2.
"What. what did they do to you?" Eric whispered in horror. More and more tears were streaming down his face, as his hand trailed down along the glass, trying to touch the other man's bruised body. His other could only barely keep hold of the black receiver. Pain was tearing his insides apart, causing him to shake over the whole of his body.
Jack, on the other hand, stood motionless. He only looked at Eric, still not fully seeming to comprehend that he was actually there. His upper body was slightly bent forward, as if he was carrying an enormous weight. He blinked a few times blankly, then reached out his hand to touch the glass again.
"E-Eric?" His voice was rasping, hardly audible through the phone. "Is. is that really you?" His gaze showed just a glimmer of hope amongst all the torment and pain.
Eric quickly wiped away most of his tears and then immediately placed his hand back on the glass. "Yeah. Yeah, buddy, it's really me. I-" He wanted to say so much all at the same time, that the words got stuck in his throat. He just stared into Jack's eyes, helpless, desperately searching for the right words.
"I can't believe it. You came! After all those months of praying - you finally came." Jack whispered instead. Eric could see a very faint half- smile appear underneath the thick beard, and he smiled too, through his tears, despite there wasn't really any good reason to smile.
"Yes. I came. We all came." Eric paused, never taking his eyes away from Jack's. "Topanga finally made her way through all the official procedures, although it took her ages. All kinds of bad people and organizations were stalling her - but you know Topanga - when she knows where she wants to go, she'll get there. She did the best job a lawyer could do under these circumstances."
Jack's smile became just a bit wider. "I know. She still that fierce, huh?" he croaked. "Even after they had that little one delivered?" Eric was surprised for a moment, not expecting Jack to remember, or at least not expecting him to bring it up.
"They did. have their baby, right?" Jack's smile faded immediately, suddenly concerned when Eric didn't answer. "Nothing happened, right? Eric?" The worried tone of his voice moved him.
"No. No, nothing happened. Tary's perfect. You should've seen Cory at the hospital when he heard he had a daughter! He was all screaming and jumping up and down the hallway, telling complete strangers about his gorgeous little girl-" Eric stopped, realizing he was rattling to cover up his tenseness.
Jack's eyes had glazed away, but he kept the receiver still pressed against his ear. "Tary." he whispered. "Topanga and Cory. Tary." He just smiled.
Suddenly he looked back at Eric again. "Are they here?"
Eric nodded. "They're here - all of them. Cory, Topanga, Shawn. All waiting outside. Angela is arranging some more things somewhere in Europe, trying to contact the right people to get you out of. here." He looked around, gesturing at the concrete and the black windows with his head, while his words died away. Jack didn't speak.
The lump thickened again in his throat as he almost unwillingly turned back to Jack. His eyes scrutinized his swollen face, and then strayed down the man's body again. Jack winced as he noticed Eric looking, and tried to cover up his chest with one arm in embarrassment, staring at the floor.
"They. What did they. How could they." He drew a deep breath, steadied the phone. "Why?"
Jack said nothing for a moment. He cleared his throat. "They thought- they think I have information, or something. They tried to. tried to make me give it to them." Jack winced almost invisibly, but Eric still noticed. "I probably shouldn't. They're still hurting me, Eric." He looked up, but there were still no tears in his eyes. Just pain, and maybe even a form of resignation. "I've been here for so long now. It seems like endless years of the same, every single day. I don't know how much longer I can keep up, Eric. I don't know-"
Suddenly, a man in a green uniform entered Jack's side of the room. Jack automatically hunched as the man grabbed both of his arms, leaving Jack no other option than to drop the receiver and walk backwards with him. He just looked Eric in the eyes, forming soundless words with his mouth. The man noticed it, and roughly covered his mouth with one hand, dragging Jack with him with the other.
Eric was shocked for a moment. He still held the phone in his hand, unable to move. When Jack and the uniform had almost reached the door, he finally came to his senses. He dropped the receiver and started banging on the thick glass plate.
"JACK! NO! Let him go, YOU BASTARD!" He kicked away the leather chair in his rage, watching it crash into the concrete wall. When he looked back at the other side of the room, it was empty.
