RunAway - L. Play
Series info, summary, warnings, and disclaimer
Previous chapters
Chapter Title: Play
Chapter Summary: Jack is on the right track; Dom starts over. Again.
“Viggo, please,” Jack began softly. “Tell me how to find him.”
They were interrupted by a shrill ring. The cell phone on the counter vibrated. Viggo jumped up to answer it; it was Dom’s number. Jack sighed and stepped away.
“Viggo!” The voice wasn’t Dom’s. Viggo’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “He’s gone!” Hans continued, his tone panicky and frantic. “He left me a note! I was barely gone three hours!”
***
Hans paced around Dom’s kitchen, the mobile plastered to his ear. He held Dom’s note in his other hand. The takeout Chinese food was staining the rug where Hans had dropped it.
“What do you mean?” Viggo asked carefully, making an effort to appear calm. “Will he be back?”
“Not according to this note!” Hans shouted, waving the paper around.
“What does it say, exactly?” Viggo kept his voice steady, hoping Jack wouldn’t pick up on the subject of the conversation.
“It says he’s left! He gave me the keys and the paperwork for the flat and there’s things missing from his bedroom.”
***
Jack leaned back against the counter, trying not to be too obvious about his eavesdropping. Viggo looked and sounded stressed. Jack also picked up an undercurrent of irritation, and of course, the plainer worry.
“Hans, I’m gonna have to call you back. Check the bus depot or something.” Viggo flipped the phone closed and angrily kicked the cabinet. The thin wood cracked at the impact. Jack nervously took a step back. Viggo braced his hands on the counter and sighed deeply, regaining control over his emotions.
“What-”
“I can’t tell you where he is, Jack, because I don’t know. He’s running again.”
***
Jack knew that Viggo hadn’t told him the whole story, but that was fine. Jack knew everything he needed to find Dom. Hell, Viggo even helped him book a flight to Germany.
“I don’t know why he ran again, Jack, I’m sorry. I just left him and he seemed alright.”
“Listen, if anyone can find him, it’ll be me. Don’t worry, I will find him,” Jack said reassuringly. Viggo still looked skeptical.
“Jack… I don’t know how much Billy told you about what happened before Dom disappeared, but… He did run away for a reason. As much as he wants to be with Billy, maybe it’s for the best that he’s not.”
“Viggo, Billy is my client. I was hired to do this job, and I’ve never let anyone down before. I’m going to find him.”
“I believe you are. But please, question your motives. Is turning him in the right thing to do?”
Jack didn’t know how to answer that. They heard the taxi pull up outside and honk its horn. Jack left without another word.
***
Viggo must’ve called ahead and warned Hans that Jack was coming, because Hans was waiting in Dom’s otherwise empty flat for him.
“You’re Jack?”
“Yes. Tell me what happened?”
Hans nodded and launched into his story. It was slightly different than Viggo’s version of events, but Jack didn’t really care about the details at the moment. He occasionally interrupted with questions about Dom’s actions or motives. When Hans was finished, Jack flipped through his notebook, rereading old observations about the case.
Hans fidgeted in his chair, looking like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to word it.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked carefully.
“Dominic wants… He wants Billy back, I know that from living with him for a while, but… He also doesn’t really want to be found. He left because things were too hard, and even though that seems like a cowardly option… It took a lot of courage. He gave up everything he knew, and everything he wanted, to give Billy the life that he wanted. And as much as I disagree with his decision, who’s to say it isn’t the right one?”
Jack sighed, preparing to give Hans the same speech he gave Viggo. He wondered idly if Viggo had asked Hans to say these things.
“Dom is my friend, and I want you to find him, Jack. But… I respect his wishes. Can’t you do the same for him?”
***
Dom looked down at his lap, where his hands were clenched awkwardly. He tapped his foot against the floor, bouncing his leg.
“Next!”
Dom’s head snapped up and he stumbled to his feet and hurried into the theatre. The bored director waved him forward and said to get started. Dom launched into his monologue.
“It could go on for ever. Well, not for ever, I suppose. Do you ever think of yourself as actually dead, lying in a box with a lid on it?”
