Prison Break: In the darkest hours (1/1)
Title: In the darkest hours (1/1)
Author: Thyboz
Characters: Sara, LJ, Veronica, Nick (Prison Break)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Still belong to Fox and TPTB, nothing new there.
Summary: Set during s01e14. This could be considered as a missing scene that happens when Sara goes to visit Veronica before Lincoln’s execution.
AN: Written for the How do you do? Challenge at pbhiatus_fic. I know, it's late, but better late than never, right?
***
"Are you gonna help my dad?"
Sara turned around with a start as the voice behind her startled her.
She had been there for over ten minutes, and she had no idea anyone but Lincoln's attorneys had been in the apartment. But she could not ignore the teenager who now stood before her, anguish and hope both dancing in his eyes. He looked tired, way too tired for his age, and she couldn't overlook the red in his eyes.
"LJ, you were supposed to stay in the backroom," Veronica Donovan got up at once to move towards the boy.
"Are you?" The teenager asked again, his voice stronger, his body betraying his despair.
"Sara," Nick Savrinn finally said as he gestured to the boy, "this is LJ Burrows, Lincoln's son. LJ, meet Doctor Sara Tancredi, she's been taking care of your father."
Sara looked at LJ again and her heart sank. Lincoln's son. A boy who's father was about to be executed in a few hours. No wonder he looked tired; she wouldn't be able to sleep either. The intensity of his gaze suddenly reminded her that she still hadn't answered his question.
"I'll try LJ, I can't promise you anything..." She wanted to give this boy hope, something he could cling to right now. "But I'll try everything I can."
Some of the tension eased from LJ's body, and he let himself fall in the seat the closest to him.
"You shouldn't stay here, LJ," Veronica said, disapproving of his obvious intention to take part in the conversation.
"You're discussing my dad's life here, I'm not going anywhere." The fierceness of his answer surprised Sara, and she assumed this wasn't the first time they were having this conversation.
Turning back to Veronica, she couldn't help the question that came to her mind. "Why was he hiding?"
She regretted her words at once when she saw the sadness that washed over Veronica's face. She watched the young woman glance back at LJ with what could only be deep care and concern, and it was obvious to her that Veronica was more than just Lincoln's attorney.
"LJ's in a little bit of trouble," she finally said after a few seconds, which was immediately followed by a snicker from the teenager that oddly reminded her of Lincoln.
"A bit of trouble?" Challenge rang in his voice as he looked at Veronica, then he glanced at Sara, the anger in his eyes surprising her. "They killed my mother."
Sara stared back at the young man in shock. His mother was dead. And his father was about to be in a few hours. She didn't have time to take in the full meaning of the words before Veronica put a hand on LJ's shoulder and turned back to her.
"And his stepfather. And my fiancé." Grief filled the young woman's eyes, and Sara suddenly felt her head spin with the pain she was witnessing.
"And a lot more people," Nick added, his eyes burning into hers to try to make her see the gravity of the situation. And she did.
She turned back to LJ, but Veronica seemed to notice her question had been left unanswered. In a second, the woman seemed to decide they had nothing left to lose.
"They're trying to frame him, Sara," she said, "just like they framed Lincoln."
Sara couldn't take her eyes off the young man, no, the boy who was sitting in front of her with fierce rage and challenge in his eyes. She had seen those before; seemed it ran in the family.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered softly. And she meant it with all her heart. If someone knew what it was like to lose a mother, it was her. Some days, she still wondered if she had ever overcome that pain.
"You have to understand that this is about a lot more than just Lincoln." Nick's voice was strained but calm, and it helped her escape the grief that had started to settle in her. "You need to know what you are getting yourself into if you choose to help us."
Sara swallowed hard and slowly nodded, turning back to LJ so he could see her determination to save his father.
"I want to help." She was glad to hear that her voice was steady and sure. It was more than she felt herself.
"Why?" LJ's question took her by surprise, even though she should have expected it. The perplexity was written all over his face. "Why would you wanna do this?"
Because Michael begged me to and I was unable to resist him. Sara bit her lip to avoid saying the words out loud. She remembered the way he had looked at her, despair straining his voice as he was slowly losing control. She remembered his eyes, screaming at her for help. She remembered the moment when she had decided that rules no longer mattered.
"I've always been against..." Sara caught herself before letting the words 'death penalty' escaped her, "against this. Michael asked me to take a closer look, and he was right, there are some holes in this file that might..." Sara didn't have time to finish before she got interrupted.
"Uncle Mike? Is he okay?" The new intensity in LJ's voice drew her attention, and she tried to ignore the odd flip in her stomach at the way the teenager had spoken of Michael. Uncle Mike was definitely not the way she was used to hear about him, and she couldn't deny how much she liked the caring it held.
She gave LJ what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "He's fine." That was a lie, but she hoped her voice didn't betray her. "He's just worried about your father."
LJ lowered his head and nodded, and she could tell that defeat was slowly replacing his anger. Veronica ran a gentle hand over his shoulder.
Acting on impulse, Sara reached a hand out and covered LJ's joined hands with her own. "I will do everything I can to stop this. Everything."
LJ looked up and she held his gaze for a few seconds. "I believe you," he finally said.
She saw a shadow of a tired smile turn the corners of his lips.
