Disclaimer: Okay, I still don't own LXG, do I look like I do? I also don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. We all clear on that? Good.
Ash De Brie:- There, there *Pats Ash on the back* You never know, it might get better.
Angharad:- I'm glad you like it.
Clez:- yep, had to search for ages to work out what the message would look like in Morse Code, but got there in the end. :D True I am bulling poor Thomas a bit but you know what they say... It will get worst before it gets better.
JC6:- Thank you so much!
Graymoon74:- Yeah, the Thames would have been full of peoples 'waste' in 1899... A way to kill Smith? Well, if they knew what he was...
LotRseer3350:- Well Tom didn't drown because he managed to reach the surface in time but he was floating under the wooden jetty so the League didn't see him.
Capt.Cow:- wow, you think it's cool. Thanks!
Niani:- I'm glad you think you like it. I can't helping leaving it at cliffys... ;)
Enjoy this part! (Then leave a review.)
The Bodyguard
~~~
Part Five:- Fire in his Flesh
~~~
"What are you going to do?" Skinner asked Dr. Jekyll as the latter moved slowly round his room, still slightly weak from his ordeal.
//That's right Henry... tell the little sneak thief what you are going to do to the boy...\\ Edward Hyde muttered. Jekyll tried to ignore his alter ego and focused back on Skinner who seemed to be still waiting for an answer.
"If we are lucky then the poison will still be in his stomach." Dr. Jekyll told him, finally finding what he was looking for, a small bottle, labeled 'Apomorphine'
"I'm going to give him this medicine. It's an emetic so it should make him throw up, emptying his stomach of everything, including the poison." Dr. Jekyll finished. Skinner nodded to show he understood.
"It will not be pleasant for Thomas." Dr. Jekyll said. "It is quite likely he will also bring up blood if he has a large quantity of poison in him." Jekyll trailed off, staring at the bottle with doubt in his mind.
"It's possible that he will convulse, in which case he shouldn't be given an emetic but I don't know what he swallowed... I don't have a choice, I'm going to have to risk it, we need to get the poison out of him. If he does convulse, you and Captain Nemo will need to hold him down to stop him hurting himself."
Skinner listened to all this with growing horror, as Dr. Jekyll began to stumble towards the room where Tom still lay. The thief moved after him and began to support the ill Doctor.
"What happens if the poison has left the stomach?" Skinner asked, not entirely sure he wanted to hear an answer. Dr. Jekyll stopped and turned to face the white face of Skinner.
"If the poison has reached his blood then all we can do is hope that Sawyer is strong enough to last..."
"You mean if the poison is in his blood then there is nothing you can do?" Skinner asked in disbelief. Dr. Jekyll bowed his head in answer.
"What are we doing hanging about here for then mate? We have an American to save." Skinner added, resuming his role as Jekyll's support.
It took them a few more minutes to reach Tom's room. Mina looked up from where she was changing one of his blankets.
"He complains of being cold, yet he is on fire when you touch him... and still he sweats and shivers." Mina said. Dr. Jekyll opened the bottle and tipped out two tablets onto his hand.
"He has been lucid then?" Jekyll asked. Mina shook her head.
"He was awake for a few minutes but he didn't know where he was. He seemed to be in the grip of a nightmare and was calling repeatedly for someone called 'Huck'. It was about this time that he complained of being cold." Mina told him. "What are you giving him?" She asked, noticing the tablet's in Dr. Jekyll's hand.
"An emetic, to try and clear the poison from his system. It's quite a potent one though, the normal reaction to the drug is only five minutes." Jekyll said. He turned to face Captain Nemo, who was standing silently in a corner.
"We might need your help Captain, if he starts to convulse." The Doctor told him. Nemo lowed his head to show he understood.
Dr. Jekyll told a deep breath as Mina carefully maneuvered the sick boy to a half upright position. She then picked up a glass of water. Jekyll tipped the two pills into Tom's mouth and used the water to help wash them down.
It was a worrying sign - to the doctor - that Tom Sawyer hadn't put up more of a fight when they gave him the tablets. He should at least have moved but the young man had simply swallowed.
