Jump to content
    Nephylim
  • Author
  • 2,908 Words
  • 3,588 Views
  • 19 Comments
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Finding Alex - 18. Chapter 18

The last thing Sacha wanted to do was open his eyes. His memory of recent events was sketchy, but he knew there were good reasons for not wanting to wake up. He remembered the beating and he remembered James face. He remembered knowing he was about to die and he remembered the gun. There was something about the gun he should remember but there was no point dwelling on that. He didn’t want to think about it, so he didn’t.

Something was different. He was still hurting but not so much, and that awful pain inside, the pain that convinced him so much he was dying, had gone. He was stiff and sore and felt as sick as he ever had, but he wasn’t dying anymore. That in itself was worth celebrating – wasn’t it. He should tell someone. James. He should tell James, because James would worry.

“James.”

There was movement all around him.

“Sacha, baby, are you awake? Can you hear me?”

That didn’t sound like James. It was a woman. A name floated to him. Lacey. “Lacey?”

“Yes, it’s me, honey. Can you open your eyes?”

Of course he could. Well, he was pretty sure he could. Okay, so it wasn’t as easy as he’d thought but he damn well wasn’t going to let a couple of eyelids get in his way.

“Ow.” He closed his eyes again. “Lights.” He’d meant to say. “Ow, the lights are too bright. They hurt my eyes,” but that was all that came out. Fortunately, Lacey understood and he saw, through closed eyelids, the lights go off. He tried again, and this time managed to get his eyes open and focussed on Lacey. He smiled at her.

“Oh, baby.” Lacey took his hand and held it tight. She seemed to be crying. What had he done to make her cry?

“Sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“I made you sad.”

“You didn’t make me sad, honey, you made me very happy.”

“I did. How?” It seemed every word Lacey said confused him more.

“I’m just glad you’re feeling better, honey, that’s all.”

“I am?” He didn’t feel better. In fact, he couldn’t remember a time when he felt worse. Wait. Yes he could. He thought he could. “James. Where’s James? Is he—?”

“He’s fine, honey. He’s been here off and on the whole time, but he’s home just now. Would you like me to ask him to come see you? Do you need to see him?”

Sacha thought about it. Did he? Did he want to face James after everything that had happened? It had been his fault, after all; all of it. He shook his head and winced. “Hurts.”

“I know, honey. I expect you hurt all over.”

“Do I?”

“I don’t know. I guess you’re still a little out of it, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess.” It occurred to Sacha that he was definitely out of it. That floating feeling cinched it for him. He always felt like that when he was drugged. Right on the heels of that thought came another. Why was he drugged? The last thing he remembered was being in a room with a mattress. He was beaten and hurt, but not drugged. Had Ryland—

Memory slammed into Sacha like a brick in the guts. He tried to sit up, but pain defeated him and he fell back with a cry.

“Hush, baby. Lie still. You’re not well enough for that yet. You’ve been very sick, honey. You’re getting better but you have to rest.”

“No, I….” He struggled to sit up again, more carefully this time, but he was still laid low by a bright, stabbing pain in his side and stomach. “Why do I hurt so much?” Surprisingly, it wasn’t until then that he noticed a hundred other little pains and noticed his arms and chest were bandaged. They rustled when he moved. There were other things too, tubes and wires and machinery. It suddenly all made sense. “I’m in hospital.”

“Yes, St Mary’s clinic. They’re taking very good care of you.”

“Okay.”

As he came closer and closer to full consciousness, the pain began to bother him more and more. It wasn’t just the pain in his stomach, although that was the worst. The whip wounds were sore and some were itching unbearably. There were bruises too, lots of them; he could tell. Then there were the places the tubes went in. They burned and throbbed and itched. Whatever was going into his body was hurting him. It was just a small hurt, but it bothered him because he didn’t know what it was. He didn’t know why.

“It hurts.”

“I know, baby. It must hurt a lot.”

“No, not a lot, not as much as my belly, but it hurts and I don’t know why and I don’t like it.”

“What are you talking about, honey? What’s bothering you?”

