Post by silent.lullaby on Oct 15, 2009 13:47:48 GMT -5
Boot Camp For Terribly Twisted Teens [Chapter 48] Taking Comfort
Hours were slowly ticking by. Everyone finding someone to share their grief with. Cory walked to his big brother. “Danny?”
Daniel who was sitting down on the floor across from the doctors office looked up at his little brother. “What is it kiddo?” He tried to go for light and friendly, but his voice broke and he was sure his eyes were red and poofy giving away that he had been crying.
“Is someone going to tell Dad that Claire is dead?” Daniel felt like he had been punched in the gut, the air left him in a whoosh and he couldn’t answer. “Do you want me to call him?”
“No, no, someone will do it Cory, but it doesn’t have to be you.” Daniel said, “come here.”
Cory sat down next to his brother and leaned his head against his shoulder. “Can I see her?”
“No,” Daniel responded. He couldn’t believe Cory was asking. Daniel himself hadn’t worked up the courage to do it. He’d heard everyone talking about his mother, how she wouldn’t let go. There were enough horrors right now without having that image in his head. “It’s not a good time.”
“I want to see her Daniel. To say goodbye to her.”
“Cory!” Daniel got to his feet again and ran a hand through his hair. “Cory... just... go play in your room for a while okay?” Cory looked about to protest, “please, Cory... please.”
Cory studied his older brother for a moment before turning and heading toward the wing of bedrooms.
******
Neither Mary, or Anna had gotten much sleep during the night. J.C cried herself to sleep, but continued to wake up screaming. The nightmares were horrific. Anna rubbed her temples as J.C fell to sleep once more. “How long do you think it will take for her to go back to normal?” Anna asked with a large yawn.
“Honestly?” Mary whispered back. “She’ll never be the same again. Do you really think any of us will be? This whole Kennedy thing, do you think it’s really over?”
Anna sighed, “probably not.”
The twins sat in silence on the bed across from J.C the small corner light on. “Wanna play cards?” Mary asked.
*******
Thayne felt under the weather when he awoke. His head pounding, but he supposed that it should be expected. A big metal pole smashing through your skull and squishy brain matter could do that to you. The doctor said he’d probably have some memory loss, but Thayne couldn’t remember anything he’d forgotten. At least he remembered the pretty brunette who was sleeping on his chest.
She stirred and murmured something in her sleep. Thayne smiled slightly, despite all that had happened he smiled, he couldn’t help it. Still, worries plagued him, how was everyone else now? He’d have to ask the doctor when he came back in. Closing his eyes he could hear the doctor’s bustle around, people crying. Deep down, he didn’t want to know what was happening, he didn’t want to know how bad things really were.
*******
Hawkeye and Robyn sat in the livingroom, a large space, many chairs and couches, but they sat together Robyn’s head resting in his lap as he absentmindedly stroked her hair. Neither of them speaking much. There was nothing to say, to talk of the past is to talk about what happened. Or what got them into the situation to begin with, so they stayed silent. They couldn’t talk about movies or music, neither could remember the last time they’d seen a movie, neither knew the latest hot release in music.
Robyn rolled from her side onto her back and looked up at Hawkeye. “Do you think, that after this... we’re going to have normal lives again?”
Hawkeye shrugged, “I honestly hope so, but the Kennedy people can’t be the only ones out there who have it out for us you know?”
“We could hide our gifts,” Robyn whispered, “we could pretend like none of this ever happened.”
He smiled kindly at her. “If you think you can pretend, or forget, go ahead and try, it sure would be better than remembering.”
Robyn sat up and shifted so she was on his lap. “I’d give anything to forget it all... is that wrong of me?”
“After what we’ve all been through, no, I don’t think so.” Hawkeye responded thoughtfully. “You could always ask Leon to alter your...” Hawkeye stopped for a minute and rubbed his head. “I keep saying things like they are going to get better, and I don’t even know if Leon could alter so many memories.” He shook his head, “I’m sorry, it’s like my brain gave up on censoring things.”
Sitting silent for a moment Robyn sighed, “it’s okay. And... thanks for everything.” Hawkeye nodded and she rested her head on his shoulder. “If I have to live this... twisted life, I couldn’t think of better people to do it with.”
*******
Anna waited at the microwave, waiting for the two pasta meals to cook. There was another one for J.C, but there wasn’t enough room in the small appliance. “Anna?” She turned to see Rick, “yeah, you’re Anna.”
“You should know... wait, you haven’t gotten back your sight yet... have you?” Anna asked as she sat down at one of the bar stools around the kitchen island.
