Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: Thanks as always to Mandi for betaing for me and thanks to Danny for getting me to actually work on it. These parts will connect up to the prologue, I promise.
Chapter 2
Jason stretched his legs out, trying to keep them limber. He had explored the entire cell thoroughly, not finding any possible escape route. The door sealed when it was locked, there was a little slot where food, which Jason hadn't touched, had been slid though. The air vents were far too small to climb though.
There was no chance of escape until they let him out of the cell.
His stomach growled. He glanced over at the food and sighed. It was drugged just like the water.
It had been three days since he had had either.
He rested his head against the cold stone wall and closed his eyes. For as long as he could he just concentrated on breathing, trying to calm and centre himself.
Three days was a long time...
He was almost positive the first drugs he had been injected with had partially dehydrated him. He needed to drink something. It was getting to the point where he felt light headed from the lack of nourishment.
He sat down, wrapping his arms around his knees and staring at the wall, wiping absently at his forehead with his arm. He was getting sick. He had been weak to begin with and the conditions were wearing him down fast.
His skin felt hot, he knew he was running a fever. It wasn't very high yet but…
He heaved a sigh. There was nothing he could do and he was tired. He felt so tired and he didn't know why because almost all he had been doing was sleeping or staring at nothing, trying to think of something other than food and water.
He let his head rest on his knees, shivering slightly as the cold wall came into contact with his back. After the first touch it felt good, but that first contact sent a jolt through him.
He closed his eyes with a tired, nearly hopeless sigh, and tried to rest.
*****
Tommy was pacing.
He knew it wasn't particularly productive, knew it wasn't doing much to alleviate the know of worry deep in his gut, knew it was making the passing Triforians look at him slightly funny.
He did it anyway.
They were no closer to finding Jason then they had been when they got there two days ago and now Trey wouldn't let him in the main chambers where all the planning was going on. He didn't blame him. He didn't trust himself to stay calm anymore. It was all just so frustrating.
Eventually he paced himself down to the outside of the lab where Billy had disappeared into shortly after their arrival. The sandy-haired genius was helping the Triforian scientists working in the lab at the palace to modify the antidotes for human physiology. There were some drugs that the people who may have taken Jason normally used and they wanted to have as many counter agents ready for when they found him as possible.
Tommy couldn't get into the lab himself. He didn't have the proper identification and the check was extensive. The people inside also had to go through a cleaning process before getting into the actual lab Billy was in. Tommy could send him a message, but that was about all the contact he would get until Billy decided to come out.
Or was escorted out, Tommy amended, his eyes widening in surprise as the doors opened with a hiss, a disgruntled looking Billy in scrubs being led out by an intern, or so the badge the young woman wore indicated. Billy did not look happy.
Billy saw him, and nodded once, but was speaking briefly to the intern. Tommy caught the words, "not for at least eight hours", at which Billy scowled, before the woman disappeared into the doors again.
"What are you doing here?" Billy asked somewhat dully as Tommy walked over.
"Pacing. Trying to kill time before something comes up and Trey lets me do something," Tommy admitted with a shrug. "They kicked you out too?"
"The supervisor insists I get some sleep," Billy muttered.
"It has been two days Bill," Tommy reminded him.
Billy snorted, "I've worked without paused, except for coffee breaks, for longer than this."
"You've never worked for this long when Jason has been in trouble and we haven't been able to help him," Tommy stated firmly. "You've probably been working like a mad man and worrying about finding Jason has got to be exhausting you emotionally."
"It's important we get these drugs adapted," Billy ground out.
Tommy touched his shoulder gently, "Bill, we don't even know who exactly took him yet or when we're going to find him. You won't do any good then if you've collapsed trying to do everything at once."
"I know that!" Billy snapped before closing his eyes briefly in pain. "Every time I stop I can't help but think of what they might be doing to him. Tommy, I can't…"
Tommy sighed when he trailed off and nodded, "I know."
