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1st
This is one of my very first fics - a classic story of a metal boy and magnetic girl. Very simple, yet long (around 3300 words). This one is sickeningly fluffy, but fear not, I grew out of it.
Lorna was terribly sick. It had started with tiny shudders in the morning but she hadn't given it much thought. She and Marie were scheduled to work on their science project which was long overdue as it was. So Lorna decided she couldn't get sick right now. She took some aspirin to shake the headache and went to study.
Since Lorna hadn't been sick much during her life so far, she couldn't know that the cold cared quite little when it was the approriate time to be sick and when not. So when the fever really hit with full force in the middle of the afternoon, Lorna went down within minutes.
"Lorna? You don't look so good. Maybe you should go and see Dr McCoy?" Marie said and walked closer to her desk carrying a pile of books. They had been doing the research in the library which was empty at this time of day.
Lorna would have answered Marie's question if she could have stopped shivering, even for a moment. Marie placed the books in the table and touched carefully her forehead. Even through the glove Lorna felt like burning.
"Do you mind finishing up?" Lorna managed to say through clattering teeth.
Marie nodded quickly. "Just go. You've got a fever, that much I can see"
Lorna stood up and sat right back down.
"Wow."
"What? Are you going to faint? I'd better come with you."
"No no. I just felt a bit dizzy for a moment. I'll manage."
Behind Lorna the metal lamps bent towards her like the flowers towards the sun.
Marie took one look of Lorna's eyes which were shining from the fever and the lamps bending and made up her mind in a second. This wasn't good.
"C'mon, up we go. Lean on me."
Lorna nodded and stood up, swaying only little. Then she sneezed hard several times.
The lamps bent back and forth like their metal legs were made of jelly.
"Lorna, you've got to concentrate! Stop bending. Can you do that for me?"
Lorna nodded carefully. Her throat felt like she had swallowed pins and needles and her head was filled with cotton. The lamps straightened and stood still like nothing had happened.
"Good. Keep doing that."
Marie led Lorna out of the library into the hallway. They didn't meet anybody on the way to the elevators since the Professor wasn't at the mansion today and there had been skip classes all day. Most of the kids had jumped on a chance of doing what they wanted for a change. But unfortunately not all.
Peter had offered to place the new refrigeretor into the kitchen. The refrigerator had arrived a few minutes ago and he was just on his way to carry it to the kitchen through the main hall. He was in his organic metal form and carried the whole refrigerator with ease.
Marie never saw him coming from the corner and she didn't get a chance to warn Peter.
Or Lorna.
*CLANK*
"Oh…My…God."
Hank looked at the situation before him once more. He still had a terrible urge to laugh but Peter's horrified eyes kept him from doing so.
"And it doesn't help if you chance back to normal?"
"I tried. No. I can carry her better this way."
Peter held his huge metal arm bended carefully around Lorna's waist. Lorna was stuck to his side like a vine to an oak tree. Her head rested against Peter's shoulder, her arm hung over his back and from Lorna's shoulder to Peter's thigh they were like glued together. Her feet didn't touch the floor.
"Lorna? Can you hear me? Lorna?"
There wasn't much response. Her eyes were closed and she only mumbled something incoherent. Sometimes she shivered and then the hallway echoed from a strange sound that resembled somebody shaking a tin box filled with sand. Peter's face grew even more desperate than before.
"You have to help her."
"Yes, of course. First I have to know excatly what happened. Marie?"
Hank turned to Marie who was standing little further off, covering her mouth with her hand and a strained look in her eyes. She obviously wanted to laugh too.
Hank bit his lip. *You are a doctor, act like one*
"She... She complained a headache all morning but she took some painkillers for it. So we continued doing our science project when she started to shiver and she looked really feverish. I was just about to bring her to you when...Well."
"That is all?"
"No, wait, she bent the lamps when she sneezed."
"She is going to bent me?" Peter gasped horrified.
"I'm pretty sure that she can't do that."
