SouthernChickie; I had every intention of making chapter two longer, but the call of the pub was just too strong.. Mmmm Cider and black (

Chapter three; Rude awakening

"Five more minutes Connor!" Duncan said angrily in a hushed voice. "Five more minutes and he would have been dead."

The doctor had allowed them in to see Richie for a few minutes if they promised to keep the noise down. Richie's heart had stopped twice on the operating table. Twice. The knife had just missed Richie's aorta. The doctor said Richie was lucky.

Duncan looked from Richie's too pale face, half obscured by the oxygen mask he was wearing, to the bandages on his chest and wrists, to the drip in his arm and monitors beeping softly in the background Duncan didn't think the kid was that lucky.

"I'm staying with him tonight," Duncan said to Connor, without looking away from Richie.

"Don't you think you'd be better getting some sleep and coming back fresh in the morning?" Connor asked.

"I wouldn't sleep anyway," Duncan said. "Besides, I wasn't there for him before. The least I can do is be there when he wakes."

"You heard the doctor," Connor said. "He won't be awake for hours. The anaesthetic has to wear off and his body needs time to heal."

"I'm staying," Duncan repeated.

Connor sighed. "OK. I'll be back in the morning. Don't wear yourself out Duncan, you'll be no good to the boy if you do."

Duncan nodded absently. "Here. Stay at the apartment," Duncan passed Connor his keys.

"Get some sleep Duncan," Connor said before silently exiting the hospital room.

*****

I'm alive! That was the first coherent thought that flashed through Richie's mind, though he couldn't quite remember why that was a surprise. The next was, 'why is it dark?'. He then realised his eyes were closed. God his eyelids felt heavy..

In fact he felt very strange. There was a pain in his chest that seemed to be getting worse the more time passed. And it was kind of hard to breathe. There were vague memories beginning to become clearer in his mind. Something about a man. In a warehouse. With a knife..

Oh god..

Cold panic gripped him. He had to get away. Now. That guy was going to kill him if he didn't!

Richie knocked the oxygen mask off his face and felt a sharp pain in his arm as though something had been ripped out. The pain that shot through his chest was absolutely agonizing, but he ignored it. His life depended on getting away.

Hands grabbed him before he'd even managed to sit up fully, pulling him back down. Richie tried to fight but he couldn't get his breath.

"No," he gasped out. "Don't."

"Richie! Listen to me. You have to calm down!"

Calm down! He was going to kill him! How the hell was he supposed to stay calm?!

"Please," Richie managed before sucking in a deep gulping breath. "Don't hurt me."

"I won't." Did Richie know that voice? "You're safe now Richie. Noone's going to hurt you."

Richie focused his eyes on the man holding him down, realising his hands were no longer tied together and he was lying on something soft.

"Mac?" he asked, stopping struggling.

"Yeah Richie," Mac said, loosening his grip.

"Mac. I can't breath." Now he knew his life was no longer in jeopardy he decided the burning in his lungs was something he'd better pay attention to.

Mac reached for something behind Richie, then slid it over his head. With the oxygen mask back in place Richie found it a little easier to breath.

"I'm going to call the doctor, ok Richie?"

Richie nodded slightly, concentrating on slowing his breathing to somewhere near normal.

He was safe. That was good. His chest hurt like hell. That was bad. And there was something nagging at him. Something he'd forgotten.

"Mac?" Richie called as loudly as he could.

"Right here, Rich," Mac said, returning to Richie's field of vision.

"Don't leave me," Richie said. He had no idea why that was important to say. Mac would always be there for him. Right?

"I'm not going anywhere," Mac said, gently taking hold of Richie's hand.

"Promise," Richie said.

"I promise," Mac repeated immediately.

OK. That was ok then. Richie was vaguely aware of the arrival of the doctor, who tutted as he replaced the IV in Richie's arm. Richie heard the doctor speaking to Mac, but he wasn't paying attention to that. He was so tired.. He could go back to sleep now. He was safe. Mac was there. Everything was ok.

Fighting to keep is eyes open just a little bit longer he asked Mac, "You're staying?" He didn't know why he felt the need to ask again, but he did. He had to be sure.

"Yes," Mac said looking away from the doctor who hadn't finished talking. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

*****

Duncan missed Tessa. Tessa would know exactly what to say and do whereas he didn't know what he was going to say to Richie when he woke up again. Duncan was responsible for Richie being in that situation. He was responsible for Richie being stabbed and nearly bleeding to death, no matter what Connor said.

