Fic: The Art of Being Lost and Found (12/?), blue cortina, dakfinv
Title: The Art of Being Lost and Found (12/?)
Author: dak
Word Count: 1558 (this part); (16,542 in total, so far)
Rating: blue cortina
Warnings: none here
Summary: Post 2.08. When the Guv goes missing, CID is saddled with an inept "interim" DCI. To find Gene, and the truth, Ray must team up with a hated enemy.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11
Ray was surprised to find that the recreation room (as the nurse called it), was filled with natural sunlight. Of course, the numerous patients inside appeared immune to the warm light, but it made a nice change from all the dank rooms Ray had seen on his previous visits.
After he and Chris were escorted into the room, they wasted no time scanning the disturbingly serene area for Sam. As Ray’s eyes darted about the room, he noticed a television sat in the corner (the volume turned low), gentle music was playing from the speakers above their heads, and a few people that were laughing almost happily.
When his eyes fell upon a corner table, Ray recognized Tyler’s roommate, James. After another second of observation, he identified the man’s Snakes & Ladders opponent as Tyler himself. He went to point Sam out to Chris, but Chris had already spotted him; he just looked too nervous to approach him.
“Go on, then,” Ray nudged him forward. “ ‘S what you wanted, innit?”
He heard Chris gulp, then watched as he walked towards the table. Ray remained by the room’s entrance. He didn’t see why his mate couldn’t have a few minutes alone with the nutter. Ray crossed his arms and watched as Chris first introduced himself to Bresson, then turned to Sam. With Tyler’s back to him, Ray couldn’t tell how Sam was reacting, but his body language indicated that he didn’t notice Chris at all.
James leaned forward and whispered something to Skelton which caused Chris to finally look back at Ray. Sighing, Ray finally crossed the room and stood on the other side of Sam. He tried not to react as he noticed Tyler’s blank gaze and the fresh bruises on his arms.
“Good morning, Mr. Carling,” James greeted him. “I was just telling your friend here - it seems Sam’s doctor has decided to adjust his medication as well as his electroshock therapy. I am tired of idle gossip,” he sighed.
Sam found the energy to wipe the back of his hand across his nose, then dropped the heavy arm into his lap.
“He was feeling well when he woke this morning, a bit...fidgety, I’d say, but what else can you expect? I am afraid he hasn’t said much since his first dose of medication. They said it was to calm him down.”
“Calm him?” Ray scoffed. “He’s bloody comatose.”
Chris reached out a trembling hand and placed it on Sam’s shoulder, shaking him gently.
“DI Tyler?” he asked.
Sam gave no response.
“Well, ain’t this bleeding great,” Ray sneered. “Only lead we’ve got and his bloody head’s getting the evidence shocked and doped right out of it.”
“Will he come round later?” Chris asked Bresson.
“Possibly,” he nodded, but his tone of voice suggested otherwise.
“Sam? It’s DC Skelton. Chris? Can you hear me?”
“Oh yeah, Chris. He can hear you. Voice carries well to the Planet of the Clangers,” Ray rolled his eyes.
“ ‘S not funny, Ray,” Chris replied seriously.
Sam coughed and wiped his nose again before moving his piece on the game board.
“Ah, jolly good,” James clapped his hands together. “I’ve been waiting fifteen minutes for him to finish his turn.”
Sam coughed again.
“What’re we supposed to do?” Chris asked.
“I didn’t come here for nowt. Let’s see if we can’t get summat out of him. Oi! Tyler!” Ray snapped his fingers in front of Sam’s face. “Remember I told you the Guv were gone?”
Sam blinked, then looked up at the ceiling. There was the tiniest bit of saliva escaping from the corner of his mouth.
“What about the baker?” Chris offered.
“Oi! Space case. You remember a baker? Lawrence Hynes? Tyler?”
“His name is Sam Williams.”
Both Ray and Chris snapped up to see a large orderly walking towards them. Ray recognized him as the one who had escorted Sam to the asylum canteen that first visit.
“You shouldn’t be here if you’re going to speak to him like that,” the man warned.
“Slip of the tongue,” Ray told him, deciding not to apologize for it. He was going to call Sam whatever he damn well pleased. Always had before. The orderly regarded Ray suspiciously, then focused his attention on Tyler.
