5. And many Happy Returns
Sweets & Dean become better friends. Chet has a heart attack and Sweets thinks he's using drugs so he can work more on the line. Sweets decides he can't ignore what's going on with the people around him and will have to get involved.
"Any luck?" Hodgins asked once his lovely wife walked out of her office.
"Luck with what?" Cam asked standing over a set of skeletal remains with Dr. Brennan.
"Oh, I tried to call Sweets, see how he was doing. Check and see what he's doing to pass the time under the sun." Angela said shrugging.
"I don't understand how luck would be involved in any of this." Brennan said. The rest were somewhat surprised the conversation didn't upset her since it was taking them away from the investigation they were working on.
"I was just hoping to reach him." Angela explained. "I didn't, it went straight to voice mail."
"I'm sure Booth has his hotel information." Brennan suggested.
"No, I don't want to bother him." Angela said.
"Dr. Sweets doesn't often scare me but I was pretty worried on that last case." Cam said in a honesty she did not often display so candidly so the fact she did meant something.
"Without Dr. Sweets thorough profile Booth would have walked into a very dangerous situation." Brennan reminded them.
"Yeah, I mean I'm glad that he didn't because yeah that would have been disastrous." Angela mentioned. "But I mean, Sweets went into a dark place to get in that guy's head. I mean he poured over some really grizzly stuff day and night. I don't see how that doesn't mess with someone's head."
"Well Sweets is a psychologist." Hodgins reminded them and they waited for a comment from Dr. Brennan on the soft science but she only continued to work.
"Still, he's human." Cam added. "Sweets almost didn't seem himself after that case but hopefully nothing a break and some sunshine couldn't help right?"
"Right, I'm sure he's fine." Angela said picking up her tablet to get back to work.
Brennan looked around at them. That's it? They've going to drop it? They didn't even notice I didn't attach Sweets work? He's been gone almost three weeks, he's back in another one but still, something isn't right. Sweets would call, maybe sunshine isn't enough. They didn't get the hint I thought they should call the hotel. Maybe I should call myself.
The hallways were dark as Dean and Sweets quietly walked down the corridor. The pair had managed to walk casually enough after dinner that it appeared that they were doing nothing out of the ordinary. They then waited, unseen until the staff had left and the male nurse left before the entered the infirmary.
"He's on rounds, he won't be back for an hour." Dean observed.
"Lights out in an hour so let's not wait too long." Sweets whispered as they headed towards the darkened room. Sweets wondered if he should have divulged more about Madere's murder but he decided to start on the drug situation at the prison first and see how that went, if he could trust Dean.
"What about the doctor?" Dean asked.
"He just comes in when called and for check ups, he doesn't work here." The pair walked in the door and found the single patient in the small room, Chet.
"Hey buddy." Dean said looking down at the man who looked pale and very ill. Sweets was busy pouring over the medical charts which luckily were low tech and on paper.
"Hey fellas." Chet said slowly opening his eyes to a smile. "What are you doing in here?"
"Well we broke in so keep your voice quiet." Dean urged him. "What happened Chet?"
"Oh you know…" Chet said embarrassed.
"We know you were on some junk." Dean pressed. "Why?"
"I couldn't keep up." Chet confessed. "I thought it would help. Not so much huh?"
Dean could tell the man was far more ill than he should be. "Are they helping you here?"
"I don't know." Chet said getting confused.
Dean looked to Sweets who shook his head "no" in regards to the medical attention.
"Hey Chet, one more thing." Dean said getting Chet's attention again. "We think a few more people might be getting hurt. Where did you get the stuff from, another inmate?"
Chet shook his head no but looked away, he didn't want to say.
"Come on Chet, you can trust us right?" Dean encouraged and Chet wasn't sure why but he felt like he could trust the pair, something about their eyes.
"It's that new guard."
"Guard?" Dean asked surprised, Sweets was surprised as well.
"Yeah, I said I was worried I couldn't keep up, he said he had something for me. Reasonable rate."
Dean looked to Sweets who was busy scribbling on the medical charts but a noise was coming from outside.
"Okay we'd better go Chet, we'll be seeing you." Dean said as he headed for the door while Sweets rushed to fill in more notes. Soon he joined Dean and the pair hid in the hall while a guard did a sweep of the room.
"That was close." Sweets said once the guard was gone.
"Too close." Dean said. "We'd better head back before lights out."
The pair looked and saw no one in the dark corridor so they headed down the hallway.
"Hey, what were you writing on those papers?" Dean asked.
"They're not treating Chet for a drug addiction, just monitoring his heart since that was technically what caused him to collapse. So I put down some notes on treating him accordingly."
