The telepath was spinning inside the mess of his own mind, his brain fighting itself. His telepathy had turned on him, the thing that had been so easy now spreading out inside his head and twisting his throughts.
He wants you to wake up for his own gain… Stay here with me Charles… you deserve to be stay here…
He fought himself, his mind fighting with every thought, struggling to wake and being pulled back down. His telepathy had turned against him, and he struggled to keep fighting, to keep going.
<No. No I won’t… I can’t…>
His telepathy turned against him and he struggled with it, but he had gone years knowing only it’s touch and it was hard.
It took three days before it was controlled enough for him to wake.
Tony could only lurk helplessly by the mutant’s bedside. Steve brought him coffee, and sometimes took his place so he could eat and rest. But Tony was very rarely away from Charles’ side. Every whimper in his sleep twisted at his heart, every twitch had him hoping that he would wake soon.
That third day was no different. Tony saw his eyelids flutter, and perked up.
“Charles?” he said softly. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, looking down at him hopefully.