“Alright, Sam. Doc Wynton wants you in a bit earlier today,” he reached down to grab his patient, but Sam refused to leave the table, gripping his chair tightly. “Come on, Mr. Williams. Won’t be so bad today, eh?”
He reached for Sam again, but this time Sam rolled to the floor, scooting behind Chris. The DC had no idea what to do, and so the orderly shoved him out of the way.
“So this is how you’re going to be, eh? Now, Sam, do you really want me to tell the Doc you’ve been misbehaving again? You think that’s what she wants to hear? She won’t like that one bit, will she?”
Sam said nothing, but Ray could see him starting to shake. There was a fear in his eyes, a confusion, he had only ever seen in Tyler once before - on the railroad tracks.
“Come on, Sammy,” the orderly cooed. “It’ll be better if you come along quietly.”
Sam gazed up at Ray and Chris - looking for support and finding only the same confusion.
“Let’s go, Sammy-boy,” the orderly sighed.
At this, Sam cocked his head to the side, then slowly picked himself off the floor and handed himself over to the orderly.
“There we go,” the man smiled. “It’ll be real quick. And you won’t remember a thing, will you?”
Ray and Chris watched as Sam, head held low, was escorted out of the ward. Ray shook that helpless feeling from his gut. There was nothing they could, nor should, do for him.
“This ain’t right,” Chris whispered.
“Yeah. We’ll never find the Guv if they keep this up,” Ray looked over to see Chris shaking his head.
“Shouldn’t matter ‘bout the Guv. This ain’t what I wanted.”
“What did you think he were being signed up for? A nice holiday in Blackpool?”
“How is this even helping him? Were never like this before.”
“Well there’s nowt we can do ‘bout it now, is there?”
“Uhm, if it helps, gentlemen,” James spoke up. “You could see about getting him a day pass.”
*
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Cartwright will have our balls to start with.”
“She don’t know what it’s like here. What they’re doing to him. If she did, she wouldn’t like it.”
“I know you two share a knitting circle and all, but that don’t mean you can get inside her head. Probably have a better shot at her knickers.”
Ray and Chris paced the busy car park, both in a race to see who could smoke their cigarettes the fastest.
“ ‘Sides,” Ray continued, “it wouldn’t matter if we did. They ain’t going to change his treatment just cos we take him out for a spin.”
“No,” Chris agreed despondently, “but we could drive him round to Hynes’, like. Maybe it would spark summit, or, I don’t know.” Chris won the race, dropping the butt to the ground and immediately lighting up another fag. “We just...we can’t leave him here.”
“We also can’t take him out, play with him, and put him back. You think things’ll really be better for him if he gets that taste of freedom then has it taken away?”
“Don’t know,” Chris shrugged.
“Exactly. Look, Chris, I know you’re feeling guilty...”
“And you’re not?”
Ray didn’t know which answer would hurt Chris less, so he said nothing at all. His silence seemed to hurt the most.
“Let’s least talk to his doctor,” Chris pleaded. “Say we need him for an important investigation. Wouldn’t be lying, would we?”
“If they let him out, he’ll be our responsibility,” Ray tried to dissuade him.
“And he’s not now?”
“I just wanted to question him. You want a play date, go ask ‘em yourself,” Ray paced in the other direction, wishing he carried a hip flask.
“I can’t do it on me own, Ray,” Chris shouted behind him. “They...they won’t listen to a div like me. I’ll...I’ll only muck things up if I talk to ‘em meself.”
Ray stopped and stared out at the countryside. He breathed in the crisp, fresh air. It was no good, what Chris wanted. The place would never allow it, anyhow. He hated to be the one dash the young detective’s hopes, but wasn’t it better if it was him rather than some stranger? They did have something to work with now, too. Did they really need anything more from Tyler? If anyone knew anything else, it was probably Jackie Queen anyway, not Sam.
Ray sighed and turned to face Chris. The lad was still waiting for an answer. He was right, Chris. The asylum would never release Tyler on just a Detective Constable’s word alone - the word of a man who had yet to hit thirty, and puberty, too. And Chris wouldn’t even try on his own. He’d do whatever Ray said, even if it meant climbing back in the car and never seeing the Boss again.