And she smiled back.
Author: Thyboz
Characters: Sara, LJ, Veronica, Nick (Prison Break)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Still belong to Fox and TPTB, nothing new there.
Summary: Set during s01e14. This could be considered as a missing scene that happens when Sara goes to visit Veronica before Lincoln’s execution.
AN: Written for the How do you do? Challenge at pbhiatus_fic. I know, it's late, but better late than never, right?
***
"Are you gonna help my dad?"
Sara turned around with a start as the voice behind her startled her.
She had been there for over ten minutes, and she had no idea anyone but Lincoln's attorneys had been in the apartment. But she could not ignore the teenager who now stood before her, anguish and hope both dancing in his eyes. He looked tired, way too tired for his age, and she couldn't overlook the red in his eyes.
"LJ, you were supposed to stay in the backroom," Veronica Donovan got up at once to move towards the boy.
"Are you?" The teenager asked again, his voice stronger, his body betraying his despair.
"Sara," Nick Savrinn finally said as he gestured to the boy, "this is LJ Burrows, Lincoln's son. LJ, meet Doctor Sara Tancredi, she's been taking care of your father."
Sara looked at LJ again and her heart sank. Lincoln's son. A boy who's father was about to be executed in a few hours. No wonder he looked tired; she wouldn't be able to sleep either. The intensity of his gaze suddenly reminded her that she still hadn't answered his question.
"I'll try LJ, I can't promise you anything..." She wanted to give this boy hope, something he could cling to right now. "But I'll try everything I can."
Some of the tension eased from LJ's body, and he let himself fall in the seat the closest to him.
"You shouldn't stay here, LJ," Veronica said, disapproving of his obvious intention to take part in the conversation.
"You're discussing my dad's life here, I'm not going anywhere." The fierceness of his answer surprised Sara, and she assumed this wasn't the first time they were having this conversation.
Turning back to Veronica, she couldn't help the question that came to her mind. "Why was he hiding?"
She regretted her words at once when she saw the sadness that washed over Veronica's face. She watched the young woman glance back at LJ with what could only be deep care and concern, and it was obvious to her that Veronica was more than just Lincoln's attorney.
"LJ's in a little bit of trouble," she finally said after a few seconds, which was immediately followed by a snicker from the teenager that oddly reminded her of Lincoln.
"A bit of trouble?" Challenge rang in his voice as he looked at Veronica, then he glanced at Sara, the anger in his eyes surprising her. "They killed my mother."
Sara stared back at the young man in shock. His mother was dead. And his father was about to be in a few hours. She didn't have time to take in the full meaning of the words before Veronica put a hand on LJ's shoulder and turned back to her.
"And his stepfather. And my fiancé." Grief filled the young woman's eyes, and Sara suddenly felt her head spin with the pain she was witnessing.
"And a lot more people," Nick added, his eyes burning into hers to try to make her see the gravity of the situation. And she did.
She turned back to LJ, but Veronica seemed to notice her question had been left unanswered. In a second, the woman seemed to decide they had nothing left to lose.
"They're trying to frame him, Sara," she said, "just like they framed Lincoln."
Sara couldn't take her eyes off the young man, no, the boy who was sitting in front of her with fierce rage and challenge in his eyes. She had seen those before; seemed it ran in the family.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered softly. And she meant it with all her heart. If someone knew what it was like to lose a mother, it was her. Some days, she still wondered if she had ever overcome that pain.
"You have to understand that this is about a lot more than just Lincoln." Nick's voice was strained but calm, and it helped her escape the grief that had started to settle in her. "You need to know what you are getting yourself into if you choose to help us."
Sara swallowed hard and slowly nodded, turning back to LJ so he could see her determination to save his father.
"I want to help." She was glad to hear that her voice was steady and sure. It was more than she felt herself.
"Why?" LJ's question took her by surprise, even though she should have expected it. The perplexity was written all over his face. "Why would you wanna do this?"
Because Michael begged me to and I was unable to resist him. Sara bit her lip to avoid saying the words out loud. She remembered the way he had looked at her, despair straining his voice as he was slowly losing control. She remembered his eyes, screaming at her for help. She remembered the moment when she had decided that rules no longer mattered.
"I've always been against..." Sara caught herself before letting the words 'death penalty' escaped her, "against this. Michael asked me to take a closer look, and he was right, there are some holes in this file that might..." Sara didn't have time to finish before she got interrupted.
"Uncle Mike? Is he okay?" The new intensity in LJ's voice drew her attention, and she tried to ignore the odd flip in her stomach at the way the teenager had spoken of Michael. Uncle Mike was definitely not the way she was used to hear about him, and she couldn't deny how much she liked the caring it held.
She gave LJ what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "He's fine." That was a lie, but she hoped her voice didn't betray her. "He's just worried about your father."
LJ lowered his head and nodded, and she could tell that defeat was slowly replacing his anger. Veronica ran a gentle hand over his shoulder.
Acting on impulse, Sara reached a hand out and covered LJ's joined hands with her own. "I will do everything I can to stop this. Everything."
LJ looked up and she held his gaze for a few seconds. "I believe you," he finally said.
She saw a shadow of a tired smile turn the corners of his lips.
And she smiled back.