It's a Long Road (GH/X-Men, Kristina, Michael)
Kristina Davis is damaged - literally.
There’s blood all over her face, stuffing up her nose and sliding into her eyes. There’s something out of place in her stomach where her boyfriend brought his boot to her body.
She sobs and clings to the carpet of her own living room floor.
XXX
Kristina Davis is alive - miraculously.
She almost doesn’t feel it when her skin knits back together and her insides slide back into place, so busy sobbing and clinging and curling in on herself.
She doesn’t recognize the hand that touches her at first, lashes out because ‘that’s enough. That’s enough!’
But her brother - big brother - catches her hand, brushes her hair from her face, and cleans the blood from her eyes. “It’s me. It’s me. Krissy, its okay. I heard you.”
“Michael,” she whimpers. “Michael.”
‘I can hear you,’ is whispered into her head and her hand moves from the carpet up to his face and then she’s dragging him down until he’s lying beside her and she can cling to him.
XXX
Kristina Davis is a freak - by definition.
Not literal definition but she can see it in their eyes (the doctor’s, the nurses, the police): dislike or discomfort or pity.
Her family still loves her - she’s starting to wonder how she ever doubted it - and mom makes plans, dad makes deals, her sisters make cookies, and Michael makes her - remakes, fits the pieces of her back into place with their foreheads pressed together.
‘I’m a freak.’
‘Hey, so am I, remember?’
Jason is standing by the door every time she looks, their silent protector and defender and she’s got some pieces to fit into place herself: Her parents make her feel acceptance, her sisters make her feel comfort, Jason makes her feel safe, and Michael makes her feel whole.
How did she ever doubt it?
XXX
Kristina Davis can heal herself - externally.
And a peppy girl who slides through walls asks, “So, how’d you find out you were a mutant?” and Kristina says, “When my boyfriend nearly beat me to death,” in a conversational tone.
Her brother, Michael Corinthos, is psychic.
And the peppy girl smiles flirtatiously and tries again: “So, how’d you find out you were a mutant?” she asks and Michael replies, “After I got shot in the head,” even more casually than Kristina.
The girl disappears after that, back through a wall with an awkward, “So - uh -welcome to Mutant High.”
XXX
Kristina Davis is starting anew - technically.
There’s no evidence of her past still left on her body, every bruise and scrape taken away by her mutation. On the outside, she is a blank slate. On the inside, she’s a mass of bad memories held back by the reaching mind of her older brother.
Mom says, “I miss you so much, honey,” every time she calls, Molly sends her fairytale books that always end in happily-ever-after, and she and Morgan talk more than they ever did when they lived in the same town.
Dad sends Jason, whose followed by her older sister, and they always bring the car instead of the motorcycle so that they can ask, “Do you want to go back now?” and be ready just in case she says ‘yes’.
She never says ‘yes’.
She holds the hand of her brother as they walk through the school and tries to feel as invincible as they tell her she is.
She never really feels invincible but, one day, a boy sits beside her and Michael, tips his chair back, and loudly proclaims, “This class blows.”
And if she can still laugh that hard and smile that wide…she’s not that damaged - not anymore.
There’s blood all over her face, stuffing up her nose and sliding into her eyes. There’s something out of place in her stomach where her boyfriend brought his boot to her body.
She sobs and clings to the carpet of her own living room floor.
XXX
Kristina Davis is alive - miraculously.
She almost doesn’t feel it when her skin knits back together and her insides slide back into place, so busy sobbing and clinging and curling in on herself.
She doesn’t recognize the hand that touches her at first, lashes out because ‘that’s enough. That’s enough!’
But her brother - big brother - catches her hand, brushes her hair from her face, and cleans the blood from her eyes. “It’s me. It’s me. Krissy, its okay. I heard you.”
“Michael,” she whimpers. “Michael.”
‘I can hear you,’ is whispered into her head and her hand moves from the carpet up to his face and then she’s dragging him down until he’s lying beside her and she can cling to him.
XXX
Kristina Davis is a freak - by definition.
Not literal definition but she can see it in their eyes (the doctor’s, the nurses, the police): dislike or discomfort or pity.
Her family still loves her - she’s starting to wonder how she ever doubted it - and mom makes plans, dad makes deals, her sisters make cookies, and Michael makes her - remakes, fits the pieces of her back into place with their foreheads pressed together.
‘I’m a freak.’
‘Hey, so am I, remember?’
Jason is standing by the door every time she looks, their silent protector and defender and she’s got some pieces to fit into place herself: Her parents make her feel acceptance, her sisters make her feel comfort, Jason makes her feel safe, and Michael makes her feel whole.
How did she ever doubt it?
XXX
Kristina Davis can heal herself - externally.
And a peppy girl who slides through walls asks, “So, how’d you find out you were a mutant?” and Kristina says, “When my boyfriend nearly beat me to death,” in a conversational tone.
Her brother, Michael Corinthos, is psychic.
And the peppy girl smiles flirtatiously and tries again: “So, how’d you find out you were a mutant?” she asks and Michael replies, “After I got shot in the head,” even more casually than Kristina.
The girl disappears after that, back through a wall with an awkward, “So - uh -welcome to Mutant High.”
XXX
Kristina Davis is starting anew - technically.
There’s no evidence of her past still left on her body, every bruise and scrape taken away by her mutation. On the outside, she is a blank slate. On the inside, she’s a mass of bad memories held back by the reaching mind of her older brother.
Mom says, “I miss you so much, honey,” every time she calls, Molly sends her fairytale books that always end in happily-ever-after, and she and Morgan talk more than they ever did when they lived in the same town.
Dad sends Jason, whose followed by her older sister, and they always bring the car instead of the motorcycle so that they can ask, “Do you want to go back now?” and be ready just in case she says ‘yes’.
She never says ‘yes’.
She holds the hand of her brother as they walk through the school and tries to feel as invincible as they tell her she is.
She never really feels invincible but, one day, a boy sits beside her and Michael, tips his chair back, and loudly proclaims, “This class blows.”
And if she can still laugh that hard and smile that wide…she’s not that damaged - not anymore.