Billy opened his eyes and Tommy had to look down, unable to examine the pain held in those green orbs too closely. He knew they mirrored his own. For a few moments they both remained silent, then Tommy cautiously slid his arm around Billy's shoulders, giving him the chance to pull away.
When he didn't Tommy squeezed his shoulder once, "Come on, we'll go get you something to eat, do a check in with Trey and then see if you can sleep for awhile. You're not supposed to be back for eight hours."
"Preferably more," Billy said with a nod.
"Okay, we'll manage that," Tommy said, leaving him away.
*****
Jason had searched every corner of his cell again. There had to be some other source of water, some leak or something, somewhere he could drink from other than that pipe. He needed to drink but he knew there was something in that water.
If there was another source, he couldn't find it.
He sank slowly to the ground, burying his head in his hands. He felt sick and his concentration was flighty, there one moment and gone the next.
He needed something to drink.
He sighed and tried to distract himself. He had been trying to for the past... for however long he had been in there. It wasn't working very well. He needed something to keep his mind off his overwhelming thirst and the growing hunger that gnawed at his insides.
He thought of Billy a lot.
He wondered what he was doing, how much time had passed? They never turned that light off. Never. Hadn't yet. So there was no way for him to tell how long he'd been in there.
It couldn't be that long. He wasn't dead yet, or at least he thought he wasn't, hoped he wasn't. Sometimes he thought he must be but then he wasn't sure he could last like this forever and wasn't sure he'd have much choice if he was dead.
How much time had passed? Had Trey told Billy? Trey would have had to tell his friends, have had to told Tommy and Billy…
He missed them. He wished Billy were there to hold him… He shook his head. He didn't want Billy to be there. He didn't want to be there. He didn't know why he was there. What did the want from him?
"What do you want from me?" He yelled without realizing he was talking, that the words were somewhere other than his head. "Let me out, dammit, LET ME OUT!"
He looked at the pipe. He watched the liquid dribbling down onto the cement, was this cement? Did aliens use cement? It looked like cement.
He stared. He watched as, drop by drop, it spilled onto the ground.
He groaned. He was so thirsty.
*****
Tommy took Billy to the kitchens after checking in with Trey. There was no news. It was not surprising but didn't help Billy's mood.
They then headed for the kitchens despite Billy's protests that he wasn't hungry, that he wanted to stay in case something happened. Tommy saw the look in Trey's eyes. He was going to kick them both out, the lab had already called telling Trey to send Billy away.
Tommy sat Billy down at the metal table and told him not to move in his best leader voice. Billy gave him a look chilly enough that it would have made him shiver if he hadn't been ready for it.
When Tommy came back a few minutes later with a tray of food Billy had not moved but greeted him with another icy glare. Tommy said nothing, just placed the plate of food in front of him.
He wasn't exactly sure what it was he was giving Billy to eat; just that he had eaten it earlier with Trey's younger brother. It was hot, tasted good and was filling so he wasn't going to complain.
The smell of the food hit Billy and he dug in almost before he knew what he was doing. Tommy picked at his own food, not overly hungry but eating a little bit so Billy wouldn't feel awkward.
When Billy was finished with his second serving and the rest of Tommy's food he pushed the plate away and nearly glared at Tommy. "I supposed you're going to take me to my room now?"
"Yup. Trey'll ban me completely if I don't. Besides, you need to sleep," Tommy told him.
"Tommy… I don't know if I can sleep…" Billy confessed hesitantly.
"Lay down for awhile then," Tommy replied. "Look, I know it's hard. Trey made me sleep already and… well, I didn't want to really either. Being alone in the room just gave my mind time to wander. But I did sleep and…"
Tommy hesitated for a moment, unsure of how Billy would take the offer. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep if you want. I know how much that empty room bites and I've got a book Trey pushed at me earlier I can read."
Billy glanced at Tommy for a moment and then shrugged before saying softly, "Thank you."