Rick took a seat across from her. “No, I haven’t, and it’s driving me mad. I’ve never not known what’s coming, or at least, I haven’t for years.” Rick pushed back his hair that was slowly growing back. “I’ve actually focussed on seeing things. Usually it just comes to me whenever I think about someone I get their future, or my own. Now I’m actually trying hard to see and there is nothing.”
“A lot of us wish we were normal,” Anna said softly, “and here you wish to be different.”
“A case of the grass is greener,” Rick said humourlessly. “We seriously pissed off the Kennedy people, this is not the best time to not have a gift when I know I’ve got a target on my back.”
The microwave signalled the end of its cycle, and she popped it open taking out the two steaming noodle dishes. “You want one?” She asked.
“Sure,” he responded and she passed one over to him, putting in another one for Mary, and one for J.C. Sitting across from him they both ate quietly.
******
Scott stepped into the doctor wing. Beeping monitors made him instinctively cross his arms over his chest. He didn’t want to touch anything, nor anyone. He was pretty sure he could choose who he killed with his touch, but he was to terrified of the outcome to test it.
“Scott?” Turning sharply, he seen Dr. Allen. “You alright?”
Scott nodded, “I was wondering about everyone, how are they doing?”
Allen sighed, “things aren’t good, I can tell you that much. Liam’s at my throat about Nick, but I can’t tell the extend of damage until he wakes up... if he wakes up.” Rubbing his temples he continued. “Lily fell asleep last night, and I had a few of the medical assistants try to take Claire’s body from her, but she awoke with a vengeance. I’ve never seen so much rage in my life.”
Scott tried to keep it together, but hearing that Claire was dead, wasn’t an easy thing to hear. It could have been any of them. It still could be any of them, dead in an instant. A scary thought. “What about the rest?”
“Thayne wakes up periodically, Nina stays with him most of the time now. He may have some lost memories, but it’s nothing extensive. I though it would be much, much worse. Hiro...” Allen sighed, “he flat-lined on us twice, we have him on life support, he still has brainwaves and that’s a good sign... Leon, he’s a different story. We cut him open, there was some internal bleeding, but he should have woken up by now, we’ve done X-rays and other tests but... we can’t figure out why he hasn’t woken up.”
Scott nodded, “what are you going to do about Lily and Claire?”
“I don’t know. Daniel asked this morning if I would call his father. Break the news.” Allen shuffled his foot a bit. “I haven’t done it yet though. How do I tell a man that his daughter, is dead?”
“Don’t they teach that in medical school?” Scott asked.
Allen shrugged, “my father was a doctor, taught me. I never bothered to go to school.”
Hours were slowly ticking by. Everyone finding someone to share their grief with. Cory walked to his big brother. “Danny?”
Daniel who was sitting down on the floor across from the doctors office looked up at his little brother. “What is it kiddo?” He tried to go for light and friendly, but his voice broke and he was sure his eyes were red and poofy giving away that he had been crying.
“Is someone going to tell Dad that Claire is dead?” Daniel felt like he had been punched in the gut, the air left him in a whoosh and he couldn’t answer. “Do you want me to call him?”
“No, no, someone will do it Cory, but it doesn’t have to be you.” Daniel said, “come here.”
Cory sat down next to his brother and leaned his head against his shoulder. “Can I see her?”
“No,” Daniel responded. He couldn’t believe Cory was asking. Daniel himself hadn’t worked up the courage to do it. He’d heard everyone talking about his mother, how she wouldn’t let go. There were enough horrors right now without having that image in his head. “It’s not a good time.”
“I want to see her Daniel. To say goodbye to her.”
“Cory!” Daniel got to his feet again and ran a hand through his hair. “Cory... just... go play in your room for a while okay?” Cory looked about to protest, “please, Cory... please.”
Cory studied his older brother for a moment before turning and heading toward the wing of bedrooms.
******
Neither Mary, or Anna had gotten much sleep during the night. J.C cried herself to sleep, but continued to wake up screaming. The nightmares were horrific. Anna rubbed her temples as J.C fell to sleep once more. “How long do you think it will take for her to go back to normal?” Anna asked with a large yawn.
“Honestly?” Mary whispered back. “She’ll never be the same again. Do you really think any of us will be? This whole Kennedy thing, do you think it’s really over?”
Anna sighed, “probably not.”
The twins sat in silence on the bed across from J.C the small corner light on. “Wanna play cards?” Mary asked.
*******
Thayne felt under the weather when he awoke. His head pounding, but he supposed that it should be expected. A big metal pole smashing through your skull and squishy brain matter could do that to you. The doctor said he’d probably have some memory loss, but Thayne couldn’t remember anything he’d forgotten. At least he remembered the pretty brunette who was sleeping on his chest.
