Fic for lilacs_roses Part2
Recipient: lilacs_roses
Author: TBA
Disclaimer: Author doesn't own the show or the characters and isn't making any profit.
Title: The Company We Keep (Part2)
Pairing: Ian/Don
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Graphic consensual sex, violence, language, intravenous drug usage, disturbing imagery
Summary: Just as Don and Ian get a handle on their relationship, something happens that could tear them apart for good.
Author Note: I borrowed a character… or at least the idea (and name), if you recognize it, then it likely isn’t mine.
PART TWO
****
Three days later, Don and his team were no closer to finding Ian. They’d succeeded in tracking down his handler, a broad shouldered man with watery blue eyes and almost no neck. He’d shown up after Colby and David tried unsuccessfully to access some of Ian’s sealed files. He introduced himself as Major Daniels and had taken an almost immediate dislike to Don. The dislike had solidified into something uglier when he caught on to the relationship Don shared with Ian.
Since then, Don’s team had been trying to figure out who might have taken Ian by sorting through the files Daniels had reluctantly handed over, while doing their best to keep their boss from taking a swing at him.
“Daniels. This is pointless. These files are useless to us if half the relevant information is blacked out!” Don snarled angrily, shoving a file in the taller man’s face.
Daniels sneered back. “Does the word ‘classified’ not mean anything to you? You’re wasting your time and mine anyway. None of these men could have touched Edgerton here. You’re barking up the wrong tree. You don’t even have any solid proof Edgerton was snatched anyway.”
“We found security feed of him getting clocked with a lead pipe and dragged into a van! Are you stupid?” Don questioned incredulously, throwing the useless file back onto the conference room table. “What more proof do you want?”
Daniels rolled his eyes. “Edgerton’s a highly trained government asset. He can handle himself. He hasn’t missed his usual check in yet, and I saw that tape. You can’t even tell that it’s him from that tape. For all we know, Edgerton fucked off for the week and went hunting or whatever the hell he does. Just because he didn’t check in with his boytoy first doesn’t constitute an emergency.”
“So the fact that he went missing from the same area, at the same time is coincidence?” Don asked, ignoring the jibe. “That’s convenient.”
“What about the fact that he’s not the only person to have gone missing? Huh? How do you explain that?” Colby questioned, storming into the conference room.
David was following close behind. He laid down two pictures on the table. “Sergeant Wilkes. EOD. Corporal Hunt. Also a sniper.”
Don looked at the pictures of the two soldiers. The first was a photograph likely pulled from a personnel file. The second however, was a crime scene photo, post mortem. Don stared for a long moment before glancing at Daniels. He didn’t look nearly surprised enough for Don’s liking. “You knew… You knew there were other unexplained disappearances and you didn’t see fit to mention it?!”
“We had no reason to think these cases were linked.” Daniels denied.
“As of now, you do.” A new voice rang out.
Don looked up to see a nondescript looking man in a very black suit being escorted in by Megan.
The man spoke with an air of authority. No one missed the way Daniels straightened as he entered. “As you can see Major, the situation has change now that we’ve recovered Corporal Hunt’s body.”
“In what way?” Daniels questioned.
Don interrupted before the man could answer. “I’m sorry, but who the hell are you?”
The man smiled benignly. “I do apologize Agent Eppes. How terribly rude of me. My name is Lynch.”
When no more information seemed forthcoming, Don opened his mouth to respond.
Megan cut off his impending explosion by chiming in. “Don. He’s Ian’s boss. Well. One of them I guess. Not just his handler,” she glared at Daniels. “You’ll want to hear what he has to say.”
A small smile touched Lynch’s face. “Thank you. As I said, Corporal Hunt’s recovery has changed the situation. His autopsy gave us some insight as to the reason behind these disappearances.”
Don ground his teeth together. “And that would be?”
“Terrorism,” Lynch returned evenly.
Don’s eyes bulged.
“The Corporal was found with several injections marks on his body. Autopsy revealed he had been injected with Sodium Amytal, Scopolamine, Versed, Mescaline, and a mixture of amphetamines and barbiturates.” Megan added. “In addition to being able to cause cardiac failure, as was the case in Hunt’s death, these drugs have all been known to have effects on the mind. The combination could alter memory, levels of consciousness, feelings of pain, and…”
“They’ve tried to use those drugs as mind controllers.” Colby cut in, sounding horrified. “We learned about those drugs in S.E.R.E. training.”
Don shook his head in disbelief. “What are you saying? Why-”
“Corporal Hunt was a natural talent. He was quickly becoming one of the most highly decorated snipers we have. Now he’s dead.” Lynch stated. “They have Edgerton now, who is one of the few men on the planet who could outshoot him. The other man still missing - Sergeant Wilkes? He’s the one you call in to disable bombs when no one else can manage it. Those two men, in enemy hands… Pumped full of those drugs? Are capable of anything.”
“Who could have done this?” Don questioned.
Lynch arched a brow. “The list is longer that you might wish to believe…. Fortunately though, there are few with the resources to actually be able to pull it off. Even fewer with the ability to do so on domestic soil.”
“So you’ve got a lead on Ian?” Don questioned, feeling a spark of hope.
Lynch inclined his head. “The fact that Edgerton was reported missing as rapidly as you did, bodes well for his safe return. What concerns me is that other assets were missing for as long as a month before we knew,” at that his gaze turned pointedly to Daniels.
Daniels snorted and snidely remarked, “Guess there are perks to boning a Fed on the side. Maybe we should make it company policy. What do you say Eppes, mind spreading your legs for a couple more of Uncle Sam’s finest?”
“Fuck you.” Don snarled from his seat. Only Colby’s firm grip on his shoulders prevented him from leaping up and hitting the man.
“No thanks, I’m afraid queers like you and Edgerton are the only ones who get off on that,” Daniels taunted.
This time even Colby’s strong grip could not withstand Don’s anger. He broke free and fisted Daniels’ suit jacket, slamming him into the wall. Daniels reacted swiftly, punching Don hard in the gut. David and Colby leapt forward into the fray, attempting to pull the two men apart.
“Enough!” Lynch’s raised voice rang out like a shot. “If you gentlemen are quite finished, I believe there is work to be done. We still have two men to find, before they end up dead or worse.”
At that remark, Don slumped in Colby’s grasp, the rage giving way to a sense of hopeless frustration at the reminder of Ian’s captivity.
Daniels shrugged out of David’s grasp, readjusting his suit jacket with a superior look on his face. “I agree completely.” He turned to Lynch. “The sooner we get out of this office, the sooner we can put this whole mess behind us.”
