X-Men Fan Fiction ❯ The Camping Trip ❯ Ch 8 ( Chapter 8 )

See disclaimers in ch 1

Words between ~ ~ are thoughts or mind speak

Ch 8

The card crumbs served him well.  He almost had the path memorized and felt that he might not have to utilize that safety net much longer.  When he reached the water's edge, he rinsed the shirt and gloves thoroughly; scrubbing them along the stones in the bed of the river, then did the same for the lower portion of the trench coat.  As he made his way back towards the cave, he noticed a small, hollowed out log.  The ends were still in tact, but the middle was gutted, most likely by rot and some animal digging for termites.  The log was about the length of Remy's forearm.  Gambit studied it for a minute before cocking one elegant brow as an idea came to mind. 

Back at the cave, Logan waited, using his nose and sensitive hearing to form a picture of his surroundings.  Prickly sensations sprouted throughout his body.  His nerve endings were beginning to awaken slowly.  The feel of the stone floor on his back was distance, but growing in notice.  But his eyelids remained closed, failing to respond to Logan's mental commands. 

Suddenly, he picked up on something.  There was a scent other than his lover approaching the cave.  Sounds of soft pads making contact with ground outside penetrated the quiet solitude of the cavern, followed by a low growl.  He recognized it immediately.  A puma warily made its way into the cave, pausing to sniff and growl in its investigation.  Logan could hear the heart of the cat beating feverishly in its chest, his own heart speeding in response. 

Feelings of helplessness arose as he became prey to another predator, and he began to panic, something he was not accustomed to.  Fear and frustration shot through him as he desperately struggled to coax any kind of movement from his paralyzed limbs.

The large male cougar stalked over to Logan's prone body, snarling and growling.  It sniffed a moment, then pawed Logan's thigh with razor sharp nails.  Blood seeped from the claw marks, sending the cat into a frenzy.  It licked the blood just before it took a nasty bite out of Logan's thigh.  He couldn't scream, couldn't move as this animal began to tear into his flesh.  But his nerves had awakened only moments ago, allowing him to feel exactly what was taking place.  An agonized wail howled in his mind at the injustice and the hurt, while his body lay motionless to the assault.

~ REMY, REMY, WHERE ARE YOU!?!?~

Remy walked up the incline to the cave entrance and froze.  Waves of pain engulfed him, causing him to drop everything from his arms and scramble towards the cave.  He skidded to a halt just inside as the startled cat turned and crouched low, baring its bloodstained fangs.

"Mon Dieu!" Remy gasped.  Making no sudden motions, Remy eased to his left towards the far side of the cave, keeping eye contact with the animal at all times.  The cat hissed and spat as its body turned to continue facing the new aggressor, its ears flat against its head.  Remy made it to the far wall and slowly lowered himself to pick up a few small stones.  No sooner had he reached out to make the grab, when the cougar lunged, claws outstretched.  Remy dove forward, tossing a charged rock towards the belly of the animal.  The stone exploded several inches below the animal, sending the puma sideways into the wall of the cave with a scream.  The cat lay on its side a moment before struggling to its feet and running towards the exit, the natural instinct of flight taking hold.  Remy ran to the entrance of the cave with a few rocks in hand to make sure the animal was gone for good. 

Satisfied, he moved quickly to his lover's side and inspected the wound.  It was bleeding profusely.  He could feel the pain rolling off his lover.  Forcing calm in his voice, he moved his hand over the wound.  "Logan, dis ain't healing like it should.  Remy t'ink de drug still be affecting you." 

~ Hurts, Rems.  Please…~

Without a second thought, he rose and ran to get all the items he had dropped earlier.  Using part of the undershirt, he wiped the blood away.  The gashes were deep and showing no signs of healing, the blood still running freely down his leg.  He glanced up at Logan's face and saw no signs of pain, his face not moving at all.  But he could feel it.  Logan was in agony.  Remy quickly poured some water into the stone bowl and started heating it, casting nervous glances towards Logan as he worked.  He took his pocket knife and cut long strips from the bottom portions of the undershirt to place in the boiling water, then plunged the tip of his knife into the fire. 

When the blade glowed red, he grasped the handle and turned to Logan.  He hovered for a moment, unsure in his next move.  "Logan, cher."  Remy swallowed hard and his voice cracked.  "I-I need to stop dis bleeding."  He looked anxiously at his lover's face.  "Please forgive me, mon amour.  Dis gonna hurt." 

~ Just do it Remy. ~

Remy took a deep breath and held it to the wound, burning the skin to seal off the blood flow.  In his mind, Logan screamed.  The only physical show of pain was involuntary tears that began to stream down the sides of his face.  Gambit heated the blade again, simultaneously removing the boiling water and cloth strips from the fire so they might cool.  Again, he held the blade to Logan's leg, sealing the next gash.  Remy did this several times before all the cuts were seared and sealed.  Grabbing the sterilized cloth, he wound them around the leg to cover the marks. 

