Lily stood in the doorway of the hut, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, her hair tied back from her face. She'd been doing what she could, helping out where she could, being a nurse but just now a hush had fallen, and Eddie with with Emmy and this is where she needs to be, right now.
She didn't speak, though. Either they'll notice her or they won't, in their own time.
He registered her presence a long time before he actually moved, before his eyes could be drawn from the bed.
When he did, he didn't even speak. Gordon looked at her leaning in the doorway and he nodded, stiffly. It was thank-you, it was an invitation, and it was a subtle sort of recognition.
He couldn't quite trust his voice, but a wave of his hand indicated a chair.
It took awhile for Chris to realize there was someone else in the hut aside from the three of them. His back was toward the door, though, which didn't help, one hand wrapped loosely over his mother's forearm, feeling the faint pulse just under her skin. Faint, but steady.
A turn of his head, revealed Lily's presence finally and he jumped just a little before realizing it was her and immediately relaxing.
"Hey," he said, his voice quiet, a hushed whisper that was grateful and resigned all at once.
"Hello, boys," said Lily in the doorway. It had been a long day, had felt like a long day and Lily was feeling every inch of her forty years.
She smiled at Gordon, weary in the corners of her eyes and then walked up behind Chris, stroking the thick, slightly sweaty curls at the nape of his neck.
"Hello, Peggy," she said, finally, looking down at the woman in the bed. "How's everybody holding up?"
After spending most of the day with Mike, Lennox felt okay. Maybe he didn't feel great, maybe that was still coming, but he felt okay, he felt like things could begin to heal, that their friendships would all be alright again after this.
"Chris?" he called when he entered their hut, frowning when he didn't find him there. Things were still weird, things were still fucked up around the island, but all he wanted right now was his bed and his dog and his husband. But his dog, oddly enough, was standing near Neil's hut and so he went there, frowning when he found Chris and Gordon inside.
"Chris?" he asked, stepping inside cautiously, looking more confused than anything. "What's going on?"
He hadn't seen Lennox all day. He'd had the vague memory of Lennox waking him early, telling him he was going out for walk, but Chris didn't know if that'd been a dream or something real. Either way, it felt like it'd happened days before.
The familiar voice rocked him a little and he turned, looking over his shoulder for a moment as he seemed to try and register everything that was going on. It all just felt so fucking surreal.
"Hey," he said quietly, tiredly, shifting a little so he could touch his mother's arm with the other hand, his body turning toward Lennox. "Did Neil talk to you?"
"No. Chris..." But he recognized this scene, he'd seen it before, he remembered it from when they were thirteen and he'd come to the hospital with his mom and stood behind Chris. "Oh, Jesus."
This wasn't right at all. This was even less right than bodies in the jungle because this was personal. He'd seen it before, but Gordon hadn't been there the last time. It was different, but it was so much the same.
There was nothing for him to do except duck under Chris's arm and wrap both his own arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. He could tell him what had happened with Mike later, this was what mattered now.
Chris hadn't been expecting that. A part of him had understood that Lennox would find his way there eventually, that someone would tell him the news and he'd show up, just like he had so many years before. Lennox had kept him aloft when it'd all happened the first time, it made sense that he'd be there to do it again.
But, even though he known that, he hadn't really thought about it and the hug came as a surprise.
Even more surprising was the way his body seemed to bend to it immediately, collapsing forward into the circle of Lennox's arms, his face ducking into the curve of Lennox's neck as his shoulder shook and his walls came crumbling. The fact that his father was less than five feet away didn't even seem to register; all that mattered was that Lennox was there once again keeping him from drowning.
Eddie had been splitting his attention between keeping his wife and daughter safe and sharing in the pain and grief of his best friends, but it felt like a hush had fallen over the Hamlet now. The outside world was madness but they were isolated from it, kept together and forced to relive this moment, one which none of them had ever wanted to see again.
Emmy had already been inside earlier, for a little while anyway, and this time Eddie left her with Lill back at their own hut so he could have a few moments with his other family, the best friends he'd ever have.
Chris's back had started to complain from sitting so long, hunched over and mostly immobile, so he'd finally decided to give it a break and stood near one wall, arms loosely crossed over his chest as he watched his father. It felt strange to see his father so ripped open so completely and for possibly the first time in seventeen years, Chris felt actual compassion for him and even guilt.
His father hadn't known what it'd been like, but if he had... it might've broken him.
Eddie's presence is a certain comfort, though and Chris turns his head toward him, giving a weak sort of smile, meant to be reassuring and grateful at the same time. "Is Emmy with Lily?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet.
Eddie just nodded his head and licked his lips, taking a moment to find his voice. "Lill's trying to get her to take a nap," he said, finally turning to look at Chris. "It's been a long day already."
He could only give a quick, humorless breath of a laugh at that and nodded. It was about the biggest understatement he could imagine and he lifted a hand to scratch the back of his neck. "You guys holding up okay?"
