Ahoy ye of the Lost Boys fandom!
Thank you all for your reviews! I am glad that you all are enjoy the story. Oi! picks up TheSummoningDark and dusts her off with a brush I'm touched, really I am. But there will be no worshipping of this story! If you want to worship the Lost Boys, there's the movie, Kiefer,Mneme's fanfics and Kiefer to grovel to. Go and spread the joy,I mighteven join you! (grins)
On a side note, the lyrics from Elvis' Love Me Tender belong to the King, but you all know that. Also, Star will be appearing in the next chapter and Michael and Sam won't be appearing in this story until the end. This is the story about the boys and about why things turned out the way they did in the movie. So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll get cracking on the next one asap!
Happy Reading.
The real story is about four guys who were dealt the joker's card and ended up paying the price for something that they never had to get involved with and all for the sake of friendship.
I cannot say it any other way. That is what happened. Instead of letting Max finish me off, which by all rights they should have done so, seeing that it was my own damn fault that I interfered in the first place and the consequences were mine alone to bare, thus sayeth the witch's law. But no, they would not, did not let that happened. It was some time later that I found out what really happened between the boys and Max, but I had always suspected that the story they fed me when I was doped to the gills with morphine was nothing but a load of crock. And I was right, surprise surprise. But what they did, sacrificing their own freedom and independence to a dastardly tyrant in order to protect a friend, is something that I can never be able to repay. People say that the boys were monsters, sinners, utterly devoid of goodness in any form, demons who live only to kill and be killed. I won't deny it, vampires are vampire, and there is no changing that. But what people don't realize is that despite this image that surrounds them, making it nearly impossible to see through to it, there is another side to them. I'm not saying that they're saints or God's gift to mankind, even if they do look it, I'm just saying that despite their nature as predators, they did have feelings, emotions and beliefs. There is always two sides to every story, always remember that. Do not be so quick to judge others without discovering who they truly are. That is what's wrong with today's society. People will not learn to see past face value and this is why we have all the problems that we do. It says something about who we are. We may not kill people for food, but we hurt, sometimes kill others through racism, violence, corruption and greed. Vampires kill to survive, humans kill for what? That is something that I do not know the answer to.
The boys made a deal with the devil that they would follow him and that I would be forgotten. But since when do the boys follow any authority but their own? They knew that if Max found out they had seen me he would kill both them and myself. But it was a chance that we all were willing to take. That's what it means to belong, and all any one of us ever wanted was to belong. We were a family, bonded by ties greater than blood or oath. And we still are...we still are.
It had been a week and a bit since Max had overthrown David and forced them all to submit to him, and despite their pent up frustration and anxiety, they could not chance going by the hospital to see Fay. Max was watching their every move like the demented vulture he was and they all knew it. So they laid low, tested Max's patience and boundaries, fighting against his rein on them, making sure that he didn't have any doubts about what they were up to. If they had meekly submitted and did nothing, Max would have been onto them in an instant. But if they made it plain that they weren't happy with the situation and rebelled a bit, Max would be satisfied. They weren't the first pack that he had taken over and a rebellious stage was to be expected. What would Paul, Marko and Dwayne do without David's cunning mind, I dare not imagine.
When Max had gone upstate to secure the borders of his new territory, the boys knew that this was their chance to check in on Fay without their intentions being discovered. None
of them had any idea how bad off Fay really was or what to expect and that fear of the unknown made them all nervous. The minute the sun went down that night, the boys hit the road and drove over to St. Michael's, each one lost in his own thoughts. No one said anything as they trooped into the hospital via the front entrance and waited while Paul ducked into the lobby gift shop to pick out a get well present, which turned out to be toy polar bear in a tutu and ballet slippers. David went over to the information desk and the male nurse that was on duty told him that Fay was on the intensive care ward on fourth floor, room 2013. After thanking the man, the four of them took the elevator up to the floor that Fay was on. All of them were shifting nervously expect for David, who somehow remained to keep himself calm and poised. From what Dr. Gordon had told him when he had last been here, Fay's spine had been snapped and no one knew if she was going to wake up paralyzed. He had told the others all that he knew, but no matter what he said, he knew that he could not prepare them or himself for what they were about to see.