Hank tried to put all his credibility as a doctor to his voice. Actually, he had no idea whatsoever what would happen if Lorna sneezed. Like on cue, Lorna opened her eyes. And sneezed. There was a humming sound, like a big bell that had been gently struck. Peter looked surprised and laughed.
Everybody stared at him.
"I'm sorry. It tickles. Lorna?"
"Pete…? Wha…?"
"Lorna, let go. Can you hear me? Lorna?"
For a moment there her eyes had been fixated to Peter's face and then she passed out again. Peter turned back to Hank.
"For starters, we should get you two somewhere else to be until I can dislodge you. Peter, can you move?"
Peter tried to move his leg and by a halfway through the step he had to admit his defeat.
"No, it's too heavy. The refrigeretor would be dragged with us and there is just too much magnetism pushing against me already."
"Alright. We just have to work here. Marie?"
"Yes?"
"Could you go and bring a blanket and a cup of hot water, sweetened with something, if possible. Ask Mrs. Waite."
Marie nodded and left towards the kitchen.
"Peter, I'm going to call Mr. Summers to come here with you. If Lorna wakes, try talking to her but otherwise, just relax and stay calm. Can you do that?"
Peter nodded and Hank gave the whole situation one final look and went to find the phone. Never a dull moment in this school.
When Marie came back to the hall carrying a mug and a blue blanket, Scott was already standing next to Peter. Marie placed the mug in the near by table and brought the blanket to Peter.
"Here. Let's wrap this around her."
Peter pushed with all the force he could muster and managed to move his hand enough from Lorna that Marie got a chance to slip the blanket around her shoulders. Then Peter's hand returned its place like a steel trap snapping shut. Lorna sneezed, Peter couldn't help but laugh and Scott watched all this with a serious desperation.
"Where is Dr. McCoy?" Marie asked but before Scott could come up with an answer, Marie picked up something else. Sound of a motorcycle. The worst time possible… "It's Logan. Crap! I'd better warn him."
"Yes. Go!" Scott said without even noticing Marie cursing. One more man with metal was just about the last thing they needed. Somewhere outside Scott thought he heard Logan starting to laugh. Of course. Not a sympathetic bone in that man.
"Lorna?" Scott's attention snapped back to the situation. Peter talked as softly as possible to the girl in his arms. Lorna moved her head just a bit from Peter's shoulder.
"Lorna? You have to let go. Try, please?"
"But I'm not… I don't hold anything," That was the most clear sentance they had gotten out of her all this time. Lorna placed her head back against Peter and sighed. She closed her eyes again. Peter leaned against the refrigeretor with majestical slow movement.
There was sharp laughter from a pack of children.
"It's lunchtime. Peter, I'm going to go direct the kids so they don't barge in here. I'm sure Hank will be right back. Just hang in there."
"Yes," he said. Scott left and Peter closed his eyes too. He was tired. Not by holding Lorna (she hardly weighted more than a feather to him) but by the thoughts racing through his head. The presence of her, so close, surrounding him like a shroud, made his heart leap in the most peculiar way. Peter couldn't say how long he had stood in this hallway but it did feel like a small eternity. And without actually admitting the point, he wished it would go on for another eternity.
*Bad thoughts. Bad bad! She is sick and helpless! Is that a proper way to act?* Peter scolded himself in his head.
"Peter?"
It was Hank. He had changed his normal clothes to hospital greens and he stood there, holding a red emergency pack under his arm and eyeing him, worried.
"Yes? Did you come up with something?"
"I think so. I'm sorry it took so long, I had to read Lorna's medical files first. I suspect by the sudden high fever, the headache and the sneezing, that she might have a vicious form of influenza. And that is a educated guess until I can examine her better. But, we can lower her fever so that we can loosen her grip or she will be coherent enough to do that herself. Good, Marie brought the blanket. Did she get the water too?
"I didn't see."
"It's on the table, Hank. Did you come up with anything?" Scott walked back to the hallway. There was a row of faces behind the big windows, staring inside and Scott waved his hand to get the kids to move along. The kids started to move slowly towards the dining hall. Everybody wanted to see what was happening but nobody wanted to ignite the wrath of Mr. Summers.
