Last Battle (X-Men Fanfiction)

Helping Poultice

Poultice staggered in, his eyes as wide as moons. His eyes darted to me before he wrinkled his nose a bit in disgust and his whole body shook. He panted madly and struggled to place one paw in front of the other. His fur was slicked against his flank while his tail dragged on the ground and it was tucked between his legs.

Thruster stood behind him, murmuring words of encouragement to the young pup. Every few heartbeats he would nudge him along since his legs would stiffen and he couldn't walk. Thruster shot me a concerned look and I gulped, feeling as if I wanted to vomit.

Charles seemed equally concerned but I saw something else light in his eyes. Was it empathy? He wheeled forward and I followed close beside him. I felt the breath caught in my throat.

"Poultice," I began but I had no idea what to say to calm him down. He looked to me with darkened eyes and I realized they looked almost haunted. He was terrified and I wanted to help him but I had no idea how.

"Poultice," started the Professor as he wheeled forward but Poultice darted back and lowered his head into his shoulders, groaning. The Professor stopped and looked to me before he looked to Thruster.

Thruster gulped and touched his nose to Poultice's ear. Poultice screeched and pushed him away. "Don't touch me!"

Thruster whimpered and looked to me in utter shock. I had no idea what to do so I lowered my head so I could be level with Poultice. However he just looked away, his breath rattling in his chest.

"Poultice," I murmured gently. "Poultice can you please look at me?"

Poultice shook his head vigorously and worked his claws against the ground. "I can't. I just can't!"

"And why not," asked Thruster as he leaned down but was very careful not to touch him since he didn't want a repeat of his freak out.

"Because," whimpered Poultice but it was in a very low tone and I had to incline my hear forward just to hear him. "Because every time I look at someone I hear everything."

"Everything," echoed the Professor as he looked down on Poultice. "What do you mean by everything?"

Poultice lifted his head but squeezed his eyes shut. He tilted his head in confusion. "I hear everything that they are thinking. What they're been through, their past. I can see their pain and I can feel it." He lifted a paw and placed it on his heart but it was shaking so rapidly that his paw was bouncing all over his chest.

The Professor looked to me and I could tell he understood exactly what was happening to Poultice. I didn't because I wasn't a telepath. I was a immortal wolf with long and sharp claws. Thruster didn't understand either but I was glad that there was one mutant here that did understand him and that could help him. That was why we called him the Professor.

"The headaches start and then the voices come," Poultice rasped as he took a paw and scraped it over his muzzle, a clear sign of stress in wolves. The thought was that if you caused pain somewhere else and somewhere else where scars were plentiful like the muzzle then wherever else you felt pain would vanish. It was never proven if it was true but I knew plenty of wolves who practiced it or tried it at least once in his lifetime.

"Then the pain starts," cried Poultice as he rested his head on his paws and tears streamed down his face. "I don't know what to do Starlight. I don't want to feel like this anymore."

I looked to my mate before I lowered down and I thrust my muzzle and inch from his. He looked up at me but wouldn't let me touch him. His eyes blurred a bit before he leaped back and shrieked. His whole body seemed to jolt in place while the breath was caught in his throat. More tears streamed down his face and I wondered what I had said.