Rogue and Jean: Recovery
Sep. 17th, 2017 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsRogue visits Jean while she is recuperating from the Shadow King battle in the Box and tries to cheer her up.
After being cleared by Cecilia, Jean was allowed to go back to her room but instead chose to stay in the Box. It brought back memories that were entirely, entirely too fresh, but with the feeling in her mind that the Shadow King wasn't quite as dead as she'd planned, she'd rather be safe than sorry.
She couldn't sleep. Or rather, she didn't want to sleep, worried about dreams of the world's end. But the pain medication she was on caused her to drift in and out.
So instead she tried to watch old 80s comedy movies on her laptop. Perhaps Tom Hanks could make her laugh.
This wasn't Rogue's first time doing the walk to the Box, but it was the first time she'd seen it so actively destroyed. Scorch marks on the floors, broken ceiling tiles, water everywhere...
Walking gingerly through the wreckage, she honestly stopped to wonder whether this was such a good idea or not. After all, Rogue had known immediately who Parker was, even if Jean hadn't, and she hadn't warned her friend. It was due to this guilt that she hadn't gone to see Jean sooner, even though she'd wanted to. Still. Better late than never.
She knocked tentatively on the door. "Jean? You awake?"
Halfway into a dream, the knock made Jean jump, and she immediately sat up in bed, nearly knocking over her laptop onto the floor before she caught it sluggishly. Without her telepathy, she had no idea who it was on the other side of the door for a split second. But when she heard Rogue's voice, she relaxed.
"Yeah," she said. The lamp was on, and it cast a spotlight on Jean's face, which was a patchwork of mottled bruises. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and her nose was broken. Her neck also had a series of deep, dark bruises in the shape of hands across the skin, and her arms were covered in various bandages.
"Come in."
Rogue audibly gasped at the sight of her friend. "Shit girl, you done got beat up," she exclaimed, a look of worry crossing her face.
"Holy crap....." She weakly held out a box of chocolates and a USB stick. "My presents are super lame now...I should have brought you Tylenol."
Jean shook her head. "Actually, chocolate is the best present," she said with a faint smile, then eyed the USB stick curiously.
"What is this?"
"New Game of Thrones. Just because you're here doesn't mean you have to miss out on pop culture." It was almost painful to look at Jean.
"I don't want to spoil you but it's pretty awesome. I've already watched it a few times."
Flopping on the bed, she leaned against the wall and crossed her legs. "So. You going to survive this?"
Jean was silent for a few moments. The question caught her off-guard.
"Physically, yeah," she said quietly. She shook her head.
"Psychically...." She let out a breath.
"He ripped me up. Just...swallowed up every part of me. But even though I fought him....and burned him away...Even though I was angry....It's gone now."
She looked down.
"Now I'm just afraid."
Rogue gave a sad smile. "Oh honey, I know. And nothing any of us say or do will make it okay. You survived though. And that does make you stronger."
Jean let out a breath. "I've heard that before. Hell, I've given that speech," she muttered, rubbing her forehead.
"Haller thinks....Parker was being controlled. And the Shadow King said some things about him that were--I don't know if he were doing it to rile me up or if it was the truth."
Rogue gave a startled look before shaking her head. "I don't know why I'm surprised...that makes sense to me. I mean, come on. Parker seemed like a decent guy, and if this whole Shadow King thing hadn't happened..well, who knows what would have happened."
Every breath made Jean's body ache. It was a reminder.
She looked away. "I guess we'll never know," she murmured. How could she continue the relationship now, not knowing what was real and what was planted in Parker's mind.
Shaking her head, she let out a bitter laugh.
"And on top of everything...I don't think it's over. No matter how much I'd like it to be. I don't...think I killed the Shadow King. Not really." She stared up at Rogue, her eyes turning misty before she pushed it back down.
"I've never felt so alone."
"Oh honey..." Rogue held out her arms. "Can I give you a hug?"
Jean stared up at Rogue for a couple of moments, rubbing her shoulder. She wordlessly nodded.
Moving onto the bed, the younger woman gently wrapped her arms around Jean's shoulders and let her head carefully touch the top of Jean's. "I'm not going to say it's going to be okay, because we never know, but I will say that you can get through this. You're one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can do it, you can."
Jean closed her eyes. "I wish I had your confidence," she said with a faint smile.
"But thanks."
"I have confidence in spades," Rogue said solemnly. "Want some? I can actually give you some of me...my skin is a two-way street."
Jean quirked a brow. "When---did that happen?" she said.
"Or are you joking with me?"
"A while ago." Rogue shrugged. "I don't do it often, 'cuz it gives me a headache, but I'm willing to do it for you."
Silent a moment, Jean shook her head. "I--I don't know what transferring a personality trait'll do to you," she said. The prospect of it bewildered her. She had so many questions.
"Doesn't seem to bother Logan much. We kind of transfer back and forth often." Rogue gave a sheepish look. "Sometimes, I catch him using 'y'all' and it cracks me up."
Jean blinked, laughing faintly. She glanced down. "I'll think about it and let you know?" she said.
"I have way too many questions and--the pain medication's starting to kick in so I'm getting a little woozy."
"Sure, sure." Rogue got up suddenly, and gave a nod. "And if you need more tv or movies, let me know, 'kay? I'm here for you."
