Chapter 14
Riddick was almost asleep until he heard Gillian's moaning. He sat up erect, as he watched her begin to thrash around. Even though she looked better, it was obvious she didn't feel it. The spots were gone and her fever dwindled. "Riddick." He stiffened at her side, when his name left her lips. His hands still clutched Gillian's. "I'm here baby." He answered. "I can't tell..." She whispered. "Tell who? What?" Riddick asked. "I can't tell Riddick." She muttered. Riddick froze where he was, leaning half over her, his face only inches from hers. "He hates me." She whispered. "Who?" "Riddick," She said, breaking into a sob. "No Gillian! He doesn't hate you!" "Jack you always say that, you don't see how he looks at me." "Gillian, it's me, Riddick. I don't hate you." "You have to promise not to tell him Jack!" she whispered fiercely, grabbing at his arm. "Promise me!" "I promise" he whispered. "Don't tell him...." She started to get tired. "Tell him what Gillian." "Don't tell him I...love him." With that she turned and fell back to sleep. "I love you too."
Riddick rushed through the science lab doors with a very small man running behind him. "Sir! You can't go in there! Sir!" Riddick continued until he found a taller version of the man that was still behind him. "You, c'mere!" he shouted. The man hesitated before he walked slowly to Riddick. "What tha fuck am I paying you for? You should have had a cure for this shit by now!" "Sir, please calm down." "Don't you fuckin tell me what to do! Just do your fuckin job!" "Sir, we've been working on a cure nonstop for the past month now." "WELL WORK FUCKIN HARDER!" Another man came up and said, "Sir, we are almost there. We have been working with strands of the virus and we think that we have a cure but." "But, it's highly risky!" The lab coated man said as he turned to the other one with a dirty look. Riddick was getting angrier, "I want you to try on my wife." "But sir, we don't know what will come of it. It might just get worse." "I don't care! Be at my compound as soon as possible! " Riddick turned and stormed out the same way he came in. Once he was back at home he told Jean and Jack about what was going to happen. Jack protested, "Riddck, you can't be serious! If it's as risky as they then why do you wana put her through that. You're playing with her life." "I'm trying to save it! I can't loose her Jack, I'll do anything." Riddick turned to the doorbell. Jack gave him a warning glance but that didn't stop him, he ran to get it. Riddick rushed in a man in with a lab coat. As they ran up the stairs Jack was quick at his heel. Riddick stopped her at the door. "Riddick I wana be there too." "No Jack, she's my responsibility." "She's my best friend, she's my responsibility too." Riddick thought for a minute then slid from the door letting her come in. The doctor took a bottle of some sort out of his bag then a long thick needle. "Now, Mr. Riddick. I'm going to need you to hold her. We're going to have to do this like an epidural." "What?" Riddick asked puzzled. Jack comes from behind him and said. "They're gonna put the needle in her back, close to her spine. You have to hold her so she doesn't move, the slightest movement could cause her to be paralyzed." Jack can tell that Riddick's eyes have gone wide. "It's okay Riddick, she's so out of it she might not even notice." She soothed to him. He sighed as lifted Gillian from the bed. The needle the doctor had even made Riddick want to faint. He closed his eyes as the doctor stuck it in. Jack let her tears fall as she heard Gillian's whimpers, but even in her state she was she took it like a champ. Afterwards the Doctor packed up. "All we can do now is to wait and see." He said as he left the room. Riddick and Jack sat there for a while. They sat there as if they were waiting for something to happen. After a couple of hours, Jack left the room to go to bed. A couple of hours more Riddick fell asleep also, holding his wife's hand.
