This is my first Limitless Story, I've only written stories for Arrow, and I've had a huge case of Writers Block since Season 2 of Arrow. So with that said, sorry if this story isn't all that good, im trying to get back into the game. I have multiple stories that id like to tell, but I'll start here. Enjoy.
This is all Brian and Rebecca fic (Limitless TV Show) and has nothing to do with the Movie. Takes place following the episode "Brian Finch's Black Op" so if you haven't watched the episode, be warned there may be spoilers.
Breathless and terrified Brian watched as Basayev slit the throat of the man in front of him then turned the blade toward him. Frozen with fear he could only stand there praying the man in front of him didn't decide make him his next kill. Nothing in this guy's file gave Brian confidence that he would make it home alive. Basayev looked him up and down asked him where his NZT Pill was, when Brian mumbled his answer he took it and walked away.
Basayev was 10 feet away before he turned around the crack of a handgun was all Brian heard before collapsing to the ground with a bullet hole in his chest. As he lay bleeding on the ground Basayev walked back to him raised the gun and fired again point blank. Blackness and Brian felt himself falling.
Brian woke with a start as he hit floor of his posh FBI digs. Curling in on himself, he lay there shaking and suddenly freezing. It was just a dream; a horrible nightmare of what could have happened but didn't. Brian had been experiencing night terrors ever since his encounter with the CIA and Alexi Basayev. Alexi of course was in the wind, but Brian didn't care. He'd been constantly terrorized by flashes and dreams of his day in the woods. The worst was nights at home alone in the apartment; most dreams left him how he is now, frozen in terror curled up the floor. Some nights were worse, Brian had never seen anyone murdered before especially in the gruesome ways he witnessed that day. He'd spoken to the FBI psychiatrist, and he'd had a talk with the doctors at the hospital where they'd taken him after Rebecca had rescued him from the woods. But they would never understand what he was going through now. He lay there for a few moments trying to shake away the memories of yet his latest nightmare, but he just couldn't calm down.
"Deep Breaths" he thought to himself. "In, out….in out…." He stayed that way for what felt like forever.
Finally, he was able to calm down and pick himself up off the floor. He walked to the kitchen, turned on the faucet and cupped some cold water on his face, cupping one last handful taking a drink of the cool liquid he shut off the tap and walked to the bathroom to relieved himself. Washing his hands, he took a look at himself in the mirror. Dark Circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and his ghost white complexion rivaled even the worst of the NZT side effects. He shut off the light in the bathroom, walked into the bedroom and lay down on the bed as it was bigger than the couch. Less chance of crashing on the floor. He looked at the clock it was 3:34am; he didn't expect Mike and Ike for at least 5 more hours. Sighing he lay in bed trying to get back to sleep. He dozed lightly awaking at 4:44 am, again at 5:45 am; finally giving up on getting anymore real sleep he got up and showered at 6:30am. He didn't feel like eating or coffee, truth being he felt sick to his stomach after that last dream. Most of the dreams had caused some sort of discomfort. The night Rebecca had brought him home from the hospital after his ordeal he'd spent a great deal of the night on the bathroom floor. Caught between nightmares of the deaths and non-stop nausea and dry heaves. He'd never mentioned any of this to Rebecca or Naz of course, they'd just want him to attend counseling and that just wasn't his thing.
At 8:30am Mike and Ike showed up right on schedule and they left for another busy day at the FBI. Brian loved being a Consultant; although his Dad wasn't too keen on the idea now that he'd told him about NZT. Ever the worrier, his Dad was convinced he was going to get killed in an op gone wrong or a botched batch of NZT. If only Brian could just tell him the whole story.
Today's case load was pretty light just a run of the mill case of a group of Serial Bank Robbers on the Upper East Side. Once the NZT kicked in Brian had the case closed in a matter of hours. Brian was about to leave for the day when Rebecca brought him a case on some unsolved mystery killings on the Lower West Side. Brain took the file from her and began flipping through. An unknown assailant was breaking into homes of prominent young men and women stealing valuables and bonds before slitting their throats for good measure. Brian froze when he got to the crime scene photos. Men and women all laid out with their throats cut, blood all around their bodies; some of them unclothed. As hard as it was to look at the photos Brian couldn't stop. He just sat there frozen in place, breath shallow, skin palling, sweat forming on his brow, his skin became clammy and he felt flushed. Suddenly as he stared at the photos he was back in the woods again, looking down at the bodies of the two men.