Don straightened at that. “Wait just a minute. What do you mean out of this office? This is our case! Ian is an FBI Agent! That makes it our jurisdiction!”
At that, Lynch reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded document. “I’m afraid not, Agent Eppes.” He looked remorseful as he continued. “This case goes far beyond your scope.”
Megan grabbed the documents when Don refused too, standing with his arms crossed defiantly. He didn’t like the look that settled on her face as she read.
“You can’t be serious!” she exclaimed. “This is a gag order!”
Colby gaped. “What? If you can’t find them, you just want it swept under the rug?”
“You can imagine how news of top trained snipers and munitions experts going missing could be unsettling… particularly in light of the apparent terrorist aims of their kidnappers.” Lynch said carefully. “We feel it prudent not to induce an unnecessary environment of panic.”
“Unnecessary?!” David exclaimed incredulously.
Lynch ignored the team’s protest, instead focusing on Don’s ashen face, correctly interpreting the look as something beyond infuriated. “Agent Eppes. You can be assured that we wish for Agent Edgerton’s safe return as much as you do. We have resources beyond what your office is capable of. Also…. Given the personal nature of your relationship, I can’t in good conscience allow you to continue on as part of this investigation.”
Megan, Colby, and David all braced themselves for the inevitable explosion. They were then shocked when Don slumped into a chair instead and sighed in resignation.
“If he dies, I’m holding you personally responsible.” Don said quietly, locking eyes with Lynch.
Lynch nodded, solemnly. “I will do everything in my power to make sure it doesn’t come to that, Agent Eppes.” He beckoned to Daniels and then strode purposefully out of the bullpen. Daniels trailed behind.
Three sets of eyes followed them to the elevators. Once they disappeared from view, the focus was on Don instead.
“Gag order, huh?” Don questioned, looking up at Megan.
“ ’Fraid so.”
“I guess that’s it then.” Don stood slowly, wearily. “Look, I appreciate your help guys, but it’s out of our hands now. I’m going home.”
The other agents watched in stunned silence as their boss strode past them and out of the office.
Colby was the first to break the silence, staring after Don in total disbelief. “Did that just happen?”
Megan thought about it for a moment before shaking her head, a wry grin crossing her face. “When have you ever known Don to back down that easily?”
“Ah, that would be never.” David replied. Colby asked the question they all were thinking.
“So then what the hell is he up to?”
Megan shrugged “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
****
When Ian woke next, he was shocked to find Don’s lifeless form spread out feet first before him.
“NO!” Ian screamed, jerking forward in his chair, furiously trying to escape the bonds that held him and reach his lover. He only succeeded in toppling over the chair and cracking his skull against the hard concrete floor. He barely noticed though, in his desperate quest to reach Don’s side.
“Don! Don, please! Get up. Get up!” Ian begged, trying to scoot forward despite his restraints. Don didn’t move. “Don’t be dead. Please, no….”
Ian watched for the rise and fall of Don’s chest, to no avail. “No, no, no…” he moaned, eyes trailing farther up Don’s lifeless corpse. He jerked back in horror as his eyes came to rest on the back of Don’s head.
Or at least what remained of it.
Bits of skull and brain matter coated the floor. Dark red blood oozed from a great black hole at the base of Don’s skull. Whatever had hit Don had taken off nearly half of his head. Ian was well acquainted with the variety of weapon that could cause such an injury.
“It’s a perfect kill shot isn’t it?” an eerie, choked off voice questioned. Ian recognized the voice instantly. Involuntarily, his body began to tremble and shake.
He watched in utter terror as Don’s lifeless corpse suddenly jerked, the head twisting grotesquely towards Ian so that he could see the perfect round bullet hole straight through what remained of the right eye socket. Don’s mouth curved into a mockery of his brilliant smile. “Isn’t that what you’d call it? A perfect kill?”
Ian lurched back as much as he was able, muttering in a low fearful mantra. “This isn’t possible. You’re not real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real. IT ISN’T REAL!”
Despite his words, it was hard to convince himself when Don awkwardly lurched to his feet, bearing down on Ian, raging in his face. “Why can’t this be real? You shot me! You killed me! YOU!”
“No, no, no. NOOO!” Ian shouted out in protest. He wouldn’t have. He couldn’t. “Not Don. No. No.”
Don’s dark, mocking laughter rang in his ears. It was almost physically painful to hear. Ian wanted to die.
“Yes. Yes. Buried a bullet right through my skull,” Don’s voice taunted, his remaining eye scornfully glaring at Ian’s huddled form.
Ian shut his eyes, trying to will away the grotesque scene before him. “I didn’t. I didn’t,” he choked out, praying to a God he’d long since believed in that when he opened them again, this abomination before him would be gone.
His eyes opened.
“Oh but you did.” Don rasped, reaching out towards Ian’s face. “Shot a bullet straight through here,” he sneered, shoving his thumb straight into Ian’s eye.
Ian screamed as blinding pain tore through his skull and spread to every nerve ending in his body. He writhed and shook against the cold concrete, unable to escape the agony. He screamed and screamed until his voice was raw from pain and anguish, mind no longer capable of separating reality from illusion.
The tortuous sensations continued on for what felt like an eternity, the feelings of physical pain only trumped by the mental torment as visions of battles and shootings played out in Ian’s mind. Memories and secret fears, nightmares and self-doubt all melded together.
Friends and foes visited his waking dreams, each one condemning him as a monster.
A choked off sob was the last noise Ian made before lapsing back into unconsciousness.
****
Megan wanted to know what was going on with her boss. His reaction to being pulled off Ian's case was completely out-of-character. She knew there had to be more to it, but Don had been ducking her calls since and she was running out of ideas. Fortunately though, she knew a genuis that tended to be handy when fresh ideas were otherwise in short supply.
When she walked into Charlie’s office at CalSci, Megan was surprised to find him sitting at his desk rather than scribbling away at a chalkboard.
“You okay Charlie?”
Charlie shrugged, pushing away from his desk to face Megan, a troubled look on his face. “You’ve got older sisters, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You ever snoop in their stuff when you were little?” Charlie asked.
Megan smirked. “Of course.”
“Yeah,” Charlie grinned back weakly. “Not sure anything pissed Don off more than that.”
“He’s a pretty private person.” Megan commented neutrally, sensing he was going somewhere with this.
“And yet he came in here hours ago, threw down the personnel file of a man that he’s been sleeping with, and tells me to do whatever I can to help find him.” Charlie finished.
“Have you looked through it yet?” Megan questioned, resisting looking at the clock.
