:blink: Ice Cold (X-Men)

[aussieblokeintexas]

The sound of the alarm clock rang loudly causing Bobby Drake to reach out and hit the snooze button. "Mr. Drake, if you're late, you'll get detention," Jean Grey's voice filtered through his mind.

"Okay, I'm up." Bobby pushed back the covers, shivering slightly as his bare chest was exposed to the coolness of the room. Brushing his hair and teeth quickly, he threw on some clothes. Realizing he felt chillier than usual he took a sweater out of his closet and slid it on, grabbed his back pack and headed off to class.

"Good morning, Class, today we will pick up where we left off in Biology. Your homework assignment last night was to decide whether a duckbill platypus was a mammal or not." Jean Grey turned to the board writing various things to get the class ready for their usual morning discussion.

"Who cares as long as you can set it on fire," Pyro said playing with the ball of fire he had in his hand.

"Cut it out," Bobby said running his hand over the flame turning it into a puddle of water.

"Hey! Not cool, Man! Now I have to go to the bathroom and dry off," Pyro said leaping up as the puddle of water soaked the front of his pants.

"You two stop," Jean walked over. "Pyro go dry yourself, Bobby detention. Now, why is the duckbill platypus not a mammal?"

"Because it lays eggs," Bobby sighed, 'Great a detention, just my luck.'

Time seemed to drag, for all Bobby knew an eternity and a half had passed. He could fill his eyes slowly drooping as the end of the class came around. Suddenly, something dawned on him, "Ms. Grey?"

"Yes, Bobby?"

"Isn't a duckbill platypus a mammal, since it has mammory glands?"

"Bobby, we have long since moved away from that subject. As a matter of fact, it was an hour ago."

Bobby could feel his cheeks heat up from embarrassment. "Sorry," he mumbled, hearing several giggles from behind him. The class bell rang, and he felt a sigh of relief, 'saved by the bell,' he thought to himself as he packed up his back pack.

"Don't forget detention tonight, Bobby."

"Yes ma'am," he said quickly, ducking into the hall way.

"Way to go, Iceman. Usually you just ice Pyro, but soaking him, THAT WAS GREAT!" Rogue squealled wrapping her arms around him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah, thanks, but I got detention," Bobby sulked.

“Who cares! You soaked Pyro!”

“But I didn’t mean to. I just meant to ice him as usual,” they stopped at his locker.

“Oh…that’s okay. Take care, Iceman, I’ll see you after detention.” Rogue said heading off to her next class.

Pulling his sweater a little tighter around him, he head off to “Shop Class”, his absolute favorite class, where he got to work 1 on 1 with Wolverine. He had mentioned to Professor X, he wanted to help work on the plane after missions, and the next thing he knew he was spending an hour a day working as an X-Men mechanic with Wolverine.

“Hey, Ice, we’re just going to wash the jet today, you’ve done such a great job fixing things that nothing needs to be fixed. So, go hop into your bathing suit and come back, okay?”

“Sure,” Bobby said heading toward his room. Taking off his clothes and putting on his swimsuit, he mentally prayed the water wouldn’t be too cold.

“What’s the matter with you, you haven’t even gotten wet yet and you’re already cold,” Logan smiled when he heard a sneeze come from behind him.

“Just cold natured, I guess,” Bobby laughed, rubbing a little at his nose. Truth was, he was starting to get a headache and his skin seemed sensitive to anything that touched it. He was, however, quickly drawn away from his thoughts as ice cold water his him full blast.

“Wakey, wakey. Time to get started,” Wolverine said throwing a soapy sponge at him.

The jet certainly sparkled by the time they finished an hour later. Enjoying a glass of water, they sat back and marveled while sipping some water. “Ugh, this water sucks. Should’ve stuck it in some ice before we got started, would you mind…ya know?”

“Yeah, sure,” Bobby took the glass and focused on cooling the glass. Handing it back to Wolverine, he took another sip from his water.

“Great joke, Kid, now could you actually make it cold this time.”

“Huh, but I did.”

“Nah, kid you just refilled it.”

“I swear, I…”the bell saved him again.

