Holding out for a Hero
Usually when the door to their cell-appartement opened, Molly would tense and expect to see guards with guns walking in to drag her or Sofia out for another test. But at this time of the day she didn´t tense and neither did Sofia. Because they both knew who was coming in now.
When Benny opened the door, carrying their plates with food, his face was made of a happy smile.
„Heeyy." he called. „My ladies. How are you doing?"
Molly smiled, happy to see him and looked at Sofia to let her answer the question. Her younger friend made a face as if she didn´t know and then wagged her hand. So-so, the gesture said and Benny laughed at this.
„Well, that´s better than last time." he commented and put the food down. „Bon-appetite."
The two girls looked at their food for a moment, anticipating their meal. But for Molly it wasn´t the lunch that made those visits so nice. It was Benny. He wouldn´t leave right away to keep on going to his next task. He never did. Instead he stayed a little longer, nonchalantly leaning on the edge of the table.
„You seem much better today, Molly." he mentioned.
Molly lowered her gaze for a moment, blushing a little. „I feel much better." she said, smiling at him radiantly. „Mohinder is here. Just knowing that … you know … it helps me to hang on."
„That´s great." Benny was happy for her. „You see? I told you it would get better. Ever since you …" and with that he pointed at Sofia. „… did that great job of yours, to bring him back."
Sofia didn´t smile back when he beamed at her. Instead she lowered her eyes as if the memory of bringing someone back to life was not a nice one. Molly had asked her a few times how it felt for her, but she´d never really answered the question.
„Yeah." she now said, wanting her friend to know how grateful she still was and always would be. It was important that she knew. So she stood up and went over to her, giving her a grateful hug. „Good job." she repeated Benny´s words.
Sofia hugged her back but she still didn´t smile. Not really. Molly looked into her serious eyes and just knew that Sofia wouldn´t buy it if she smiled at her. So she didn´t even try.
„Everything is going to get better." she promised but Sofia only looked back at her, no change in her eyes.
„Sure it will." Benny agreed lightheartedly as if he hadn´t noticed the tension.
But when Molly glanced at him, she could see that he had noticed it. Of course he had. A silent agreement was exchanged between them, to keep it at that and for a moment Molly´s heart beat faster. She almost didn´t manage it to walk over to the edge of the table but somehow her legs carried her, stronger than she´d expected it. When she leaned in a little to him, so only he would be able to hear her whisper, he leaned in a little as well.
„Mohinder is going to get us out of here." Molly told him quietly, conviction steadying her voice despite this dizzying closeness.
„How is he supposte to do that?" Benny whispered back at her.
„I don´t know." she admitted. „But he´ll find a way. He knows I´m in here and he´ll never rest until he got me out. Both of us." she met Benny´s eyes, so close to her´s, and swallowed. „I trust him." she stated, hoping he wouldn´t see her nervousness.
Benny´s reaction was not as happy as she would have liked. Quiet the contrary. He seemed reluctant.
„But that is dangerous, Molly." he said. „You know that. I wouldn´t want you to get hurt in an escape attempt. I saw enough of them go bad. You don´t want that, do you?"
Before Molly could think of a reply, Sofia was writing down something on her small notepad. She had a dark glare while doing so and when she was done, she shoved the note over the table so Benny could read it. He picked it up and read it with a frown. When he looked at Sofia again, his face was serious.
„You are far too young to say something like that." he said.
Molly didn´t need to ask, what Sofia had written. The dark glare she gave Benny in response was more than Molly needed to know. It was another subject they´d talked (in Sofia´s case written) about quiet a lot. Molly knew that Sofia would have tried to end her own life long ago, if she wouldn´t know that the life of the other prisoners depended on her healing powers.
Many of the tests Hawk´s men did with them, ended with injuries, sometimes even worse. Molly suspected that they did this on purpose, knowing that they needed victims for Sofia to use her powers in order to study her. That was the reason why they were not as gentle with their tests on the other specials, as they could be. The more injuries Sofia could heal, the more opportunities to study her ability.
Benny was sitting in his chair now, thinking about what he´d heard (or read) for a moment.
„What would you say, if I could arrange it for you to go up and out in the garden?" he then asked them. „You know, taking some fresh air. Lie in the sun. They even have a pool."
Molly´s heart sped up at this but this time it wasn´t the thought of Benny that did this to her.
„You could do that?" she asked, almost not able to believe it.
„You have been nice lately." Benny shrugged. „I talk to Mr. Harris. I´m sure he´ll allow it. As soon as you´re outside again, you´ll feel better." he promised Sofia.