"Scott, good you're here. Yes, yes I did. I'll need your help if we can peel her off from Peter. I phoned Mrs. Waite and she will ready a guestroom for Lorna. We need to carry her there if she won't be coherent enough to stand. Oh, and take all the metal items off, clock, belt buckle, all."
"Why third floor? And what is the water for?" Scott asked and started taking off his belt.
"Water is for the medicine cocktail I made for her. It would be better if we could inject it to her, but the needles are made of surgical steel so I don't think it would work. So we have to get her drink it. It probably tastes awful but I didn't have time to work with it that much." Hank went to get the mug, it's contents still somewhat warm. He poured some white crystals in the water and waited for them to dissolve completely.
"And the third floor?" Scott asked and placed his clock next to the belt.
"Oh yes. We can't take her downstairs, there is just too much metal in case her fever rises up again. We would be forced to peel her off from everything and that isn't good for her, obviously. Her own room won't do because influenza spreads easily so every child in that floor could catch it too. I ordered a patch of influenza shots, I just hope it isn't too late… So there is least people in the third floor at the moment and Mrs. Waite assured me that one of the rooms can be easily cleaned for metal objects. Or do you have a better suggestion?"
"No, that sounds like a plan. Peter, are you still all right? Not too tired?"
"I'm good. Lorna? Wake up again, please? You have to drink this."
Lorna opened her eyes half way through and moved her head so she stared at Peter's eyes again. If Hank hadn't come so close, Peter was sure he would have given in for the temptation to kiss her. Influenza or no, she looked beautiful.
"Peter, I'm going to pour this down her throat but since it's a bit tricky angle, it will propably spill over you too. Ready?"
Peter nodded.
"Lorna? Can you hear me? This is medicine and I want you to swallow as much of it as you can."
Lorna opened and closed her eyes and Hank took that as a "yes". He moved closer and placed his hands on Lorna's chin, trying to get his hand in a good angle to pour the liquid. When he touched both Peter and Lorna, it felt like touching a magnetic cloud of some sort. Hank really wished that this would work because there would be no power in earth that could pry those two apart if Lorna couldn't let go.
Hank started to pour a slow trickle, making absolutely sure that Lorna was able to swallow. It looked like she had trouble doing so. Her throat must hurt pretty bad. More evidence to back up the influenza theory. Hank managed to pour almost half of the mug content before Lorna refused to co-operate and the water spilled to the floor.
"Let's just hope that was enough. It should work pretty soon. Peter, you have to say if anything starts to change. And Scott, when she starts to let go, I want you to catch her, alright? No bumping her on the ground or anything. Now I need to find Mrs. Waite…I'll be right back."
Hank left towards the elevators. Peter and Scott waited quietly almost ten minutes until Peter straightened up from the refrigerator. Scott moved closer, watching Lorna carefully.
"Now?"
Peter shook his head. "I can't move my legs much. She still holds."
They waited again. Suddenly Lorna's head lolled backwards. There was a humming sound and she started to slide towards the floor.
"Now!"
Scott was ready. Before Lorna's feet touched the ground, Scott had caught a hold of her and smoothly she fell into his arms. Scott carried her to the nearest chair and placed her there carefully. Lorna mumbled something in a low voice but didn't wake up much more.
With relieved sigh Peter turned back to his normal self and sat down with a thud and placed his head in his arms.
Then Hank ran back from the elevator carrying a roll of bubblewrap under his arm.
"Peter, how are you feeling?"
"Just a bit dizzy. How's Lorna?"
"She will be fine. I will take you to the medlab to have some rest and I will do some tests. Scott, wrap the blanket around her first, then few layers with bubblewrap so she won't get stuck so easily and then you can take her to the third floor. Use the elevator. Mrs. Waite is waiting for you there. All right?" The commands came from Hank with such tone that everybody felt nothing but relief that the situation was under control at last.
