| Subject: Hope (Untitled) - Chapter 3 |
Author:
Athena4
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Date Posted: 18:25:36 07/20/03 Sun
In reply to:
Athena4
's message, "Hope (Untitled)" on 18:20:25 07/20/03 Sun
“Bastard!!” Egran growled, hands clenched around the metal bars of the cot.
Ben flinched, looking up at Madeline. He worried his lip in consternation as he met her eye, and she shrugged, giving him a wink. “It’s all right.”
She smiled at the young man and was pleased when he grinned back, even if it did seem a little forced. Seating herself on the cot next to Egran’s, she considered the young man crouched on the floor between the beds. Ben’s nervousness and naivety continued to shock Madeline. Even the most unseasoned operative arriving at Section One was more raw and angry then Ben. It didn’t seem possible that he could have gotten himself banished to Five.
It didn’t seem right.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Egran said as Ben stood. The younger man looked almost eagerly at Madeline, and she nodded assent, giving him permission to leave.
Her eyes followed him from the room, and as the curtain closed behind him, she sighed, hand coming up to rub at her aching shoulder. “Just thinking about Ben.”
“Strange boy,” he smirked suddenly, and Madeline saw the glint in his eye. “Seems to like you though.”
“It’s more like hero worship. I didn’t sign up to be a hero.”
“Didn’t really sign up at all, did you?”
Shaking her head sadly, she glanced quickly towards the other room, looking for movement in the dim light. “You think they’re sleeping?”
“Doubt it. Personally, I’m wondering if I’ll ever sleep again.”
“You and me both.”
“What the hell are we going to do?” Egran said, pulling himself backwards onto the cot so he was leaning against the wall.
“Big picture, or small?
“Both.”
“Small; we’re going to contact Centre, tell them we’re alive, and get them to pull us out. We can’t live like this. We certainly can’t run missions like this.” She gestured to the shelter around them, flimsy walls wavering as the wind buffeted them.
Egran scoffed. “You know what just happened here, and you think they care?”
“I don’t think Centre was involved,” Madeline replied, meeting his eye levelly.
“No?” He paused, studying her, and she waited for the pieces to fit together in his mind as well. She didn’t have to wait long. “You think it was One, acting alone?”
“Yes.”
“A little extreme, even for Adrian, don’t you think?”
“Maybe. But the pieces fit. Jerry was pushing paper when I left One. Hadn’t rocked the boat a day in his life. The guns – “
“Could have been planted.”
“Possibly – but if what Chris said was true, One was keeping a tight rein on this particular prototype. Specific, top secret missions only. Special assignments.”
“It still could have been Centre ordered. We can’t assume One acted alone.”
“Maybe not alone – but I’m willing to bet it wasn’t sanctioned. You read the reports – Centre was happy with our performance. Shocked as hell, but happy. What possible reason would they have to destroy us?”
“You’re looking for logic, Madeline….”
“The Sections, on the other hand, use this place as a repository for their trash. Can’t have the trash being too comfortable, becoming an elite force, actually succeeding at something, now can you?”
“I see your point. But - “
“What do we do about it?”
“Exactly.”
“Not sure yet. Little problems first, okay?”
“Okay.”
Working her arm out of the sling, Madeline tossed it on the floor next to the bed, flexing the arm slightly in spite of the pain. “He’s really not a bad medic. You just made him nervous.”
“It bloody hurts.”
“At least it’s not actually broken.” She took a deep breath, favouring her ribs. Pain shot through her anyways, and she clenched a fist against her knee, closing her eyes as she waited for it to pass. “We thought it was,” she said quietly, letting her eyes flutter open as the pain ebbed. “ You were lucky.”
“So were you.” He pushed himself forward on his cot, seating himself on the edge. Reaching out a hand, he traced a finger along her bandaged shoulder, then along her ribs. “These could have been much worse.”
“We’ll have to decide on some sort of plan tomorrow.”
Egran grunted, turning towards the curtained doorway. “They’ll be expecting it.”
