Chapter six: Breakout
Richie was tired. He'd just had another dose of painkillers and as usual they had made him drowsy. Any other night he would have just let them take him off to sleep. But this wasn't just any night. This was the night Mac had gone off looking for a challenge.
After his conversation with Connor he'd given into panicking. He could go back to being angry as soon as he knew Mac was ok......
But now he wasn't sure he was angry. Connor had managed to confuse him completely. Richie still wasn't sure how the man had got him to admit he was both angry and scared. It was something Richie didn't want to admit to himself, but he'd told Connor.
Connor. He hadn't seemed overly worried about Mac tonight. That meant one of two things. Either Connor believed Mac could take this guy, whoever he was, or, he didn't want to worry Richie.
It really didn't matter which it was, Richie was already decided on fearing the worst.
With a sigh Richie turned his head on the pillow. He could just close his eyes for a few minutes and resume his worrying after a little nap......
He awoke abruptly a while later to raised voices in his room.
"What's going on?" He asked sluggishly.
Two sets of eyes turned to look at him.
"Nothing Rich. Go back to sleep." Mac said.
"Love to, but you guys are shouting," Richie said rubbing his eyes.
Aswell as Mac there was a doctor in his room.
"You see? You're disturbing the patient," the doctor said in a barely controlled voice.
"Hey, patients got a name," Richie said indignantly.
The doctor glanced briefly at Richie, then back to Mac.
"If you do not leave I will have you removed," the doctor warned.
Richie knew the look on Mac's face, he wasn't going anywhere......
"I don't want him to go," Richie said remembering belatedly that Mac had gone looking for another Immortal. Him being there now, causing this much trouble couldn't be good news.
"You're upsetting the patient," the doctor said pointing at Richie.
"I have a god damn name," Richie said sitting up, then trying to hide his wince as pain shot across his chest.
"Richie," Duncan admonished, though more out of habit than anything else it seemed.
"Sorry, but I want you to stay Mac," Richie said. He wanted to know what was going on.
Hands on hips and looking thoroughly unimpressed the doctor shook his head. "I cannot allow it. Now if you do not leave this instant I will call security."
"Fine. I will leave," Mac said acidly. "But I'm taking him with me."
Now Richie knew something was very wrong. There was no way Mac would Mac take him out of hospital before the doctors said he was ready under normal circumstances. He was more likely to try and get Richie to stay longer.
"You can't do that," the doctor spluttered. "he's not well enough.
"I'm fine," Richie interjected.
"No, you aren't. It would be irresponsible to let you go anywhere at this time of night in your condition," the doctor said, finally acknowledging Richie's existance.
"I'm eighteen. An adult. I can discharge myself if I want to," Richie said stubbornly.
The doctor looked from Richie to Mac, shaking his head.
"He is not ready to go home."
"I'll look after him. You just get whatever forms you have to and we'll sign anything we have to." Mac said calmly. "You won't have to take any responsibility."
"That's not the point!"
"We've made up our mind. We will be walking out here in a few minutes. I suggest you get the paperwork ready," Mac told the doctor, then turned to Richie.
Still shaking his head the doctor left the room.
"What's going on," Richie asked as soon as they were alone.
"Not here," Mac answered, scrutinizing Richie's face." Are you sure you're up to this?"
"Yeah.... No," Richie admitted. "But I'll be ok."
"If you don't feel up to it you can say. I'll work something else out."
"Mac," Richie began. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer to the question he was about to ask, but he had to know. "Am I in danger?"
It was the only reason Richie could think of to prompt Mac to act this way.
"Yes, I think so," Mac answered after a moment.
"Then I wanna get out of here," Richie said decisively.
Mac nodded. "Do you want a wheelchair?"
"Nah, don't wanna give the doctor any excuses. If you help me I can make it."
It took a lot to ask Mac for help, but Richie knew he had no chance of making to the door of his room, let alone the car without help.
"Ok then," Mac said slipping out of his coat. "Put this on. It's cold out and we haven't got you any clothes here."
That worried Richie even more. Mac hadn't planned on doing this. Something really big had to be up.
He had one arm in the coat when the doctor returned, papers in his hand.
"You do realise how potentially dangerous to his health this is, don't you?" he said to Mac.
"I'm doing what I have to," Mac said evenly. "I'll take care of him."
The doctor looked far from convinced but he turned to Richie. "Sign here," He indicated. "I have to make sure you are aware that you are leaving against medical advice and that the hospital is not liable for anything that occurs after you walk out of here."
"Got it," Richie said, signing the paper.
