AN: Popped in my head a few days ago, hope you enjoy. Will be a BABE HEA.
Disclaimer: Not mine, all belongs to JE.
"Truth, or Dare?"
Today was day ten. Another day in the middle of nowhere and another day wondering if it would be my last. I took in yet another deep breath, no longer bothering to withhold the wince of pain due to the sharp stabbing pain I received after each and every breath. I once again tried to figure out how to get out of these chains that were wrapped around my tender and sore wrists. Several times since the first day of my apparent capture I have thought to myself, "How would Batman get himself out of here?" with no results. It didn't help that now I had gone from optimistic to brutally aware that this may very well be the last place I ever lay my eyes upon. I was also quite aware of the fact that my last days on this earth would be spent with someone who I never really thought would make me want to shoot my brains out.
"Come on Beautiful, Truth or dare?" He was chained up across from me, in what I can only assume is a dungeon. It reminded me of how all the dungeons in my fairy tale books had been described; dark, dingy musty and incredibly chilling. There were the occasional rats that would sneak on by my toes, definitely my fair share of spiders and that increasingly annoying drip that was a mere foot away from my disgusting hair.
"A little hard to come up with a dare that I could actually accomplish in here, don't you think Les?" I sighed and shifted again, the nth time by now, trying to get comfortable. Trying to relieve some of the pressure that my slumped over torso kept up on my lungs. I knew without a doubt that the irritation came from a least one of my broken ribs pressing harder and harder into the left sack of air.
"Well, obviously I'd just end up daring you to take the Truth, beautiful." How he still had a sense of humor at this point was just adding to my frustration. On day five I had let the frustration get to me and had just screamed and yelled and sobbed. Lester had been quiet the whole time, allowing me to rid my body of the pent up anger. When I had finished, all he had said was, "Feel any better?" And for the first hour or so, I had.
Trying to think of ways to keep me focused and entertained seemed to be one of his top priorities. I knew that this was smart on his part: Don't let me get hysterical and batty. Don't let me go crazy. I'm sure it's one of those secret ARMY lessons, along with Being Aware of Your Surroundings. I had given up on being productive on day ten. That was when I realised that all my angers, doubts and regrets were proven futile and that I had just might as well give up since I wouldn't be getting out of here anytime soon.
"Dare." Just to be that little extra bit annoying. I still had a little spunk left; that had to account for something, right? I looked across the room towards Lester, who was similarly strung up with chains as I was. I didn't have any recollection yet of how I had been kidnapped, I assumed it was while I was asleep in my apartment, but Lester had been here since I had first awoken. He claimed to be just as oblivious as I was of our current situation, but was far more acceptable and calm.
"Shock. I dare you to answer my Truth." His voice was quite gravelly, most likely due to our combined lack of water. No one had acknowledged our presence, but someone had thrown a single food tray with a small glass of water through a slot in the large steel door once every morning. Or afternoon. It was starting to get harder and harder to decipher the hour of day or even the day itself.
It was hard to focus on his mostly shade covered silhouette, but what I could see made me cringe. His face was covered in deep purple, now yellowing bruises, and there was brown patches of flaky, dried blood along his biceps and upper torso. His left leg seemed bent at a very disturbing angle.
"How come you and Ranger still ain't doing the dirty? It's been how many years now?" I figure he got impatient with my lack of an answer before he gave up and just asked his question. I waited a minute, letting his question wash over me before I chuckled softly. The amount of times I'd heard the same question from Lula or Tank, Mary Lou or even my sister Val, although not quite so vulgar, was too many to count.
"I really don't want to discuss this right now, Les. If you hadn't noticed we're kind of trapped in some fucking disgusting basement with no hopes for escape and you want to know why I haven't fucked your boss?" The exhaustion, body aches and just pure rage was surely getting to me, if I'm swearing. God, my mother would be embarrassed.
"Seriously, Steph?" His voice took on a slightly cruel tone, "Haven't noticed? I'm fucking stuck in here with you. I've had less water than you, I've shared the same fucking disgusting excuse for food and I have a broken femur, tibia, wrist and a fucking stab wound to my lower back. Not to mention the bruises from the hour long beating I took two days before you made an appearance. I'm trying to take my mind off the fact that even coughing is nearly fucking killing me. Whatever stick they shoved up your ass, I kindly ask you to remove it."
I was stunned to silence. I could feel the burning in my eyes, their lack of hydration unable to actually build tears, and forced myself to look away. His words were only the truth but they still hurt. How could I have been so cruel? Of course he was in pain, he was probably suffering for far longer than I had, and his wounds seemed so must more intense. I felt a sudden wave of shame, and I could barely whisper my apology to him.
"Whatever." His words slicing through my last bit of perseverance seemed to just push out and I felt myself slump. I was going to die here, and all I seemed to have done was burn my last shed of hope.