured it around the makeshift bandage,
cinching
it firmly and securing it with the buckle on the opposite side of the
injury.
Even though her discomfort was considerable, Marie had to admit - if
only
to herself - that she was thoroughly enjoying the sight of Logan,
wearing
only a damp t-shirt and equally damp jeans, administering to her with
such tenderness and concern. I can't explain it, but even
though I'm sure he scares everyone
else,
I only feel safe with him.
Abruptly, he stood back up and surveyed his handiwork, the smell of the
blood
and Marie's pain making him a little wild. He could feel a growl
rumbling
up from his chest and took a deep breath, forcing himself to
relax.
Marie had wrapped her arms around her knees and was rocking ever so
slightly
on the tree stump. Her eyes were glazed and there was a far-off
look
on her face. Logan had very little medical knowledge - never
having
need of such treatment, himself - but now that he'd gotten the bleeding
under
control, he knew he had to get her out of here quickly before the pain
and
the freezing conditions - to say nothing of the blood loss - caused her
to
go into shock....if she hadn't already. He wasn't sure, though,
just exactly how he was going to manage to do that. The road and
the
car were still a long way off, and the majority of the journey was
uphill
over an increasingly slick terrain. With his stamina and
coordination not yet back to normal, it had taken a great deal
of
effort and concentration just to retain his own footing; now, with the
weather working against him as well, he wasn't entirely confident that
he'd
be able to safely carry Marie the rest of the way. For her sake,
he
was going to have to try, but he wished like hell that another, more
viable option would
present itself....
Logan crouched down in front of her again and she fixed him with a
vacant
stare. Her sluggish reaction time caused alarms to go off in his
head.
"Marie...baby - listen to me. We gotta get ya to a doctor."
He
cleared his throat. "I think carryin' ya on my back is gonna be
our
best bet, so I need ya to climb up here and hold onto me real tight,
okay?"
She shook her head, blinking owlishly. "Y-you can't carry me,
Logan....the
way b-back - it's all uphill and I-I'll just be dead weight --"
He grasped her by the shoulders, his face impassive so as not to worry
her,
but his voice was grave. "I know the goin' will be a little
rough,
but it's the only choice we got Marie. You can't put any weight
on
that ankle and we gotta get ya outta here now. Unless ya got some
fancy
powers ya ain't told me about, like maybe bein' able to fly or
somethin',
there's no other--"
He broke off abruptly, a second option finally registering.
Powers.
Wait a minute....her mutation! What did she say it was?
Think,
dammit! Oh, yeah - her skin. She said it absorbs energy or
life-force
or some shit.... I wonder if that includes healin' factors?
With renewed hope, he snapped his attention back to Marie. Her
complexion
was chalky and her eyes were closed, chin resting on her chest.
He
patted her face with his hands and her eyes opened reluctantly.
"Your
muta--er, gift, Marie...ya gotta turn your gift on."
She frowned at him, but her eyes were having trouble focusing.
"Wh-what're
you talking about, Logan?" She trembled violently and then
stilled
again, her words beginning to slur. "M-my skin can't h-hurt
anyone,
anymore....no more. N'ver again. I can c-control it
now.....the
Pr'fessor showed me how...."
Logan knew they were in one hell of a predicament. He had to get
her
both healed and warmed up as quickly as possible, but he needed her
cooperation
in order to do that. He crouched in front of her and gently
leaned
her toward him. Tucking her head into the curve between his neck
and
shoulder, he wrapped his arms around her, trying his best to surround
her
with his body heat.
"Marie....ya gotta flip the switch and turn on your gift. Ya
gotta
take my healin' factor. It's our only chance of gettin' ya outta
here. C'mon, darlin' --"
He shifted his weight, cursing the fact that life had never thrown him
a
"Get Out Of Jail Free" card when he needed it the most ...So
why should now be any
fuckin'
different? - while at the same time silently praying to whatever
gods
might still consider giving him the time of day that if they could help
Marie
out just this once, he'd never bother them for a single fuckin' thing,
ever
again. The movement inadvertently jarred her leg and Marie raised
her
head with a cry. At that moment, some semblence of coherency
returned
to her pain-glazed eyes and Logan wasted no time taking advantage of
it,
even while apologizing profusely for causing her more discomfort.
"Sorry, Marie - sorry.....but baby, ya gotta flip the switch or do
whatever
it is ya do to turn your gift on and take some of my healin'
factor.....it's
the only option we got."
Her fingers tightened on his shoulders and she shook her head.
"N-no...
