Fervent Feelings

X1 Chapter 3 - Curse,

In the chrome med room, I help Jean prepare Logan for the MRI scan, though I can't help but wonder how this is going to work with his metal claws.

The stinging scent of rubbing alcohol tingles in my nostrils as I pour the liquid onto a circular cotton round, focusing on that rather than the man's intriguing nature. Tentative hands swipe the damp cotton over his chest, carefully cleaning the surface after detaching the sticky wires from his skin. Jean hovers over my shoulder, eyes scanning my work, making sure I don't miss a spot. She and Charles tend to treat me like a protégé—sometimes I find it endearing, other times stressful.

Logan's brows furrow as he stares blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought. A wave of guilt emanates from him and burrows deep in my chest. His face shifts into something regretful as he breaks the silence. "I'm sorry," he mutters, voice gruff but sincere, looking past me toward Jean.

Jean's attention flicks from my hands to his face, her brows knitting in confusion. "For what?"

Logan lifts his right arm and points at her neck, ignoring my hands still working on his chest. "If I hurt you."

Where's my apology, prick? I think to myself, though I keep my mouth shut in a tight, irritated line. I watch Jean's face, expecting her to say something more, but she only offers him a curt smile before moving away. She walks behind me to the large moniter, her fingers deftly turning knobs, dials, and switches setting up the scan.

As I finish wrapping the cords around my hands, Logan turns his head toward me, his change in conversation catching me off guard. "So, couldn't wait to get my shirt off again, huh?" He smirks, a teasing glint in his eyes.

I scoff, rolling my eyes dramatically. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm just here because I have to be," I shoot back, turning my attention to Jean, who looks equally unimpressed. With a harsh press of a button, she sends the table he's lying on into the MRI machine.

Our eyes widen in surprise as the computer screen lights up with each image the machine takes. "It's all metal?" I whisper, more to myself than Jean.

Later, I find myself sitting between Ororo and Scott as we gather around to watch Jean showcase our findings. She gestures across the screen where snapshots of his bones are displayed, illuminated in stark contrast.

"The metal is an alloy called adamantium. Supposedly indestructible," she explains, her voice tinged with fascination. She raises her hand and pans down the image of Logan's skeleton. "It's been surgically grafted to his entire skeleton."

Jean crosses her arms, her expression shifting serious as she walks to the other end of the projector screen. The room is heavy with the weight of what we're seeing, testing mutants like we're animals...it's sick.

"How could he have survived a procedure like that?" Ororo hums from beside me, her voice filled with curiosity and a hint of disbelief.

Jean's eyes scan over the images again, her mind clearly working to piece together the puzzle. "His mutation- He has uncharted regenerative capability, which enables him to heal rapidly." She pauses, taking a moment to let the information sink in. "This also makes his age impossible to determine." She turns her gaze to Charles, her expression thoughtful. "He could very well be older than you, Professor."

"Who did this to him?" Scott asks, his voice cutting through the quiet tension in the room.

"He doesn't know. Nor does he remember anything about his life before it happened," I reply, shaking my head. I can hear the wonder in my own voice—this whole situation is as confusing to me as it is to everyone else.

"Experimentation on mutants..." Charles' voice is grim, a dark shadow passing over his face. "It's not unheard of." He sighs deeply, wheeling himself closer to the screens. "But I've never seen anything like this before..."