[DBtT] Chapter 26
Title: Dreaming Back to This
Rating: R
Genre: AU, sci-fi, suspense
Chapter: Reasons and Excuses (26/?)
Pairings: YooMin, HoSuJae
Summary: Changmin's running from a past he can't forget. Yoochun's running towards a future he can't see. Two people, seemingly on separate paths, collide. What starts in dreams…
Warnings: Graphic torture
Notes: *sighs, shrugs* Same notes as usual, I suppose. This chap's a little bit shorter, but the last two were a bit longer so it all evens out. XP
Previous: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24 , Chapter 25
Chapter 26: Reasons and Excuses
Yoochun wakes slowly, grasping onto the threads of what he and Jaejoong had talked about. He'd never really considered himself as the source of those dreams, but Jaejoong had made some good points. If it's true, though, if Yoochun really does have this power… Maybe he can find some way to manipulate it and make it work in their favor. "We've got a lot of work to do then," he murmurs, lost in thought.
"Yoochun?"
His head snaps up to find Junsu staring at him from the next bed, the space between them just large enough for a small bedside table. "Oh, hey. How long have you been up?" Yoochun slurs out, little more than half-awake.
"Long enough to hear you talking to yourself," Junsu quips. He grins as Yoochun rubs his eyes. "Yunho went out to dig up breakfast from somewhere. Coffee's already brewing." He gestures to the machine on the corner of the dresser across from their two double beds. They'd found a small motel just down the street from Tessa's hospital, cheap and cramped but relatively clean. It's not home, but none of them had been entirely sure they'd be safe back in their own apartments yet.
Yoochun pushes himself up, kicking the blankets off his legs, and crosses the few steps to the coffee pot. He knows Junsu's waiting for an explanation, but he definitely needs his caffeine for this one. Filling one of the complimentary paper cups, he takes a moment to just breathe in the aroma before taking a slow sip. The heat rushes down his throat to sit warm comfort in his stomach, and Yoochun already feels more awake. "I talked to Min last night," he says without facing Junsu, hearing the other boy gasp. "And then, a couple hours later, I talked to Jae."
The room goes silent; Junsu isn't even shifting around on his bed anymore. Considering that the boy usually can't hold still to save his life, it's almost worrying. Yoochun turns around to see Junsu staring at him with wide eyes. "They're… they're okay, right? I mean, they weren't…" He trails off, not entirely sure how he wants to finish his questions anyway.
The look on Yoochun's face doesn't necessarily reassure him. "Jae was fine. Maybe a little bit thinner, a little bit scared of course, but he wasn't injured or anything. Min, though…" He breaks off, unable to continue speaking through the lump in his throat. He takes a few deep breaths, but they don't do much to help. When he starts speaking again, the tears fall down his cheeks. "God, he was a mess, Su. I… I don't even know what they've been doing to him to get to that level of damage. He was so…" And then he can't continue anymore, his tears choking off his words completely.
Junsu sits on the bed, one hand over his mouth in shock. After a moment, his other hand reaches out towards Yoochun. The older boy hesitates for just a second before walking forward into Junsu's embrace. He sobs against Junsu's chest, letting out all the heartbreak and helplessness he'd kept at bay with Jaejoong and Changmin.
Yoochun's cries start subsiding a few minutes later just as Yunho gets back, a box of assorted pastries in hand and a confused crease on his brow. "He talked to Minnie last night," Junsu offers as explanation. "And Jae. At different times."
Yoochun raises his head from Junsu's shoulder and forces a half-hearted, watery smile at Yunho. Realization dawns on Yunho's face, followed not long after by more confusion. He sets the box next to the coffee machine almost mindlessly, keeping his focus on the two boys on the bed. "Different times? But… if Min was the one controlling the dreams, how is that possible?"
Junsu blinks. "I hadn't even thought about that part yet."
They both look at Yoochun, and he huffs. "I don't know. Jae thinks it might be me, some kind of power we didn't even notice until now. It makes sense, I guess, but at the same time…" A shrug. "I don't know. I'm guessing we'll just have to do some experimenting, figure out if it's true or not. And if it is, how that might help us."
~*~~*~
They'd given him about a day and a half to recover before Changmin found himself back in what he's come to call the "experiment room." Jaejoong had spent that day and a half tearing his t-shirt into pieces, soaking them in what water they had, and laying those over the burns on Changmin's back. And then they'd come and taken Changmin away again.
He hadn't even been drugged this time; he was barely conscious, less than capable of even forming the thought of fighting back. They dropped him into the same chair, and he'd been slumped there ever since. "Changmin? Look at me, Changmin." He raises his head slowly to meet the doctor's eyes through the protective glass. "We made some good progress the other day, Changmin, so we're going to try to maintain that momentum, okay?"
The door to Changmin's room opens again, and another boy stumbles into the room, obviously pushed by someone outside Changmin's line of sight. The boy looks up and Changmin's eyes widen. "Kangdae?"