I can't. It-it'll hurt you. It might even k-kill you. I...I
can't....."
"Dammit, yes you can!" Logan raised her chin, forcing her to look
at
him. Shadowed brown eyes met intense hazel ones.
"Darlin'....you've
lost a lot of blood and you're goin' into shock....we can't stay out
here.
I wish there was some other way, but there ain't. Ya really gotta
do
this, and ya gotta do it now."
Marie heard Logan's voice, but only some of his words were
registering.
She knew he was asking her to use her mutation, but....didn't he
realize
how dangerous that was? Still, although she hadn't known him very
long,
Marie knew that she trusted Logan. His past might be lost to him,
but
he had a level head on his shoulders and his actions were nothing if
not
deliberate. Even in her disoriented state, it occured to her that
he
wouldn't be urging her to do this if there was any other way.
That,
alone, indicated to her just how dire their current situation was.
"Okay....b-but - once it's turned on, I-I can't control how m-much I
absorb...."
She blinked in an effort to merge the two Logans crouching in front of
her
back into one, her breath hitching in her chest. "Please....I
d-don't
wanna hurt you. P-promise me you w-won't lemme hurt you --"
Logan had no idea what to expect from her mutation, but the trepidation
in
her voice and the smell of fear emanating from her told him that the
absorption
process was not a casual undertaking. He would have to proceed
with
caution and he hoped his faith in his healing ability wouldn't prove to
be
his - their - undoing. He gave himself a mental shake and squared
his
shoulders. Ain't no way in hell I'm gonna let her see that
I'm
anythin' but sure about this....
"I promise, Marie." He stroked her hair gently, his eyes holding
hers.
"Look - don't worry about me....I'll be fine. I heal,
remember?
Ya can't kill me, and even if ya knock me out or somethin', I'll be
okay.
So....whaddya need me to do? We gotta be touchin' each other,
right?"
She nodded, jerkily attempting to shift her position and peel off her
other
glove. As she did so, a violent shudder wracked her small frame
and
she let out a moan, her eyes fluttering closed again. Logan moved
forward,
then, grasping both of her shoulders and giving her a firm shake.
"C'mon,
baby - ya need to stay with me, here...." When Marie failed to
respond,
he knew the situation had just gone from bad to critical.
Murmering a silent prayer, he leaned in toward her, cupping her face in
both
of his hands. Holding his breath, he pressed his cheek firmly to
her
forehead - and waited. One beat. Two beats. Nothing
was
happening. He could hear as well as feel Marie's pulse - it was
thready
and her breathing was shallow. ~ Fuck! ~ In sheer
desperation,
Logan covered her lips with his, sweat beading on his brow as he
concentrated on
transfering
his healing energy to the limp young woman in his arms. C'mon.....take
me in, Dammit! Please, darlin'.... Her lips were soft and
pliant
- but lifeless - under his - You are not gonna die on me,
Marie.
No fuckin' way. Not. An. Option. - and he began truly
kissing
her, his fingers winding through her hair and a sob hitching in his
throat. Oh, God, please, no.....not here, not like
this....please....
At first, the tingle was so slight, it barely even registered.
But
as it grew and he began to feel a 'pulling' sensation, it dawned on
Logan that Marie's mutation was
finally
kicking in and pure relief washed over him. Thank the
gods.
That's right, baby - c'mon, take me in....good girl....
Marie's eyes snapped open with a jolt. The first thing she was
aware
of was Logan's warm mouth on hers. What-? Is - is
he...kissing
me? Then, a split second later, she realized that the
connection
between them had opened and his life force - his energy and thoughts
and
everything that made him uniquely Logan - was rushing into her.
She
gasped, their breaths mingling, unable to brace herself against the
onslaught
as his healing ability flooded her body. She could feel the bones
in
her ankle knitting themselves back together and she was rapidly growing
warmer
as her heart began pumping more efficiently to replenish the blood
she'd
lost. With the renewal came mental clarity and she jerked away
from Logan as
if
stung, clutching the tree stump beneath her, eyes wide and frightened
as
he fell away and lay, pale and still on his back, the snow rapidly
soaking
through the rest of his clothing. Is he
breathing? Oh
God......what
have I done?! I never should've let him talk me into using
my
skin! Without a thought for her ankle, Marie dropped to her
knees
next to Logan, lifting his head into her lap. Grabbing up his
leather
jacket, she wrapped it around his upper body and clutched him tightly
to
her.
"Logan! C'mon, wake up! Please, Logan....oh please don't
die
on me! Logan! Shit! " She was staring at his
motionless
form, praying for the smallest sign of life, her breath hitching in her
throat.
