Title: Punish the Children (13/?)
Author: Lynne Facella
Category: Drama/Angst
Email: lynne1919@aol.com
Spoilers: Through current season 4
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.
Summary: Ty's life becomes a living hell when he becomes the target of a man his father put in prison 25 years ago, endangering him and all those around him.
Note: Sorry about the delay between chapters. My head was out of this story for a while, but I'm back into it again. Thanks so much for the nice comments you've been giving me. I really appreciate them and hope you're still reading
:)
******
Seth ambled down the corridor of the apartment building, his eyes scanning the door numbers as he walked. The building was very quiet. Likely the majority of the tenants had gone to work. Finally he stopped outside of Davis' apartment. Throwing a furtive glance to his left and right, he saw that the corridor was deserted. He squatted down and peered into the keyhole, relieved to see a pin tumbler lock, which was the simplest type to open. He pulled out his full diamond pick and tension wrench from the box of supplies and set to work, smirking to himself when he heard the familiar click letting him know that he had been successful in his task. He straightened up and glanced up and down the hallway one more time before he turned the doorknob and silently stepped into the apartment.
"Pretty nice place, Davis," he murmured to himself. "Too bad you won't be living here anymore." Looking overhead, he spotted the smoke detector and the first thing he did was pop out the batteries. Why alert anyone to the fire any sooner than necessary? He quickly inspected the apartment and began soaking the rags in the gasoline. He then scattered them about, splashing gasoline onto the floor as well. He was so intent on what he was doing that he never even noticed the cockatoo until it began to squawk in its cage.
"Shut the hell up, ya stupid bird," he grumbled as he finished spreading the rags. "You're going to be nothing but a well-done dinner in a few minutes." He pulled a book of matches out of his pocket, but froze when he heard the sound of a muffled cough from one of the other rooms.
Shit. His eyes widened in fear when he realized he wasn't alone. This was not what he had expected at all. He'd never even considered the possibility that Davis lived with someone. "Damn..." His hand shaking slightly, he struck a match and lit one of the rags, tossing it to the floor. He then watched in awe as the flame began to spread even faster than he could have imagined. He turned and quickly started towards the door of the apartment. Just as he was about to open it though, he had a change of heart regarding the cockatoo. Whoever was in Davis' apartment, it was their own free will to be there and they deserved whatever they got. It wasn't the bird's fault though...it was caged through no fault of its own. He knew what it was like to be trapped behind bars that way.
"Guess it's your lucky day, bird." He grabbed the cage and ran from the apartment, slamming the door behind him. He felt a definite rush as he headed back down to his car. Not only was Davis going to lose his apartment, but someone was going to be burned to a crisp as well.
******
"That you, Ty?" Carlos' voice was hoarse, his eyes still closed when he heard the slam of the door. "Keep it down, man. I'm trying to sleep." What the hell? Hadn't Ty just left? What was he doing back home anyhow? He didn't know why he felt so tired. He could smell smoke and vaguely wondered if Ty was burning something in the kitchen. The guy wasn't exactly a gourmet chef. He buried his head back into the pillow, but the smoky smell was getting stronger. He struggled to open his eyes and they immediately began to water and sting. The room was filled with a dark, smoky haze.
"Oh God," he murmured. It wasn't the first time Carlos had been in this kind of a situation, but every other time it had been job-related. This was entirely different. He got out of bed and dropped to the floor, then began to crawl towards the bedroom door. When he reached it, he touched it with the back of his hand to test the temperature. The door was much too hot and he knew escaping through it was not an option.
"Ty!" he called out, unsure if his roommate was in the apartment or not. "Ty are you here?" He inhaled too deeply and began to choke, the thick smoke seeping into his lungs. He pulled his t-shirt up over his face to help him breathe easier, but he wasn't able to see a thing now and he could feel himself panicking as he desperately tried to find the window. He was confused and disoriented and had no idea where it was.
"Somebody help me!" he screamed. "Please somebody help!"
******
"How's he doing?" Faith asked softly as she entered Bosco's room and offered a faint smile to Bosco's mom. Her eyes fell on her partner and she was relieved to see he appeared to be sleeping peacefully. She knew she would have heard if anything had happened, but it calmed her significantly to see for herself that he was okay.
