Desperado (X-Men - ROMY)

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

The following morning Remy was meeting Dr McCoy in the breakfast room to discuss what needed to be done. Rogue sat beside him and he held her hand under the table. This time it was more to give himself strength, than from any desire to touch her.

"I believe I can take your take your vital signs and study your fitness levels in the gymnasium. Blood and samples can be taken anywhere, of course, I only need to be in the laboratory once I have the samples. The only tests for which you will need to be in the lab are the PET and MRI scans. I'm afraid there's just no way to do it anywhere else."

Remy was surprised that they were going to so much trouble to ease his fears. Rogue must have seen for herself how bad they were and made sure Hank new.

"I can provide you with anti-anxiety medication if you think that will help."

"Nice idea but non, my metabolism burns right through drugs."

"I'm afraid those tests are necessary though. If there were another way-"

"Don't worry, mon ami, I don't like it but I can endure."

"There is also the matter of your tracking chip."

"Where is it?" Remy asked.

"That's the thing, it's been positioned in the C3 vertebrae in your neck, and has fused with the bone there."

"You mean-"

"It's actually in your spinal column."

Remy didn't like the sound of that."How the hell did he manage that?"

"I can't say with any certainty. It may even be that he didn't position it there, but overtime it moved and became lodged there. It is a very difficult locality to get to without risking harm-"

"Just get it out," Remy said. "I don't care what the risks are."

"The risk is paralysis, so you should care, however I do have an idea. Have you met Kitty Pryde?"

"She's the one who can phase through walls, non?"

"Yes, that's her. I believe that with her help, and careful monitoring by portable X-Ray, she should be able to locate the tracker and phase it out of you. The risks would be greatly reduced."

"How do you know she wants to help me?"

"I've already asked," Hank said with a smile. "She and I are meeting in the med lab later today to practice and if she is successful in these tests, then we could remove the chip as early as tomorrow."

Remy couldn't believe that these people were going to so much trouble for him.

"Thanks, Doc."

"Think nothing of it, my boy. Why don't come down to the med lab when you've finished breakfast and I'll try to get both scans done and have you out by lunchtime."

"Sounds good," Remy smiled and squeezed Rogue's hand.

For the rest of the morning, Remy submitted himself to Hank and his ministrations. He allowed himself to be poked, prodded, scanned, bled, injected and generally did whatever was asked of him.

Though he couldn't claim to like any of the procedures, he had to admit that Hank had a much better bedside manner than Sinister ever had, and did everything he could to ease Remy's fears and explain exactly what was or would be happening.

Rogue stayed with him when she could, and watched with Hank when she couldn't. He liked that she stayed with him, he felt like things couldn't be too bad if she was there.