When he finished, his adrenaline rush dwindled.  Remy moved up and wiped the tears away from Logan's cheeks.  Closing his eyes, Remy attempted to pull the pain into him, sending calm sensations and love into Logan.  He sobbed and lowered his head to bury his face in Wolverine's neck.  "I'm so sorry, mon couer.  I'm so sorry.  I shouldn't a left.  I'm so sorry."  He kept repeating this over and over as he wept. 

~ It's ok Remy, not your fault.  Please don't blame yourself. ~

Logan's mind needed to escape.  He welcomed the darkness as it came to him.

~ Tired Remy, so tired. ~

Gambit did not sense anything more from his lover.  He knew that Logan was now completely unconscious, which was for the better he decided.  Remy held on for a while, before sitting back on his heal and wiping his own face with the palms of his hands.  He let out a sigh and tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling as if all the answers might magically be written thereon.  But there were none.  They were on their own, somewhere in the middle of a vast forest, being chased by a squadron of soldiers, with no way of contacting the mansion for egress. 

"We won't even be missed for t'ree maybe four more days" he laughed bitterly.  Remy didn't even want to focus on other problems they faced as well, such as little food and the drug plaguing Logan's healing factor.  It was obvious the soldiers had come well prepared for taking the man down, knowing exactly how to keep him immobilized for a lengthy period of time.  Remy shuddered to think what type of experiments they had planned for his lover that required Logan to be completely incapacitated.

It was growing late in the afternoon when Logan's conscious began to awaken from its self-induced slumber.  Remy was playing solitaire with one of his packs of cards when he felt his lover's mind stir.  He closed his eyes in relief at the growing feeling of awareness coming from the older man.  Along with the worry over his lover's unresponsiveness and wounds that weren't healing, the loneliness and isolation of this cave were beginning to close in on Remy.  He read once that it was important to talk with coma patients, that despite no response in many cases it was the sound of a loved one talking that could work wonders.  Casting a sidelong glance to his partner, he decided on a strategy.

" 'bout time you woke up.  Was beginning to t'ink you gonna stay sleep for de rest of dis trip."

Logan could feel more nerves responding than before, a sign that his body was slowly fighting the drug and cleaning it from his system.  Though, he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.  Of all the things that had to come back early on, it would be his ability to feel everything touching him, and the extreme pain in his thigh. 

~ Great.  Can't move shit, but I can feel every damn thing crawling on my skin ~

Despite Logan's closed lids, Remy could feel the irritation emanating from the prone body beside him.  Absently, he stroked Logan's hair hoping that he could feel it.  Keeping his voice steady and low, he continued his one-sided conversation.

"Been worried 'bout you, mon ami.  Most de day gone by why you been off in dreamland."

~ Excuse me for not giving a damn. ~

Remy smiled at what he was picking up from the feral.  "You must be t'irsty, eh?"  Remy propped Logan's head on his leg and again forced the jaw open.  "Now you just tell ol' Gambit when to stop, yeh?"  Smirking at himself, he scooped some water in his hand and dribbled it into Logan's mouth, using his other hand to stroke Logan's throat to aid in swallowing.  Remy only had to feel the emotions of his lover to know when it was time to stop.

Empathy.

"Remy always t'ought my charm be a curse."  He continued combing Logan's hair with his long, slender fingers.  "My charm caused as much pain as it has given pleasure in my life, cher.  Never t'ought de day would come dat I be grateful for it." 

~ You ain't the only one Cajun. ~

"Never told no one 'bout when I first came into de charm."  Remy stared into the fire with a far off look in his face as he immersed himself in memories.  "De charm come long time fore my ot'er powers.  I just a wee petite.  Didn't have no way to control it back den.  Guess I still don't sometimes."

~ Like when ya drink champagne.  But, ya won't hear me complaining.  ~

Logan's relaxed state bordered on amusement, which Remy picked up.  He speculated that the older man was probably recalling a pleasant memory when the Cajun's charm had slipped.    "Won't knock de good times it give me.  Mais, not all times be so pleasant.  Did I ever tell you 'bout de Antiquary?"

Confusion.  Clearly, Remy picked up confusion. 

"Non?  De Antiquary be my master for a bit when I was a chile.  He be a very powerful man, feedin' off de souls of de little ones in his charge."  Remy paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.  He hadn't really planned on going this route with the conversation, but it was rather cleansing too, in a way.  "Remy be his favorite cause he know I have power.  Kept me drained more den de ot'ers.  Wanted to keep me forever I s'ppose."