“This.” He held out his arm and Lacey frowned.

“The bandages? Are the rubbing your sores?”

“Yes, but that’s okay. This?” He moved his arm closer. Surely she had to see.

“I don’t know what you’re showing me.”

“That tube thing. It hurts. They all hurt.”

“Oh, well I’m sure it’s okay.” Lacey looked uncomfortable and it made Sacha think there must be something really wrong.

“But it hurts,” he repeated, “and I don’t know why.”

“It has to be there, hun. It’s helping to make you better. You mustn’t take it out.”

“I know that. I know. But why is it hurting. I need to know. It need to know why it’s hurting.”

It wasn’t important, not really, not in the great scheme of things. It was just a little hurt after all. But it was important. It was important because Lacey wasn’t answering him and that scared him.

“Well, hey there. You’re looking better. At least, better than you were the last time I looked in.”

Sacha blinked at the boy who stood in the door, with a big bunch of flowers in his hand. They were purple and white and absolutely beautiful. He frowned. Did he know the boy? They boy seemed to know him. Was he a boy? He looked young but seemed older. Who was he? Oh yes. Right.

“Nik?”

“That’s right. I wasn’t sure if you would remember me. I wasn’t sure you’d remember anything.” He handed the flowers to the nurse who had come in with him. She didn’t look too pleased, but disappeared with them. Sacha got the impression that people tended to do what Nik wanted, even though he didn’t really have to ask. Sacha stored the thought away in the back of his mind, to ask him later.

“Hello.” It was lame, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Hello. How are you doing?”

“It hurts,” Sacha said. He wasn’t sure why, but he had the idea that if anyone would know it would be Nik.

“I bet it does.”

“Sacha’s a bit upset,” Lacey said, frowning. “It seems the IV tubes are sore and he wants to know why?”

Nik shrugged. “Then I’ll find out why. I bet there’s a simple answer.” Nik smiled at Sacha then disappeared. Sacha wasn’t happy about that. He wasn’t sure why but for that brief moment, when Nik was in the room, everything had seemed just a little bit better.

Nik wasn’t gone long. In the meantime, Lacey just sat, picking at the blanket, and Sacha wondered what he’d done to upset her. He didn’t have the strength to ask – no, he didn’t have the strength to handle the answer.

Nik was accompanied by a nurse who bustled over to the bed and did some stuff. Nik frowned at her. “Never mind about all that,” he said. “You can take care of that later. Sacha’s getting stressed out because his IV’s are hurting. Please explain why. Then, you can do what you like.”

The nurse tutted him, but checked the charts. “It’s probably the potassium in the IV fluid, hun. It can burn. I’ll talk to the doctor. You might not need it anymore. Your vitals seem to have settled. Is it very painful? Do you need pain relief?”

“Not for that, no. I just wanted to know why. It’s okay isn’t it? I mean, it’s okay that it hurts.”

“Yes, it’s okay, as long as it doesn’t hurt very much. If it’s just sore, it’s fine.”

“Yes,” Sacha smiled at her. “It’s fine.”

“What about the rest of you?”

“That’s not fine.”

“I’m not surprised. I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake and he’ll want to come take a look. He’ll be able to do some things to help.”

“Okay.” Sacha smiled again and the nurse stroked his hair before leaving.”

“Happy now?” Nik asked and Sacha shook his head.

“Don’t think happy’s the right word.”

“I guess not. You’re better, though. You had us scared for a while.”

“I did? Why?”

Nik looked at Lacey. “Haven’t you told him?”

“I haven’t had a chance. He’s only just woken up.” She sounded cross and snappy. Sacha hated it when she was like that. He always felt like saying sorry.

“Oh. Sorry.” Sacha relaxed. Nik said it for him.

“No, it’s alright, Nik. I’m sorry. I’ve been so strung out…not knowing. It’s just…. I guess the relief was…too much.” To Sacha’s horror, Lacey started to cry, putting her face in her hands. He reached out his hand and winced as the movement pulled on the bandages and the injuries below. Still, he wasn’t going to be defeated by a little pain, and didn’t stop until he touched her hand.

