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rohansonPart Two
Jay: I've been waitin' in the hall for what seemed like forever, tryin' not to pace as I looked out the wire-reinforced window. I'd thought about goin' out for a smoke, tryin' to calm my nerves, but I'd wanted to be right here if they needed me. . .if Theo needed me.
The door to the King's room opens quietly, and Theo steps out lookin' like he just ran a race. He looks so exhausted, and his shoulders hunch as if he's carryin' the weight of the world on 'em. He looks like I've felt for the past week.
He looks at me with a shaky little smile as he steps to my corner by the window, a hopeful gleam in his tired eyes. He doesn't say anythin' for a moment, then puts his head down on my shoulder with a heavy sigh. I wrap my arms around the back of his shoulders, returnin' some of the strength I know he just lost in that room. Damn if he don't need it. I press my lips against his hair, smelling of shampoo and second-hand smoke, and reply to his sigh with one of my own.
Theodred: My arms wrap around Jay’s waist, and for a few moments, I let myself simply stand there being held, taking the comfort and strength so readily offered. I knew my father would want to shift back as soon as he knew what had happened, but I also know what he must feel deep down inside at the thought of returning to Grima’s grasp. I remember his dead eyes staring at me as the worm wove his spell, poisoned his mind, and hold onto the hope that back in Rohan, help is already on the way to him. I sigh, and pull back to look at Jay.
“My father remembers what he has become under Grima’s spell. He is determined to return, and break it, with or without the help of others and he is now searching for the link between them. We should give him time to do this.”
I leave go of him, and sit on the floor, looking out of the window. Jay joins me, sitting close, his arm resting on my leg. I long to feel a fresh breeze on my face, and never want to see the inside of this place again once the switch is made. I suddenly know where I want to go. I smile at him with a question in my eyes.
“When we have …… when we leave here, if there is time … … after we take Bernard home, could we go back to the ocean? Omelettes and ale and sitting by the water would be good for us both, I think?”
Jay: "I doubt they'll be lettin' Dad out today, even after the switch," I shrug tryin' to ignore how much that bothers me, "probably wanna keep him around for a few days to make sure he's OK."
I look at your chiselled face as you lean your head back against the wall; your strong throat arcing back just enough to tempt me into kissing it, but I fuckin' know this is not the time or place. You're tellin' me what you need, and I realize that what you're presentin' sounds like the best idea in the world. "Sure Theo, we can go back to the beach," I smile at the idea, "I think we can camp out there, if ya wanna. We could buy some firewood, grab some blankets, fall asleep listenin' to the sound of the waves." And the sound of your heartbeat. You seem to like that idea, and I grin a little wider.
Yeah, a night at the beach would do us both good, get us out from borrowed walls. Since I've been here, I've slept in one strange house after another, and though Dad's is the closest thing to home I've got here, it still doesn't have the comfortable freedom that a guy's own place gives. I know Theo's feelin' the same way, from what he was sayin' last night at Dave's. Nice house though that weirdo actor has, it sure as fuck ain't the Golden Hall. The beach will be a good neutral ground for us both, where the only rules set are the ones we make ourselves.
I keep that thought in my mind as the minutes tick by, an endless stretch of time as we wait for something to happen behind the King's door.
Theoden: There is an old song in Rohan which has been passed down the line of kings from even before the days of Leod. Some say it came with the first chieftains who fled Rhovanion, but in truth, the mystery of its origin has become so worn by the passage of time that none but the great elves themselves may know the truth, if they deigned care.
To some kings, they saw it as the source of their power. It was known that during his besiegement that Long Winter, Helm would utter these words before stalking across the plains, slaying his enemies by hand like a great beast. He was never caught and never challenged, and the fates themselves made monument of his flesh as he stood unbroken on the field of his defeat. To other kings, it was but a superstition and a curse, to be ignored and ridiculed, as my grandfather Fengel had. He was a fool for many reasons, and this was not the least of them.
To me, it is a focus, and I use it now to pull myself into the darkness. I let the old words play through my mind until they are nothing but a thoughtless blur. It clears my mind of needless worry as the present slips away, replacing reason and conscious though with a gaping openness for intuition to fill. A timeless knowledge seeps into my bones, and I let the trance pull me deeper, into the primal part of myself I only dare touch when the need is most dire. If there is anywhere a soul-bond would be found, it would be here, in this blood-stained darkness . . .