Dom paused for a second, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans. He took a step forward and continued.
“Nor do I, really… It's silly to be depressed by it. I mean one thinks of it like being alive in a box, one keeps forgetting to take into account the fact that one is dead… which should make all the difference… shouldn't it? I mean, you'd never know you were in a box, would you? It would be just like being asleep in a box. Not that I'd like to sleep in a box, mind you, not without any air - you'd wake up dead, for a start, and then where would you be? Apart from inside a box. That's the bit I don't like, frankly. That's why I don't think of it.”
The humour was falling flat, and Dom knew it. He was rushing through the piece, not giving the jokes the right pace. He grimaced and took a breath to steady himself before going on.
“Because you'd be helpless wouldn't you? Stuffed in a box like that, I mean you'd be in there for ever. Even taking into account the fact that you're dead, it isn't a pleasant thought. Especially if you’re dead, really… Ask yourself, if I asked you straight off - I'm going to stuff you in this box now, would you rather be alive or dead?”
Dom clenched his hands into fists, determined to make the end worthwhile.
“Naturally, you'd prefer to be alive. Life in a box is better than no life at all, I expect. You'd have a chance at least. You could lie there thinking - well, at least I'm not dead! In a minute someone's going to bang on the lid and tell me to come out. ‘Hey, you, whatsername! Come out of there!’”
Another breath, then Dom relaxed his hands. His fingernails left little red crescents in his palms.
“I wouldn't think about it, if I were you. You'd only get depressed. Eternity is a terrible thought. I mean, where's it going to end?”
Dom ended in a stage whisper, still projecting his voice, but letting the words hang in the air forebodingly. Not his best audition, but certainly not his worst either. By the end of the monologue, Dom had gotten into the right mindset, but he didn’t know if that would be enough to win him the part. He sighed and fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously, waiting for the director to say something.
“Not too bad,” the man conceded, “but it needs work. We’ll call you.”
Dom bit his lip and nodded at the criticism, then broke into a grin. “Thank you.”
“Next!”
Dom's monologue is an excerpt from Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead.
Next: Down
Previous chapters
Chapter Title: Play
Chapter Summary: Jack is on the right track; Dom starts over. Again.
“Viggo, please,” Jack began softly. “Tell me how to find him.”
They were interrupted by a shrill ring. The cell phone on the counter vibrated. Viggo jumped up to answer it; it was Dom’s number. Jack sighed and stepped away.
“Viggo!” The voice wasn’t Dom’s. Viggo’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “He’s gone!” Hans continued, his tone panicky and frantic. “He left me a note! I was barely gone three hours!”
***
Hans paced around Dom’s kitchen, the mobile plastered to his ear. He held Dom’s note in his other hand. The takeout Chinese food was staining the rug where Hans had dropped it.
“What do you mean?” Viggo asked carefully, making an effort to appear calm. “Will he be back?”
“Not according to this note!” Hans shouted, waving the paper around.
“What does it say, exactly?” Viggo kept his voice steady, hoping Jack wouldn’t pick up on the subject of the conversation.
“It says he’s left! He gave me the keys and the paperwork for the flat and there’s things missing from his bedroom.”
***
Jack leaned back against the counter, trying not to be too obvious about his eavesdropping. Viggo looked and sounded stressed. Jack also picked up an undercurrent of irritation, and of course, the plainer worry.
“Hans, I’m gonna have to call you back. Check the bus depot or something.” Viggo flipped the phone closed and angrily kicked the cabinet. The thin wood cracked at the impact. Jack nervously took a step back. Viggo braced his hands on the counter and sighed deeply, regaining control over his emotions.
“What-”
“I can’t tell you where he is, Jack, because I don’t know. He’s running again.”
***
Jack knew that Viggo hadn’t told him the whole story, but that was fine. Jack knew everything he needed to find Dom. Hell, Viggo even helped him book a flight to Germany.
“I don’t know why he ran again, Jack, I’m sorry. I just left him and he seemed alright.”
“Listen, if anyone can find him, it’ll be me. Don’t worry, I will find him,” Jack said reassuringly. Viggo still looked skeptical.
