The human torch's flame

Chapter 8

Next thing you remember is mumbling, you opened your eyes and jolted upright.

No one was in the room. You calmed down. Your legs slipped onto the floor. You stood up and examined yourself in the mirror. Your skin was so pale, your veins shone through. A Christmas tree was your first thought. You turned around. The room wasn't particularly large but it wasn't small either. You walked over to the closet and pulled out a clean white shirt and cotton pants.

The clothes that screamed 'HOSPITAL PATIENT' . You made your way to the door. You slowly opened the door. A nurse.

You took a step back from the woman. She wore a blouse and a very tight, very small dress in other words exactly what you depicted as a man's nurse fantasy. Disgusting.

"Are you mad? We're under quarantine. You could get the residue radiation." You said, bewildered.

"We put you and the other patients under a medical check. It seems that you absorbed all the radiation and the residue is not on your skin nor in the CO2 you breath out. So it's perfectly safe."

You bit your lip then asked." Are the others all right?"

"There fine and you. You made the front page of newspapers." She handed you what you guessed was a newspaper. The title was in dark black ink, it read: A pilot saves crew and brings them back to earth.

You looked beneath that to the left of a large photo of you on the launch day. The first few sentences read as following; 

What is more surprising is the fact That (y/n) (l/n) flyed the shuttle solo; a shuttle that needs two pilots. The government has offered her a metal for her bravery. She has yet to reply.

You shuddered. Metal for her bravery. What bravery? You freaked out and dragged your colleagues by their feet in a shuttle. You crumpled the sheet of paper and threw it on the floor. 

"Yeah Right. Where are the others."

"I know where Mr. Storm is the others I don't know. I need to take his temperature." She said, but by the way she looked she wanted a little more than his temperature. You smiled at her than took the thermometer and said:

"I can deal with that and we won't want you to get contaminated would we. Now go get dressed." She pointed to the door at the end of the hall. She turned around on her heals and trodded off. You could barely contain your laughter at her hurt face.

You walked towards Johnny's room. 

"Yup?"

You walked in. Johnny was sitting on the bed and was getting dressed rather warmly. You put the thermometer in his hand and he understood what to do. You glanced at the temperature that was about normal human but it kept on rising.

You tore your eyes away from the screen and looked at Johnny. His clothes were definitely not for the inside.

"Where do you think you are going?" 

"I don't know if you've noticed but, the sickest runs in the Alps."

You interrupted him. "Sorry but that a big no. You're staying here. If you go up there." You point to his temperature that is way above normal: "You're way to hot to be normal."

"Thanks. So are you."

You raised an eyebrow at him in a seriously look and added: "Temperature, moron. It's 209 Fahrenheit."

"I've never felt better in my life. So yes, I will go up there. Luckily grandma still sends care packages."

"You are not leaving."

"I am leaving but as I am such a moron maybe I'll need someone to take care of me while I am up there. Don't you think?" He raised an eyebrow. You thought for a moment than you snapped:

"I am going up there but it's not to have fun. It's because you are stupid and It would be a disaster if Susan lost her brother. Deal?"

"Whatever you say, baby."

"Baby?" You cried indignantly as he stormed out the room. "And where the heck am I to get snowboarding stuff?"

"Couldn't care less. You can come naked if you like." He yelled back. You shuddered. One thought in mind: Not naked. Definitely not naked.

You looked again at his temperature and as you grabbed the thermometer you nearly burnt yourself. Johnny was definitely sick whatever he said. You stopped for a second and remembered the video you saw on the platform in space: Johnny hugged you. For the first time and it had nothing sexual about it. Witch was weird. What was weirder was when the radiation hit. 

He tried to shield you but the idiot didn't know that radiation was in the air. It wasn't a solid form you could block. Still, the fact that his first instinct was to shield you was something. 

That's what he's trying to make you think; like that he'll get in you pants. The reasonable part of you thought. The other part was just calculating how high his temperature would get. Basically the idea of Johnny not trying to get in your pants was as absurd as saying Cancer and STDs were good for your health.

You gulped the thought down. You walked out and saw Reed. He had apparently grown a few white hairs. Stress could do that. You decided not to comment on it just as you would rather not have anybody commenting on your translucent skin.

"Reed, I'm worried about Johnny."

"Why? What happened? He looked fine."

"He seems fine but his temperature is above 209 Fahrenheit and on the platform, I looked at a video. I almost thought his body had burnt up completely." You said, keeping your voice level.

"That's....strange? Oh and (y/n) (l/n). Thanks again for getting us back to Earth safely."

"Yeah... But Victor may have a few 'accidentally made' bumps on his head." You grinned as you placed air quotes over accidentally made. Reed seemed to not like Victor that much either and cracked a smile.

Reed was walking away as you stopped him with you left hand and said.

"Do you happen to have snowboarding stuff?"

He seemed taken aback by the question but he directed me to a member of staff who gave you what was necessary.

Snowboarding it is.