Molly looked at her friend and saw a small glimpse of hope in her dark eyes. It was the same thing she felt. So long they´d been thinking about how to get out of here, to find a way out. And now all the sudden, Benny offered it to them, just like this. That was almost too good to be true.
Maybe, if they planned it well and went to work carefully, they could do something to help Mohinder, instead of letting him save them. Molly´s heart was beating even faster now.
„Outside would be good." she answered Benny´s suggestion, with all the composure she could muster. „We could have a look around and …"
„No, no, no." he immediately cried. „I didn´t mean you should try to run. That wouldn´t work anyway. The fence is high and the guards are heavily armed. Don´t do anything stupid, please. I just want you to see the sun again."
Molly smiled at him gratefully. „I know." she said. „We won´t do anything. I promise."
Benny nodded and smiled at her. That sweet smile she´d started to love about him.
„Okay then." he said relieved. „I talk to Mr. Harris. I can´t promise anything but … I´ll do my best. I put on my puppy eyes." he added and blinked a few times.
The two girls started to laugh when they saw this.
„You really have puppy eyes." Molly told him between her giggles.
Benny laughed too and thanked her for the compliment. He got up and made a bow before he turned around to leave again. At the door he stopped.
„Oh, almost forgot." he cried. „I´ve got some little something for you." He reached in his cart that stood outside of their door in the hallway and got two popsicles out. „Your deserts." he said. „Bon appetite, ladies."
The two of them had just taken the little gifts, when a guard came in through the door.
„Sofia Romanova." he spoke gently but firmly. „You´re ought to come with me. There´s another test for you."
Molly exchanged an uncomfortable glance with her friend. They both knew that this could not mean anything good. Usually it only meant, someone got hurt in a test.
...
They´d killed him and they´d brought him back to life. They´d threatened to hurt the girl he considered as close as his own daughter and they´d made him do their dirty work. He´d dismantled the brain of a dead man and he´d worked on endless samples that were taken by a man that didn´t care if he hurt the people he took them from. The people Mohinder wanted to help. And right now he was done with his work on a sample that had caused a boy he knew, a lot of pain.
Still he´d done it. Because he had no choice and they knew that. But Mohinder knew that game as well and he knew that they needed him to cooperate. They might be in a position where they could threat him with Molly, but he had some aces up his sleeve as well.
When the door opened this time and Garth walked in to claim his results, Mohinder was prepared.
„You done, doctor?" the soldier asked bruskly.
„I am."
„Then give it to me."
Mohinder didn´t move, only crossed his arms. Garth laughed.
„You´re waiting for an extra invitation?" he asked. „You´ll give me the report now or …"
„I´ll give you the report after I saw Molly." Mohinder talked over him.
Garth just laughed again. „Who do you think you are?" he asked.
„I´m the one who´s doing this dirty work for you." Mohinder burst out. „I want to see Molly. You want me to do this work for you, then I want something in return. Let me see her."
„You better don´t push me, doctor." Garth said and walked in on him. „Or I´ll …"
Mohinder walked up the rest of the way and placed himself right in front of Garth, picking up the challenge fearless.
„Or what?" he asked the slightly smaller man. „You want to beat me up? You´re welcome to try."
The guard at the door had stepped closer and cocked his gun. Mohinder barely took notice of it. He was busy holding Garth´s slightly irritated stare. But the Corporal immediately gained his former arrogance back, hearing the sound of the cocked gun. He knew he had backup and that Mohinder was alone against him, no matter how much stronger he was. He was not bulletproof.
„I want to see Molly." Mohinder repeated his demand. „Then you get your damn report."
Garth just grinned. He opened his mouth to say something but someone else was faster.
„I think there´s nothing that speaks against it." Hawk´s voice spoke up behind him, making the two men turn around in surprise.
The Commander leaned in the door, nonchalantly, and somehow this lack of acknowledgment for the seriousness of the situation, had more effect on Garth than any stare.
„I´ll bring you over myself." Hawk offered kindly.
The guard went back to his poste at the door immediately. Garth didn´t retrieve that fast though. He was clenching his jaw, staring daggers at Mohinder.
„You´re dismissed, Corporal." Hawk said, his tone still kind. „Thanks for the good work."
Garth looked at his Commander, but there was no change in Hawk´s gaze. At last, the Corporal dropped his gaze, nodding once, and saluted. Hawk saluted back, dismissing him. After Garth was gone he faced Mohinder.
„Shell we?" he asked politely and led the doctor out of the lab.