The five minutes crawled by. Each member of the League lost in their own thoughts. Both Dr. Henry Jekyll and Madam Mina were both trying to work out if the emetic was working, if it was likely he would start to spasm or what - if anything - they could do if the poison has reached the blood.
Captain Nemo was trying to piece together everything they knew about Smith and his secret boss. Was there a reason Smith has tried to buy Sawyer or was it simply a case of taking the first member of the League they could find. It was even possible that the attempted kidnap had nothing to do with the League and that Smith wanted Agent Sawyer because of something in the American's past.
The simple fact was that they knew too little about this Smith and they had no idea what he wanted, who he was or how to stop him.
It was impossible to know what Skinner was thinking about.
Suddenly Tom gave a weak little cough. This was instantly followed by a harsh cough that sounded as if he was coughing up his very stomach. He gave a groan then turned on his side and threw up.
Tom was sick again and again, violently bringing up everything in him. Skinner turned his head slightly as Tom threw up yet again, only this time he brought up mainly blood.
Then he simply stopped. Dr. Jekyll and Mina looked at each.
"Do you think it is over?" Mina asked. As if in answer to this question Tom gave a sharp jerk in his bed, his eyes open but not seeing. Tom gave another jerk.
"He's convulsing!" Dr. Jekyll yelled, gesturing Nemo and Skinner forward. The two men held Tom down as he convulsed violently on the bed, his body twisting in some parody of a dance. Dr. Jekyll closed his eyes for a second. He had been afraid of this... and they could do nothing but let it run it's course.
//Well, you managed to kill the brat. Congratulations.\\ Hyde told him. Jekyll's eyes snapped back open as he took in the sight in front of him. Tom had finally stopped convulsing, his limbs twitching slightly. Blood had tickled out of the side of his mouth and dribbled down towards his chin. The young man turned his head slightly, his green eye's fixed on Dr. Jekyll, though it was doubtful if he was actually seeing the doctor.
"He's bleeding!" Skinner said, expressing a need to state the obvious. Dr. Jekyll hurried over to Tom Sawyer's side and began to check him.
"I think he just bit his lip..." He said after about ten minutes. Jekyll turned to face the other's who were all standing staring at him, the worry clear on their faces.
"I believe we were in time." he said, allowing a smile to blossom on his lips.
"You mean the eme... emebre... the thing you gave Sawyer worked?" Skinner asked. Mina turned her head to hide her smile.
"The emetic. Yes, it looked like it did work." Dr. Jekyll said. He began to flap his hands slightly, guiding Nemo and Skinner out of the room.
"I need to clean up the room now and we need to clean up young Agent Sawyer. You two would just get in the way." Jekyll said.
Nemo nodded and walked away, heading to his main chambers. Hopefully one of his sailors would have retuned there with news of Smith.
Skinner wandered off, not knowing what he should do. In the end he deiced go for a wander around the decks to see what was going on and if there was anything... interesting was going on.
~~~
Smith leaned back in his chair, idly blowing smoke rings. He was waiting. Everything was in place, all he has to do was wait until the time was right.
The Egyptian allowed a cruel smile to grace his lips as he pulled a small ornate dagger from it's sheaf. He let it glint in the semi-light in the room, the light capturing the letters inscribed on it. This blade was different from the many other weapons that Smith carried. This would be used on one person and one person only.
Special Agent Tom Sawyer.
As soon as he had the American in his power and under Mr. Big's control they would be able to prepare for the next stage. Smith's thoughts got no further than that as he found it pointless to plan something he had done time after time, each time the victim was different in race, color or gender. Yet somehow they all blended together in his mind, making it impossible to remember which had been first and which had been last. He knew that once the American had done what they wanted him to do, Smith would also forget his name and his face.
It was not a fact that partially bothered Smith.
As he placed the dagger back into it's sheaf a thought occurred to him. He had underestimated the skill of the League once before - there was a slim chance that even after the boy was taken they would come after them.
Maybe he should plan even further ahead, just this once.