“Nevermind, Kid, better go change before lunch.”

“Yeah, maybe I’ll change and take a nap, I’m exhausted.”

“Exhausted? Kid, that ain’t like ya. What’s wrong?”

“Just tired, I think, thanks Logan,” Bobby left.

~*~

“Ugh! Bobby Drake has detention tonight. Soaked Pyro with a puddle of water,” Jean was saying at the Faculty Table in the Cafeteria. Hearing muffled laughter, she looked over to see Scott (Cyclops) trying hard not to laugh (along with the rest of the faculty trying to hide smiles). “It’s not funny, Scott, we can’t go to the movies now,” Jean was getting cross.

“I’m sorry, its just you and I both know Bobby must be having a bad day to do something that goofy to a kid with a Pyro’s hot temper.”

“Yeah something’s up with that kid. He seems down,” Logan said stuffing his mouth with another spoonful of Mac and Cheese.

The bell rang, ending lunch. “Well, I hope everyone has a better day teaching the second half of the school day,” Professor X said leaving the table.

Bobby’s next three classes came and went quickly. There was only one problem, Bobby didn’t go to any of them. Rogue realized he wasn’t in last period and heard from other students that he hadn’t been in the other two either. Deciding Study Hall would not miss her, she skipped class and headed up to Bobby’s room. She knocked softly hoping not to startle him. Hearing no answer she cracked open the door. She could see him sleeping on his bed. Closing the door quietly behind her, she approached the bed. “Bobby,” she whispered, gently touching his shoulder.

He opened sleepy eyes and looked up at her. “Is lunch over already,” he asked sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“Sweetie, lunch has been over for four hours not.”

“Oh my God! I missed class! Shit! How could I have slept through the bell?” He jumped up trying to mush down his bed-head hair. “Crap, now I’m probably also late for detention…ugh not again,” he grabbed the counter he had been leaning over, feeling the room spin in circles.

“Okay, slow down,” Rogue got up putting a supporting arm around him as she realized what was going on. “What all doesn’t feel good, hun?”

“I have detention, it doesn’t matter,” Bobby sounded defeated.

‘Jean, can you come up to Bobby’s room,’ Rogue mentally messaged Jean.

‘I’m already on my way. If he thinks he can skip class…’ the mental link clicked off suddenly, but was quickly followed by a banging on the door. “Bobby Drake, you are in a lot of trouble!” Jean yelled. Feeling his knees start to give out on him, he leaned against the wall next to the door and turned the door knob. Jean Grey flew in, looking around trying to find him. Bobby slowly closed the door, causing Jean to turn around and find her prize. “Skipping classes is not tolerated, Bobby Drake! Especially not skipping detention!”

“I know. I didn’t mean to Ms. Grey,” Bobby said sitting down at his desk. Jean took a deep breath to calm herself. “I fell asleep before lunch and I didn’t hear any of the bells. I only just wok up, thanks to Rogue.”

“Rogue is this true?” Jean asked turning to Rogue.

“Yes ma’am, you know it is, Bobby is a horrible liar.”

Jean and Rogue smiled, “Okay, Bobby, you’ll just have to make up you missed classes in detention,” Jean said walking over to the door.

“Actually, Ms. Grey, if I could please take a rain check on detention…”

“A rain check?” Jean felt her anger boiling up again, “Bobby, you missed three classes and,” she looked at her watch, “half an hour of detention, you most certainly cannot miss detention. What do you have that is so important?”

“I was going to go down to the Medical Ward and see Hank (The Beast),” Bobby said. He could feel his body protest about ever getting out of the chair he was sitting in. He now felt cold and shivery, but at the same time he felt his clothes were acting as a sauna holding in heat he didn’t know his body could produce.

Jean walked back over to Bobby, taking a good look at him. He had a thin sheen of sweat broken out on his forehead. He was shivering and definitely pale. “Alright, Bobby, lets take you down to see Hank. Rogue, put your arm around his waist on that side and I’ll get him on this side.” Helping Bobby on his feet, waiting long enough for him to get steady, they headed toward the Medical Ward.