Charlie frowned at her. “Of course I have. I could probably timeline Ian’s whole life based on that file. I know his official kill count. His unofficial count. His blood type. Social security number. Last three addresses. The date of his last physical exam. Emergency contact information… Of course that one was easy, since I already knew my own brother’s phone number.”
Megan frowned sympathetically. “Charlie….”
“No.” Charlie stopped her. “It isn’t right. I wasn’t supposed to find out like this. I shouldn’t know this stuff about Ian… About Don. He wouldn’t want me to, but he let me anyway because he thinks I can help…”
“There’s nothing in the file you can use, is there?” Megan questioned, trying hard not to let the disappointment shine through in her voice. This case was turning hopeless.
“Nothing.” Charlie confirmed. “And all this doesn’t even make sense. These drugs…” Charlie gestured wildly to the autopsy report for Corporal Hunt. “They make you hallucinate. The US tried these experiments back in the fifties. They don’t work for mind control. They never have.”
“What else could they be trying to do then Charlie?”
“Well… The only even mildly useful application for this combination of drugs has been as a truth serum…. But that doesn’t even make sense! Ian doesn’t ever know more than he’s told for these missions. Neither did either of these other soldiers. They all get their orders from Daniels. And even he doesn’t have all the intel. That comes from Lynch!”
Megan stopped Charlie at that. “Wait. Charlie! That’s it. I was the one who first spoke with Lynch. He said he never leaves Washington. That it was only because Daniels screwed up that he was here! He’s the one that they would want. They’re after Lynch!”
Charlie’s face paled. “Megan. If that is the case, they’d need an inside man. Someone that knows who Lynch is. I mean… That probably isn’t even his real name.”
“Daniels.” Megan said decisively. “He’s the only one it could be. He’s been doing his best to screw up our investigation. Antagonizing Don. We thought he was just an ass, but he was able to cut us out of the investigation without raising any alarms. He left with Lynch hours ago!”
“We need to call Don.” Charlie said urgently. “You know where he went?” Megan questioned. Charlie smirked, already dialing a number.
“He planted a tracker on Daniels. Said he had a bad feeling about the guy. We just need to let him know he was right.”
****
Ian woke up in a great deal of pain. He had the sense though that he wasn’t alone anymore. The room felt like it was on fire.
“The great Ian Edgerton. Sniper legend. Bastard son of Clint Eastwood and Yoda.”
Ian struggled to focus on the voice. Was it real? Was it another twisted hallucination? He couldn’t tell. The voice sounded familiar, but then again they all did.
“Look at you now. Pathetic.”
Ian struggled against the bonds that held him. This voice meant him harm. That he was sure of. It was useless though. He’d been trapped for hours. Maybe days. He hadn’t been able to break free yet and he felt weak. Tired. He could here shots fired in the distance. Something was happening.
“Don’t get too excited, Edge. This isn’t a rescue. We’re just cleaning house.”
Suddenly, the voice clicked. Ian did recognize it. Major Daniels. Why was he here? An icy cold feeling surged through Ian. He tried to reign in the overwhelming sense of betrayal. It couldn’t be.
“This isn’t real,” Ian choked out.
A harsh laugh greeted his ears. “You just keep telling yourself that, man. See how it works out for you.”
Daniels then withdrew a gun from his shoulder holster and Ian flinched as cold steel pressed firmly against his forehead. This certainly felt real…
“Major Daniels! What are you doing?!” a second voice rang out.
Ian couldn’t bring himself to look past the hand holding the gun trained on him.
“I’m finishing this!”
Ian heard the gun cock, then two shots rang out in quick succession. His chair toppled over. Loud noises. Shouting. He felt nothing.
Then his face was being roughly jerked to the side. Warm brown eyes stared back at him.
Ian jerked away. The last time he’d seen those eyes, only pain and torture had followed.
“You’re not real. You’re dead!” Ian struggled away from grasping hands, shouting over the words they said, not wanting to be swayed by whatever lies they would tell.
When the restraints on his arms loosened, he fought like hell. It wasn’t enough though. He was weak. Tired. Slowly losing his hold on consciousness. By the time his arm was pinned to his side and a cold syringe had found a vein, he was unresisting in their grasp.
His last words were a weakly muttered protest, “don’t…”
****
Don sat stock still in the waiting room chair. He was having trouble mentally process the past few hours. He’d followed Lynch and Daniels to an abandoned warehouse after his bug let him know they had a lead on Ian’s location. Charlie’s desperate phone call confirmed his suspicions about Daniels. He’d followed them into the warehouse and found a bloodbath.
Lynch apparently didn’t like to leave behind enemies. The men that had kidnapped Ian were dead. Lynch also hadn’t seemed surprised that Don had followed. They discovered Sergeant Wilkes body together. When they went after Daniels and found him standing over Ian with a gun, Don didn’t hesitate. He shot twice. Even Ian would have been proud, one shot disabling his shooting arm and the other hitting his knee.
What followed that however, had shaken Don terribly. Ian hadn’t been in his right mind. He’d fought Don, almost seeming afraid of him. He kept shouting things that didn’t make any sense and eventually the paramedics that arrived had needed to sedate him to get him into the ambulance. Don wasted no time climbing in after, unwilling to leave Ian alone for so much as a second.
He was forced to though when they reached the hospital.
He hadn’t received any word on Ian’s condition since they had arrived. He couldn’t go back because they weren’t family. Even his FBI badge hadn’t swayed the desk attendant. Waiting out here though was killing him. He didn’t know what to think. Watching the paramedics strap down Ian had been unnerving.
He hadn’t liked their explanation.
“With those drugs in his system, we can’t chance him getting loose.”
“He’s capable of anything.”
Don knew they were right. He’d seen it. Ian’s arm was a mess of track marks. Don hadn’t missed the paramedics mumbling about possible blood poisoning and infection. The wild look in Ian’s eyes was one Don had never seen before. There had also been a jerkiness to Ian’s movements that Don found deeply unnerving. His hands shook. Ian’s hands never shook.
“Any word?”
Don glanced up to see Lynch standing over him, an odd little smile crossing his face. This was the first Don had seen of him at the hospital. As Don was helping the medics get a struggling Ian into an ambulance, Lynch had been forcing an unconscious Daniels into the back of a sedan with dark tinted windows. He vaguely wondered what they’d do to him, and then decided he didn’t much care. Even Lynch could go hang as far as he cared.
“No.” Don returned bluntly, looking away and hoping Lynch would take the hint and leave.
He didn’t.
“You were rather incredible, Agent Eppes.” Lynch said, sitting down across from Don. “You saw something that others missed. Planted a tracking device using a successful diversion. Uncovered a government spy…. Also I do believe you saved my life.”
Don just looked at the man.
