A/N
I was originally going to write a chapter focusing on both Henry and Nikola, but then this little plot bunny popped into my head and I couldn't ignore it. Caution: a little bit of swearing. If you don't like profanity, please feel free to skim over that part.
Suggestions are always welcome.
I don't own Sanctuary, as I'm sure you already know.
"Henry." Big Guy was knocking at his door, "Henry, food."
Henry tried to stop himself from shaking, and drew the covers up tighter around his chin. Shit, it was freezing. He opened his mouth to call out to Big Guy, but was overcome by a sudden, consuming coughing fit. Big Guy seemed to take this as an invitation to come inside, pushing open the door and setting a tray down on Henry's bedside table.
"Soup again?" Henry moaned, once he was able to speak again. Big Guy moved to smack him, but drew his hand back quickly. Henry grinned weakly, sucking in a deep breath. If nothing else, being sick kept his head safe from Big Guy's slapping.
"How are you feeling?" Big Guy asked gruffly, sitting down beside Henry's bed and handing him a mug of cocoa.
"Like absolute shit." Henry mumbled, grimacing as the hot liquid seared his tongue and throat. "You know, I'm starting to wonder if getting better is worth the present pain of your cures."
"Drink." Big Guy ordered, staring him down with those heavyset dark eyes. Henry rolled his eyes but did as instructed.
"Okay, done." He said, handing the mug back. "Can I go back to sleep now? Megan Fox is waiting for me in my dreams."
"No. Soup." Big Guy growled, nudging him. Henry groaned and pulled himself into a sitting position. He had to admit – he didn't feel as cold as before. Still, the moment the covers left his chest, he could feel the iciness creeping back even through his thick jumper. Damn fever.
The two sat in silence, save for the faint sound of Henry spooning soup into his mouth. He ate quickly and methodically, barely swallowing a mouthful before the next was waiting. Big Guy watched him carefully. On the surface, they were calling Henry's sudden sickness a common cold. That was mostly for Kate's sake, as well as the small amount of hope that Henry secretly kept alive within himself. The new arrival had no idea about what kind of 'hellish monster' Henry was, and he had no intention of clueing her in just yet.
He still had qualms about revealing so much, for fear of harsh, cruel rejection.
When he expressed these feelings to the Sanctuary's resident psychiatrist, Will had assured him that the worst Kate would do upon finding out was try to bag him and sell him on the black market. And although Henry had laughed, the thought of Kate knowing made him feel sick. It seemed like the hired gun was sticking around, and it was hard enough having to see Will every day, knowing that he knew. That feeling had faded over time, but sometimes the pity he swore he saw in Will's eyes – in all their eyes – was enough to drive him crazy. He didn't want to add Kate to that list just yet.
Henry felt sloshy when he finally downed the last of the soup. Wordlessly, he handed it back to Big Guy, who placed it back on the tray and stood up. "Sleep." He ordered. Henry collapsed back on his pillow and drew the blankets around him yet again. He saluted as Big Guy walked out the door.
"Will do." Henry mumbled, closing his eyes and immediately drifting off into a fitful sleep.
"So what's the deal with Hank?" Kate asked, pivoting and swinging her leg up high near Will's head. The dark-haired man ducked just in time, his hand catching her foot and swinging it back down. He sent two quick jabs flying towards her head, which she blocked easily and countered with a swift elbow into Will's gut.
"Hey, not so hard." Will grunted, "Henry's just sick, that's all."
Kate's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as the dance increased in tempo. "How sick?"
"Pretty sick. Not the first time he's been like this. It comes and goes every so often."
"Comes and goes? So it's a regular thing?"
Will frowned. Maybe he'd said something he shouldn't have. "Just a cold during the cooler seasons, I guess." He lied smoothly.
"I tried to check up on him earlier, but he just told me to go away. The guy sounded seriously choked up." Kate replied. "It's nothing serious though?"
Will shrugged, cursing under his breath as Kate's kick found its mark. "If it was serious, Magnus would have him in the infirmary, feeding him medicine until he was better. Henry gets over these things by himself."