There.
I can tell what it is, though it is not an "invitation" as Theodred has advised. No, in fact, it is quite the opposite. I reach to touch this place, and it is almost as if my intention slips away from it deliberately, repelled by a force I cannot explain. Perhaps this is the source of the confusion, of this mistake. Have I closed myself off to it so completely? I try a different approach, I send out a call for Bernard. Perhaps if he is there, waiting on the other side, our combined efforts could free us both.
I am met with only a deep silence of mind, a strange, hollow feeling that I am indeed alone in this. I guess there is only one method left to try.
Letting the words drive me deeper, further than I'd been before inside myself, I gather all the strength I can muster and push against the barrier in one focused assault.
Pain rips through my entire being and I hear a high shrieking sound that nearly deafens me. The darkness is banished by a bright, blinding light, so cold it burns me nearly to ashes as I flounder to pull myself away, out of this flameless heat.
A pair of icy blue eyes, crackling with malice, brand themselves on my mind. "Rohan is mine. . ." a seething voice hisses, and another bolt of pain lances through me so fiercely I know I am going to die here in this darkness . . .
There is a new sensation, a dull ache, dragging me out from this spell. I feel myself settling into Bernard's body, hear frantic and angry cries filling my room. For a long moment, I can only keep my eye shut and breathe, so great is my relief to feel flesh, even borrowed flesh. But finally I open my eyes, and am surprised by the commotion surrounding me.
Theodred hovers over me, his face pale as death, his eyes wide and frightened. I wonder suddenly if the shrieking I'd heard was my own voice, for I do not know what else would have summoned the three doctors Jay is trying to keep at bay by the door. One pushes past him, as another grips his arm, and I know I have but seconds to tell Theodred what I saw.
"It is Saruman," I say, and am disgusted at how thin and feeble my voice sounds, "I found the path, but the way is blocked by him. I could not feel Bernard beyond the barrier, and I do not know if it is because of the wizard's spell or because he has been destroyed. Theodred, I cannot return of my own will. We must find another way."
Then the doctors are upon us, dragging Theodred away, even as he struggles, approaching me with their gleaming instruments and poisoned needles. "Return to Rohan, Theodred! Do not abandon our people to this wizardry!" I can see the conflict in his eyes, his desire to stay where I am, so I muster up the last bit of command I have in my aching body as the needle slips into my bound arm. "That is an order from your King!"
Theodred: I like the idea of spending the night down by the ocean with a fire to keep us warm. It was a very soothing place to be, and now I can’t wait until this is all over, until we can head out there and leave this depressing place behind. Smiling, I glance sideways at Jay, and let my hand brush his arm …
… inhuman screaming from my father’s room has us both on our feet, all thought of oceans and fires swept from our minds. We are through the door before others who have heard the screaming can get there. Rushing to his bedside as Jay keeps the intruders at bay, I am horrified by the look of pain and terror on his face.
“Father!” I grasp his hand, fear gripping my heart. His eyes are haunted as he speaks, and my heart sinks at his words. I was a fool to believe it would be easy to solve this, easy to send my father back, and restore Jay’s to him. And I cannot let myself believe that Bernard is no more, not after all I have promised Jay.
“We will find a way, I promise you!” Jay’s valliant attempts to stop the doctors are thwarted by Scott manhandling him from the room as others reach me, and grasp my arms. I hear my father’s words, but how can I abandon him? The grip on my arms tightens, and I struggle to free myself
“Take your hands off me!!” As two guards try to pull me away, he is surrounded by people holding him down, pushing needles into his flesh. His last words may command me to go, but no one can harm my father and expect me to stand idly by. “No! Don’t touch him!! DON’T TOUCH HIM!!” My voice fills the room, and my eyes blaze as I watch his slip away, and his head drops back.
Something in me snaps, and a roaring in my ears drowns out everything else. I am back at the Ford, Orcs holding me, beating me, and I cannot let it happen again. Slaming my elbow into the chest of one of my captors winds him, and causes him to loosen his grip, and the back of my fist smashes into the face of the other, knocking him away from me. I am by my father’s side in an instant, bodily pushing the doctors out of the way, snarling at one who reaches for my arm. Standing between my father and the doctors and guards, my chest heaving, I watch for any sign that they will attack as I will have no hesitation in killing the next one of these strangers who dare lay a hand on my father, my King.