"You think they will read them?" Dean asked.
"Well they have a rotation of visiting doctors who volunteer their time. The next one on rotation will assume the doctor before left it."
"Oh, well how did you know what to write?" Dean asked and Sweets was afraid he was caught in the act.
"I uh, used to use." Sweets lied. "Yeah, I did some time in a rehab clinic, volunteered there after."
"Oh, sorry to hear…" Dean said but a guard came upon them in the hall. Sweets turned first and saw the guard but in the darkened hall he hadn't seen Dean yet. Sweets pushed Dean aside and took off running. As he suspected the guard took off Sweets not having seen Dean.
Sweets didn't get far and he knew he wasn't going to be outrunning the guard who had a radio but wanted to put some distance between himself and Dean, at least one of them needed to keep an eye on Chet in case what might happen did, and it did. Sweets rounded the corner but another guard was waiting for him, hitting him the face with the butt of the rifle. Sweets fell the ground in the darkened hall as the two guards decided to accentuate their disdain by kicking him for a while.
"Stop." A voice said and the men did as they were told. A calm and cool Wallace appeared though Sweets was disoriented and breathing heavily. "The box doesn't work for you, so what do you think will?"
"Make an example of him sir?" One of the guards asked.
"Something like that." Wallace said motioning for them to collect Sweets.
The next day Dean looked around anxiously as they rolled out on the line, Sweets was nowhere in sight. By the time he was back on his feet last night Sweets was long gone. He hadn't liked what Sweets had done but he knew them both getting caught left no one to look after Chet or anyone else for that matter. The fact that Sweets didn't return that night did not bode well with Dean.
They pulled up at the job site and Dean was surprised to see a truck already there. His stomach sank slightly when he saw Sweets there and it was obvious Sweets' day had started far earlier than the rest of them.
Sweets moved about his work on the line, clearing trees. He wasn't given saws he just hauled away what had been done already, just hauling it away. Sweets was working in a different area though in full view. Dean noted it was work for several men, not just one – it soon became obvious the man was to be made an example of.
Sweets picked up move large logs and while the recent manual labor had done much to increase his physical physique for the work, having done this since three that morning, as it was now seven in the morning, was exhausting to anyone, nor had he slept any the night before - the guards had made sure of that. Anytime he dozed off he they would splash him with water, hit him or shock him, he never knew what was coming next. Sweets became very acute to not falling asleep.
Now the manual labor under the hot sun was not only tiring on its own but the lack of breakfast and prolonged work hours were making it near impossible.
"Hey kid, want some water?" The guard asked Sweets who nodded yes. As Sweets approached the guard threw it at him and laughed.
Dean was watching from a short distance and moved forward when he saw what the guard did. Sweets saw Dean move and shook his head slightly for Dean to not make a move and reluctantly Dean stopped, again two of them in trouble would do anyone else little good.
"Thank you sir that was delightful." Sweets said to the guard and then returned to his work. He ached as he lifted a heavy log and drug it to the truck. The work continued in the same fashion, Sweets became fueled by his anger towards the guards, his predicament and whoever it was that handed out the breaks – or the lack there of. The anger within fueled him until lunch when he was allowed to sit but not eat. Instead from a distance of twenty feet or so he watched as the others ate and he was instructed to watch.
Dean couldn't stomach his sandwich at the sight of the situation. The guard approached him to find out what the issue was but as Dean was about to stand and give his personal opinion of the matter again he caught a glimpse of Sweets slyly shaking his head no, suggesting Dean back down and he did. Dean's eyes were locked on Sweets though each bite was nearly impossible to swallow.
For a guy who murdered two people, close to him, in cold blood, he is eager to help a fellow person in trouble Sweets considered about Dean as the break ended. Work resumed though the afternoon proved difficult for Sweets. The increasing heat and the decrease in energy were equally against him. As he began to fail to complete his assigned tasks the guard assigned to him, Lee, took to taunting him, then, shoving and by the close of the work day, an occasional hit.
The head guard called for quitting time and the men began to head to the truck. Sweets felt a relief that the day may be over.
"What are you doing?" Lee asked Sweets. "Your work day is far from over."
It wasn't until they got back to the yard that Dean realized Sweets had not returned with them. He found another inmate who was in the last truck to leave and found out as they left for the day, Sweets was still working. Dean was glad his weekly phone call was due.
