Jean and Logan walked briskly down the hospital corridor toward the Intensive Care Unit. They had both been uncharacteristically quiet for the entire plane trip to Massachusetts. Neither knew what to say. All they could do was think about the girl lying on an operating table, wondering why something like this would happen to her.

As they turned a corner, they spotted a small lounge area at a T-junction in the hallway. When they got closer, they saw two young women sitting on a couch. One, Paige Guthrie, sat sobbing, hugging her knees to her chest, as she stared blankly across the room. The blonde was shaking, apparently in shock. The other, Monet Saint Croix, sat beside her, hands folded in her lap. Despite the ordeal they had evidently been through, the young Algerian was, as usual, the picture of calm.

At the sound of their approach, Monet looked up at them. "Mr. Logan, Mrs. Summers, it is good to see you. I only wish it could be under more pleasant circumstances."

"Where's Sean, Monet?" Logan asked, his brusque tone making it perfectly evident he was in no mood for pleasantries.

"Mr. Cassidy is talking to the nurses over there," she indicated, pointing at the other end of the hallway.

"You go speak to him," Jean told Logan. "I'll stay here with the girls."

Nodding, Logan went to find Sean.

"How long has she been like this?" Jean asked, sitting down on the other side of Paige.

"Ever since we rescued them," Monet replied. "Mr. Cassidy and I found Everett, and Paige discovered Jubilee. She had been buried beneath some crates in a warehouse. Everett was on a different floor. We heard Paige screaming for help. When I located them, Paige was kneeling beside Jubilee's body, holding her head in her lap. There was blood everywhere.

Paige had obviously never seen anything like that in her entire life, because she was just short of hysterical. We rushed Jubilee and Everett to the hospital, and while we were waiting for word, Paige disappeared. I found her huddled in a corner, crying, arms around her knees, rocking herself. I managed to get her to come over to the couch, but she will not speak to me. She has not managed to pull herself together and cannot seem to stop crying."

"Has a doctor taken a look at her?" Jean asked, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. Paige jumped. "It's all right, Paige. It's Jean. I won't hurt you."

"A nurse tried to coax her into an exam room, but Paige became agitated as soon as she came near. I thought it best to just sit with her. I'm sure Mr. Cassidy will do something as soon as he can. He's been busy trying to see them. They won't even let him go speak to Everett."

Nodding, Jean turned her attention to the other young woman. "Paige, sweetie, it's all right," Jean whispered, gently stroking her hair. "Everything's going to be okay."

At that moment, Logan returned along with Sean. To say that Sean Cassidy looked worried was an understatement. The Irishman took his duties as headmaster of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters very seriously. Educating these students in the use of their mutant powers was important, yes, but so was their health and livelihood. This was more than a job to him, though. He cared about these children; they were his family. Part of the reason he felt so strongly about them was likely due to the fact that he did not learn of the existence of his own daughter, Teresa, until she was nearly an adult. At least he now had the opportunity to play an important role in these children's upbringing. Today, however, he felt as though he had failed them. While his mind knew that there was no way he could have known, that there was nothing he could have done to prevent the kidnapping of Jubilation Lee and Everett Thomas, his heart told him that he should have been there to protect them. And now one of his young charges was lying at death's door, paying for his mistake.

"Hello there, Jean," he said quietly.

Jean quickly got to her feet. Without a moment's hesitation, she walked over to Sean and wrapped her arms around his waist in a reassuring hug. In that instant, he knew what she was trying to tell him: *It's not your fault.*

"Thank ye, lass," Sean said, taking her hands in his and giving them a squeeze.

"How are they?" Jean asked.

"Everett's doin' all right. His shoulder was dislocated, he had some broken ribs, an' he needed some stitches. They want to keep him a couple days for observation. They finally told me what room he's in. As for Jubilation . . . I'm afraid the news is not good. She's still in surgery," Sean replied, raking his fingers through his strawberry-blonde hair. "She's got broken bones, massive head trauma, not to mention some internal bleeding." Sean looked down at his feet, taking a deep breath. When he looked back up, there were tears in his eyes. "Goin' in, they . . . they only gave her a fifty-fifty chance of survivin' the operation," he said, his voice breaking. "I- I'm sorry. Excuse me a moment," he whispered, quickly turning away from them and bringing a shaking hand to his temple.