“Jack… I don’t know how much Billy told you about what happened before Dom disappeared, but… He did run away for a reason. As much as he wants to be with Billy, maybe it’s for the best that he’s not.”
“Viggo, Billy is my client. I was hired to do this job, and I’ve never let anyone down before. I’m going to find him.”
“I believe you are. But please, question your motives. Is turning him in the right thing to do?”
Jack didn’t know how to answer that. They heard the taxi pull up outside and honk its horn. Jack left without another word.
***
Viggo must’ve called ahead and warned Hans that Jack was coming, because Hans was waiting in Dom’s otherwise empty flat for him.
“You’re Jack?”
“Yes. Tell me what happened?”
Hans nodded and launched into his story. It was slightly different than Viggo’s version of events, but Jack didn’t really care about the details at the moment. He occasionally interrupted with questions about Dom’s actions or motives. When Hans was finished, Jack flipped through his notebook, rereading old observations about the case.
Hans fidgeted in his chair, looking like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to word it.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked carefully.
“Dominic wants… He wants Billy back, I know that from living with him for a while, but… He also doesn’t really want to be found. He left because things were too hard, and even though that seems like a cowardly option… It took a lot of courage. He gave up everything he knew, and everything he wanted, to give Billy the life that he wanted. And as much as I disagree with his decision, who’s to say it isn’t the right one?”
Jack sighed, preparing to give Hans the same speech he gave Viggo. He wondered idly if Viggo had asked Hans to say these things.
“Dom is my friend, and I want you to find him, Jack. But… I respect his wishes. Can’t you do the same for him?”
***
Dom looked down at his lap, where his hands were clenched awkwardly. He tapped his foot against the floor, bouncing his leg.
“Next!”
Dom’s head snapped up and he stumbled to his feet and hurried into the theatre. The bored director waved him forward and said to get started. Dom launched into his monologue.
“It could go on for ever. Well, not for ever, I suppose. Do you ever think of yourself as actually dead, lying in a box with a lid on it?”
Dom paused for a second, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans. He took a step forward and continued.
“Nor do I, really… It's silly to be depressed by it. I mean one thinks of it like being alive in a box, one keeps forgetting to take into account the fact that one is dead… which should make all the difference… shouldn't it? I mean, you'd never know you were in a box, would you? It would be just like being asleep in a box. Not that I'd like to sleep in a box, mind you, not without any air - you'd wake up dead, for a start, and then where would you be? Apart from inside a box. That's the bit I don't like, frankly. That's why I don't think of it.”
The humour was falling flat, and Dom knew it. He was rushing through the piece, not giving the jokes the right pace. He grimaced and took a breath to steady himself before going on.
“Because you'd be helpless wouldn't you? Stuffed in a box like that, I mean you'd be in there for ever. Even taking into account the fact that you're dead, it isn't a pleasant thought. Especially if you’re dead, really… Ask yourself, if I asked you straight off - I'm going to stuff you in this box now, would you rather be alive or dead?”
Dom clenched his hands into fists, determined to make the end worthwhile.
“Naturally, you'd prefer to be alive. Life in a box is better than no life at all, I expect. You'd have a chance at least. You could lie there thinking - well, at least I'm not dead! In a minute someone's going to bang on the lid and tell me to come out. ‘Hey, you, whatsername! Come out of there!’”
Another breath, then Dom relaxed his hands. His fingernails left little red crescents in his palms.
“I wouldn't think about it, if I were you. You'd only get depressed. Eternity is a terrible thought. I mean, where's it going to end?”
Dom ended in a stage whisper, still projecting his voice, but letting the words hang in the air forebodingly. Not his best audition, but certainly not his worst either. By the end of the monologue, Dom had gotten into the right mindset, but he didn’t know if that would be enough to win him the part. He sighed and fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously, waiting for the director to say something.
“Not too bad,” the man conceded, “but it needs work. We’ll call you.”
Dom bit his lip and nodded at the criticism, then broke into a grin. “Thank you.”
“Next!”
Dom's monologue is an excerpt from Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead.
Next: Down