“Theo!!” Jay is standing in front of me, his voice breaking through the haze, and slowly pulling me back to this reality. Pulling me away from the blood and horror, back to this fucking white room, and I don’t know which is worse anymore.
Jay: I'm fuckin' speechless as I watch Theo lose it, frozen in place as he's utterly consumed by a blindin' rage the likes of which I've never seen. I don't recognize him, his smooth features twisted in fury, and his eyes hold the sort of helpless panic of a wounded predator fightin' for his life. Suddenly, I know what's goin' on in that head of his, why he fights so hard, and my heart squeezes in an odd sort of shared terror as he begins screaming things in Rohirric he doesn't even know he's sayin'. He's relivin' a battle, and from the looks of it, he didn't win the first time he fought it.
I'm yellin' at him, strugglin' to break away from Scott's fuckin' vice-like grip so I can get to Theo, but ape-man misunderstands my intentions and twists my arm painfully behind my back just as Theo launches himself at his Dad. Theo turns to face the room, still screamin' at them all in Rohirric, and I know this is goin' from bad to worse. I can read murder in his eyes, though to him I know it's duty. He's protectin' his King, and I know I shoulda warned him about the needles before bringin' him back. I've gotta think fast.
"Theo!!" I bellow at the top of my lungs, doin' my best imitation of the King's voice that I can. Theo immediately freezes, and his eyes lock with mine. The sound startles Scott enough that he loosens his grip, and I slip through his grasp before he can tighten it. I'm grabbin' Theo's shoulders as he comes back to me, and a look of confusion crosses his face. "Theo, calm the fuck down. He's OK, it's just medicine. He's OK." I'm tryin' to keep my tremble from my voice, and I'm watchin' out of the corner of my eyes as the doctors descend on us. I know I have seconds to try to put this right before they call the cops on both of us, though I'm thinkin' runnin' for it may be Theo's best chance.
"He's never seen a needle before," I explain to the room, knowin' it sounds lame, but tryin' anyway as I wrap an arm around Theo's shoulder. Come on bro, just play it cool, and I swear I'll get you out of this. Just keep your mouth shut until I get you out of here.. "He's my cousin, comes from some backwater town in Norway. We flew him out here to see Bernard, figurin' seein' some other family would help my Dad. Forgot to explain to him how things in a hospital work."
They're not fuckin' buyin' it, I can see it by the look in their eyes. The security guards will be here any second. Fuck. My eyes dart for the door. We've got a clean shot. We're goin' for it.
Almost as if on cue, Theoden makes a gasp so loud that all the doctors yank their attention from us to him. It's the split second I need, and I'm yankin' Theo off the bed by the shoulders and draggin' him to the door. He picks up pretty quick on what we're doin' and as soon as we both clear the door we're flyin' down the hall.
I hear a voice callin' for us to freeze, and I grab Theo's arm and run harder. Suddenly, I'm the one who's havin' the fuckin' freak-out, as the white walls turn into dank alley walls, the cries of nurses become the wailing of sirens and my heart is poundin' like a jackrabbit on speed as the cops are gettin' closer and closer on our heels. Distantly, I hear a click, and my right thigh seizes up so tightly in pain that I almost fall, puttin' my hands behind my head . . .
Theo grips my upper arm and drags me around a corner, and I can see the hospital exit right in front of us. Next thing I know, we're bowlin' through it, and I've got the keys in my hand as we tear through the parking lot, dodging parked cars and curious bystanders. I slam into the side of the Lincoln so hard I dent it, and I'm so glad Dad has one of those automatic door opener things as I unlock both our doors with a press of a button. Within seconds, the car's squealin' out of the parking lot, out onto the road, and I'm watchin' the white-coated figures become little specks in the distance in the rear-view mirror.
I don't realize how bad I'm shakin' until I have trouble fishin' a smoke out of my pocket. "Guess that could've gone better, eh?" I can't read the look on Theo's face, but I have a feelin' it's probably identical to mine. "They're not gonna let you back in there, Theo." I say softly, wonderin' if I'm even gonna be allowed back. But I'm holdin' Dad's papers, and I didn't assault anyone, so there's not much they can do to me. For once.
"We're fucked."