"Oh, God, no.....you said you'd heal, dammit! ....Logan?! "
As he fought his way back up through the dense fog enshrouding his
brain,
Logan became aware of the snow-capped forest surrounding him, wondering
momentarily
if he was in Canada again, tensing at the thought of finding himself
naked
and covered with tubes and electrodes. He sensed another person
closing
in, but every nerve-ending in his body was on fire and he was sidelined
by his weakness....he could only watch through slitted
eyes
as a figure - Marie! She's okay! Thank Christ...-
came into
focus
alongside of him. Her dark eyes were full of concern and her
mouth
was moving, but he couldn't make out the words. He felt her hair
whispering
against his right temple as she leaned over him and then wonderfully
cool
hands were on his aching head, lifting it into her lap. He closed
his
eyes again, giving himself over to the soothing warmth of her
embrace.
After several long moments the pain and the nausea began to
subside; while not entirely gone, at least infinitely more
manageable. Jesus, that packed a helluva wallop!
His pulse was
still
erratic and he fought to steady it, concentrating on Marie's sweet
scent - now tinged with
relief
- and reveling in the way it tickled his nose. He forced himself
to remain
perfectly
still until he was fairly sure his strength was returning and things
were back to normal or, at
least,
what passed for normal in his case.
"Logan? Are you okay? Just nod or blink or
something....anything....please?"
When she saw the faint shake of his head, Marie choked back a sob of
relief. Yessss! Oh thank you, God...thank you! I'm sure
he wasn't
expecting
a whammy like that. He still looks a little green around the
gills,
but his healing factor seems to be kicking in..... "Can you
talk
to me? Logan...?"
He cleared his throat, coughing several times, but finally managed to
sputter
"..M'fine." Unhhh....don't want her to know how much that
rattled me.... "'J-jus'
gimme a m-minute--"
Relieved that she hadn't caused Logan any irrepairable harm, Marie
hugged
him to her as she gave herself over to the new sensations demanding her
attention.
She
was now acutely aware of the forest sounds and smells all around them -
the
crispness of the air, the musky dampness of the earth, the lingering
tang
of her blood - all separated from one another in a way she'd never
experienced
before. Her newly-sensitized hearing was able to pinpoint the
scurrying
of small, furred animals underground and the far treeline, some five
miles
away, came so sharply into focus that it made her eyes water to look at
it.
It was as if her entire life had been one of sensory deprivation and
then
someone had abruptly opened the chamber and let the daylight
in. Dear Lord...does he always feel like this?
Her senses
were at a fever-pitch, the intensity threatening to overwhelm
her.
No wonder he's a loner. Being around lots of people
is probably
almost unbearable for him!
Logan was muttering and attempting to right himself. Marie stood
up,
lifting under his arms and guiding him onto the tree stump she'd
recently
vacated. He groaned and doubled over as she draped his jacket
around
his shoulders and crouched next to him, in a complete reversal of their
positions
just moments earlier. "Logan?"
"Yeah..." He straightened and scrubbed a hand over his face, but
his
movements were still a bit shaky. "Yeah, I-I'm okay." He
shook
his head, as if to clear the cobwebs from his mind. "Jesus,
darlin'....if
ya don't mind my sayin' so, that's one helluva mut- er, gift ya got
there."
Marie's smile wavered apologetically, but her eyes were bright.
"I
could say the same thing about yours." Still reeling from the new
sensations,
she breathed in deeply, as if tasting the air. "Is it always like
this
for you?"
He was still a bit disoriented. "Like what?"
"So crisp and clear and....I don't know....focused, I guess." She
indicated
the forest around them and the look on her face was one of awe.
"It's
like I'm totally aware. I can hear and smell things that I didn't
even
know existed. Everything is just so....intense!"
Logan rubbed his forehead and nodded, amused by her childlike sense of
wonder.
"Hmph. Smellin' and hearin' everythin' around ya ain't always a
good
thing, but it's got its moments. After awhile ya just get used to
it."
Suddenly, the reason she was now in possession of his heightened senses
came
rushing back to him. Ignoring the fresh bout of dizziness, he
leaned
forward and grasped her hand, staring fiercely into her eyes.
"Marie....your
leg. Is it --?"
"It's fine, Logan. Look....completely healed and good as
new.
Probably better, even!" She lifted her pant leg, removing his
belt
and unwinding the flannel bandage, exposing a trim, perfect ankle,
unmarked
except for a smattering of dried blood. Marie flexed it and
hopped
up and down, almost giddy with excitement. "It's really amazing,
what
your healing factor can do. You're so lucky to have such an
awesome mutation!"