Hank looked up as the door to the nurse's office opened. A little surprised to see the two women carrying Bobby in, he lead them over to a bed that was in a dimly lit corner behind a curtain. "Lie him down here," he flicked on a switch lighting the corner up. "Thank you, ladies, I'll take it from here."

"Bye, hun, get better soon," Rogue said hugging him and then leaving with Jean.

"Okay, Bobby, what's wrong," Hank reached for the themometer.

Bobby laid down, pulling the covers up to his chin, shivering slightly. Enjoying the softness of the covers, he slowly started to close his eyes. The throbbing in his head was too much for his nerves at the moment. With the stress of missing three classes, detention and having finals coming up in two weeks, all he wanted to do was close his eyes and escape to his dreams.

"Okay, if you aren't going to talk at least let me take your temperature. Open your mouth," Hank slid the thermometer under Bobby's tongue.

Forgetting the themometer in his mouth, Bobby sank into his thoughts.

~*~*~

'Its probably all the stress from the past couple of weeks. Or maybe it’s the stress that I'm about to go through with finals coming up.’

“Please, you don’t even know what stress is,” looking up Bobby saw Pyro standing over him. Looking over Pyro’s shoulder, Bobby could see Hank at the desk working on paperwork.

“Leave me alone, I just want to sleep,” Bobby stated weakly, not caring how pathetic it seemed.

Pyro laughed sadistically, taking a step back from the bed. Lighting the curtains on fire, he began to laugh almost hysterically.

“Stop! It’s too hot. I can’t breathe!”

Hank startled as Bobby suddenly sat up in bed. "Hank, I can't breathe! Everything's spinning!" Bobby's voice was panicking as he hyperventilated.

Hank quickly made his way over to the bed putting his hand on Bobby's back. "Okay, relax, Son. Take deep breaths and try to relax." Putting his hand on Bobby's forehead, he could feel the light fever Bobby had a few minutes ago, rising. Talking to him in his deep voice, he tried to calm the youth down as he went to the sink and got a bowl of cool water and a cloth, "Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat that in your head. There you go, keep going you're doing great."

Bobby's breathing slowed down as Hank made his way back to the bed, ringing out the cold cloth and setting it on the back of Bobby's neck. "Here you go, Son, this will help cool you down." Watching the youth settle down, he reached for the bottle of tylenol in the cabinet above the bed. "Take two of these, it'll help your fever."

"Hank, tell the room to stop spinning, I want to get off," Bobby smiled weakly as he accepted the two pills.

"Bringing your fever down will help the room to stop spinning. You're just overheated right now."

“How’s he doing, Hank,” Dr. Xavier entered the room.

“He’s got a temperature, but I think he’ll live,” Hank said with a gentle smile.

“That’s good to hear. How are you feeling, Bobby?”

“Kill me now, Professor. You can use me as an example for people who skip detention,” Bobby whined.

Chuckling, Hank pulled the covers up to Bobby’s neck and walked over to his desk with Professor Xavier. “Well, at least he still has his sense of humor.”

Feeling himself drift off again, Bobby let himself succumb to the

darkness pulling him in.

~*~*~

The next morning, Bobby awoke feeling restless. He had only been in

the infirmary overnight, but something kept nagging at him. Reaching

his hand up to his forehead he cooled himself down. 'I have to get

out of here.' He kept telling himself.

"Well, good morning," Hank came over, setting a tray of food on the

table next to the bed. Reaching over he felt Bobby's forehead,

surprised to find it cool. "I guess you're feeling better."

"Yeah, is it okay if I go back to my room?" Bobby said sitting up.

"Well, if you're feeling up to it. You don't have a fever any more

so its your choice."

"Thanks for everything, Hank." Bobby said already half-way out the

door. With that he was gone.

~*~*~

Getting back to his room as fast as he could, Bobby began

pacing. 'What the hell is wrong with me? I should've stayed.'

"Good morning, Babe. How are you feeling," Rogue came in, intrupting

his thoughts.

"Umm..."

"That's great! I'm so glad you're doing better. I was so worried

about you," Rogue hugged him.