Theodred: As my breathing steadies, and I calm enough to glance round the room, it hits me what I was about to do. I know these people are trying to help my father, or more accurately Bernard, and if Jay had not been there, I would have killed as many as I needed to keep my father safe. I let Jay talk of cousins and needles and Norway, knowing from the look on his face that I am to stay quiet. He talks to calm the guards, but I can feel him tense and ready to bolt at the first opportunity so I follow his lead, and when my father sighs, we run for the door, and head off down the corridor.
When a guard calls out to us, Jay stumbles, his eyes wide, and I grab his arm, pulling him around the corner, then we are out, and running for the car. The car squeals onto the road, and I breathe a sigh of relief as we move away from our pursuers at high speed. Jay’s hands tremble badly as he struggles to pull the packet of smokes from his pocket and I realise I may not have been the only one suffering from flashbacks. “I’m sorry. I thought it would be easy to switch them. I know they will not let me back, but you did not harm anyone. Surely you can return?”
I hope with all my heart that he did not hear my father telling me that Bernard may be gone. I cannot tell him that, and then leave. Cannot leave him alone with all that on his shoulders and I have to go. My King commanded it.
“We are not fucked, not yet.” I don’t elaborate, as that would mean talking about going back, and I don’t want to do that. Not yet. Staring out of the window, I realise we are leaving the city behind us, and moving further up the coast than last time, and instinctively I know that we are doing so to avoid pursuit.
Jay fumbles around in his pocket again, so I reach over, and take the packet the lighter from it, pulling out a smoke, and putting it in my mouth as I have seen Jay do so many times over the past few days. Flicking the lighter open, I touch the flame to the end of the smoke, and suck air through it, making the tip glow. Pushing the lighter back into Jay’s pocket, I take one deep draw before passing it to him. My lungs ache as the acrid smoke fills them and I hold it in, feeling it seep through me before letting it out slowly, and gulping in fresh, clean air. I’m left with a buzzing sensation and sore lungs, and wonder if that is why Jay smokes them. He gives me a bemused glance and I shrug.
“I wanted to know why you do it.”
I watch him as we drive, his face betraying a mind deep in thought. I leave him to them as we drive further north, and I try to focus my own mind on the ocean that we are fast approaching, leaving behind for the moment all thoughts of hospitals and of leaving.
Jay: I've been waitin' in the hall for what seemed like forever, tryin' not to pace as I looked out the wire-reinforced window. I'd thought about goin' out for a smoke, tryin' to calm my nerves, but I'd wanted to be right here if they needed me. . .if Theo needed me.
The door to the King's room opens quietly, and Theo steps out lookin' like he just ran a race. He looks so exhausted, and his shoulders hunch as if he's carryin' the weight of the world on 'em. He looks like I've felt for the past week.
He looks at me with a shaky little smile as he steps to my corner by the window, a hopeful gleam in his tired eyes. He doesn't say anythin' for a moment, then puts his head down on my shoulder with a heavy sigh. I wrap my arms around the back of his shoulders, returnin' some of the strength I know he just lost in that room. Damn if he don't need it. I press my lips against his hair, smelling of shampoo and second-hand smoke, and reply to his sigh with one of my own.
Theodred: My arms wrap around Jay’s waist, and for a few moments, I let myself simply stand there being held, taking the comfort and strength so readily offered. I knew my father would want to shift back as soon as he knew what had happened, but I also know what he must feel deep down inside at the thought of returning to Grima’s grasp. I remember his dead eyes staring at me as the worm wove his spell, poisoned his mind, and hold onto the hope that back in Rohan, help is already on the way to him. I sigh, and pull back to look at Jay.
“My father remembers what he has become under Grima’s spell. He is determined to return, and break it, with or without the help of others and he is now searching for the link between them. We should give him time to do this.”
I leave go of him, and sit on the floor, looking out of the window. Jay joins me, sitting close, his arm resting on my leg. I long to feel a fresh breeze on my face, and never want to see the inside of this place again once the switch is made. I suddenly know where I want to go. I smile at him with a question in my eyes.
“When we have …… when we leave here, if there is time … … after we take Bernard home, could we go back to the ocean? Omelettes and ale and sitting by the water would be good for us both, I think?”
Jay: "I doubt they'll be lettin' Dad out today, even after the switch," I shrug tryin' to ignore how much that bothers me, "probably wanna keep him around for a few days to make sure he's OK."