The sound of the TV suddenly woke Riddick up; Gillian was bad about doing that. He grumbled as he said, "Damn it Gillian, turn that shit down!" Riddick turned over in the bed. He sat up abruptly, "Gillian!" "Hmm?" She looked at him. He looked at her; she was sitting up in bed. She even looked healthier. "What Riddick?" she said in an annoyed voice. He took her in his arms and squeezed. She began to cough, "Riddick, I can't breathe!" He quickly let her go. "I'm sorry, how do you feel?" "Okay, My head hurts, and I feel a little nauseated." Without another word Riddick jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Gillian had no idea what her husband was up to but it was really funny to see him scramble around. He came running back with aspirin and the nasty pink stuff. He stood on her side of the bed as he tried to open the pills first, "Damn childproof tops!" she laughed as she took them from his hand and clicked the top off. "Thank you for trying." She said. He smiled, "Are you hungry? Are you thirsty?" "Yeah I am. I'd like some." Before she could finish Riddick was on the phone. "Jack, get you ass up here. Gillian's awake! And get the cook to whip up something for...I don't know what, anything! Tell him to cook everything in the kitchen!" "Riddick, that's not necessary." He ignored her as he clucked around like a rooster. A couple of minutes later Jack busted through the door, "GILLY!" "Jackie!" Jack ran and jumped on the bed and hugged Gillian the same way Riddick did. "Jack, please. I can't breathe!" Riddick slipped to the door. "Jack, watch her. I have work to do." Riddick was halfway down the stairs before he saw Jarvis at the bottom of them. "You're back." Riddick said. "Yeah. I need to talk to you about my little journey." Jarvis said. "It's a strange story, I did what you told me to do and went to the abbess. The man was of medium build, lean, and had black hair." "What kind of questions did he ask?" "How many years Gillian spent at the convent, where she lived before, her background, her family. Shit like that." Riddick got a grave look on his face. Jarvis continued, "I looked farther into Gillian's past, according to her former employer, the same man asked about his former servant. Again, he asked about her family. I don't know about all this Riddick, if I were you, I'd watch my back." "Thanks, I will. I wana apologize to you for what I said." "It's okay, I got over it,"
Riddick took one look at his wife's face and almost turned after seeing her expression. She was becoming more irritable by the day, and he was tired of arguing with her. "What do you want?" he snapped. "I want to get up!" she said Her color had come back and her eyes did that little spark thing he liked to see. "Riddick, I'm better. See!" She tried to stand but he got up and held her down. He looked down and saw she was only wearing a chemise. "God Riddick" she huffed. "Are you gonna lock me away or something? Is this you new way of punishing me for my tainted Hellax blood" Riddick was stunned at her train of thought. "You have to take it slow." He explained. "Riddick it's been weeks! If I don't get out of this bed soon, I'll get sores and crippled." "I'm willing to compromise." She raised an eyebrow, "what do you want?" "Nothing, you can get up, but stay in the room." "So you do plan to lock me in here!" "No. I won't lock you away." With that he left the room once more.
Gillian lay awake, silently counting specs on the ceiling. Fully recovered from the virus, she had been up and around for weeks and had did everything she used to do, except for one. She hadn't made love with her husband. He slept with her, but didn't lay a hand on her. At first she was too tired to care, but when she got better and she reached out for him, he shied away like she was the nastiest thing to ever. In the mornings he was gone, and the sheets were cold. She would of thought this but he seemed to want to spend more time with her. Just the other day, he took her hunting. He patiently explained the finer points of the sport. She was so stunned she could barely listen. The invitations to hang with him weren't all. No matter where she was and what she was doing, he would appear throughout the day. Gillian wasn't sure how to react to this new Riddick. If he was a little less fierce, he was moodier, more prone to sudden sullen attitudes and silent treatments then shouting back at her. He rather be sleeping than loving her. She refused to wait any longer. That afternoon she took a nap while he was out with his little gang of merry thugs as Jack called them so she would be wide awake when he finally came in later that night. Gillian had a plan, and everyone knows that nothing gets in the way of a woman with a plan. The slow creak of the door was her reward, and Gillian smiled in the darkness before closing her eyes. Riddick undressed in silence, as if he didn't want to wake her. Riddick, thoughtful? She must be dreaming. The gentle dip of the bed told her she wasn't. Gillian was in the center of the bed as he hugged the edge. After his movement subsided, she made a little movement of her own. She turned onto her side and snuggled against him. She was wearing only a silk gown and the slow glide of her exposed skin against his sent heat shooting through her. To her astonishment, he jerked away from her and fell to the floor. Gillian sat up and stared at him, crouched by the bed, his face hidden from her in the darkness. "Riddick?" "Gillian! I thought you were asleep," He muttered. "Come to bed." She whispered, she stretched out her arms, wrapped them around his neck and tugged him down on top of her. Without warning, his tongue thrusted into her mouth, then suddenly breaking the kiss he rested his forehead against hers. "Gillian, we can't do this." "Why not?" "You've been sick." But I'm better now, I wana show you" she rasped as she wrapped her legs around him. "No!" he shouted. Gillian fell back against the pillows, stunned. "Stop being a pussy!" she yelled back. "Shut up Gillian." He surged from the bed and dressed quickly. This time he didn't slam the door, but closed it quietly. She wanted nothing more than to cry.
