CHAPTER THREE:
Pain is supposed to be an illusion...
It hurts...
Hell, it hurts...
Is this dying? I don't wanna die...
But the pain is too big...
I can feel the blood
I can smell it
I can see it.
And it's frightening me...
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~Duke~
I guess it was the most horrible
moment in my life. To bring Wildwing the bad news. Hell, I know how strong
the bonding between the two is, even when they didn't show it very often.
I was scared, too. Scared that the
kid might be dead, that I would never again hear his voice or his jokes!
Scared to loose a member of
the team which is my family now.
I was always a loner – as a thief
you don't have that many friends, ya know. And you never can trust anybody.
But here, I have my friends, and
I know that I can trust them with my life! Even the kid, so lazy he may
be. It was a new experience for me, and I enjoy it.
You know, there is a difference if
you fight alone or with a good team. With the team, you can discuss the
problem, you can lighten the mood with jokes or you can yell because someone
made a mistake.
It isn't that easy to lighten your
own mood. Okay, you could tell a joke, but I know all my jokes, so what
use?
A member was in danger and we had
to rescue him. As fast as possible.
After Wildwing realised the news,
he immediately ordered everybody to Drake 1 and told us that we were going
to the subway station, looking if we could help and if we could locate
Nosedive. Everybody was as worried as me. Mallory clenched her teeth, Tanya
was babbling senseless stuff and grin just staring.
Wildwing himself had this stony
look on his face, which always appeared when he hides strong emotions.
I knew how he felt. And I wanted to pat him on his shoulders, but I knew
that he wouldn't let me. There was no time.
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Okay, remember buddy, pain is
just an illusion, like good ol'Grin always says.
Yeah. And turtles can fly.
It HURTS! Everytime when I breath,
it hurts!
I can't stop breathing, not? I
mean, then I would die. People normally die when they don't breath. That's
reality, man!
But the death might be better
than this suffering. The others won't come, and it hurts.
It's dark, and I am afraid of
the darkness. I never told it anyone.
Wildwing knows, but he thinks
that I have grown out of it.
Wrong, loved brother, very wrong.
Do you know what I feel when there
is no light? Or when these nightmares are hunting me?
Do you ever ask why I sleep that
late, or why I have huge black rings under my eyes?
Nope. You say that it is because
I read so many comics in the evening. That I should go to bed earlier.
Wrong again, dear brother.
I read many comics, and I stay
awake in the night, but guess why?
I am frightened of sleeping!
Because with the sleep, the nightmares
come!
And the darkness.
But it's not your fault. I never
told you. And I never will. This is a thing which I can – must – handle
on my own.
Just sometimes I wish that you
could come and give me a hug. A small one. A short one.
No, I am strong. I don't need
hugs.
I have to be strong when I wanna
be a member of the Mighty Ducks.
So I don't tell. And cry in the
night.
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~Duke~
We reached the station 15 minutes
later. Everybody was in a big hurry there. People standing outside and
crying. Reporter searching for someone who could give them a statement.
Policemen trying to find a solution. Doctors waiting for the injured persons.
There were trying to get through
to the trapped train, but it was very difficult. And we couldn't help either.
The Mighty Ducks, the heroes of Anaheim, just stood there, watching, with
worried and tired faces.
I wanted to laugh sarcastically,
but I failed. Didn't feel like laughing.
I felt so wrong there...I wanted
to do something, wanted to help...anything but standing here and waiting.
Waiting and muttering the same sentence
over and over again:
"He can't be dead he can't be dead
he can't be dead...."
Nosedive, I have never been very
friendly to you...first I thought that you would be a fool, that we would
fail because of you.
I was right, you were a fool, but
you never failed as long as I know you.
And with your light-hearted attitude
you made us feel a lot better – it made us feel like at home. It let us
forgot that we were on a 'wrong' planet, maybe unable to see home ever
again.
Okay, your teeny actions were annoying,
and sometimes I wished that I – somehow – could stop your babbling.
But deep in my heart I liked you.
And I was proud to have you in the
team – and as a friend.
I never told you, indeed. The thought
that you died and I've been never able to tell you that you aren't that
worthless I called you so often is nagging into my mind.
Everybody cares for you. Even the
great thief Duke.
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The room was grey.
Very grey.
It seemed as if every color had
disappeared.
Nosedive looked around. He didn't
like this room. It frightened him.
He wished that he'd be at home,
at the Pond, where he could be with the others...
Slowly, he remembered what had happened.
The subway.
The accident.
The injuries....injuries?
He checked his body. No bruise, no
pain, no blood. How...
He was dreaming. Dreaming....not
a nice dream. But maybe better than waking up.
If he woke up, the pain would return.
Terrible pain. And he would be alone.
The young duck shuddered as he remembered
the dark subway wagon.
Slowly, he settled down and glanced
at his surroundings. Noting familiar. And empty room, a chair, a small
table, no window.
A prison.
Sighing he decided that the only
thing he could do was to wait. Wait until he woke up...Wait until the others...
He jerked up. Someone had entered
the room. The shadow was very vague at first, and Nosedive wasn't sure,
but then the person stepped into the dim light.
It was Wildwing.
Dive gasped of surprise and happiness.
"Wildwing! It took you much time to come to rescue me...hell, I am so happy
to see that stupid face of yours..."
His babbling was interrupted by an
icy glance of his older brother. "Ehm...bro?", the younger duck asked frightened.
"Can we go home now? It's quite uncomfortable, ya know, and I am deadly
tired, so please..."
"You won't go home."
Nosedive blinked. "What? But bro',
you can't leave me here – can you? Hey I know it wasn't nice of me to paint
you underwear pink, but I swear I'll buy you new one, okay?"
"You won't go home. You stay here."
The huge figure of his brother turned
around and walked towards the door. Dive shuddered. Was this his brother?
His brother had never been that nasty...he could always trust him, not?
Even when he made his jokes, he still could trust his brothers, he still
could feel that he would always be there to help his little baby brother.
But not now.
He wanted to yell after him, wanted
to ask what was wrong, wanted to listen to his brother when he said: "Stay
calm, we'll help you."
But he couldn't. This icy glare
had shown more than the harsh words. The cold in it was unusual for Wildwing.
So very unusual – and yet he was sure that it was Wildwing.
And that this glare was only for
him....
What if he made too many jokes?
What if his brother wouldn't help
anymore?
But did your brother help
you all the time?
Of course, he thought, always. He
had been there for me.
Really?
Yes.
And your nightmares? Did he help
you with them? Did he even know?
No, but I didn't tell...he couldn't
know!
But he was supposed to know it
– he is your big brother. He should care for you.
He cares for me!
The fact that he doesn't help
you shows that he cares for you?
....
So you realise it....
Nobody cares.
Nobody will come!
To be continued...
Still no rescue this time, but
I promise it will come! Hopefully in the next chapter*smiles*
Do you notice how depressed he
becomes with the time?*shudders* My poor Nosedive!
And it will be even more angsty!
Just think of the grey room....*laughs evily*
See ya
Kaeera