Mystique sat on the edge of the bed and doctored him as best she could. When she'd finished she brushed a strand of hair from his eyes and told him they needed to talk.
"You're in bad shape, Mort."
"I've been in bad shape before."
"You're going to have a heart condition for the rest of your life. Damage like that doesn't heal."
Toad didn't speak, but glowered at her. He was not just going to sit on the sidelines. If she thought he was she was seriously disturbed.
"I'm going to take that weather-bitch out when I'm better."
Mystique just looked at him. He was being belligerent and he knew it, but he was hurt and angry and he didn't know how else to be.
"Toad," she used his codename to imply she was irritated with him, "We're not discussing this. While Magneto's out of commission I'm in charge, and I'm telling you that you're going to stay put."
Toad rolled his eyes and turned his back to her so she couldn't' see him draw in a hitched breath and wince as the pain in his ribs worsened. They felt cracked. He shut his eyes, and tried to sleep. Anything to escape the pain.
---
When he woke again it was Sabretooth in the room with him. The big hairball had the TV on and was lounging in a chair near the bed. He yawned and glanced over at Toad, smirking when he saw him awake.
"Mystique says you're under surveillance, no leavin your bed," He chuckled. Sabretooth really could be an asshole.
Toad seethed, but part of him knew she was right. He could scarcely move, much less argue with Sabretooth, which often got him a claw in the shoulder or worse when he was in top form…he couldn't imagine what he could do to him now.
He just lay there, feeling angry, with no one good to direct it at. He finally settled on snapping at Sabretooth and berating his choice of television shows.
"Why in the bloody Hell would you want to watch 'Normals' anyway?"
"They're funny."
He had it on one of those god awful reality shows. One where they get paid money to eat worms or some such nonsense. Toad smirked thinking how easily he could win the 50 grand if they didn't outright disqualify him for being a mutant. But they would.
"Turn it to Animal Planet."
"No."
"Bloody Hell, give me the remote."
"No."
"You stupid hairy git, give me the remote or so help me I'll slime you."
"You open that mouth and you'll be missing teeth."
Toad thought about doing it anyway, weighing his options. Sabretooth would cream him. No contest. And Vicky rarely let something like being infirm get in the way of his revenge.
Toad sat quietly. He crossed his arms over his chest, but then quickly removed them when the pain rocketed through his ribs again. He hissed and Sabrooth looked over lazily.
"Mystique will pissed off if you manage to damage yourself anymore."
"Where is Raven?"
"Filling in for Senator Kelly."
"The Senator? Why?"
"She said he died or something. Erik's machine turned him into goo."
Toad drew in a hissed breath. Fucking Sabretooth just didn't get it. He clutched at his sheets for a moment in panic before making himself calm down, Sabretooth could probably hear his heart hammering across the room.
They had failed. Completely failed. He'd thought it'd been bad when he was electrocuted and Sabretooth had to fish him out of the harbor. He'd thought that once he healed he'd be able to continue the work.
But Magneto's Machine failed. It had killed the Senator instead of mutating him. Everything they'd worked so hard for was gone.
He stared at the wall, feeling detached, hollow. Even if he healed and they broke Magneto out of prison they'd have to start over. Everything had been for nothing. He'd nearly died for nothing.
He lay there for a long time, until the pressure in his bladder became such that he had to relieve it. He slowly sat up and put his feet on the ground, getting a growl from Sabretooth for his troubles.
"Stay in the bed, Frog."
"Sod off, I have to bloody well piss."
Sabretooth snorted but got to his feet and put a heavily clawed hand rather gently on the back of Toad's neck, steering and supporting him to the bathroom. He didn't' say anything as Toad unzipped and struggled to find a comfortable position to do this in.
Sabretooth simply stared back at the television and waited for him to finish his business. Toad swore. There was a little pink in his urine. Blood. But it wasn't much and he hoped it wasn't anything serious. He zipped up and flushed tiredly, leaning heavily against the wall.
Sabretooth turned back to him and lifted him cautiously over one shoulder, Toad groaning only a little. Sabretooth carried him back to the bed and put him down, before returning to his chair.
Toad was grateful that he didn't' say anything. This was embarrassing enough without Viktor making fun of him too. He was just glad that he'd done this before Mystique got back. He didn't want her watching him take a piss.
He drifted back off to sleep for a little while, and was woken when Mystique came in with some soup. She looked tired. Must be tough doing the Senator thing while she was still healing herself.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He murmured.
She sighed and turned on a lamp beside the bed so that he could see to eat.
"Does it matter?"
"We did all of it for nothing. We failed."
"I know, Mort."
"Fuck."
Toad ran a hand through his short green hair. He wasn't eating because his stomach was in knots. Mystique gently tugged his hands back to his sides and smoothed his hair for him.
"It'll be okay, you'll heal. We'll get Magneto out."
"You said my heart will never heal."
"…"
"Raven?"
"I know. You won't be able to do what you used to do, but your body will heal. You'll get better. You won't be bed ridden forever."
"I don't want to live if I'm an invalid."
She glanced back at him sharply before picking up the bowl of soup and pressing it on him.
"Don't talk that way Mortimer. If I have to I'll set Sabretooth on you for the rest of your natural born life."
"He'd get bored."
Toad managed to stomach a little of the soup, eating in silence. He could have cried, but he didn't. Terrorists didn't cry. Mystique seemed to be waiting for him to say something, but he remained silent. What else was there to say?
Finally he put down the bowl and sighed tiredly. Mystique looked irritated.
"None of us are happy that things turned out this way, Toad, but it could have been worse. Storm could have killed you, Wolverine could have killed me. Magneto's in prison, but he's alright. It could have been worse."
Toad rolled over, not looking at her. He didn't want to tell her he wished that Storm had killed him, so he didn't have to face this now. He couldn't stand that they were right, on top of everything else they had. Fucking pretty-faced X-Men.