Smith placed his pipe on the arm of his chair then walked out of the dingy pub he had been sitting in. A few seconds later another man left the pub and began to walk in the same direction as the Egyptian.
Smith reached a private house and walked up the steps, letting himself in with a key. The man behind him walked on past the house, not evening giving it a tiny glance. He wandered along like a man drunk. When he turned the corner though his whole poster changed and the man began to run, heading right for the Nautilus.
~~~
Nemo frowned. All of his men bar one had already returned and all had returned with the same news. There had been no sign of Smith anywhere in the city.
//It is possible he has left London, in which case we shall have to widen our search and hope one of our contacts is lucky.\\ Even as Nemo thought this, his last sailor can running in, dressed as a drunk. One look at the man's face was enough to convince Captain Nemo that he had news of some kind.
"Captain, I found him!" the sailor said with pride. "He is staying in a private house in the area of parliament."
"Good." Nemo said. The sailor nodded and walked out of the room, to get changed into his normal clothes. Nemo also left the room, to find the rest of the League. Dr. Jekyll and Mina were still working in Tom Sawyer's room. The Indian was only mildly surprise to see Skinner's coat and hat floating outside of the closed door.
"There was nothing else to do okay?" Skinner said defensively. Nemo nodded, his face a perfect mask as always. At that moment the door opened and Mina stepped out.
"His still has his fever." She said with a sigh. Then she noticed a glint in Captain Nemo's eye.
"You have some news?" she asked. The Captain nodded.
"We located Smith." He said. Mina's eyes became hard.
"Then let us show him what happens when he messes with the League." She said, the anger all too clearly written on her face. Dr. Jekyll poked his head around the door.
"We will show him, but not tonight. Everyone needs their sleep. He should still be there in the morning." The Doctor said. Mina opened her mouth to argue but he shook his head.
"Not tonight, weariness will cause mistakes." He said. Mina lowed her head in submission then walked off down the corridor in search of yet more clean and dry towels for Sawyer. Jekyll sighed and pulled his head back into the room, closing the door behind him.
He sat down by the young man and stared at the troubled face. Tom seemed to be caught again in the grip of a nightmare. Jekyll shook his head sadly, the boy had demons of his own, demons no-one seemed to be able to help him with.
It was a weakness of the American's. Dr. Henry Jekyll made a mental note to try and do something about the nightmares when Tom was well enough.
Jekyll placed his hand on Tom Sawyer's forehead, dismayed to notice that a fire still raged under his skin. If it didn't come down soon or became any higher, Jekyll would be forced to use an ice bath. The only reason he hadn't done this yet was the fear that the shock the ice would give him would be too much for his already weak system to handle.
Under Jekyll's hand Tom stirred slightly, lost in his dreams.
He dreamed that he was lying on a funeral pyre, awake but unable to move or speak. Next to him stood a man robed in black, a fiery torch in his hand.
"This is the end..." A voice said from the shadows, the voice belonging to none other than Bhishma, blood pouring from his chest.
"Yes, this is the end." The robed figure echoed. Tom could do nothing but watch at the man held out the fire. Suddenly there was a noise and two figures in sparkling white came running towards the pyre. Though he couldn't see the face under the hood, Tom could sense that the man in black was smiling.
He let go of the torch.
The fire sprang up all around Tom and still he couldn't move. The robed figure vanished, as did Bhishma and the two in white.
He was alone. Trapped, burning, all alone.
TBC...
Okay, Okay, I admit it, both the title of this part and Tom's dream was inspired by Lord of the Rings and more importantly Faramir's near burning experience that happens in 'Return of the King.
A few notes on the emetic used, Apomorphine.
emetic , substance that produces vomiting. Emetics are not used to treat poisoning by strong acids or alkalis, petroleum distillates such as kerosene, or substances causing convulsions.
Apomorphine is a potent emetic that can cause complete emptying of the stomach within a few minutes of ingestion. Apomorphine was once commercially available for humans but was taken off the market almost a decade ago. Apomorphine stimulates dopaminergic receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone and the onset of reaction to the drug is a mere 5 minutes.