"You still got him?" Paul asked Dwayne, who was leaning against the elevator wall, his arms crossed awkwardly over his chest. Dwayne nodded but didn't say anything. The strange bulge in his closed jacket moved slightly, uttering a faint meow before falling silent, as if the cat knew what was going on. Figaro had followed them out of the cave and climbed onto Dwayne's bike when they had gotten ready to leave for the hospital. The loyal feline would not be deterred and despite David's negative scowl, Dwayne had tucked the cat into his jacket and smuggled him into the hospital. He knew that seeing Figaro would give Fay some relief, but it would not be enough to dampen her anguish at loosing nearly all of her housecats. Max and his hellhound had made sure that Fay's cats paid the price for what their interference, even when the cats fought tooth and claw to protect Fay. Even Fat Cat had heroically tried to stop Max from attacking Fay by savaging his ankles, but the overweight cat was no matched for the annoyed vampire and was sent flying down the stairs like a soccer ball, colliding into the wooden banister and walls before landing in a broken heap on the main floor.
Marko nervously chewed on his fingernails as the elevator stopped at the fourth floor and had to be nudged out into the hallway by Paul who had the same uncertain expression on his face, despite his best efforts to hide what he was feeling.
"This way," David quietly told them as he headed down the hallway, following the numbers on the doors before came to room 2013. They all stopped outside the closed door, trying to work up the nerve to turn the door handle and step inside. A soft, nearly inaudible whine escaped Marko as he jammed his trembling hands into the pockets of his jacket, his eyes glued on the tiles beneath his boots. Paul gave his best friend an understanding look as he gently placed a hand on his shoulder, steadying him. David cleared his throat before he stepped forward and opened the door, leading them into the room. The room, like all hospital rooms, was bare and impersonal. There were two beds standing parallel to each other, divided by a linen curtain, but only one of the beds was occupied. Marko bit back a sob that threatened to collapse his unsteady, forced calm when he saw Fay lying deathly still, hooked up to god knows how many machines, looking like something out of a sci-fi movie. Paul looked like he had just swallowed a liter of holy water as his hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood. Dwayne swore softly under his breath as he averted his eyes, taking in a shaky breath to prevent himself from lashing out at something. And David, David stood there with an expressionless mask for a face, looking as if he had been carved from stone. At least she was alive.
"Merw! Merw!" Mewled a frantic Figaro as he clawed at Dwayne's jacket, trying to get out. Dwayne unzipped his leather jacket and Figaro didn't bother waiting to be put down. The cat jumped out of Dwayne's arms and bounded towards the bed, leaping up onto it, his green eyes wide and questioning. When Fay didn't respond he began to prod her with his nose, sniffing and meowing, wondering why she wasn't moving. The gray tabby instantly curled up in the crook of her arm, licking her hand with his rough, pink tongue and rubbing his face against her palm, trying to coax a response from Fay. After a few minutes of trying, the cat sneezed and began to purr happily as Fay's fingers gently brushed his paws.
"Fay?" Dwayne said softly as he walked over to the right side of the bed. Paul followed him while Marko and David stood on the left side, all of them anxiously waiting for some sort of response.
"What?" Fay whispered so faintly that the vampires almost didn't hear it. Paul breathed a sigh of relief as Marko sniffled, brushing his hand across the corner of his eyes. Dwayne carefully sat on the edge of the bed, taking care not to move her or jostle any of the random tubes that were connected to various parts of her body.
"How ya doing?" He said, gazing anxiously at her face, eyeing the slowly healing bruises and stitched cuts that covered her once flawless complexion. She looked like she had gone the distance in a Rocky movie, but at least her eyes weren't swollen shut. He stared at her left leg, which was covered in a plaster cast and elevated by a hanging hammock of sorts, and slowly looked over to David, who shook his head slightly.
