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snaillamp · 3 days ago

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Origins of Enjar: Chapter 3 - Press Leak

CW: Medical abuse, non-con themes, suicidal ideation, survivor's guilt

“6926, you have to eat.” The nurse Joanna sighed, as Enjar turned his head, refusing the food.

He didn’t even open his mouth to complain.

Joanna tried jabbing the plastic spoon at the man’s lips, but he was too fast.

“Please.” She put on her most sympathetic voice. ‘You’re a fully grown man, get a grip and eat.’ She thought.

Enjar glared at her, lips tightly shut, pressing the left side of his face into the pillow. It would be painful, pressing a fresh scar like that, so the fact he was doing that… what was this guy’s deal?

“Please. Come on, it’s vanilla pudding. It tastes so good and you haven’t eaten for two days.” She smiled softly, the spoon slowly creeping up the the man’s lips. His cold eyes looked at her, scaring her.

She was glad he was still restrained, he looked ready to kill.

Two days ago, 6926 had decided to stop co-operating. They had removed him from the restraints to take him for a toilet and shower, but he had immediately begun clawing at his IV, ripping it out of his elbow, then trying to rip off his dressings. He had been relegated to bed pans, but refused to use them, instead choosing to wet the bed every time he needed to piss. That was also around the time he’d stopped eating.

When he wasn’t moaning in pain, thrashing around and screaming for someone to kill him, which Joanna was very tempted to do at this point, he stared blankly at the ceiling, spaced out. He would stare all day and all night, only sleeping when his tired body passed out, and even then, he’d wake up screaming.

“6926.” She huffed in exasperation, “Fine. I’m getting help.” The nurse left, bringing in the young, pretty thing, hoping a girl more his age might be able to sweet talk him into eating.

“Hey 6926… Jo says you aren’t eating. Can you eat for me?” The pretty young nurse, Karolina leaned forward, smiling sweetly, hoping her scrubs revealed a bit of cleavage as her hand came to rest on his chest. It felt nice, he was in good shape.

Karolina smirked, briefly thinking that she should get in on the next bedwash, to get a better… view. She took the pudding from Joanna and tried poking it at him. “Come oooonnnnn.” She cooed, leaning in closer. The man was as stubborn as an ox, staring straight ahead, lips sealed tightly.

“Let’s just force it.” Joanna groaned, ripping the pillow from under 6926, and grabbing his head roughly, yanking it to the side and holding it down as she pried his jaw open. The left side of 6926’s face, the one with the injury was now pressed against the bed harder than ever.

Karolina spooned some of the thick, sickly sweet, yellow pudding into the back of the man’s throat as he thrashed and gagged in the restraints. Joanna’s strong arms held his head in place, pressing it hard against the bed, 6926 writhing and choking as her fingers pushed his skull into the pillow. His limbs jerked in the restraints as he tried to fight off the nurses, choking down the pudding as he groaned in agony.

The pudding was sliding down this throat, he could feel the thick slime going down… but it was the taste of something else that sparked an idea in his head. Choking down the pudding as best he could, he felt Joanna’s finger get further and further into his mouth in an effort to keep it open.

“Good boy…” Joanna drawled with condescension in her voice, like he was a toddler who decided to eat his veggies. Out of all the nurses, she was the one Enjar liked the least, and this was why. She and that doctor… Dr Lauge were close, very close. Enjar had heard them flirting with each other, when they thought he was asleep last night during his dressing change, and both of them were creeps.

The second spoonful of pudding entered his mouth and Enjar felt the fingers on his teeth adjust to make room for it. He bit down, hard.

Joanna screamed as he locked his jaw on her thumbs, pressing down as hard as he could. He tasted blood, biting down harder until he felt something inside make a satisfying crunch. Letting go, he spat out the blood and pudding, turning his head away. He knew they wouldn’t try that again.

“Fine. You’re gonna get more infusions.” Joanna scowled, stomping off to nurse her damaged thumbs.

Enjar peeked over at the young nurse, looking her dead in the eyes, his whispering voice pleading with her as he asked, “Kill me…”

The young girl’s eyes grew dark and she scowled. Leaving room, Enjar stared after her, wishing she would just mercifully end him. Joanna came back a while later with two other nurses, roughly changing the bedsheets with Enjar still in them, yanked to each side of the bed and rolled onto his delicate arms.

He cried out in pain, the woman scoffing, “Shut up. That’s payback for biting my fingers you sick fuck.”

She pulled out a tube from a packet with a sickening grin.

“However, I talked to Dr Lauge, he approved for you to have an NG tube.”

Enjar’s eyes grew wide as the two other nurses sat him up, Joanna measuring the tube up. He jerked away from them all, turning his head, only for hands to clamp down on his head like a vice, yanking it to the side to centre it.

Tears streamed from his eyes as he quaked in his restraints, his neck hurting as it was held down. He screamed in pain and fear as the tube was pushed into his nose and down his throat, gagging on it through choked sobs.

Finally it ended, and the hands left him, the bruises already forming on his face and shoulders. The tape holding it in place was stuck uncomfortably to his nose and he couldn’t peel it off. He cried and shook as he watched the fluid being pushed down the tube from a syringe, and into his stomach.

Later, Enjar was instead hooked up to more fluids, Liquid Life as Enjar had decided to call it. He would stare at it all day, wishing he could rip it from the stand and pour it out. He didn’t deserve to be alive, not when his team was gone.

But now, he was stuck in this eternal hell… As he fell asleep, he began to pray that he wouldn’t wake up in the morning, the next morning the sun rose, and he survived another night.

A week into his hospitalisation, Enjar was awoken one night by the sound of his door opening. He remained motionless as he heard someone creep inside, keeping the right side of his face pressed firmly against the pillow.

He didn’t move, not wanting to see what was about to happen. Hopefully it was Viktor Madsen, coming to slash his throat in his sleep.

Enjar had given up. Refusing to eat or drink, kept alive by an IV that he pulled out if he wasn’t strapped down to the bed at all times. He just wanted to die, join his comrades and end this nightmare.

The dressing on his face was covering most of it, uncomfortable against his skin as he moved. It itched, a burning, annoying, painful itch that he couldn’t scratch. His hands were tied, he couldn’t move… He wished an infection would get under the dressing and wipe out his immune system, ending his miserable existence.

A light flashed, and the sound of a phone making a sound, like a camera clicking echoed in the stillness.

Enjar grunted, stirring slightly, before the hasty footsteps left the room and the door slammed shut. Enjar was too tired to wonder what that had all been about, so he just went back to sleep, willing with all his might for the end to come.

Voices woke him the next day, yelling voices, the sound of… Sommer?

“-SO TELL ME HOW THE FUCK THEY GOT IT!”

He was yelling, as usual.

Enjar groaned trying to roll over and rub his eyes, but they didn’t move…

‘Wait… what?’