Please, please now you have read this, leave a review!
~Sethoz
Ash De Brie:- There, there *Pats Ash on the back* You never know, it might get better.
Angharad:- I'm glad you like it.
Clez:- yep, had to search for ages to work out what the message would look like in Morse Code, but got there in the end. :D True I am bulling poor Thomas a bit but you know what they say... It will get worst before it gets better.
JC6:- Thank you so much!
Graymoon74:- Yeah, the Thames would have been full of peoples 'waste' in 1899... A way to kill Smith? Well, if they knew what he was...
LotRseer3350:- Well Tom didn't drown because he managed to reach the surface in time but he was floating under the wooden jetty so the League didn't see him.
Capt.Cow:- wow, you think it's cool. Thanks!
Niani:- I'm glad you think you like it. I can't helping leaving it at cliffys... ;)
Enjoy this part! (Then leave a review.)
The Bodyguard
~~~
Part Five:- Fire in his Flesh
~~~
"What are you going to do?" Skinner asked Dr. Jekyll as the latter moved slowly round his room, still slightly weak from his ordeal.
//That's right Henry... tell the little sneak thief what you are going to do to the boy...\\ Edward Hyde muttered. Jekyll tried to ignore his alter ego and focused back on Skinner who seemed to be still waiting for an answer.
"If we are lucky then the poison will still be in his stomach." Dr. Jekyll told him, finally finding what he was looking for, a small bottle, labeled 'Apomorphine'
"I'm going to give him this medicine. It's an emetic so it should make him throw up, emptying his stomach of everything, including the poison." Dr. Jekyll finished. Skinner nodded to show he understood.
"It will not be pleasant for Thomas." Dr. Jekyll said. "It is quite likely he will also bring up blood if he has a large quantity of poison in him." Jekyll trailed off, staring at the bottle with doubt in his mind.
"It's possible that he will convulse, in which case he shouldn't be given an emetic but I don't know what he swallowed... I don't have a choice, I'm going to have to risk it, we need to get the poison out of him. If he does convulse, you and Captain Nemo will need to hold him down to stop him hurting himself."
Skinner listened to all this with growing horror, as Dr. Jekyll began to stumble towards the room where Tom still lay. The thief moved after him and began to support the ill Doctor.
"What happens if the poison has left the stomach?" Skinner asked, not entirely sure he wanted to hear an answer. Dr. Jekyll stopped and turned to face the white face of Skinner.
"If the poison has reached his blood then all we can do is hope that Sawyer is strong enough to last..."
"You mean if the poison is in his blood then there is nothing you can do?" Skinner asked in disbelief. Dr. Jekyll bowed his head in answer.
"What are we doing hanging about here for then mate? We have an American to save." Skinner added, resuming his role as Jekyll's support.
It took them a few more minutes to reach Tom's room. Mina looked up from where she was changing one of his blankets.
"He complains of being cold, yet he is on fire when you touch him... and still he sweats and shivers." Mina said. Dr. Jekyll opened the bottle and tipped out two tablets onto his hand.
"He has been lucid then?" Jekyll asked. Mina shook her head.
"He was awake for a few minutes but he didn't know where he was. He seemed to be in the grip of a nightmare and was calling repeatedly for someone called 'Huck'. It was about this time that he complained of being cold." Mina told him. "What are you giving him?" She asked, noticing the tablet's in Dr. Jekyll's hand.
"An emetic, to try and clear the poison from his system. It's quite a potent one though, the normal reaction to the drug is only five minutes." Jekyll said. He turned to face Captain Nemo, who was standing silently in a corner.
"We might need your help Captain, if he starts to convulse." The Doctor told him. Nemo lowed his head to show he understood.
Dr. Jekyll told a deep breath as Mina carefully maneuvered the sick boy to a half upright position. She then picked up a glass of water. Jekyll tipped the two pills into Tom's mouth and used the water to help wash them down.
It was a worrying sign - to the doctor - that Tom Sawyer hadn't put up more of a fight when they gave him the tablets. He should at least have moved but the young man had simply swallowed.