Kangdae's own eyes widen, and he turns to look at the window. "No. No, this is not what I signed up for! You told me he'd be okay, that you wouldn't hurt him!" He throws himself at the thick glass, slamming his fists against it over and over as tears drip down his cheeks. The doctor simply watches, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Blood starts to streak the window. "Kangdae," Changmin whispers. He clears his throat and tries again, a little louder. "Kangdae, just stop. They don't care, and they're not going to listen to you."
Kangdae deflates, hunching over as he slowly turns around to face Changmin again. He cries, obviously on the edge of hysterical sobbing. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Changmin. I know it doesn't make up for… god, all of this. But they said that they weren't going to hurt you! I promise. If I'd known, I never would have done what I did."
Changmin attempts to flash him a reassuring smile, but it comes out as more of a grimace. "Why'd you do it anyway, Kangdae? You knew what they wanted from me, so why would you do that?"
Sighing as he slides down the wall to sit on the floor, Kangdae attempts to find the words to explain. "My baby sister's here, too. I don't think I ever told you that. She just turned nine a few weeks ago. And… they threatened her. They told me they'd hurt her, kill her if they had to, unless I agreed to bring you back. And I couldn't- I promised my parents I'd take care of her, you know? And they told me they wouldn't hurt you, so I just… did it."
As his eyes start to drift closed, Changmin's head falls forward until his chin rests on his chest. "I guess… I can't be too mad. With a reason like that," he says, just barely above a whisper. He can feel the edges of his consciousness fading out with sheer exhaustion; he just wants to rest, not deal with these heavy discussions. The sound of the door opening to the other room filters through the haze, but he doesn’t pay too much attention to it.
Until the doctor's voice comes on over the intercom again. "Changmin? You might want to sit up and pay attention for this." Perhaps it's the slight edge of gleeful satisfaction in his tone; Changmin gives a small shake of his head and attempts to follow the doctor's instructions. Peeling his eyes open again as he raises his head, Changmin focuses on the movement on the other side of the glass. And his heart drops out.
Jaejoong, strapped to a gurney. Not panicked, not scared. At least, not for himself. Instead, the expression in his eyes seems to be heartbroken, apologetic as he looks through the window to meet Changmin's gaze. Changmin continues staring as the doctor attaches pads and wires to strategic point on Jaejoong's arms, his legs, his temples.
It's all too familiar to Changmin, too reminiscent of a treatment he'd been through far too many times before his first escape. One of the things they'd always been sure to keep him completely aware and conscious for. He can still remember every moment the electro-shock machine shot waves of agony through his every pore. And he can only think he will do anything they ask to spare Jaejoong the same memories.
//Chapter 27//
Rating: R
Genre: AU, sci-fi, suspense
Chapter: Reasons and Excuses (26/?)
Pairings: YooMin, HoSuJae
Summary: Changmin's running from a past he can't forget. Yoochun's running towards a future he can't see. Two people, seemingly on separate paths, collide. What starts in dreams…
Warnings: Graphic torture
Notes: *sighs, shrugs* Same notes as usual, I suppose. This chap's a little bit shorter, but the last two were a bit longer so it all evens out. XP
Previous: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24 , Chapter 25
Chapter 26: Reasons and Excuses
Yoochun wakes slowly, grasping onto the threads of what he and Jaejoong had talked about. He'd never really considered himself as the source of those dreams, but Jaejoong had made some good points. If it's true, though, if Yoochun really does have this power… Maybe he can find some way to manipulate it and make it work in their favor. "We've got a lot of work to do then," he murmurs, lost in thought.
"Yoochun?"
His head snaps up to find Junsu staring at him from the next bed, the space between them just large enough for a small bedside table. "Oh, hey. How long have you been up?" Yoochun slurs out, little more than half-awake.
"Long enough to hear you talking to yourself," Junsu quips. He grins as Yoochun rubs his eyes. "Yunho went out to dig up breakfast from somewhere. Coffee's already brewing." He gestures to the machine on the corner of the dresser across from their two double beds. They'd found a small motel just down the street from Tessa's hospital, cheap and cramped but relatively clean. It's not home, but none of them had been entirely sure they'd be safe back in their own apartments yet.
Yoochun pushes himself up, kicking the blankets off his legs, and crosses the few steps to the coffee pot. He knows Junsu's waiting for an explanation, but he definitely needs his caffeine for this one. Filling one of the complimentary paper cups, he takes a moment to just breathe in the aroma before taking a slow sip. The heat rushes down his throat to sit warm comfort in his stomach, and Yoochun already feels more awake. "I talked to Min last night," he says without facing Junsu, hearing the other boy gasp. "And then, a couple hours later, I talked to Jae."
The room goes silent; Junsu isn't even shifting around on his bed anymore. Considering that the boy usually can't hold still to save his life, it's almost worrying. Yoochun turns around to see Junsu staring at him with wide eyes. "They're… they're okay, right? I mean, they weren't…" He trails off, not entirely sure how he wants to finish his questions anyway.