He opened his eye in confusion, remembering that he was restrained with a sigh, choosing instead to listen to the screaming in the hall. Sommer was berating someone, Lauge by the sounds of it.

“So, how the fuck did the press get a photo of him?! I promise you, the government will bring it’s full force down on you, if you don’t tell me how this happened, NOW!”

“Sir, we only have 5 nurses and myself on staff looking after 6926. All have denied the allegations and shown evidence that they did not take the picture. I don’t know what else I can do for you, Commander.”

Sommer grunted, hitting the wall and making it shake, as everything went quiet.

Enjar sighed at the peace and quiet as he rolled over onto his side, at least, as much as his restraints would let him. His arms where stuck to either side of him, uncomfortably. They were painful and badly bruised, and the pain prevented him from being able to slide into unconsciousness. Well, he could try at least, he was exhausted. Right now, sleep was the closest thing to death he could get.

“Ah, 6926. Let’s have a little chat hmm?” Dr Lauge drawled.

Enjar ignored him, trying and failing not to flinch as the doctor began to caress his face and neck, tracing the NG tube. His thought were suddenly shattered as fingers danced over his chest for a moment, before gently cupping his face.

“I didn’t want to have to do this,” The doctor’s feigned a caring tone, “-but, given you keep refusing to use the bedpan, and urinating on your sheets... We can’t take the restraints off because we can’t trust you, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to insert a catheter, alright?”

The doctor sounded more than pleased at this news.

Enjar felt his body go cold as the doctor trailed a hand back down his neck, over his chest and grabbed the tight blankets pinning him down. Dr Lauge’s knuckles continued to trail down Enjar’s stomach as he slowly removed the blanket, leaving it collected at Enjar’s feet. Enjar gulped, not sure what was about to happen.

He still felt weird, the doctor definitely still drugging him lightly so he remained… mellow. A side affect of this, was that Enjar could barely move his heavy limbs, barely cry out and now… He couldn’t fight back.

Enjar felt tears prick in his eyes as the gown was lifted off his body, tucked up high, up to his arm pits. Stifling a sob, the young man stared at the ceiling, not enjoying the cold air on his exposed body. His skin prickled as Dr Lauge began to prepare, staring at Enjar’s body like a hungry vulture.

The doctor’s hands brushed over Enjar’s stomach, Enjar clenching it and trying to withdraw.

“No, no, don’t move, I wouldn’t want to have to mess up and do it all again…” He grinned wickedly, his hands trailing down to Enjar’s waist.

He massaged the top of Enjar’s legs, humming as they grew nearer and nearer to his groin. He caressed the skin there gently, Enjar gritted his teeth, determined not to let the man win. He wouldn’t gasp, he wouldn’t cry, that’s exactly what he wanted, and Enjar wasn’t going to give him that.

So, he set his jaw and focused on breathing evenly, feeling numb as the doctor caressed him. He wanted to shudder and fight and cry, but he was paralysed until the doctor’s hands finally left him.

“Let me just clean you up a bit, hmm?” The doctor almost taunted Enjar as he began to clean the man's skin with a rough cotton pad. It sent tingling shockwaves through Enjar, who grimaced, quivering a little.

It felt terrible.

Enjar heard the rustling of a sheet as the doctor laid everything out, preparing the procedure. They were alone together in the room, a deafening silence blanketing everything as Enjar prepared himself for what came next.

Dr Lauge held up a syringe in front of Enjar’s face. “This will help a bit, little bit of lubricant to help the tube slide riiiiight in.” He grinned as Enjar felt the doctors dancing fingers tiptoe their way down his stomach, sending shivers up his spine.

He didn’t want to know what the doctor was doing, so he lay there, still as a statue, as Dr Lauge applied the medication, feeling it fill him with a cold wash of gentle pressure.

“There we go. Little bit of numbing for you, pretty boy. This should make it… mostly painless.” Dr Lauge chuckled to himself as he immediately grabbed the tube, peeling open the packaging it was in and holding out the tip.

“Ready?” Dr Lauge smirked, Enjar steeling himself for what was about to come. He could feel the medication inside him, it wasn’t working yet, the doctor needed to wait-

He felt the tube enter him. A shocked grunt escaped Enjar, as he gritted his teeth. The pain wasn’t terrible, but the medication clearly hadn’t taken full affect yet.

“Calm down, 6926. You’re alright. If you’re good, this shouldn’t take any time at all.” Dr Lauge drawled, grinning from ear to ear as he inserted the tube.

Tears fell from Enjar’s eyes as he felt the tube plunge deeper and deeper.

“Half way.” Dr Lauge informed him. It had taken several, slow, painful minutes, but the medication seemed to have finally numbed him enough that Enjar couldn’t feel the tube snaking its way through him.

“Slight discomfort here, then we’re nearly done.” Dr Lauge mumbled, sounding almost bored as he pressed the tube in further. Enjar gasped in pain, hips bucking slightly, causing the doctor to smirk again.

“Heh, you are a cute one, hmm? Very pretty, all over…” He licked his lips as Enjar shuddered, Dr Lauge finally finishing pushing the tube through him.

“Alright, just one more step and then we’re done.” He glanced over at Enjar as the tears streamed his cheeks. The dressing on his face turned pink as the tears mixed with blood, his right cheek shining as the tears dried on his skin.

“You brought this on yourself you know. If you had been good, I wouldn’t have had to do this.” Dr Lauge spoke like he was telling a toddler they couldn’t have chocolate for dinner, his voice dripping with condescension.

“If you’re good for me from now on, I’ll make sure nothing else has to happen, but right now, I can’t trust you. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re kept nice and clean down here… personally.” The doctor grinned as he yanked the tube a little, Enjar wincing in pain.

“The balloon is in place, just let me attach the bag and we will be done.” Dr Lauge sounded annoyed.

Enjar knew the doctor wished this could have lasted longer, but he was glad it was over.

Dr Lauge left him exposed for a little longer, whilst he attached the bag. He seemed to be having ‘trouble’ attaching it, his eyes wandering constantly as he fiddled.

Finally it was all hooked up, Enjar quietly sighing in relief, only for Dr Lauge to stand over him, gazing at his body in silence, a twisted grin on his face.

“Just let me listen to your heart and lungs while I’m here.” Lauge held up a stethoscope. His hands danced over Enjar’s chest gently, feeling his ribs for a moment too long before the stethoscope was placed over his heart. Dr Lauge held it to Enjar’s skin with one hand, the other resting just below his stomach, a large reach for the doctor. That hand had no business being just above Enjar's groin, he knew that. But Enjar followed the instructions to get this done quickly, as the hand seemed to slip lower and lower.

Right before his fingertips brushed Enjar’s crotch, Dr Lauge removed his hands and sighed, smiling. He pulled the gown back down over Enjar, the sensation of the fabric causing a wave of relief to crash over him.