"Still, I figure I should do something. Bring him chicken soup or whatever. Isn't that good for the soul?"
"Since when does the common cold affect the soul?" Will teased, mentally cheering as he jabbed a fist into her stomach.
"Yeah, well, it's the thought that counts." Kate replied.
"Like I said though, Henry likes to get over it by himself." Will warned. Kate rolled her eyes.
"What a macho man." She drawled, "Can't even accept a little help from his friends? The guy sounds absolutely wrung out."
"Just leave it. He'll be up and about soon and you can reprimand him yourself, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah." She said, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Since coming here, she felt like she belonged. But still, belonging didn't take away the need she had to prove herself. If Big Guy and Will could bring Henry medicine and food, what was the harm in her taking him a little something to help him feel better? Something felt off, and she didn't like it. Maybe the feeling would go away once she did something constructive to help Henry out.
"Henry? It's me." Doctor Magnus knocked once. Henry called something unintelligible, so Magnus opened the door and swept inside. His bed was empty. Glancing around, a sudden panic took over before she spotted him lying on the floor at the bottom of his bed.
"What on earth are you doing? You should be in bed!" Magnus chided gently, "You can't be very comfortable down there."
"Bed's gonna swallow me." Henry mumbled sleepily, using his hands as a makeshift pillow. Magnus cocked her head to the side curiously.
"Excuse me?" She asked, a smile spreading across her face.
"The Jabberwocky told me. He poured hot water over me and told me that Batman sent him to tell me that I was in grave danger. My bed is evil! It already got Robin! But that's okay, because Robin sucks anyway." Henry rolled onto his back and grinned in Helen's general direction. "He's all like hey, I'm Robin, and I'm a little prick who wears tight green spandex! I look like a traffic light! Total pansy, Doc, I'm tellin' ya. Batman's better off without him."
"Oh really?" Magnus said, struggling to keep a level tone. "So I take it you won't be sleeping on your bed again any time soon?"
"No way. I don't wanna be eated. Aten? Eaten? Eaten! That's it. I wonder what it would feel like. Probably painful. I think it already tried to eat me before, my bones were all crunchy and I felt sore everywhere. So I jumped down here because the floor is safe. It's safe isn't it Doc?" Henry looked adorably terrified, and Helen was reminded of all those times he had come to her in the middle of the night, crying terror after terror in the early days.
"Quite safe, Henry. But I think you'll find that your bed is safe, as well." She said soothingly, going to kneel on the floor beside him. She patted his hair and Henry closed his eyes, curling up beside her.
"The Jabberwocky lied to me? Batman lied?" He yawned, and then shivered. "It's less cold on my bed."
"Perhaps they were just playing a trick on you." Helen suggested. Henry looked doubtful. "How about I sit on the bed first, and if everything is fine, then you can come back up."
"It's too dangerous!" Henry protested.
"Henry," Magnus shushed him softly, "trust me."
He frowned but didn't try and stop her. She stood up and sat down on the end of his bed. She waited a few moments, and then smiled down at her adoptive son.
"See? Your bed is perfectly safe." She assured him. Henry's face lit up and he scrambled to climb back into it.
"Thanks, Magnus!" he said as he settled down underneath the covers. Helen moved to sit beside him, and he grabbed her hand and traced it. "You have a totally cool last name. Mag-nus. Ma-guh-nus. M-aaaaaaaaag-nus." He giggled giddily. "Mommy Magnus. Mommy. Mom. Magnus. Remember that time when Ashley still lived with us, Mom?" His voice got small and sad, and he looked at her with big pleading eyes. "I want my Ash, Mom. I miss her."
Helen swallowed the lump that rose in her throat. "I do too, Henry." She took his hand in both of hers and traced patterns on the inside of his palm. "Go to sleep, dear. I'm right here."
Henry seemed satisfied with this, and let his eyes fall closed. "Stupid Jabberwocky... floor sucks..." he mumbled. "Mom love. Love mom." Helen smiled and stroked his hair again. A low rumbling sounded in his chest, almost like a kitten's purr. She felt his forehead and frowned. Searing hot, yet he was trembling from cold. She sighed, knowing she needed to break the fever yet not wanting to leave his side for even a moment.