Rose returned Faith's smile, glad to see that her son's partner had arrived. It was obvious how badly Maurice wanted her to be there. "He had a bit of a rough night, but he's doing much better this morning," she replied. "They're going to be moving him into a regular room this afternoon."
Faith nodded and went to Bosco's side, lightly resting her hand over his. "That's good news." She looked back at Bosco's mom, her eyes taking in how tired the older woman appeared. It was apparent she hadn't gotten much rest. "I can stay here with him...if you'd like to go and get some rest..."
Rose hesitated for a few moments before she nodded. "Thank you, Faith," she replied with a weary smile. "I'd at least like to go home to take a quick shower and change my clothes. Then I can come back here until I go into work later on."
Rose brushed a kiss over Bosco's cheek and left the room a few minutes later. Faith took over the chair that Rose had vacated and silently watched Bosco's chest rise and fall as he slept. For the most part it seemed that he was resting calmly, but every so often, he would whimper softly or mumble unintelligibly in his sleep. Faith had been there a little over an hour when he began to stir and finally opened his eyes.
"You're here," he stated, looking back at her through heavy-lidded eyes. It occurred to Faith how much Bosco looked like a sleepy little boy and she had to stifle the sudden urge she had to hug him.
"Of course I'm here," Faith answered, giving him a soft smile. "I told you I would be."
"Yeah...yeah I know..." He found himself gnawing on his lower lip as he regarded his partner. He might be the one in the hospital, but she looked like hell. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her face pale and drawn. "You okay, Faith?" he asked quietly.
"I'm fine, Bos," she replied, laughing nervously. "Besides, I think I'm the one who's supposed to be asking you that, aren't I?"
"I'm doin' okay, Faith. You don't have to worry about me. I've got that guard out there and all...nothin's gonna happen. I'm fine."
"I know...I know you're fine..." The concern Bosco was showing her, after all that had happened to him, struck Faith and she looked down quickly, feeling her eyes filling with tears.
"Faith?" Bosco gave her a look of dismay. "What's wrong?" It occurred to him that something else might have happened, something he was totally unaware of. "Did something happen?"
She shook her head, trying to compose herself before she looked back at him. God, what was wrong with her? "Nothing...nothing's wrong... I just...I was just so worried...if anything happened to you...I..."
"Nothin's gonna happen to me." He reached for her hand and clasped it firmly in his own. "I promise."
She nodded, but it didn't make her feel any better. It was easy to make a promise, but a lot more difficult to keep it. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, wanting to get his focus off her. He had enough to worry about. She didn't want to add to it.
"No." He shook his head as a smile touched his lips. "I have everything I need right here."
******
"You really think this is going to do any good?" Ty asked as he and Sully made their way towards the entrance of the precinct.
"I don't know," Sully answered with a shrug. "But it's something. Beats sitting around, twiddling our thumbs."
"Yeah I guess."
Sully sighed to himself, once again wishing there was something he could do to help his young partner. He didn't think Ty could even begin to heal though until they got this bastard off the streets. "We'll get him," he stated, briefly putting his arm around Ty and patting his shoulder.
They had only been in the precinct for a few minutes when Lieutenant Swersky hurried over to them, his expression grim. "Davis?"
Ty's mouth went dry and he felt a knot immediately develop in his stomach. God... Not again. "What is it?" He was barely able to get the words out of his mouth.
"It's your building...there's a fire..."
"Carlos," Ty stated, his eyes widening in horror. "Sul?"
Sully nodded as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. "Let's go."
"Keep me posted!" Swerky shouted after them as they rushed from the building.
"It might not have anything to do with you." Sully tried to reassure his partner as he turned the key in the ignition. He didn't believe his own words, but the look on Ty's face made Sully desperate to try to protect him somehow.
"Yeah...yeah I know," Ty replied automatically. He knew in his gut that it did have something to do with him though. The bastard had struck again.
******
Sully's car came screeching to a halt in front of Ty's building. The two men got out and looked upward at the flames shooting from the window of the building.
"Our apartment," Ty whispered, his features contorted with shock and horror. "Oh God..."
"Ty..." Sully rested his hand on his partner's arm.
Ty turned to his partner and noted that Sully's attention was directed towards where the paramedics were frantically working on a victim. Upon closer inspection he saw that the victim was Carlos.
"Carlos!" Ty headed off to where they were working on Carlos with Sully right on his heels. "How is he? What's wrong with him?"