Enjar held in a sigh of relief for later, as the blankets were tucked tightly back down onto him. “Well, it was a pleasure, 6926. I’m afraid I have to go now, but don’t worry, I’ll be back tomorrow to check how everything is going. Oh, and be good for me. No more biting my nurses. Joanna will be back tomorrow now that she’s mostly healed from your vicious little attack.” He patted Enjar’s stomach, purring, the sound sending chills up Enjar’s spine.

“Why don’t you have a rest, focus on healing? I’ll handle the rest.” The doctor drawled, sending chills up Enjar’s spine, leaning over him and smiling. His hand patted Enjar’s crotch. “Sweet dreams, pretty boy.”

As the door finally clicked shut, Enjar let out the sigh of relief he had been holding in, only for it all to come crashing down around him. A wave of emotions flooded him as fat, hot tears streamed silently down his face, his body quivering in pure shock.

He couldn’t believe what had just happened to him.

It felt like a dream, but he knew it was all real. He could feel the tube taped to his leg, the memories of the dancing hands sending tingles over his skin.

Enjar hardly slept that night, instead staring at the ceiling and trying to forget everything. Forget the hospital, forget the memories slowly coming back. Forget the gunshots and the fear.

“Anna…” He called out weakly, his voice hollow and shaking. He just wanted his sister to hold him tight and protect him… He mumbled her name all night, so much it stopped sounding like a word after a while, but it comforted him.

She would come for him and would save him…

“Ann…nnnnnhhhh…”

“6926, we are transferring you to another room, due to the… incident the night before last. Don’t worry I will remain you primary physician.”

Enjar grimaced. ‘Great. that’s exactly what I wanted to hear.’

His eyes remained shut, Enjar pretending to sleep, listening as people bustled around him. It was his new strategy to avoid the ire of the medical staff.

They arranged him in the middle of the bed, laying the blankets over him, using them to pin him down even more than what the restraints did. They also wanted to hide the restraints, Enjar had figured out. He didn’t know why, perhaps Sommer had noticed something. Enjar didn’t care about what that prick wanted.

He was moved from the large, empty room, feeling the movements of the bed as he was wheeled down hallways and into an elevator, all the while the life was humming quietly to himself.

It smelled weird in the elevator, like strong cleaning supplies. Feeling it go down, the humming vibrating his body, and he moaned softly, feeling slightly motion sick, the vibrations hurting his head and wounds.

“Aww, he’s sleeping. You’re a tired one huh?” A new voice… The voice of a man… not Lauge or any of the nurses, a new guy… Enjar stirred a little, setting into a comfier position, or as much as he could when he was tied down by cuffs and pinned by tight blankets. Opening his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a guy, tall, his hair tied back, long dreadlocks reaching his shoulders. His brown skin looked weird and washed out in the artificial elevator light.

“Ah, peekaboo. You are awake. I had my suspicions.” He had an strange accent… French?

Enjar sighed, letting his eyes slide shut again, shivering. “Do you want a warm blanket? I can get you a freshly heated one on the way to your new room.”

Enjar nodded, grunting a little as the nice nurse adjusted his current blanket over his shoulders. The elevator shuddered to a stop Enjar moaning uncomfortably, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Nearly there, don’t worry.” The new nurse comforted him, pushing him down a hallway stopping for a moment. A heavy, freshly warmed blanket was laid over Enjar, eliciting a soft groan of pleasure at the first time he'd felt warm in days.

“Heheh, you like that huh?” The nurse laughed, as Enjar melted under the soft, warm blankets. He was asleep in seconds as the nurse wheeled him through hallway after hallway, until they finally reached a little room in the back of the hospital.

Enjar’s bed was wheeled inside, the nurse securing it before assessing everything. All the tubes and needles were correct and working, all the monitors, everything was present and correct.

The nurse looked down at the mysterious sleeping man. Everyone had been super cagey about him, insisting that he be transferred to a random room in the back of the ICU and left alone.

His specialist and that nasty, bitchy nurse Joanna were to remain one of the only ones treating him, which was so weird. He felt bad for the guy, that Dr Lauge had a reputation for being a creep and Joanna was just as bad. She was a bully and rough with patients on a good day...

This man's condition was strange, he was pinned down tightly with blankets, there was a catheter bag attached to the bed and a large dressing covering his face.

The nurse wondered what had happened to the man.

He stayed for a while, the patient eventually twitching, breathing fast and turning his cheek so that the dressing was pressed slightly into the pillow.

The guy made a sleepy sound, somewhere between a moan and a sigh, before his breathing slowed again and he almost deflated.

Frowning the nurse adjusted the man’s blanket so it rested more comfortably on top of the patient’s chest and left, his mind trying to figure everything out.

Anna Nielsen frowned as her phone lit up, vibrating on her desk. An unknown number flashed on the screen. She ignored it for a few seconds, until her gut told her she should answer it.

“Hello?” Her voice was cheery and polite as she pressed the phone against her ear.

“Anna Nielsen?” The voice asked. It was strange, hollow and terse.

“Yes?” She had replied, frowning as she pushed her chair back from her desk.

“Your brother is Enjar Nielsen, correct?” Anna’s eyes had grown wide, her stomach sinking, had something happened to Enjar?

“Yes.” She replied her voice wavering as she swallowed nervously.

Enjar had been radio silent for a week, not even a text. The last thing he had done, was call her over a week ago, saying he loved her. It was weird, but Anna was used to it, her brother always called her like that before a tough job.

What had scared her was when he didn’t reply to her call a couple days later, checking in on him. He was probably busy though, as she had kept telling herself.

Her big brother was always busy.

“I am his commanding officer, Commander Thomas Sommer, and you are his primary contact. I am required to inform you that he has been hospitalised due to an incident at work.”

Anna gasped, covering her mouth as she suddenly felt very cold. She pushed out of the chair and began gathering her things in her handbag.

“Is he okay?” She desperately tried to keep her voice level as she pulled her bag over her shoulder, rushing from her office with tears in her eyes.

“He is stable. They removed him from the ICU yesterday.”

“ICU!? YESTERDAY? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!? WHAT HAPPENED? TELL ME NOW!” She yelled, thundering down the hall with am extra once of rage in her step, Enjar had told her about this guy.

“Never let him talk around you. He’s slick, he will hide and deny anything, you have to get him to tell you straight.”

“It is an ongoing investigation at this time. Due to security reasons, we cannot say.”

Anna scowled, “Oh, bullshit.” She spat, “Where is he?” It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.

“I will send you the details via text message.”

Anna scoffed. “Hurry up!” She snapped, tears brimming at her eyes.

“Anna? Are you alright?” Her boss was leaning out of his office, looking concerned. Anna turned around to look at him, mascara already staining her face. She shook her head, struggling to hold back a sob.

“Ivan…”

The older man frowned, walking up to her and gently touching her arm. “Oh, Anna... What’s got you all upset?”