Lynch was smiling again. “Have you given any thought to, how should I put this…. Broadening your government employment?”
Don’s eyes bulged. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am,” Lynch replied. “You think on your feet. You have the drive. The vision. I’ve seen your records Agent Eppes. Even the sealed ones. Also, there were some intriguing test results from your Quantico days. Though I shouldn’t be surprised, given who your brother is. You could be a valuable asset.”
Don’s eyes narrowed. “I think you misunderstood. You can’t be serious. You nearly got Ian killed. You had a psychopath handing out your orders. You almost got yourself kidnapped and tortured. Why would I want to work for you? What makes you think I’m not going to do everything in my power to convince Ian that he should tell you to go screw yourself the next time you want him?”
“I think you’ll find I can be very persuasive, Agent Eppes. And as for Agent Edgerton, well. We have an understanding.” Lynch stood and handed Don a business card. “Should you find yourself in a situation where I might be of use.”
Don took the card reluctantly. Flipping it back and forth he found only a handwritten telephone number that had far too many digits on one side, while the other simply read “Lynch, US Government.’ He had a feeling that accepting any help from this man would come with a steep price.
Don opened his mouth to reply, when a loud crashing noise emanated from the closed double doors beyond the waiting area. The speaker system followed.
Code Gray. Be advised there is a code gray in room 119. Available security personnel should report immediately. Code Gray.
Don ran through his mental list of the hospital codes. Combative patient. Ian. Don didn’t think twice about pushing past Lynch and bursting through the doors to the patient rooms. He knew he was far more qualified for this situation than any of the hospital security anyway.
“Sir! You can’t be back here!” a nurse shouted. “Sir!”
Don rushed by her without slowing. He needed to get to Ian.
He turned a corner and came face to face with Ian. He was wrestling against a man in scrubs, hand bleeding from where he’d ripped out an IV line. When he caught sight of Don however, he leapt away, shoving the man in scrubs towards him and halting Don’s forward movement.
Don caught the man easily. “What happened?”
“I dunno. We started to unstrap him and he freaked. Kept hollering about dead people and then he hit me!”
“Just get everyone to back off.” Don told him, releasing the man and pushing him towards the crowd of bystanders. “You corner him and he’s going to lash out.”
Don then directed his attention back towards Ian. “Ian. You need to sit down. You’re bleeding.”
“You’re not real! This isn’t real! Everyone’s dead and I killed them!” Ian shouted, moving farther away from Don. Don tried to keep the shock off his face. What had those drugs done to Ian?
“No one’s dead, Ian. You didn’t kill anyone.”
“I did. You’re dead. You’re dead because I killed you.” Ian shouted. “It’s my fault!”
“Ian, just calm down. You’re okay. You’re in a hospital.” Don soothed, trying to get closer to the man.
“You’re not real. You’re dead.” Ian insisted weakly.
“I’m not. I’m right here.” Don insisted. He reached out suddenly, grabbing Ian and pulling him to his chest in a tight bear hug. Don was both relieved and dismayed at how easy it was to do so. He didn’t want Ian to attack him sure, but he wasn’t used to being able to overpower the man so easily. “It’s going to be alright Ian. It’s just the drugs. Just breathe with me. Relax. I’m not going to let anything hurt you.”
Ian let out a shuddering breath and started to relax in his arms. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.”
Don just gripped him tighter, heart wrenching at the agony clear in Ian’s voice. He was so focused on Ian; he failed to notice a man sneaking up on them until it was too late.
Ian slumped in his arms as a young doctor injected him in the arm.
“What the hell did you do that for?!” Don demanded with a hard glare, shifting his grip so Ian’s unconscious form didn’t fall to the ground.
The doctor winced and moved to assist Don in hauling Ian into a room and back into a bed. “Sorry… It’s just a sedative.”
Don wasn’t mollified by this. He snorted. “Guess one more drug in his system isn’t going to do any more harm.”
The doctor bristled at that statement. “I wouldn’t give any of my patients a drug unless I thought it would help them. The sedative isn’t going to interact with anything he’s already been given. I thought it would be the best thing for him, to be able to sleep through these hallucinations…. But if you prefer to experience another scene like this…”
Don shrank back at the hard tone, chagrined. “Sorry, doctor. I just…”
“You’re worried. I understand… It’s Don, isn’t it?” The doctor questioned. He nodded at Ian. “He was screaming your name earlier. I think he’d want to see you when he wakes up. The drugs should have run their course by the time he does.”
Don’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “I can stay?”
The doctor grinned. “I insist that you do.” He gestured to a chair next to the bed. “It’s going to be a while though… I gave him enough sedative to knock out a grizzly.”
Don chuckled as he sank into the chair, nodding at the doctor in thanks as he left the room after reattaching the various monitors Ian had been connected to. Don felt as though a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders, finally feeling like Ian would be all right. He settled it to wait.
Hours later, Don was dozing himself, Ian’s steady breathing and the quiet beep of the heart rate monitor lulling him into sleep. A gentle movement though, Ian’s fingers brushing against the hand Don had resting on the bed startled him awake.
Their eyes met.
Ian’s looked tired, haunted, but at least more aware than they had before.
“Hey,” Don smiled. “How are you feeling?”
Ian smiled back weakly. “Been better,” he rasped.
Don winced at both the reply and the hoarseness in Ian’s voice. It took a lot of screaming and yelling to end up sounding like that. “Stupid question, I’m sorry.” He paused for a moment before glancing at his watch and stating, “It’s Sunday… About eleven p.m. We’re at University Hospital… Doc says you won’t have to stay here long.”
Ian nodded gratefully at the information. Don smiled back sympathetically. He knew first hand how disorienting waking up in the hospital could be, even under the best circumstances and he knew how much Ian hated being left in the dark. They had that in common.
“I’m glad you’re here, Don.” Ian whispered quietly.
Don gripped his hand fiercely. “Where the hell else do you think I’d be?”
Ian shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “Don’t know.”
“I’m right here, Ian. For as long as you need me.” Don promised. “Maybe longer.”
“ ‘S good to hear.” Ian yawned. After a few moments of silence Don figured he’d fallen back to sleep, until Ian blearily questioned, “Hey Don?”
“Hmm?” Don responded absently as he traced his thumb against Ian’s knuckles.
“Next time you’re getting breakfast,” Ian mumbled sleepily. He yawned again, clearly drifting off. “And I’m following you into the shower whether you like it or not…”
Don smiled, whispering back even though his companion had finally succumbed to sleep. Those words, more than anything reassured him that Ian would be okay. That they were okay. “Whatever you want, Ian. It’s a date.” He chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head. “Life’s too short to pass up on shower sex…”
Author: TBA
Disclaimer: Author doesn't own the show or the characters and isn't making any profit.
