Intermission



"Are you sure you don't want to go visit your family here, Sage?" Cye asked Sage, closing the windows to Sage's room. Cye always kept Sage's windows open in the hospital to let the light in. Sage was so partial to light, he needed it like air. Though now he tended to cringe from it, and turn his head. He begged Cye to close the windows and shut the blinds... but Cye could see the positive changes in Sage's complexion. He had been so pale, his skin translucent, the sunlight and fresh air brought a little color to his cheeks.

Sage shook his head, tugging at the sweatshirt Rowen had brought for him, he also wore a pair of his jeans. The two boys were nearly the same height, Sage only being a fourth of an inch taller. Sage had shocked the doctors with his speedy recovery, and they were ready to release him after 3 days. He ran both hands though his hair, pulling the tangles out of it. Cye turned and frowned, "Sage, why don't you comb your hair? We're about to go out in public. You know how you are about your appearance..."

Sage lowered his head after glancing at Cye for a moment, and shrugged. Cye let out a soft breath, Sage barely spoke 5 sentences a day, and most of them were to him, and he never held anyone's eyes for longer than a second. "Are you certain? I've gone down and purchased you a lovely grooming kit."

Sage nodded clasping his hands together and sitting on the made bed. He'd talked to the hospital therapist the day before, and he'd passed the psychiatric evaluation with flying colors. Cye studied him wondering just how hard the test had been.

"Are you excited to be getting out of here Sage? I bet you're ready to get home," Cye said trying to stir some excitement in the dreary blond. He came to sit on the bed next to Sage bumping his shoulder. "Kento's using the last of his lottery money to fly us back first class, how about that? Oh you haven't heard about Kento's misbegotten fortune have you? It's quite a story actually. Do you remember us all sitting around the kitchen table one morning laughing about Kento telling us his Dad was going to buy him a lottery ticket?"

Sage brought a hand to his temple, "Cye please..."

"Oh," Cye stopped his story telling, "am I bothering you Sage? Maybe I'm talking too much? I can be quieter, I was just trying to make conversation. It can get too silent in here, Sage. Maybe, you could talk about something, and I'll listen for a change, how about that? Whatever you want to talk about...go ahead."

"When are we leaving?"

Cye glanced at his watch, "As soon as Mia comes back with the doctor, he wants to speak you before you leave."

Sage groaned slightly, slumping a bit, the most expression he had shown in three days, "It shouldn't take long Sage, and we'll be with the others in the lobby and getting into the cab before you know it."

Sage sighed and began to play with hands. Cye sat still humming to himself, and dangling his legs. If Sage wanted to say anything else, he would be ready to listen. The door to the room opened, and Mia and Sage's doctor entered, "Hello Sage, Cye...How are you both?"

"Wonderful thank you," Cye said politely, "How are you Dr. West?"

"I'm quite good myself. Sage?"

Every one looked to Sage who said "I'm good," in a low voice keeping his eyes to the floor. "Ready to return home I see."

Cye smiled.

"Your charts and samples look very good Sage, and there is no reason why I should keep you here any longer, unless you feel that maybe you'd like to stay. Maybe we could arrange to get another room for you, and Dr. Sims, who you met yesterday, was quite taken with you. She'd love to talk with you some more."

Sage shook his head, "I'm ready to go home."

"Alright then," Dr. West said, "You are free to go."

Sage slid off the bed allowing the doctor to pat him on the back on his way out. An orderly stood outside with a wheel chair, and instructed Sage to sit down. Sage sat with no argument, and Cye frowned. His Sage would have insisted on walking out on his own two legs, he was much too proud for wheel chairs or crutches.

Mia and Cye walked behind the wheel chair as the orderly pushed it bidding goodbye to Dr. West and Nurse Pam.

"Hey!" Rowen exclaimed seeing the wheel chair approaching. He, Ryo, and Kento were standing outside the taxi-van they had reserved to take them to the airport. "Looking good bro," Ryo nodded to Sage, holding out a hand to him to pull him up from the wheel chair. Sage didn't take the hand, and boosted himself up from the wheel chair.

"Take care of yourself, kid," the orderly that had pushed Sage out said, he nodded to each of them before wheeling the chair around and going back up the ramp into the hospital.