The look on Yoochun's face doesn't necessarily reassure him. "Jae was fine. Maybe a little bit thinner, a little bit scared of course, but he wasn't injured or anything. Min, though…" He breaks off, unable to continue speaking through the lump in his throat. He takes a few deep breaths, but they don't do much to help. When he starts speaking again, the tears fall down his cheeks. "God, he was a mess, Su. I… I don't even know what they've been doing to him to get to that level of damage. He was so…" And then he can't continue anymore, his tears choking off his words completely.
Junsu sits on the bed, one hand over his mouth in shock. After a moment, his other hand reaches out towards Yoochun. The older boy hesitates for just a second before walking forward into Junsu's embrace. He sobs against Junsu's chest, letting out all the heartbreak and helplessness he'd kept at bay with Jaejoong and Changmin.
Yoochun's cries start subsiding a few minutes later just as Yunho gets back, a box of assorted pastries in hand and a confused crease on his brow. "He talked to Minnie last night," Junsu offers as explanation. "And Jae. At different times."
Yoochun raises his head from Junsu's shoulder and forces a half-hearted, watery smile at Yunho. Realization dawns on Yunho's face, followed not long after by more confusion. He sets the box next to the coffee machine almost mindlessly, keeping his focus on the two boys on the bed. "Different times? But… if Min was the one controlling the dreams, how is that possible?"
Junsu blinks. "I hadn't even thought about that part yet."
They both look at Yoochun, and he huffs. "I don't know. Jae thinks it might be me, some kind of power we didn't even notice until now. It makes sense, I guess, but at the same time…" A shrug. "I don't know. I'm guessing we'll just have to do some experimenting, figure out if it's true or not. And if it is, how that might help us."
~*~~*~
They'd given him about a day and a half to recover before Changmin found himself back in what he's come to call the "experiment room." Jaejoong had spent that day and a half tearing his t-shirt into pieces, soaking them in what water they had, and laying those over the burns on Changmin's back. And then they'd come and taken Changmin away again.
He hadn't even been drugged this time; he was barely conscious, less than capable of even forming the thought of fighting back. They dropped him into the same chair, and he'd been slumped there ever since. "Changmin? Look at me, Changmin." He raises his head slowly to meet the doctor's eyes through the protective glass. "We made some good progress the other day, Changmin, so we're going to try to maintain that momentum, okay?"
The door to Changmin's room opens again, and another boy stumbles into the room, obviously pushed by someone outside Changmin's line of sight. The boy looks up and Changmin's eyes widen. "Kangdae?"
Kangdae's own eyes widen, and he turns to look at the window. "No. No, this is not what I signed up for! You told me he'd be okay, that you wouldn't hurt him!" He throws himself at the thick glass, slamming his fists against it over and over as tears drip down his cheeks. The doctor simply watches, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Blood starts to streak the window. "Kangdae," Changmin whispers. He clears his throat and tries again, a little louder. "Kangdae, just stop. They don't care, and they're not going to listen to you."
Kangdae deflates, hunching over as he slowly turns around to face Changmin again. He cries, obviously on the edge of hysterical sobbing. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Changmin. I know it doesn't make up for… god, all of this. But they said that they weren't going to hurt you! I promise. If I'd known, I never would have done what I did."
Changmin attempts to flash him a reassuring smile, but it comes out as more of a grimace. "Why'd you do it anyway, Kangdae? You knew what they wanted from me, so why would you do that?"
Sighing as he slides down the wall to sit on the floor, Kangdae attempts to find the words to explain. "My baby sister's here, too. I don't think I ever told you that. She just turned nine a few weeks ago. And… they threatened her. They told me they'd hurt her, kill her if they had to, unless I agreed to bring you back. And I couldn't- I promised my parents I'd take care of her, you know? And they told me they wouldn't hurt you, so I just… did it."
As his eyes start to drift closed, Changmin's head falls forward until his chin rests on his chest. "I guess… I can't be too mad. With a reason like that," he says, just barely above a whisper. He can feel the edges of his consciousness fading out with sheer exhaustion; he just wants to rest, not deal with these heavy discussions. The sound of the door opening to the other room filters through the haze, but he doesn’t pay too much attention to it.
Until the doctor's voice comes on over the intercom again. "Changmin? You might want to sit up and pay attention for this." Perhaps it's the slight edge of gleeful satisfaction in his tone; Changmin gives a small shake of his head and attempts to follow the doctor's instructions. Peeling his eyes open again as he raises his head, Changmin focuses on the movement on the other side of the glass. And his heart drops out.
Jaejoong, strapped to a gurney. Not panicked, not scared. At least, not for himself. Instead, the expression in his eyes seems to be heartbroken, apologetic as he looks through the window to meet Changmin's gaze. Changmin continues staring as the doctor attaches pads and wires to strategic point on Jaejoong's arms, his legs, his temples.
It's all too familiar to Changmin, too reminiscent of a treatment he'd been through far too many times before his first escape. One of the things they'd always been sure to keep him completely aware and conscious for. He can still remember every moment the electro-shock machine shot waves of agony through his every pore. And he can only think he will do anything they ask to spare Jaejoong the same memories.
//Chapter 27//