Peter stood up with shaky legs and Hank left with him for downstairs. Scott did as Hank had instructed. When he was finished, Lorna resembled a butterfly cocoon. Her deep green hair struck as odd against all the milky whiteness of the bubblewrap. All the time Scott spent wrapping Lorna up, he kept talking to her with soft reassuring voice so she wouldn't be scared.
When he heard the elevator to hiss back to the first floor, he just picked Lorna up and got into the elevator. Just for a moment he had doubts whether or not Hank's plan would work when the doors slid shut, but nothing happened. The elevator hissed to the third floor and Scott stepped out.
Mrs. Waite was waiting. "Oh poor dear. Please, this way Mr. Summers."
Scott followed Mrs. Waite down the corridor to the left wing. Mrs. Waite had chosen the very last room and she opened the door for Scott to go in first.
Mrs. Waite had done a good job considering the time frame she had had. The lamps were gone, so were all the paintings with metal frames. All the metal Mrs. Waite couldn't move, she had covered with layers of bubblewrap. The drawers with metal handles looked like little white clouds. Even the doorknob was covered.
"I did all I could. I got her pyjamas from her room as Dr. McCoy requested. He said that you could leave her under my watch now."
Scott placed the sleeping girl on top of the bed and nodded to Mrs. Waite.
"Yes, of course. I'll wait outside until Hank returns."
Scott kept watch until Hank came back from the medlab and assured that Peter was doing just fine.
But it took five days until he could say the same about Lorna.
Peter stood behind the door, still pondering if he should do this or not. Finally he decided to knock.
"Come in."
Peter opened the door. Lorna sat on the bed, combing tangles from her wet hair. There was bubblewrap everywhere and the artist part of Peter's brain saw the perfect picture. An exotic sea mermaid, brushing her green hair amongst the bubblewrap foam. The rest of his brain, however, was a blank from the sight of her.
When Lorna saw him come in, she blushed fiercely and the comb dropped from her fingers.
"Oh. Peter. Hi. How are you?"
"I'm fine. How are you? Oh. Here. I brought you this." He gave her the flower he had spent almost an hour choosing from Ms. Munroe's garden. Finally Ms. Munroe had just blucked one for him and sent him on his way. It was a marigold with beautiful bright shade of yellow.
"Ms. Munroe said that type is called "Yellow Colosal". She thought it was fitting."
Lorna smelled the flower and then placed it with other flowers from Marie and the rest of the gang into a glass of water next to her bed.
"Thank you. It's lovely. Have a seat." Lorna moved a bit so that Peter could sit next to her on the bed. Then they both fell quiet and spent considerable time staring at their hands. Finally Lorna took all her courage and looked at Peter.
"I'm sorry, about what happened. I really didn't mean to… I'm sorry. Really."
Peter look at her eyes. She looked ready to burst into tears.
"Oh, don't worry about it. You were sick, you couldn't help it. Really, it's all right."
"I have never been so sick in my entire life. I was really scared you know. I just remember you asking me to let go, but I couldn't understand what you meant. I was so sure that I was sleeping in my own bed. It feels like a dream now."
"I'm just glad you made it. I was scared too, for you."
Lorna looked again to his eyes and smiled. "You were? That is so sweet of you." Then she just leaned forward and pecked a kiss on his cheek. Peter turned his head to right when Lorna was pulling back and captured her mouth into a real kiss.
At first Lorna was just dumb struck what was happening but then the kiss just drove all the logic out of her mind. Peter had natural skill. He started slow and soft and touched just the perfect spot. Lorna pulled back gasping for breath.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that! I'll… I'll leave. Now." Peter blushed and tried to bolt to the door.
"Not quite yet, please." There was a small magnetic cushion against the door and Peter stopped dead still against it. Lorna stood up from the bed and walked to Peter who looked at her with desperate eyes.
"Bend down please."
He did so.
Lorna wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him, this time presenting her own expertise. She wasn't a novice either. There was sudden shudder from Peter's part when she did the tiny darting to his mouth. Lorna pulled back and smiled.
"Now you can leave, if you are afraid of the influenza."