I look at your chiselled face as you lean your head back against the wall; your strong throat arcing back just enough to tempt me into kissing it, but I fuckin' know this is not the time or place. You're tellin' me what you need, and I realize that what you're presentin' sounds like the best idea in the world. "Sure Theo, we can go back to the beach," I smile at the idea, "I think we can camp out there, if ya wanna. We could buy some firewood, grab some blankets, fall asleep listenin' to the sound of the waves." And the sound of your heartbeat. You seem to like that idea, and I grin a little wider.
Yeah, a night at the beach would do us both good, get us out from borrowed walls. Since I've been here, I've slept in one strange house after another, and though Dad's is the closest thing to home I've got here, it still doesn't have the comfortable freedom that a guy's own place gives. I know Theo's feelin' the same way, from what he was sayin' last night at Dave's. Nice house though that weirdo actor has, it sure as fuck ain't the Golden Hall. The beach will be a good neutral ground for us both, where the only rules set are the ones we make ourselves.
I keep that thought in my mind as the minutes tick by, an endless stretch of time as we wait for something to happen behind the King's door.
Theoden: There is an old song in Rohan which has been passed down the line of kings from even before the days of Leod. Some say it came with the first chieftains who fled Rhovanion, but in truth, the mystery of its origin has become so worn by the passage of time that none but the great elves themselves may know the truth, if they deigned care.
To some kings, they saw it as the source of their power. It was known that during his besiegement that Long Winter, Helm would utter these words before stalking across the plains, slaying his enemies by hand like a great beast. He was never caught and never challenged, and the fates themselves made monument of his flesh as he stood unbroken on the field of his defeat. To other kings, it was but a superstition and a curse, to be ignored and ridiculed, as my grandfather Fengel had. He was a fool for many reasons, and this was not the least of them.
To me, it is a focus, and I use it now to pull myself into the darkness. I let the old words play through my mind until they are nothing but a thoughtless blur. It clears my mind of needless worry as the present slips away, replacing reason and conscious though with a gaping openness for intuition to fill. A timeless knowledge seeps into my bones, and I let the trance pull me deeper, into the primal part of myself I only dare touch when the need is most dire. If there is anywhere a soul-bond would be found, it would be here, in this blood-stained darkness . . .
There.
I can tell what it is, though it is not an "invitation" as Theodred has advised. No, in fact, it is quite the opposite. I reach to touch this place, and it is almost as if my intention slips away from it deliberately, repelled by a force I cannot explain. Perhaps this is the source of the confusion, of this mistake. Have I closed myself off to it so completely? I try a different approach, I send out a call for Bernard. Perhaps if he is there, waiting on the other side, our combined efforts could free us both.
I am met with only a deep silence of mind, a strange, hollow feeling that I am indeed alone in this. I guess there is only one method left to try.
Letting the words drive me deeper, further than I'd been before inside myself, I gather all the strength I can muster and push against the barrier in one focused assault.
Pain rips through my entire being and I hear a high shrieking sound that nearly deafens me. The darkness is banished by a bright, blinding light, so cold it burns me nearly to ashes as I flounder to pull myself away, out of this flameless heat.
A pair of icy blue eyes, crackling with malice, brand themselves on my mind. "Rohan is mine. . ." a seething voice hisses, and another bolt of pain lances through me so fiercely I know I am going to die here in this darkness . . .
There is a new sensation, a dull ache, dragging me out from this spell. I feel myself settling into Bernard's body, hear frantic and angry cries filling my room. For a long moment, I can only keep my eye shut and breathe, so great is my relief to feel flesh, even borrowed flesh. But finally I open my eyes, and am surprised by the commotion surrounding me.
Theodred hovers over me, his face pale as death, his eyes wide and frightened. I wonder suddenly if the shrieking I'd heard was my own voice, for I do not know what else would have summoned the three doctors Jay is trying to keep at bay by the door. One pushes past him, as another grips his arm, and I know I have but seconds to tell Theodred what I saw.
"It is Saruman," I say, and am disgusted at how thin and feeble my voice sounds, "I found the path, but the way is blocked by him. I could not feel Bernard beyond the barrier, and I do not know if it is because of the wizard's spell or because he has been destroyed. Theodred, I cannot return of my own will. We must find another way."