“Yes.” Laying down on the cot, Madeline grunted in pain. “I suppose we should try and sleep.”
“I suppose.” The cot creaked as he extinguished the lamp, then lay down, cursing as his leg hit the sidebar.
“Egran?”
“Mmmm?”
“Thank you.”
“For?”
“Before, in the compound.”
“We helped each other.”
“Yes. But – “ She stopped, her voice catching. Struggling to a sitting position, she crossed the short distance between the cots, kneeling at eye-level with Egran. He stared at her, shock and disbelief crossing his face; and then something else – a reflection of her own fear, her own frustration, her own pain. “Just – thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said softly, shifting slightly under his blanket to find a more comfortable position. She moved towards her own cot, and he caught her hand, drawing her attention back to him. As their eyes met, his hand tightened around hers, an unspoken need in his eyes.
Surprising herself, Madeline allowed him to tug her gently forward until her hips brushed the rail of the cot. Rising, she seated herself on its edge, feeling his hand brush along her thigh as he made room for her next to him and pulled back the blanket. Sliding underneath, she let out a hiss of air as pain shot through her ribs.
“You all right?” Egran asked, his arm coming around cradle her against his shoulder.
Taking a shallow breath, she nodded, laying her head and injured arm against his chest. “Yeah. Just hurts to move.”
“I don’t think we’ll need to move for a while.”
“Promise?”
“Promise,” he chuckled, settling a hand into the small of her back. His touch was firm, his laughter creating a vibration against her cheek.
Sighing, Madeline closed her eyes, trying, but failing, to relax against him. Images of the day’s events flickered behind her closed eyes and she flinched, sending pain shooting through her shoulder. “Dammit…” she swore, feeling his arm tighten across her back. “I can’t do this.”
Rolling out of his grip, she sat back up on the edge of the cot, arms folded across her ribs as pain washed over her. “I can’t sleep,” she snapped, frustrated. “There’s too much on my mind to even try.”
“Madeline…” Egran began, his hand gripping her shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” she shook him off, standing gingerly and returning to her own cot. “Get some sleep, Egran.”
“They’re there, aren’t they? Every time you close your eyes – Kemal, Tracey, Richard. All of them.” He was sitting up now, trying to meet her gaze.
She shook her head, then met his eye, seeing his obvious pain, and how it matched her own. “Yes,” she said quietly, dropping her eyes to the floor. “I’m used to being strong, Egran. But sometimes – “
“It’s too much.”
“Yes.”
“You’re not alone. “
“Are you sure?”
“Madeline…” His tone was that of a reprimand, and she smiled in spite of herself.
“Egran,” she said firmly, lifting her eyes. “I need to be strong.”
“Why?”
“To get those kids out of here,” she snapped, glaring across at Egran. He met her stare for stare, cocking his head slightly at her tone.
“No,” he began. “Why do you need to be strong with me? We’ve been in this together since we were brought to this hellhole, Madeline. What’s changed now?”
“Need, Egran.” She paused, studying his eyes. He gazed back confidently, yet his own feelings flashed behind the surface. His own frustration, his own guilt, his own pain. Taking a deep breath, she continued, dragging the confession from deep within. “If I stop being strong, even for one moment, I’ll lose focus, and those kids will die.”
“It won’t happen,” he said, rising carefully and crossing the distance between the cots. He flinched slightly as settled next to her, his leg clearly paining him. “I won’t let it.”
Touching the side of his face, she surprised herself by kissing him; gently at first, then more fiercely, fist clenched around the material of his shirt, pulling him closer. He responded, fingers trailing across her ribs carefully; his touch delicate as his hands slid around to cradle her shoulders and lower her onto the cot.
The cot groaned slightly under their combined weight, a dull creak that hid her groan. Her torso throbbed in distress, even as her body arched towards his in the darkness. The pain passed, and pleasure consumed; dishevelled clothing pulled aside to allow skin to brush skin, stifled moans of uncertain cause, breathless moans that came one upon the other. And in the end, ecstasy and agony collided, leaving them breathless and aching, wrapped around each other in the darkness.
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