“Don’t cry,” he said and Lacey looked up sharply. She took his hand gently.

“Oh, baby, don’t you worry about me. I’m fine. I’m just so relieved you’re getting better. It’s been hard for us all.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve been so ill, honey.”

“I have?”

Lacey sniffed, trying to stop the tears. Nik put his arm around her and she turned in to his embrace. Something inside Sacha found he was strangely uncomfortable with that.

“When they first brought you in, you were very sick,” Nik said, a terribly sad look on his face. “You were bleeding internally and no one knew if you were going to be okay. You had to have emergency surgery and you were in a coma for a while. Right up to now, no one could say if you were going to wake up or what you would be like if you did.”

“I…don’t understand.”

“They thought you might have brain damage.”

“Oh. Do I?”

“I think it’s very unlikely,” Nik said with a grin. “If you did, I don’t think you’d be talking to us like this.”

“Oh no. I guess.”

“Lacey’s been at your side the whole time. No one could persuade her to leave, not even to sleep. She’s been sleeping in the chair and she’s exhausted. That’s why she’s crying. It’s not because of you.”

“Oh. Okay. I’m kind of confused. I don’t remember being sick.”

“Of course you don’t. You’ve been asleep the whole time.”

“I have? How did I do that?”

“Trust me; it was easy. But you’re awake now, so everything’s going to be okay.”

“Good.” Nik was smiling at him. A smile really shouldn’t make much difference to the way he felt, should it? It doesn’t have the power to stop pain, especially when it’s from a practical stranger, someone he didn’t know at all. A smile shouldn’t be able to do all that, but it did. Somehow it make everything better. Most of all, it made Sacha believe that everything could be better; that he could be better. He remembered what he’d felt like when Nik lay down beside him and they’d snuggled. It had felt really good.

“Will you snuggle me?”

“What?” Nik looked really startled.

“Snuggle me. Like you did before. It made me feel better. It made me feel good.”

“I don’t think I can. The bed is too small and there’s too much stuff. Tell you what – when you get out of the hospital I’ll snuggle you, okay? I promise.”

“Okay.” Sacha sighed. He was suddenly very tired.

“Are you tired?” Lacey asked, sniffing.

“Mmm.”

“Rest, then. It’s okay. Close your eyes.”

“Will you smooth my hair?”

“Like this?”

Lacey moved closer and started running her fingers through his hair. “Mmm.” He had no energy left to say more, so he let the smile on his face speak for him, at least until he had drifted too far away to maintain it.

He woke when the doctor came. He had no choice. The doctor was nice. He smiled and spoke in a soft voice, said kind words, but he tortured Sacha more thoroughly than Ryland ever had.

Sacha didn’t want to think about how it felt to have the bandages removed, or the dressing over the surgical wound in his stomach. All in all, it was the most unpleasant experience he’d ever had, especially when he saw what was coming out of the drainage tubes. At that point he closed his eyes tightly and refused to open them.

After the torture they gave him drugs that took away the pain, and another chunk of his life, and that was pretty much how his days went for a while – brief periods of lucidity between periods of torture and drugged stupor.

****

In the middle of all that, James came to visit. Sacha was asleep and woke up to see his brother’s anxious face inches away from his own. He started and yelped, which caused James to shoot backwards, fall over the bench and crash to the floor.

The door opened almost instantly and a nurse appeared. “Is everything alright in here?”

“Yes, I…. I’m sorry, I fell over.”

“Be careful,” she said cheerfully. “I don’t want to have to be looking after you as well.”

James looked sheepish as he climbed to his feet and dusted himself off. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“You’re supposed to sit on the seat, honey, not try to jump over it.”

“I wasn’t, I….” James’ anxious words petered out as he took in the smile on the nurse’s face.

“You okay, sunshine?” the nurse asked Sacha. He was totally confused about the whole situation, but smiled vaguely at her. It must have satisfied her, because she disappeared and left them alone.

“Are you…? Are you feeling better now?”