Mohinder followed him through the corridors, slightly irritated. He´d expected much more trouble with his demand to see Molly. Especially from Hawk. That he led him to her that easily didn´t seem quiet right.
But when the door to her cell opened – he just refused to call it an appartement, because it was none – he forgot about his suspicions. All he could see was Molly.
It had been so long, since he´d seen her last time. So many years, years in which she´d grown, almost to be a young woman. God she´d changed, so much. Still when he saw her eyes grow wide at his sight, he saw the little girl again. The one he´d once tried to protect.
Her eyes switched over to Hawk at once, carefully, estimating.
The Commander smiled at Molly and nodded at Mohinder, before he turned around and closed the door behind himself. It only needed two seconds and Molly was up and had crossed the room. Her hug was so tight that Mohinder almost believed to be in a bench vise. But the shivering breath she let out against his shoulder erased that thought immediately.
„I´m so sorry." he heard her say.
Mohinder could barely believe it. He was supposte to say those words, not she.
„For what?" he asked, gently caressing her hair. „You didn´t do anything."
„But I did." she cried, looking at him with desperate eyes. „I almost got you killed."
Mohinder was too flabbergasted to give a response. What was she talking about?
„I told them where you are." she said as if she´d read the question in his mind. Her eyes were fixed on his, as if she waited for him to yell at her. „They made me do it." she hurried to explain. „They threatened to hurt Sofia. I didn´t want to, but I just couldn´t let them hurt her. I couldn´t …"
„It´s all right, Molly." Mohinder talked over her and pulled her in for another hug. She almost wouldn´t let him. But in the end he smoothed her rigid form with his gentle strokes and she relaxed against him. „You wanted to help a friend and that was absolutely all right." he told her. „Nothing happened."
„You were dead." she shouted, pulling away from him again, making him stare at her in shock. „When I tried to find you, you were not there." She gasped, remembering the feeling. „And I saw Sylar. Over your body. Did he …?" she couldn´t go on, couldn´t finish the question.
Mohinder didn´t know what to say. Up until now he hadn´t even thought of that little detail in the whole story. But now that he saw her face to face, it was like being punched in the stomach.
How was he supposte to tell her? How was he supposte to make her understand that the murderer of her parents, the man that had been her Boogey-man since childhood, was not his enemy anymore? That he was even working with him. What would she think? Would she even be able to understand? To forgive him that betrayal? Ever?
„No." he said, trying to get around the theme for the time being. „It wasn´t Sylar who killed me."
The words sounded so strange. Not because of Sylar, but because of the fact that he indeed had been dead. For twenty hours. At least. Mohinder felt goosebumps all over his arms. That was not a nice thought.
„It was a grenade at my car that …" he couldn´t say it again, so he rephrased it. „It was an accident."
„Then I killed you." Molly whispered and the finality in that statement made him angry.
„No." he cried. „You did nothing wrong. You wanted to protect a friend."
„I couldn´t find you." was all she would say, as if that explained everything. „You weren´t anywhere."
„But now you know where I am. I´m right here. And I will find a way to get you out of here. Okay? You and Sofia."
„How?" she wanted to know. „No, don´t tell me." she immediately cried and in a whisper tone, she added: „They´re listening in."
Mohinder nodded at her. It was hurting him to see her that way. So hard and worn out, beating herself up for something that wasn´t her fault. She needed him now, to be strong, to save her.
„I don´t know yet." he admitted, trying to answer her question. „But I´ll find a way. I promise."
Molly hugged him again, quickly. She whispered in his ear so no one would hear what she said.
„Benny said he can make Hawk let us out into the garden. I know the area, I saw it in my head again and again. If we can find a way to slip out …"
Mohinder grabbed her immediately, holding her at arms length.
„No, Molly." he said fiercely. „Don´t you dare to do that."
Her shocked expression almost made him regret his words. But he mustn´t allow her to take such a risk.
„That is too dangerous." he whispered at her. „You will not do that."
„I have to." she whispered in a voice that was barely audible and a single tear slipped down her rigid face.
„No." he denied. „That´s my job. You stay put, you hear me? I´ll take care of everything." Molly looked at him, her face a mask of hidden pain but she didn´t say anything.
„Molly." he addressed her. „Promise me that you won´t do anything. Promise."
Another tear rolled down her cheek but after that one, her face became placid again. „I promise." she said.
Mohinder wasn´t sure if he could believe her. He wanted to tell her that, wanted to demand another promise from her, maybe even an oath that she wouldn´t do it. But before he could say a word, the door behind him was opened again.