"This is a prescription for his painkillers and some antibiotics," the doctor said to Mac. "Keep him in bed. Small amounts of supervised exercise a day, nothing more. And we'll arrange a follow up exam soon," he finished all business like now.
"Thankyou," Mac accepted the prescription. "For all you've done for Richie."
The doctors expression softened a little. "Just look after him Mr. MaCloed."
"I will," Mac promised.
Once the doctor had left Mac turned back to Richie. "Ready?" He asked.
"Er, "Richie said uncomfortably.
"What's wrong?" Mac asked.
"It's your sword," Richie said. "It's still in your coat. And it's heavy."
Richie didn't want to actually say it was too heavy for him.
"Oh," Mac said. "Sorry. I forgot about that."
Mac took the sword out of his coat and carefully placed it in the bag with Richie's belongings. He then swung the bag over his back and turned his attention back to Richie.
Now came the fun part......
Richie was doing ok, only leaning on Mac for minimal support until they reached the front door. It was cold out and as soon as the air hit him he began to feel tired.
"How far?" Richie asked stumbling a little.
"Just over here," Mac said reassuringly, tightening his grip on Richie.
Never in his life had Richie been so glad to see the T-bird. Mac helped him into the passenger seat, casting furtive looks around the car park as he did so.
"Guess they really want me dead, huh?" Richie asked yawning. If the walk hadn't tired him out so much he might have been more worried.
"I won't let anyone hurt you again," Mac said softly, touching his cheek.
"Cool," Richie said. That meant he could go to sleep......
*****
"I trust you have a damn good reason for this," Connor demanded, taking the bag Duncan thrust at him before lifting a sleeping Richie from the car.
"I do," Duncan said striding past Connor.
Connor followed, muttering under his breath.
"You discharged him?" Connor asked incredulously as Duncan lay him down on the bed.
"No, he discharged himself." Duncan said.
"Oh, well that's ok then," Connor said sarcastically.
"Keep your voice down, I don't want to wake him."
"Wake him? Wake him?! Duncan the boy's dead to the world! A boeing 747 taking off next to him wouldn't wake him! He should be in hospital!"
"If I leave him there they'll find him!" Duncan said looking directly at Connor. "I can't protect him there!"
Connor frowned. "You found the Immortal." It wasn't a question.
Duncan nodded.
"He still had his head."
Again, Duncan nodded.
"Why?"
"Help me with Richie first, then I'll explain." Duncan said, focusing on the still sleeping boy.
It took them a few minutes to get Richie into bed in a comfortable looking position, then they returned to the living room.
Duncan told Connor what had happened.
"Campbell? Liam Campbell?"
"The same."
"And he thinks Richie is your son?"
"The closest thing I'll have to one anyway," Duncan said.
"And because of that he wants him dead."
"Yes. He wants me to lose a son like he did." Duncan said softly. "He wants me to know what it feels like."
"Why you?"
"Because I killed his son." Duncan said simply.
Connor hid his shock well. "Another Immortal," he asked.
"No. Pierce Wood was mortal." Duncan said.
"And you killed him?" Connor clarified.
Duncan nodded.
"What did he do?" Connor asked, knowing there was no way Duncan would kill a mortal without good reason.
"He was a monster, Connor. He raped and murdered children. Countless innocent children for no reason." Duncan clenched his fist at the memory. " He would move around towns, get close to the locals, then he'd just disappear one night, taking a child with him, that would turn up a few miles away, dead. He took a friends daughter one night. I followed him. It was too late for the girl when I found him. He attacked me. I killed him. And I would do it again."
Connor was silent for a moment, absorbing the information. "I would have done the same."
Duncan smiled gratefully.
"But Richie... He's not like Pierce Wood. Stabbing him wouldn't truly kill him. You wouldn't really lose him."
That still remained to be seen, Duncan thought. He had no idea how Richie would react to Duncan keeping his potential Immortality from him.
"Campbell's never met Richie. Never come near him." Duncan said.
"Oh," realisation dawned on Connor's face. "He doesn't know what Richie is."
"He has no idea. And I want to keep it that way."
"So the men who kidnapped Richie were mortal."
"And they intend to finish the job they were hired to do. I had to bring Richie home. I can't be at the hospital 24/7. At least here noone can get in without one of us knowing.
"True," Connor agreed. "Are you going to tell the lad all this?"
"I have to tell him something," Duncan said slowly. "He knows something's wrong or I wouldn't have brought him home so soon. I can't lie to him."
"No," Connor said, "you can't. But downplay it Duncan. Don't let him see how worried you are. He needs his rest."