"Sir, you'll have to stand back and give us room," a paramedic unfamiliar to Ty demanded.
"I'm his roommate. How is he?" Carlos was lying on the ground, unconscious, an oxygen mask on his face.
"We'll know more when we get him to the hospital," The paramedic replied as he and his partner prepared to transport Carlos.
"Ty...Ty come on, let them go." Sully gently pulled his partner away from them. "They'll take good care of him."
"I...I have to go to the hospital..." Ty's eyes filled with tears as he watched the paramedics rushing toward the bus. "He...he doesn't have anyone, Sul...he has no one."
"I'll take you. Come on." Sully started to lead his partner back towards the car when Ty suddenly shook his head and pulled away.
"No... no not yet. I have to get his bird. Carlos loves his bird, Sully. I have to get him."
"Ty, no." Sully grabbed Ty, his eyes full of concern. He had no idea what was going through the young man's head. "Ty...you can't...it's too late."
Ty shook his head adamantly. "No! It's not too late, Sully. I have to get him. I have to get him now."
Ty broke out of his partner's grasp and ran towards the building just as a smoke-covered Jimmy Doherty was coming out. "Davis, what are you doing?" Jimmy asked, giving Ty a bewildered look.
"Doherty, stop him!" Sully called out. "He's trying to go inside."
"Davis, no you can't." Jimmy grabbed Ty and physically dragged him away from the building. "Come on, man. What are you doing?"
"I have to get his bird. Don't you understand? I have to..." Ty looked sorrowfully back up at the windows of their apartment. "Why does everyone have to die?" he whispered.
Jimmy looked questioningly at Sully who just shook his head. "Ty...Ty come on. Let's go back to the car now." He wasn't sure what to do, but he knew he needed to get Ty away from here. His partner was coming very close to the breaking point and Sully was very afraid for him.
"You okay?" Jimmy asked. He wanted to get back to work, but he was reluctant to leave Sully alone with Davis if his help was needed.
Ty had quieted down and was now just staring dejectedly downward. Sully put his arm protectively around his partner and nodded to Jimmy. "I've got him...thanks for your help."
He then began to guide Ty back towards the car, praying to God they'd all find the strength to get through this latest catastrophe.
Author: Lynne Facella
Category: Drama/Angst
Email: lynne1919@aol.com
Spoilers: Through current season 4
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.
Summary: Ty's life becomes a living hell when he becomes the target of a man his father put in prison 25 years ago, endangering him and all those around him.
Note: Sorry about the delay between chapters. My head was out of this story for a while, but I'm back into it again. Thanks so much for the nice comments you've been giving me. I really appreciate them and hope you're still reading
:)
******
Seth ambled down the corridor of the apartment building, his eyes scanning the door numbers as he walked. The building was very quiet. Likely the majority of the tenants had gone to work. Finally he stopped outside of Davis' apartment. Throwing a furtive glance to his left and right, he saw that the corridor was deserted. He squatted down and peered into the keyhole, relieved to see a pin tumbler lock, which was the simplest type to open. He pulled out his full diamond pick and tension wrench from the box of supplies and set to work, smirking to himself when he heard the familiar click letting him know that he had been successful in his task. He straightened up and glanced up and down the hallway one more time before he turned the doorknob and silently stepped into the apartment.
"Pretty nice place, Davis," he murmured to himself. "Too bad you won't be living here anymore." Looking overhead, he spotted the smoke detector and the first thing he did was pop out the batteries. Why alert anyone to the fire any sooner than necessary? He quickly inspected the apartment and began soaking the rags in the gasoline. He then scattered them about, splashing gasoline onto the floor as well. He was so intent on what he was doing that he never even noticed the cockatoo until it began to squawk in its cage.
"Shut the hell up, ya stupid bird," he grumbled as he finished spreading the rags. "You're going to be nothing but a well-done dinner in a few minutes." He pulled a book of matches out of his pocket, but froze when he heard the sound of a muffled cough from one of the other rooms.
Shit. His eyes widened in fear when he realized he wasn't alone. This was not what he had expected at all. He'd never even considered the possibility that Davis lived with someone. "Damn..." His hand shaking slightly, he struck a match and lit one of the rags, tossing it to the floor. He then watched in awe as the flame began to spread even faster than he could have imagined. He turned and quickly started towards the door of the apartment. Just as he was about to open it though, he had a change of heart regarding the cockatoo. Whoever was in Davis' apartment, it was their own free will to be there and they deserved whatever they got. It wasn't the bird's fault though...it was caged through no fault of its own. He knew what it was like to be trapped behind bars that way.