„All right, doctor." Hawk said. „You´ve seen her. Now please go back to work."
Mohinder threw a glance over his shoulder and nodded. When he faced Molly again, her tears had died as if they´d never been there. He seriously doubted that she´d even noticed them herself.
Once again he felt that pain in his heart. She shouldn´t look that serious. She should smile and be happy. She should be free, walking in the sun and laugh with her friends. But she wasn´t. She was here. And he needed to change that.
He hugged her one last time, whispering into her ear. „Promise me, Molly."
When he looked at her again, she nodded, mouthing her promise. He nodded back at her and smiled, caressing her hair.
„Don´t worry." he said. „Everything is going to be all right."
With that he let go of her and turned around, following Hawk outside. The last thing he saw of her before the door was closed again, was that same serious face. The face that would follow him into his dreams from now on.
...
He lay on a stretcher, alone in this strange and empty room that reminded him more of the closet of his dad than on a test area. Right after lunch they´d come and brought him here. But instead of placing him in a chair and hooking him to a machine, they´d bound him to this stretcher and hooked him to the damn machine. What the hell were they trying to do?
He ripped on the straps but that only caused the wound on his shoulder to throb with dull pain again. When he looked up at the bandage, he could see that new red had colored it. Shawn let his head sink back down and sighed. Great. Lesson number twenty-two. When you have a fresh wound, don´t straighten it too much. It could break open again and that will weaken you in eventually necessary fights. He could practically see his dad´s reproving gaze.
But on the other hand, how should he fight in the first place, when he was bound? And who? Since they´d left him in here, who knew how long ago, he was the only person in the room. And that again brought him to the next question. What the hell was the meaning of all this?
„Hey!" he called out without much effort. „Anybody here? Helloho! I´m still in here … in case you guys forgot. Hello?"
When no one answered, he sighed.
„This is not very nice." he slurred weakly into the empty room. „Didn´t your moms teach you the rules of hospitality? The guest always comes first."
Still no one answered him. It was starting to really freak him out. If he only wasn´t so tired and weak. He felt as if he hadn´t slept in weeks. And maybe that was true. How long was it ago since he was here in this … place? How long since the night when they´d ambushed him? The night after he and Jules had gone out? He couldn´t even remember.
Jules. And Gus. His dad and even Lassie. What were they doing now? They must be worried sick by now. With no word from him and no idea where he was. Or did they know? If he only had real psychic powers then maybe he would know.
But the idea of him having those powers had brought him here in the first place. Goddammit, how did people with real abilities deal with those things? Would it save him or condemn him to these crazies if he really had powers?
Shawn lifted his head again and it was as if his neck was of led. How long was he lying here now? An hour? Two? Ten? What were they trying to do with him? Did they forget him?
„Hello?" he cried, slowly getting scared. „Are you still there? I´m getting thirsty. Come on, guys, you can´t just leave me here. HEY! You hear me? You won´t get anything from me if I die of thirst."
Still no answer. As if they´d truly shut the door behind him and left him here to starve. Shawn felt the weight of frustration and fear. He´d never felt that helpless in his life. Why were they doing this? What had he done to them? Where were his friends, his dad, Juliet? Why didn´t they come and save him? They always came. Didn´t they know that he needed them? Right now? Like immediately? What were they waiting for?
„Please." he brought out and felt the pain of his thirst even more. „I just wanna … a smoothy. Just a tiny cup. I´ll do your tests, just … give me something to drink."
He closed his eyes. The bright light in this room started to really hurt. But even with closed eyes it didn´t really get any better. Water. If they wouldn´t give him a smoothy then he would take water. Just water. He didn´t need any sweet taste. By now he would accept everything that was liquid. His throat was so dry he would spit out dust if he had the strength to cough.
His mind drifted off while he tried to imagine a cool glas of water. Ice cubes were swimming on top of it and the outside of the glass was covered with pearly drops. He wanted to take it and gulp the whole thing down, not caring about possible brain freezing. Because he knew that the waitress had even more cool water in her bottle and after he´d finished this glas he would get another one, right away. He could already hear it gurgle. She reached up to the neck of the bottle and opened it. The sound it made was strange. Somehow hollow. It reminded more of a hatch that was opened or something.
Shawn opened his eyes and saw that it had been a hatch. There was one in the wall beside him. He turned his head and on the other side was another one. He frowned. Was he still dreaming? Why was he still hearing the gurgling sound of the water, when he was awake now? But then he realized that the gurgling sound didn´t come from his dream. It had never been there. It had come from within these walls. And it came closer every second now.