"No problem," Tommy replied. "Just remember I'm here for you, okay? We've got to be here for each other because this just hurts so bad…"
"I agree," Billy sighed, his eyes gathering moisture. "I just want him back."
"Me too," Tommy agreed.
They remained silent for the rest of the walk to the room Trey had had someone set up for Billy. Tommy flopped into the closest chair and pulled out a book from the bookcase when Billy had turned around.
The sandy-haired man simply collapsed onto the bed, not bothering to take of his shoes. He yawned widely as he tried to say, "I'm not going to be able to sleep even with you here."
"Just try to for awhile, okay?" Tommy asked. "Then Trey can't blame me for letting you wander around."
Billy didn't answer. His eyes were closed. He'd fallen asleep almost as soon as his head had hit the pillow, his worry for Jason finally catching up with him.
Tommy gingerly removed Billy's shoes. Billy stirred slightly but didn't awaken. He lay them at the end of the bed and gently removed the silver rimmed glasses before drawing the blankets that were piled at the end of the bed over him. Billy sighed softly and shifted, strands of blond hair falling softly over his forehead.
Tommy's face softened and he reached out to brush the hair back. His hand strayed slightly, touching the smooth cheek, "We'll find him, Bill. We will. We have to."
*****
Jason woke up crying.
He didn't realize it until a salty tear trickled past his cracked lips. He flinched, for a moment not realizing what he was tasting. He relaxed only slightly when he realized what it was.
He was thirsty.
He knew the water was drugged.
He was so thirsty...
Pulling himself over to where the water trickled from a thin pipe coming from the ceiling he debated for a moment before putting his mouth under the tiny stream. For a few moments it tasted fresh and he drank it greedily but as his thirst abated he could again taste the tang that told him the water was drugged.
He didn't care in that moment, he was too thirsty. He drank his fill, then pushed himself away from the wall. He curled up on his side, facing away from the trickling spout and closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.
Author's Note: Thanks as always to Mandi for betaing for me and thanks to Danny for getting me to actually work on it. These parts will connect up to the prologue, I promise.
Chapter 2
Jason stretched his legs out, trying to keep them limber. He had explored the entire cell thoroughly, not finding any possible escape route. The door sealed when it was locked, there was a little slot where food, which Jason hadn't touched, had been slid though. The air vents were far too small to climb though.
There was no chance of escape until they let him out of the cell.
His stomach growled. He glanced over at the food and sighed. It was drugged just like the water.
It had been three days since he had had either.
He rested his head against the cold stone wall and closed his eyes. For as long as he could he just concentrated on breathing, trying to calm and centre himself.
Three days was a long time...
He was almost positive the first drugs he had been injected with had partially dehydrated him. He needed to drink something. It was getting to the point where he felt light headed from the lack of nourishment.
He sat down, wrapping his arms around his knees and staring at the wall, wiping absently at his forehead with his arm. He was getting sick. He had been weak to begin with and the conditions were wearing him down fast.
His skin felt hot, he knew he was running a fever. It wasn't very high yet but…
He heaved a sigh. There was nothing he could do and he was tired. He felt so tired and he didn't know why because almost all he had been doing was sleeping or staring at nothing, trying to think of something other than food and water.
He let his head rest on his knees, shivering slightly as the cold wall came into contact with his back. After the first touch it felt good, but that first contact sent a jolt through him.
He closed his eyes with a tired, nearly hopeless sigh, and tried to rest.
*****
Tommy was pacing.
He knew it wasn't particularly productive, knew it wasn't doing much to alleviate the know of worry deep in his gut, knew it was making the passing Triforians look at him slightly funny.
He did it anyway.
They were no closer to finding Jason then they had been when they got there two days ago and now Trey wouldn't let him in the main chambers where all the planning was going on. He didn't blame him. He didn't trust himself to stay calm anymore. It was all just so frustrating.