The five minutes crawled by. Each member of the League lost in their own thoughts. Both Dr. Henry Jekyll and Madam Mina were both trying to work out if the emetic was working, if it was likely he would start to spasm or what - if anything - they could do if the poison has reached the blood.
Captain Nemo was trying to piece together everything they knew about Smith and his secret boss. Was there a reason Smith has tried to buy Sawyer or was it simply a case of taking the first member of the League they could find. It was even possible that the attempted kidnap had nothing to do with the League and that Smith wanted Agent Sawyer because of something in the American's past.
The simple fact was that they knew too little about this Smith and they had no idea what he wanted, who he was or how to stop him.
It was impossible to know what Skinner was thinking about.
Suddenly Tom gave a weak little cough. This was instantly followed by a harsh cough that sounded as if he was coughing up his very stomach. He gave a groan then turned on his side and threw up.
Tom was sick again and again, violently bringing up everything in him. Skinner turned his head slightly as Tom threw up yet again, only this time he brought up mainly blood.
Then he simply stopped. Dr. Jekyll and Mina looked at each.
"Do you think it is over?" Mina asked. As if in answer to this question Tom gave a sharp jerk in his bed, his eyes open but not seeing. Tom gave another jerk.
"He's convulsing!" Dr. Jekyll yelled, gesturing Nemo and Skinner forward. The two men held Tom down as he convulsed violently on the bed, his body twisting in some parody of a dance. Dr. Jekyll closed his eyes for a second. He had been afraid of this... and they could do nothing but let it run it's course.
//Well, you managed to kill the brat. Congratulations.\\ Hyde told him. Jekyll's eyes snapped back open as he took in the sight in front of him. Tom had finally stopped convulsing, his limbs twitching slightly. Blood had tickled out of the side of his mouth and dribbled down towards his chin. The young man turned his head slightly, his green eye's fixed on Dr. Jekyll, though it was doubtful if he was actually seeing the doctor.
"He's bleeding!" Skinner said, expressing a need to state the obvious. Dr. Jekyll hurried over to Tom Sawyer's side and began to check him.
"I think he just bit his lip..." He said after about ten minutes. Jekyll turned to face the other's who were all standing staring at him, the worry clear on their faces.
"I believe we were in time." he said, allowing a smile to blossom on his lips.
"You mean the eme... emebre... the thing you gave Sawyer worked?" Skinner asked. Mina turned her head to hide her smile.
"The emetic. Yes, it looked like it did work." Dr. Jekyll said. He began to flap his hands slightly, guiding Nemo and Skinner out of the room.
"I need to clean up the room now and we need to clean up young Agent Sawyer. You two would just get in the way." Jekyll said.
Nemo nodded and walked away, heading to his main chambers. Hopefully one of his sailors would have retuned there with news of Smith.
Skinner wandered off, not knowing what he should do. In the end he deiced go for a wander around the decks to see what was going on and if there was anything... interesting was going on.
~~~
Smith leaned back in his chair, idly blowing smoke rings. He was waiting. Everything was in place, all he has to do was wait until the time was right.
The Egyptian allowed a cruel smile to grace his lips as he pulled a small ornate dagger from it's sheaf. He let it glint in the semi-light in the room, the light capturing the letters inscribed on it. This blade was different from the many other weapons that Smith carried. This would be used on one person and one person only.
Special Agent Tom Sawyer.
As soon as he had the American in his power and under Mr. Big's control they would be able to prepare for the next stage. Smith's thoughts got no further than that as he found it pointless to plan something he had done time after time, each time the victim was different in race, color or gender. Yet somehow they all blended together in his mind, making it impossible to remember which had been first and which had been last. He knew that once the American had done what they wanted him to do, Smith would also forget his name and his face.
It was not a fact that partially bothered Smith.
As he placed the dagger back into it's sheaf a thought occurred to him. He had underestimated the skill of the League once before - there was a slim chance that even after the boy was taken they would come after them.
Maybe he should plan even further ahead, just this once.
Smith placed his pipe on the arm of his chair then walked out of the dingy pub he had been sitting in. A few seconds later another man left the pub and began to walk in the same direction as the Egyptian.