Richie was tired. He'd just had another dose of painkillers and as usual they had made him drowsy. Any other night he would have just let them take him off to sleep. But this wasn't just any night. This was the night Mac had gone off looking for a challenge.
After his conversation with Connor he'd given into panicking. He could go back to being angry as soon as he knew Mac was ok......
But now he wasn't sure he was angry. Connor had managed to confuse him completely. Richie still wasn't sure how the man had got him to admit he was both angry and scared. It was something Richie didn't want to admit to himself, but he'd told Connor.
Connor. He hadn't seemed overly worried about Mac tonight. That meant one of two things. Either Connor believed Mac could take this guy, whoever he was, or, he didn't want to worry Richie.
It really didn't matter which it was, Richie was already decided on fearing the worst.
With a sigh Richie turned his head on the pillow. He could just close his eyes for a few minutes and resume his worrying after a little nap......
He awoke abruptly a while later to raised voices in his room.
"What's going on?" He asked sluggishly.
Two sets of eyes turned to look at him.
"Nothing Rich. Go back to sleep." Mac said.
"Love to, but you guys are shouting," Richie said rubbing his eyes.
Aswell as Mac there was a doctor in his room.
"You see? You're disturbing the patient," the doctor said in a barely controlled voice.
"Hey, patients got a name," Richie said indignantly.
The doctor glanced briefly at Richie, then back to Mac.
"If you do not leave I will have you removed," the doctor warned.
Richie knew the look on Mac's face, he wasn't going anywhere......
"I don't want him to go," Richie said remembering belatedly that Mac had gone looking for another Immortal. Him being there now, causing this much trouble couldn't be good news.
"You're upsetting the patient," the doctor said pointing at Richie.
"I have a god damn name," Richie said sitting up, then trying to hide his wince as pain shot across his chest.
"Richie," Duncan admonished, though more out of habit than anything else it seemed.
"Sorry, but I want you to stay Mac," Richie said. He wanted to know what was going on.
Hands on hips and looking thoroughly unimpressed the doctor shook his head. "I cannot allow it. Now if you do not leave this instant I will call security."
"Fine. I will leave," Mac said acidly. "But I'm taking him with me."
Now Richie knew something was very wrong. There was no way Mac would Mac take him out of hospital before the doctors said he was ready under normal circumstances. He was more likely to try and get Richie to stay longer.
"You can't do that," the doctor spluttered. "he's not well enough.
"I'm fine," Richie interjected.
"No, you aren't. It would be irresponsible to let you go anywhere at this time of night in your condition," the doctor said, finally acknowledging Richie's existance.
"I'm eighteen. An adult. I can discharge myself if I want to," Richie said stubbornly.
The doctor looked from Richie to Mac, shaking his head.
"He is not ready to go home."
"I'll look after him. You just get whatever forms you have to and we'll sign anything we have to." Mac said calmly. "You won't have to take any responsibility."
"That's not the point!"
"We've made up our mind. We will be walking out here in a few minutes. I suggest you get the paperwork ready," Mac told the doctor, then turned to Richie.
Still shaking his head the doctor left the room.
"What's going on," Richie asked as soon as they were alone.
"Not here," Mac answered, scrutinizing Richie's face." Are you sure you're up to this?"
"Yeah.... No," Richie admitted. "But I'll be ok."
"If you don't feel up to it you can say. I'll work something else out."
"Mac," Richie began. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer to the question he was about to ask, but he had to know. "Am I in danger?"
It was the only reason Richie could think of to prompt Mac to act this way.
"Yes, I think so," Mac answered after a moment.
"Then I wanna get out of here," Richie said decisively.
Mac nodded. "Do you want a wheelchair?"
"Nah, don't wanna give the doctor any excuses. If you help me I can make it."
It took a lot to ask Mac for help, but Richie knew he had no chance of making to the door of his room, let alone the car without help.
"Ok then," Mac said slipping out of his coat. "Put this on. It's cold out and we haven't got you any clothes here."
That worried Richie even more. Mac hadn't planned on doing this. Something really big had to be up.
He had one arm in the coat when the doctor returned, papers in his hand.
"You do realise how potentially dangerous to his health this is, don't you?" he said to Mac.
"I'm doing what I have to," Mac said evenly. "I'll take care of him."
The doctor looked far from convinced but he turned to Richie. "Sign here," He indicated. "I have to make sure you are aware that you are leaving against medical advice and that the hospital is not liable for anything that occurs after you walk out of here."
"Got it," Richie said, signing the paper.
