Disclaimers: I don't own the PRWF characters.
'Merrick! Merrick!' Cole shouted to his friend. Merrick was lying on a bed in the base squirming and making choking sounds.
'What's wrong?' Shayla asked him concerned.
'He's choking,' Cole answered her.
Cole put his arm under Merrick's back and lifted him into a sitting position. 'Merrick wake up,' he told him, slapping his face lightly.
Merrick opened his eyes slowly, he began to become aware of reality once more.
'Here, drink this,' Shayla said giving Merrick a glass of water.
'No!' Merrick knocked the glass on the floor, making the liquid go everywhere. 'I don't want your poison!'
'Merrick!' Cole shouted in his face, shaking him hard. Merrick seemed to snap out it, his body relaxing as he tried to steady his breathing.
Cole loosened his grip on his friend, and let him down gently on the bed. 'You ok?' he asked.
It took a while for Merrick to answer, 'Yeah,' he said breathlessly, 'I'm ok.' He went to sit up, but Shayla stopped him.
'You have to rest, you took a nasty blow to the head. You've had us all worried,' she turned to Cole, 'Could you leave us alone please?' she asked him. He nodded his reply, turned and left. Shayla turned back to Merrick and looked into his eyes. 'Allie,' she said.
All Merrick has to do was hear her name once and a wave of sadness washed over him. 'No,' Merrick told her shaking his head.
'You repeated her name in your sleep,' Shayla watched Merrick wince. She knew how he felt about her, and the subject was never easy for him to talk about. 'You have to stop blaming yourself, Merrick; it wasn't your fault.'
He looked up at her tears in his eyes, 'Yes it was,' he said. 'All my fault. No matter how many times you tell me otherwise, it won't amount to the truth. It was my fault she was injured that day, I couldn't help her.' The tears that formed in his eyes were now a river running down his face.
Shayla tried to comfort him, but she knew it wasn't her he needed right now.
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'How's he doing?' Alyssa asked Cole as he entered the room.
'He's awake,' was all Cole could say. He couldn't lie to them and say he was ok, as he didn't know himself yet. 'Shayla's in with him now, he had nightmare or something. He thought she was giving him poison; he hit the glass out the way. I guess she's just making sure he's ok,' he paused, not sure whether to tell or not. He decided he should after all they weren't supposed to keep secrets from each other. 'He kept repeating the name Allie.'
'That's weird, who's Allie?' Danny asked, then it occurred to him that Cole probably didn't know anymore than he did.
Shayla emerged from the room where Merrick was resting. 'How's he doing?' Taylor asked echoing Alyssa's question to Cole.
'Much better, he's still a little weak, but he's resting now. He'll be fine in the morning,' Shayla smiled, it was a mixture of gladness and sadness.
'What's wrong Princess?' Alyssa asked her.
'Nothing, I'm just worried about Merrick,' she admitted.
'Does it have something to do with Allie?' Cole asked.
Shayla nodded, 'Has everything to do with Allie.'
'Who is Allie?' Taylor asked.
Shayla was quiet for a while as if to gather up her words, she opened her mouth to speak, only:
'Just someone I knew along time ago,' Merrick's voice sounded.
The group looked to the doorway, sure enough Merrick was there leaning on the side of the door. He stood up straight and walked slowly to where the group was. Max got up out of the chair he was sitting on letting Merrick sit down. 'Thank you,' he told him.
There was a long silence, each person had the same thing on their minds, only Danny was the bravest to venture out and ask the question, 'What happened to her?'
All eyes were on Merrick who turned his head away as to signal to them the question wasn't going to be answered. Taylor sensed some tension and changed the subject. 'Anybody want anything to eat?' She tried to sound cherry, but failed miserably.
'Yeah, I'll come with you,' Cole told her. They were later joined by Alyssa, followed by Danny and finally Max. They'd all sensed that Merrick didn't want to talk about it.
After they all left, Shayla turned to Merrick. 'You have to tell them sometime; it's not good to keep secrets from the group.'
'This is my secret Shayla, sometimes it's best if the past stays where it is,' Merrick said through clenched teeth. 'I don't want them to know I failed,' he finished looking down.
'Merrick you didn't fail, you did all you could do. It's time for you to move on.' Shayla out her arm around him for comfort, only she could comfort him as much as she liked, it wouldn't change how he felt.