"I had the vaccine you know." Peter said smiling and bent down to kiss her again.
Lorna was terribly sick. It had started with tiny shudders in the morning but she hadn't given it much thought. She and Marie were scheduled to work on their science project which was long overdue as it was. So Lorna decided she couldn't get sick right now. She took some aspirin to shake the headache and went to study.
Since Lorna hadn't been sick much during her life so far, she couldn't know that the cold cared quite little when it was the approriate time to be sick and when not. So when the fever really hit with full force in the middle of the afternoon, Lorna went down within minutes.
"Lorna? You don't look so good. Maybe you should go and see Dr McCoy?" Marie said and walked closer to her desk carrying a pile of books. They had been doing the research in the library which was empty at this time of day.
Lorna would have answered Marie's question if she could have stopped shivering, even for a moment. Marie placed the books in the table and touched carefully her forehead. Even through the glove Lorna felt like burning.
"Do you mind finishing up?" Lorna managed to say through clattering teeth.
Marie nodded quickly. "Just go. You've got a fever, that much I can see"
Lorna stood up and sat right back down.
"Wow."
"What? Are you going to faint? I'd better come with you."
"No no. I just felt a bit dizzy for a moment. I'll manage."
Behind Lorna the metal lamps bent towards her like the flowers towards the sun.
Marie took one look of Lorna's eyes which were shining from the fever and the lamps bending and made up her mind in a second. This wasn't good.
"C'mon, up we go. Lean on me."
Lorna nodded and stood up, swaying only little. Then she sneezed hard several times.
The lamps bent back and forth like their metal legs were made of jelly.
"Lorna, you've got to concentrate! Stop bending. Can you do that for me?"
Lorna nodded carefully. Her throat felt like she had swallowed pins and needles and her head was filled with cotton. The lamps straightened and stood still like nothing had happened.
"Good. Keep doing that."
Marie led Lorna out of the library into the hallway. They didn't meet anybody on the way to the elevators since the Professor wasn't at the mansion today and there had been skip classes all day. Most of the kids had jumped on a chance of doing what they wanted for a change. But unfortunately not all.
Peter had offered to place the new refrigeretor into the kitchen. The refrigerator had arrived a few minutes ago and he was just on his way to carry it to the kitchen through the main hall. He was in his organic metal form and carried the whole refrigerator with ease.
Marie never saw him coming from the corner and she didn't get a chance to warn Peter.
Or Lorna.
*CLANK*
"Oh…My…God."
Hank looked at the situation before him once more. He still had a terrible urge to laugh but Peter's horrified eyes kept him from doing so.
"And it doesn't help if you chance back to normal?"
"I tried. No. I can carry her better this way."
Peter held his huge metal arm bended carefully around Lorna's waist. Lorna was stuck to his side like a vine to an oak tree. Her head rested against Peter's shoulder, her arm hung over his back and from Lorna's shoulder to Peter's thigh they were like glued together. Her feet didn't touch the floor.
"Lorna? Can you hear me? Lorna?"
There wasn't much response. Her eyes were closed and she only mumbled something incoherent. Sometimes she shivered and then the hallway echoed from a strange sound that resembled somebody shaking a tin box filled with sand. Peter's face grew even more desperate than before.
"You have to help her."
"Yes, of course. First I have to know excatly what happened. Marie?"
Hank turned to Marie who was standing little further off, covering her mouth with her hand and a strained look in her eyes. She obviously wanted to laugh too.
Hank bit his lip. *You are a doctor, act like one*
"She... She complained a headache all morning but she took some painkillers for it. So we continued doing our science project when she started to shiver and she looked really feverish. I was just about to bring her to you when...Well."
"That is all?"
"No, wait, she bent the lamps when she sneezed."
"She is going to bent me?" Peter gasped horrified.
"I'm pretty sure that she can't do that."
Hank tried to put all his credibility as a doctor to his voice. Actually, he had no idea whatsoever what would happen if Lorna sneezed. Like on cue, Lorna opened her eyes. And sneezed. There was a humming sound, like a big bell that had been gently struck. Peter looked surprised and laughed.
