「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(297) Insanely Ludicrous

Charles' POV

My heart plummeted, processing Peter's concise but impactful string of words. Although they might have been spoken normally, they pierced through my brain with indescribable tenacity as if they lurched off his lips at high speed.

There was immediate disorientation and my world was ruthlessly tossed into a bloodcurdling mess. Alarm and fright slithered around my rattled heart, obviously worsening its untamed shiver instead of wrapping it in any form of emboldenment.

I stunned, feeling completely hollowed as I stared blankly to the front. Dearly, I wished I had heard him wrong but my mind seemingly sieved through the voices on its own. Before I registered anything else, Lynn was lying unconscious in my head and my heart dipped deeper than I knew was possible.

"Professor!" Peter barked, efficiently jolting me out of the terrifying trance, and I looked into his eyes that were disconcerted as if he had been yelling for me the umpteenth time.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Peter sought in an apprehensive tone, gradually releasing his grip from my shoulders.

"I'm fine. Can you get me to her, please?" I requested softly, staring pleadingly at his crouching frame.

Readily agreeing, Peter supported my neck in his hand and the scene rapidly transformed from my office to our room in just mere seconds. As my vision progressively stabilized, the image vividly witnessed in my head materialize right before my face where Lynn laid motionlessly on our bed, her chest rising only to faint, shallow and horribly slow breaths.

Quickly, I grasped her hand and it ironically burned me that her bare skin radiated minimal heat. Tenderly cupping her icy palm, I carefully rubbed it for warmth and glanced up at Jean as she busily analyzed Lynn with various mobile equipment imported from our emergency unit. Simultaneously, I briefly combed Lynn's mind but it was wretchedly silent, almost utterly devoid of life.

"How is she doing?" I grilled in exhaustion, strenuously fighting the lethargy that was steadily penetrating the veins of my body.

"I'm not sure. Nothing's coming up," Jean commented in bewilderment.

"No anomalies. No spikes. Whatever caused this, it doesn't seem to be physically detectable," Jean elaborated, clearly frustrated, as she listlessly plopped her electronic tablet into my lap.

I picked up the flat device, swiping through the several graphs indicating none other than Lynn's weakly pulsating brainwaves and I sighed, discreetly massaging my throbbing temple.

"Do you want me to help you into bed?" Jean kindly suggested as she kneeled down beside me with a delicate gaze.

"I'll manage. But she's freezing. Get her under the covers for me, will you?" I appealed with a desperate expression and Jean promptly nodded.

As Jean cautiously shrouded Lynn's frail body and her contrastingly spirited outfit under the sheets, the period bell went off, blaring my eardrums torturously. The obscure ailment that plagued us had certainly, and detrimentally, heightened my senses and the transient noise, usually bearable in its temporary presence, was now significantly deafening.

Yet, while I struggled to endure the clamorous echoes rumbling through my head, Lynn apparently exhibited no discernible response to the intolerable buzz. Gratefully, the irritating chime shortly ceased but another ruckus was soon introduced as the teachers anxiously scurried into the room.