Anna’s hands shook as the old man sighed, pulling her into a warm hug. He smelled like chocolate and coffee, calming Anna a little as she hugged him tight. “My dear, what happened?”

Anna shook her head again, trying to find the words. “My brother’s work called. He’s been in an ‘incident’ and they won’t tell me what happened… It’s bad Ivan… He was in ICU… They only called me now, I have no idea how long he’s been in there, but it has to have been a while. I haven't heard from him in a week and he always calls straight after a job to let me know he's safe and-”

Ivan held her shoulders in his large hands. “Woah, woah, slow down. What?”

Anna shook her head, shrugging in exasperation. “I don’t know. They won’t tell me anything. Enjar works in a pretty secretive job, he's in a tactical squad for the military. God, I’m so scared, Ivan.” Her phone dinged, an address flashing on the screen from an unknown number.

Her boss frowned, “Go, be with him. I will cover you for today.”

Anna smiled a wobbly, thankful smile, “Thank you, Ivan.” Anna was already turning, typing her husband’s number into her phone with shaking fingers. She could barely press them, reaching her car and dialling the number.

“Yup?” Stephen answered, sounding bored.

“Stephen, you need to get home now. It’s an emergency.” Stephen sounded confused, groaning as he got out of a chair.

“Uh, okay… Why?”

Anna gripped the steering wheel, turning her car on. “Enjar got hurt at work. He’s in hospital.” Stephen was quiet for a second.

“Shit. Is he okay?” He asked, a little concern in his voice. Anna reversed out of the parking spot, speeding away from the car park.

“No, he isn’t. I need to get home and get rid of my work stuff, then we can go together… I can’t do this alone, Steve.”

Stephen sighed on the other end of the line. “Alright, I’m on my way.”

When Stephen had arrived, Anna was hectically flying around the house.

“Oh, you’re here…” She rushed over to Stephen, who held her tightly.

“We should probably go…” He muttered, staring at the usually clean house. “I know, I just… have you seen our wedding album?” Stephen frowned, pulling his head back.

“Uh, no… why? We should be heading over, not looking at wedding photos. Are you okay, honey?”

Anna was beside herself. “No, there’s a picture of him in there, my favourite picture of him, I want it. I need it with me, Stephen.”

Stephen sighed, going to the bookshelf in the hallway leading to their bedroom. He found it, exactly where it had been put years ago when they had moved in.

The album hadn’t been touched since.

Sliding it out, he walked over to Anna, who was going through her desk drawers.

“Here, honey.”

She relaxed, grabbing the book and flicking through it. “No, no, no, I can’t find it. Where is it!” She flicked from cover to cover, scanning the images with her eyes.

“Hey, slow down, I’m sure it’s in here.” Stephen replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Take a breath, baby.”

Anna closed her eyes, taking a shuddering breath. She went back to the start, scanning the photos, until she found it. Her brother was wearing a well fitting, expensive suit, clutching his stomach and leaning forward slightly as he laughed. He looked so happy there, his beautiful stormy, eyes shining as he held a champagne flute in his right hand. The golden lights illuminated his skin, his black hair shining…

He was perfect.

Anna pulled it out of the plastic sleeve with shaking fingers, putting it in her handbag and turning. “Let’s go.” She snapped, marching out the door.

“Yes ma’am.” Stephen replied, glancing back at the group photo of everyone in the centre of the page. It was the second one they had taken, everyone pulling silly faces and gestures. Enjar had stuck his tongue out, licking his sister’s ear. With the picture of just him removed, the page felt emptier, more… lifeless.

As Anna drove, Stephen gripped the door of the car. “Anna, sweetie, slow down.” Anna didn’t reply, her eyes fixed on the road.

“Anna!”

Anna looked at the speedometer, hitting the break suddenly and slowing down with a jolt.

“Quit driving like a maniac, woman!”

Anna glared at him, but drove slower until they reached the hospital. She navigated the complex parking lot, yelling at the boom gate for not opening fast enough, before screeching into a spot and jumping from the car.

Stephen jogged after her, panting as she stormed through the carpark and to the foyer, where a man sat behind a desk. He watched as she spoke to him, the man pointing down a hallway and gesturing right, giving directions. She moved off again, Stephen finally catching up with her and sucking in a panting breath.

He was so unfit, he should really go to the gym more. Maybe after Enjar was out of here, he could start training Stephen up. That guy was so athletic, spending every waking hour working out.

Anna reached an elevator, pressing a number and standing in the corner, rummaging for the photo.

She stared at it as they went up, alone in the elevator that smelled a bit like bread for some reason. They stopped on a floor on the way up, a man in a business suit getting in, holding a briefcase, and a cleaner with a trolley.

The businessman wiped his eyes, smiling sadly at Anna and Stephen.

Finally, their stop came, and Anna pushed through, making a beeline for the welcome desk, her back straight ad shoulders pushed back. She let out a tense breath, before plastering on a smile and approaching the nurse behind the desk.

“Hey, I’m here to visit Enjar Nielsen. I was told to come to this ward.” Anna leaned over the desk, looking to the woman and smiling. She was hiding her fear well, but the stress was weighing on her. Stephen hovered awkwardly in the background, rubbing his beard.

Anna’s hands fiddled with the photo in her hands. She pricked her finger with the sharp corners, rotating it around to each one, slowly dulling them. The woman clicked the keyboard, looking up at her.

“You here to visit?” Anna nodded. “Yes, I’m his sister. Anna.”

The lady nodded, reaching for a phone and pressing a few numbers in rapid succession. “Yeah. Mhmm. No, visitation. Okay. Sister, yeah. For… Nielsen- yep, okay, cool.”

The woman turned to Anna, pointing down a hall. “There’s no Enjar Neilson at this hospital, ma’am.”

Anna froze. “What?” She asked, stunned. “There’s no Enjar Neilson here. He’s not a patient.”

Anna felt the blood rushing to her head as her husband walked over. “An, come sit down, call you dude and figure this out.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S NOT HERE!?” Anna screamed, going red as her eyes filled with tears. Stephen grimaced, embarrassed as the entire waiting room stared at them.

Stephen dragged her to a chair, sitting her down and rubbing her back as she gripped her photo, hands shaking. Suddenly, a nurse appeared, looking confused.

“Um, sorry, I’ve been told to bring you to an office, Miss…” She began, looking down as Anna shot her a deadly stare.

“Stop fucking with me.” Her voice trembled, her shaking hands wiping tears from her eyes as she stood, taking a shuddering breath.

The nurse lead them to an office in a random hallway. It wasn’t really an office, more of a large cupboard. Inside was a man in a crisp military style uniform, looking very tired and haggard.

He looked up, sighing tiredly. “Ms Nielsen?”

Anna nodded. He offered a seat for her to take, Stephen leaning against the wall as the nurse shut the door and left. “Commander Thomas Sommer.” He held out his hand for her to shake, but Anna glared at him.

