He lay there for a long time. Long after the water had gone stale. His eyes were shut, his body aching something terrible. His heart beat erratically despite how little he was moving. He could almost have cried. It wasn't fair.

"It's not fair," he whispered it allowed.

"No, it isn't."

Toad opened his eyes wearily. She stood in the doorway watching him. One hand on her hip, a wry smile in place.

"Storm really did a number on you," she came nearer to look at his burns and Toad was too tired to argue with her seeing him naked. That in itself was indication that something was seriously wrong.

She trailed a hand lightly over his torso, trying to get a better feel for how bad the burns were. She stopped her palm over his heart and pressed there to feel the heartbeat. Her brow creased.

Toad just sighed. He didn't have the energy to get out of the tub. The cold water that he had hoped would serve to slow and calm his heart was only serving to sap out all strength he had left. His eyes were open, but it was sheer force of will that kept them that way.

Mystique put a hand on his face and looked into his glassier than normal eyes.

"C'mon, Mort, it's time to get out."

A small sigh escaped his lips in answer, but he didn't move. Amphibians didn't do well in the cold and it was stupid of him to have stayed here so long, but he just couldn't seem to think straight.

She reached for his arm, looking irritated at him.

"Mortimer, get out of the tub this instant." She sounded like she was scolding a little boy. Toad just blinked at her, tiredly.

In a moment of clarity and understanding she flipped the heater on in the room and then reached for him, attempting to just haul him out. His body was wet and shivering, but she wrapped him with a towel and sat him beside the heater.

"That was really stupid Mortimer, were you trying to kill yourself?"

He shrugged. He hadn't been, not really. But once he'd gotten in and just let his body temperature lower, it'd been very appealing to just let go.

Mystique sighed and ruffled his hair affectionately. When he was warmer she'd put him in bed.

Sabretooth stuck a head through the doorway that Mystique had not thought to close.

"What's wrong with the runt?"

"He stayed in the water too long."

Toad sighed again, feeling returning to his extremities, and looked up at them. He felt like a child, being scolded by two very dangerous parents. It was the closest thing he'd ever had to a family.

They'd been there since the beginning, when Magneto had found him. He'd been fourteen, give or take, and scared and confused. Mystique had understood right away, looking the way that she did. She'd shown him his room and didn't laugh at him when he'd cried.

He'd grown a crush on her that first day that had never really gone away. He hated that she'd seen him so weak…and naked. That embarrassed the hell out of him. Color came to his cheeks as he thought about it, lucid thought returning enough to be ashamed.

Sabretooth was a big git, but he had looked out for him those first few years. When on Toad's first mission a cop with a machine gun had gotten trigger happy, it'd been Sabretooth that appeared behind him to rip the man's arms off. He'd then picked Mort up by the scruff of his neck and carried him back to Magneto's lair.

Even now, when things got troubled he could usually count on the man to be there. He'd asked Magneto about it once and the man said something about wolf-packs that didn't make a tremendous amount of sense.

Sabretooth glared down at him now, poking him in the chest, which nearly made him lose his towel.

"Color's back in his face, he's alright."

Mystique suppressed a smirk, and nodded in agreement. She took Toad by the elbow and steered him toward the bed, as Sabretooth stalked out of the room. Toad allowed himself to be put in bed and watched her with affection as she moved around the room.

"I'm going to go back to the hospital later and get you something for your heart, but you're going to have to take it easy, Mort."

He nodded, and she sat on the edge of his bed looking at him. She was so beautiful. Flawless. Her eyes almond shaped and glowing faintly with reflected light. Her lips, pouty and red, her skin so soft and the most exquisite shape of indigo.

She stroked his arm absently, and then his hair. She was thinking about something serious, he could tell.

"I think you might need to retire, Mort."

"WHAT?" Toad sat up, but she pushed back at him wanting him to lay down again.

"Calm down. We'll talk about it, but…you're heart's weak. I can hear it from here."

"I'm twenty four years old, Raven."

"I know. Just try to get some sleep, alright."