Smith reached a private house and walked up the steps, letting himself in with a key. The man behind him walked on past the house, not evening giving it a tiny glance. He wandered along like a man drunk. When he turned the corner though his whole poster changed and the man began to run, heading right for the Nautilus.
~~~
Nemo frowned. All of his men bar one had already returned and all had returned with the same news. There had been no sign of Smith anywhere in the city.
//It is possible he has left London, in which case we shall have to widen our search and hope one of our contacts is lucky.\\ Even as Nemo thought this, his last sailor can running in, dressed as a drunk. One look at the man's face was enough to convince Captain Nemo that he had news of some kind.
"Captain, I found him!" the sailor said with pride. "He is staying in a private house in the area of parliament."
"Good." Nemo said. The sailor nodded and walked out of the room, to get changed into his normal clothes. Nemo also left the room, to find the rest of the League. Dr. Jekyll and Mina were still working in Tom Sawyer's room. The Indian was only mildly surprise to see Skinner's coat and hat floating outside of the closed door.
"There was nothing else to do okay?" Skinner said defensively. Nemo nodded, his face a perfect mask as always. At that moment the door opened and Mina stepped out.
"His still has his fever." She said with a sigh. Then she noticed a glint in Captain Nemo's eye.
"You have some news?" she asked. The Captain nodded.
"We located Smith." He said. Mina's eyes became hard.
"Then let us show him what happens when he messes with the League." She said, the anger all too clearly written on her face. Dr. Jekyll poked his head around the door.
"We will show him, but not tonight. Everyone needs their sleep. He should still be there in the morning." The Doctor said. Mina opened her mouth to argue but he shook his head.
"Not tonight, weariness will cause mistakes." He said. Mina lowed her head in submission then walked off down the corridor in search of yet more clean and dry towels for Sawyer. Jekyll sighed and pulled his head back into the room, closing the door behind him.
He sat down by the young man and stared at the troubled face. Tom seemed to be caught again in the grip of a nightmare. Jekyll shook his head sadly, the boy had demons of his own, demons no-one seemed to be able to help him with.
It was a weakness of the American's. Dr. Henry Jekyll made a mental note to try and do something about the nightmares when Tom was well enough.
Jekyll placed his hand on Tom Sawyer's forehead, dismayed to notice that a fire still raged under his skin. If it didn't come down soon or became any higher, Jekyll would be forced to use an ice bath. The only reason he hadn't done this yet was the fear that the shock the ice would give him would be too much for his already weak system to handle.
Under Jekyll's hand Tom stirred slightly, lost in his dreams.
He dreamed that he was lying on a funeral pyre, awake but unable to move or speak. Next to him stood a man robed in black, a fiery torch in his hand.
"This is the end..." A voice said from the shadows, the voice belonging to none other than Bhishma, blood pouring from his chest.
"Yes, this is the end." The robed figure echoed. Tom could do nothing but watch at the man held out the fire. Suddenly there was a noise and two figures in sparkling white came running towards the pyre. Though he couldn't see the face under the hood, Tom could sense that the man in black was smiling.
He let go of the torch.
The fire sprang up all around Tom and still he couldn't move. The robed figure vanished, as did Bhishma and the two in white.
He was alone. Trapped, burning, all alone.
TBC...
Okay, Okay, I admit it, both the title of this part and Tom's dream was inspired by Lord of the Rings and more importantly Faramir's near burning experience that happens in 'Return of the King.
A few notes on the emetic used, Apomorphine.
emetic , substance that produces vomiting. Emetics are not used to treat poisoning by strong acids or alkalis, petroleum distillates such as kerosene, or substances causing convulsions.
Apomorphine is a potent emetic that can cause complete emptying of the stomach within a few minutes of ingestion. Apomorphine was once commercially available for humans but was taken off the market almost a decade ago. Apomorphine stimulates dopaminergic receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone and the onset of reaction to the drug is a mere 5 minutes.
Please, please now you have read this, leave a review!
~Sethoz