“I see stubbornness runs in the family.” He mumbled, Stephen bristling.

He was a large man, balding and with a decent beard, he looked like he could snap Sommer in half. He was going to if this wanker kept talking to his wife like that.

“Now, Ms Nielsen, your brother is stable, but I do want to warn your his condition is... confronting, but he’s being, uh, managed by the best the medical staff here.”

He thought about how he’d given the okay for Enjar to be sedated after he bit the nurse, cracking her finger bone, whatever it was called.

“So, he might be a little sluggish when you first see him but he’s coming off sed-”

“I just want to know what happened.” Anna interrupted, her voice stricken with grief.

She acted just like the four wives he’d told about their husband’s death… Except her brother was still alive. She should be counting her lucky stars and thanking whatever god she believed in that Enjar was alive.

He had technically died for a few seconds on the operating table, before Lauge had brought him back, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Ms Nielsen,”

Anna scoffed. “Don’t Ms Nielsen me. What the fuck happened?” She wasn’t nearly crying anymore, no, now she was angry. That was to be expected.

‘What is this prick’s game?’ Anna thought as she scowled, quivering. She could explode right now in this cupboard, if she knew she didn’t have to hold it in for Enjar. “I want to see him.”

Sommer nodded, “And you will, in time.”

Stephen spoke up now, frustrated with this creep. “In time? What’s wrong with him?”

Sommer grimaced. He needed to give the drugs time to wear off, civilians couldn’t know they were breaking protocol and drugging 6926 out of his mind.

“Well, it’s complicated. His condition is-” Anna glared harder.

“You said he was stable.” She interrupted again.

“Yes, however he is still quite injured and…” He trailed off. “Fine. But I must express to you how important it is we keep this away from the public. We have these forms for you to sign. If you disclose anything about the case, including any conversations with your brother or comments on his condition to anyone outside this room, you will be prosecuted. And you must refer to him as 6926 around staff, not his given name. It is imperative we protect his identity for both his safety and yours, as well at the other patients in this hospital.”

Anna and Stephen looked at each other, before sighing and signing the paper. Anna made sure to ask for a copy of it, which Sommer nodded in agreement. It stated plainly, that they could not talk about the case for at least 70 years…

‘What the fuck?’ Anna thought as she handed the sheet back.

“Right this way.” Sommer spoke robotically as he lead them down the halls as Stephen followed, her face burning as she walked. She was trying not to cry as she walked down the dull, slightly yellow-lit hallways.

The man, an important looking officer, led both of them down a small hallway, to a room tucked away from the rest. “Here, he’s probably still asleep, he’s very tired.” The man said, nodding to them as the two people slipped into the dim room. “I’ll give you a moment.”

It was small, the bed taking up the majority of the space in the room. There were two uncomfortable seats on either side of the bed, one of which Anna snatched up immediately, pulling it close.

She sat by the bedside, looking up at her brother, gripping her photo tightly. Her other hand fiddled absent-mindedly with the small gold necklace around her neck. She wore it almost every day, a birthday gift from her brother for her 21st birthday.

Enjar was lying completely still, the only indication that he was alive was his chest rising and falling. The bed was slightly raised, holding him at a slight upward angle. His head was turned, the right side of his face sinking into the pillow, the left covered in a large dressing. You couldn’t see any of his face. Nasal prongs wrapped gently over it, giving him more air as he took small, sleepy breaths.

They sat in silence as a few machines beeped, and the soft, slow breaths that Enjar took calmed Anna a little.

He was alive. Injured, but alive.

Occasionally, Enjar would groan slightly, causing Anna to look up hopefully. Every time, her face would fall, and she would return to staring at the picture.

After an hour, Enjar finally groaned, long and low, inhaling deeply as he turned his head. The right side of his face emerged from the pillow. Anna was scared to see what was under the dressings, but seeing some of the face she recognised comforted her.

He was still there, still Enjar.

She leaned forward, waiting with baited breath as her big brother opened his eye. The other was taped down by the dressing, and Anna could see it moving under the eyelid. His right eye drifted around the room for a while, taking in his surroundings. Eventually, it locked onto Anna, taking her in for a moment, before it clicked.

“Annnnh?” Enjar mumbled, trying to move. Cuffs attached to the bed prevented him from reaching out for her. Anna nodded, the tears already falling as she reached out for her brother’s hand.

“I’m here.”

Enjar flinched as she took his hand, before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. Anna climbed on the bed, straddling her brother and holding him tightly as he began to cry, repeating her name over and over, like he couldn’t believe she was really there.

She stroked his head as he bawled into her shoulder, unsure of how to console him. Enjar’s left hand was gripping her arm at a strange angle in the cuff as he shuddered, the right one with the IV dangling limply by his side. It was badly bruised.

Anna pulled back and brushed the tears from his skin. “What happened to you?” She searched Enjar’s glittering eye as he looked for the words.

“Anna…” Was all he could manage to say before breaking down. “Anna…” He mumbled reaching for her again.

Anna sighed as she leaned in, letting Enjar lay back against the bed before snuggling up next to him. He pressed his face into her chest, shaking badly, so Anna pulled her arm around him, carding her spare hand through his hair.

They stayed like that for a while, until the sobs began to cease, turning into hiccups and then unsteady breaths, Enjar’s hands holding onto Anna’s for dear life.

“I’m here, I’m here…” She whispered. Enjar whined, starting to sob again, but only for a few minutes. Soon, the grip around Anna loosened and Enjar’s body went slack, Anna choosing to press her head brother's chest, listening to his heart beat and breathing, just like when they were kids and she had nightmares, or after she broke up with her boyfriend in high school.

She would be there for him, and he would be there for her too.

Sommer had left the minute he shut the door, Anna knew that. He didn’t care at all that her brother was lying broken in a dark, cold room.

“I’m gonna stay the night, is that okay?”

Stephen nodded. “Yeah, no, I get it. I’ll come pick you whenever, just text me…” He yawned, stretching. “Night, babe. Tell him I said hi.” He leaned over the bed, kissing Anna’s cheek. She was still curled up beside Enjar, who would occasionally twitch and moan, but mostly just lay still, breathing softly.

Anna listened to the door shut, sending the room into almost darkness. She lay beside her sleeping brother, stroking his short, soft hair.

“What did they do to you?” She whispered, looking at his body. Enjar didn’t answer, sighing as she got up from the bed and sat in the chair again. She then rearranged Enjar’s blankets, making sure they were high enough.

She was rummaging through her handbag, looking for something when a tall, blonde man strode in. He didn’t immediately see her, before he flicked on the light, his eyebrows twitching in shock. “Oh… hello…” He sounded surprised, maybe even slightly annoyed.

“I was not informed that you were here, I would have come sooner to introduce myself. Dr Lauge.”

The doctor reached out a hand, Anna tentatively shaking it. “Anna. I’m his sister.”

