Post by silent.lullaby on Jul 29, 2009 21:57:30 GMT -5
Boot Camp For Terribly Twisted Teens [Chapter 37] Barer of Bad News
When I awoke, I was in a fairly nice room. I sat up and looked over, there was another two beds. Only one was occupied, and it was Cory who had kicked off all of his blankets in his sleep and was now huddled in a tight ball. I started crying irrationally. There was my baby brother. I realized then that I had actually been doubting that I would see him again. I wiped away my tears and got out of bed.
I watched him sleep for a few minutes before grabbing the blankets and covering him back up again. I turned when the door opened, it was Allen. “Sorry, I guess I should have knocked, but I thought you would still be sleeping.”
“It’s okay,” I said after a minute. I looked down at myself, I was in a pair of shorts and a baggy fitting wife-beater shirt.
“I didn’t dress you.” Allen said as if he sensed what I was worried about. “Your mom came in when I was working on your leg, after I was finished she took the reins.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “It’s not going to get much better though... is it?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer.
“I’m going to be giving you some pills for the infections, your back is going to scar, the heat blisters should heal up on their own after a while, though it’s probable that they could leave scars, and with out skin grafts.... I’m sorry, but the burns... aren’t going to get much better, they will heal up slightly.” He shrugged, “but there just isn’t that much I can do.”
I nodded, I had already come to terms with it long before I ever heard of the Carlin Institute. “Still... thank you.”
“A couple of your friends are up for breakfast, bet you want to join them.”
My stomach grumbled, answering for me. “Definitely.”
Allen lead me down to the diningroom/ kitchen area after we detoured to the medical area where he gave me a few pills which I washed down with water. He made me eggs, while Liam, and Nick were already eating toast, bacon, sunny side up eggs, and breakfast sausages.
I prefer my eggs scrambled and that was how Allen was making them. I worked the toaster, and there was some conversation floating around. Liam wouldn’t look me in the face, and I could see the pity and guilt written all over Nick’s face as he looked at the cotton gauze that was over much of the left side of my body. I pretended I didn’t notice.
I ate heartily, Mary and Anna joined us after a while in fresh clothing, Mary’s hair was still wet looking and Anna still had hers up in a towel. “Nice to have all the normal things we took for granted, even at Kennedy,” Anna said. “Never thought I would miss anything from that place... but at least there were showers, food, a bed. Essentials”
I nodded, “everything was a lot more simple when we just thought we were in boot camp.”
“Even if it was all a lie,” Mary agreed.
“This would have happened eventually,” Anna said, “or worse.”
“I think it’s bad enough,” I said losing much of my appetite. “Our friends have chips in their heads.” I felt like crying, but I had cried so much in the past I bit my lip and blinked the tears away. I needed to be stronger now, stronger than I ever had been.
“Nick?” We all looked up a little startled, Rick was standing in the entrance. “You said before, you seen everyone when you were at Claire’s house.” Nick nodded. “Was Scott among them?” Nick looked down and I could see him puff up with air before letting out a long sigh. “Nick?” Rick asked again, “he wasn’t... was he?” Finally Nick shook his head. “Son of a bitch!” Rick punched the wall, “I should have known!”
I got to my feet and grabbed Rick’s arm, “what is going on?”
“When Hawk and I ran off to the boat with you, Scott was with us, but he suddenly got spooked and told us to go on ahead, we couldn’t argue, we had to move or risk getting caught too... I think he knew, and I tried to see his future... but I couldn’t, I couldn’t see anything Claire.” Rick ran his hand through his now shortened hair which I wasn’t use to seeing. “I couldn’t see... because there was nothing left to see.”
My hand dropped from his arm. I shook my head, “no...” then with more conviction, “no! It’s a mistake! You’re wrong, maybe you couldn’t see because of the chip! It’s the chip.”
“It...looked like he broke his back,” Liam said quietly, “I remember seeing someone in his description kinda slouched over against a boulder.”
The room became silent and Hawkeye came in, “why is everyone so solemn?”
