Disclaimer: The Invisible Man is not mine, never has been mine, and never will be mine. But I can dream. ^_^
A Heartbeat away from Death
By Skye Dragon
Author's Note: This is my first I-man fanfic, and it's *different* than the others. (different was the nicest word I could come up with to describe it) It is kinda sad, but I think it's good. But then what do I know, I just write what the voices in my head tell me to. Reviews will be much welcomed, even if you think it's crap. My only request is, if you think it's crap, then please tell me WHY. Oh yeah, like I said, it's kinda sad and something bad happens to Darien, but PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'm innocent, I swear. It was one of those gosh-darned plot bunnies that jumped up and stuck it's cute little nose in my face and I couldn't resist. I have a weakness for cuteness. Okay I'll shut up now.
"Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."
-Unknown
His heart was pounding. It felt like it might jump from his chest. He knew that was physically impossible, but it still felt like it might happen. He hoped it wouldn't.
He could feel his adrenaline level soaring. He was on a major high. It felt good. But he was also scared that if he didn't calm down, he would lose control and quicksilver involuntarily. He didn't want that. Not that it would hurt anything if he did, but it would betray his emotions. He didn't want *them* to know what this really meant to him. This was to be his own private joy. His breathing quickened.
The Keeper looked up from the hypodermic she was preparing, and eyed Darien suspiciously. "Are you alright?" She asked, her slight accent tilting her words.
Darien looked up at her and managed a small smile. "Wonderful," was his reply. He took a deep breath and attempted to calm his heart rate down.
The Keeper wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? You don't have to do this, you know." She gave him a look that was almost pleading...almost.
Darien propped himself up on his elbows and looked her straight in the eyes. "I know I don't *have* to. But I *want* to." He paused to let his words sink in, and then laid back down in the examining chair in her lab. "You of all people should know that."
The Keeper once again turned back to the hypodermic. "I know this is what you *think* you want." She watched as the golden liquid flowed easily into the needle. She stopped it once the correct amount had been loaded. "But you know they say. 'you're never too old for your wants not to hurt you.' " She looked back up at Darien. He was staring up at the ceiling tiles, seemingly not paying her any attention. She shook her head at him and held the shot up to the light. The liquid gold gleamed like a jewel.
"I thought I was the one that liked quotes." Darien stated simply. He paused for a moment before turning his head to look at her. "You know, you sure don't sound too happy about doing this." Darien watched her turning the needle in the light.
"I'm not."
"I am."
The Keeper let the hypodermic fall into her palm before closing her fingers around it. She slowly turned and looked at him. "Darien, I know you are glad that the gland will finally be removed," She trailed off, looking at the floor.
"But...?" Darien prompted her.
"But I'm still not sure this will really work." She finished.
Darien gave a rather loud grunt of total annoyance. "Claire, we've been though this before." He complained.
The Keeper winced, she still wasn't use to him calling her by her true name. "I know we have, but it hasn't changed anything."
"Look," Darien snapped testily, sitting up and glaring at her. "You tested this on your computer right?" He didn't wait for her answer. "It said I have a 91 percent chance of surviving. That's good enough for me."
The Keeper shook her head turning away from him. Darien sighed lying back down.
"I'm sorry." He said after a moment, no real trace of resentment in his voice, "I shouldn't have snapped at you." The Keeper offered no response. "I just..." Darien trailed off. He sighed looking down at himself and scratching the back of his head.
"This means a lot to me, Claire. A lot." He paused. "This thing," and he gestured to the back of his skull, "has ruled me for too long. Ever since I found out what Kevin had really done to me, I've wanted it out of me." He looked up at her. "And now, I have a chance to do that. To make my life normal again. To be free." The Keeper couldn't take her eyes from his. His brown eyes were pleading with her, begging her to give him the shot and go on with the procedure. "Please. I don't want to wait any longer. I'm tired of being a prisoner, a 'receptacle'."
The Keeper finally tore her eyes from him. "I want to help you, Darien. Really I do. But...But what if you die... and I have to implant the gland in someone else..."
"Claire, just this once, lets do it my way."
The Keeper bit her lip, and hesitated before she moved to him and wiped a spot on his arm with a bit of alcohol and pressed the plunger on the hypodermic to remove all the excess air.
"Hey," Darien caught her attention just before she stuck him with it. "Trust me on this, Claire...I trust you."
The Keeper choked back the ball of emotions that exploded in the back of her throat. She quickly jabbed the needle into his arm and released the anesthetic into his system.
Darien tensed a little, his dark brown eyes rolling back into his head before his eyelids shut. He gave a small, almost happy sounding sigh and was suddenly still.
The Keeper turned away closing her eyes. She sighed before exiting the lab to fetch the others that would be involved in this surgery.
* * * * *
An awkward silence hung over the small crowd as the last speaker stepped away from the microphone. The line of men in suits stiffly raised their firearms and simultaneously fired a single shot.
The gunshot was the cue for the funeral workers who began to slowly lower the shiny black coffin into its final resting place.
The Keeper wiped the moisture from her eyes as she watched the coffin being lowered. She had known something would go wrong with the procedure. Now there was a biosynthetic gland waiting for its next victim in her lab. She sighed, making a mental note to erase Darien's RNA. At lease the next person could be spared the "Simon" experience.
The coffin came to rest on the cold ground, and the workers began to shovel dirt on top of it. At this, several of the agents began to leave as did some of the people who hadn't been Darien's co-workers.
The Keeper lingered behind. She decided to bring some flowers for the grave the next day...and some for the grave next to Darien's. Kevin's grave should have flowers too.
End