A/N: Again without you, Toge! I couldn't wait any longer... so, yeah.
Here's the next chapter. :)
If we could remember
The power of the light
That crippled prayers
Are sometimes answered
And hope survives the night
Suddenly there's beauty
In pieces of the past
And sorrow clings
To angry questions
The days are dust at last...
~Sum of All Fears
* * * * * * * * * *
"Percy," Dean growled under his breath thoughtlessly as a spur of the moment accusation for John's sudden death. Percy, on the other hand, not thinking about how people can act at times like these, stiffened noticeably. Monica tightened her grip on him as a warning to ignore Dean.
"Don't be ridiculous," Paul replied. "It's not his fault John's dead. If the blame were to go to anybody other than Coffey himself, it would be Wild Bill; he was the only one that did something wrong here."
"Why'd we let him go through with that one! We knew it would be too much," Brutal said, shaking his head at John's lifeless body.
"Because," Paul answered, "He... That's what he was put here to do. He just died saving one more life. I'm sure that's how he would have wanted it, more than the electric chair at least. He wanted out of this world, no matter how it happened. And, I guess... I bet he knew..." he trailed off.
"What are we going to say about this?" Harry whispered, taking in all that had happened.
"Oh God, what will they do with me?" Monica rasped to Percy. "I killed the man!"
Overhearing, Paul replied quickly with some of the old authorization his voice. "We'll think up a story, ma'am. We don't need you getting into any trouble because of this, but..." he took a quick glance at Wild Bill. "The story's got to be simple. To the point. Has nothing to do with the lady shooting the prisoner..."
As Paul talked on about the story they would follow when questioned about Wild Bill and John Coffey's deaths, Monica breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to Percy, who was listening faintly to what Paul was instructing. He turned his full attention to him once he was addressed by name.
"Percy," Paul said, speaking to him directly for the first time that night.
"Yes?" he breathed, picking himself off the floor. Monica followed.
"You're to go along with our story, you hear? It'll save your skin as well as the rest of ours," Paul instructed.
Percy looked like he was making a hard decision, while Monica shook him.
"Percy - you have to tell your uncle the story. Don't get anyone fired, all right? We'll leave tomorrow. We'll leave to that Briar Ridge place, okay?" Monica stared hopefully at him.
"Fine," he replied, though to Paul, after a pause. "You just be glad that I AM going to tell it, too. I'm not going to be working here, anyway."
A hard look came over Paul's face, but it calmed quickly. "You okay?"
"Feeling aces," he retorted.
"Let's go," Monica said to Percy.
"To dinner?" he asked.
"No. Home," she replied.
"Oh."
"Paul Edgecombe?" Monica said, and Paul looked at her. "Thank you for covering up for me."
"No problem," Paul said, tipping his head. "You two are best to be leaving, now. Save your story for the governor." With that, he gave Percy a look. Percy stared back. "Have a nice life, Percy. You are relieved of your work here."
"Yeah, thanks," he said absently, running his hands through his hair a few times.
"C'mon," Monica said, tugging on Percy's sleeve.
The two of them walked down the mile and out the door - they never looked back, or went through that door again. "Good-bye, John Coffey," she whispered to the giant as she caught a last glimpse of his limp and peaceful body against one wall. "You did not die in vain."
A/N: HA HA! You MAY THINK that's the end, but it isn't. Next chapter the last? Perhaps. Maybe two chapters, I haven't decided that, but no more than two, I can assure you. :)
If we could remember
The power of the light
That crippled prayers
Are sometimes answered
And hope survives the night
Suddenly there's beauty
In pieces of the past
And sorrow clings
To angry questions
The days are dust at last...
~Sum of All Fears
* * * * * * * * * *
"Percy," Dean growled under his breath thoughtlessly as a spur of the moment accusation for John's sudden death. Percy, on the other hand, not thinking about how people can act at times like these, stiffened noticeably. Monica tightened her grip on him as a warning to ignore Dean.
"Don't be ridiculous," Paul replied. "It's not his fault John's dead. If the blame were to go to anybody other than Coffey himself, it would be Wild Bill; he was the only one that did something wrong here."
"Why'd we let him go through with that one! We knew it would be too much," Brutal said, shaking his head at John's lifeless body.
"Because," Paul answered, "He... That's what he was put here to do. He just died saving one more life. I'm sure that's how he would have wanted it, more than the electric chair at least. He wanted out of this world, no matter how it happened. And, I guess... I bet he knew..." he trailed off.
"What are we going to say about this?" Harry whispered, taking in all that had happened.
"Oh God, what will they do with me?" Monica rasped to Percy. "I killed the man!"
Overhearing, Paul replied quickly with some of the old authorization his voice. "We'll think up a story, ma'am. We don't need you getting into any trouble because of this, but..." he took a quick glance at Wild Bill. "The story's got to be simple. To the point. Has nothing to do with the lady shooting the prisoner..."
As Paul talked on about the story they would follow when questioned about Wild Bill and John Coffey's deaths, Monica breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to Percy, who was listening faintly to what Paul was instructing. He turned his full attention to him once he was addressed by name.
"Percy," Paul said, speaking to him directly for the first time that night.
"Yes?" he breathed, picking himself off the floor. Monica followed.
"You're to go along with our story, you hear? It'll save your skin as well as the rest of ours," Paul instructed.
Percy looked like he was making a hard decision, while Monica shook him.
"Percy - you have to tell your uncle the story. Don't get anyone fired, all right? We'll leave tomorrow. We'll leave to that Briar Ridge place, okay?" Monica stared hopefully at him.
"Fine," he replied, though to Paul, after a pause. "You just be glad that I AM going to tell it, too. I'm not going to be working here, anyway."
A hard look came over Paul's face, but it calmed quickly. "You okay?"
"Feeling aces," he retorted.
"Let's go," Monica said to Percy.
"To dinner?" he asked.
"No. Home," she replied.
"Oh."
"Paul Edgecombe?" Monica said, and Paul looked at her. "Thank you for covering up for me."
"No problem," Paul said, tipping his head. "You two are best to be leaving, now. Save your story for the governor." With that, he gave Percy a look. Percy stared back. "Have a nice life, Percy. You are relieved of your work here."
"Yeah, thanks," he said absently, running his hands through his hair a few times.
"C'mon," Monica said, tugging on Percy's sleeve.
The two of them walked down the mile and out the door - they never looked back, or went through that door again. "Good-bye, John Coffey," she whispered to the giant as she caught a last glimpse of his limp and peaceful body against one wall. "You did not die in vain."
A/N: HA HA! You MAY THINK that's the end, but it isn't. Next chapter the last? Perhaps. Maybe two chapters, I haven't decided that, but no more than two, I can assure you. :)