The Hand You're Dealt

14| Recovery

Gambit stayed in the white room with that woman named Lauren Binns, still fighting to remember her. He knew he should, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't.

When they entered this mansion called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, an older, bald man in a wheelchair and a blue beast-man were waiting for them. They instructed him to lay her down on the examining table and got to work checking her out. The Beast, or Hank, dealt with placing a heart and pulse monitor on her as the Professor immediately rolled to the head of the bed, put his hands on either side of her head, and bent over her—forehead to forehead—with his eyes closed. Scott—the red-beam guy—had explained Professor Charles Xavier as a telepath on the ride back, so he didn't wonder what he was doing.

The Beast had tended to him after finishing with Lauren; Jean tended to the others. Wolverine was the only one not down there being treated—Storm said he healed quickly on his own. When the Professor completed checking Lauren for any mental damage, he left saying he needed to tend to something but promised to return.

Now alone, he sat in a chair near to Lauren sleeping on the table. He constantly looked from her to the queen of hearts in his hand. The card seemed to be the only physical proof that he truly did have a connection with her—it wasn't just him imagining it.

The others told him what they knew about Avaleyn Nitall from what Lauren had said. She had altered his mind, and that was why he had trouble remembering things.

But he had no trouble recalling his past—growing up in New Orleans; being exiled; having surgery to reduce his potential; jumping from state to state and performing card tricks to make a living. The only thing he couldn't remember was Lauren, or anything involving her.

Why? Why only her?

"Still having trouble?" the Professor asked as he rolled in.

"Oui. I know she is important, but I can't find any memories of her. I get these... pieces, like a smile, cheveux roux, or the sound of her voice. She is more than what Avaleyn told me, but I can't figure out what."

He smiled. "Those fragments are good: that means Nitall didn't completely erase Lauren from your memories; she just suppressed them."

"But why do you think Avaleyn went after those memories of Lauren in particular?" Gambit asked.

"I believe Avaleyn wiped your memories of Lauren to make you more susceptible to her lies. If you had remembered Lauren, you would've fought Nitall to get back to her. She also made you forget who she actually was for the same reason."

He looked at the older man. "Are you saying there's something entre nous? Something between us?" He added in the translation, not sure if the Professor would understand.

"I'm not going to enforce my belief on you, but I know how Lauren feels about you. She loves you for you, Remy; Avaleyn Nitall only loved the idea of having your powers." The Professor looked at him. "You wonder why you feel the way you do when you look at her... Perhaps you feel the same about her."

Gambit was stunned at the news. She loved him, and he didn't know her. Maybe that was why pain had crossed her features when he first walked up to her... It pained him now remembering her stricken face.

He looked at the Professor. He liked the older man—he held a gentle and humble air around him. This was a man he felt he could trust. Cyclops had said he's the most powerful telepath he had ever met; Jean being the closest. So, if anyone could help, it would be him. "Can you help me remember her?"

The Professor looked at him. "The mind is a tricky thing to fix, Gambit. Do you want to take that risk?"

He didn't hesitate. "Oui; she at least deserves me remembering her."