Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!
Jensen opened his eyes. He gasped slightly, unable at first to take in the walls of the office. Then he turned, and saw the four sleeping figures, all slumped in various positions.
He looked at the IV trailing out of his arm. Whimpering, he gave it a hard tug, and yanked it out. Then, sliding off his chair, he moved to a corner of the office, pressed his knees to his chest, and began to sob.
Arthur blinked. This couldn't be happening.
The pain from the bullet wound was settling into a dull, persistent throb. Grimacing, he clutched at it, trying to stem the blood. As it slowed to trickle, he tried to steady his breathing.
He looked over at where Jensen's body was lying. He swallowed. Jensen had lifted the gun, put it in his mouth, and fired. Arthur felt sick to the pit of his stomach.
The Point Man turned and looked at the still sleeping bodies of Eames, Fran, and Cobb. They were still in their own unconscious. And Jensen was awake.
He looked at his watch. Ten minutes. He then looked at Cobb's sleeping body. Determination began to etch itself across the Point Man's face. Crawling over to the PASIV, he pulled out the final IV line. Placing it into his arm, he closed his eyes.
"Eames? Can you hear me?"
The Forger groaned, and rolled over. He squinted, as the bright light blazed into his eyes. He tried to focus on Fran's face.
"Wha-?"
"You were under sedation. You're coming out of it." Her voice was firm, but relief was starting to course through her. She gave him a little shake.
"Fran…?"
"Yes?"
He grabbed her arm, and began to pull her towards him. She hesitated, then recognising the need for human contact from the Forger, allowed herself to be pulled close to him.
"You came for me." His voice was low. She swallowed.
"I did." She tried to make her voice light hearted. "Eames, we have to go. We have" – she looked at her watch – "ten minutes until we wake up. Can you walk?"
Wincing slightly, he pushed himself off the bed. She assisted him. Despite her heeled boots, she was easily a good six inches shorter than the Forger. He leaned on her, heavily.
"OK." She took a deep breath. "Let's get out-"
The door swung open. Another white coated figure was framed in the doorway, glaring at them.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?"
Bottomless. Nothing but black, bottomless space.
Arthur looked around, his breath catching in his throat. If he and Fran were correct – and he believed they were – then in the coma, the deepest, darkest part of someone's subconscious would manifest. Swallowing, he suddenly realised that Cobb's deepest fear was that of being alone, and abandoned.
He turned. He couldn't see anywhere to go. It was hopeless. He rubbed his face with his hand. He turned ,and nearly fell over an object.
Arthur began to stiffen. He knew what was inside. His heart racing, he began to feel along the edges for anything he could use to pry it open. He ran his hands over it.
Smooth. Nothing.
"We're leaving." Fran kept her voice steady as she supported Eames. The white coated figure glared at her.
"I don't think so." His voice was calm, almost robotic. "He leaves when its time."
"It is." Fran's voice had an edge to it.
The projection pulled out a gun. "Oh really?" Taking aim, he fired at them. The bullet went straight into Eames' chest; he groaned and collapsed to the floor.
The projection smirked.
"Your turn."
Arthur banged on the lid. Nothing. No response. His heart was beginning to race.
"Cobb?" His voice was barely audible. "Cobb? Do you hear me in there?"
Fran opened her eyes, and exhaled. She was back in the warehouse. Beside her, Eames was stirring. She rubbed her forehead – her head was beginning to ache slightly.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something trickle. Turning her head, her eyes widened.
"Oh, my God."
He couldn't breathe. He was suffocating.
Cobb closed his eyes.
Fran pushed herself out of her seat, and winced as she took in Jensen. No hope, she thought. She then turned to Arthur.
"Christ, what happened out here?" She muttered. Pulling off her suit jacket, she began to wrap it around the Point Man's shattered thigh. She then noticed the IV trailing out of his arm.
"Oh, Arthur." She resisted an urge to slap his inert form. "Why the hell couldn't you wait?"