Everybody stared at him.
"I'm sorry. It tickles. Lorna?"
"Pete…? Wha…?"
"Lorna, let go. Can you hear me? Lorna?"
For a moment there her eyes had been fixated to Peter's face and then she passed out again. Peter turned back to Hank.
"For starters, we should get you two somewhere else to be until I can dislodge you. Peter, can you move?"
Peter tried to move his leg and by a halfway through the step he had to admit his defeat.
"No, it's too heavy. The refrigeretor would be dragged with us and there is just too much magnetism pushing against me already."
"Alright. We just have to work here. Marie?"
"Yes?"
"Could you go and bring a blanket and a cup of hot water, sweetened with something, if possible. Ask Mrs. Waite."
Marie nodded and left towards the kitchen.
"Peter, I'm going to call Mr. Summers to come here with you. If Lorna wakes, try talking to her but otherwise, just relax and stay calm. Can you do that?"
Peter nodded and Hank gave the whole situation one final look and went to find the phone. Never a dull moment in this school.
When Marie came back to the hall carrying a mug and a blue blanket, Scott was already standing next to Peter. Marie placed the mug in the near by table and brought the blanket to Peter.
"Here. Let's wrap this around her."
Peter pushed with all the force he could muster and managed to move his hand enough from Lorna that Marie got a chance to slip the blanket around her shoulders. Then Peter's hand returned its place like a steel trap snapping shut. Lorna sneezed, Peter couldn't help but laugh and Scott watched all this with a serious desperation.
"Where is Dr. McCoy?" Marie asked but before Scott could come up with an answer, Marie picked up something else. Sound of a motorcycle. The worst time possible… "It's Logan. Crap! I'd better warn him."
"Yes. Go!" Scott said without even noticing Marie cursing. One more man with metal was just about the last thing they needed. Somewhere outside Scott thought he heard Logan starting to laugh. Of course. Not a sympathetic bone in that man.
"Lorna?" Scott's attention snapped back to the situation. Peter talked as softly as possible to the girl in his arms. Lorna moved her head just a bit from Peter's shoulder.
"Lorna? You have to let go. Try, please?"
"But I'm not… I don't hold anything," That was the most clear sentance they had gotten out of her all this time. Lorna placed her head back against Peter and sighed. She closed her eyes again. Peter leaned against the refrigeretor with majestical slow movement.
There was sharp laughter from a pack of children.
"It's lunchtime. Peter, I'm going to go direct the kids so they don't barge in here. I'm sure Hank will be right back. Just hang in there."
"Yes," he said. Scott left and Peter closed his eyes too. He was tired. Not by holding Lorna (she hardly weighted more than a feather to him) but by the thoughts racing through his head. The presence of her, so close, surrounding him like a shroud, made his heart leap in the most peculiar way. Peter couldn't say how long he had stood in this hallway but it did feel like a small eternity. And without actually admitting the point, he wished it would go on for another eternity.
*Bad thoughts. Bad bad! She is sick and helpless! Is that a proper way to act?* Peter scolded himself in his head.
"Peter?"
It was Hank. He had changed his normal clothes to hospital greens and he stood there, holding a red emergency pack under his arm and eyeing him, worried.
"Yes? Did you come up with something?"
"I think so. I'm sorry it took so long, I had to read Lorna's medical files first. I suspect by the sudden high fever, the headache and the sneezing, that she might have a vicious form of influenza. And that is a educated guess until I can examine her better. But, we can lower her fever so that we can loosen her grip or she will be coherent enough to do that herself. Good, Marie brought the blanket. Did she get the water too?
"I didn't see."
"It's on the table, Hank. Did you come up with anything?" Scott walked back to the hallway. There was a row of faces behind the big windows, staring inside and Scott waved his hand to get the kids to move along. The kids started to move slowly towards the dining hall. Everybody wanted to see what was happening but nobody wanted to ignite the wrath of Mr. Summers.