The day had passed excruciatingly slowly. Neil, Eddie, Lily and Lennox had wandered in an out at several different points, sometimes bring water and food, sometimes just bringing their presence, a few kind words here and there. He'd been grateful for them, for all of them, the best friends he'd ever had, both on and off the island. They were his family, all of them, just as much as the woman lying quiet on the bed.
Lennox had left his side for the first time since that afternoon, mumbling something about going to bring Chris and his father some food before ducking out into the night. The only reason Chris even knew it was night was due to the darkness that cast over the hut, crowding in uncomfortably. The hospital room had been bright at all times, it felt like, even at night, the nurses coming in every couple hours to check on his mother's vital signs
( ... )
The procession of people unnerves Gordon, with the small sliver of himself that he's devoting to the outside world right now. They're all close and they're all...family, yes, he can even admit that, though coming from him he realizes it doesn't mean much. But the grief is so raw that he feels numb to their coming and going. His world has been narrowed down to Peggy and to Chris, who had had to do this all on his own
( ... )
Chris had to look away then, swallowing hard against the way his throat seemed to suddenly close up as he watched his hand move over the skin of his mother's arm again. It was more than he'd ever imagined his father saying. The simple fact was that he'd never imagined it, not once. His father was stubborn, a brick wall Chris hadn't ever been able to talk to since even before his mother had finally gone. The idea that his father might ever understand it'd been like, much less actually apologize for it, had never once occured to him
( ... )
"I know," Gordon said softly, back to looking at the bed linens. Ten years of time had happened to Gordon that hadn't happened to his son, and there had been words exchanged. That much he had remembered. "She loved the game, or maybe she loved it for me. I suppose I won't know now but..."
Something that was trying to be a smile came and went on his face.
"You were her angel. Back in the early days...before everything got grim. You were her light. Some days, you were the only thing that could make her smile -" His voice cracked and he clenched his jaw, fighting it back down by force of will. "She just...needed you."
Comments 84
She didn't speak, though.
Either they'll notice her or they won't, in their own time.
Reply
When he did, he didn't even speak. Gordon looked at her leaning in the doorway and he nodded, stiffly. It was thank-you, it was an invitation, and it was a subtle sort of recognition.
He couldn't quite trust his voice, but a wave of his hand indicated a chair.
It was all he could do.
Reply
A turn of his head, revealed Lily's presence finally and he jumped just a little before realizing it was her and immediately relaxing.
"Hey," he said, his voice quiet, a hushed whisper that was grateful and resigned all at once.
Reply
She smiled at Gordon, weary in the corners of her eyes and then walked up behind Chris, stroking the thick, slightly sweaty curls at the nape of his neck.
"Hello, Peggy," she said, finally, looking down at the woman in the bed. "How's everybody holding up?"
Reply
"Chris?" he called when he entered their hut, frowning when he didn't find him there. Things were still weird, things were still fucked up around the island, but all he wanted right now was his bed and his dog and his husband. But his dog, oddly enough, was standing near Neil's hut and so he went there, frowning when he found Chris and Gordon inside.
"Chris?" he asked, stepping inside cautiously, looking more confused than anything. "What's going on?"
Reply
The familiar voice rocked him a little and he turned, looking over his shoulder for a moment as he seemed to try and register everything that was going on. It all just felt so fucking surreal.
"Hey," he said quietly, tiredly, shifting a little so he could touch his mother's arm with the other hand, his body turning toward Lennox. "Did Neil talk to you?"
Reply
This wasn't right at all. This was even less right than bodies in the jungle because this was personal. He'd seen it before, but Gordon hadn't been there the last time. It was different, but it was so much the same.
There was nothing for him to do except duck under Chris's arm and wrap both his own arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. He could tell him what had happened with Mike later, this was what mattered now.
Reply
But, even though he known that, he hadn't really thought about it and the hug came as a surprise.
Even more surprising was the way his body seemed to bend to it immediately, collapsing forward into the circle of Lennox's arms, his face ducking into the curve of Lennox's neck as his shoulder shook and his walls came crumbling. The fact that his father was less than five feet away didn't even seem to register; all that mattered was that Lennox was there once again keeping him from drowning.
Reply
Emmy had already been inside earlier, for a little while anyway, and this time Eddie left her with Lill back at their own hut so he could have a few moments with his other family, the best friends he'd ever have.
Reply
His father hadn't known what it'd been like, but if he had... it might've broken him.
Eddie's presence is a certain comfort, though and Chris turns his head toward him, giving a weak sort of smile, meant to be reassuring and grateful at the same time. "Is Emmy with Lily?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Lennox had left his side for the first time since that afternoon, mumbling something about going to bring Chris and his father some food before ducking out into the night. The only reason Chris even knew it was night was due to the darkness that cast over the hut, crowding in uncomfortably. The hospital room had been bright at all times, it felt like, even at night, the nurses coming in every couple hours to check on his mother's vital signs ( ... )
Reply
Reply
Reply
Something that was trying to be a smile came and went on his face.
"You were her angel. Back in the early days...before everything got grim. You were her light. Some days, you were the only thing that could make her smile -" His voice cracked and he clenched his jaw, fighting it back down by force of will. "She just...needed you."
Reply
Leave a comment