~ What the hell kinda sick bastard feeds off kids?~

"Mais, Remy eventually escape him.  Live on de streets awhile, learning how to survive.  Picked up on de stealing t'ing pretty quick.  Dat's 'bout when de charm power kick in."  Remy swallowed and reached to stoke the fire a bit.  "Wasn't long after dat, I picked up on a few ot'er t'ings pretty quick.  Not much choice dere, I s'ppose.  Didn't really unnerstand de charm power, but I knew I didn't like it.  Or, rather didn't like de problems it caused me.  I don't guess I need to go into too much detail on dat."

~ Yeh darlin'.  I can pretty much guess what kinda problems ya had.~

Sadness.  It wasn't really what Remy wanted to feel from his lover, but it was better than absolutely nothing.  He was silent for a while, listening to Logan's regulated breathing and the crackle of the fire.

After a period, the call of nature was pressing, and Remy guessed that Logan may have the urge as well.  "Cher, I can feel your emotions.  It be de only way we can communicate right now.  I've got to pee.  I'm t'inking maybe you too, yeh?"  Remy waited a moment, straining to interpret anything he felt from Logan.  "'Kay, I had an idea, but I don' t'ink you gonna like it much.  I can't haul your ass out to da bushes when you need to go, so I brought de bushes to you."  Remy went on to explain the small hollowed log he found and how he planned to use it with Logan.  "It be like a pochom, cher.  You know, a chamber pot.  It be easier dat way." 

~ The Hell?  I can't believe you're gonna do that. ~

The waves of shame and regret made Remy's head swim.  He winced as he rubbed his temple.  "Please, mon amour.  It be for de best and you know it.  Not like I ain't seen what you got before, cher.  Is no big deal.  You do de same for me, non?"  He had earlier placed some tree bark and leaves under Logan's backside to catch other bodily functions for easy cleanup.

~ Yeh, Rems.  I'd do the same for you ~

Remy moved over to Logan and took things in hand.  The whole scene played out awkwardly, with Remy doing his best to murmur reassurances to his lover as he held Logan's cock in the hollow log and patiently waited.  When Logan's body was done, Remy took the log outside to dump it, taking the opportunity to relieve his own body as well.  He extended a hand over his brow to partially cover his eyes as he noted the position of the sun.  Dusk was fast approaching and the temperature was dropping.  Remy wrapped himself with his arms and shivered.  The temperatures during the day were not intolerable at this time of the year, but the night time air was chilly.  Remy always hated the cold, even more after his little stay in Antarctica.  He wished for his coat, but Logan needed it more. 

Remy bit his lip in contemplation.  Another trip was needed to the river, the one canteen he had swiped from the soldier just didn't hold enough to last them.  And they could not go without water for any length of time.  They also needed food, one meal packet gone and only one remaining.  No hunter, he, though Remy was willing to try.  But, guilt wracked his mind.  Logan was helpless, and the last time he left Logan alone, the older man's leg was used as a snack by a hungry cat.  In addition to the guilt, there was physical pain.  Remy's body had been pushed beyond its endurance and it was beginning to show.  His back was killing him, the wound from hitting the river stone a raw and festering reminder.  Still, there was little choice in the matter if they were to stay alive for the next few days.

Grabbing up the nature made urinal, Remy headed back into the cave.  He moved over to Logan's prone form and knelt beside him.  With the back of his hand, Remy stroked his lover's cheek as he began to explain what he had to do.  He felt the despair and gritted his teeth in frustration.  But, they both knew it was a necessary evil, a task that must be done. 

"I be back as quick as possible, Logan.  Gonna start anot'er fire at de entrance.  Dat should keep unwanted company out."  At least Remy hoped it would.  It was really the only choice, and it would have to do.  Quickly, the second blaze was set at the foot of the cave and Remy made his way to the river in short order.  There would be no hunting tonight, not that there was much game around.  Remy decided he would try for some squirrel or rabbit in the morning, determining the last meal packet would have to do for both of them tonight.  Worst case scenario, he could catch some rats. 

~ Not like I ain't eat dat before ~ he reminded himself in disgust at painful memories.  Damn he needed a cigarette.

Fortunately, the last meal packet had some sort of liquid content.  It was doubtful that the taste was any better than the first one he had tried, but it was nutritious and sustaining which is all that mattered.  Being less solid meant he could probably try to get some down Logan as well, although he wasn't sure how well it would work out.

Retrieving more wood on his way back, darkness fell and the temperatures dropped.  Remy hurried back into the cave, stomped out the fire blocking the door, and deposited the wood.  He spared a quick glance to Logan to make sure all was well and he stopped short. 

Logan's eyes were open.

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