"How…do you think?" Came her reply, slightly louder this time. Her eyes still remained closed, but she was conscious and aware of them, despite heavy dosage of painkillers that she had been given to keep the pain at bay. Figaro rested his head against her leg, his thin tail slowly tapping back and forth as he peered around the room, listening.
"You look good Fay. Better then I do when I wake up at night." Paul quipped, hovering over Dwayne's shoulder. At his words, Fay slowly cracked opened an eye, trying to focus on their faces. Paul flashed her a small grin, one that she tried to return but failed miserably.
"Why the long…face Marko?" Fay said as she closed her eye and sighed, the sigh turning into a slight gasp as a twinge of pain ran through her. All four vampires exchanged a look before Marko answered, his voice slightly unsteady.
"With you here, Paul's drivin' me crazy." He said, following Paul's lead and tried to lighten the dismal atmosphere.
"I'll bet." Fay said as she slowly raised her hand and laid it on Figaro's head. The cat closed his eyes and purred, his tail curling around Fay's arm, wanting to be touched by her. "Thanks..." She said, as her fingers slowly scratched Figaro's head. So far only her right arm had moved, the rest of her body lay stiff and immobile which was something that didn't sit too well with the four boys. A cold chill ran up David's spine as he stepped slightly to the side, eyeing the medical chart that hung from the foot of the hospital bed, quickly reading the chicken scratch that was scrawled on the thin, pink page.
"What is it?" Dwayne's voice whispered in his mind and David allowed the other vampire see through his eyes just exactly what Max had done to Fay. Her left leg had been broken in two places and the bones where now held together by metal pins. A few cracked ribs and a sprained wrist came next, but this was nothing compared to what was written on the lower half of the page. Fay's back was fractured in three places along the spine where the disks had been crushed and in order to keep everything intact, the hospital personnel had surgically replaced the damaged vertebrae with metallic ones and had inserted two titanium rods into her back to brace either side of the spine. The rods were permanent.
"No." Dwayne's voice hissed as David slowly reached over and picked up Fay's medical chart, reading it over carefully. Figaro raised his head and looked at Dwayne as he sensed a change in the vampire. Paul was watching David out of the corner of his eye and the stony expression that crept onto his face made him stand up and take notice.
"Does she know?" Dwayne's voice asked once more as the dark-haired vampire looked down at Fay, who seemed to have drifted off without any of them realizing it.
"I don't know." David said out-loud as he hung the medical chart back on the foot of her bed. Marko blinked and looked up at the others, just catching what David had said. Paul and Marko exchanged a puzzled look, not knowing what David was talking about. Paul looked down at Dwayne and then at David, opening his mouth to ask a question but the slight shake of David's head made him reconsider his actions. Not here.
"C'mon." David murmured softly to Paul and Marko as he turned and headed for the door. The other two didn't want to leave Fay's bedside, but they realized what David was doing. Dwayne needed some time with Fay, alone. Paul swallowed and clasped Dwayne on the shoulder, letting him know that they were with him before he followed David out of the room. Marko's eyes lingered on Fay for a moment longer before he sighed and headed after the other two, lost in his own thoughts. She was alive; at least she was still alive.
The room fell silent after Marko shut the door behind him, leaving Dwayne alone with Fay. Figaro stood up and stretched, arching his back as he did so. Mewling softly, he turned in a half circle, careful not to step on the IV tube that snaked from the crook of Fay's elbow. With a small snort, the cat nudged Dwayne's arm with his nose, burrowing his way under Dwayne's arm. Dwayne looked down at Figaro, who was staring up at him with his big, green eyes, questioning the vampire with a simple look.