Title: The Company We Keep (Part2)
Pairing: Ian/Don
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Graphic consensual sex, violence, language, intravenous drug usage, disturbing imagery
Summary: Just as Don and Ian get a handle on their relationship, something happens that could tear them apart for good.
Author Note: I borrowed a character… or at least the idea (and name), if you recognize it, then it likely isn’t mine.
PART TWO
****
Three days later, Don and his team were no closer to finding Ian. They’d succeeded in tracking down his handler, a broad shouldered man with watery blue eyes and almost no neck. He’d shown up after Colby and David tried unsuccessfully to access some of Ian’s sealed files. He introduced himself as Major Daniels and had taken an almost immediate dislike to Don. The dislike had solidified into something uglier when he caught on to the relationship Don shared with Ian.
Since then, Don’s team had been trying to figure out who might have taken Ian by sorting through the files Daniels had reluctantly handed over, while doing their best to keep their boss from taking a swing at him.
“Daniels. This is pointless. These files are useless to us if half the relevant information is blacked out!” Don snarled angrily, shoving a file in the taller man’s face.
Daniels sneered back. “Does the word ‘classified’ not mean anything to you? You’re wasting your time and mine anyway. None of these men could have touched Edgerton here. You’re barking up the wrong tree. You don’t even have any solid proof Edgerton was snatched anyway.”
“We found security feed of him getting clocked with a lead pipe and dragged into a van! Are you stupid?” Don questioned incredulously, throwing the useless file back onto the conference room table. “What more proof do you want?”
Daniels rolled his eyes. “Edgerton’s a highly trained government asset. He can handle himself. He hasn’t missed his usual check in yet, and I saw that tape. You can’t even tell that it’s him from that tape. For all we know, Edgerton fucked off for the week and went hunting or whatever the hell he does. Just because he didn’t check in with his boytoy first doesn’t constitute an emergency.”
“So the fact that he went missing from the same area, at the same time is coincidence?” Don asked, ignoring the jibe. “That’s convenient.”
“What about the fact that he’s not the only person to have gone missing? Huh? How do you explain that?” Colby questioned, storming into the conference room.
David was following close behind. He laid down two pictures on the table. “Sergeant Wilkes. EOD. Corporal Hunt. Also a sniper.”
Don looked at the pictures of the two soldiers. The first was a photograph likely pulled from a personnel file. The second however, was a crime scene photo, post mortem. Don stared for a long moment before glancing at Daniels. He didn’t look nearly surprised enough for Don’s liking. “You knew… You knew there were other unexplained disappearances and you didn’t see fit to mention it?!”
“We had no reason to think these cases were linked.” Daniels denied.
“As of now, you do.” A new voice rang out.
Don looked up to see a nondescript looking man in a very black suit being escorted in by Megan.
The man spoke with an air of authority. No one missed the way Daniels straightened as he entered. “As you can see Major, the situation has change now that we’ve recovered Corporal Hunt’s body.”
“In what way?” Daniels questioned.
Don interrupted before the man could answer. “I’m sorry, but who the hell are you?”
The man smiled benignly. “I do apologize Agent Eppes. How terribly rude of me. My name is Lynch.”
When no more information seemed forthcoming, Don opened his mouth to respond.
Megan cut off his impending explosion by chiming in. “Don. He’s Ian’s boss. Well. One of them I guess. Not just his handler,” she glared at Daniels. “You’ll want to hear what he has to say.”
A small smile touched Lynch’s face. “Thank you. As I said, Corporal Hunt’s recovery has changed the situation. His autopsy gave us some insight as to the reason behind these disappearances.”
Don ground his teeth together. “And that would be?”
“Terrorism,” Lynch returned evenly.
Don’s eyes bulged.
“The Corporal was found with several injections marks on his body. Autopsy revealed he had been injected with Sodium Amytal, Scopolamine, Versed, Mescaline, and a mixture of amphetamines and barbiturates.” Megan added. “In addition to being able to cause cardiac failure, as was the case in Hunt’s death, these drugs have all been known to have effects on the mind. The combination could alter memory, levels of consciousness, feelings of pain, and…”
“They’ve tried to use those drugs as mind controllers.” Colby cut in, sounding horrified. “We learned about those drugs in S.E.R.E. training.”
Don shook his head in disbelief. “What are you saying? Why-”
“Corporal Hunt was a natural talent. He was quickly becoming one of the most highly decorated snipers we have. Now he’s dead.” Lynch stated. “They have Edgerton now, who is one of the few men on the planet who could outshoot him. The other man still missing - Sergeant Wilkes? He’s the one you call in to disable bombs when no one else can manage it. Those two men, in enemy hands… Pumped full of those drugs? Are capable of anything.”
“Who could have done this?” Don questioned.
Lynch arched a brow. “The list is longer that you might wish to believe…. Fortunately though, there are few with the resources to actually be able to pull it off. Even fewer with the ability to do so on domestic soil.”
“So you’ve got a lead on Ian?” Don questioned, feeling a spark of hope.
Lynch inclined his head. “The fact that Edgerton was reported missing as rapidly as you did, bodes well for his safe return. What concerns me is that other assets were missing for as long as a month before we knew,” at that his gaze turned pointedly to Daniels.
Daniels snorted and snidely remarked, “Guess there are perks to boning a Fed on the side. Maybe we should make it company policy. What do you say Eppes, mind spreading your legs for a couple more of Uncle Sam’s finest?”
“Fuck you.” Don snarled from his seat. Only Colby’s firm grip on his shoulders prevented him from leaping up and hitting the man.
“No thanks, I’m afraid queers like you and Edgerton are the only ones who get off on that,” Daniels taunted.
This time even Colby’s strong grip could not withstand Don’s anger. He broke free and fisted Daniels’ suit jacket, slamming him into the wall. Daniels reacted swiftly, punching Don hard in the gut. David and Colby leapt forward into the fray, attempting to pull the two men apart.
“Enough!” Lynch’s raised voice rang out like a shot. “If you gentlemen are quite finished, I believe there is work to be done. We still have two men to find, before they end up dead or worse.”
At that remark, Don slumped in Colby’s grasp, the rage giving way to a sense of hopeless frustration at the reminder of Ian’s captivity.
Daniels shrugged out of David’s grasp, readjusting his suit jacket with a superior look on his face. “I agree completely.” He turned to Lynch. “The sooner we get out of this office, the sooner we can put this whole mess behind us.”
Don straightened at that. “Wait just a minute. What do you mean out of this office? This is our case! Ian is an FBI Agent! That makes it our jurisdiction!”