“I guess. I’m pretty high most of the time – the pain drugs, you know.”

“Oh. Right. Do you need to rest? I could come back.” He seemed almost eager to leave, which confused Sacha, but he shook his head.

“No. I’m okay. As okay as I ever am, I guess.”

“Oh. Listen, I…. I just…. You saved my life, man. I’ll never forget.”

“It was my fault. I got you into it in the first place.”

“No you didn’t. My own stupidity got me into it. I followed you. I was angry with you. I don’t even know why. I….” James sighed. “I was so wrong about you. I thought….”

“That I was a transsexual midget? Or a femme twink whore? Or just a cowardly bitch?”

“Oh God,” James put his head in his hand. “I said those things, didn’t I? I was an idiot. I’m sorry. You’re not a coward. So are so not a coward. I’ve never met anyone so brave. You saved my life.”

“I….” Suddenly, it all came back to him and a huge shudder shook his body as creeping horror took possession of him. “Oh God. Oh God, James. I killed him, didn’t I? I really killed him.”

James swallowed hard, his eyes wide in a white face. He nodded. “Yes.”

Sacha smiled. “Good. He won’t hurt anyone else, ever.”

“No. Never.”

“What about the other one?”

“He ran away…when I was phoning. When I came back he’d gone and….”

Sacha turned his face away. He knew exactly what James had come back to. It was enough to scar a mind for ever.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“That you had to see it.”

“Don’t be sorry. I was glad. After what that monster did to you…. I was really glad you’d killed him. If it wasn’t for you, I would have.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. It’s not a good feeling, James.”

“I bet it would have been – if you hadn’t almost died right after.”

Sacha smiled wearily. “I doubt it. I’m not sorry I did it, though.”

“No.”

They fell silent. There wasn’t really much else to say.

“I’m glad Dad found you,” James said at last, when Sacha was almost asleep.

“So am I.”

“And I’m really glad you didn’t die.”

“So am I.”

“I thought you were – going to die. The doctors weren’t sure in the beginning. You were right, Ryland broke something inside. They said ruptured but it means the same thing. You had to have an operation and we were told you might not survive it, and then you wouldn’t wake up and they said…all sorts of things. I’m really glad they were wrong.”

Sacha smiled at him and reached for his hand. James looked a little reluctant at first, as if he was afraid that touching him would break him. Then he took his hand and held it as if it was a precious thing.

“So am I,” he said.

Copyright © 2014 Nephylim; All Rights Reserved.
  • Like 45
  • Sad 3
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
You are not currently following this author. Be sure to follow to keep up to date with new stories they post.

Recommended Comments

Chapter Comments

Wow! Poor Sacha! But he's alive! Yes! He survived! I'm crying with Lacey in relief! God that was such a touching chapter. Even the closing lines with James. Though there's still the whole story of how they got out. Is that coming in another chapter? Something to do with his dad finding him? Again? Or was that just a flash back to the original finding, which seems like it was so long ago? I get a little confused reading a chapter at a time with long breaks in between. I wonder if I should put this aside and come back to it when you have finished it. Then I will make better sense of it, reading it through like a normal book instead of in installments. I'm not good with this installment thing.

Link to comment

well the bad guys are dead Sacha is on the mend and things may just be looking up for every one where is this all gonna go now?

 

Bob

Link to comment
On 09/28/2014 11:32 PM, Jaro_423 said:
Wow! Poor Sacha! But he's alive! Yes! He survived! I'm crying with Lacey in relief! God that was such a touching chapter. Even the closing lines with James. Though there's still the whole story of how they got out. Is that coming in another chapter? Something to do with his dad finding him? Again? Or was that just a flash back to the original finding, which seems like it was so long ago? I get a little confused reading a chapter at a time with long breaks in between. I wonder if I should put this aside and come back to it when you have finished it. Then I will make better sense of it, reading it through like a normal book instead of in installments. I'm not good with this installment thing.
I know what you mean aboout installments and part of it is totally my fault in that I'm so unreliable in posting. I didn't think it was important how they were rescued. I've told you the thug ran away and James found a phone. He called 911, the authorities came and they were rescued :)
Link to comment
On 09/28/2014 11:46 PM, fiedlerbob101 said:
well the bad guys are dead Sacha is on the mend and things may just be looking up for every one where is this all gonna go now?

