XMFC/Accidents Happen

[guideshapelead]

Charles is far from impressed with the drugs Hank's given him. So far, he's taking them obediently, but he has to admit that it's already a struggle to keep up the regime. He hasn't had another seizure, and for that he is grateful, but the cost is almost too much. His concentration is shot; he can barely manage a chapter of a book in one sitting, now, whereas before he'd skim whole volumes. And worse, his telepathy has been weakened to a level which is almost non-existent. He has to try, with all his concentration and mental strength, just to catch glimpses of thoughts aimed directly at him.

His head has never felt so quiet.

As a consequence, he's in far from a good mood as he sits in the drawing room with Erik that afternoon, struggling to do more than watch the flames in the fireplace. He finds the whole thing far more crippling than the bullet in his spine.

Comments

[diecastking]

Alex, propped up against Charles' wheelchair, is feeling his own arm with trepidation. "Think it's broken."

"The x-ray was in the lab," Hank says, voice even gruffer than usual.

"We can't all go. It would be suspicious." Sean shakes his head with a wince.

"I'll take Alex," Erik says decisively. "Wash off the worst of the soot and we'll explain it. I could teach a class in deception."

[guideshapelead]

A selfish part of Charles wants to say no, wants to send Raven with Alex so he can keep Erik where he can see him. But instead, he nods his agreement. Alex would want Erik there, over anyone else.

"Hank? How are you feeling?" He dreads the thought of the young genius needing medical attention, with exposure to the public not an option.

"I'll be fine, Charles."

Charles lets out a small sigh of relief. "Good. Get some rest. You too, Sean. Bed for you, I think."

[diecastking]

Raven shepherds the boys to their rooms and Erik helps Alex to his feet. The boy sways, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"We'll go now," Erik says decisively, before glancing back at Charles and Scott. "You'll be all right? You'll take care of everyone, mausi?"

[guideshapelead]

"We'll be fine," Charles promises, giving Erik's hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

"Call the house, if there's any news?"

[diecastking]

"Of course." Erik kisses Charles' cheek, and then Scott's forehead.

Alex makes a faint retching sound. Erik lightly smacks the boy's shoulder and then guides him towards the door of the mansion. He wants to help Alex as quickly as possible and then gather his family safely at home.

[guideshapelead]

Charles spends the rest of the day unable to settle to anything, and not just because of his new medication. He's worried about Alex, at the hospital, and he's checking in on Hank and Sean every hour. They're both fine, sleeping off the shock, and Charles is invariably left with Raven and Scott for company. By early evening, Scott's tired himself and is ready for bed as well, and then Charles is left alone as Raven insists she make them both dinner.

Refusing to leave his chair in case he need to be somewhere in a hurry, Charles is about to force down Raven's dinner when he hears the front doors open.

"Erik?" He calls out immediately, changing his course for the entrance hall.

[diecastking]

Erik shuts the door behind them and smiles. Home. "Charles."

Alex grins and brandishes his plaster cast, already adorned with Erik's fastidiously neat signature. "Look what I got."

[guideshapelead]

Smiling at Alex's enthusiasm, glad to see that he's not suffered too badly from his experiences, Charles gives the boy a warm grin.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, while his hand seeks out Erik's. He's missing their mental connection more than he can say.

[diecastking]

"They gave me a pill!" Alex says with a beam and knocks on his cast. "Doesn't hurt at all!"

Erik clasps Charles' hand and winks at him. "I think you should get some rest, Alex. Scott will want to draw on that cast in the morning."

[guideshapelead]

"We'll bring you up some dinner, if you're hungry?" Charles offers. He's sure Raven's made more than enough for Alex and Erik to have their own share.

[diecastking]

Alex wrinkles his nose. "What's she made? Let me look at it."

He marches towards the kitchen to see what Raven's up to. He trusts her most out of all of them, but it's still his kitchen.

Erik sweeps a still-sooted thumb over Charles's face. "Hello."

[guideshapelead]

"Hello," Charles replies, stretching up to try and get his hands around Erik's neck. He wants more than just a brush of fingers over his face.

[diecastking]

Erik bends down and wraps his arms around Charles. "Missed me?"

[guideshapelead]

"More than you can imagine," Charles admits soberly, pressing his lips to Erik in a gentle kiss. The silence inside his head is far worse than any of the aches and pains his seizures leave behind them.

[diecastking]

Erik kisses him, then murmurs in his ear.

"We'll have dinner and then you can show me."

[guideshapelead]

Charles presses their foreheads together before they part, trying once more to force some sort of connection between them. But again there's absolutely nothing.

[diecastking]

Erik moves through to the kitchen, where Raven and Alex are fussing over some kind of pasta.

"Supper and then rest," Erik says firmly. He doesn't intend to delay getting to his own bed tonight.

[guideshapelead]

"Alex, you should be in bed already," Charles scolds softly, not overly concerned but feeling the need to do his fatherly duty.

"Straight to bed when you've eaten."

[diecastking]

Erik gently guides Alex to a chair, as Raven dishes up the tomato pasta.

"Have you asked Hank what happened?" he says to Raven.

"Oh, I know," Alex says, mouth already full of pasta. "It was a new thing he bought in town."

[guideshapelead]

"A new thing?" Charles can't help his scepticism. For all that he doesn't doubt Hank's genius, his 'new things' have previously crippled him, given him seizures and now got rid of his mutant ability.

[diecastking]

Alex nods vigorously. "He called it a...plate-cleaner? Something like that. But he thought it was too small so he started taking it apart and..." He waves his fork. "You know Hank."

Erik shoots Charles a look. "Yes, we do."

[guideshapelead]

"He needs to be more careful," Charles frowns. He knows no real harm has been done, today, but he's very aware that things could have turned out very differently.

"I don't want any more rooms collapsing."

[diecastking]

"I'll tell Bozo," Alex promises, before getting up, saluting them all, and heading for the door.

Raven shakes her head. "What did they give him in the hospital?"

"Painkillers," Erik says with a smile. "I'm heading for bed. Charles?"

[guideshapelead]

"Yes," Charles nods in agreement. He'd feel guiltier about leaving his sister with the washing up if he could reach the sink.

[diecastking]

"Don't mind me," Raven says mildly. "I'll just make tea for my charred blue boyfriend and pretend you're going to separate rooms."

Erik raises an eyebrow but said nothing. He'd suspected as much anyway.