Then the doctors are upon us, dragging Theodred away, even as he struggles, approaching me with their gleaming instruments and poisoned needles. "Return to Rohan, Theodred! Do not abandon our people to this wizardry!" I can see the conflict in his eyes, his desire to stay where I am, so I muster up the last bit of command I have in my aching body as the needle slips into my bound arm. "That is an order from your King!"
Theodred: I like the idea of spending the night down by the ocean with a fire to keep us warm. It was a very soothing place to be, and now I can’t wait until this is all over, until we can head out there and leave this depressing place behind. Smiling, I glance sideways at Jay, and let my hand brush his arm …
… inhuman screaming from my father’s room has us both on our feet, all thought of oceans and fires swept from our minds. We are through the door before others who have heard the screaming can get there. Rushing to his bedside as Jay keeps the intruders at bay, I am horrified by the look of pain and terror on his face.
“Father!” I grasp his hand, fear gripping my heart. His eyes are haunted as he speaks, and my heart sinks at his words. I was a fool to believe it would be easy to solve this, easy to send my father back, and restore Jay’s to him. And I cannot let myself believe that Bernard is no more, not after all I have promised Jay.
“We will find a way, I promise you!” Jay’s valliant attempts to stop the doctors are thwarted by Scott manhandling him from the room as others reach me, and grasp my arms. I hear my father’s words, but how can I abandon him? The grip on my arms tightens, and I struggle to free myself
“Take your hands off me!!” As two guards try to pull me away, he is surrounded by people holding him down, pushing needles into his flesh. His last words may command me to go, but no one can harm my father and expect me to stand idly by. “No! Don’t touch him!! DON’T TOUCH HIM!!” My voice fills the room, and my eyes blaze as I watch his slip away, and his head drops back.
Something in me snaps, and a roaring in my ears drowns out everything else. I am back at the Ford, Orcs holding me, beating me, and I cannot let it happen again. Slaming my elbow into the chest of one of my captors winds him, and causes him to loosen his grip, and the back of my fist smashes into the face of the other, knocking him away from me. I am by my father’s side in an instant, bodily pushing the doctors out of the way, snarling at one who reaches for my arm. Standing between my father and the doctors and guards, my chest heaving, I watch for any sign that they will attack as I will have no hesitation in killing the next one of these strangers who dare lay a hand on my father, my King.
“Theo!!” Jay is standing in front of me, his voice breaking through the haze, and slowly pulling me back to this reality. Pulling me away from the blood and horror, back to this fucking white room, and I don’t know which is worse anymore.
Jay: I'm fuckin' speechless as I watch Theo lose it, frozen in place as he's utterly consumed by a blindin' rage the likes of which I've never seen. I don't recognize him, his smooth features twisted in fury, and his eyes hold the sort of helpless panic of a wounded predator fightin' for his life. Suddenly, I know what's goin' on in that head of his, why he fights so hard, and my heart squeezes in an odd sort of shared terror as he begins screaming things in Rohirric he doesn't even know he's sayin'. He's relivin' a battle, and from the looks of it, he didn't win the first time he fought it.
I'm yellin' at him, strugglin' to break away from Scott's fuckin' vice-like grip so I can get to Theo, but ape-man misunderstands my intentions and twists my arm painfully behind my back just as Theo launches himself at his Dad. Theo turns to face the room, still screamin' at them all in Rohirric, and I know this is goin' from bad to worse. I can read murder in his eyes, though to him I know it's duty. He's protectin' his King, and I know I shoulda warned him about the needles before bringin' him back. I've gotta think fast.
"Theo!!" I bellow at the top of my lungs, doin' my best imitation of the King's voice that I can. Theo immediately freezes, and his eyes lock with mine. The sound startles Scott enough that he loosens his grip, and I slip through his grasp before he can tighten it. I'm grabbin' Theo's shoulders as he comes back to me, and a look of confusion crosses his face. "Theo, calm the fuck down. He's OK, it's just medicine. He's OK." I'm tryin' to keep my tremble from my voice, and I'm watchin' out of the corner of my eyes as the doctors descend on us. I know I have seconds to try to put this right before they call the cops on both of us, though I'm thinkin' runnin' for it may be Theo's best chance.
"He's never seen a needle before," I explain to the room, knowin' it sounds lame, but tryin' anyway as I wrap an arm around Theo's shoulder. Come on bro, just play it cool, and I swear I'll get you out of this. Just keep your mouth shut until I get you out of here.. "He's my cousin, comes from some backwater town in Norway. We flew him out here to see Bernard, figurin' seein' some other family would help my Dad. Forgot to explain to him how things in a hospital work."