Rebecca didn't fail to notice his demeanor and asked if he was okay? Brian didn't seem to hear her, he just kept staring at the photos of the victims seeming to be in a trance. She noticed his breathing and the sweat that had formed on his face, as she went to lay a hand on his shoulder he suddenly jumped up and bolted from the room. Confused and concerned she followed him but stopped as he ran into the Men's Room. 15 minutes later Brian emerged stating he didn't feel well and just wanted to go home. Rebecca offered to take him home but he refused, grabbed his bag, coat, headphones and left. Rebecca wasn't stupid, she knew this was more than food poisoning or a stomach bug. She made it a point to check in on him later.
During his ride home on the subway it was all Brian could do to keep what little he'd consumed inside. The movement of the train and the passengers, didn't help his unsettled stomach. He barely made it home before the dam broke again. He just couldn't shake the images of the crime scene photos, those people, all the blood. The two guys whatever their names were, dead on the ground in the woods, all of this had him once again with his head in the toilet vomiting until there was nothing left. Once the dry heaves took hold again it was all he could do not to cry out as he lay on the floor clutching is stomach. Unbeknownst to him in all of this, he didn't realize he wasn't alone in the apartment.
Rebecca had left not long after Brian did and had quietly let herself into the apartment. At first all she heard was silence, glancing around the room she didn't see him. Then she heard it, the sound of vomiting followed by a small cry. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, following the sound to the bathroom off the main bedroom. She'd been in the apartment enough to the know the layout by heart. A peek through the crack in the door showed her what she suspected; not wanting to scare him too much she knocked lightly on the door.
"Brian?" No answer, just breathing and sniffling. She tried again, "Brian, it's me; can I come in?"
Brian startled when he heard Rebecca ask if she could come in. He didn't want her to see him like this. So he pulled himself together
"Yeah, Ummm Okay" coughing a little. His stomach told him he wasn't quite done yet.
Rebecca stepped into the room handing him the bottle of water she had in her hand. "Can't let you get dehydrated."
"Yeah, Umm it must of have been something I ate."Rebecca eyed him seriously, knowing very well that wasn't the problem. But she just stood there allowing him to settle for a few minutes before speaking. Brian just sat there back against the wall next to the toilet breathing heavily.
"You know you don't have to watch this." He managed between deep breaths
Rebecca looked at him somewhat annoyed. "Okay Brian let's cut the crap; what's really going on?"
Brian looked down and picked at a hang nail, "I told you it was something I ate."
"Bull" Rebecca shot back, "I've seen the signs of PTSD and Anxiety Brian and I see more than you think. Ever since the Black Ops you've been acting differently, you hardly eat, your despondent and you won't talk to anyone for more than a few minutes. I had my doubts until I saw your initial reaction to our latest case. Brian what you're going through isn't normal, you need to talk to someone."
Brian opened his eyes and stared her down angrily. "You don't know what I'm going through, you'll never know." "I don't need some shrink giving me pills and telling me how to handle what I've been through."
Rebecca just stood there patiently, then calmly said. "Well it looks like your current method of coping is doing you wonders; how's it working for you?"
Looking defeated Brian relented, he felt to horrible was too tired to argue with Rebecca anymore. He agreed to explain what he'd been experiencing to Naz and get help. Rebecca stayed with him through the night; staying for moral support of her partner. Eventually the nausea subsided and Rebecca got him into his bed. Brian only woke once during the whole night and easily feel back to sleep; Rebecca was turning into a great friend and one of the only people Brian felt he could trust.
He received treatment for his post traumatic symptoms and in time he will get back to normal. Rebecca still catches that all too familiar look in his eye every once in a while and does what she can to help him through it. Eventually after enough cases he won't care anymore, no one is ever desensitized to crime scenes, but everyone copes in their own ways. Brian is no different; occasionally he will still have a panic attack on the wrong day and it will send him down a dark road. But Rebecca is always there to comfort him; always with a comforting hand rubbing circles on his back as the attack becomes too much for his body to handle. Through the sickness and the emotional breakdowns Brian now falls victim too, Rebecca will always be there.