The doctor nodded, “Of course, Anna. I was told you were coming… I’m just here to do some standard checks, the nurse will change his dressings. I do recommend maybe leaving, his wounds are… confronting to see.” He sounded almost hopeful, but that just made Anna’s stubbornness kick in.

She shook her head. “No. I’ll stay.”

The doctor grimaced slightly, before sighing and nodding.

Anna watched him like a hawk as a nurse came in, switching on the light. Enjar remained still, only jerking when the nurse gently shook him awake. He groaned in annoyance, frowning as he roused, only for his eye to fix on Dr Lauge.

“Hello 6926, I’m just going to-” Enjar pushed himself up, bristling.

“Get out.” He growled. Dr Lauge pursed his lips.

“Get… OUT!” Anna jumped as Enjar roared, jerking in his restraints, like he was lunging at the doctor, his chest heaving as he fumed. “NOW!” He yelled again, his voice cracking as he began to vibrate slightly.

“6926, we have to change your dressings, check your catheter and do some tests. I assure you, it will be as painless as possible.” The doctor had an unsympathetic drawl to his voice as Anna reached over and grabbed his hand.

“I’m here E- I’m here, honey. I won’t let anything happen.” She gave a thunderous glance to the doctor, there must be a reason for Enjar to be acting this way.

Dr Lauge rolled his eyes, looking to the nurse. “Joanna, shall we begin?”

Joanna nodded, preparing the new dressings. They peeled the old ones back, Enjar pushing his head back into the pillow, gasping through gritted teeth. His breathing was fast as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, his arms spasming slightly as the dressings were peeled off his skin.

He winced, groaning in agony as Joanna cleaned the wounds quickly… Almost too quickly.

Anna was holding Enjar’s other hand, which he was gripping painfully hard, watching it quiver and jolt as the pain travelled through him, then she looked over at her brother’s arm.

Her blood went cold as she gazed at the long, deep cuts in her brother’s arms. There were thin strips of skin barely holding the cuts together, looking stretched and pulled. The injuries were scabbed over, blood leaking from cracks in the thick, black scabs. Anna gripped Enjar’s hand harder, rubbing the top of his hand and trying to comfort him.

“Okay, I just need to check some things, then we will get it covered up.” Lauge mumbled. “6926. Can you squeeze my hand?” The doctor took Enjar’s hand, and Anna watched him wince a little as Enjar squeezed it tight.

“Good, point your fingers for me, one by one.”

Enjar complied, seemingly having done this already. How long had he been in here?

“Wonderful, and you can tell me what I’m doing?” Lauge’s fingers danced over Enjar’s index finger.

“Index…” Enjar whispered, his voice ragged, tears leaking from his eyes as he let his head roll back and forth. He was almost delirious with pain, breathless from the agony.

“Stay with me En.” Anna whispered, hoping no one heard her say his name.

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snaillamp · 4 days ago

Note

*strolling up to a counter* Hii, may I please have a 1,2,7/8,6,1/23/25/13 and 4/9? :D

Whumpee: 1 - Leader (couldn't stop myself, I love leader whump too much haha-)

Caretaker: 2 - Right hand

Whumper: oh, what if it's a combination of 8 - mentor and 7 - villain? :O

Dynamics: 6 - team

Tropes: 1 -self sacrifice, 23 - rescue. 25 - buried alive (maybe even 13 - left for the dead, if it works? :O)

Dialouge: 6 -"I can't walk", 9 - "You're still alive"

Thank you very much for making this and I hope I'm not going too crazy, haha (*>w<) Absolutely feel free to get rid of some parts or add additional ones, and not writing this if the inspiration doesn'tcome is completely oke too. :D I think the most important part is that you enjoy the proccess as much as possible ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

Have a wonderful day, virtual hugs and a cookie 💕🍪～(´∀｀～)

Hiii! Glad to see you here hehehe. Turned buried alive to stuck in an underground bunker. Enjoy!

Warnings: Knife, starvation, restrains, delirium(?) -> from this ask game <-

Leader was out of breath. They couldn't run anymore. they were cornered. They hated themselves for not seeing the trap. But how one even prepared for this? To be completely understood by the enemy in tactics and mind?

They stopped absurdly, watching the team from behind. Whumper had figured Leader out, so be it. But there was no way they could understand what Leader would do for their team.

Right Hand noticed first. Of course they did. Leader taught them well. Taught them how to lead. How to protect. To see when sacrifice was needed for survival. And at that moment, all Leader could do was smile bitterly.

I'm so sorry for burdening you so early, they mouthed, before locking the metal door through the alarm. Tech had spent ages to disable it from far, but it was so easy from inside. Leader didn't turn back as Whumper's forces got to the room from the remaining entrance.

"I won't let you get them," they stated. Leader wouldn't lose. Because their goal wasn't their own survival. It was to keep their team alive.

"I never wanted them. They were only obstacles between you and me," Whumper chirped. A shiver ran down Leader's spine, and for the first time in their life, they felt afraid for themselves. The team is safe, they tried to assure themselves. They can't truly hurt me.

Slowly, Leader turned back. There were guns pointed at them, all in safe distances. Leader wasn't fast enough to take on these much armed men out. "If I knew you wanted me that bad, I'd bring you flowers. I'm rather bare at the moment."

Whumper laughed. Not the loud, gloating kind Leader had expected. Quieter. Sincere. Like they were sharing a joke only the two of them understood. But Leader didn't. There were only misunderstandings with someone beyond reqsoning.

“You always were funny when you were terrified.”

Leader didn’t flinch. Even as cold sweat traced down their spine, even as their lungs still burned from the run, they kept their stance casual. They wouldn't fall for such bait. They had to save strength.

“I’m not terrified,” Leader simply said. And perhaps it was that simple. Leader wasn't terrified. Leader had insurance. The agency had a whole will to go over if Leader couldn't find a way out of this hell. The team was in good hands.

Whumper stepped closer. The armed soldiers didn’t move—because they didn’t need to. They were just the net. Whumper was the spider.

“No,” Whumper agreed, tilting their head. “Not yet.”

Leader’s jaw tightened.

“It was a good move,” Whumper went on, gesturing lazily to the locked door behind them. “A little dramatic. But you always were the noble one. I wonder—did they even see you do it? Or will they turn around and just… find you gone?”

Leader didn’t answer.

Whumper stepped closer. They were inside striking distance now, and Leader didn’t move. They couldn’t. Not with so many rifles trained on them. Not when Whumper was baiting them into making the first move.

“I know you, you know,” Whumper said, almost softly. “I know what you fear. What you hide. You didn’t just seal that door to protect them. You sealed it because if you saw the look on their faces - if you saw how much it would break them - you’d hesitate.”

Leader’s throat bobbed. “Stop pretending you understand me.”

“But I do.” Whumper smiled, and it didn’t touch their eyes. “You think you're the one who made your team strong? That you've trained them well enough to keep going? Maybe. But they’ll unravel faster than you think without you. And you know it.”