 

Bob

In a completely different direction :)
Link to comment

Great chapter :thumbup:

Ryland is dead and can´t hurt Sacha ever again, so he´s safe. But there´ll be a lot of adjusting to his new life and counseling, and this time hopefully for the whole family. Then perhaps Sacha can find a way to live normal life again, whatever normal life is for him. But there´re a lot of things he doesn´t know or understand. Lacey and James can help and Nik.

 

Sacha shot Ryland, James phoned help and next stop at the hospital, I thought that was enough information about their escape. But I do know what Jaro means about installments and getting confused :unsure:

Link to comment
On 09/29/2014 12:16 AM, Suvitar said:
Great chapter :thumbup:

Ryland is dead and can´t hurt Sacha ever again, so he´s safe. But there´ll be a lot of adjusting to his new life and counseling, and this time hopefully for the whole family. Then perhaps Sacha can find a way to live normal life again, whatever normal life is for him. But there´re a lot of things he doesn´t know or understand. Lacey and James can help and Nik.

 

Sacha shot Ryland, James phoned help and next stop at the hospital, I thought that was enough information about their escape. But I do know what Jaro means about installments and getting confused :unsure:

That's totally my fault, and I will try hard to be more reliable. Sacha definitely needs to start living his new life. The story is by no means over!
Link to comment

I agree that we don't really need to know more about the escape than the bastard is dead, James got to a phone and poor Sasha is alive but injured again. Hopefully, the next chapters will deal with Sasha's recovery and really learning how to live again, this time with James' help.

Link to comment
On 09/29/2014 01:39 AM, avidreadr said:
I agree that we don't really need to know more about the escape than the bastard is dead, James got to a phone and poor Sasha is alive but injured again. Hopefully, the next chapters will deal with Sasha's recovery and really learning how to live again, this time with James' help.
The drama hasn't ended, but it takes a very different form :D Sacha will be getting some surprises...and a new friend.
Link to comment

Early on I had wondered about this being the first of your stories I've read in process. It is hard but no worse than many other stories I am reading here. Hopefully the next phase will give Sacha and us a break from the pain for awhile. Thanks.

Link to comment

I loved this chapter. I loved Sasha & James interaction especially the last line. It is so sweet how Lacey calls him baby. Their relationships blurs between sister & mother. Where is Frank ? I realise he is around but I ' m really looking forward to Frank letting go & showing his love for his son which is clearly immense.

I am so happy the story doesn't end here . That made my day. I wondering when Sasha becomes Alex again. I suspect soon.

Link to comment
On 09/29/2014 11:21 AM, Gandalf said:
Early on I had wondered about this being the first of your stories I've read in process. It is hard but no worse than many other stories I am reading here. Hopefully the next phase will give Sacha and us a break from the pain for awhile. Thanks.
I know I haven't helped with this by being so unreliable, but be reassured that I never start posting until the story is finished so I'm never going to leave it drop in the middle. I won't say that there's NO pain, but it's different. There are a lot of adventures left to come, but of a very different kind
Link to comment
On 09/29/2014 01:34 PM, seanthomas said:
I loved this chapter. I loved Sasha & James interaction especially the last line. It is so sweet how Lacey calls him baby. Their relationships blurs between sister & mother. Where is Frank ? I realise he is around but I ' m really looking forward to Frank letting go & showing his love for his son which is clearly immense.

I am so happy the story doesn't end here . That made my day. I wondering when Sasha becomes Alex again. I suspect soon.

There's a lot more to come, don't worry. Sacha has a lot of adventures ahead. It's exciting but scary for him. Frank is there, in the background, it's just that his part in the story is a background one, at least for now. I don't think Sacha will ever be Alex again, because no matter how well he fits in, he's Sacha now. In many ways, Alex died nine years ago.
Link to comment

Hi Nephylim,

Just started reading this story 3 days ago and am now hooked on it and caught up. I am so glad that Ryland is dead, though I wish he were tortured worse than he tortured Alex/Sacha. These villains always seem to get away with punishing but never get the punishment them selves.