Staring at Chris, Ray took a deep breath and made - what he felt - would be one of the hardest decisions of his life.
Author: dak
Word Count: 1558 (this part); (16,542 in total, so far)
Rating: blue cortina
Warnings: none here
Summary: Post 2.08. When the Guv goes missing, CID is saddled with an inept "interim" DCI. To find Gene, and the truth, Ray must team up with a hated enemy.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11
Ray was surprised to find that the recreation room (as the nurse called it), was filled with natural sunlight. Of course, the numerous patients inside appeared immune to the warm light, but it made a nice change from all the dank rooms Ray had seen on his previous visits.
After he and Chris were escorted into the room, they wasted no time scanning the disturbingly serene area for Sam. As Ray’s eyes darted about the room, he noticed a television sat in the corner (the volume turned low), gentle music was playing from the speakers above their heads, and a few people that were laughing almost happily.
When his eyes fell upon a corner table, Ray recognized Tyler’s roommate, James. After another second of observation, he identified the man’s Snakes & Ladders opponent as Tyler himself. He went to point Sam out to Chris, but Chris had already spotted him; he just looked too nervous to approach him.
“Go on, then,” Ray nudged him forward. “ ‘S what you wanted, innit?”
He heard Chris gulp, then watched as he walked towards the table. Ray remained by the room’s entrance. He didn’t see why his mate couldn’t have a few minutes alone with the nutter. Ray crossed his arms and watched as Chris first introduced himself to Bresson, then turned to Sam. With Tyler’s back to him, Ray couldn’t tell how Sam was reacting, but his body language indicated that he didn’t notice Chris at all.
James leaned forward and whispered something to Skelton which caused Chris to finally look back at Ray. Sighing, Ray finally crossed the room and stood on the other side of Sam. He tried not to react as he noticed Tyler’s blank gaze and the fresh bruises on his arms.
“Good morning, Mr. Carling,” James greeted him. “I was just telling your friend here - it seems Sam’s doctor has decided to adjust his medication as well as his electroshock therapy. I am tired of idle gossip,” he sighed.
Sam found the energy to wipe the back of his hand across his nose, then dropped the heavy arm into his lap.
“He was feeling well when he woke this morning, a bit...fidgety, I’d say, but what else can you expect? I am afraid he hasn’t said much since his first dose of medication. They said it was to calm him down.”
“Calm him?” Ray scoffed. “He’s bloody comatose.”
Chris reached out a trembling hand and placed it on Sam’s shoulder, shaking him gently.
“DI Tyler?” he asked.
Sam gave no response.
“Well, ain’t this bleeding great,” Ray sneered. “Only lead we’ve got and his bloody head’s getting the evidence shocked and doped right out of it.”
“Will he come round later?” Chris asked Bresson.
“Possibly,” he nodded, but his tone of voice suggested otherwise.
“Sam? It’s DC Skelton. Chris? Can you hear me?”
“Oh yeah, Chris. He can hear you. Voice carries well to the Planet of the Clangers,” Ray rolled his eyes.
“ ‘S not funny, Ray,” Chris replied seriously.
Sam coughed and wiped his nose again before moving his piece on the game board.
“Ah, jolly good,” James clapped his hands together. “I’ve been waiting fifteen minutes for him to finish his turn.”
Sam coughed again.
“What’re we supposed to do?” Chris asked.
“I didn’t come here for nowt. Let’s see if we can’t get summat out of him. Oi! Tyler!” Ray snapped his fingers in front of Sam’s face. “Remember I told you the Guv were gone?”
Sam blinked, then looked up at the ceiling. There was the tiniest bit of saliva escaping from the corner of his mouth.
“What about the baker?” Chris offered.
“Oi! Space case. You remember a baker? Lawrence Hynes? Tyler?”
“His name is Sam Williams.”
Both Ray and Chris snapped up to see a large orderly walking towards them. Ray recognized him as the one who had escorted Sam to the asylum canteen that first visit.
“You shouldn’t be here if you’re going to speak to him like that,” the man warned.
“Slip of the tongue,” Ray told him, deciding not to apologize for it. He was going to call Sam whatever he damn well pleased. Always had before. The orderly regarded Ray suspiciously, then focused his attention on Tyler.