At that, Lynch reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded document. “I’m afraid not, Agent Eppes.” He looked remorseful as he continued. “This case goes far beyond your scope.”
Megan grabbed the documents when Don refused too, standing with his arms crossed defiantly. He didn’t like the look that settled on her face as she read.
“You can’t be serious!” she exclaimed. “This is a gag order!”
Colby gaped. “What? If you can’t find them, you just want it swept under the rug?”
“You can imagine how news of top trained snipers and munitions experts going missing could be unsettling… particularly in light of the apparent terrorist aims of their kidnappers.” Lynch said carefully. “We feel it prudent not to induce an unnecessary environment of panic.”
“Unnecessary?!” David exclaimed incredulously.
Lynch ignored the team’s protest, instead focusing on Don’s ashen face, correctly interpreting the look as something beyond infuriated. “Agent Eppes. You can be assured that we wish for Agent Edgerton’s safe return as much as you do. We have resources beyond what your office is capable of. Also…. Given the personal nature of your relationship, I can’t in good conscience allow you to continue on as part of this investigation.”
Megan, Colby, and David all braced themselves for the inevitable explosion. They were then shocked when Don slumped into a chair instead and sighed in resignation.
“If he dies, I’m holding you personally responsible.” Don said quietly, locking eyes with Lynch.
Lynch nodded, solemnly. “I will do everything in my power to make sure it doesn’t come to that, Agent Eppes.” He beckoned to Daniels and then strode purposefully out of the bullpen. Daniels trailed behind.
Three sets of eyes followed them to the elevators. Once they disappeared from view, the focus was on Don instead.
“Gag order, huh?” Don questioned, looking up at Megan.
“ ’Fraid so.”
“I guess that’s it then.” Don stood slowly, wearily. “Look, I appreciate your help guys, but it’s out of our hands now. I’m going home.”
The other agents watched in stunned silence as their boss strode past them and out of the office.
Colby was the first to break the silence, staring after Don in total disbelief. “Did that just happen?”
Megan thought about it for a moment before shaking her head, a wry grin crossing her face. “When have you ever known Don to back down that easily?”
“Ah, that would be never.” David replied. Colby asked the question they all were thinking.
“So then what the hell is he up to?”
Megan shrugged “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
****
When Ian woke next, he was shocked to find Don’s lifeless form spread out feet first before him.
“NO!” Ian screamed, jerking forward in his chair, furiously trying to escape the bonds that held him and reach his lover. He only succeeded in toppling over the chair and cracking his skull against the hard concrete floor. He barely noticed though, in his desperate quest to reach Don’s side.
“Don! Don, please! Get up. Get up!” Ian begged, trying to scoot forward despite his restraints. Don didn’t move. “Don’t be dead. Please, no….”
Ian watched for the rise and fall of Don’s chest, to no avail. “No, no, no…” he moaned, eyes trailing farther up Don’s lifeless corpse. He jerked back in horror as his eyes came to rest on the back of Don’s head.
Or at least what remained of it.
Bits of skull and brain matter coated the floor. Dark red blood oozed from a great black hole at the base of Don’s skull. Whatever had hit Don had taken off nearly half of his head. Ian was well acquainted with the variety of weapon that could cause such an injury.
“It’s a perfect kill shot isn’t it?” an eerie, choked off voice questioned. Ian recognized the voice instantly. Involuntarily, his body began to tremble and shake.
He watched in utter terror as Don’s lifeless corpse suddenly jerked, the head twisting grotesquely towards Ian so that he could see the perfect round bullet hole straight through what remained of the right eye socket. Don’s mouth curved into a mockery of his brilliant smile. “Isn’t that what you’d call it? A perfect kill?”
Ian lurched back as much as he was able, muttering in a low fearful mantra. “This isn’t possible. You’re not real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real. IT ISN’T REAL!”
Despite his words, it was hard to convince himself when Don awkwardly lurched to his feet, bearing down on Ian, raging in his face. “Why can’t this be real? You shot me! You killed me! YOU!”
“No, no, no. NOOO!” Ian shouted out in protest. He wouldn’t have. He couldn’t. “Not Don. No. No.”
Don’s dark, mocking laughter rang in his ears. It was almost physically painful to hear. Ian wanted to die.
“Yes. Yes. Buried a bullet right through my skull,” Don’s voice taunted, his remaining eye scornfully glaring at Ian’s huddled form.
Ian shut his eyes, trying to will away the grotesque scene before him. “I didn’t. I didn’t,” he choked out, praying to a God he’d long since believed in that when he opened them again, this abomination before him would be gone.
His eyes opened.
“Oh but you did.” Don rasped, reaching out towards Ian’s face. “Shot a bullet straight through here,” he sneered, shoving his thumb straight into Ian’s eye.
Ian screamed as blinding pain tore through his skull and spread to every nerve ending in his body. He writhed and shook against the cold concrete, unable to escape the agony. He screamed and screamed until his voice was raw from pain and anguish, mind no longer capable of separating reality from illusion.
The tortuous sensations continued on for what felt like an eternity, the feelings of physical pain only trumped by the mental torment as visions of battles and shootings played out in Ian’s mind. Memories and secret fears, nightmares and self-doubt all melded together.
Friends and foes visited his waking dreams, each one condemning him as a monster.
A choked off sob was the last noise Ian made before lapsing back into unconsciousness.
****
Megan wanted to know what was going on with her boss. His reaction to being pulled off Ian's case was completely out-of-character. She knew there had to be more to it, but Don had been ducking her calls since and she was running out of ideas. Fortunately though, she knew a genuis that tended to be handy when fresh ideas were otherwise in short supply.
When she walked into Charlie’s office at CalSci, Megan was surprised to find him sitting at his desk rather than scribbling away at a chalkboard.
“You okay Charlie?”
Charlie shrugged, pushing away from his desk to face Megan, a troubled look on his face. “You’ve got older sisters, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You ever snoop in their stuff when you were little?” Charlie asked.
Megan smirked. “Of course.”
“Yeah,” Charlie grinned back weakly. “Not sure anything pissed Don off more than that.”
“He’s a pretty private person.” Megan commented neutrally, sensing he was going somewhere with this.
“And yet he came in here hours ago, threw down the personnel file of a man that he’s been sleeping with, and tells me to do whatever I can to help find him.” Charlie finished.
“Have you looked through it yet?” Megan questioned, resisting looking at the clock.
Charlie frowned at her. “Of course I have. I could probably timeline Ian’s whole life based on that file. I know his official kill count. His unofficial count. His blood type. Social security number. Last three addresses. The date of his last physical exam. Emergency contact information… Of course that one was easy, since I already knew my own brother’s phone number.”