"Guess it's your lucky day, bird." He grabbed the cage and ran from the apartment, slamming the door behind him. He felt a definite rush as he headed back down to his car. Not only was Davis going to lose his apartment, but someone was going to be burned to a crisp as well.
******
"That you, Ty?" Carlos' voice was hoarse, his eyes still closed when he heard the slam of the door. "Keep it down, man. I'm trying to sleep." What the hell? Hadn't Ty just left? What was he doing back home anyhow? He didn't know why he felt so tired. He could smell smoke and vaguely wondered if Ty was burning something in the kitchen. The guy wasn't exactly a gourmet chef. He buried his head back into the pillow, but the smoky smell was getting stronger. He struggled to open his eyes and they immediately began to water and sting. The room was filled with a dark, smoky haze.
"Oh God," he murmured. It wasn't the first time Carlos had been in this kind of a situation, but every other time it had been job-related. This was entirely different. He got out of bed and dropped to the floor, then began to crawl towards the bedroom door. When he reached it, he touched it with the back of his hand to test the temperature. The door was much too hot and he knew escaping through it was not an option.
"Ty!" he called out, unsure if his roommate was in the apartment or not. "Ty are you here?" He inhaled too deeply and began to choke, the thick smoke seeping into his lungs. He pulled his t-shirt up over his face to help him breathe easier, but he wasn't able to see a thing now and he could feel himself panicking as he desperately tried to find the window. He was confused and disoriented and had no idea where it was.
"Somebody help me!" he screamed. "Please somebody help!"
******
"How's he doing?" Faith asked softly as she entered Bosco's room and offered a faint smile to Bosco's mom. Her eyes fell on her partner and she was relieved to see he appeared to be sleeping peacefully. She knew she would have heard if anything had happened, but it calmed her significantly to see for herself that he was okay.
Rose returned Faith's smile, glad to see that her son's partner had arrived. It was obvious how badly Maurice wanted her to be there. "He had a bit of a rough night, but he's doing much better this morning," she replied. "They're going to be moving him into a regular room this afternoon."
Faith nodded and went to Bosco's side, lightly resting her hand over his. "That's good news." She looked back at Bosco's mom, her eyes taking in how tired the older woman appeared. It was apparent she hadn't gotten much rest. "I can stay here with him...if you'd like to go and get some rest..."
Rose hesitated for a few moments before she nodded. "Thank you, Faith," she replied with a weary smile. "I'd at least like to go home to take a quick shower and change my clothes. Then I can come back here until I go into work later on."
Rose brushed a kiss over Bosco's cheek and left the room a few minutes later. Faith took over the chair that Rose had vacated and silently watched Bosco's chest rise and fall as he slept. For the most part it seemed that he was resting calmly, but every so often, he would whimper softly or mumble unintelligibly in his sleep. Faith had been there a little over an hour when he began to stir and finally opened his eyes.
"You're here," he stated, looking back at her through heavy-lidded eyes. It occurred to Faith how much Bosco looked like a sleepy little boy and she had to stifle the sudden urge she had to hug him.
"Of course I'm here," Faith answered, giving him a soft smile. "I told you I would be."
"Yeah...yeah I know..." He found himself gnawing on his lower lip as he regarded his partner. He might be the one in the hospital, but she looked like hell. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her face pale and drawn. "You okay, Faith?" he asked quietly.
"I'm fine, Bos," she replied, laughing nervously. "Besides, I think I'm the one who's supposed to be asking you that, aren't I?"
"I'm doin' okay, Faith. You don't have to worry about me. I've got that guard out there and all...nothin's gonna happen. I'm fine."
"I know...I know you're fine..." The concern Bosco was showing her, after all that had happened to him, struck Faith and she looked down quickly, feeling her eyes filling with tears.
"Faith?" Bosco gave her a look of dismay. "What's wrong?" It occurred to him that something else might have happened, something he was totally unaware of. "Did something happen?"
She shook her head, trying to compose herself before she looked back at him. God, what was wrong with her? "Nothing...nothing's wrong... I just...I was just so worried...if anything happened to you...I..."