"You hungry?" Kento asked Sage suddenly, "Our flight's not for a few hours, and my Uncle hasn't gotten a chance to meet you. He's got a great restaurant in Manhattan. He'd be ecstatic if we showed up again, he wants to do something for us..you know... cause of.." he shrugged, looking down at his shoes, as everyone shot him cautious looks. He was approaching the topic of the "incident."

They looked at Sage warily, the blond didn't even seem as if he were paying attention. He looked to the taxi van, his face unreadable as always. "Wherever you guys want to go."

"Oh come on Sage, do you want to go or not?" Kento badgered him a bit, moving to stand in front of his, trying to meet "the eyes" that used to make him so nervous. He was forgetting their color he hadn't seen them in so long. He reached out and did the unthinkable catching Sage under the chin and forcing him to lift his eyes. The reaction was immediate, the instant Kento's hand made contact with Sage's chin and gave it the slightest hint of a flick upward, Sage struck. His hands had become fist and he struck Kento hard in the chest, causing Kento to stumble backward a bit. Sage still wasn't up to full strength, if he had been Kento would have had the wind knocked out of him, "What the hell?"

Sage, quick as a cat, got inside the taxi van, crawling to the back seat moving to the window. "What the..." Kento was still sputtering, as Cye, Rowen, Ryo, and Mia stared their mouths forming tiny o's of surprise. Had they all seen that?

Kento's face was flushing with anger, "Hey... I was trying to be nice to you! And it would be nice if you could show some respect to my Uncle! He was the one that put us up here so we could look for your ass!"

"Kento!" Cye yelled.

Rowen and Ryo had grabbed the larger boy and were fighting to keep him from climbing into the small van after Sage. "Kento calm down... you don't even know.."

"He's being an arrogant little snot! Hasn't said two words to any of us. Did he even say, 'thank you for saving my ass,' once?"

"Kento shut the hell up before I make you!" Rowen yelled shoving Kento hard. "Guys stop it!" Ryo got between the two red faced warriors. Mia had gone to the passenger door of the taxi-van trying to calm the nervous driver who didn't want violent customers riding behind him.

Cye crawled into the van after Sage cringing at the loud heated voices of his friends outside. "Sage?" The blond was shaking, and breathing heavily, rubbing his wrists which still sported faint bruises. Cye sat beside him sending off an aura of perfect calm, hoping Sage would pick up on it, and not react hostilely toward him too. Cold sweat shimmered on Sage's brow dampening the hair that fell into his face. "What happened?"

Sage didn't speak, simply brought his hands to his mouth, keeping his eyes shut, a small noise came from him. A whimper? "Oh Sage," Cye put an arm around his friend, frowning at how clammy his skin felt. "You didn't like the way Kento touched you... It reminded you of something, in that place?"

Another whimper and sharp breath, and Sage pulled away from him. "Ok," Cye said, he sensed nothing from Sage, he'd put up a strong shield around himself. "I'm gonna go tell the others you're ok." He slid out of the van closing the door, and glaring at the three boys who stood still arguing amongst themselves, "Will you three idiots please shut up!" he roared.

Rowen, Ryo, and Kento stopped their bickering to whirl around to stare at Cye. Had he yelled at them? Cye? "He's crying, and you're not helping."

"He's crying?" Ryo asked, looking toward the van. Rowen frowned glaring at Kento, before heading for the van, opening the door, climbing inside, and closing it back.

"What the hell man? What's he crying for? He's the one..."

"Kento, he's been through so much. We don't know what's going on in his head," Cye hissed. "Something you did, the way you touched him... it made him think of that place, and he's in there shaking and sweating bullets!"

"Well...well..." Kento was sputtering as both Ryo and Cye glared at him. "How was I supposed to know that! He won't say more than two words to us! I'm not good at guessing games!"

"Just go apologize, let him know you're not mad at him,"Ryo said with a sigh.

"Will he care if I'm mad at him or not?" Kento muttered grumpily, before going to taxi-van and letting himself inside.

"I'm really looking forward to a long plane ride home cooped up with them, aren't you?" Ryo said running a hand through his tangled black hair.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Cye said back just as flatly. They both climbed into the van. Mia and Yulie had been who had been watching the argument from the side of the van also got in.

Mr. Chin was joyous to see them again. He hugged Mia and Yulie so tight they thought they would burst. He hugged Sage as well, when he was told that he was the friend the boys had come to retrieve. Sage was very polite, he smiled at all the right moments, and spoke at the right times saying pleasant things.

"This was how he must have acted when he was interviewed by the hospital psychiatrist," Cye whispered to Mia, who nodded.

