Kurt's Cure

[Lauren]

Kurt was ill. No, ill wasn’t exactly the right word for what he was. Dying would be a more appropriate word, if in fact he were on his deathbed. Whatever his sickness would be classified as, he was not in very good shape.

He lay in his bed in his room, the covers wrapped tightly around his sweaty body. On several occasions, he had tried to pray the Rosary, but his voice was just too hoarse and when he was able to get out a few words, his throat started to burn and he erupted into bad coughing fits so he just gave up all together.

A few days after the sickness came to Kurt, he started to fall prey to a demon. When everyone else in the house was asleep, Kurt was woken by soft chuckles and when he would open his eyes, he would find himself looking at a red demon dressed in silken robes, his nails long and sharp.

The demon called himself Belasco and he told Kurt that this was a sign that he should stop praying he Rosary. What good did it do him if it gave him such intense pain anyway? He should just give up. If the Lady was still protecting him, then why did he fall sick in the first place?

Kurt’s Rosary had been on his drawer at the time, leaving him defenseless, so he simply told Belasco that he wouldn’t get rid of his Rosary or faith in the Lady no matter how many times he told him to. This enraged Belasco and the next night, Kurt was attacked by two of Belasco’s friends.

When Ororo heard the screams, she rushed into Kurt’s room and she found him lying in his bed, three fresh slash wounds on his arms and one on each cheek. The wounds continued to grow for two more days until Logan decided that he should do something about this himself.

“I think someone’s been getting into the Elf’s room and attacking him.” He told Ororo one day. “I’m going to sit with the Elf, and if that bastard shows up, I’m gonna introduce him to his organs!”

That night, Logan sat beside Kurt’s bed as he tried to get some sleep. When it was midnight, Logan was ready to leave when Kurt suddenly opened his eyes and spoke to something in his native tongue. He then started to thrash around and scream as he tried to defend himself against some kind of invisible enemy.

Logan watched in horror as the slash marks appeared but he couldn’t find anything to attack.

“Kurt! Kurt what’s going on?” he shouted, trying to hold him down.

“My beads!” Kurt screamed, fighting with Logan and the demon only he could see. “My beads!”

“What beads? What are you talking about?” Logan asked confused. Kurt slowly relaxed and he wept softly as the demon left with a cruel chuckle to itself.

Logan left Kurt’s room the next day, unable to find what was wrong.

It was Rogue’s turn to care for Kurt’s wounds. They had gotten so frequent that they decided to give each person a day of the week to care for them.

Kurt was very quiet when she applied the medicine to the cuts on his cheeks that day. She tilted her head to one side and lowered the handkerchief, turning his head so that he was looking at her.

“What’s wrong, Kurt?” she asked. “Logan said you were screaming about your beads? What beads were you talking about?”

“My Rosary.” Kurt said softly. “I need my Rosary.” Rogue laughed, standing up and looking around the room.

“Is that all? Why didn’t you say so earlier?” she asked, digging through a drawer.

“I wasn’t allowed to.” Kurt said, looking at something in the corner of his room fearfully. When Rogue finally found his Rosary and turned to him, she frowned and looked at his empty corner.

“What do you see there?” she asked softly, sitting down beside him.

“A demon.” He said. “A demon that has hurt me for many days now.” He turned his head to her and he smiled faintly, looking down at his Rosary. “Place them on the table beside my bed. I shall need to get to them as fast as possible tonight.”

“Bobby’s going to sit with you tonight.” Rogue said, putting them down.

“Nein, I must be alone tonight to deal with this.” Kurt said firmly. When Rogue looked at him, she saw that he was very serious and she nodded slightly, leaving him for the day.

That night, Kurt was sleeping when he felt a cruel clawed hand grab him tightly by the throat. Opening his eyes, he found himself looking into Belasco’s eyes.

“Do you really think your silly beads can hurt me?” Belasco laughed scornfully. Kurt’s hand shot out for the beads, but a Hellhound suddenly bit deeply into his hand and he howled in pain, rearing back.

The torment started up again as Belasco summoned two imps with whips who started to lash Kurt’s back and side.

“Scream and pray all you want! You will be with me and my Master at the end!” Belasco taunted.

Kurt reached out for his Rosary and he was able to grab the cross with the tip of one finger as the Hellhound bit him just under his elbow.

“Help me, save me, my sweet, sweet Mother!” he cried with all of his heart and soul.

The beads started to glow a golden light and he Hellhound was struck with a golden rod as the Lady appeared by Kurt’s bedside. The Hellhound leapt down into the pit from whence it had come, followed by the imps who squealed and dropped their whips.

“Keep away, Belasco!” the Lady warned, narrowing her beautiful eyes as she pointed the golden rod at him. “This one is under my protection, and no harm shall come to him!”

Snarling, Belasco backed up a few steps and he pointed at Kurt with one claw.

“You cannot protect that one forever, Lady!” he hissed. “One day You will drop Your guard, and then he will be mine for the taking!”

“That shall never happen, Belasco. Go back to your Master and trouble him no more!” the Lady ordered, holding her rod in a menacing manner. With a final curse at the Lady, Belasco was gone.

The light slowly dimmed down and the angry appearance of the Lady cooled until she was her same peaceful self once more, smiling down at Kurt. She rested a hand over the one holding the Rosary.

“It seems I must show the demons that you are one of Mine.” She said. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew a special Rosary and she placed it around Kurt’s neck.

“Now go to sleep. Belasco will not be troubling you anymore.” She assured him, kissing his brow lightly.

Kurt became tired as soon as She placed the kiss upon his brow and he slipped into peaceful slumber as She slowly returned to Her Home.

The next morning, Ororo walked into the room to see how Kurt was doing. Gasping softly, she took a step back and rested a hand over her heart.

All of Kurt’s scars and wounds were gone, it was as if nothing had happened to him for the past three weeks. When he opened his eyes and smiled at her, she saw that the sickness had also took leave of his body overnight.

But that wasn’t what had startled her so much. It was what was around his neck that had surprised her so much.

Around Kurt’s neck, there was a ring of white and red roses, each one glittering in the new day’s light.