“I... I need a minute,” I walked past Rick and Hawkeye and went down the hall back into the bedroom I had been sharing with my little brother. I was glad to see he was gone from the room. I shut the door and sat down leaning against it. I rubbed my temples from the headache I was beginning to get.
What a life.
It had spun so far out of control.
I kept seeing Leon’s mismatched eyes when I closed my eyes. I missed him. I missed them all. Thayne, J.C, Hiro. I even missed Robyn, I owed her. She saved my life. Nina and Scott most likely dead, though I couldn’t let myself believe it. I wanted to have hope, faith. Even if they were alive though, they would have those chips in their heads, weapons, nothing more.
“Fuck.”
“You shouldn’t swear.” I looked up and seen Cory, I looked over, he’d been in the connecting bathroom, and was now all dressed.
“I’m having a bad...” I was going to say day but it didn’t seem fitting. “Month.”
“It’ll get better,” Cory said sitting down in front of me.
I shook my head, every part of my mind was screaming NO IT WON’T! But how do you tell that to an eight year old? How do you crush his dreams, tell him the world is unfair, that there are horrible people out there, ones that could kill you, your friends, your family. That friends can sometimes be just as horrible to you as enemies... how do you break a child’s faith.
“Yeah, I know,” I responded. I knew lying was wrong, but it seemed far worse to tell the truth.
“I’m hungry.” Cory stated.
I stood and got out of his way, he paused for a moment at the door, before turning around and hugging me then darting off through the door. I smiled slightly, it felt foreign on my face. I noticed a computer and booted it up, it had my mother’s name, and a guest. I guessed that my mother had beds for Cory and I moved into her room. That would explain the third empty bed.
I clicked on the guest button and waited for it load. I waited till the little globe came on and clicked on Firefox. It opened to Google, and I navigated to GoogleMaps. There was something I had to do before Kennedy got to me, cause I had to face it, it was a good possibility they would eventually.
I printed out the map and directions before getting dressed in a loose fitting turtleneck and a pair of grey slacks, both my mothers. I brushed out my hair and left it down to help cover the part of my face that had gauze taped to it. I didn’t want the questions.
I stepped out and bumped into Nick, “what’s that?” He asked pointing to the paper. I tried hiding it but he snatched it and held it above his head.
“Give it!” I stood on my toes and my legs hurt with the stretching and so I gave up quickly. “It’s a map.”
“And directions.”
“Look, it’s something I have to do okay?”
“Let me come with you.”
“No, I was asked to do this, as a favour. I’m not risking you for it.”
“I’m insisting I come with you, besides you don’t have a drivers license.”
“Yeah, ‘cause that is the one thing I’m worried about,” I responded sarcastically.
“Look, you’re Danny’s little sister, I’m suppose to watch out for you,” Nick insisted touching my shoulder lightly, “besides if your mother found out I seen you and didn’t stop you, she’d kill me.”
“She still might,” I responded crossing my arms over my chest, “just for going with me.”
“Well it’s either you’re taking me, or not going at all,” Nick said, “I know how determined you are, you’ll go with out me if I just drop this or tell your mother. If I go with you though, you’ll get it done, and be safe.”
I bit my lip realizing my options were... well take him with me, or take him with me. “Fine, lets just go before anyone realizes we are up to something.”
We got out of the institute with the van we came in with. I read off the directions and kept my eyes peeled for road signs. “There it is,” I pointed and we turned into the narrow driveway. I got out and looked to Nick, he shrugged and we walked to the front door together.
I knocked, “whatever you’re sellin’ I ain’t buyin’.” Raising an eyebrow I turned to look at Nick, he smirked and shrugged. I knocked again, “what are you deaf or stupid?”
“Umm... are you Caitlyn Parker?” I asked, “I have news from Angelo Royce.”
I heard some latches coming undone and the door swinging open. There was a fairly pretty forty-something woman standing in the entrance. “You’ve heard from Angelo? What is he stupid? Can’t pick up a phone?”
I looked to Nick who inhaled deeply but offered me no help. I turned back to Caitlyn. “No, I don’t believe so... he...” I turned to Nick who visibly cringed, I turned back. “He’s dead.”