Megan frowned sympathetically. “Charlie….”
“No.” Charlie stopped her. “It isn’t right. I wasn’t supposed to find out like this. I shouldn’t know this stuff about Ian… About Don. He wouldn’t want me to, but he let me anyway because he thinks I can help…”
“There’s nothing in the file you can use, is there?” Megan questioned, trying hard not to let the disappointment shine through in her voice. This case was turning hopeless.
“Nothing.” Charlie confirmed. “And all this doesn’t even make sense. These drugs…” Charlie gestured wildly to the autopsy report for Corporal Hunt. “They make you hallucinate. The US tried these experiments back in the fifties. They don’t work for mind control. They never have.”
“What else could they be trying to do then Charlie?”
“Well… The only even mildly useful application for this combination of drugs has been as a truth serum…. But that doesn’t even make sense! Ian doesn’t ever know more than he’s told for these missions. Neither did either of these other soldiers. They all get their orders from Daniels. And even he doesn’t have all the intel. That comes from Lynch!”
Megan stopped Charlie at that. “Wait. Charlie! That’s it. I was the one who first spoke with Lynch. He said he never leaves Washington. That it was only because Daniels screwed up that he was here! He’s the one that they would want. They’re after Lynch!”
Charlie’s face paled. “Megan. If that is the case, they’d need an inside man. Someone that knows who Lynch is. I mean… That probably isn’t even his real name.”
“Daniels.” Megan said decisively. “He’s the only one it could be. He’s been doing his best to screw up our investigation. Antagonizing Don. We thought he was just an ass, but he was able to cut us out of the investigation without raising any alarms. He left with Lynch hours ago!”
“We need to call Don.” Charlie said urgently. “You know where he went?” Megan questioned. Charlie smirked, already dialing a number.
“He planted a tracker on Daniels. Said he had a bad feeling about the guy. We just need to let him know he was right.”
****
Ian woke up in a great deal of pain. He had the sense though that he wasn’t alone anymore. The room felt like it was on fire.
“The great Ian Edgerton. Sniper legend. Bastard son of Clint Eastwood and Yoda.”
Ian struggled to focus on the voice. Was it real? Was it another twisted hallucination? He couldn’t tell. The voice sounded familiar, but then again they all did.
“Look at you now. Pathetic.”
Ian struggled against the bonds that held him. This voice meant him harm. That he was sure of. It was useless though. He’d been trapped for hours. Maybe days. He hadn’t been able to break free yet and he felt weak. Tired. He could here shots fired in the distance. Something was happening.
“Don’t get too excited, Edge. This isn’t a rescue. We’re just cleaning house.”
Suddenly, the voice clicked. Ian did recognize it. Major Daniels. Why was he here? An icy cold feeling surged through Ian. He tried to reign in the overwhelming sense of betrayal. It couldn’t be.
“This isn’t real,” Ian choked out.
A harsh laugh greeted his ears. “You just keep telling yourself that, man. See how it works out for you.”
Daniels then withdrew a gun from his shoulder holster and Ian flinched as cold steel pressed firmly against his forehead. This certainly felt real…
“Major Daniels! What are you doing?!” a second voice rang out.
Ian couldn’t bring himself to look past the hand holding the gun trained on him.
“I’m finishing this!”
Ian heard the gun cock, then two shots rang out in quick succession. His chair toppled over. Loud noises. Shouting. He felt nothing.
Then his face was being roughly jerked to the side. Warm brown eyes stared back at him.
Ian jerked away. The last time he’d seen those eyes, only pain and torture had followed.
“You’re not real. You’re dead!” Ian struggled away from grasping hands, shouting over the words they said, not wanting to be swayed by whatever lies they would tell.
When the restraints on his arms loosened, he fought like hell. It wasn’t enough though. He was weak. Tired. Slowly losing his hold on consciousness. By the time his arm was pinned to his side and a cold syringe had found a vein, he was unresisting in their grasp.
His last words were a weakly muttered protest, “don’t…”
****
Don sat stock still in the waiting room chair. He was having trouble mentally process the past few hours. He’d followed Lynch and Daniels to an abandoned warehouse after his bug let him know they had a lead on Ian’s location. Charlie’s desperate phone call confirmed his suspicions about Daniels. He’d followed them into the warehouse and found a bloodbath.
Lynch apparently didn’t like to leave behind enemies. The men that had kidnapped Ian were dead. Lynch also hadn’t seemed surprised that Don had followed. They discovered Sergeant Wilkes body together. When they went after Daniels and found him standing over Ian with a gun, Don didn’t hesitate. He shot twice. Even Ian would have been proud, one shot disabling his shooting arm and the other hitting his knee.
What followed that however, had shaken Don terribly. Ian hadn’t been in his right mind. He’d fought Don, almost seeming afraid of him. He kept shouting things that didn’t make any sense and eventually the paramedics that arrived had needed to sedate him to get him into the ambulance. Don wasted no time climbing in after, unwilling to leave Ian alone for so much as a second.
He was forced to though when they reached the hospital.
He hadn’t received any word on Ian’s condition since they had arrived. He couldn’t go back because they weren’t family. Even his FBI badge hadn’t swayed the desk attendant. Waiting out here though was killing him. He didn’t know what to think. Watching the paramedics strap down Ian had been unnerving.
He hadn’t liked their explanation.
“With those drugs in his system, we can’t chance him getting loose.”
“He’s capable of anything.”
Don knew they were right. He’d seen it. Ian’s arm was a mess of track marks. Don hadn’t missed the paramedics mumbling about possible blood poisoning and infection. The wild look in Ian’s eyes was one Don had never seen before. There had also been a jerkiness to Ian’s movements that Don found deeply unnerving. His hands shook. Ian’s hands never shook.
“Any word?”
Don glanced up to see Lynch standing over him, an odd little smile crossing his face. This was the first Don had seen of him at the hospital. As Don was helping the medics get a struggling Ian into an ambulance, Lynch had been forcing an unconscious Daniels into the back of a sedan with dark tinted windows. He vaguely wondered what they’d do to him, and then decided he didn’t much care. Even Lynch could go hang as far as he cared.
“No.” Don returned bluntly, looking away and hoping Lynch would take the hint and leave.
He didn’t.
“You were rather incredible, Agent Eppes.” Lynch said, sitting down across from Don. “You saw something that others missed. Planted a tracking device using a successful diversion. Uncovered a government spy…. Also I do believe you saved my life.”
Don just looked at the man.