“Alright, Sam. Doc Wynton wants you in a bit earlier today,” he reached down to grab his patient, but Sam refused to leave the table, gripping his chair tightly. “Come on, Mr. Williams. Won’t be so bad today, eh?”
He reached for Sam again, but this time Sam rolled to the floor, scooting behind Chris. The DC had no idea what to do, and so the orderly shoved him out of the way.
“So this is how you’re going to be, eh? Now, Sam, do you really want me to tell the Doc you’ve been misbehaving again? You think that’s what she wants to hear? She won’t like that one bit, will she?”
Sam said nothing, but Ray could see him starting to shake. There was a fear in his eyes, a confusion, he had only ever seen in Tyler once before - on the railroad tracks.
“Come on, Sammy,” the orderly cooed. “It’ll be better if you come along quietly.”
Sam gazed up at Ray and Chris - looking for support and finding only the same confusion.
“Let’s go, Sammy-boy,” the orderly sighed.
At this, Sam cocked his head to the side, then slowly picked himself off the floor and handed himself over to the orderly.
“There we go,” the man smiled. “It’ll be real quick. And you won’t remember a thing, will you?”
Ray and Chris watched as Sam, head held low, was escorted out of the ward. Ray shook that helpless feeling from his gut. There was nothing they could, nor should, do for him.
“This ain’t right,” Chris whispered.
“Yeah. We’ll never find the Guv if they keep this up,” Ray looked over to see Chris shaking his head.
“Shouldn’t matter ‘bout the Guv. This ain’t what I wanted.”
“What did you think he were being signed up for? A nice holiday in Blackpool?”
“How is this even helping him? Were never like this before.”
“Well there’s nowt we can do ‘bout it now, is there?”
“Uhm, if it helps, gentlemen,” James spoke up. “You could see about getting him a day pass.”
*
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Cartwright will have our balls to start with.”
“She don’t know what it’s like here. What they’re doing to him. If she did, she wouldn’t like it.”
“I know you two share a knitting circle and all, but that don’t mean you can get inside her head. Probably have a better shot at her knickers.”
Ray and Chris paced the busy car park, both in a race to see who could smoke their cigarettes the fastest.
“ ‘Sides,” Ray continued, “it wouldn’t matter if we did. They ain’t going to change his treatment just cos we take him out for a spin.”
“No,” Chris agreed despondently, “but we could drive him round to Hynes’, like. Maybe it would spark summit, or, I don’t know.” Chris won the race, dropping the butt to the ground and immediately lighting up another fag. “We just...we can’t leave him here.”
“We also can’t take him out, play with him, and put him back. You think things’ll really be better for him if he gets that taste of freedom then has it taken away?”
“Don’t know,” Chris shrugged.
“Exactly. Look, Chris, I know you’re feeling guilty...”
“And you’re not?”
Ray didn’t know which answer would hurt Chris less, so he said nothing at all. His silence seemed to hurt the most.
“Let’s least talk to his doctor,” Chris pleaded. “Say we need him for an important investigation. Wouldn’t be lying, would we?”
“If they let him out, he’ll be our responsibility,” Ray tried to dissuade him.
“And he’s not now?”
“I just wanted to question him. You want a play date, go ask ‘em yourself,” Ray paced in the other direction, wishing he carried a hip flask.
“I can’t do it on me own, Ray,” Chris shouted behind him. “They...they won’t listen to a div like me. I’ll...I’ll only muck things up if I talk to ‘em meself.”
Ray stopped and stared out at the countryside. He breathed in the crisp, fresh air. It was no good, what Chris wanted. The place would never allow it, anyhow. He hated to be the one dash the young detective’s hopes, but wasn’t it better if it was him rather than some stranger? They did have something to work with now, too. Did they really need anything more from Tyler? If anyone knew anything else, it was probably Jackie Queen anyway, not Sam.
Ray sighed and turned to face Chris. The lad was still waiting for an answer. He was right, Chris. The asylum would never release Tyler on just a Detective Constable’s word alone - the word of a man who had yet to hit thirty, and puberty, too. And Chris wouldn’t even try on his own. He’d do whatever Ray said, even if it meant climbing back in the car and never seeing the Boss again.
Staring at Chris, Ray took a deep breath and made - what he felt - would be one of the hardest decisions of his life.