The Final Awakening


"Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names."


I awaken slowly. My head pounds and my muscles strain against the process of waking. The lights are bright and they hurt my eyes... burn painfully. I try to rub them, but find myself strapped down to a table. My wrists, my legs, all held down.

My head is killing me... God, why am I hurting so much?

A blurry vision hovers in front of me... just a few feet from my face. A distorted voice saying something. I think it's saying my name. "Mbummby?" My ears feel like they're full of water. I roll my head to the side, trying to drip the water out. Bad idea. Pain shoots through the base of my skull and shoots down my spine. Soft hands are on my shoulders, holding me still. My vision begins to clear and I can see who it is. Claire. Lovely Claire.

"Bobby?"

I try to speak, but my mouth is dry. Completely, utterly dry. I can't make a single sound. Claire shushes me and asks, "Do you remember what happened?"

I shake my head no. More pain.

"You need to rest. Rest, Bobby. It'll be explained soon."

God, her face. Her beautiful face twisted with an expression of sadness and loss. Why was she so sad?

Over the next few hours, I dozed some but never felt like I was really getting any sleep. The constant migraine made sure of that. During my waking hours, I was never alone in the Keep. The Official stood nearby for nearly an hour and at one point I saw Eberts. God... was he crying? What was going on here?

Six hours after I woke up, I realized where I was sitting. Fawkes' chair. If I was in Fawkes' chair, where was he getting his shot. He needed a shot, as I remember...

I woke once during the night (I think it was night... the lights were dimmer in the Keep) to hear soft voices at the other end of the lab. Looking up, I saw three figures standing next to the fridge where Claire kept the counteragent. I recognized one immediately. I tried to croak her name, but nothing came out. Vivian... Why are you here? Why are you crying? Why the hell can't I talk?!

When I woke the next time, I was aware of someone holding onto my hand. I followed the hand to it's owner, although I knew who it was upon seeing the rings. She was looking sadly at me, her eyes overflowing with tears. I finally managed to croak, "Claire..."

She began to weep. I had finally managed to say something and she was crying? "Bobby. Do you remember anything?"

I wracked my brain, thinking as hard as I could. Arnaud... Arnaud was spotted at the duck. The duck? The docks... the docks... Fawkes and I had headed down there and found him... found him... found him laying in wait for us. Oh, God, it was a trap! Tried to run... Gunshots... Oh, God, FAWKES! So much blood, so much blood! I had run back, pulled my partner to safety. Got off a few shots at Arnaud, too.

Fawkes... Fawkes... shot in the back... Fawkes, no!

Claire sobbed, "You tried, Bobby. You tried so hard... but it was too late. He was gone before he hit the ground..."

NO! Fawkes, no! DARIEN!

"Bobby, this is important... do you know what happened when you came back to the Agency? Do you remember?"

Fawkes dead. Mind spinning. I began to remember carrying my partner into the Keep. The gasps that I heard upon my arrival. The sudden rush of activity as Claire tried her best to save his life. And then... and then...

...and then the hand closed on my shoulder. I looked up into the eyes of the Official.

"It's in you, Bobby. The gland is..."

...inside me. Oh, God, no. The gland is inside me... No, no, no, no, no, no, no, please God tell me this is a dream! Let me wake up, please GOD! NO! GOD!

My face is wet from tears. Claire caresses my cheek and says, "There was a problem. The gland was damaged. We're not sure how severe it is yet, but... oh, God, Bobby, how could I do this to you?"

Gland was damaged? Claire, how?! How could this all go to hell so fast? God, please, you can wake me up now!

"Bobby... we have to do this now."

God, no... why can't I talk? Tell them this is a mistake, tell them they're wrong they're WRONG! Claire, no, please stop crying!

"The gland is... is eating away at your brain. It's spreading farther than it was ever supposed to."

I can feel it... the icy grip on my mind. God, is this what quicksilver madness feels like? God, make it stop! Claire has a syringe ready. She checks it, then looks at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen.

"If I don't do this, Bobby... the gland will destroy your brain. We never would have attempted it if we knew the gland was damaged."

GOD! THIS HAS TO BE A DREAM! WAKE ME UP GOD I WANT TO GO HOME WHERE I'M SAFE AND THERE'S NO GLAND IN MY HEAD! GOD SAVE ME!

The needle pierces the flesh of my upper arm and I feel a warm feeling spread through my entire body in a matter of minutes. I sigh as I feel the grip of quicksilver on my mind release... and more... the world is suddenly framed by black... closing in... I turn my head to Claire and see the truth in her eyes. Bullets killed Darien... the gland killed me... ironic in a way... the warmth that just spread over me suddenly turns to cold.

The Keeper's beautiful face is the last thing I see as I fade away.... Good-bye, Claire. Know that I don't blame you for this...

...so peaceful...

...safe...

...safe...

...silence...



End