"Scott, good you're here. Yes, yes I did. I'll need your help if we can peel her off from Peter. I phoned Mrs. Waite and she will ready a guestroom for Lorna. We need to carry her there if she won't be coherent enough to stand. Oh, and take all the metal items off, clock, belt buckle, all."
"Why third floor? And what is the water for?" Scott asked and started taking off his belt.
"Water is for the medicine cocktail I made for her. It would be better if we could inject it to her, but the needles are made of surgical steel so I don't think it would work. So we have to get her drink it. It probably tastes awful but I didn't have time to work with it that much." Hank went to get the mug, it's contents still somewhat warm. He poured some white crystals in the water and waited for them to dissolve completely.
"And the third floor?" Scott asked and placed his clock next to the belt.
"Oh yes. We can't take her downstairs, there is just too much metal in case her fever rises up again. We would be forced to peel her off from everything and that isn't good for her, obviously. Her own room won't do because influenza spreads easily so every child in that floor could catch it too. I ordered a patch of influenza shots, I just hope it isn't too late… So there is least people in the third floor at the moment and Mrs. Waite assured me that one of the rooms can be easily cleaned for metal objects. Or do you have a better suggestion?"
"No, that sounds like a plan. Peter, are you still all right? Not too tired?"
"I'm good. Lorna? Wake up again, please? You have to drink this."
Lorna opened her eyes half way through and moved her head so she stared at Peter's eyes again. If Hank hadn't come so close, Peter was sure he would have given in for the temptation to kiss her. Influenza or no, she looked beautiful.
"Peter, I'm going to pour this down her throat but since it's a bit tricky angle, it will propably spill over you too. Ready?"
Peter nodded.
"Lorna? Can you hear me? This is medicine and I want you to swallow as much of it as you can."
Lorna opened and closed her eyes and Hank took that as a "yes". He moved closer and placed his hands on Lorna's chin, trying to get his hand in a good angle to pour the liquid. When he touched both Peter and Lorna, it felt like touching a magnetic cloud of some sort. Hank really wished that this would work because there would be no power in earth that could pry those two apart if Lorna couldn't let go.
Hank started to pour a slow trickle, making absolutely sure that Lorna was able to swallow. It looked like she had trouble doing so. Her throat must hurt pretty bad. More evidence to back up the influenza theory. Hank managed to pour almost half of the mug content before Lorna refused to co-operate and the water spilled to the floor.
"Let's just hope that was enough. It should work pretty soon. Peter, you have to say if anything starts to change. And Scott, when she starts to let go, I want you to catch her, alright? No bumping her on the ground or anything. Now I need to find Mrs. Waite…I'll be right back."
Hank left towards the elevators. Peter and Scott waited quietly almost ten minutes until Peter straightened up from the refrigerator. Scott moved closer, watching Lorna carefully.
"Now?"
Peter shook his head. "I can't move my legs much. She still holds."
They waited again. Suddenly Lorna's head lolled backwards. There was a humming sound and she started to slide towards the floor.
"Now!"
Scott was ready. Before Lorna's feet touched the ground, Scott had caught a hold of her and smoothly she fell into his arms. Scott carried her to the nearest chair and placed her there carefully. Lorna mumbled something in a low voice but didn't wake up much more.
With relieved sigh Peter turned back to his normal self and sat down with a thud and placed his head in his arms.
Then Hank ran back from the elevator carrying a roll of bubblewrap under his arm.
"Peter, how are you feeling?"
"Just a bit dizzy. How's Lorna?"
"She will be fine. I will take you to the medlab to have some rest and I will do some tests. Scott, wrap the blanket around her first, then few layers with bubblewrap so she won't get stuck so easily and then you can take her to the third floor. Use the elevator. Mrs. Waite is waiting for you there. All right?" The commands came from Hank with such tone that everybody felt nothing but relief that the situation was under control at last.