Eventually he paced himself down to the outside of the lab where Billy had disappeared into shortly after their arrival. The sandy-haired genius was helping the Triforian scientists working in the lab at the palace to modify the antidotes for human physiology. There were some drugs that the people who may have taken Jason normally used and they wanted to have as many counter agents ready for when they found him as possible.
Tommy couldn't get into the lab himself. He didn't have the proper identification and the check was extensive. The people inside also had to go through a cleaning process before getting into the actual lab Billy was in. Tommy could send him a message, but that was about all the contact he would get until Billy decided to come out.
Or was escorted out, Tommy amended, his eyes widening in surprise as the doors opened with a hiss, a disgruntled looking Billy in scrubs being led out by an intern, or so the badge the young woman wore indicated. Billy did not look happy.
Billy saw him, and nodded once, but was speaking briefly to the intern. Tommy caught the words, "not for at least eight hours", at which Billy scowled, before the woman disappeared into the doors again.
"What are you doing here?" Billy asked somewhat dully as Tommy walked over.
"Pacing. Trying to kill time before something comes up and Trey lets me do something," Tommy admitted with a shrug. "They kicked you out too?"
"The supervisor insists I get some sleep," Billy muttered.
"It has been two days Bill," Tommy reminded him.
Billy snorted, "I've worked without paused, except for coffee breaks, for longer than this."
"You've never worked for this long when Jason has been in trouble and we haven't been able to help him," Tommy stated firmly. "You've probably been working like a mad man and worrying about finding Jason has got to be exhausting you emotionally."
"It's important we get these drugs adapted," Billy ground out.
Tommy touched his shoulder gently, "Bill, we don't even know who exactly took him yet or when we're going to find him. You won't do any good then if you've collapsed trying to do everything at once."
"I know that!" Billy snapped before closing his eyes briefly in pain. "Every time I stop I can't help but think of what they might be doing to him. Tommy, I can't…"
Tommy sighed when he trailed off and nodded, "I know."
Billy opened his eyes and Tommy had to look down, unable to examine the pain held in those green orbs too closely. He knew they mirrored his own. For a few moments they both remained silent, then Tommy cautiously slid his arm around Billy's shoulders, giving him the chance to pull away.
When he didn't Tommy squeezed his shoulder once, "Come on, we'll go get you something to eat, do a check in with Trey and then see if you can sleep for awhile. You're not supposed to be back for eight hours."
"Preferably more," Billy said with a nod.
"Okay, we'll manage that," Tommy said, leaving him away.
*****
Jason had searched every corner of his cell again. There had to be some other source of water, some leak or something, somewhere he could drink from other than that pipe. He needed to drink but he knew there was something in that water.
If there was another source, he couldn't find it.
He sank slowly to the ground, burying his head in his hands. He felt sick and his concentration was flighty, there one moment and gone the next.
He needed something to drink.
He sighed and tried to distract himself. He had been trying to for the past... for however long he had been in there. It wasn't working very well. He needed something to keep his mind off his overwhelming thirst and the growing hunger that gnawed at his insides.
He thought of Billy a lot.
He wondered what he was doing, how much time had passed? They never turned that light off. Never. Hadn't yet. So there was no way for him to tell how long he'd been in there.
It couldn't be that long. He wasn't dead yet, or at least he thought he wasn't, hoped he wasn't. Sometimes he thought he must be but then he wasn't sure he could last like this forever and wasn't sure he'd have much choice if he was dead.
How much time had passed? Had Trey told Billy? Trey would have had to tell his friends, have had to told Tommy and Billy…
He missed them. He wished Billy were there to hold him… He shook his head. He didn't want Billy to be there. He didn't want to be there. He didn't know why he was there. What did the want from him?
"What do you want from me?" He yelled without realizing he was talking, that the words were somewhere other than his head. "Let me out, dammit, LET ME OUT!"
