FIGHT FOR LIFE

Part I

By James Targett

Author’s Note: This story is continued from Uncanny X-Men #1

“Cecilia, you really need to get some sleep,” she speaks aloud to herself.

She pauses a second and looks around the room. No answer. But did she really expect one? It’s 11:30 PM. Her clinic closed its doors hours ago but work did not stop there. Such is the price you have to pay for being a doctor who is single-handedly managing her own medical clinic. Cecilia Reyes continues with her after-hours work, cleaning and organizing.

“Maybe I really should call it a night.” Cecilia sighs and glances at the door, “It’s settled, I’m leaving.”

*CRASH*

Without warning Cecilia’s former teammate, or acquaintance as she likes to call him, crashes through the clinic door loudly, barely leaving it on its hinges.

“Wolverine! Hey, just what do you think you’re doing?!” Cecilia shouts until noticing the blood stains on Wolverine’s clothes.

“Help me, doc…” Wolverine says, completely out of breath.

He collapses on the floor. “Oh my,” Cecilia says before rushing to Wolverine’s side pulling him from the floor.

She barely manages to get him to an emergency examination bed where she goes to work doing what she does best, healing. She checks his vital signs which instantly begin to improve, most likely due to his healing factor beginning to work. Cecilia follows up by cleaning the blood off his body and checking for broken bones. Luckily he has only a few broken ribs.

“Who did this to you?” she questions while bandaging his chest to speed up the healing process of his broken ribs.

“Hy-hydra,” Wolverine stutters.

“Who?” Cecilia asks again.

Wolverine sits up. “I’ve got to… got to get out of here.”

“Wolverine, listen! You are certainly in no condition to be moving,” Cecilia orders.

“Y-you don’t understand, doc,” he warns.

“I understand perfectly Logan. You are injured and in no condition to be going anywhere so sit down, lie still and let me help you! Again, who did this to you?” she persists.

*KRA-KOOM*

Lightning strikes, illuminating a door that Dr. Reyes failed to close while rushing to the aid of Wolverine mere minutes ago. “Hold that answer for a second and don’t move. I’ll just be a second,” Cecilia promises.

Cecilia Reyes walks over to the door and begins to close it when out of nowhere a green gloved hand grabs the door and shoves it open again. She looks up toward the ominous figure. “I’m sorry but this clinic is closed for the night,” she says.

The soldier and two others all clad in green ignore her statement and walk inside the clinic, scanning their eyes over the room. “Where is he?” the more prominent soldier asks.

“Who are you referring too?” Cecilia questions back.

“Wolverine. Where is he?” the soldier persists.

Cecilia glances over her shoulder. Luckily Wolverine didn’t listen to her and had vanished. “Look pal, I don’t know who or where this Wolverine character is. I’m also afraid that you’re going to have to leave,” Cecilia again defies the soldier.

“Very well then,” the soldier calmly says.

The more prominent soldier snaps his fingers as the other two move to different sections of the clinic.

*SMASH*

*CRASH*

*THUD*

They begin to wreck everything in their sight, breaking glass, smashing medical equipment throughout the clinic. Cecilia knows there is nothing she can do to stop them. She hasn’t the experience to use her powers against the soldiers. She can only watch and listen as her medical clinic is devastated.

“You better pray that you aren’t lying to us. If we find out you are then this will be nothing compared to what Hydra will do to you,” the prominent soldier warns.

Cecilia stands still in her devastated clinic doing her all to hold in her rage as the last soldier leaves out into the stormy night. “No…” she whispers.

Cecilia kneels down to the floor, placing hand on forehead as crystal clear teardrops fall from her eyes. Her clinic isn’t the only thing devastated tonight.

NEXT ISSUE: Cecilia Reyes and an injured Wolverine are on the run from Hydra forces! Also, Viper shows up!