When I awoke, I was in a fairly nice room. I sat up and looked over, there was another two beds. Only one was occupied, and it was Cory who had kicked off all of his blankets in his sleep and was now huddled in a tight ball. I started crying irrationally. There was my baby brother. I realized then that I had actually been doubting that I would see him again. I wiped away my tears and got out of bed.
I watched him sleep for a few minutes before grabbing the blankets and covering him back up again. I turned when the door opened, it was Allen. “Sorry, I guess I should have knocked, but I thought you would still be sleeping.”
“It’s okay,” I said after a minute. I looked down at myself, I was in a pair of shorts and a baggy fitting wife-beater shirt.
“I didn’t dress you.” Allen said as if he sensed what I was worried about. “Your mom came in when I was working on your leg, after I was finished she took the reins.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “It’s not going to get much better though... is it?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer.
“I’m going to be giving you some pills for the infections, your back is going to scar, the heat blisters should heal up on their own after a while, though it’s probable that they could leave scars, and with out skin grafts.... I’m sorry, but the burns... aren’t going to get much better, they will heal up slightly.” He shrugged, “but there just isn’t that much I can do.”
I nodded, I had already come to terms with it long before I ever heard of the Carlin Institute. “Still... thank you.”
“A couple of your friends are up for breakfast, bet you want to join them.”
My stomach grumbled, answering for me. “Definitely.”
Allen lead me down to the diningroom/ kitchen area after we detoured to the medical area where he gave me a few pills which I washed down with water. He made me eggs, while Liam, and Nick were already eating toast, bacon, sunny side up eggs, and breakfast sausages.
I prefer my eggs scrambled and that was how Allen was making them. I worked the toaster, and there was some conversation floating around. Liam wouldn’t look me in the face, and I could see the pity and guilt written all over Nick’s face as he looked at the cotton gauze that was over much of the left side of my body. I pretended I didn’t notice.
I ate heartily, Mary and Anna joined us after a while in fresh clothing, Mary’s hair was still wet looking and Anna still had hers up in a towel. “Nice to have all the normal things we took for granted, even at Kennedy,” Anna said. “Never thought I would miss anything from that place... but at least there were showers, food, a bed. Essentials”
I nodded, “everything was a lot more simple when we just thought we were in boot camp.”
“Even if it was all a lie,” Mary agreed.
“This would have happened eventually,” Anna said, “or worse.”
“I think it’s bad enough,” I said losing much of my appetite. “Our friends have chips in their heads.” I felt like crying, but I had cried so much in the past I bit my lip and blinked the tears away. I needed to be stronger now, stronger than I ever had been.
“Nick?” We all looked up a little startled, Rick was standing in the entrance. “You said before, you seen everyone when you were at Claire’s house.” Nick nodded. “Was Scott among them?” Nick looked down and I could see him puff up with air before letting out a long sigh. “Nick?” Rick asked again, “he wasn’t... was he?” Finally Nick shook his head. “Son of a bitch!” Rick punched the wall, “I should have known!”
I got to my feet and grabbed Rick’s arm, “what is going on?”
“When Hawk and I ran off to the boat with you, Scott was with us, but he suddenly got spooked and told us to go on ahead, we couldn’t argue, we had to move or risk getting caught too... I think he knew, and I tried to see his future... but I couldn’t, I couldn’t see anything Claire.” Rick ran his hand through his now shortened hair which I wasn’t use to seeing. “I couldn’t see... because there was nothing left to see.”
My hand dropped from his arm. I shook my head, “no...” then with more conviction, “no! It’s a mistake! You’re wrong, maybe you couldn’t see because of the chip! It’s the chip.”
“It...looked like he broke his back,” Liam said quietly, “I remember seeing someone in his description kinda slouched over against a boulder.”
The room became silent and Hawkeye came in, “why is everyone so solemn?”