He looked at the pipe. He watched the liquid dribbling down onto the cement, was this cement? Did aliens use cement? It looked like cement.
He stared. He watched as, drop by drop, it spilled onto the ground.
He groaned. He was so thirsty.
*****
Tommy took Billy to the kitchens after checking in with Trey. There was no news. It was not surprising but didn't help Billy's mood.
They then headed for the kitchens despite Billy's protests that he wasn't hungry, that he wanted to stay in case something happened. Tommy saw the look in Trey's eyes. He was going to kick them both out, the lab had already called telling Trey to send Billy away.
Tommy sat Billy down at the metal table and told him not to move in his best leader voice. Billy gave him a look chilly enough that it would have made him shiver if he hadn't been ready for it.
When Tommy came back a few minutes later with a tray of food Billy had not moved but greeted him with another icy glare. Tommy said nothing, just placed the plate of food in front of him.
He wasn't exactly sure what it was he was giving Billy to eat; just that he had eaten it earlier with Trey's younger brother. It was hot, tasted good and was filling so he wasn't going to complain.
The smell of the food hit Billy and he dug in almost before he knew what he was doing. Tommy picked at his own food, not overly hungry but eating a little bit so Billy wouldn't feel awkward.
When Billy was finished with his second serving and the rest of Tommy's food he pushed the plate away and nearly glared at Tommy. "I supposed you're going to take me to my room now?"
"Yup. Trey'll ban me completely if I don't. Besides, you need to sleep," Tommy told him.
"Tommy… I don't know if I can sleep…" Billy confessed hesitantly.
"Lay down for awhile then," Tommy replied. "Look, I know it's hard. Trey made me sleep already and… well, I didn't want to really either. Being alone in the room just gave my mind time to wander. But I did sleep and…"
Tommy hesitated for a moment, unsure of how Billy would take the offer. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep if you want. I know how much that empty room bites and I've got a book Trey pushed at me earlier I can read."
Billy glanced at Tommy for a moment and then shrugged before saying softly, "Thank you."
"No problem," Tommy replied. "Just remember I'm here for you, okay? We've got to be here for each other because this just hurts so bad…"
"I agree," Billy sighed, his eyes gathering moisture. "I just want him back."
"Me too," Tommy agreed.
They remained silent for the rest of the walk to the room Trey had had someone set up for Billy. Tommy flopped into the closest chair and pulled out a book from the bookcase when Billy had turned around.
The sandy-haired man simply collapsed onto the bed, not bothering to take of his shoes. He yawned widely as he tried to say, "I'm not going to be able to sleep even with you here."
"Just try to for awhile, okay?" Tommy asked. "Then Trey can't blame me for letting you wander around."
Billy didn't answer. His eyes were closed. He'd fallen asleep almost as soon as his head had hit the pillow, his worry for Jason finally catching up with him.
Tommy gingerly removed Billy's shoes. Billy stirred slightly but didn't awaken. He lay them at the end of the bed and gently removed the silver rimmed glasses before drawing the blankets that were piled at the end of the bed over him. Billy sighed softly and shifted, strands of blond hair falling softly over his forehead.
Tommy's face softened and he reached out to brush the hair back. His hand strayed slightly, touching the smooth cheek, "We'll find him, Bill. We will. We have to."
*****
Jason woke up crying.
He didn't realize it until a salty tear trickled past his cracked lips. He flinched, for a moment not realizing what he was tasting. He relaxed only slightly when he realized what it was.
He was thirsty.
He knew the water was drugged.
He was so thirsty...
Pulling himself over to where the water trickled from a thin pipe coming from the ceiling he debated for a moment before putting his mouth under the tiny stream. For a few moments it tasted fresh and he drank it greedily but as his thirst abated he could again taste the tang that told him the water was drugged.
He didn't care in that moment, he was too thirsty. He drank his fill, then pushed himself away from the wall. He curled up on his side, facing away from the trickling spout and closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.