Thanks for reviews, much appreciated. No other commentary today.
The heart monitor beeped continuously. There had been no change for days. Chris and Shaz sat next to her. Her colour had returned mostly, but she was still a little pale. It was dark in the room.
"Maybe you'd like some daylight ma'am? I know I would if I was cooped up in here all day." Shaz got up and opened the curtains. Sunlight streamed into the room. Chris gasped. Shaz spun around.
"What is it, baby?"
"Her hand! Her hand moved!"
Was she coming back? Chris looked at her.
"Ma'am, are ya comin' back? Please do. Ya should hear the Guv. HE's awful ta listen to. All he ever says is 'It's all me fault.'"
**
Alex had spent a while standing outside the prison. He had been here for 26 years. She worked up the courage to finally walk in. The man at the desk looked up at her, bored.
"I want to see Gene Hunt."
He looked shocked at the name, but quickly called a guard to take her back. The second guard, however, was quite talkative.
"So do you know Gene 'unt?"
"I didn't. My mother did, she worked with him."
"She wasn't that DI he murdered was she?"
Alex glared at him.
"Oh, she was. I'm sorry. After a while, in me profession, the crimes don't shock ya anymore."
"Maybe you should think before you speak. But no offense taken."
"Thank you ma'am. I will next time. Jus' to let you know, that Gene 'unt, 'e don't talk much. In fact, I've worked here for 25 years, and never heard him say a word, 'cept when 'e would wake from 'is dreams screaming. Those were awful nights, they were. 'E'd wake up screaming "Bolly" or summat like that. Eventually, 'e stopped. One thing I never got though: why would 'e be screamin' a bottle of posh shampoo? I could never understand that."
"Some things aren't meant to be understood." Alex was seriously getting sick of this man.
"Right. Well, 'ere you are. Jus' knock on the door when you're ready ta come out."
The guard unlocked the door and let her in. There was a man sitting on the bed on the opposite side of the room. He looked up as she entered. Shock crossed his face. He stared at her.
"I am mad. I'm seein' my Bolls 'ere in prison with me." His gravelly voice was hoarse. Alex looked sadly at him. He hadn't shaved for a few days and his beautiful golden mane was now grey and unkempt. He was almost shockingly thin. His eyes, his beautiful blue eyes with their extremely long lashes were filled with empty sadness. What amazed her most though, was his presence. Before, when he walked into a room, you could feel him. Now, he was so small. He didn't care whether he lived or died.
"Gene."
"Yer voice sounds the same. Course, if this is one of them 'lucinations, I'm not surprised. Why aren't ya dressed in eighties gear though? Whenever I see ya in me dreams, yer always in the outfit ya wore the day I shot ya. You know which one. Ya had on a red sash tied in the front, ya would've put yer gun in it, and a cream coloured shirt with red dots and red buttons. It had some kind of red trim around the neck and front of the shirt. Ya had on tassels as earrings and extremely tight blue jeans and black boots. Oh, and yeh had yer leather jacket. Yeh always had that jacket. "
Alex was shocked. She couldn't remember what she was wearing that day with that kind of accuracy.
"Gene, what happened to you?"
"I always figgered you'd come back."
"What do you mean?"
"Ya died Bolls." Then he went silent. "And it was all my fault."
"Guv…"
"The second ya fell, I knew you'd die. And I've just waited for ya to come back. I knew you'd want your revenge."
"Gene, that's not what I want. What happened to you? You used to be so strong. You wouldn't listen to anyone! Nothing bothered Gene Hunt! He was the Manc Lion!" She said this to try and get a reaction out of him. It didn't work. He just looked up at her with those depressed eyes.
"Ya died, Alex. So I died too."
"Gene, I'm going to change this. I am going to live."
"How can ya live when yer already dead?"
"I'm going back Gene. I'm going to save you from becoming this."
A sad smile crossed his face. "Jus' like my Bolly. Always talkin' nonsense."
The smile disappeared. "I couldn't save ya. I'm sorry."
"Gene..."
"Listen to me, Bolls. I've spent near 30 years in this cell. I've wanted to physically die since the second you fell down. Now, I got to see you one last time and yeh weren't yellin' at me. That's all I ever wanted. Even if I am mad. I'm finally partially at peace."
Alex had wanted to say more, but after his last statement, there was no way she could talk to this Gene Hunt anymore without crying. She knocked on the door.
As she stepped out of the cell, she heard his voice again. "Bye Bolly."
She looked back as the guard closed on the small shape of Gene Hunt. Watching him, Alex was reminded horribly of one of the things Sam had told her.
"The day they were going to take me off life support, Reg Cole told me I was dead already. I was breathing, my heart was beating, but it was an allusion of life. Me mam had told me that at the beginning of the day. Hearing that, I didn't mind so much that I was most likely going to die."
This was Gene Hunt now. Still breathing, heart beating, but only an allusion of life...
She knew now. She would find a way back.
TBC
