A/N: It has been ages since I updated, but so much has happened in my life the last couple of months… I'm just beginning to get back on track. But – here I am! And not at all discouraged by negative reviews. :)
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3.
As soon as Eric entered the waiting room, Cory, Topanga and Shawn jumped up from the dusty ground. But their enthusiasm soon faded, as they saw his hanging shoulders and red eyes.
"And? How is he? What did he tell you? How are they treating him?" Shawn approached fast and attacked Eric with a thousand questions, but Eric couldn't answer. He swallowed several times, trying to get the lump out of his throat, and turned away his head, trying to hide his shock from his friends - but failed miserably.
Cory took a step forward and gestured Shawn to back down. "I think you better ask Jack those questions yourself, Shawn," he said softly, turning his eyes towards his brother.
Keeping his soft tone, he carefully laid a hand on Eric's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
Eric swallowed another time and croaked. "Bad. Very bad." He paused, taking a deep breath, looking up at his younger brother. "I- I feel like I'm dying, Cory. They… He really looks bad, you know? They beat him up, real badly. But the worst part was the look in his eyes. He has no hope left. Nothing." He looked from Cory, to Shawn, then Topanga, seeing the horror glide over their faces.
Cory knew nothing else to do but to put his arms around Eric and hold him for comfort. Eric thankfully returned the embrace reaching for support, as he felt his knees buckle.
Shawn started banging on the door leading to the hallway. "Hey, when is the next turn? I wanna see my brother!" There came no response. "HEY! You heard me? I wanna see my brother! NOW!" He kicked the door, almost braking it in two pieces.
Topanga pulled him back and tried to calm him down. "Shawn, stop that! Violence isn't going to get us anywhere, it'll only make them less cooperative. Let's just wait until someone comes to pick the next visitor, okay?"
But at the same time, the door Shawn was standing in front of swung open, hitting him hard in the face. Shawn let out a curse and stumbled backwards. Topanga caught him before he could fall, and held him on his feet. She shushed him to ease his anger, before he would attack the man that was probably their only hope.
This man, in uniform, entered the crowded little space. His look of contempt glided from one person to the next. His eyes finally rested on Eric, who just freed himself from his Cory's arms. Then, the man looked to Topanga again, keeping the silence.
"So, Mr. Yokarto, who will be next?" Topanga asked with her sweetest voice, masking her frustration and anger with her most charming expression. The man took an abrupt step forward, bringing his face merely inches away from Topanga's, still silent. Topanga looked him straight in the eyes.
"No more!" the man suddenly barked in her face. Topanga jumped back in fear for a moment. Cory immediately stepped up to his wife and took position in front of her. He looked the other man fiercely in the eyes, raising his chin and pointing at the man.
"Don't yell at my wife like that! You don't have the right-" Topanga took Cory's arm and softly pushed her struggling husband away from her. "I'll handle this, Cory," she added between her teeth. "I'm a lawyer, this is what I do." Cory took back a step, but remained close.
Topanga faced the military man herself, taking a deep breath and carefully straightening her jacket. Then she looked up, seemingly unimpressed.
"Mr. Yokarto. I would like to know who is next to visit Mr. Hunter," she repeated her question slowly. "As agreed, it's your choice who goes next, but you promised us-"
This time, she got rudely interrupted. "No more!" the man bawled again. "You no follow rules, we no follow rules!"
"What? I just-" But the man didn't let her finish.
He pointed at Eric, while a triumphing smile emerged on his face. "He no follow rules we give you. He scream, he destroy!" He raised his voice with every word. "You go home now – no more! Tomorrow you come back! Maybe tomorrow!" And with those words, he saluted, turned around and marched out of the room as quick as he had entered it, leaving them all baffled.
Shawn slowly turned around, breathing heavily while facing Eric. "You… what? You did WHAT? You… you… bastard!" He threw himself onto Eric so quickly that neither Cory nor Topanga could stop him in time. In pure enragement, Shawn shoved Eric up the wall, reaching for his throat and strangling him with both hands, while yelling and cursing at him. Eric tried to push him away, but was still so emotionally drained from his intense reunion with Jack, that he couldn't gain the strength to do so.
He whispered, still trying to push him away weakly. "Shawn… please… I can explain… let… me go… please…" But Shawn was so furious that he was deaf for reason and continued to scream.
"You BASTARD! I hate you!"
Cory and Topanga, completely perplexed for a moment, finally regained their senses and dove onto the two simultaneously, pulling Shawn of a gasping Eric.
"SHAWN! Stop that!" Cory screamed, grabbing his friend's collar and dragging him to the other side of the small room. He pushed him against the wall and with one hand he forced Shawn to look him in the face.
"Let's NOT jump to conclusions, okay?" Shawn clenched his teeth and turned away his eyes. He grunted. "OKAY?" Cory repeated, more urgent this time. "Shawn, look at me! Give Eric a chance to explain! Who knows that… that military bastard isn't lying? Listen! Okay?"
Shawn finally looked back at Cory. He nodded slowly, and gave Eric a threatening look. "Okay… Let's give it a shot… But I'm not very patient right now." He suppressed another grunt while Cory let go of his collar slowly. He straightened his shirt and sighed.
