Picking Up The Pieces

Broken

"Charles...I..I didn't...mean.." Erik sits there in the sand holding Charles. He knows he's made a grave mistake. He hurt the only person he's ever truly seen as an equal, a friend, someone special. He's hurt the one he loves most. "I'm sorry.." Erik mumbles out. How could he let it come to this? "Erik.. you've done enough....just go. That's what you want, right? So go." Erik looks down at the young man in his arms. "Go? Without you? Nonsense, my friend." Charles looks at Erik like he's lost his mind, and maybe he has. Maybe Erik really is a mad man, a dog chasing his tail going in circles. "We do not want the same thing, my friend." Charles says to him. "You wish to harm humans. They don't have a fair chance against us mutants, you know that. It's wrong, Erik, you are wrong. Just go. Leave, please." Charles pleads with Erik wanting him to leave, but at the same time feeling empty at the thought. Which is wrong on so many levels, considering Erik is the reason Charles had a bullet in his back.

  "I'm not leaving Charles, not Without you." Erik says pick Charles up as if he weighs nothing. The others try to stop him. Erik, of course, threatens them. They don't back off completely, obviously. "Erik! This is insane and unreasonable. You can't just take me hostage!" Charles protests against this new development. He tries to wiggle free but finds that he is paralyzed. The bullet must have hit his spine. With this newfound detail, Charles gives up. There is no reason to fight. And with that helmet on Erik's head, he can't control him. "I need you by my side, Charles. I'm sorry for what I did. I'll figure out a way to fix it. You're coming with me." With that said, Erik uses his powers to fly both of them out of there. Charles grips Erik tightly, suddenly afraid of falling.

  "Erik, this is insane! Take me back! I don't want this. You need to take me back!" Erik ignores him and continues on to his destination. He hopes he can find someone who can help Charles. Maybe he can find another mutant that can heal anything no matter the severity. Erik eventually takes them to a hospital as much as he hates it. He explains to the emergency room doctor that Charles has been shot. The doctor is bewildered but brings Charles back to an operation room nonetheless. Erik waits a while, waiting for the doctor to come back. When he does come back after what seems like a millennium, Erik stands up from his chair. The doctor tells him that he can go in and see Charles now, that he's still asleep, but he'll be awake soon. Erik rushes to the room, room 211, and finds Charles there laying still with his eyes closed. He looks peaceful.

  Erik pulls a chair up beside Charles' bed. He takes his hand in his, and he realizes that Charles hands are small compared to his. He's never noticed it until now. "What have I done?" Erik, let's go of Charles hand. He rests his elbows on his knees and puts his head in his hands. Erik is completely lost. He hasn't felt this lost in a while. Charles is hurt, and it's all his fault. "God, Charles, what am I doing? Look at what I've become." Charles doesn't answer. Erik is left with the weight of what he's done and the swirling thoughts in his head. He's created a mess that he's not sure he can clean up. All his life, he's been used as a weapon. Even now that Shaw is dead, Erik still feels as if his hooks are still in him. And maybe they are. Maybe he's a pawn in a game of chess he simply can't win.

  Four long hours pass, Erik has leaned back in the chair and has fallen asleep. Charles wakes up with a start. He looks around the room his in. He is acutely aware of the pain in his back. It seems Erik brought him to a hospital. He looks to the left and sees Erik sleeping in the chair. He stares at him for a few long seconds. He blames Erik for this, but at the same time, he blames himself. He can't help but think that he could have somehow prevented this. Prevented Erik from becoming worse than he was. He's seen the things the man has done. He's taken a look inside Erik's mind one too many times. Erik is no saint. However, he is redeemable. Charles has never doubted that. Erik's obvious guilt about hurting him is proof of that. Charles knows there was more he could have done. There has to have been. Erik killing Shaw sent him over the edge. Just as he told Erik, it was not going to help him. It instead made everything worse for Erik.