*****
"What. what did they do to you?" Eric whispered in horror. More and more tears were streaming down his face, as his hand trailed down along the glass, trying to touch the other man's bruised body. His other could only barely keep hold of the black receiver. Pain was tearing his insides apart, causing him to shake over the whole of his body.
Jack, on the other hand, stood motionless. He only looked at Eric, still not fully seeming to comprehend that he was actually there. His upper body was slightly bent forward, as if he was carrying an enormous weight. He blinked a few times blankly, then reached out his hand to touch the glass again.
"E-Eric?" His voice was rasping, hardly audible through the phone. "Is. is that really you?" His gaze showed just a glimmer of hope amongst all the torment and pain.
Eric quickly wiped away most of his tears and then immediately placed his hand back on the glass. "Yeah. Yeah, buddy, it's really me. I-" He wanted to say so much all at the same time, that the words got stuck in his throat. He just stared into Jack's eyes, helpless, desperately searching for the right words.
"I can't believe it. You came! After all those months of praying - you finally came." Jack whispered instead. Eric could see a very faint half- smile appear underneath the thick beard, and he smiled too, through his tears, despite there wasn't really any good reason to smile.
"Yes. I came. We all came." Eric paused, never taking his eyes away from Jack's. "Topanga finally made her way through all the official procedures, although it took her ages. All kinds of bad people and organizations were stalling her - but you know Topanga - when she knows where she wants to go, she'll get there. She did the best job a lawyer could do under these circumstances."
Jack's smile became just a bit wider. "I know. She still that fierce, huh?" he croaked. "Even after they had that little one delivered?" Eric was surprised for a moment, not expecting Jack to remember, or at least not expecting him to bring it up.
"They did. have their baby, right?" Jack's smile faded immediately, suddenly concerned when Eric didn't answer. "Nothing happened, right? Eric?" The worried tone of his voice moved him.
"No. No, nothing happened. Tary's perfect. You should've seen Cory at the hospital when he heard he had a daughter! He was all screaming and jumping up and down the hallway, telling complete strangers about his gorgeous little girl-" Eric stopped, realizing he was rattling to cover up his tenseness.
Jack's eyes had glazed away, but he kept the receiver still pressed against his ear. "Tary." he whispered. "Topanga and Cory. Tary." He just smiled.
Suddenly he looked back at Eric again. "Are they here?"
Eric nodded. "They're here - all of them. Cory, Topanga, Shawn. All waiting outside. Angela is arranging some more things somewhere in Europe, trying to contact the right people to get you out of. here." He looked around, gesturing at the concrete and the black windows with his head, while his words died away. Jack didn't speak.
The lump thickened again in his throat as he almost unwillingly turned back to Jack. His eyes scrutinized his swollen face, and then strayed down the man's body again. Jack winced as he noticed Eric looking, and tried to cover up his chest with one arm in embarrassment, staring at the floor.
"They. What did they. How could they." He drew a deep breath, steadied the phone. "Why?"
Jack said nothing for a moment. He cleared his throat. "They thought- they think I have information, or something. They tried to. tried to make me give it to them." Jack winced almost invisibly, but Eric still noticed. "I probably shouldn't. They're still hurting me, Eric." He looked up, but there were still no tears in his eyes. Just pain, and maybe even a form of resignation. "I've been here for so long now. It seems like endless years of the same, every single day. I don't know how much longer I can keep up, Eric. I don't know-"
Suddenly, a man in a green uniform entered Jack's side of the room. Jack automatically hunched as the man grabbed both of his arms, leaving Jack no other option than to drop the receiver and walk backwards with him. He just looked Eric in the eyes, forming soundless words with his mouth. The man noticed it, and roughly covered his mouth with one hand, dragging Jack with him with the other.
Eric was shocked for a moment. He still held the phone in his hand, unable to move. When Jack and the uniform had almost reached the door, he finally came to his senses. He dropped the receiver and started banging on the thick glass plate.
"JACK! NO! Let him go, YOU BASTARD!" He kicked away the leather chair in his rage, watching it crash into the concrete wall. When he looked back at the other side of the room, it was empty.
*****