Maternal instincts warred with medical ones, and finally Magnus kissed Henry's forehead and stood up. "I'll be back soon, Henry." She promised her sleeping son, squeezing his hand once. She left the room feeling both worried and a little happy, simply because he'd called her mom.
Things only got worse. Two days passed and Henry never once left his room, and the Sanctuary seemed a whole lot emptier to Kate. She often saw Magnus going into Henry's room and not leaving for sometimes hours at a time, but every time she asked what was going on, Magnus would just shake her head and respond with the same answer every single time; "Henry's very sick, but refuses to be moved to the infirmary."
It wasn't really that out of the ordinary that she would bring him something, Kate told herself as she rode the elevator up to the floor where Henry slept. It wasn't like anyone had forbidden her to go near Henry's bedroom, anyway. It was all perfectly fine.
Still, the monster hunter felt a little apprehensive as she stood outside Henry's door, clutching the latest comic book in a series she knew Henry liked. He hadn't been able to buy it himself, so why not? It was better than showing up with a thermos of coffee, anyway.
She knocked once, but all she got in reply was a muffled moan. She knocked again.
"Henry? It's Kate. I brought you something."
He called something that vaguely sounded like go away, but Kate wasn't budging.
"Come on, Hank. I'm bringing you a little piece of geek heaven here, the least you could do is let me in to give it to you."
No reply. Kate frowned. She twisted the doorknob, smiling when she realised it wasn't knocked, and pushed it open.
"Okay, I know you said to go away, but seriously. I brought you this." She held up the comic book, smiling brightly.
Her smile faded when she actually took notice of her surroundings.
Usually kept in a sort of cluttered order, she wondered what could've happened to make it look so... destroyed. Clothes were strewn everywhere – some ripped – and the remains of what she guessed what a lamp lay beside the bed. Books and computer parts littered the floor, the mirror on top of his chest of drawers cracked, unrepairable. Henry himself was tangled in his sheets, his face covered in a thick sheen of sweat. He moaned, his body convulsing.
"Hank?" She said softly, warily, "Henry, are you okay?"
"Get out." The voice that came from Henry was not his own – it was guttural and ugly. Kate didn't move. Henry squeezed his eyes shut and clawed at his face. "I said fucking get out!"
"No! Henry, what's happening? Let me help you –" She moved towards him and Henry roared, half in pain and half in absolute blind rage. He was shaking wildly now, screaming profanities and ripping at his hair.
"Doctor Magnus!" Kate shouted, turning her head once to call for help. She tried to edge closer to him, but Henry's eyes wheeled to her and he shook his head.
"No, no! Kate, get the fuck out –" he was overcome by another shuddering convulsion, and couldn't finish his sentence. "I can't – oh my God. DOCTOR MAGNUS!" He snarled, half-sobbing.
"Oh my goodness, Henry!" Suddenly Magnus was there, breathless and terrified. "Kate, what happened?"
Kate stared with wide eyes at Henry. "I just came to give him a comic book." She whispered, "Doctor Magnus, what's happening?"
There was a horrible tearing sound, and Henry screamed bloody murder. She watched, motionless, as he began to change. It all happened so quickly yet so slowly, his canines sharpening and fur erupting all over his body. Magnus was yelling something at her, but she couldn't process it. All she could see was Henry, half-changed, struggling to change back.
"Werewolf..." Kate murmured inaudibly.
"Out." Big Guy's giant hands suddenly grabbed her shoulders and yanked her from Henry's room. She struggled against them, but he was far too strong for her to break free.
"No! Hey, let me go!"
He dumped her in the hall and went back into Henry's room, closing the door behind him. Kate rattled it, but it was locked. Frustrated and confused and afraid, Kate snarled a string of curses. She pounded on the door for a while but eventually gave up, settling down against the wall to wait. She closed her eyes and strained her ears, desperate to hear what was going on in Henry's bedroom.