She stirred and murmured something in her sleep. Thayne smiled slightly, despite all that had happened he smiled, he couldn’t help it. Still, worries plagued him, how was everyone else now? He’d have to ask the doctor when he came back in. Closing his eyes he could hear the doctor’s bustle around, people crying. Deep down, he didn’t want to know what was happening, he didn’t want to know how bad things really were.
*******
Hawkeye and Robyn sat in the livingroom, a large space, many chairs and couches, but they sat together Robyn’s head resting in his lap as he absentmindedly stroked her hair. Neither of them speaking much. There was nothing to say, to talk of the past is to talk about what happened. Or what got them into the situation to begin with, so they stayed silent. They couldn’t talk about movies or music, neither could remember the last time they’d seen a movie, neither knew the latest hot release in music.
Robyn rolled from her side onto her back and looked up at Hawkeye. “Do you think, that after this... we’re going to have normal lives again?”
Hawkeye shrugged, “I honestly hope so, but the Kennedy people can’t be the only ones out there who have it out for us you know?”
“We could hide our gifts,” Robyn whispered, “we could pretend like none of this ever happened.”
He smiled kindly at her. “If you think you can pretend, or forget, go ahead and try, it sure would be better than remembering.”
Robyn sat up and shifted so she was on his lap. “I’d give anything to forget it all... is that wrong of me?”
“After what we’ve all been through, no, I don’t think so.” Hawkeye responded thoughtfully. “You could always ask Leon to alter your...” Hawkeye stopped for a minute and rubbed his head. “I keep saying things like they are going to get better, and I don’t even know if Leon could alter so many memories.” He shook his head, “I’m sorry, it’s like my brain gave up on censoring things.”
Sitting silent for a moment Robyn sighed, “it’s okay. And... thanks for everything.” Hawkeye nodded and she rested her head on his shoulder. “If I have to live this... twisted life, I couldn’t think of better people to do it with.”
*******
Anna waited at the microwave, waiting for the two pasta meals to cook. There was another one for J.C, but there wasn’t enough room in the small appliance. “Anna?” She turned to see Rick, “yeah, you’re Anna.”
“You should know... wait, you haven’t gotten back your sight yet... have you?” Anna asked as she sat down at one of the bar stools around the kitchen island.
Rick took a seat across from her. “No, I haven’t, and it’s driving me mad. I’ve never not known what’s coming, or at least, I haven’t for years.” Rick pushed back his hair that was slowly growing back. “I’ve actually focussed on seeing things. Usually it just comes to me whenever I think about someone I get their future, or my own. Now I’m actually trying hard to see and there is nothing.”
“A lot of us wish we were normal,” Anna said softly, “and here you wish to be different.”
“A case of the grass is greener,” Rick said humourlessly. “We seriously pissed off the Kennedy people, this is not the best time to not have a gift when I know I’ve got a target on my back.”
The microwave signalled the end of its cycle, and she popped it open taking out the two steaming noodle dishes. “You want one?” She asked.
“Sure,” he responded and she passed one over to him, putting in another one for Mary, and one for J.C. Sitting across from him they both ate quietly.
******
Scott stepped into the doctor wing. Beeping monitors made him instinctively cross his arms over his chest. He didn’t want to touch anything, nor anyone. He was pretty sure he could choose who he killed with his touch, but he was to terrified of the outcome to test it.
“Scott?” Turning sharply, he seen Dr. Allen. “You alright?”
Scott nodded, “I was wondering about everyone, how are they doing?”
Allen sighed, “things aren’t good, I can tell you that much. Liam’s at my throat about Nick, but I can’t tell the extend of damage until he wakes up... if he wakes up.” Rubbing his temples he continued. “Lily fell asleep last night, and I had a few of the medical assistants try to take Claire’s body from her, but she awoke with a vengeance. I’ve never seen so much rage in my life.”
Scott tried to keep it together, but hearing that Claire was dead, wasn’t an easy thing to hear. It could have been any of them. It still could be any of them, dead in an instant. A scary thought. “What about the rest?”
“Thayne wakes up periodically, Nina stays with him most of the time now. He may have some lost memories, but it’s nothing extensive. I though it would be much, much worse. Hiro...” Allen sighed, “he flat-lined on us twice, we have him on life support, he still has brainwaves and that’s a good sign... Leon, he’s a different story. We cut him open, there was some internal bleeding, but he should have woken up by now, we’ve done X-rays and other tests but... we can’t figure out why he hasn’t woken up.”
Scott nodded, “what are you going to do about Lily and Claire?”
“I don’t know. Daniel asked this morning if I would call his father. Break the news.” Allen shuffled his foot a bit. “I haven’t done it yet though. How do I tell a man that his daughter, is dead?”
“Don’t they teach that in medical school?” Scott asked.
Allen shrugged, “my father was a doctor, taught me. I never bothered to go to school.”