When she and Sean entered the Intensive Care Unit and caught sight of Jubilee, Jean felt her heart sink. It was worse than she imagined. The girl lay in the hospital bed, looking so small and frail, her face deathly pale. Her head was bandaged, her left hand and lower arm in a cast. A tube was placed in her nose to give her oxygen. There were countless tubes and wires-- for intra venous fluids, for antibiotics, for blood. The beeping of the heart monitor resounded in the room.

Jean stopped in mid-stride and stared at the girl. This girl, who was usually so full of life, so animated, so energetic. This girl, who now lay in a hospital bed, so still one could hardly tell she was breathing. Jean bit her bottom lip. She felt Sean's hand find hers, and he gave it a squeeze.

Together, they approached the bedside. Jean looked down at her. Shakily, she reached out and gently caressed Jubilee's cheek with the back of her hand. Then she sat down in the chair at the bedside and took Jubilee's hand in her own. Sean stood behind her.

"Jubilee," Jean began softly. "It's Jean. I'm here with Sean."

"Hi there, lass," Sean greeted her, his voice choked with emotion.

"We're here for you, sweetie," Jean continued, not letting go of her hand. "We're all thinking about you. Monet and Paige are here at the hospital. Logan came with me to Boston, too. Everett's fine. He's worried about you. We all are. Ororo and everyone in New York sends their love. Please come back to us, Jubilee. Please. We all love you so much." Her voice trailed off as the tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. "Come back to us, kiddo," she whispered. "Come back."

That night, Sean and Jean kept a silent vigil. Sean sent Paige and Monet home by taxi, ordering them to get some rest. He doubted they would. As for he and Jean, they sat with Jubilee for several hours. Jubilee had not woken, and that fact worried them. Eventually, at Sean's suggestion, Jean gladly agreed to walk into the corridor so that they might stretch their legs. The truth of the matter was, looking at Jubilee hooked up to all of those tubes, lying there so helplessly as the heart monitor hollowly beeped in the room, was beginning to get to both of them; it made Jean want to burst into tears, and she suspected Sean felt similarly. They got some coffee, and brought it to a more secluded lounge. The head nurse on duty that night said she would notify them the moment Jubilee regained consciousness. They prayed for that moment to arrive. For the most part, they did not speak. Jean sat on the couch, staring across the room, while Sean paced the floor. Neither knew what to say.

"Would ye like some more coffee?" he asked about four a.m.

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

Sean stopped pacing and looked at her. "D'ye think that maybe if ye probed her mind, ye might help her to awaken sooner?"

Sadly, Jean shook her head. "Judging from what Everett said, she received massive psychic damage. Right now, I'd say her mind's a mess, which could very well be one of the factors in her not waking up. But in her current physical state, I dare not risk entering her mind. That kind of trauma, in addition to what she's already received, could prove too much for her." Jean rubbed her throbbing temples, and came to a sudden realization, one that had not occurred to her earlier that night. "Sean, where the hell is Emma? These kids were hurt because of her, and she's not even here to see how they are. I certainly hope you're not going to give me some line about her staying at the school with the other students--"

"No, Jean, she's not at the school. Frankly, I've no idea where she is."

"What?!"

"She left a couple of days ago t' take care of some business in Europe. When this happened, I tried t' call her. I cannae reach her at the chateau, or in her limo's phone, or on her personal cellular. I've got one o' me old buddies in Interpol lookin' for her, but that's about all the time I've got t' be wastin' on her. Emma's a big girl; she can take care of herself."

"Sounds a little suspicious to me," Jean said. "If I find out she was in on this, she's going to have hell to pay. She won't have much of a mind left when I get done with her!"

"Easy, lass, easy," he said, sitting down beside her and putting a hand on her knee. "That's yer anger an' frustration talkin' right now. Emma would never do anythin' like that t' any of the kids. I'm tellin' ye, Jean, she's changed. She may not be a saint, but she's doin' a lot of good f'r these kids. She cares about her students. She might not show it-- she can be a real ice queen when she wants t' be-- but I know f'r a fact that she would never harm a hair on their heads. When she gets back, I think she'll help you in gettin' some licks in on Shaw an' Tessa. Emma never really did get along with Shaw. I guess he was still harboring some animosity toward her. But t' get revenge through innocent children-- that really makes me blood boil!"

"I just wish there was something-- anything-- I could do for Jubilee," Jean said. "All I want to do is take her in my arms and make all of the hurt and pain go away." She looked up at him, tears pouring from her eyes. "My God, Sean, she's just a child. What kind of person could have done that to a sweet, innocent child? What kind of monster?"

"An inhuman one, lass," he said, taking her trembling frame into his arms. As she clung to him, sobs wracking her body, Sean came to a sudden realization. He knew that Jean and Jubilee had been friends, but until now he did not realize quite how close they must have been for Jean to be in such a state. Neither she nor the girl really let on about the strength of their relationship. Sure, Jubilee was always talking about the time she spent with Wolverine, but she never once mentioned Jean's name. Strange, he realized. "Shh," he whispered, gently rocking her. "There, there, Jean. 'Tis okay. She's goin' t' be fine. Just fine." He wished he could believe his own words.