"So, why did you? Huh?"
*****
*****
3.
As soon as Eric entered the waiting room, Cory, Topanga and Shawn jumped up from the dusty ground. But their enthusiasm soon faded, as they saw his hanging shoulders and red eyes.
"And? How is he? What did he tell you? How are they treating him?" Shawn approached fast and attacked Eric with a thousand questions, but Eric couldn't answer. He swallowed several times, trying to get the lump out of his throat, and turned away his head, trying to hide his shock from his friends - but failed miserably.
Cory took a step forward and gestured Shawn to back down. "I think you better ask Jack those questions yourself, Shawn," he said softly, turning his eyes towards his brother.
Keeping his soft tone, he carefully laid a hand on Eric's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
Eric swallowed another time and croaked. "Bad. Very bad." He paused, taking a deep breath, looking up at his younger brother. "I- I feel like I'm dying, Cory. They… He really looks bad, you know? They beat him up, real badly. But the worst part was the look in his eyes. He has no hope left. Nothing." He looked from Cory, to Shawn, then Topanga, seeing the horror glide over their faces.
Cory knew nothing else to do but to put his arms around Eric and hold him for comfort. Eric thankfully returned the embrace reaching for support, as he felt his knees buckle.
Shawn started banging on the door leading to the hallway. "Hey, when is the next turn? I wanna see my brother!" There came no response. "HEY! You heard me? I wanna see my brother! NOW!" He kicked the door, almost braking it in two pieces.
Topanga pulled him back and tried to calm him down. "Shawn, stop that! Violence isn't going to get us anywhere, it'll only make them less cooperative. Let's just wait until someone comes to pick the next visitor, okay?"
But at the same time, the door Shawn was standing in front of swung open, hitting him hard in the face. Shawn let out a curse and stumbled backwards. Topanga caught him before he could fall, and held him on his feet. She shushed him to ease his anger, before he would attack the man that was probably their only hope.
This man, in uniform, entered the crowded little space. His look of contempt glided from one person to the next. His eyes finally rested on Eric, who just freed himself from his Cory's arms. Then, the man looked to Topanga again, keeping the silence.
"So, Mr. Yokarto, who will be next?" Topanga asked with her sweetest voice, masking her frustration and anger with her most charming expression. The man took an abrupt step forward, bringing his face merely inches away from Topanga's, still silent. Topanga looked him straight in the eyes.
"No more!" the man suddenly barked in her face. Topanga jumped back in fear for a moment. Cory immediately stepped up to his wife and took position in front of her. He looked the other man fiercely in the eyes, raising his chin and pointing at the man.
"Don't yell at my wife like that! You don't have the right-" Topanga took Cory's arm and softly pushed her struggling husband away from her. "I'll handle this, Cory," she added between her teeth. "I'm a lawyer, this is what I do." Cory took back a step, but remained close.
Topanga faced the military man herself, taking a deep breath and carefully straightening her jacket. Then she looked up, seemingly unimpressed.
"Mr. Yokarto. I would like to know who is next to visit Mr. Hunter," she repeated her question slowly. "As agreed, it's your choice who goes next, but you promised us-"
This time, she got rudely interrupted. "No more!" the man bawled again. "You no follow rules, we no follow rules!"
"What? I just-" But the man didn't let her finish.
He pointed at Eric, while a triumphing smile emerged on his face. "He no follow rules we give you. He scream, he destroy!" He raised his voice with every word. "You go home now – no more! Tomorrow you come back! Maybe tomorrow!" And with those words, he saluted, turned around and marched out of the room as quick as he had entered it, leaving them all baffled.
Shawn slowly turned around, breathing heavily while facing Eric. "You… what? You did WHAT? You… you… bastard!" He threw himself onto Eric so quickly that neither Cory nor Topanga could stop him in time. In pure enragement, Shawn shoved Eric up the wall, reaching for his throat and strangling him with both hands, while yelling and cursing at him. Eric tried to push him away, but was still so emotionally drained from his intense reunion with Jack, that he couldn't gain the strength to do so.
He whispered, still trying to push him away weakly. "Shawn… please… I can explain… let… me go… please…" But Shawn was so furious that he was deaf for reason and continued to scream.
"You BASTARD! I hate you!"
Cory and Topanga, completely perplexed for a moment, finally regained their senses and dove onto the two simultaneously, pulling Shawn of a gasping Eric.
"SHAWN! Stop that!" Cory screamed, grabbing his friend's collar and dragging him to the other side of the small room. He pushed him against the wall and with one hand he forced Shawn to look him in the face.
"Let's NOT jump to conclusions, okay?" Shawn clenched his teeth and turned away his eyes. He grunted. "OKAY?" Cory repeated, more urgent this time. "Shawn, look at me! Give Eric a chance to explain! Who knows that… that military bastard isn't lying? Listen! Okay?"
Shawn finally looked back at Cory. He nodded slowly, and gave Eric a threatening look. "Okay… Let's give it a shot… But I'm not very patient right now." He suppressed another grunt while Cory let go of his collar slowly. He straightened his shirt and sighed.
"So, why did you? Huh?"
*****