"This is a prescription for his painkillers and some antibiotics," the doctor said to Mac. "Keep him in bed. Small amounts of supervised exercise a day, nothing more. And we'll arrange a follow up exam soon," he finished all business like now.
"Thankyou," Mac accepted the prescription. "For all you've done for Richie."
The doctors expression softened a little. "Just look after him Mr. MaCloed."
"I will," Mac promised.
Once the doctor had left Mac turned back to Richie. "Ready?" He asked.
"Er, "Richie said uncomfortably.
"What's wrong?" Mac asked.
"It's your sword," Richie said. "It's still in your coat. And it's heavy."
Richie didn't want to actually say it was too heavy for him.
"Oh," Mac said. "Sorry. I forgot about that."
Mac took the sword out of his coat and carefully placed it in the bag with Richie's belongings. He then swung the bag over his back and turned his attention back to Richie.
Now came the fun part......
Richie was doing ok, only leaning on Mac for minimal support until they reached the front door. It was cold out and as soon as the air hit him he began to feel tired.
"How far?" Richie asked stumbling a little.
"Just over here," Mac said reassuringly, tightening his grip on Richie.
Never in his life had Richie been so glad to see the T-bird. Mac helped him into the passenger seat, casting furtive looks around the car park as he did so.
"Guess they really want me dead, huh?" Richie asked yawning. If the walk hadn't tired him out so much he might have been more worried.
"I won't let anyone hurt you again," Mac said softly, touching his cheek.
"Cool," Richie said. That meant he could go to sleep......
*****
"I trust you have a damn good reason for this," Connor demanded, taking the bag Duncan thrust at him before lifting a sleeping Richie from the car.
"I do," Duncan said striding past Connor.
Connor followed, muttering under his breath.
"You discharged him?" Connor asked incredulously as Duncan lay him down on the bed.
"No, he discharged himself." Duncan said.
"Oh, well that's ok then," Connor said sarcastically.
"Keep your voice down, I don't want to wake him."
"Wake him? Wake him?! Duncan the boy's dead to the world! A boeing 747 taking off next to him wouldn't wake him! He should be in hospital!"
"If I leave him there they'll find him!" Duncan said looking directly at Connor. "I can't protect him there!"
Connor frowned. "You found the Immortal." It wasn't a question.
Duncan nodded.
"He still had his head."
Again, Duncan nodded.
"Why?"
"Help me with Richie first, then I'll explain." Duncan said, focusing on the still sleeping boy.
It took them a few minutes to get Richie into bed in a comfortable looking position, then they returned to the living room.
Duncan told Connor what had happened.
"Campbell? Liam Campbell?"
"The same."
"And he thinks Richie is your son?"
"The closest thing I'll have to one anyway," Duncan said.
"And because of that he wants him dead."
"Yes. He wants me to lose a son like he did." Duncan said softly. "He wants me to know what it feels like."
"Why you?"
"Because I killed his son." Duncan said simply.
Connor hid his shock well. "Another Immortal," he asked.
"No. Pierce Wood was mortal." Duncan said.
"And you killed him?" Connor clarified.
Duncan nodded.
"What did he do?" Connor asked, knowing there was no way Duncan would kill a mortal without good reason.
"He was a monster, Connor. He raped and murdered children. Countless innocent children for no reason." Duncan clenched his fist at the memory. " He would move around towns, get close to the locals, then he'd just disappear one night, taking a child with him, that would turn up a few miles away, dead. He took a friends daughter one night. I followed him. It was too late for the girl when I found him. He attacked me. I killed him. And I would do it again."
Connor was silent for a moment, absorbing the information. "I would have done the same."
Duncan smiled gratefully.
"But Richie... He's not like Pierce Wood. Stabbing him wouldn't truly kill him. You wouldn't really lose him."
That still remained to be seen, Duncan thought. He had no idea how Richie would react to Duncan keeping his potential Immortality from him.
"Campbell's never met Richie. Never come near him." Duncan said.
"Oh," realisation dawned on Connor's face. "He doesn't know what Richie is."
"He has no idea. And I want to keep it that way."
"So the men who kidnapped Richie were mortal."
"And they intend to finish the job they were hired to do. I had to bring Richie home. I can't be at the hospital 24/7. At least here noone can get in without one of us knowing.
"True," Connor agreed. "Are you going to tell the lad all this?"
"I have to tell him something," Duncan said slowly. "He knows something's wrong or I wouldn't have brought him home so soon. I can't lie to him."
"No," Connor said, "you can't. But downplay it Duncan. Don't let him see how worried you are. He needs his rest."
