Layla

Chapter 16

Mutant CIA Base, Richmond, Virginia

March 17, 1962

(3:00 pm)

"Is she all right?" Erik's concerned, but angry, the voice was the first thing Layla heard as she regained consciousness. "Why is she still unconscious?" 

Layla opened her eyes to find herself staring at the familiar ceiling of the medical bay. She was laying down on what she could assume to be a bed, facing up and feeling drained. Her surroundings slowly came to her as she moved her eyes about the room. Her body felt strange, she felt weak, not unlike when she had had surgery some years ago. No, this was different though, this felt like someone had come and sapped her soul out of her body. 

She attempted to sit up and was forced back down by a nurse while Erik darted from his standing position at the foot of her bed to her right side. He looked at her with adoration and concern as she attempted once again to push against the nurse to sit up. The nurse seemed determined to have her laying down. 

"What is it?" Layla asked as she fought to sit up in bed. "What happened?" 

The nurse relented but not before propping Layla's back up on pillows. She didn't understand why she felt so weak nor why she needed to be held down in the first place. It wasn't like she felt like moving any more than just to sit up. She just needed to see what the hell was going on and where the hell she was? 

The last thing she remembered was using that damned machine Charles had succeeded at using. She remembered the elation and joy she had felt at being able to connect with so many minds throughout the world. She remembered the joy she felt when she realized she could kill Shaw with just a simple thought from across the world if only she could find him. But she remembered, she remembered feeling so tired after. 

Why had she felt tired when Charles had walked away from the machine with nothing but a look of surreal elation on his face? Was there something wrong with her abilities that she was not capable of using such a device without passing out from overexertion? Or was it simply not designed for individuals like her? Or were her abilities more limited than she had previously believed? 

She had never known difficulties when taking control of a room full of people. She had killed countless people by merely willing them to kill each other. She had had multiple people dance about for Herr Doktor's enjoyment just with a simple notion with her mind. No, she had had no difficulties whatsoever before. Perhaps when taking control of a difficult person, or a dumb person, but never had she fainted trying... Yes, she had. 

Against Shaw on his damned boat. But she had been drunk. She had been drunk and overly emotional in that damned situation. Any person would have fainted, not because she was using her powers, but because she was merely too weak to handle the alcohol and stress running through her system. That had nothing to do with her ability. 

"Du wurdest ohnmächtig," Erik explained as he attempted to regain her attention. "You fainted." 

"Was?" Layla asked with a slight crack in her voice. "What?" 

She looked about the room. The nurse was still standing nearby, a man who seemed to be a doctor was standing at the end of her bed, and Charles was standing nearby. The room was just as sterile-looking as she remembered it. The only difference was now she was laying in the hospital bed and she was surrounded by people, not just a nurse. 

"Mrs. Lehnsherr," The Doctor began. "We believe you may have accidentally exhausted yourself using our installation." 

"Das ist das Einzige was er segt," Erik whispered in her ear as she looked to him with concern. "That's all he says."