Peter stood up with shaky legs and Hank left with him for downstairs. Scott did as Hank had instructed. When he was finished, Lorna resembled a butterfly cocoon. Her deep green hair struck as odd against all the milky whiteness of the bubblewrap. All the time Scott spent wrapping Lorna up, he kept talking to her with soft reassuring voice so she wouldn't be scared.
When he heard the elevator to hiss back to the first floor, he just picked Lorna up and got into the elevator. Just for a moment he had doubts whether or not Hank's plan would work when the doors slid shut, but nothing happened. The elevator hissed to the third floor and Scott stepped out.
Mrs. Waite was waiting. "Oh poor dear. Please, this way Mr. Summers."
Scott followed Mrs. Waite down the corridor to the left wing. Mrs. Waite had chosen the very last room and she opened the door for Scott to go in first.
Mrs. Waite had done a good job considering the time frame she had had. The lamps were gone, so were all the paintings with metal frames. All the metal Mrs. Waite couldn't move, she had covered with layers of bubblewrap. The drawers with metal handles looked like little white clouds. Even the doorknob was covered.
"I did all I could. I got her pyjamas from her room as Dr. McCoy requested. He said that you could leave her under my watch now."
Scott placed the sleeping girl on top of the bed and nodded to Mrs. Waite.
"Yes, of course. I'll wait outside until Hank returns."
Scott kept watch until Hank came back from the medlab and assured that Peter was doing just fine.
But it took five days until he could say the same about Lorna.
Peter stood behind the door, still pondering if he should do this or not. Finally he decided to knock.
"Come in."
Peter opened the door. Lorna sat on the bed, combing tangles from her wet hair. There was bubblewrap everywhere and the artist part of Peter's brain saw the perfect picture. An exotic sea mermaid, brushing her green hair amongst the bubblewrap foam. The rest of his brain, however, was a blank from the sight of her.
When Lorna saw him come in, she blushed fiercely and the comb dropped from her fingers.
"Oh. Peter. Hi. How are you?"
"I'm fine. How are you? Oh. Here. I brought you this." He gave her the flower he had spent almost an hour choosing from Ms. Munroe's garden. Finally Ms. Munroe had just blucked one for him and sent him on his way. It was a marigold with beautiful bright shade of yellow.
"Ms. Munroe said that type is called "Yellow Colosal". She thought it was fitting."
Lorna smelled the flower and then placed it with other flowers from Marie and the rest of the gang into a glass of water next to her bed.
"Thank you. It's lovely. Have a seat." Lorna moved a bit so that Peter could sit next to her on the bed. Then they both fell quiet and spent considerable time staring at their hands. Finally Lorna took all her courage and looked at Peter.
"I'm sorry, about what happened. I really didn't mean to… I'm sorry. Really."
Peter look at her eyes. She looked ready to burst into tears.
"Oh, don't worry about it. You were sick, you couldn't help it. Really, it's all right."
"I have never been so sick in my entire life. I was really scared you know. I just remember you asking me to let go, but I couldn't understand what you meant. I was so sure that I was sleeping in my own bed. It feels like a dream now."
"I'm just glad you made it. I was scared too, for you."
Lorna looked again to his eyes and smiled. "You were? That is so sweet of you." Then she just leaned forward and pecked a kiss on his cheek. Peter turned his head to right when Lorna was pulling back and captured her mouth into a real kiss.
At first Lorna was just dumb struck what was happening but then the kiss just drove all the logic out of her mind. Peter had natural skill. He started slow and soft and touched just the perfect spot. Lorna pulled back gasping for breath.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that! I'll… I'll leave. Now." Peter blushed and tried to bolt to the door.
"Not quite yet, please." There was a small magnetic cushion against the door and Peter stopped dead still against it. Lorna stood up from the bed and walked to Peter who looked at her with desperate eyes.
"Bend down please."
He did so.
Lorna wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him, this time presenting her own expertise. She wasn't a novice either. There was sudden shudder from Peter's part when she did the tiny darting to his mouth. Lorna pulled back and smiled.
"Now you can leave, if you are afraid of the influenza."
"I had the vaccine you know." Peter said smiling and bent down to kiss her again.