Sweets could feel the cool evening breeze against his skin, it was moving quickly, faster than a breeze and he opened an eye to see he was lying on the uncomfortable surface of the truck bed. He had remembered working continuously though not well, he was dropping more tree trunks and limbs than he was carrying, causing Lee to react unpleasantly. Once the sun set down he said it was time to go and Sweets was pretty sure he must have dropped on his knees as passed out at the sound of that. Lee must have thrown him in the back of the truck. Problem was this time of year getting dark meant about eight or so at night, which meant he had worked a practically continuous 18 physical labor day.
The truck stopped and Sweets idly wondered if he was to be shot and buried under a tree next to the name 'Madere.' He heard voices, one of which never meant good news.
"Get him up." Wallace ordered and Sweets could feel himself being pulled by his heels and pulled up though he could barely stand on his own two feet.
"What were you doing the other night?" Wallace asked. Sweets wondered why it came down to punishment and then questions. That led Sweets to wonder what had happened.
"I got lost." Sweets said.
Wallace smiled and it was obvious he didn't appreciate Sweets answer and delivered a blow to his stomach himself.
"That must hurt not having eaten since dinner last night." Wallace smiled. "Did you see it out there today? Those men out there the ones you want so badly to impress, the did nothing, nothing to help you. Remember that before your next stunt boy. I will break you I promise you that – I have everything on my side to make that happen, you have nothing."
Help? Sweets thought to himself as he coughed and hoped it wasn't followed by blood being expelled. Who is going to help with men and guns everywhere? This guy is nuts.
"So what were you doing?" Wallace asked again and Sweets could tell this was very important to the man.
"I was going to meet someone, I wanted to score some stuff, make me work faster." Sweets figured it was a good opportunity to score some info as well.
"Why, you're production has been increasing quiet well, it would seem that hard labor is doing a body good." Wallace said pointing to Sweets arms though they were covered in a shirt. "Your strength has increased quite a bit, your attitude leaves much to be considered. But! I am a forgiving man, one mistake can be forgotten after a day."
Sweets realized what Wallace was getting at, it seemed each time his punishment lasted on day. Still he hadn't answered the drug question.
"Keep your nose clean." Wallace said nodding and the guards pulled Sweets away before he could ask more questions.
Sweets wasn't sure where they were headed, the room was fuzzy and his vision unclear, his head pounded, his chest ached and his stomach burned. Soon enough he felt the hard cement floor under his body, a hard drop followed by a commotion. Sweets wanted to brace for whatever could happen next but he was far too exhausted. He tensed as he felt arms go under his and pull him from the ground.
"No more…" He slurred.
"Hey, hey, careful." A voice said and Sweets realized the pairs of hands that had lifted him from the ground were not rough, but careful. His own feet tried to keep up half of the deal and walk to where he was being taken. He didn't feel worried, a sort of hush fell around where he was as his tired eyes tried to open to the too bright for his eyes room.
"Here." Someone said and Sweets felt light on his feet as he felt a surface below him, far softer than a concrete floor but no Temperpedic.
The support left and Sweets wondered where he was, the light was softer and he slowly opened them to see a bunk above. Home Sweets said to himself in a sarcastic sort of way, but it was better than a dirt bed.
"Hey Kale." A voice said and Sweets wondered why the voice was close but not talking to him. Oh yeah. Sweets thought turning his head slowly to see Dean. "Glad to see you again."
"Yeah thanks." Sweets said though barely audible his voice was so parched. Someone handed over a water bottle and Sweets quickly drained it. It was sent to be refilled, Sweets could hear the exchange. No help huh? Sweets thought to himself as he drank a second bottle.
"It's not much, but I was hoping you would be back." Dean said opening a napkin to reveal a biscuit and some sort of meat with a banana as well. Sweets knew by Dean taking the food back with him he had eaten less that day. Murdered people my ass, what the hell is going on here? Sweets thought in regards to Dean.
"Thanks." Sweets said taking a bit timidly. The rest of the men backed up to let him rest and Sweets questioned if they were curious or concerned, perhaps both and both non-admittedly.
"That was stupid what you did." Dean said, slight anger in his voice. "Thanks, but stupid, and do not repeat."
Sweets nodded. "Not a problem."
"So uh, you gonna make it?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, I guess. Maybe some rest, I don't know."
"You sound sort of, defeated."
"Just a bad day." Sweets said savoring each bite of the banana.
"Just another day."
Sweets shook his head and smiled. "No, today was my birthday."
Dean nodded. "Some birthday."
Okay, so I thought it would be sort of interesting for Sweets worst day there to be his birthday, but I had to do it since today is MY birthday! But the coolest thing about today being my birthday is that I share it with Jensen Ackles…you know Dean…. Yeah this isn't meant to be a cross over so in no way is he Dean Winchester but it just makes for a pleasant visual. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, my birthday was slightly better than Sweets day, slightly….