"Rogue. Bobby, we have a mission. Mistique was just spotted

imitating another senator. We need to get to her before she does

something destructive," Jean's voice filtered through their

thoughts. "By the way Bobby, it's good to hear you're up and doing

better." With that the voice was gone.

'Ugh, now I know I'm an idiot.' Bobby mentally kicked himself.

~*~*~

"Hey, Kid, you're not looking so hot," Logan stated looking back at

Bobby slouching in his seat on the jet.

Bobby waved him off and went back to staring out the window. Truth

was, he wasn't feeling so hot...or should I said well... at the

moment. He was definitely feeling hot...burning up...like he was

inside a volcano. He was sweating like condensation on the outside

of a glass on a hot day. He was so screwed.

"Hey, you sure you're okay?" Pyro leaned over from the seat across

the isle.

Bobby tried to hide the look of surprise that crossed his face. "We

all get sick once in a while, Dude. I'm not that mean." Pyro smiled.

About to say something back, Bobby was distracted as the plane

started to descend. 'Please, get me through this and I promise I'll

go right back to the infirmary.' Bobby prayed.

~*~*~

Stepping off the jet on the Senator side of the Capitol, Bobby took

a deep breath to mentally prepare himself, just as the door to the

stairwell ont he roof burst open.

Realizing she had company, Mistique quickly turned around and tried

to dart back in the doorway, only to be stopped by Wolverine. "I

don't think so," the sharp metal slicing through his skin.

Turning around quickly looking for a place to make her escape, she

took one look at Bobby and realized he wasn't in top fighting form.

Changing herself into Wolverine, she came up behind Bobby using the

claws as a knife against his throat.

Grabbing the wrist around his throat, he used all the mental

strength he had to freeze her hand, making her drop her guard.

Seeing the other X-Men coming toward her, she looked around

desperately, catching a glimpse of Magneto's helicopter out of the

corner of her eye. Using the only desperate move she had, she jabbed

the "claws" full force into Bobby's side, changed back to her

slender blue form and lept into the door open and ready for her.

Not realizing what had happened in all the commotion of catching

Mistique, the other X-Men ran toward the helicopter trying to use

their powers to keep it from leaving.

~*~*~

Feeling the searing, white pain in his side, Bobby tried to gasp for

air as he doubled over. His vision blurred and he could feel himself

losing consciousness. 'Way to go, Drake.' He thought to

himself. 'Now you're sick and injured.'

Finally, looking back the other X-Men realized what happened and

their pursuit for Mistique was put on hold. Rushing over to Bobby,

Pyro turned him over onto his back gently. "He's burning up," he

said looking up.

"We have to get him out of here," Logan picked him up and walked

toward the jet. "We'll deal with Magneto and Mistique later."

"Storm, do you think you can get us some snow?" Jean looked at the

wound on his side.

"Yes," Her eyes glazing over with a frosty white color, snow began

to fall outside the jet.

Rushing outside, Scott grabbed enough snow for Bobby's wound and

fever. Giving it to Jean, Jean went to work trying to stabilize

Bobby as they got ready for lift off.

"Jean, I don't feel so good," Bobby stated feeling the darkness pull

him the rest of the way down the tunnel he'd been fighting.

~*~*~

Days later Bobby was still sore and lying in the infirmary. "Hey

Kid, I've missed you in shop class," Logan pulled up a chair next to

the bed.

"I miss shop class, don't worry I'm definitely coming back. But you

know what I'll miss about being in here?" Bobby asked sitting up

stiffly.

"What's that, Kid?"

"Well, with all the pain and cold medicine Hank has me on, I've had

some pretty great dreams about Wonder Woman," Bobby said with a

smirk on his face.

"You know what, Kid? I think you're going to be alright?" Logan said

ruffling Bobby's hair and laughing. "You're going to be alright."

[chui]

these are just great! and poor Bobby...he really hasn't had a good run of it...not that i mind seeing him miserable, not one little bit....

[Guest Serenity]

Aww, poor Bobby. This was adorable, thank you.

[Guest chyna619]

Great job, poor Bobbie!!!!!! I love Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Please finish it, can't wait for more