The restaurant looked as if nothing had ever happened, and Kento was grateful for that. He wanted to put the last of his lottery money into the repairs, but his Uncle declined his offer with a laugh.

There was so much food even Kento couldn't fathom eating it all, he tried though. Cye watched him in disgust almost losing his own appetite at Kento's horrible manners.

"You gonna eat?" Rowen tapped Sage gently. Sage sat quietly playing with his napkin seeming very disinterested in what was going on about him. His grey eyes went to Rowen before dropping back into his lap, "I'm not very hungry."

"You should try a little of it though, just to taste it. It's really good," Rowen coaxed him a bit, careful not to push too hard.

Sage hesitated for a second, then reached for his utensils. Neatly he tucked away a few bites of each entree in front of him. Rowen smiled going back to his lunch.

"How is everything?" Mr. Chin was playing waiter. He did not sit at the table and eat with the rest of them.

"Mmmch..mrrch..." Kento nodded, mouth full.

"Just wonderful," Mia said for Kento.

"Sage, are you alright? Would you like another dish, or maybe a dessert would better suit your fancy?" Mr. Chin was frowning at Sage's plate that had such meager portions removed from it.

Sage shook his head, "I'm fine Mr. Chin, I just don't seem to have much of an appetite today."

"More tea then?" the corpulent man was eager to serve, and Sage seemed not to want to disappoint him in front of Kento, "Yes, thank you."

Sage opted for a window seat on the plane. Rowen sat next to him offering him silent company, which Rowen was sure Sage preferred over Cye's incessant chattering. He reclined in his seat for a nap, taking one last glimpse of his friend who sat rigid with his head turned toward the window. Rowen wondered what he saw out there. Sage had such an incredible imagination, he sketched and wrote short stories that he only showed Rowen. He was much too shy to display them to anyone else, not even his family. Rowen had taken to calling him "Dreamer" within the first year of their acquaintance. He'd always been able to see through "the eyes of steel." It was their cold color that scared people off, Rowen believed, because Sage's expressions were usually rather stoic or thoughtful. There were times when he turned serious that Rowen could see why someone might shudder in his presence, but to view Sage as cold was wrong. He was just quiet, too painfully shy to participate, and too unskilled in the art of friendly jesting to be comfortable. People simply misread Sage. It was easy to do, and harder to fix, and people simply were lazy.

Rowen woke again when the stewardess came by with the dinner cart. He sleepily accepted whatever it was she was trying to give him. He took two trays, one for him, and one for Sage. He turned to his friend expecting to find him asleep, and was surprised to find him in the same position still staring out of the window at the darkening sky. "Sage?" No answer from the bewitched blond. Gently Rowen tapped him to try to get his attention. "Sage, hey, Sage."

"Not hungry Rowen," Sage said softly, never turning his head.

"You sure? I know it's plane food, but it smells ok."

Sage was quiet yet again, having given his verdict he obviously didn't feel obligated to carry on any more conversation with Rowen. Rowen frowned, holding the extra tray, and wondering what to do with it until the stewardess came back.

"Extra tray?" Kento's head popped over the seat his eyes large and greedy. His hands were already reaching for the entree. Rowen rolled his eyes and passed the tray to Kento, "Thank Sage, it's his."

Kento shot a concerned gaze in Sage's direction, "According to Cye, he hasn't eaten a thing all day."

"He ate a little at your Uncle's place, but not enough to feed a bird."

"Wanna get his attention, see if he'll eat now?" Kento asked meeting Rowen's blue eyes and waiting for him to nod. Rowen simply sighed and shook his head, "He's not going to Kento."

Kento frowned, "What's he looking at, Ro?"

"The sky," Rowen sighed. "The Dreamer's forever looking at the sky, he finds something new that intrigues him about it everyday."

Kento gazed at Sage softly, "What do you think is intriguing him today?"

Rowen sighed, gently reaching to touch his blond friend's shoulder. No reaction, not even a slight jump, "He's probably wondering...as always will he ever be able to rise and join the heavens some day, except today, he's wondering, hoping, if that day will come sooner than he'd once wanted it to."

Kento stiffened, "You don't think...."

Rowen rubbed Sage's shoulder, trying to get the blond to turn to him. Sage continued to stare vacantly through the window, "I always said that one day he was gonna get lost in one of those dreams of his," he murmured. I just didn't know that day would come so soon.