Her words brought back their earlier conversation and her theory about
his
more recent memory loss. Helpin' you out is the only time it's
ever
been used for somethin' good. His expression darkened and he
raked
a hand through his damp hair. Fuck, I could really use
a
beer,
or a whole bottle of whiskey, about now. "C'mon....get
your boot
back on and let's get outta here."
The assault on her senses was still so new and Marie was struggling to
filter
out all the distractions. Vaguely it registered that his mood had
changed,
but she was too giddy to give much thought as to why. Oh,
wow...I
feel great! Like I just woke up after sleeping for twenty-one
years!
What's there to be glum about? My ankle is healed, he survived my
gift.... Ugh,
I could definitely do without that weird 'dead animal' aroma that I
think
is coming from somewhere over by that bush, but hey - you can't have
the
good smells without the occasional bad, right? A nudge from
Logan interrupted
her reverie and she absentmindedly took the boot he was holding out to
her.
A good, hard look at the torn, bloody sock he was holding in his other
hand
brought her jarringly back to the moment at hand. "Um, no
thanks.
I'll just wear this barefoot." She figured she'd probably have a
good
blister going by the time they reached the car, but there was no way
she
was putting that unfortunate reminder of her accident back on.
Logan said nothing as he threaded his belt through the loops and
shrugged
back into his jacket. Fishing a new cigar out of one of the
pockets,
he fired it up, relishing the taste of the pungent smoke. He was
still
a bit lightheaded and puffing on the cigar gave his hands something to
do,
effectively hiding their trembling.
Marie finished lacing her boot and stood back up, ruefully taking in
the
wet stains and spatters of blood that now decorated hers and Logan's
clothing.
Her gaze landed on the remnants of the flannel bandage now lying on the
ground
and she glanced up at Logan with suddenly somber eyes.
"I-I'm sorry about your shirt. I'll get you another one."
"It's just a shirt." He blew a thick smoke ring into the air and
flicked
the ash from the cigar, not looking at her. "Hadta stop the
bleedin'."
Marie was suddenly aware of his residual presence in her head, and the
dull
blade of guilt that was lodged in her stomach and beginning to
twist. He feels responsible! He thinks he let me down,
somehow....that
he should've been able to prevent what happened! Raising
her
chin, she reached out and grasped his leather-clad shoulder. "And
you
did that and more. You took care of things......of me. I
wouldn't
have made it without you, Logan."
"Nah." He scowled, clearly disbelieving of the compliment.
"You're
smart. Ya woulda figured somethin' out." He jammed his
hands
in his pockets, the cigar clamped tightly in his teeth, and started
moving
away toward the base of the ridge.
"Before or after I went into shock and maybe even bled to
death?"
Marie shook her head and came to stand directly in front of him,
stopping
him in his tracks and forcing him to deal with her. "Logan...you
saved
my life. That was a really, incredibly brave thing you did for
me.
Risking my mutation, lending me your healing factor....hell, you were
even
going to carry me all the way back at first!" She paused, looking
him
straight in the eyes, earnest brown meeting guarded hazel. "You
know,
people have injured themselves in similar ways out here, and I've read
about
at least two who didn't make it. If they didn't die of blood
loss,
the hypothermia finished them off. What you did for me was
nothing
short of amazing, even if you don't think so. I-I owe you my
life,
and I could never even begin to repay you for that. So --" She
threw
her arms around him in a tight hug and pressed a kiss to his whiskered
cheek,
catching him off-guard and nearly knocking him off balance in the
process.
"...just accept my heartfelt thanks and know that you're my
hero....okay?"
His arms tightened cautiously around her, but Marie knew he was
uncomfortable
with the sentiments. She backed away from him then, a skip to her
step
and a twinkle in her eye. A low growl rumbled in his throat, but
there
was the hint of a smirk on his face. While he couldn't remember
much,
he was certain he'd never been anyone's hero before. The words,
and
the idea behind them, warmed his insides in ways he'd never
imagined.
Even though he didn't share her absolute faith in his 'good nature', he
grudgingly
had to concede that maybe -- just maybe -- there was hope for him yet?
Logan held out his hand - And I ain't lettin' go this time... -
and Marie slipped her bare one into it, her gloves now stuffed in her
coat
pockets. Bracing themselves against the wind, they began the rest
of
the climb toward the road.
-------------------------------------------
Posted April 2002