They're not fuckin' buyin' it, I can see it by the look in their eyes. The security guards will be here any second. Fuck. My eyes dart for the door. We've got a clean shot. We're goin' for it.
Almost as if on cue, Theoden makes a gasp so loud that all the doctors yank their attention from us to him. It's the split second I need, and I'm yankin' Theo off the bed by the shoulders and draggin' him to the door. He picks up pretty quick on what we're doin' and as soon as we both clear the door we're flyin' down the hall.
I hear a voice callin' for us to freeze, and I grab Theo's arm and run harder. Suddenly, I'm the one who's havin' the fuckin' freak-out, as the white walls turn into dank alley walls, the cries of nurses become the wailing of sirens and my heart is poundin' like a jackrabbit on speed as the cops are gettin' closer and closer on our heels. Distantly, I hear a click, and my right thigh seizes up so tightly in pain that I almost fall, puttin' my hands behind my head . . .
Theo grips my upper arm and drags me around a corner, and I can see the hospital exit right in front of us. Next thing I know, we're bowlin' through it, and I've got the keys in my hand as we tear through the parking lot, dodging parked cars and curious bystanders. I slam into the side of the Lincoln so hard I dent it, and I'm so glad Dad has one of those automatic door opener things as I unlock both our doors with a press of a button. Within seconds, the car's squealin' out of the parking lot, out onto the road, and I'm watchin' the white-coated figures become little specks in the distance in the rear-view mirror.
I don't realize how bad I'm shakin' until I have trouble fishin' a smoke out of my pocket. "Guess that could've gone better, eh?" I can't read the look on Theo's face, but I have a feelin' it's probably identical to mine. "They're not gonna let you back in there, Theo." I say softly, wonderin' if I'm even gonna be allowed back. But I'm holdin' Dad's papers, and I didn't assault anyone, so there's not much they can do to me. For once.
"We're fucked."
Theodred: As my breathing steadies, and I calm enough to glance round the room, it hits me what I was about to do. I know these people are trying to help my father, or more accurately Bernard, and if Jay had not been there, I would have killed as many as I needed to keep my father safe. I let Jay talk of cousins and needles and Norway, knowing from the look on his face that I am to stay quiet. He talks to calm the guards, but I can feel him tense and ready to bolt at the first opportunity so I follow his lead, and when my father sighs, we run for the door, and head off down the corridor.
When a guard calls out to us, Jay stumbles, his eyes wide, and I grab his arm, pulling him around the corner, then we are out, and running for the car. The car squeals onto the road, and I breathe a sigh of relief as we move away from our pursuers at high speed. Jay’s hands tremble badly as he struggles to pull the packet of smokes from his pocket and I realise I may not have been the only one suffering from flashbacks. “I’m sorry. I thought it would be easy to switch them. I know they will not let me back, but you did not harm anyone. Surely you can return?”
I hope with all my heart that he did not hear my father telling me that Bernard may be gone. I cannot tell him that, and then leave. Cannot leave him alone with all that on his shoulders and I have to go. My King commanded it.
“We are not fucked, not yet.” I don’t elaborate, as that would mean talking about going back, and I don’t want to do that. Not yet. Staring out of the window, I realise we are leaving the city behind us, and moving further up the coast than last time, and instinctively I know that we are doing so to avoid pursuit.
Jay fumbles around in his pocket again, so I reach over, and take the packet the lighter from it, pulling out a smoke, and putting it in my mouth as I have seen Jay do so many times over the past few days. Flicking the lighter open, I touch the flame to the end of the smoke, and suck air through it, making the tip glow. Pushing the lighter back into Jay’s pocket, I take one deep draw before passing it to him. My lungs ache as the acrid smoke fills them and I hold it in, feeling it seep through me before letting it out slowly, and gulping in fresh, clean air. I’m left with a buzzing sensation and sore lungs, and wonder if that is why Jay smokes them. He gives me a bemused glance and I shrug.
“I wanted to know why you do it.”
I watch him as we drive, his face betraying a mind deep in thought. I leave him to them as we drive further north, and I try to focus my own mind on the ocean that we are fast approaching, leaving behind for the moment all thoughts of hospitals and of leaving.
