wedonot | FIFTY ✖ VOICE

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FIFTY ✖ VOICE

[Charles clicks on the audio feed, and it should be pretty apparent to anyone listening that something is wrong, but he's doing his level best not to act like it is. His breathing is a little labored, and he definitely sounds like he's in pain, but his voice is more or less level and controlled, focused on telling people what happened and not passing out or dying before help shows up.

All in all, he sounds way too calm for someone who just got stabbed.]

I found Senji. He's been tortured, probably at least for a few days, by his inmate. He's currently unconscious and in serious need of medical attention. [Which was sort of an understatement, really, not to mention Charles had no idea how they'd even go about treating him, if he was going to be lashing out and trying to cut anyone who came near him with weapons he could apparently create from his own blood, of all things.

Speaking of which.]

... Actually, Merlin, if you're not too busy, I could probably do with some, too. [He almost sounds more sheepish than anything else, although it still hurts and he's definitely maybe a little scared, because he's been hurt, but he's never actually died before.] We're on the second floor, in room twelve. It's sort of a mess. [Really, meaning, there's an awful lot of blood on the walls and everywhere else in the room ~~and maybe coming out of me nbd~~. :|

It occurs to him vaguely that this probably isn't something he should be telling just anyone - he has no idea where Toto is, or what the hell he was really planning on doing here - but he's pretty confident he can knock out almost anyone trying to come into the room before Merlin or Erik or someone got here, so instead of bothering to retroactively filter it or do much of anything other than keep pressure on the wound, he just drops the comm back into his lap and waits.]

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[He caught the nod from Alex, and glanced at him, only briefly. It's - not better than he expected, not really, not with Charles hurt. But he knows what this must feel like for Alex, knows that this is where he should have been on the beach.

Pursing his lips slightly, Erik pushes that away, and tries to concentrate.]

There's iron in your blood, [he points out, and turns his hand, palm up and fingers curling slightly. The gestures aren't really necessary, he's fairly positive of that - but they help him focus. He thought it was only big things that were difficult, but it's the miniscule, too; he doesn't know how to control so much at that size, but it's worth trying, if it means keeping the blood from flowing.

He flicks a glance at Alex, look clear: keep him talking, because right now, he can't spare much for conversation.]

[Alex sure isn't going to make it any more of an open topic than it has to be. If they're ever talking about it again, it's not going to be right now, so he shuts down that entire topic of thought and focuses on holding pressure, which is one little thing he can do. Probably.]

[He catches Erik's eye, though, because some things are instinctive. You learn to read each other in a combat situation. If you don't, you die. So he turns to Charles and starts yelling at him, because that's the first thing he can think of to do.]

Which he's going to use to keep you from bleeding to death like an idiot.

[Look, he's honest. And broadcasting. Pay attention to me. Look at me. He knows Erik can handle this, and Charles would know it too if he wasn't delirious from blood loss. Don't ask questions. Look at me.]

You didn't answer my question.

[He wants to, though, because it's not something he's ever really considered before, even though he probably should have. He wants to ask if it's working, if he can just sense Charles' or if he could feel Alex's and Senji's as well, or the blood on the walls, or monitor someone's heartrate, and about a hundred other things, but then Alex is yelling at him - not just out loud - again and so he looks back at him, brow furrowing slightly.]

You don't have to shout, Alex. [But he doesn't actually sound reproachful at all, really. It's better to focus on him and not on the pain, or anything else about what's happening, really, and again, he almost unconsciously flexes his toes, just because he can. That's something, at least. He might be bleeding a lot, but at least he's not paralyzed.

He's still a little distracted though, when he tries to remember what the question actually was.]

Which question?

[Merlin arrives about one minute and twenty seconds after the message goes out - the fastest he could have passed over what he was doing in the Infirmary - by which time Erik and Alex are both there, which doesn't really surprise him. The amount of blood is startling - 'sort of a mess' doesn't really cover it - but obviously it's the quantity of blood soaked through the wad of cloth that catches his eye most urgently.

Really, Charles. This is really 'probably' needing medical attention?

They're halfway through a conversation but he doesn't particularly care, he just drops to his knees as close as he can get and reaches out. This close he can feel something else, some other power stemming the flow of blood.]

Ic the thurhhæle thinu licsar.

[He can't see the wound closing but he can feel it, the magic working under his hands. He exhales heavily and sits back on his heels.]

...bit more urgency might've been called for, Charles.

[Erik's lips twitched at Charles' question, but he held off answering when Merlin showed up. He made room for the wizard, and dropped his hand as the magic started. Everything was so miniscule, it was difficult to tell if he'd been helping at all, but he thinks he might have.

Which kind of has him in a good mood, especially now that Charles is healed. He nods his thanks to Merlin, then glances at Alex before telling Charles, ruefully,]

He wanted to know if you're allergic to backup.

[Alex's first instinct when Merlin shows up is to glare at him, but when Erik makes room for him Alex hesitates and backs off too. Charles had called for backup. Right. Late. But this one is probably safe.]

[He snorts a little at Merlin's comment - because yeah, it might've been - and leans back against the wall, giving Charles space and letting the bloody cloth drop to the floor. Haha, it is just covered in blood. Ha.]

[He glances at Erik, too, lips quirking slightly. He's kind of impressed.]

Which obviously you are, since you have so much available.

[Charles almost projects that Merlin's fine, he's a friend when he feels that protective alarm from Alex, but is pleasantly surprised again when Erik's sign of trust apparently does the convincing for him.