Leader’s fists clenched. “If you want to kill me, just do it.”

“Oh no,” Whumper murmured. “I want you to fight for your own life for once. No noble sacrifices. No plans. Just you and your will to live.”

And then, without warning, something struck Leader across the head—sharp, hard, and fast.

The world tilted. Leader stumbled, a fist flying over their head. And then they fought. They fought and bled and they tried, more and more people lunging at them and it hurt. Yet they kept fighting because they couldn't surrender. It simply wasn't their nature. They fought for what felt like hours, their body slowly breaking and their limbs aching with backlash. At the end, someone must have gotten bored because Leader froze with a knife to their gut.

They fell.

Whumper taunted. Leader didn't - couldn't - listen. And Whumper got bored finally, leaving Leader there to die by themselves. The last thing they heard before the blackness swallowed them whole was a shadow's voice, soft and pleased:

“You're coming with me.”

-•-

Leader didn't expect to open their eyes again, but they were glad to be proven wrong. Being alive was cold. Their wrists burned from strain and metal restraints, their body sluggish.

Wait, metal restrains?

It took Leader's whole strength to stay stay still, not panic. They were left to die. Did Whumper change their mind? They didn't remember.

Calming themselves as best as they can, Leader tried to understand. They were underground. That much they could tell by the dampness in the air, the silence, the faint scent of old stone and rot. There was no sound of life. Just the dull, echoing drip of water from somewhere, a hum of a generator, maybe

Then came the voice.

Familiar.

Too familiar.

“Well,” said the Villain, calm and amused. “Still alive. Just barely.”

Leader opened their eyes. The world swam, but the face hovering above them sharpened slowly into clarity.

Their former mentor.

“You,” Leader hissed, hate rising like bile.

“Me,” Villain agreed, crouching in front of them, brushing dirt from their shoulder with a touch that made Leader want to flinch. “Dragged you out before your end. You should be grateful.”

“You’re working together now?” At least that would explain why Leader was outsmarted.

A short laugh. “Hardly. I just hate letting people waste potential. Especially mine.”

Leader spat at their feet. “I’m not yours. Not anymore.”

Villain’s eyes cooled. “Still stubborn, then. Good. Let’s see how long that lasts.”

Leader didn’t respond. They didn’t need to. Villain already knew. Just like Whumper. Everyone who ever claimed to understand them did the same thing: they underestimated the line Leader wouldn’t cross just because it would hurt their team.

“You’ll betray them eventually,” Villain said, standing. “When it’s just you. When it’s quiet. When your ribs ache and your mouth is dry and your mind starts to go soft with starvation. You’ll see how little your nobility means. Shout when you change your mind.”

Leader didn’t look at them. Didn’t blink.

So Villain sighed and turned to go.

“Oh, and don’t worry,” they added as a ladder was thrown down. “There’s enough air to last you a while. I’m very precise. I want you to feel the moment you regret everything.”

And with that, they heard metal clang and a valve close.

Darkness swallowed Leader whole.

But they didn’t scream. Didn’t cry.

They closed their eyes.

And breathed.

The team was alive.

That was enough. So they didn't try to check concrete walls like coffin. They didn't try the sealed door. The dark didn’t frighten Leader.

At first.

They had trained for worse. Deprivation drills, isolation chambers, and days without food. It was gifts Villain left Leader with when they were still at agency. They had starved for three days straight in the northern frost during winter. This was nothing.

So they waited. They kept count—of breaths, of heartbeats, of the tiny noises the earth made as it settled around them. The drip of the leak. The faint hum of the generator upstairs that faltered once, then resumed. They watched the dark with open eyes, blinking only when their eyes burned. Watched it as though something would change.

It started with the ache. Deep in the belly, then up through the ribs. A hollowing pain, sharp and raw, that quickly became familiar. At first, Leader tracked time through it. Guessed how much must have passed. They’d breathe through it, shift positions, press hands to their abdomen like that could fool the body into thinking something was there. But nothing ever came. And it hurt. Leader only then remembered the knife. Their dirty shirt was soaked— by what, they couldn't tell. They could only hope it was blood and nothing else.

Eventually, the ache turned to nausea. Then numbness. Then fire again. It circled too often, too rarely. They couldn't grasp the time. But Leader didn't scream. That was important. They couldn’t scream or beg. Not because no one would hear them—but because it would mean giving the dark something. It would mean feeding it with fear, letting it grow teeth.

Water came once. Maybe twice. A slosh from a pipe above, dripping into a bowl they hadn’t noticed before. They drank. First, greedily. Then slowly. Then not at all, because their stomach hurt too much. Hunger was sharper than thirst. It crawled up from the gut, gnawed at the spine, the ribs, the base of the skull. It wasn’t pain anymore. Just… pressure. Then dullness. Then nothing.

Hallucinations came after a lifetime.

At first it was voices—Right Hand calling out, confused. Tech arguing, asking for coordinates. Laughter. Gunfire. They saw light that wasn’t there, shapes flickering in the edges of their eyes. Sometimes they heard the door unlock. It never did. They dreamed, too, but there was no difference between dreams and waking and hallucinating. In one moment, they were holding the team together, barking orders. In the next, they were curled on their side on rough stone, cradling a memory that couldn’t keep them warm.

They stopped moving.

It hurt too much. The muscles refused. Bones ached from pressure and cold and stillness. The restraint around their wrist was forgotten, part of their flesh now. Hunger no longer clawed - it purred. A heavy thing curling up in their gut, whispering that it would all be over soon.

Leader didn’t resist it.

There was no fight to win. Only silence.

Sometimes Leader forgot which way was up until their skull hit stone again. They knew they passed out, because they’d wake in new positions, mouth dry, heart skipping beats like it was confused to still be working.

Sometimes, they thought they spoke. Maybe to Villain. Maybe to Whumper. Maybe to the team. They imagined apologizing. Explaining. Sometimes, just whispering names to remember them in order. They forgot their own once. It came back. Slow. Sticky. Like crawling through wet leaves. They didn't hear their own voice.

They laughed once. It sounded like choking.

Then came the smell of rot. They weren't sure if it came from the cell or their own body. Infection, maybe. The cuffs tore their wrists bloody after too many unconscious jerks.

The first time Villain returned, the light burned. A cold, yellow spill through the opened hatch above, and the ladder clattered down like laughter.

“You’re still alive,” Villain observed, devoid of any other emotion.

Leader didn't lift themselves from the floor. Their voice was foreign, low. “That disappoints you?”

“No,” Villain said lightly, crouching beside them, holding out food. “Still loyal?”

Leader didn’t speak. They only smelled their own blood anyway.

Villain smiled with just the edges of their mouth. “Suit yourself.”

Villain pulled back. They left a bruise that time. Fingers curling around Leader’s face with almost parental intent, thumb pressed just a little too hard against their cheekbone, before slapping as if they were still a naughty intern.