"You- you're right, Sean," she said quietly, letting go of him and drying her eyes with the back of her hands. "She's going to be just fine. But, I swear, if I get my hands on Shaw and Tessa, Wolverine's claws will seem like a walk in the park."

He saw then a fierceness in Jean's eyes that he had never seen there before-- a ferocity not unlike one found in a mother animal protecting her young. At that moment, Sean finally realized the depth of Jean's feelings for Jubilee, and he smiled inwardly at his newfound understanding. Those same feelings might just help to make the difference in Jubilee's recovery.

"I'll hold 'em down for ye."

Jean stifled a yawn. Looking at her, Sean saw that Jubilee was not the only one he should be worried about right now. Jean was exhausted, that much was obvious. Her skin was pallid, her loss of color made more obvious by the dark circles under her eyes.

"Jean, lass, don't take this the wrong way, but ye look ghastly. When was the last time ye got a decent night's rest?"

Jean almost laughed. "It's been a while, I admit. Logan and I had just gotten back from a mission when you called. We rushed over. Sleep wasn't much of a consideration at the time."

"Well, since we're doin' nothin' but waitin', why don't ye get some rest now?"

"I'm fine, Sean. And I'm not going anywhere."

"At least just lay down here an' close yer eyes a little while. I'll wake ye if there's any news. I promise."

She *was* feeling so very tired, and her headache was not relenting in the least. She might as well rest her eyes a little while. "All right," she conceded. "But just for a few minutes." He watched as she curled up on the couch. Less than five minutes later, her breathing was reduced to a slow, steady pace, and she was fast asleep. Smiling, Sean took his jacket from a nearby chair and gently laid it over her.

Tired of pacing, he decided to sit down in one of the chairs. At first, he sat with his arms crossed, looking across the room, alone with his own thoughts. After a few minutes, though, he found it increasingly difficult to focus his vision or his mind. His eyelids suddenly felt as though they were made of lead. He fought it-- unsuccessfully-- for about ten minutes.

He ultimately gave in to his own exhaustion, and fell asleep.

"Mr. Cassidy?" Hearing a soft voice call his name, Sean slowly opened his eyes. As they came into focus, he saw the kind, round, rosy-cheeked face of a gray-haired nurse looking down at him as she gently shook his shoulder. "Oi'm sorry t' wake you, Mr. Cassidy, but you said you wanted t' be notified if there were any change in young Miss Lee's condition," she said, her British accent evident in her soft voice.

"That I did," Sean said, quickly sitting up.

"The doctor will meet you in the 'all," she said.

"Thank ye," Sean told her as she left. He glanced at his watch. It was just after seven a.m. He must have fallen asleep right after Jean had. He looked over at her, still sleeping on the couch beneath his jacket. "Jean," he called to her. "Jean!" he said louder, reaching over and touching her arm.

"Wha--?" Opening her eyes, Jean looked confused for a moment, as though she did not realize where she was. It lasted no more than a few seconds, however, and she quickly pulled herself into a sitting position, pushing her long red hair out of her eyes. "Sean, what's happened? Has she woken up?"

"I dinnae know. A nurse just told me the doctor wants t' see us."

Nodding, Jean got to her feet. "Come on, let's go see Dr. Knight."

Together, they hurried to meet the neurosurgeon. The older man was not smiling, and they realized immediately that Jubilee's change could not be for the better.

"Dr. Knight?" Sean asked. "How is she?"

"She's slipped into a coma, I'm afraid."

Jean gasped, feeling her eyes grow moist.

"This is not entirely uncommon with head injuries of the magnitude of the one she received. In all likelihood, she should come out of it-- hopefully in a few hours, or maybe a couple of days. It's really hard to say. The quicker, the better, though; the longer she's in the coma, the worse her chances of coming out of it."

"It's my understanding that people in comas can sense your presence, hear your voice," Jean said.

"Yes, I highly recommend that someone sit with her as much as possible. And you might try speaking with her, reminiscing about old times, playing music she likes. Anything that will seem familiar to her. I strongly believe it will help her to regain consciousness."

"Thank ye, Doctor," Sean said, shaking his hand.

"I only wish I could do more. I'll check on her again a little later. I'll see you then."

Sean turned to Jean and could see that she had already managed to compose herself. She seemed determined to see Jubilee through this ordeal. "Sean, it's silly for both of us to sit here, especially when the kids could really use you right now. I'm sure they want to know what's going on, and they'll need someone to talk to about their fears and concerns. Why don't you go back to the school to see them? It'll give you a chance to change clothes and have some food as well. I'll sit with her for a while."

"Are ye sure, Jean? I think ye could use the rest more than me."

"I'll be fine. Sean, it goes without saying that Jubilee is important, but we must be careful not to let our concern for her overshadow the others' needs as well. You can bring the kids to visit with Everett. I'm sure he could use the company as well."

"All right. And I'll have the cook whip up some sandwiches an' a thermos of coffee an' bring it back with me."

"Sounds great. Thanks, Sean," she said, embracing him.

"We're all going to make it through this, Jean. All of us."

End of Chapter 3
Jennifer Sorowitz '98