Everyone was silent, giving Sean the time he needed to collect himself. At first, Jean and Logan did not even notice as Paige slowly got to her feet.

They looked on in surprise as she walked over to where Sean stood and softly placed a hand on his arm. Startled, Sean turned back around and looked at Paige, so pale and frightened. Paige managed a weak smile, and Sean could not help but to return the gesture. Then they embraced, teacher and student, and, together, quietly weeping, they shared their grief and pain for their friend.

Jean turned to look at Logan. "Do you know Everett's room number? I'd like to go see how he's doing."

"Yeah. I'll go with you. I'd like to hear how this all happened. Hey, Irish, you comin'?" he called to Sean.

Letting go of Paige, Sean took her by the shoulders. "We've all got t' be strong for Jubilee. Okay?"

Setting her jaw determinately, Paige nodded.

"Good lass. Now, why don't you and Monet go down t' the cafeteria and get some cocoa while we go speak t' Everett, okay?"

"Will we be able to see him, too?"

"A little later, Monet. Go on, now."

"Can we bring anyone back something?" she asked. "Something to drink, perhaps?"

"Perhaps some coffee," Sean suggested, reaching into his pocket to get his wallet.

"That's all right, Mr. Cassidy," Monet said. "I've got it taken care of. Ready, Paige?"

Nodding, Paige walked up to her teammate. The two had never been very close. They both now realized that in a time like this all they had was each other. Silently, Monet looked at Paige, regarding her for a moment.

Her lips then curled in a slight smile. Paige seemed very surprised at first, but quickly returned the smile. Though not an incredibly affectionate overture, it said a great deal for Monet, who was usually so detached from her fellow students. Without a word being spoken, together they walked down the hallway.

Sean grinned, taking a little comfort in the knowledge that at least something positive was coming out of this horrible ordeal. Then he turned his attention to Jean and Logan and walked with them silently to Everett's room. Entering, they found him sitting up in bed. The young African-American was usually a pillar of strength for his friends and teammates, encouraging all with his inner strength and determination; today, however, he did not appear quite as strong as usual. He looked like he had been through hell and back. His left arm was in a sling, and there were several stitches on his temple. One eye was swollen shut, and there was a cut on his lip. Even with all of his injuries, Sean could see how worried he was. He knew that Everett was the one Jubilee was closest to at school; the two considered themselves best friends. This had to be tough on him.

"How are you feeling?" Jean asked.

"If you mean my arm, ma'am, it's nothing; they've got me pretty doped up," he replied. "I'm just worried about Jubilee."

"We all are, kid," Logan told him.

"Is there any word yet?"

"She's still in surgery," Sean replied.

"While we wait for the doctor, what say you tell us what went down?" Logan said, leaning against a wall, arms crossed, a scowl on his face.

Jean and Sean, meanwhile, sat in the pair of chairs at Everett's bedside.

"All- all right," Everett said. He seemed a little nervous at Wolverine's presence. Part of it was sheer fear. Not only did he know that Wolverine could be a fierce sparring partner, capable of killing or maiming, but he also knew how much the X-Man cared for Jubilee. She talked about him and their adventures more than any of the members of Generation X cared to hear. Everett knew Logan would want vengeance for her injuries, to pay back whoever did this to her. And the fact that he had been involved-- and unable to protect her from harm-- made him fear for his own safety a tiny bit. Sure, Wolverine was one of the good guys, but he was also subject to berserker rages, during which the bestial side of his nature took over.

Lord help anyone-- friend or foe-- who got in his way when the bloodlust was upon him. Everett could think of nothing worse that would cause just such a rage than hurting someone Logan held near and dear to his heart.

"I don't even know where to begin," Everett said feebly.

"Why don't ye start with how ye met up with Shaw and Tessa?" Sean suggested.

Everett sighed, and they all watched as his mind wandered back to the previous night.

End of Chapter 1 Jennifer Sorowitz '98