He holds still and manages a sort of sheepish smile for Merlin when he finishes, but he can't really help the smirk that forms at the comment, because, well.] Evidently, I'm not, otherwise I'd be having a terrible reaction to the three of you being here.

[He carefully peels back the fabric from where the injury had been to check Merlin's handywork and sees the wound had closed, leaving a scar, but not much else, besides the blood all over him. It still hurts, but more like a bad bruise than a openly bleeding stab wound, and he's definitely still feeling pretty weak, but he's fine, just like he'd more or less known he would be.

So he lets his head clunk back against the mattress and sighs, suddenly feeling the exhaustion hit him like a freight train, quasi intentionally projecting appreciation and gratitude and concern and something like guilt to them.]

Thanks. Sorry to worry you.

Just be careful when you get up. The wound's closed but you'll still be weak from the blood you've lost.

[Which is a speech he's now made twice this week. Precisely two times too many. That thought holds him still for a moment before he exhales heavily and gets to his feet.]

I'll see to Senji.

[Erik glances at Alex, opens his mouth to tell him not to lean against the wall - there's blood everywhere - but he's already leaning and it's not worth sounding like - well. Like a parent, so he lets it go.

Merlin's pause attracts his attention, though, and he settles a vaguely quizzical look on him before dismissing it. No doubt Merlin's been healing people left and right, he's likely just tired.]

Make sure he doesn't wake up, [he says dryly, and settles a hand on Charles' shoulder.] All right?

[Frowning slightly at Erik - what was he going to say? - Alex lets it go, glancing at Charles. It's weird. This does sort of remind him of Cuba, but Erik's still here and Charles is okay.]

[He smiles, looks at Charles.] Yeah, we should probably get out of here.

[Charles can't help it. His attention snaps to Merlin at the thought, sending a brush of alarm and concern his way - Who? - even though he can guess, but he knows it's not something Merlin wants to discuss in front of Erik or Alex, so he uses the hand on his shoulder and brush of sudden positivity as a convincing distraction, smiling as he answered Erik's question.]

Thanks to some timely intervention by three people I've come to truly trust, appreciate and respect, yes. Although I think I'm gravely in need of a shower and a change of clothes. [He apparently can be wordy and articulate when drunk and when suffering from the effects of severe bloodloss! Who knew!]

Give me a hand up? [Although, really, he'd probably need to use at least one of them as a human crutch, considering he wasn't entirely sure his legs would support his weight. He wouldn't exactly protest being carried, but he still had a few hang ups surrounding appreciating functional legs, and he'd rather walk to wherever they're going than not. B(]

[It's how Cuba should have gone, really. Erik hesitates for a moment - he'd been about to shift the magnetic field around Charles to let him float - but given Charles' exhaustion, he can 'hear' those hang ups, and decides against it.

Instead, he stretches out his hand, rising for leverage to pull Charles up.]

Only you would be verbose after being stabbed, [he mutters dryly.]

He's a wordy drunk and a wordy stab victim, I guess.

[Making light of the situation doesn't keep him from glancing at Erik as he takes Charles's hand. He has to let that happen, though, it seems fair, and he's not about to argue with Charles when he's in this state.]

[He does hover a little bit, though. Maybe a lot.]

Apparently.

[But that's all he's saying on the matter as he takes Erik's hand and lets him pull him up, mostly because his vision is definitely going a little spotty, which means he is both holding onto Erik's hand pretty tightly and listing a little towards his friend as he blinked and tried to get his bearings back.]

[He notes the glance from the corner of his eye - it's hard not to keep an eye on Alex, given their latest talk -and steadies Charles with a hand on his shoulder. But he steps to the side, giving Alex the room to step up and help support ~~mom~~ Charles. He doesn't nod to him, or gesture him in (not like he gestured Moira forward on the beach); he knows what it's like, to be desperate to help and be unable to. So he makes sure Alex is able to.]

Have I mentioned lately that you're very lucky, Charles?

[This is still weird, to be feeling gratitude instead of resentment towards Erik, but it overwhelms him suddenly when Erik makes room for him. This is how it should have been - the automatic assumption that they would all be there to help if something bad happened.]

[He swallows, doesn't say anything, and steps to the other side, nudging Charles's arm up over his shoulder. Charles is going to be safe, and Erik's going to be . . . he doesn't know what, but something different, if things keep going like this. Better not to talk at all right now.]

[Charles doesn't really want to be thinking about Cuba right now, because as much as he hates to admit it, he does feel pretty weak and dizzy, his control's not exactly great, and he's sort of got issues with both. But he does lean on Alex and doesn't let go of Erik - which probably does have more to do with Cuba than he'd really like to admit - and tries not to think of the last time he was this seriously hurt, because that's just unpleasant to get into and it's easier to focus on not passing out and answering Erik's question.]

Probably. I'm sure you'd enjoy mentioning it a couple hundred more times, though.

[It's what he and Charles had promised, really; when they said come be accepted, it wasn't supposed to be just for the moment, for as long as Shaw's a threat, though that is as far as Erik thought. For decades, that was all he could see, wearing self-imposed blinders that kept his focus steady.

Shaw isn't a threat anymore, and there are pieces to pick up. Friends to support, kids to guide. He has a job, a duty to do by Alex, by Sean and Hank and Raven and Angel and everyone like them. Erik hadn't had a place to belong when he was a boy. But he could supply it for others who needed it.]

I would, actually. I'm sure you won't mind.

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FIFTY ✖ VOICE

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