When Richie had woken up and tried to run away Duncan's heart had skipped a beat. He had been worried about restraining Richie, afraid he would hurt him, but knew Richie would hurt himself more if he'd moved too much.

And then it had taken a minute for Richie to recognise Duncan's voice. He'd fought against him, despite the fact that he must have been in terrible pain. How scared would Richie have to have been to fight through that pain?

Being stabbed wasn't high on the list of Duncan's favourite things to do, but he couldn't imagine how bad it must have been for Richie, believing that dying at the hands of that man would mean he would die permanently. Looking your own mortality in the eye wasn't a nice experience.

Then Richie had turned all clingy, which wasn't like him. Maybe it was because of what had happened. That was the logical explanation. Richie had latched onto to the first familiar person he'd seen. But. Something wasn't quite right there. Since when did Richie need Mac to promise? Usually Mac's word was good enough for him. And Richie had asked again if Mac would be there before going back to sleep.

Again, logically one could assume it was gut reaction to nearly dying. But a small voice in the back of Mac's mind was insisting that wasn't it. What if Richie was holding Mac responsible for not being there? Who could blame the kid? Duncan certainly wouldn't. But Duncan didn't want Richie thinking he hadn't been there without reason. A pretty lame reason, certainly. Since when was ignorance an excuse? But still, he wanted, needed, Richie to know had he known what was happening he would have moved heaven and earth to get there.

But what exactly had happened he still didn't know. He couldn't think of an Immortal he'd pissed of recently enough to go after Richie. One that must know Duncan quite well if he'd gone after Richie, calling him Duncan's son. Richie had only lived at the store for a few months, so whoever it was had to have been paying close attention to the comings and goings there.

The thought sent a shiver down Duncan's spine. Someone had been watching them. Waited for him to leave then kidnapped Richie. Someone hated Duncan enough to try and kill an innocent boy, just because they knew Duncan loved them.

For about the millionth time Duncan thanked whatever higher being there might be that Connor had come to visit. If he hadn't. Duncan didn't want to think about what would have happened then. The conversation he might one day have to have with Richie about his immortality was not one he fancied having anytime soon.

Tessa had phoned in the early hours of the morning, before Richie had woken up. The last thing Duncan wanted to do was worry her unnecessarily, so he'd downplayed Richie's injury as much as possible without lying to her. Then she had asked who had done it. Duncan had said they weren't sure yet. Which was the truth, just not the whole truth. Luckily Tessa was so worried about Richie she hadn't pursued that line of questioning for long. He knew eventually he'd have to tell Tessa that it was probably an Immortal enemy of his that had done it, but he wanted to save that conversation for when they were face to face.

Which wouldn't be long. As soon as Tessa knew the basics and that Richie was doing ok she had hurried off to try and book a flight home.

It was morning now. The sun was up and Richie seemed to be sleeping peacefully. What Duncan really wanted now was a coffee. But he couldn't leave in case Richie woke up. He wasn't about to break his promise now.

"Duncan."

Duncan turned to see Connor in the doorway, and God bless him, he'd bought coffee.

"Thankyou," Duncan said gratefully accepting the cup.

"I hear he woke up," Connor said keeping his voice down so as not to disturb Richie.

"yeah. A few hours ago," Duncan said as Connor took the seat next to him.

"Did he say much?"

"No, but he was pretty out of it," Duncan said, then recounted what Richie had done and said.

"So he's after a little assurance," Connor said. "It's understandable really. Don't go looking for problems that might not be there. You have plenty to be going on with."

"Don't I know it," Duncan agreed. "It's just, he's never needed assurance before."

"He's never been stabbed before either," Connor pointed out. "Don't worry about it until you have to."

Easier said than done, Duncan thought.

"Why don't you go home and get some sleep? I'll be here if he wakes," Connor suggested.

Duncan did consider it for a very brief moment. "No. I promised him. The last thing he needs is me breaking my promises to him."

"I'd be here. I'm sure he'd understand."

"No he wouldn't," Duncan said, remembering the panic that had filled Richie when he first woke. He wasn't sure how he'd react to Duncan being gone and Connor, who Richie barely knew, being there. "As soon as he wakes up again and is more with it, then I'll go home."

Connor nodded reluctantly. "Ok. But remember what I said about overdoing it Duncan. You'll be no good to him if you're too tired to think straight."[i] ----------------------- [i]