Not A Fairy Tale Part 8/16
Title: Not A Fairy Tale Part 8
Author: TalliW
Pairings: Lester/Cutter!clone
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Fredbassett for beta-reading. I couldn't have done it without you.
Two days later, the clone still watched over Lester. Abby and Sarah had brought him some sandwiches and coffee and he had been grateful. But he had ignored every attempt to persuade him to leave Lester and get some rest.
He'd only moved when the nurses needed to check on the patient or he had to take care of his basic needs. Afterwards he sat down in his usual place again.
Lester now looked much better. Most of the tubes were gone and his breathing was even. It seemed as though he was just sleeping.
"He really cares for him," Connor whispered in amazement and looked with pity at the sad figure, babbling something to the coma patient. Now and then the clone had dozed off but it never lasted long.
Danny just nodded. He was worried what would happen if Lester didn't wake up again. Christin Johnson was trying to get her hands on the project again and without Lester to fend her off, she could well be successful. And there was still the matter of what to do with the clone. With blank astonishment, Danny realised his dislike of the man had vanished completely, and he had got rather fond of the guy.
Nick had seen Lester's eyelids flutter and he was sure for a moment that James had blinked. Of course no one had believed him. But he knew what he'd seen and waited patiently.
"Wha...? Nick?" Lester asked, confused and tried to focus on the blurred shadow hovering over him.
"I'm here, James. I'm here for you. Everyone told me you were sleeping too deep to wake up again but I knew you wouldn't leave me. You just needed some time to heal."
Lester immediately became frantic. "What happened? Nick, what are you doing here? It's dangerous. You have..." His throat rasped and he started to cough.
"Hush, James, it's all right. You're in the hospital. You got hurt saving Abby Maitland. Quinn and Becker are outside and the others were here a while ago too. They all care for you."
With force of habit, he ran his fingers through Lester's hair, soothing him as he'd done over a hundred times in the last few days, until Lester calmed down.
"They know about ... you? But... how?"
"I went to the ARC and asked for help when you didn't come home that evening and they drove me to the hospital."
Lester still felt too weary to grasp everything but he sensed there were more to it than Nick had revealed to him. He doubted the meeting had been as peaceful as Nick made it seem.
Finally he could see Nick properly and was shocked by the younger man's haggard look.
"When was the last... time... you had a decent.... meal... and some sleep?" he asked, hoarsely.
"I've been here with you for the last few days."
Lester huffed, irritated, and tried to glare at Nick but his attempt wasn't very successful.
Nick took the water glass from the bedside cabinet.
After he had dunked his forefinger in it, he carefully wetted James' dry lips. He repeated the action several times and Lester started to lick the water drops from his finger. Nick stopped only when Lester tried to suck his finger into his mouth.
Now Lester's voice had improved and he managed to speak without breaks although his voice still sounded high-pitched.
"Go home, Nick. Get some food and sleep before you break down. I will not tolerate you making yourself sick because of me. That's foolish."
Lester was well acquainted with the stubborn expression on Nick's face and a wave of fondness for the man gripped him.
His eyes softened. "I'm better now and you need some rest. You can come back tomorrow. Please, do as I say. Just for once. And have a shower as well. You stink."
Nick smiled and pressed a brief kiss on Lester's chapped lips. "I'll follow your orders. I promise. Now go back to sleep. You have to get well quickly."
Lester closed his eyes obediently and smiled as Nick's hand caressed gently his cheek.
When the nurses and Dr. Felton rushed in and tried to usher Nick out of the room, he didn't fight them this time. With a smile, he walked out of the room and faced Quinn.
"Now you can throw me into your cell," he declared and waited for Becker to take him into custody.
Danny took a look a the exhausted man and shook his head at Becker, who had stepped closer, with his hand on his holster.
"I think, you should get some rest."
"That's the same as James begged me to do, " Nick declared and Danny raised his eyebrow.
"He begged you?" he asked in disbelief.
Lester usually just requested and that was probably what the clone meant but the smirk on the clone's face made him falter.
"I'll take you home. I mean to Lester's flat. We can stop along the way to get some food."
"Tastes good, eh?" Danny asked
"It's edible," the clone replied and pulled a face as he chewed the cheeseburger.
"You know, you're damned up-market for a clone."
"Just because I was created in a different way doesn't mean I've no sense of taste."
"I've noticed that. Your dress sense is definitely top-notch. Did Lester buy you these clothes?"
"We chose them together. I'll not wear anything I don't like," he said matter-of-factly and Danny heard the angry edge in the clone's voice.
"You're telling me you just rushed out of the flat without a key? How did you intend to get back in?"
"I hadn't thought that far ahead. I just wanted to find Lester," the clone hissed. " I'd never left the flat before so I didn't need a key."
"OK, OK, calm down." Danny sensed the man was close to a breakdown and arguing about forgotten keys would be pointless.
He eyed the corridor and took a small lock pick out of his jacket.
Within seconds the door was open.
"Tada! It never fails to amaze me how easily you can break in through these so-called safety locks."
Nick threw him a questioning glance.
"It can be very useful to know how to pick a lock. I've spent enough time with criminals to have learnt many of their tricks. Maybe I' will show you some day. Now get in with you."
Nick staggered into the living room and sank down on the couch.
"You'd better go to bed right now."
The clone nodded and heaved himself up again.
"Don't touch anything and don't snoop around," he said loudly and then crashed down on the bed in his room as Danny peeked curiously into the master bedroom.