James finally has a new respect for Sacha as he has seen first hand what Sacha has been through.

I think that there might be a love connection between Nik and Sach, perhaps?

Thanks for writing for us.

Hector

Link to comment
On 09/30/2014 06:43 AM, Hector Q Sanchez said:
Hi Nephylim,

Just started reading this story 3 days ago and am now hooked on it and caught up. I am so glad that Ryland is dead, though I wish he were tortured worse than he tortured Alex/Sacha. These villains always seem to get away with punishing but never get the punishment them selves.

James finally has a new respect for Sacha as he has seen first hand what Sacha has been through.

I think that there might be a love connection between Nik and Sach, perhaps?

Thanks for writing for us.

Hector

It's my pleasure to write for you :) There are definitely love interests coming up. About time, huh :)
Link to comment

Awwwww best chapter of the lot!

:lmao:

Was really nice to see James warm up to his brother. Me finks that Sasha's got the hots for Nik too! :thumbup:

 

I'm glad the boy survived, although I guess in some ways he's got another mountain to climb now, but in some ways he'll have some form of closure to the Ryland chapter of his life.

Still not too sure that he's going to be "safe" just yet. There is another mug out there, and I am pretty sure that some of his ex "clients" are not going to be too happy that he's still alive.

I wonder if they got anything from the house Ryland was in when he despatched him to the dark side?

Lovely chapter Nephy. Was nice to find some semblance of calm after that hurricane of drama. ;)

Link to comment
On 10/12/2014 07:31 AM, Yettie One said:
Awwwww best chapter of the lot!

:lmao:

Was really nice to see James warm up to his brother. Me finks that Sasha's got the hots for Nik too! :thumbup:

 

I'm glad the boy survived, although I guess in some ways he's got another mountain to climb now, but in some ways he'll have some form of closure to the Ryland chapter of his life.

Still not too sure that he's going to be "safe" just yet. There is another mug out there, and I am pretty sure that some of his ex "clients" are not going to be too happy that he's still alive.

I wonder if they got anything from the house Ryland was in when he despatched him to the dark side?

Lovely chapter Nephy. Was nice to find some semblance of calm after that hurricane of drama. ;)

This story is Sacha/Alex's story. I doubt he cares about his former clients and I doubt his former clients would know whether he was alive or not. I doubt Ryland would have shared much, and would't have located the location of the farmhouse to anyone. I would think that all the ex clients would know is that Ryland isn't around anymore. As for the doc at the hospital. I wouldn't imagine he'd want anything to do with Sacha. What can Sacha say? He wasn't conscious when the doc did his dirty deed. He can say he saw the doc at the farm but with no other evidence there's no case. Besides, the doc isn't the kind of bad man Ryland is. I don't think there's anyone out there who cares one way or the other. And yeah! Sacha has the hots for Nik but not, I suspect, as much as Nik has the hots for him!!
  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • Site Moderator

James should have hit the lackey a little harder. I would have given him an extra thump before I left to get help. There are no more worries about James now. He is totally redeemed.

 

Sacha feeling funny about Nik and Lacey's hug? It's called jealousy, Sacha.

Link to comment
52 minutes ago, drpaladin said:

James should have hit the lackey a little harder. I would have given him an extra thump before I left to get help. There are no more worries about James now. He is totally redeemed.

 

Sacha feeling funny about Nik and Lacey's hug? It's called jealousy, Sacha.

 

Oh yes. Yes it is. Yes it definitely is :D

Link to comment

911? It's England, 999. 

Although 911 apparently does work here now in case any North American tourists need help.

Link to comment
View Guidelines

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Newsletter

    Sign Up and get an occasional Newsletter.  Fill out your profile with favorite genres and say yes to genre news to get the monthly update for your favorite genres.

    Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Our Privacy Policy can be found here: Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..