Riddick was almost asleep until he heard Gillian's moaning. He sat up erect, as he watched her begin to thrash around. Even though she looked better, it was obvious she didn't feel it. The spots were gone and her fever dwindled. "Riddick." He stiffened at her side, when his name left her lips. His hands still clutched Gillian's. "I'm here baby." He answered. "I can't tell..." She whispered. "Tell who? What?" Riddick asked. "I can't tell Riddick." She muttered. Riddick froze where he was, leaning half over her, his face only inches from hers. "He hates me." She whispered. "Who?" "Riddick," She said, breaking into a sob. "No Gillian! He doesn't hate you!" "Jack you always say that, you don't see how he looks at me." "Gillian, it's me, Riddick. I don't hate you." "You have to promise not to tell him Jack!" she whispered fiercely, grabbing at his arm. "Promise me!" "I promise" he whispered. "Don't tell him...." She started to get tired. "Tell him what Gillian." "Don't tell him I...love him." With that she turned and fell back to sleep. "I love you too."
Riddick rushed through the science lab doors with a very small man running behind him. "Sir! You can't go in there! Sir!" Riddick continued until he found a taller version of the man that was still behind him. "You, c'mere!" he shouted. The man hesitated before he walked slowly to Riddick. "What tha fuck am I paying you for? You should have had a cure for this shit by now!" "Sir, please calm down." "Don't you fuckin tell me what to do! Just do your fuckin job!" "Sir, we've been working on a cure nonstop for the past month now." "WELL WORK FUCKIN HARDER!" Another man came up and said, "Sir, we are almost there. We have been working with strands of the virus and we think that we have a cure but." "But, it's highly risky!" The lab coated man said as he turned to the other one with a dirty look. Riddick was getting angrier, "I want you to try on my wife." "But sir, we don't know what will come of it. It might just get worse." "I don't care! Be at my compound as soon as possible! " Riddick turned and stormed out the same way he came in. Once he was back at home he told Jean and Jack about what was going to happen. Jack protested, "Riddck, you can't be serious! If it's as risky as they then why do you wana put her through that. You're playing with her life." "I'm trying to save it! I can't loose her Jack, I'll do anything." Riddick turned to the doorbell. Jack gave him a warning glance but that didn't stop him, he ran to get it. Riddick rushed in a man in with a lab coat. As they ran up the stairs Jack was quick at his heel. Riddick stopped her at the door. "Riddick I wana be there too." "No Jack, she's my responsibility." "She's my best friend, she's my responsibility too." Riddick thought for a minute then slid from the door letting her come in. The doctor took a bottle of some sort out of his bag then a long thick needle. "Now, Mr. Riddick. I'm going to need you to hold her. We're going to have to do this like an epidural." "What?" Riddick asked puzzled. Jack comes from behind him and said. "They're gonna put the needle in her back, close to her spine. You have to hold her so she doesn't move, the slightest movement could cause her to be paralyzed." Jack can tell that Riddick's eyes have gone wide. "It's okay Riddick, she's so out of it she might not even notice." She soothed to him. He sighed as lifted Gillian from the bed. The needle the doctor had even made Riddick want to faint. He closed his eyes as the doctor stuck it in. Jack let her tears fall as she heard Gillian's whimpers, but even in her state she was she took it like a champ. Afterwards the Doctor packed up. "All we can do now is to wait and see." He said as he left the room. Riddick and Jack sat there for a while. They sat there as if they were waiting for something to happen. After a couple of hours, Jack left the room to go to bed. A couple of hours more Riddick fell asleep also, holding his wife's hand.
