X-Men: Dark Mirror by Marjorie M. Liu Page B

the urinal and stared at herself, trying to overcome the desire to scream in frustration. There was also just the simple need to scream—for no good reason, other than the fact she had a penis attached to her body and there was currently no way to escape from it.
    She did finally manage to urinate, but it took time and she could hear the nurse grow more and more impatient. She was actually surprised he lasted as long as he did, until finally he stalked over and slipped her back inside those hospital pants. He went to the sink and washed his hands.
    Another man entered the bathroom. Slender and dark, with a narrow face and bright eyes. He wore the loose garb of a hospital patient.
    "Well, now," said the nurse. "Fancy this. Jeff, meet one of those people you so conveniently forgot. Renny, can you believe it? She doesn't remember you."
    "Ah," said the man, with an odd smile. "You do not remember me, mein freund? Truly? If it helps, my favorite color is blue."
    Jean's breath caught. After a moment, she said, "Mine is red."
    "What a lovely color, too," said Renny. Jean thought, Kurt, that is Kurt , and he said, "We have all been wondering how you are. I cannot believe you forgot us."
    "Hey," said the nurse. "What's with the German accent? The hell is Maguire giving you guys?"
    Jean ignored him. "How are the others?"
    "Fine," Kurt said, and then the nurse grabbed Jean's shoulder and shoved her to the door.
    "Playtime is over. Renny? Don't hang out here too long, man."
    "Bye," Jean said, and then, fast, "This might be the last time you see me. I'm being transferred."
    "What?" Kurt looked startled. Jean tried to say more, but the nurse pushed her out of the bathroom and Kurt did not follow. She did not blame him. Best not to attract attention in this place. It was enough that the others were here. Selfish, yes—but better than wondering if her friends and husband were alive or dead.
    She and the nurse passed a slender Chinese woman, leaning against the wall beside a poorly lit stairwell. She seemed very pretty, though it was hard to tell with her gaze so shy on the floor. She sneaked a peek at Jean and winked.
    Jean stumbled. The nurse pushed her. "All your little friends are here, huh? You got a girlfriend, Jeff?" And then, to the woman, "You better get moving, Mindy. You make eyes at Jeff, I might just ask you to do the same for me."
    Something hard flashed through the woman's gaze— for a moment, Jean thought there would be a fight—but then she looked away and shuffled down the stairs. The nurse laughed.
    Jean glanced over her shoulder. Behind the nurse's back, the woman—Mindy—peered around the stairwell.
    She met Jean's gaze and pointed at her eyes. Mouthed, "Scott."
    Jean took a deep breath and looked away. If she stared any longer she would say or do something stupid. Scott. Thank God. He was okay. Kind of. Her husband was a woman.
    Wow. Someone was probably laughing about this.
    And when she found that person, he was in big trouble.
    Kurt left the bathroom after Jeff and the nurse disappeared from sight. He ran to Scott and said, "That was Jean."
    "What?"
    "Truly, I am sure of it."
    Scott stared down the hall, trying to recall that masculine face, the dark eyes. A part of him was not entirely surprised. There was one moment—brief, startling—when he looked into Jeff's face and felt that trickle of connection that he always had with Jean: comfort, a sense of coming home.
    But that immediately seemed wrong, and the reason was superficial: Jeff was a man. Scott, enlightened politically correct mutant that he was, felt strange having those kinds of feelings for a man. But if Jean was in there . . .
     
    You love her. You love her and it doesn't matter.
     
    "It is lucky we decided to come and check her room, ja? If we had not seen her in the hall..Kurt hesitated. "Jean believes she will be transferred soon, perhaps tonight. She managed to tell me this."
    "Perfect," Scott said. The hall was empty; most of the patients