Fantastic Five

Chapter 3

Victor's medical facility is, like everything the man owns, top of the line. This means they're all getting the best care possible as they check to make sure the cosmic storm hasn't caused any ill effects.

Reed and Johnny are the first ones awake. Susan wakes up for a short time before she's back out while Ben and Isaac have been unconscious since the storm.

The doctors said they should wake up fine like the others, but it's been nearly three days now with no signs from either of them.

Johnny sighs to himself as he wanders down the hallways of the medical center.

He can understand why Ben still hasn't woken up since he was the closest one to the cloud itself and, presumably, took the biggest hit. He's a little worried because the guy may be fun to mess with, but he doesn't want him hurt. Still, the doctors said he looks fine and should wake up soon.

He sighs again as he comes to a stop and realizes where his feet have subconsciously brought him.

Johnny quietly opens the door to Isaac's room, somehow relieved to find it empty of anyone but the patient himself. It's comfortably dim with the window's curtains pulled closed and the lights set to a soft glow, most likely to keep from overwhelming him when he wakes up.

Isaac looks like he's sleeping which, by all accounts, he is. There are a few cuts on his forearms from where the plant samples shattered but not nearly as many as there may have been without their suits.

Johnny hesitates for a second before he walks over and comes to a stop beside the bed. He looks over the screens on the wall behind it and, from his limited medical knowledge, sees everything looks fine.

So, why isn't he waking up?

He looks a little paler than he was on the space shuttle but other than that...

Johnny blinks at the thought and wonders why he's noticing things like this. Noticing and enjoying how attractive the man is is one thing but now he's suddenly worrying about him and kind of hoping he'll wake up now while he's in the room and-

"Ah, geez," he complains to no one. "It's like I'm fifteen all over again."

Not that fifteen-year-old Johnny had any chance with Isaac. Maybe adult Johnny does though.

He remembers Sue mentioning how Isaac said he was done with the military, so that shouldn't be an issue and he went along with Johnny's flirting on the space shuttle. More than went along with it, really.

Johnny clears his throat and tries not to notice the way his face warms as he remembers Isaac's comment about letting him drive.

He looks around for some kind of distraction and frowns slightly when he sees the closed curtains. Isaac's a botanist; he's sure he'll appreciate a little sunlight.

Crossing over to the far wall, he pulls open the curtains. Warm sunlight spills into the room and something feels right about the way the gentle beams shine on Isaac's still form.

Isaac himself seems to relax as they do. The tension constantly in his face and shoulders fades away to something more peaceful.

A glint of metal catches Johnny's eye, and he turns to see Isaac's bag sitting in the corner. A pair of dog tags rests on a simple duffle. Even from where he stands, he can tell the silver tags are scuffed and scratched and obviously worn.

Johnny runs a hand over his short hair and puffs up his cheeks before he lets the air out with a huff. "This is weird, right?" he says, again speaking to no one. He nods and answers his own question. "It's weird. I mean, you're not even awake."