Hank had been hanging upside down from the light fixture, reading The Lancet, when Erik burst into the sick bay with Maddy in his arms. Hank was so startled he dropped his journal and lost his grip, falling on his ass on the workbench below. It was testament to Erik's distress he didn't even take the time to sneer.
"Erik?! What the hell?!" Hank pushed a pile of papers from one of the beds, and Erik lowered Madeline's lifeless-looking body onto it. Hank grabbed her wrist, a chill of relief washing through him as he found a thriving pulse. He turned accusingly on Erik.
"What have you done to her?" Erik shook his head.
"It wasn't me, it was Charles. He put her in a coma." Hank fought a creeping sense of unreality. This day was starting to feel more and more like a bad dream – first the broken window, now this. He squinched his eyes shut tight, then opened them again. Erik was still standing there with a guilty, worried look on his face, Maddy was still lying unconscious and white as marble on the gurney.
"What happened? Charles would never do this if it wasn't necessary. Don't pretend you had nothing to do with it." Erik's expression flipped from guilt to anger, and he exploded:
"Quit jabbering at me and just help her, will you? Is she alright?" Hank scoffed.
"As if you care-" then found himself pressed up against the drugs cupboard, Erik's large hands making a game attempt to encircle the young man's massive throat.
"You know nothing about it, understand? Nothing. Just do your job, du misgeburt-"
"ERIK!" Charles wheeled at speed into the room, seized Erik's arm and yanked him away from Hank. His face was red with the effort, his eyes slits of incandescent fury.
"What the hell is the matter with you? How can you be fighting at a time like this?" He threw Erik's arm from him as if it repulsed him, turned away to face Hank, who stared in shock. Charles never spoke to anyone that, least of all Erik.
"Hank, is she alright? She should be – I just told her brain to go to sleep – but she was so strong, I had to be a lot more forceful than I'd have liked." Hank blinked, approached Maddy and checked her vital signs, pulled up an eyelid to reveal a rolling red eye. He jumped, then turned back towards Charles.
"She's fine, I think. Except – how did this happen? She was better, back to normal, I only saw her yesterday!" Charles nodded, and his jaw clenched angrily. His voice was clipped, each word a bullet of controlled fury.
"Yes, well. It seems that Erik decided his interest in Maddy's abilities entitled him to take risks with her life. They crept up here last night and he made Maddy drink some of the blood you keep in the sick bay. What happened after that is every bit as bad as you'd expect." Hank looked from one to the other, realization dawning.
"You broke the window?" he demanded angrily of Erik. The metal bender shook his head, a sudden gleam coming into his eye.
"No, that was Madeline. Although she took me with her when she jumped through it. She was much stronger this time, Beast, much faster too – and a lot happier. You'd probably have had a heart attack."
"Erik. Shut up."
Again, Hank wondered if he was dreaming. Not only was Charles, of all people, giving Erik the dressing down he had had coming for, well, ever in Hank's opinion, but Erik seemed to be taking it meekly, bowing his head and retreating into a corner under Charles's withering rage. Charles dismissed the German with a roll of his eyes, then moved towards Madeline's head, put his hands either side of her temples, shut his eyes as he reached out for her mind.
Madeline?
Maddy had been floating in a loose, grey darkness when the quiet voice called out to her. She reached for it, the only solid thing in the ether that was all she could see or feel.
Charles? Where am I? The voice came again, gentle, reassuring, and she felt some of her panic begin to recede.
You're in the sick bay. Don't worry, you're perfectly alright. I've put you into a very deep sleep – I had to, I hope that you understand. But I can wake you up now-
NO!
Her mental cry rang out into the nothingness, and for a moment, she was terrified she'd frightened Charles's voice away. Then it sounded in her mind once again, sounding confused.
Madeline? Why don't you want to wake up?
The blood. The blood is still in me, isn't it? I'm still – changed. Charles hesitated, then replied.
Yes. But Madeline, it will pass. Just like it did before, although Hank thinks it may take longer this time. Something about the way you – ingested the blood this time seems to have increased your powers – it stands to reason they'll be longer-lasting too.
Madeline felt the strange sensation of wanting to cry without the eyes to do it.
Please don't wake me up. I'm not safe. I can't be trusted, I can't control myself. If you let me wake up when I'm like this, I'm scared I'll do something dreadful. Please don't.
She felt the memory of her barely averted assault on the woman pass from her mind into his, felt also – with a wave of shame – the hunger licking up again at the memory of the scent of her blood. And that hunger reminded her of the other, of kissing Erik, of forcing Erik to kiss her. Erik, who belonged body and heart and soul to Charles.
Please, Charles, please, I didn't MEAN to-
Hush, my dear. I know. I know you never wanted to hurt me. I 'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you, love. Did you think I didn't know you were in love with him?
Madeline didn't reply. She wondered if it was possible to die of shame. Almost hoped that it was. But Charles's mental voice held no accusation, only gentle pity.
I am a telepath, you know – I think I knew it before you did. It's one of the reasons I've been so keen for you to put off exploring these new powers of yours – I thought it would be easier on you once you had reconciled your feelings for Erik. I'm so sorry that he has manipulated them to encourage you to do this before you were ready, without my help or Hank's. It was unforgiveable.
Madeline thought to protest Erik's innocence, but sensed that it would only make things worse. And after all, who was she to defend Erik to Charles? The two of them shared an understanding that went deeper than she could ever fathom. It was pure presumption to try and insert herself into that bond, to try and protect it. And rank hypocrisy into the bargain. So she kept her peace on that score.
Charles. Will you help me? I don't want to be some sort of monster!
Charles projected a soothing wave of calm into her mind.
Of course I'll help you, Madeline. You will control these powers, I promise you. When YOU are ready to. Now are you sure you don't want me to wake you up? Mrs Murdock has left the premises; you'll be quite safe.
Madeline thought of waking up; of having to face Hank; to face Erik. Her whole being flinched away from the thought.
No. Please no. Let me go back to normal first, please. I'm too scared to wake up.
She heard Charles sigh sadly.
Very well, my dear. Please try to rest, and not to worry. Everything is going to be alright.
She focused on the soothing sound of his words, rather than the meaning. After all, they both knew that it wasn't true.
Charles withdrew from Madeline's troubled mind, his heart aching with compassion for her pain, her guilt, her fear. All of it so unnecessary. He turned to Hank wearily.
"She doesn't want to wake up. She's frightened of what she might do. I'm afraid she encountered a human visitor in the entrance hall, and her desire for human blood overwhelmed her rather. Nothing happened, but she wants to stay under until the effects have worn off again. Will you please monitor her, let me know when it's safe to bring her round?"
Hank nodded dumbly, clearly still confounded by the bizarre course the day was taking. Charles patted him on the elbow encouragingly, then turned reluctantly to face Erik.
His lover had come out of his corner at Charles's last words, and Charles was infuriated to see he was looking somewhat disapproving. By God, that man has brass bollocks to criticize me for doing what must be done, for clearing up the mess he's made! Charles fixed the metal bender with a steely gaze.
"We need to talk, Erik. Now. With me please."