I wrote one of those things made up of 50 one liners about Duke and Nathan (I'll have it up as soon as it's actually finished). There was one line, number thirteen, that I just couldn't leave alone…
13. Fear. Nathan's eyes widened in fear and horror as the bullet exited the gun and entered Duke's skull.
Fear
"Nathan, what are you doing?" Duke asked, raising his hands slightly in defense.
"Duke…" Nathan said, his voice strained.
"Look," Duke said. "I know I probably shouldn't have taken the box, but you don't have to shoot me!"
"I don't want to," Nathan assured him.
"Then put the gun down!"
"I can't."
"Come on Nate, let's just talk this out. You can even cuff me, if you'll put the god damn gun down."
"I'm trying," Nathan forced out.
"You're… what?"
"I'm trying! I can't!"
"You're…" Duke shook his head in confusion. Then something clicked in his mind. He lowered his hands, realizing that Nathan really had no intention of shooting him. "You're being controlled. By whatever troubled kid has been wreaking havoc the last few days?" he asked.
Nathan forced himself to nod.
"Do you know who it is?"
Nathan shook his head. "Audrey's looking into it."
"Does she know you're here?"
"She knows I'm under his control. I doubt she knows that he's trying to have me kill you."
"Which begs the question: who the hell wants to kill me?" Duke asked, pacing back and forth across the boat. Nathan was unable to stop his hand, and the gun, from following him.
"Half the state of Maine," Nathan offered.
"Now is not the time for that!" Duke said, shaking a finger at him.
"Well it's the truth! How are you supposed to narrow down who wants to kill you when there are so god damned many of them."
"Good point," he gave in.
"Who have you pissed off recently?" Nathan asked.
"I haven't-"
"Don't!" Nathan exclaimed. "Don't. Just… don't waste time denying it. Who?"
Duke thought about it.
"Wait…" Nathan said, shaking his head, trying to focus. "You said something about a box."
"A box?"
"When I got on the boat. You said something about taking a box. Who did you take it from?"
"Not a local. Not someone that should be troubled… Nathan?"
When Duke turned to him, on hand was on his head, his eyes closed, and a pained look on his face.
"Nathan, are you okay?" he asked, stepping closer.
"Stay back," Nathan strained, breathing heavily. "He's angry. Really angry. I don't know how much longer I can…" He let out a cry, then looked up at Duke. He held the gun a little higher and a little straighter.
"Come on, Nate," Duke said. "Fight this."
"I… I can't," he cried, a tear slipping from one eye as he continued to struggle to regain control.
"Come on, Nate."
But Nathan couldn't fight it anymore. The gun fired, aimed straight at Duke's skull.
"We got him Nathan," Audrey said, walking onto Duke's boat. "He… Nathan? What is it?"
Nathan was sitting in one of the chairs, his head in his hands and his gun at his feet.
"I killed him," he said, his voice calm.
"What?"
He looked up at her. "I killed him," he almost laughed, but she could see in his eyes that he was on the verge of tears.
Audrey turned to see Duke's body lying in the middle of the boat, a bullet in his head.
"Oh god," she breathed. "Nathan, no. This isn't your fault. You were being controlled."
"I SHOT HIM!" he exclaimed. "I shot him."
"It's not your fault," she told him again, walking towards him. "Don't blame yourself for this."
"But I shot him."
"Nathan…" she began, kneeling in front of him, but a sound from behind interrupted he thought.
"What… What the hell just happened?" Duke asked, gasping for breath.
Nathan's eyes widened as he jumped out of the chair.
"You were dead," he said. "For over ten minutes. You were dead."
Duke felt his forehead, half expecting there to be a gaping hole where he'd been shot, only to find smooth skin.
"You know," Duke began. "I'd always kind of considered myself lucky I wasn't troubled. Now I'd say I'm lucky I am."