She could hear Magnus yelling for Big Guy to hold him down, while Henry's incessant snarling and growling carried all the way down the hall. He howled, long and pained and sorrowful, and Kate winced.
A long time passed and Will came to join her. For a while they sat in silence, listening to the gradually quietening sounds coming from Henry's room. Finally, Kate sighed.
"I'm guessing I'm the only one who didn't know?"
"Don't feel insulted – he didn't tell me, either. I just sort of found out."
"How?"
Will smiled. "He saved my life."
Kate sighed again. "Why didn't he just tell me?"
"I asked the exact same question."
"And what answer did they give you?"
"Henry doesn't like people knowing. He doesn't like what he is."
"He shouldn't feel like he has to hide it." Kate muttered, folding her arms over her chest.
Will smiled in a hopeless sort of way. "I know."
The snarling faded into quiet weeping, and Kate closed her eyes again.
"Too soon for another house call?"
Henry looked up from his comic, glancing at the open door. He sighed when he saw Kate, holding up what he gathered to be a CD. She smiled hesitantly. Henry shrugged.
"Come in, I guess." She closed the door behind her and took a few steps towards his bed.
"I brought you this. Uh, Magnus said you liked them, so I just thought..."
He already had this one, but he wasn't going to tell her that. She was floundering – completely at a loss for what to say, and they both knew it. Henry smiled a little.
"Thanks. That means a lot." He took the CD from her outstretched hand and leant over to put it on the bedside table.
"I... I see you cleaned up." Kate bit her lip. Henry nodded.
"Yep."
A beat of unbearably awkward silence passed between them. Finally, Henry sighed.
"Oh come on. Just say something."
"Why are you so ashamed of being the way you are?" The words practically leapt out of Kate's mouth, and she immediately wanted to stuff them back in. Henry didn't look angry though, just tired.
"Not so much ashamed anymore," He said slowly, "More... afraid. Until you've lived it, you have no idea what it feels like."
"You let me think you were dying." Kate glared at him.
"Yeah, well, whatever." Henry replied, "You should learn not to jump to conclusions."
"I didn't jump to conclusions! Everyone was acting like you had some crazy disease and you weren't getting better. Honestly, I would've much preferred it if you just outright told me the truth."
"Not your business, Freelander."
Kate stopped in her tracks abruptly. Guilt washed over her. "Yeah," She mumbled, "I guess it isn't."
Henry felt a little bad. He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. He closed the comic book. "It's just not something I feel like shouting from the rooftops, you know?"
Kate sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I get it. I just... look. I don't like feeling useless."
Henry raised his eyebrows. "You kick monster ass most days of the week. How are you useless?"
Kate avoided his gaze. "Well... you guys are all so freakin' tight-knit, I felt like I had to do something to help. You're a not-so-closeted geek, so I figured bringing you a comic would cheer you right up." She laughed hollowly, "That worked out well, didn't it? I just felt like it was... I don't know. I just wanted to help you feel better."
"I'm sorry, did Kate Freelander just admit to actually having a heart?" Henry grinned. Kate grabbed a pillow and whacked him with it.
"Don't get used to it, wolfie." She grinned back though, and suddenly the awkwardness was gone.
"Good edition, by the way," Henry said, holding up the comic, "Thanks. I'll pay you back the next time I draw out cash."
Kate shook her head. "No way. It was a get well soon gift. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?"
"A lot better." Henry smiled.
"Good to hear." Kate stood up, stretching out. "I guess I'd better get going. I was actually on my way to see Will. He wanted to talk to me about something." She grimaced, "I can only guess how boring it's going to be."
"Try and gauge it on a scale of slightly to insanely."
"Will do." She turned to leave. "Oh, and Hank?"
"Yeah?"
"Tell anyone all that mushy crap I just told you, and I will bag and tag you. It won't be too hard to find a buyer for a HAP." She grinned devilishly and stalked out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
Henry smiled and shook his head. He picked up the comic book and started reading, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He glanced out the window. It was a beautiful sunny day, and he was confining himself to his room. Again.
What the hell, he thought, and pulled on a pair of shoes. Kate didn't think any differently of him. None of them did.
So why should he?