The sound of the TV suddenly woke Riddick up; Gillian was bad about doing that. He grumbled as he said, "Damn it Gillian, turn that shit down!" Riddick turned over in the bed. He sat up abruptly, "Gillian!" "Hmm?" She looked at him. He looked at her; she was sitting up in bed. She even looked healthier. "What Riddick?" she said in an annoyed voice. He took her in his arms and squeezed. She began to cough, "Riddick, I can't breathe!" He quickly let her go. "I'm sorry, how do you feel?" "Okay, My head hurts, and I feel a little nauseated." Without another word Riddick jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Gillian had no idea what her husband was up to but it was really funny to see him scramble around. He came running back with aspirin and the nasty pink stuff. He stood on her side of the bed as he tried to open the pills first, "Damn childproof tops!" she laughed as she took them from his hand and clicked the top off. "Thank you for trying." She said. He smiled, "Are you hungry? Are you thirsty?" "Yeah I am. I'd like some." Before she could finish Riddick was on the phone. "Jack, get you ass up here. Gillian's awake! And get the cook to whip up something for...I don't know what, anything! Tell him to cook everything in the kitchen!" "Riddick, that's not necessary." He ignored her as he clucked around like a rooster. A couple of minutes later Jack busted through the door, "GILLY!" "Jackie!" Jack ran and jumped on the bed and hugged Gillian the same way Riddick did. "Jack, please. I can't breathe!" Riddick slipped to the door. "Jack, watch her. I have work to do." Riddick was halfway down the stairs before he saw Jarvis at the bottom of them. "You're back." Riddick said. "Yeah. I need to talk to you about my little journey." Jarvis said. "It's a strange story, I did what you told me to do and went to the abbess. The man was of medium build, lean, and had black hair." "What kind of questions did he ask?" "How many years Gillian spent at the convent, where she lived before, her background, her family. Shit like that." Riddick got a grave look on his face. Jarvis continued, "I looked farther into Gillian's past, according to her former employer, the same man asked about his former servant. Again, he asked about her family. I don't know about all this Riddick, if I were you, I'd watch my back." "Thanks, I will. I wana apologize to you for what I said." "It's okay, I got over it,"
Riddick took one look at his wife's face and almost turned after seeing her expression. She was becoming more irritable by the day, and he was tired of arguing with her. "What do you want?" he snapped. "I want to get up!" she said Her color had come back and her eyes did that little spark thing he liked to see. "Riddick, I'm better. See!" She tried to stand but he got up and held her down. He looked down and saw she was only wearing a chemise. "God Riddick" she huffed. "Are you gonna lock me away or something? Is this you new way of punishing me for my tainted Hellax blood" Riddick was stunned at her train of thought. "You have to take it slow." He explained. "Riddick it's been weeks! If I don't get out of this bed soon, I'll get sores and crippled." "I'm willing to compromise." She raised an eyebrow, "what do you want?" "Nothing, you can get up, but stay in the room." "So you do plan to lock me in here!" "No. I won't lock you away." With that he left the room once more.
Gillian lay awake, silently counting specs on the ceiling. Fully recovered from the virus, she had been up and around for weeks and had did everything she used to do, except for one. She hadn't made love with her husband. He slept with her, but didn't lay a hand on her. At first she was too tired to care, but when she got better and she reached out for him, he shied away like she was the nastiest thing to ever. In the mornings he was gone, and the sheets were cold. She would of thought this but he seemed to want to spend more time with her. Just the other day, he took her hunting. He patiently explained the finer points of the sport. She was so stunned she could barely listen. The invitations to hang with him weren't all. No matter where she was and what she was doing, he would appear throughout the day. Gillian wasn't sure how to react to this new Riddick. If he was a little less fierce, he was moodier, more prone to sudden sullen attitudes and silent treatments then shouting back at her. He rather be sleeping than loving her. She refused to wait any longer. That afternoon she took a nap while he was out with his little gang of merry thugs as Jack called them so she would be wide awake when he finally came in later that night. Gillian had a plan, and everyone knows that nothing gets in the way of a woman with a plan. The slow creak of the door was her reward, and Gillian smiled in the darkness before closing her eyes. Riddick undressed in silence, as if he didn't want to wake her. Riddick, thoughtful? She must be dreaming. The gentle dip of the bed told her she wasn't. Gillian was in the center of the bed as he hugged the edge. After his movement subsided, she made a little movement of her own. She turned onto her side and snuggled against him. She was wearing only a silk gown and the slow glide of her exposed skin against his sent heat shooting through her. To her astonishment, he jerked away from her and fell to the floor. Gillian sat up and stared at him, crouched by the bed, his face hidden from her in the darkness. "Riddick?" "Gillian! I thought you were asleep," He muttered. "Come to bed." She whispered, she stretched out her arms, wrapped them around his neck and tugged him down on top of her. Without warning, his tongue thrusted into her mouth, then suddenly breaking the kiss he rested his forehead against hers. "Gillian, we can't do this." "Why not?" "You've been sick." But I'm better now, I wana show you" she rasped as she wrapped her legs around him. "No!" he shouted. Gillian fell back against the pillows, stunned. "Stop being a pussy!" she yelled back. "Shut up Gillian." He surged from the bed and dressed quickly. This time he didn't slam the door, but closed it quietly. She wanted nothing more than to cry.