Shawn understood what was going on just a moment before it happened. He pulled on his straps again but he was too weak. And then the water came. It shot out of the hatches and poured into the room. Shawn didn´t need to see the floor to know that it was rising fast. He could hear it. Just one more minute or so and it would be at his level.
Was this really happening? This had to be a nightmare. He´d probably fallen asleep in his thirst and now he dreamed that the water he´d been pleading for, had come to kill him. It had to be like that. It had to be. Something like that just couldn´t be happening for real. Surely he was sound asleep and soon he would wake up when the guards would open the door to bring him back to his cell. Soon he would …
But then the water had reached the stretcher and started to soak his clothings. It was so cold and wett that his heart started to race over the shock. No, this was no dream. It was real. Totally real. But why? Why were they doing this?
„Heeeyyyy!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. „Help! This isn´t … You can´t do that! Let me out! Help!"
Water swapped in his face and he swallowed some of it. It did some good to his throat but he also knew that it wouldn´t end there. Just a little more of it and he would downright drown in here.
„I said a little water not …" he spit when a new wave splashed over his face. „That´s just ridiculous." He held his breath for a moment and raised his head. „You can´t do that!" he yelled but just like the whole time, his yelling remained unanswered.
He held his head upwards as long as he could, forming an O with his mouth to keep breathing as long as possible. But the straps that held him on the stretcher, just wouldn´t allow any more and in the end he had only enough time to take one last deep breath, before the water was all around him. His head hit the stretcher again, underwater.
Water was getting into his nose and he wanted to blow it out. But air was value and he fought against that instinct to keep the precious stuff inside. He wouldn´t get another chance to refill his lungs. Maybe never again.
The water kept running. It filled his head with the constant rushing sound. A sound that had been wonderful in his dream about a drink on a hot day. Now it was the roaring of his own close death.
...
Hawk was angry. Once again something had been done over his head, of course by that insubordinate Ashton. That was it. He would have to think about something to teach this man a lesson. He might be one of his best men but that didn´t give him the right to do whatever he wanted without his, Hawk´s, permission. It was time that he learned that profound truth as well.
Hawk opened the door and stormed into the room.
„May I ask what the hell you´re doing here?" he barked without transition.
Instead of being startled, the way Hawk had intended it, Ashton turned around in his chair, absolutely calm and looked at him as if he´d just wished a good afternoon.
„Another test, Commander." was his dry answer.
„I didn´t order a test." Hawk bellowed. „Since when are you writing my schedule? What is this? Show me what you ´re doing with him."
When Ashton didn´t react at once, Hawk stared down at him, intently.
„Right now, Lieutennant." he demanded and his tone left no doubt about what would happen if his order would be ignored.
Ashton reached for the keyboard and pushed a button. The screen before him changed and showed the picture of the surveillance camera in test room C. What it showed, made Hawk actually doubt his own eyes.
„Are you out of your mind?" he cried. „He´s drowning. Stop that right now."
„His last test was too quick." Ashton told him instead of stopping the water. „He was scared but the shot in his shoulder only shocked him. A slow death like drowning delivers a totally different form of fear."
Hawk could only stare at this mad man in disgust and disbelieve. Was he really serious with that? It sure seemed so.
„You are out of your mind." was all he knew to say. „You´ll stop this, right now."
„I have datas." Ashton informed him, still far too calm for the things he had initiated in that other room.
„I don´t care if you have the proof that Santa Clause exists." Hawk said in a low tone.
On the screen Shawn Spencer had stopped writhing and fighting against the water that threatened his lungs. Hawk knew the movements a drowning person made when the end of the fight was there. He saw it right now and alone that made his anger rise even more.
„You went too far." he told Ashton. „That is worse than any kind of torture. What you did is as good as murder."
„As if you had a problem with the death of people in the line of our experiments so far." Ashton replied unimpressed.
„If the death happened over the course of the experiment." Hawk justified his actions. He wouldn´t allow this little bastard to turn his own rules against him. „We never planned on killing people through those tests." he stated. „Death … is something necessary. But not something we plan. You´ll stop this right now. And then you´ll come to my office, soldier."
Without waiting for a response, the Commander opened the door and addressed the guard that was posted before it.
„Get Sofia Ramanova." he ordered. „She has to bring someone back to life. And this time …" he turned back to Ashton. „… you´ll not hook her to your gadgets when she´s doing it. This was the last time you broke my chain of command, Ashton."
With that he left the room, heading for the test-room to supervise the resurrection of Shawn Spencer.