'Merrick! Merrick!' Cole shouted to his friend. Merrick was lying on a bed in the base squirming and making choking sounds.
'What's wrong?' Shayla asked him concerned.
'He's choking,' Cole answered her.
Cole put his arm under Merrick's back and lifted him into a sitting position. 'Merrick wake up,' he told him, slapping his face lightly.
Merrick opened his eyes slowly, he began to become aware of reality once more.
'Here, drink this,' Shayla said giving Merrick a glass of water.
'No!' Merrick knocked the glass on the floor, making the liquid go everywhere. 'I don't want your poison!'
'Merrick!' Cole shouted in his face, shaking him hard. Merrick seemed to snap out it, his body relaxing as he tried to steady his breathing.
Cole loosened his grip on his friend, and let him down gently on the bed. 'You ok?' he asked.
It took a while for Merrick to answer, 'Yeah,' he said breathlessly, 'I'm ok.' He went to sit up, but Shayla stopped him.
'You have to rest, you took a nasty blow to the head. You've had us all worried,' she turned to Cole, 'Could you leave us alone please?' she asked him. He nodded his reply, turned and left. Shayla turned back to Merrick and looked into his eyes. 'Allie,' she said.
All Merrick has to do was hear her name once and a wave of sadness washed over him. 'No,' Merrick told her shaking his head.
'You repeated her name in your sleep,' Shayla watched Merrick wince. She knew how he felt about her, and the subject was never easy for him to talk about. 'You have to stop blaming yourself, Merrick; it wasn't your fault.'
He looked up at her tears in his eyes, 'Yes it was,' he said. 'All my fault. No matter how many times you tell me otherwise, it won't amount to the truth. It was my fault she was injured that day, I couldn't help her.' The tears that formed in his eyes were now a river running down his face.
Shayla tried to comfort him, but she knew it wasn't her he needed right now.
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'How's he doing?' Alyssa asked Cole as he entered the room.
'He's awake,' was all Cole could say. He couldn't lie to them and say he was ok, as he didn't know himself yet. 'Shayla's in with him now, he had nightmare or something. He thought she was giving him poison; he hit the glass out the way. I guess she's just making sure he's ok,' he paused, not sure whether to tell or not. He decided he should after all they weren't supposed to keep secrets from each other. 'He kept repeating the name Allie.'
'That's weird, who's Allie?' Danny asked, then it occurred to him that Cole probably didn't know anymore than he did.
Shayla emerged from the room where Merrick was resting. 'How's he doing?' Taylor asked echoing Alyssa's question to Cole.
'Much better, he's still a little weak, but he's resting now. He'll be fine in the morning,' Shayla smiled, it was a mixture of gladness and sadness.
'What's wrong Princess?' Alyssa asked her.
'Nothing, I'm just worried about Merrick,' she admitted.
'Does it have something to do with Allie?' Cole asked.
Shayla nodded, 'Has everything to do with Allie.'
'Who is Allie?' Taylor asked.
Shayla was quiet for a while as if to gather up her words, she opened her mouth to speak, only:
'Just someone I knew along time ago,' Merrick's voice sounded.
The group looked to the doorway, sure enough Merrick was there leaning on the side of the door. He stood up straight and walked slowly to where the group was. Max got up out of the chair he was sitting on letting Merrick sit down. 'Thank you,' he told him.
There was a long silence, each person had the same thing on their minds, only Danny was the bravest to venture out and ask the question, 'What happened to her?'
All eyes were on Merrick who turned his head away as to signal to them the question wasn't going to be answered. Taylor sensed some tension and changed the subject. 'Anybody want anything to eat?' She tried to sound cherry, but failed miserably.
'Yeah, I'll come with you,' Cole told her. They were later joined by Alyssa, followed by Danny and finally Max. They'd all sensed that Merrick didn't want to talk about it.
After they all left, Shayla turned to Merrick. 'You have to tell them sometime; it's not good to keep secrets from the group.'
'This is my secret Shayla, sometimes it's best if the past stays where it is,' Merrick said through clenched teeth. 'I don't want them to know I failed,' he finished looking down.
'Merrick you didn't fail, you did all you could do. It's time for you to move on.' Shayla out her arm around him for comfort, only she could comfort him as much as she liked, it wouldn't change how he felt.