The second visit came after hunger stopped being hunger and became quiet. As if Leader’s body had forgotten to want. Muscles didn’t ache anymore. They simply were not. Time passed. Or didn't.

“You’re not even trying,” they noted. “I expected you to try digging. Scratching. Begging.”

Leader scoffed. Their lips cracked when they spoke. “You taught me well.”

That earned them a sharp kick—not hard enough to kill, just enough to remind. Pain had begun to feel like proof of existence. Leader hissed, curling inward. There was blood again.

“Still no change of heart?”

Silence.

Villain stood. “Then I'm done with you.”

Leader heard the door - hatch - again.

“You don’t have to die for them,” Villain said quietly. “They’re probably already replacing you. You know how fast these things move.”

Leader didn't answer.

“I could pull you out,” Villain offered. “Patch you up. Feed you. Clean you. Give you a new life.”

There was only silence after.

-•-

It started as a tremor.

Leader didn’t believe it at first. The infection had made illusions out of smaller things. Phantom footsteps, rescue teams that were only echoes of memory. But this… this vibration was different.

Real.

A scrape above. Then, a clatter. Stone against stone. Something shifted. The sealed lid, too heavy to dream of moving, began to Leak light. The pressure changed. Subtle, but it hit Leader like a gasp of fresh breath.

A second passed. Then another. Then, the lid pushed aside with a strained grunt. Dust fell in sheets. The beam of a flashlight broke into the cell.

Then—

Leader blinked against the white glare, breath stuck on their throat.

Not Villain. Not a hallucination.

It was Right Hand..

Right Hand dropped something—metal clanking against stone. A ladder. The shaft shook as they half-fell down , then knelt beside them. A warm hand brushed gently under Leader’s jaw, lifting their head.

“Leader. Hey. Look at me.” Their voice was rough, breaking. Why were they crying? “I’ve got you. We’ve got you. You're safe now.”

Leader’s eyes rolled back in their head. They forced them open again. Right Hand was still there. Still real.

“Right Hand…” Leader murmured, almost a question, an apology they had to get put of their chest.

“Shhh.” Right Hand cradled them, pushing away the thoughts and cold from Leader.. “You’re going to be okay, Leader. I’ve got you. Just hold on.”

Leader tried to push themselves up, but their body didn’t obey. Their limbs were stiff, like they had forgotten how to move, how to function. They had to get up, wanted to get up. Villain could come back. They would come back and then Right Hand would be defenceless with Leader burdening them.

“I… I can’t… walk,” Leader whispered, not registering the words. Their paranoia was supposed to stay inside. But they couldn't stop themselves. “I can’t…”

They were trembling. Their body was growing heavier with each passing moment, as though gravity itself had decided to weigh them down. They were a wreck and a burden, all the things they didn't want to br.

Right Hand’s hand came to their forehead. Cold. Leader leaned towards the cold. Their thoughts dissolved.

“I know,” Right Hand said softly. “I’m not asking you to walk. I’m carrying you.”

Leader opened their mouth to protest, to tell Right Hand not to risk it, but the words didn't come. They couldn’t make sense of what they wanted to say anymore.

“Hey. Look at me,” Right Hand said, their voice gentle but commanding. “Look at me.”

Leader’s eyes struggled to focus, but there was something in Right Hand’s gaze that grounded them. Thr cold hand left their forehead for a moment, but next their wrists were free. They didn't know - or care - how. Then the handover to their back.

“You’re gonna be alright, I promise,” Right Hand continued, voice steady.

Leader nodded—or maybe twitched. It didn’t matter. Right Hand moved fast, looping one arm under their shoulders and the other under their knees, lifting with a grunt. Leader hissed through their teeth. It felt like tearing open their stomach again.

“Sorry. I’m sorry,” Right Hand muttered. “You’re light as hell. That’s not a compliment.”

Leader wanted to laugh at that, but the sound that came out was closer to a gasp. The pain was distant now, muffled like sound underwater. The world swam as Right Hand cradled them close, navigating the narrow shaft with slow, careful steps. Each jolt sent pain ricocheting through their bones, but they clung to consciousness, focusing on Right Hand’s breathing, the steady rhythm of it. Not a hallucination. Not a dream. Real.

There was shouting above. Muffled. Urgent. Tech’s voice. Sharp, commanding.

“Exit’s not secure—we’ve got three minutes tops!”

“Medical’s ready, just get them up!”

The light widened. Then warmth hit Leader's skin—real warmth. Flashlight? Sunlight? They couldn’t tell, but it was not the dark. Leader sucked in a breath that didn’t taste like mold and rot. Their lungs burned with fresh air. Their vision blurred again, but it wasn’t darkness that swallowed them this time—it was too much light.

They were passed off—hands under their back, people murmuring, equipment beeping. They were floating. No, being carried again. Blankets. Needles. Medic's voice was too close.

“What did they do to you…” Youngest murmured, but Leader couldn’t answer. Their throat was raw, and everything ached. They blinked once. Twice.

Then everything went quiet.

-•-

The next time they woke, it was in a clean cot. The scent of antiseptic hung in the air. Wires ran to their wrist. Tubes. Machines. But no restraints. No stone. No rot.

Right Hand had was asleep sitting upright, a data tablet slipping from their fingers. Their head rested awkwardly against the wall, neck bent too far.

Leader tried to speak, but only managed a croak. Right Hand startled awake anyway.

“Leader,” they said, instantly alert. “You’re up. Hey. Hey. Don’t move, you’re still—”

“Team?” Leader rasped, eyes barely open.

“We’re fine. All of us. We regrouped. We found you.” Right Hand’s voice cracked on that last word. “Took too damn long, but we did.”

Leader stared at them, struggling to speak. “You saw. At the door. I—”

“I know.” Right Hand leaned in, their voice quieter now. “I know why you did it. We don’t blame you. Just… angry at your crazy stunts.”

Silence settled between them, heavy but not painful. Alive was good. Together was better. And everything was alright if they had the luxury to be angry.

Leader closed their eyes for a moment. “Villain?”

“Gone. Retreated when they realized we were coming. Coward with an attachment complex.” Right Hand paused. “They won’t get near you again.”

Leader turned their head slightly. “Was I gone long?”

Right Hand hesitated. “Eighteen days there. Another week in Medbay”

Leader blinked. That long. That short. It didn’t matter anymore.

“You held on,” Right Hand added, softer now. “No one believed you would’ve made it through that. But you did.”

Leader breathed in. Deep. Shaky. Tried to piece together. But their thoughts slipped.

“I’m sorry,” Leader said finally.

“For what?” Right Hand asked, eyebrows pulling together.

“For putting you in my place,” Leader whispered. “For leaving.”

“You didn’t leave us,” Right Hand said defensively. “You saved us. And now we’ll look after you. That’s how this works. We carry each other.”

Leader only smiled.

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