Lynch was smiling again. “Have you given any thought to, how should I put this…. Broadening your government employment?”
Don’s eyes bulged. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am,” Lynch replied. “You think on your feet. You have the drive. The vision. I’ve seen your records Agent Eppes. Even the sealed ones. Also, there were some intriguing test results from your Quantico days. Though I shouldn’t be surprised, given who your brother is. You could be a valuable asset.”
Don’s eyes narrowed. “I think you misunderstood. You can’t be serious. You nearly got Ian killed. You had a psychopath handing out your orders. You almost got yourself kidnapped and tortured. Why would I want to work for you? What makes you think I’m not going to do everything in my power to convince Ian that he should tell you to go screw yourself the next time you want him?”
“I think you’ll find I can be very persuasive, Agent Eppes. And as for Agent Edgerton, well. We have an understanding.” Lynch stood and handed Don a business card. “Should you find yourself in a situation where I might be of use.”
Don took the card reluctantly. Flipping it back and forth he found only a handwritten telephone number that had far too many digits on one side, while the other simply read “Lynch, US Government.’ He had a feeling that accepting any help from this man would come with a steep price.
Don opened his mouth to reply, when a loud crashing noise emanated from the closed double doors beyond the waiting area. The speaker system followed.
Code Gray. Be advised there is a code gray in room 119. Available security personnel should report immediately. Code Gray.
Don ran through his mental list of the hospital codes. Combative patient. Ian. Don didn’t think twice about pushing past Lynch and bursting through the doors to the patient rooms. He knew he was far more qualified for this situation than any of the hospital security anyway.
“Sir! You can’t be back here!” a nurse shouted. “Sir!”
Don rushed by her without slowing. He needed to get to Ian.
He turned a corner and came face to face with Ian. He was wrestling against a man in scrubs, hand bleeding from where he’d ripped out an IV line. When he caught sight of Don however, he leapt away, shoving the man in scrubs towards him and halting Don’s forward movement.
Don caught the man easily. “What happened?”
“I dunno. We started to unstrap him and he freaked. Kept hollering about dead people and then he hit me!”
“Just get everyone to back off.” Don told him, releasing the man and pushing him towards the crowd of bystanders. “You corner him and he’s going to lash out.”
Don then directed his attention back towards Ian. “Ian. You need to sit down. You’re bleeding.”
“You’re not real! This isn’t real! Everyone’s dead and I killed them!” Ian shouted, moving farther away from Don. Don tried to keep the shock off his face. What had those drugs done to Ian?
“No one’s dead, Ian. You didn’t kill anyone.”
“I did. You’re dead. You’re dead because I killed you.” Ian shouted. “It’s my fault!”
“Ian, just calm down. You’re okay. You’re in a hospital.” Don soothed, trying to get closer to the man.
“You’re not real. You’re dead.” Ian insisted weakly.
“I’m not. I’m right here.” Don insisted. He reached out suddenly, grabbing Ian and pulling him to his chest in a tight bear hug. Don was both relieved and dismayed at how easy it was to do so. He didn’t want Ian to attack him sure, but he wasn’t used to being able to overpower the man so easily. “It’s going to be alright Ian. It’s just the drugs. Just breathe with me. Relax. I’m not going to let anything hurt you.”
Ian let out a shuddering breath and started to relax in his arms. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.”
Don just gripped him tighter, heart wrenching at the agony clear in Ian’s voice. He was so focused on Ian; he failed to notice a man sneaking up on them until it was too late.
Ian slumped in his arms as a young doctor injected him in the arm.
“What the hell did you do that for?!” Don demanded with a hard glare, shifting his grip so Ian’s unconscious form didn’t fall to the ground.
The doctor winced and moved to assist Don in hauling Ian into a room and back into a bed. “Sorry… It’s just a sedative.”
Don wasn’t mollified by this. He snorted. “Guess one more drug in his system isn’t going to do any more harm.”
The doctor bristled at that statement. “I wouldn’t give any of my patients a drug unless I thought it would help them. The sedative isn’t going to interact with anything he’s already been given. I thought it would be the best thing for him, to be able to sleep through these hallucinations…. But if you prefer to experience another scene like this…”
Don shrank back at the hard tone, chagrined. “Sorry, doctor. I just…”
“You’re worried. I understand… It’s Don, isn’t it?” The doctor questioned. He nodded at Ian. “He was screaming your name earlier. I think he’d want to see you when he wakes up. The drugs should have run their course by the time he does.”
Don’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “I can stay?”
The doctor grinned. “I insist that you do.” He gestured to a chair next to the bed. “It’s going to be a while though… I gave him enough sedative to knock out a grizzly.”
Don chuckled as he sank into the chair, nodding at the doctor in thanks as he left the room after reattaching the various monitors Ian had been connected to. Don felt as though a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders, finally feeling like Ian would be all right. He settled it to wait.
Hours later, Don was dozing himself, Ian’s steady breathing and the quiet beep of the heart rate monitor lulling him into sleep. A gentle movement though, Ian’s fingers brushing against the hand Don had resting on the bed startled him awake.
Their eyes met.
Ian’s looked tired, haunted, but at least more aware than they had before.
“Hey,” Don smiled. “How are you feeling?”
Ian smiled back weakly. “Been better,” he rasped.
Don winced at both the reply and the hoarseness in Ian’s voice. It took a lot of screaming and yelling to end up sounding like that. “Stupid question, I’m sorry.” He paused for a moment before glancing at his watch and stating, “It’s Sunday… About eleven p.m. We’re at University Hospital… Doc says you won’t have to stay here long.”
Ian nodded gratefully at the information. Don smiled back sympathetically. He knew first hand how disorienting waking up in the hospital could be, even under the best circumstances and he knew how much Ian hated being left in the dark. They had that in common.
“I’m glad you’re here, Don.” Ian whispered quietly.
Don gripped his hand fiercely. “Where the hell else do you think I’d be?”
Ian shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “Don’t know.”
“I’m right here, Ian. For as long as you need me.” Don promised. “Maybe longer.”
“ ‘S good to hear.” Ian yawned. After a few moments of silence Don figured he’d fallen back to sleep, until Ian blearily questioned, “Hey Don?”
“Hmm?” Don responded absently as he traced his thumb against Ian’s knuckles.
“Next time you’re getting breakfast,” Ian mumbled sleepily. He yawned again, clearly drifting off. “And I’m following you into the shower whether you like it or not…”
Don smiled, whispering back even though his companion had finally succumbed to sleep. Those words, more than anything reassured him that Ian would be okay. That they were okay. “Whatever you want, Ian. It’s a date.” He chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head. “Life’s too short to pass up on shower sex…”