InsaneJournal

WHO: Erik Lehnsherr
WHAT: Charles has set out to eradicate all the zombies in hopes that will bring the people he's lost back. Erik wants to make sure he doesn't kill himself in the process
WHEN: After this
WHERE: The X-Mansion
RATING: PG-13
STATUS: Narrative; COMPLETE

It had taken Erik a moment to fully grasp what River was saying to him. He had understood that Charles was intending on doing something but trying to take out all of the zombies at once and by himself was about the most reckless plan that he'd heard of since... since, well, since he'd decided to toss an entire payload of missiles back at a dozen or more military vessels under the assumption that everyone he was with would just let him. Grabbing what River had instructed from their infirmary, Erik had dashed from there up to Charles's room, uncertain of just where his friend had been when he'd overheard Raven's message and unclear of how long it would take him to carry out what he had decided was necessary. Finding the room empty, Erik turned, heading towards the next likely place, his own fears moving him twice as fast as he might normally go but still not fast enough.

Throwing open the doors of the study, Erik spotted Charles slumped in a pile on the floor, the only signs his friend was still alive being the occasional twitch of his muscles and the blood pouring from nearly every orifice on his face, nails cracked and bleeding from burying themselves into the palms of his hands and completely unresponsive to Erik's presence in the doorway. "Charles," Erik called softly, hoping against hope that he was only assuming the worst as he cross from the door to the other man's side, kneeling next to him and placing a hand on his arms. "Charles, get up. Please."

The fear clenched his throat, a dark and familiar feeling washing over him, the same one that he'd felt on the beach when Charles had collapsed from the misdirected bullet, the same guilt welling up in him from not being able to do anything to stop it, and the absence of anyone else to blame making those feelings so much more intense. Jabbing the needle that he'd brought into Charles's arm in the hopes that it might do something, Erik just sat there and watched, waiting, hoping for some sort of response, but beyond the blood on his face slowly starting to dry while not being replaced with new, there was nothing. Charles was still breathing, but in this situation, breathing was less of a sign of life and more a sign of not being able to help.

And despite what Charles had done, there was no visible sign that it had changed anything.

Turning his friend in his arms, now at least assured that he could do so without him choking on his own blood, Erik cradled him against his chest, bowing his head over Charles's unconscious form and blinking against the tears that were forming in his eyes, "Why, Charles?" Erik asked, his voice breaking just a bit on his name. "It would have fixed itself," He whispered. "It would have fixed itself, you stupid, impatient prick. And now you can't even enjoy what you set right. If you set it right. God. Raven could still be dead, and this could have just all been a waste. Why, Charles? Why couldn't you have just waited? Why... Why did you have to leave me alone?"