“I... I need a minute,” I walked past Rick and Hawkeye and went down the hall back into the bedroom I had been sharing with my little brother. I was glad to see he was gone from the room. I shut the door and sat down leaning against it. I rubbed my temples from the headache I was beginning to get.
What a life.
It had spun so far out of control.
I kept seeing Leon’s mismatched eyes when I closed my eyes. I missed him. I missed them all. Thayne, J.C, Hiro. I even missed Robyn, I owed her. She saved my life. Nina and Scott most likely dead, though I couldn’t let myself believe it. I wanted to have hope, faith. Even if they were alive though, they would have those chips in their heads, weapons, nothing more.
“Fuck.”
“You shouldn’t swear.” I looked up and seen Cory, I looked over, he’d been in the connecting bathroom, and was now all dressed.
“I’m having a bad...” I was going to say day but it didn’t seem fitting. “Month.”
“It’ll get better,” Cory said sitting down in front of me.
I shook my head, every part of my mind was screaming NO IT WON’T! But how do you tell that to an eight year old? How do you crush his dreams, tell him the world is unfair, that there are horrible people out there, ones that could kill you, your friends, your family. That friends can sometimes be just as horrible to you as enemies... how do you break a child’s faith.
“Yeah, I know,” I responded. I knew lying was wrong, but it seemed far worse to tell the truth.
“I’m hungry.” Cory stated.
I stood and got out of his way, he paused for a moment at the door, before turning around and hugging me then darting off through the door. I smiled slightly, it felt foreign on my face. I noticed a computer and booted it up, it had my mother’s name, and a guest. I guessed that my mother had beds for Cory and I moved into her room. That would explain the third empty bed.
I clicked on the guest button and waited for it load. I waited till the little globe came on and clicked on Firefox. It opened to Google, and I navigated to GoogleMaps. There was something I had to do before Kennedy got to me, cause I had to face it, it was a good possibility they would eventually.
I printed out the map and directions before getting dressed in a loose fitting turtleneck and a pair of grey slacks, both my mothers. I brushed out my hair and left it down to help cover the part of my face that had gauze taped to it. I didn’t want the questions.
I stepped out and bumped into Nick, “what’s that?” He asked pointing to the paper. I tried hiding it but he snatched it and held it above his head.
“Give it!” I stood on my toes and my legs hurt with the stretching and so I gave up quickly. “It’s a map.”
“And directions.”
“Look, it’s something I have to do okay?”
“Let me come with you.”
“No, I was asked to do this, as a favour. I’m not risking you for it.”
“I’m insisting I come with you, besides you don’t have a drivers license.”
“Yeah, ‘cause that is the one thing I’m worried about,” I responded sarcastically.
“Look, you’re Danny’s little sister, I’m suppose to watch out for you,” Nick insisted touching my shoulder lightly, “besides if your mother found out I seen you and didn’t stop you, she’d kill me.”
“She still might,” I responded crossing my arms over my chest, “just for going with me.”
“Well it’s either you’re taking me, or not going at all,” Nick said, “I know how determined you are, you’ll go with out me if I just drop this or tell your mother. If I go with you though, you’ll get it done, and be safe.”
I bit my lip realizing my options were... well take him with me, or take him with me. “Fine, lets just go before anyone realizes we are up to something.”
We got out of the institute with the van we came in with. I read off the directions and kept my eyes peeled for road signs. “There it is,” I pointed and we turned into the narrow driveway. I got out and looked to Nick, he shrugged and we walked to the front door together.
I knocked, “whatever you’re sellin’ I ain’t buyin’.” Raising an eyebrow I turned to look at Nick, he smirked and shrugged. I knocked again, “what are you deaf or stupid?”
“Umm... are you Caitlyn Parker?” I asked, “I have news from Angelo Royce.”
I heard some latches coming undone and the door swinging open. There was a fairly pretty forty-something woman standing in the entrance. “You’ve heard from Angelo? What is he stupid? Can’t pick up a phone?”
I looked to Nick who inhaled deeply but offered me no help. I turned back to Caitlyn. “No, I don’t believe so... he...” I turned to Nick who visibly cringed, I turned back. “He’s dead.”