Arthur ran his fingers under the edge of the box. He felt a latch, and his breath caught in his throat. He pushed it, and suddenly, the lid began to lift.
"Dom!" The Point Man's voice echoed, disintegrating in the cast space. He began to shake the Extractor. "Dom, wake up! Please!"
Eames groaned. Fran looked over. He began to sit up. "Oh, bloody hell…"
She smiled wryly. "I'd assist you, but I've got my hands full."
The Forger turned his head. "Jesus. What on earth-?"
"You were attacked, by Jensen' projection of his own boyfriend." Her voice was curt. "You and Cobb underwent sedation in the dream. According to Arthur, you both went into coma."
Eames looked at her. "And now what-?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. We're still in the first layer. Arthur has killed the projection. But by the looks of it, he also killed Jensen."
Eames shook his head. "What is wrong with him?"
Fran looked at him. "Eames. The projection is called Rafe. Does that mean anything to you?"
The Forger narrowed his eyes, looking at the psychiatrist and then Arthur's inert form.
"Oh, yes. Means a lot."
Arthur was ready to give up. A crushing sense of failure and loss was beginning to descend. He grabbed Cobb, and tried to shake him again.
"Cobb!"
Nothing.
Arthur swallowed, then reached for his gun.
"OK. It's the only way." Putting the gun against Cobb's forehead, he closed his eyes and fired.
Fran tightened the tourniquet around Arthur's thigh. "There."
Eames raised his eyebrows. "He'll be ok when he wakes up."
"I hope so." She checked her watch. "We have –twenty minutes until the dream ends."
The Forger got up. "Bloody hell. This is a mess."
Suddenly, a choking noise behind them made them jump. Fran turned. "Dom!"
His eyes flickered. Eames went over. "Its ok, Dom, you're going to be ok." He helped the Extractor move to a sitting position. "Where's Arthur?"
Fran looked over. "Still in the dream."
Eames shrugged. "Lets wake him up."
With a jolt, Arthur's eyes flew open. He realised, with a sinking feeling, he was back in Fran's office. He rubbed his face, and then became aware of a whimpering, moaning sound coming from the corner of the room.
Jensen was sitting in the corner still, his legs pulled up close to his chest. He was rocking back and forth.
"Oh, Jesus…" Arthur whispered. He looked at the man. "Whatever you know, its never going to come out now."
Cobb was coughing, Eames moved over to him. "Dom. Its ok, take it easy."
Fran looked at him. "What-?"
Eames shook his head. "Best not to ask. How long?"
She swallowed. "Five minutes until the sedative wears out."
"Right. Just come over here."
She complied. Leaning back in the seat, she closed her eyes.
A sudden gasping noise attracted the Point Man's attention. He'd been on the floor of the Office, trying to think of how he could persuade Jensen to focus on his face, when the other three had started to come out of the dream state.
Swallowing, he turned. Cobb looked pale and shaken, and Eames' face was ashen. Fran's lip quivered, and she was clearly trying to keep her feelings composed.
Arthur looked over. "Cobb, I-"
He stopped. The Extractor's face was wearing an expression of disappointment. And something Arthur had never seen on his face before – defeat.
"The journal." Cobb's voice was toneless. "I never got to look inside the damn journal!"
Fran turned. "The journal?"
"Yes! I found a journal in his apartment – that was where we could have found out-" He broke off, glaring at Arthur.
"You-"
"Dom," Fran interrupted. "We have to get Jensen some medical attention. Look at him!" The Extractor turned, taking in the whimpering, shaking wreck of a man.
Cobb nodded. "I agree. But we'll never be able to extract from him again." He looked at Arthur. "Have you got anything you want to say?"
Arthur swallowed. "No, Dom, I don't."
"Good." The Extractor looked at him with a seething fury. "Because, right now, I don't want to hear it."
"Dom, please-" Arthur swallowed. "We can salvage this, I know we can!"
Cobb looked at Arthur.
"Just get out. Now."