"It doesn't look good." He said as the cat flicked an ear back, nosing the zipper-lined edge of his jacket. Figaro meowed softly as he sat down by Dwayne's side and somehow, he didn't know how, but somehow Dwayne got the distinct impression that the cat knew exactly what he was talking about. With the rods implanted into her back, Fay would no longer be able to bend, and that one little issue would utterly destroy her world. No bending meant no dancing, and no dancing meant no living. Fay was a dancer, she lived to dance. Just as an artist relies on his eyes to see the images that he paints, a dancer relies on his or her body to express themselves. But not any more. Max had known exactly what he was doing. Hurt Fay, the boys had no choice but to follow through with his wishes. Take away the boys and her ability to move, he would break her. Sometimes it is worse to let a person live then to kill them. Living meant suffering, and that is exactly what Max wanted. Broken and beaten, Max would have the victory and revenge that he wanted. In conclusion, Max would win.
Dwayne carefully untangled Fay's hand from the nest of tubes that snaked around her arm and covered it with his own. He stayed like that, just watching her, wondering what would be next to come hurtling their way. They were all in way over their heads and right now it felt as if they were drowning, miles away from land. If anyone could help them, it was Fay. But, who could help her? Crippled for the rest of her life, there wasn't enough magic in this world to undo what Max had done. He just hoped for her sake and for theirs that she was strong enough to get through this, mentally as well as physically.
"Love me tender, love me dear, tell me you are mine. I'll be yours through all the years, till the end of time." He sang softly as he gently caressed her hand, coaxing some warmth back into her fingertips. You wouldn't have expected it by looking at her, but Fay was a die-hard Elvis Presley fan. Her bedroom was literally covered in Elvis paraphernalia, from the Elvis bedspread to the famous porcelain bust that took its place of honour on her dresser, complete with a pair of dark sunglasses. Dwayne had had quite the experience waking up at sundown to be greeted by a life-sized portrait of the King staring down at him from the wall. No matter where he stood in her bedroom, he couldn't shake the feeling that the painting was watching him And knowing Fay, it probably was. What Dwayne didn't know was that behind that painting, Fay kept all of her family heirlooms and rare items of magical properties that she has either collected over the years or inherited from various aunts and cousins. So his feeling of being watched was right. After a bit of nifty spell casting, the king of rock and roll now resided in her bedroom, keeping a watchful guard over her prized possessions.
A small, tired smile tugged at Fay's lips as she listened to Dwayne croon softly. She squeezed his hand to let him know that she had heard him, and that simple action was all Dwayne needed. She was going to pull through; she wasn't going to let Max break her. It took more than just death to stop a Prima.
"Nolite te basyardes carborundorum," She struggled to say, her voice so faint that Dwayne had to lean forward to hear her. He frowned as the words rang a familiar chord with him. He had heard those words before, but he didn't know what they meant. It was some form Latin, pig Latin to be exact.
"Don't let the bastards grind you down." Fay's voice whispered in his mind before her eyes rolled back into her head and she slipped away into unconsciousness once again. Dwayne nodded as he gently laid her hand back on the bed. He slowly stood and bent over, kissing her gently on her forehead, above the stitched up cut that was an inch and a half long in length that ran across her right eyebrow.
"We'll get him. Don't worry." He said softly as he straightened up and reached down to pick up Figaro. Only problem was that the cat was nowhere to be seen. Dwayne quickly scanned the room for the grey tabby, but the feline was nowhere to be found.
"You take care of her Figaro." He said out loud before he headed for the door. He didn't know how they did it, but Fay's cats had an unnatural knack for vanishing into thin air when you least expected it. But Dwayne had a hunch that the cat would hang around, keeping Fay company. He gave Fay one last look before he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, quietly shutting it behind him. That would be the last time any of them would see her for the next two months. Yet during the upcoming months of solitude, Fay would not be idle. No, the wheels in her head were starting to turn and by the time Fay was released from the hospital, a fully-fledged planned would have hatched in her mind, one that had a large black X crossed over Max. Only later on would Max come to understand what a mistake he had made in letting Fay live. One that he was going to have to pay dearly for.