"Nothin's gonna happen to me." He reached for her hand and clasped it firmly in his own. "I promise."
She nodded, but it didn't make her feel any better. It was easy to make a promise, but a lot more difficult to keep it. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, wanting to get his focus off her. He had enough to worry about. She didn't want to add to it.
"No." He shook his head as a smile touched his lips. "I have everything I need right here."
******
"You really think this is going to do any good?" Ty asked as he and Sully made their way towards the entrance of the precinct.
"I don't know," Sully answered with a shrug. "But it's something. Beats sitting around, twiddling our thumbs."
"Yeah I guess."
Sully sighed to himself, once again wishing there was something he could do to help his young partner. He didn't think Ty could even begin to heal though until they got this bastard off the streets. "We'll get him," he stated, briefly putting his arm around Ty and patting his shoulder.
They had only been in the precinct for a few minutes when Lieutenant Swersky hurried over to them, his expression grim. "Davis?"
Ty's mouth went dry and he felt a knot immediately develop in his stomach. God... Not again. "What is it?" He was barely able to get the words out of his mouth.
"It's your building...there's a fire..."
"Carlos," Ty stated, his eyes widening in horror. "Sul?"
Sully nodded as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. "Let's go."
"Keep me posted!" Swerky shouted after them as they rushed from the building.
"It might not have anything to do with you." Sully tried to reassure his partner as he turned the key in the ignition. He didn't believe his own words, but the look on Ty's face made Sully desperate to try to protect him somehow.
"Yeah...yeah I know," Ty replied automatically. He knew in his gut that it did have something to do with him though. The bastard had struck again.
******
Sully's car came screeching to a halt in front of Ty's building. The two men got out and looked upward at the flames shooting from the window of the building.
"Our apartment," Ty whispered, his features contorted with shock and horror. "Oh God..."
"Ty..." Sully rested his hand on his partner's arm.
Ty turned to his partner and noted that Sully's attention was directed towards where the paramedics were frantically working on a victim. Upon closer inspection he saw that the victim was Carlos.
"Carlos!" Ty headed off to where they were working on Carlos with Sully right on his heels. "How is he? What's wrong with him?"
"Sir, you'll have to stand back and give us room," a paramedic unfamiliar to Ty demanded.
"I'm his roommate. How is he?" Carlos was lying on the ground, unconscious, an oxygen mask on his face.
"We'll know more when we get him to the hospital," The paramedic replied as he and his partner prepared to transport Carlos.
"Ty...Ty come on, let them go." Sully gently pulled his partner away from them. "They'll take good care of him."
"I...I have to go to the hospital..." Ty's eyes filled with tears as he watched the paramedics rushing toward the bus. "He...he doesn't have anyone, Sul...he has no one."
"I'll take you. Come on." Sully started to lead his partner back towards the car when Ty suddenly shook his head and pulled away.
"No... no not yet. I have to get his bird. Carlos loves his bird, Sully. I have to get him."
"Ty, no." Sully grabbed Ty, his eyes full of concern. He had no idea what was going through the young man's head. "Ty...you can't...it's too late."
Ty shook his head adamantly. "No! It's not too late, Sully. I have to get him. I have to get him now."
Ty broke out of his partner's grasp and ran towards the building just as a smoke-covered Jimmy Doherty was coming out. "Davis, what are you doing?" Jimmy asked, giving Ty a bewildered look.
"Doherty, stop him!" Sully called out. "He's trying to go inside."
"Davis, no you can't." Jimmy grabbed Ty and physically dragged him away from the building. "Come on, man. What are you doing?"
"I have to get his bird. Don't you understand? I have to..." Ty looked sorrowfully back up at the windows of their apartment. "Why does everyone have to die?" he whispered.
Jimmy looked questioningly at Sully who just shook his head. "Ty...Ty come on. Let's go back to the car now." He wasn't sure what to do, but he knew he needed to get Ty away from here. His partner was coming very close to the breaking point and Sully was very afraid for him.
"You okay?" Jimmy asked. He wanted to get back to work, but he was reluctant to leave Sully alone with Davis if his help was needed.
Ty had quieted down and was now just staring dejectedly downward. Sully put his arm protectively around his partner and nodded to Jimmy. "I've got him...thanks for your help."
He then began to guide Ty back towards the car, praying to God they'd all find the strength to get through this latest catastrophe.