*Ok, point of this chapter is to explain Malone's actions and 'thoughts' in
the previous one. After this comes the sit-around-the-table-and-bare-all-
feelings chapter, and then.. done! I hope...
Veronica awoke at the sound of a crash. They had reached the treehouse at around noon, but Malone hadn't regained consciousness, even up till dinner- time. Challenger had managed to allay her fears by explaining that the combination of exhaustion and drugs had pushed Ned past his limit and he was, literally, spent. She got out of bed and went over to his room. No one else was awake.
Yet.
"Ned?" she pushed the door open and peered into the darkness. She could dimly make out an overturned table, and next to the bed, was a huddled figure sobbing silently.
"Ned..." she moved in closer, slowly, so as not to startle him. "You're back home now. Nothing's going to happen to you anymore.
***********************************************
The whip fell again, this time striking him across his shoulders. He cried out and twisted in his bonds.
"You like that?" the man screamed at him. "You never saw this coming, did you?"
Another blow.
"Whelp."
Another shriek of pain.
"Weakling! Can't take what's coming for you? It's only the beginning, boy."
A cut across his arm. Powder rubbed into the fresh wound.
"We're taking this to new heights! Let's see how well it works, shall we?"
********************************************************
Veronica's chest constricted with grief when the raw scream emerged from Malone's throat. She jumped over the table and grabbed his shirt collar.
"Ned, I know you can hear me! Snap out of it!"
Malone pushed her away violently. Blindly, he picked himself up but crashed into the table before he could get far.
*********************************************************
"You know, that girl of yours didn't get very far."
"L-liar!"
"My men found her and that traitor. Caught them both and brought them back."
"I don't.... believe..... no, not true."
"Then why are you crying?" The man's features twisted in reprehensible mirth as he saw the tears of his prisoner.
"She kept asking the guards, why couldn't you save her?"
"No....."His words were cut off when the man slammed a fist into his side.
"You know why you couldn't save her? You're weak!" The man hollered jeeringly over the pained gasps. "Too weak to be of any use, that's all.
"No use to anyone at all."
***************************************************************
Veronica caught hold of Malone just as the door opened and three figures jostled past each other through the narrow doorway.
"What happened?"
"This is not good."
"Don't let go of him!"
Malone pressed his hands to his ears, caught in limbo between the real world and his hallucination. The clamour of voices seemed to drown out the mocking man who was sitting in the back of his mind.
"Hold him," Challenger ordered as he re-entered the room holding a syringe.
Roxton eyed him apprehensively, keeping a firm hold on Malone's sleeve. "Sedative again?"
"Yes. It's the best way..."
"No!" Veronica shook her head, remembering all too well what happened the last time. "We just need to get him out of this.. nightmare. Don't use the sedative, Challenger, please. .it'll be alright..
"It has to be."
Challenger bit his lip, pathos and medical logic waging a fierce battle, and his conscience joining the fray. Just at that moment, Malone leapt up and it took four of them to hold him down. The syringe fell from Challenger's grip and rolled under the bed.
"We have to use the sedative, Veronica!" He yelled.
"No!" She yelled back, albeit more shakily. She reached over and shook Malone, silently pleading him to wake up. But his eyes remained tightly shut, reminiscent to a grimace. At the end of her wits, she slapped him. Hard.
Malone's eyes snapped open.
Veronica awoke at the sound of a crash. They had reached the treehouse at around noon, but Malone hadn't regained consciousness, even up till dinner- time. Challenger had managed to allay her fears by explaining that the combination of exhaustion and drugs had pushed Ned past his limit and he was, literally, spent. She got out of bed and went over to his room. No one else was awake.
Yet.
"Ned?" she pushed the door open and peered into the darkness. She could dimly make out an overturned table, and next to the bed, was a huddled figure sobbing silently.
"Ned..." she moved in closer, slowly, so as not to startle him. "You're back home now. Nothing's going to happen to you anymore.
***********************************************
The whip fell again, this time striking him across his shoulders. He cried out and twisted in his bonds.
"You like that?" the man screamed at him. "You never saw this coming, did you?"
Another blow.
"Whelp."
Another shriek of pain.
"Weakling! Can't take what's coming for you? It's only the beginning, boy."
A cut across his arm. Powder rubbed into the fresh wound.
"We're taking this to new heights! Let's see how well it works, shall we?"
********************************************************
Veronica's chest constricted with grief when the raw scream emerged from Malone's throat. She jumped over the table and grabbed his shirt collar.
"Ned, I know you can hear me! Snap out of it!"
Malone pushed her away violently. Blindly, he picked himself up but crashed into the table before he could get far.
*********************************************************
"You know, that girl of yours didn't get very far."
"L-liar!"
"My men found her and that traitor. Caught them both and brought them back."
"I don't.... believe..... no, not true."
"Then why are you crying?" The man's features twisted in reprehensible mirth as he saw the tears of his prisoner.
"She kept asking the guards, why couldn't you save her?"
"No....."His words were cut off when the man slammed a fist into his side.
"You know why you couldn't save her? You're weak!" The man hollered jeeringly over the pained gasps. "Too weak to be of any use, that's all.
"No use to anyone at all."
***************************************************************
Veronica caught hold of Malone just as the door opened and three figures jostled past each other through the narrow doorway.
"What happened?"
"This is not good."
"Don't let go of him!"
Malone pressed his hands to his ears, caught in limbo between the real world and his hallucination. The clamour of voices seemed to drown out the mocking man who was sitting in the back of his mind.
"Hold him," Challenger ordered as he re-entered the room holding a syringe.
Roxton eyed him apprehensively, keeping a firm hold on Malone's sleeve. "Sedative again?"
"Yes. It's the best way..."
"No!" Veronica shook her head, remembering all too well what happened the last time. "We just need to get him out of this.. nightmare. Don't use the sedative, Challenger, please. .it'll be alright..
"It has to be."
Challenger bit his lip, pathos and medical logic waging a fierce battle, and his conscience joining the fray. Just at that moment, Malone leapt up and it took four of them to hold him down. The syringe fell from Challenger's grip and rolled under the bed.
"We have to use the sedative, Veronica!" He yelled.
"No!" She yelled back, albeit more shakily. She reached over and shook Malone, silently pleading him to wake up. But his eyes remained tightly shut, reminiscent to a grimace. At the end of her wits, she slapped him. Hard.
Malone's eyes snapped open.