Jean reached out for Rogue's hand. "Thanks," she said, smiling softly.
"I appreciate it."
After being cleared by Cecilia, Jean was allowed to go back to her room but instead chose to stay in the Box. It brought back memories that were entirely, entirely too fresh, but with the feeling in her mind that the Shadow King wasn't quite as dead as she'd planned, she'd rather be safe than sorry.
She couldn't sleep. Or rather, she didn't want to sleep, worried about dreams of the world's end. But the pain medication she was on caused her to drift in and out.
So instead she tried to watch old 80s comedy movies on her laptop. Perhaps Tom Hanks could make her laugh.
This wasn't Rogue's first time doing the walk to the Box, but it was the first time she'd seen it so actively destroyed. Scorch marks on the floors, broken ceiling tiles, water everywhere...
Walking gingerly through the wreckage, she honestly stopped to wonder whether this was such a good idea or not. After all, Rogue had known immediately who Parker was, even if Jean hadn't, and she hadn't warned her friend. It was due to this guilt that she hadn't gone to see Jean sooner, even though she'd wanted to. Still. Better late than never.
She knocked tentatively on the door. "Jean? You awake?"
Halfway into a dream, the knock made Jean jump, and she immediately sat up in bed, nearly knocking over her laptop onto the floor before she caught it sluggishly. Without her telepathy, she had no idea who it was on the other side of the door for a split second. But when she heard Rogue's voice, she relaxed.
"Yeah," she said. The lamp was on, and it cast a spotlight on Jean's face, which was a patchwork of mottled bruises. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and her nose was broken. Her neck also had a series of deep, dark bruises in the shape of hands across the skin, and her arms were covered in various bandages.
"Come in."
Rogue audibly gasped at the sight of her friend. "Shit girl, you done got beat up," she exclaimed, a look of worry crossing her face.
"Holy crap....." She weakly held out a box of chocolates and a USB stick. "My presents are super lame now...I should have brought you Tylenol."
Jean shook her head. "Actually, chocolate is the best present," she said with a faint smile, then eyed the USB stick curiously.
"What is this?"
"New Game of Thrones. Just because you're here doesn't mean you have to miss out on pop culture." It was almost painful to look at Jean.
"I don't want to spoil you but it's pretty awesome. I've already watched it a few times."
Flopping on the bed, she leaned against the wall and crossed her legs. "So. You going to survive this?"
Jean was silent for a few moments. The question caught her off-guard.
"Physically, yeah," she said quietly. She shook her head.
"Psychically...." She let out a breath.
"He ripped me up. Just...swallowed up every part of me. But even though I fought him....and burned him away...Even though I was angry....It's gone now."
She looked down.
"Now I'm just afraid."
Rogue gave a sad smile. "Oh honey, I know. And nothing any of us say or do will make it okay. You survived though. And that does make you stronger."
Jean let out a breath. "I've heard that before. Hell, I've given that speech," she muttered, rubbing her forehead.
"Haller thinks....Parker was being controlled. And the Shadow King said some things about him that were--I don't know if he were doing it to rile me up or if it was the truth."
Rogue gave a startled look before shaking her head. "I don't know why I'm surprised...that makes sense to me. I mean, come on. Parker seemed like a decent guy, and if this whole Shadow King thing hadn't happened..well, who knows what would have happened."
Every breath made Jean's body ache. It was a reminder.
She looked away. "I guess we'll never know," she murmured. How could she continue the relationship now, not knowing what was real and what was planted in Parker's mind.
Shaking her head, she let out a bitter laugh.
"And on top of everything...I don't think it's over. No matter how much I'd like it to be. I don't...think I killed the Shadow King. Not really." She stared up at Rogue, her eyes turning misty before she pushed it back down.
"I've never felt so alone."
"Oh honey..." Rogue held out her arms. "Can I give you a hug?"
Jean stared up at Rogue for a couple of moments, rubbing her shoulder. She wordlessly nodded.
Moving onto the bed, the younger woman gently wrapped her arms around Jean's shoulders and let her head carefully touch the top of Jean's. "I'm not going to say it's going to be okay, because we never know, but I will say that you can get through this. You're one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can do it, you can."
Jean closed her eyes. "I wish I had your confidence," she said with a faint smile.
"But thanks."
"I have confidence in spades," Rogue said solemnly. "Want some? I can actually give you some of me...my skin is a two-way street."
Jean quirked a brow. "When---did that happen?" she said.
"Or are you joking with me?"
"A while ago." Rogue shrugged. "I don't do it often, 'cuz it gives me a headache, but I'm willing to do it for you."
Silent a moment, Jean shook her head. "I--I don't know what transferring a personality trait'll do to you," she said. The prospect of it bewildered her. She had so many questions.
"Doesn't seem to bother Logan much. We kind of transfer back and forth often." Rogue gave a sheepish look. "Sometimes, I catch him using 'y'all' and it cracks me up."
Jean blinked, laughing faintly. She glanced down. "I'll think about it and let you know?" she said.
"I have way too many questions and--the pain medication's starting to kick in so I'm getting a little woozy."
"Sure, sure." Rogue got up suddenly, and gave a nod. "And if you need more tv or movies, let me know, 'kay? I'm here for you."
Jean reached out for Rogue's hand. "Thanks," she said, smiling softly.
"I appreciate it."
