Tom shivered pathetically in the corner of his room. Curled into a ball, teeth chattering, and arms wrapped tightly around himself for comfort.
He had no idea how much time had passed since Tord left him alone after yelling at him for accidentally releasing the bioweapon. There was no clock in his room and his Redex had long since been confiscated. As punishment for his act of stupidity, Tord had not only stripped the bed of all its comfort, but soon after the lights in his quarters stopped working and the temperature dropped so low Tom could see his breath in front of his face. Not even the water in the bathroom functioned anymore.
Tom couldn't sleep. Nobody came in to deliver him food. There was no warmth, light, water, or food to be found and he was alone in the dark. The only thing he had as consolation was the Red Army uniform still attached to his body. How ironic that something so tacky and represents the person that put him in this mess to begin with was the one thing providing him warmth in this dire situation.
To be fair, out of all the ways Tord could have used to kill him, freezing to death was not a bad way to go. Tom always figured he'd die fighting Commie, kicking and screaming till his last breath, but it seems even that dignity had to be ripped away from him. He can only hope the same fate was not being bestowed upon his friends.
Tom sighed, shivering as he curled up even more. He rubbed his hands to ignite some warmth back into them, even though he'd lost all feeling on the tips of his fingers a long time ago. Looking up at the ceiling of his room, he could see three air ducts pumping stinging cold air into the room like this was meant to be a freezer instead of a bedroom.
This wasn't fair! None of this is! It was an honest stupid mistake on his part. He hadn't meant to release the bioweapon, though of course the idea had been tempting at the time. Setting the monster free to obliterate Commie and his army, while Tom laughed victoriously in the background as the building caved in on him. But Tom wouldn't have done it. Not without a proper plan first. Not without first discovering where his friend's were being kept and saving them. But what actually happened down in the lab was merely an accident; clumsiness on his behalf. That's it! It's not fair that he should be punished for something he didn't even mean to do.
Thinking back to the incident in the lab, it was almost poetic in a way.
A monster in the custody of the Red Army. Beaten, tortured, and starved finally getting the chance to strike back and escape. Tom remembered making eye contact with the beast. Its icy eyes staring deep into his soul, and Tom thought they made a connection. That they had a mutual understanding. It was almost like the monster knew what he'd done and it silently thanked him for it. Of course that was before it tried to lash out at him, but Tom held no ill feelings toward the monster. It was wild and scared, and it had every right to attack any human on sight.
As Tom lied down on the cold hard floor, clutching at his uniform desperately for warmth, he thought of how victims of hypothermia would usually hallucinate and drift off to sleep before succumbing to the elements in their last moments of life. His eyes were drifting close already. Distantly, he thought he heard a door creak open but he had no strength left in his body.
All he could think about, in his last torturous moments, was how lucky that monster was to escape this awful place. Tom felt sort of happy for it all things considered.
His eyes drifted shut and darkness filled his vision, letting the void take him far away from Commie's terrible grasp. Whatever version of the afterlife awaited him, it can't be worse than this.
To say that Tord felt awful was an understatement. He let his anger get the better of him and he was too hard on Tom. Patrick and Yanov were always saying he had problems with anger issues, but he didn't think he would explode on Tom this soon.
After leaving Tom's room devoid of warmth and other basic necessities, Tord had stormed off to resume with the rest of his day as if nothing had happened; though his short-fused temper was quick to say otherwise. Patrick had taken over as Tord's assistant for the duration of the day, and eventually Tord calmed down long enough to realize the horrible mistake he made.
What have I done? Tord thought with panic as he ordered Yanov to go check up on Tom. He couldn't bring himself to go see him personally. The wound was too fresh. Tord will never forgive himself for this. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if Tom never forgave him for his actions today.
But he has to learn to respect Tord someday. As his partner of choice, Tord must teach him the ways of the Larsin bloodline, what is expected of him as Red Leader's betrothed, and how he is supposed to act. The more defiant he is, the harsher the punishment will be.
Tom will learn in time. For his own sake, he has to. Tord isn't sure how long he can keep this up if Tom continues to resist him. Maybe Tom was innocent and really had been speaking the truth when he said he did not release the bioweapon on purpose. Maybe he was lying. Or maybe Tord was just a fool. All he knew for certain is that his progress with Tom was now three steps behind thanks to his outburst. But as Red Leader, Tord knows he must keep his hand firm and steady in order to guide Tom in his teachings, just as his own father had done. He won't allow his dearly beloved betrothed to run wild and free.
So their relationship got off to a rocky start. What did he expect? He kidnapped Tom and threatened the lives of his friends, then he let him freeze in his bedroom, and now Tom must utterly detest him.
Surely he will get over it once Tord starts showing a more caring side to him. He will remain strong in his devotion to Tom; he won't allow him to see him weakened. Tom must never find out how much he does not wish to punish him, otherwise he might just be tempted to push his boundaries further. Tord wished Tom could understand that's just the way things are in his family and that it must be done. It's for his own good and development as future co-leader of the world.
Tord lifted his robotic arm and tapped at the screen to view Tom's bedroom. Unbeknownst to Thomas, his quarters were tapped with hidden cameras for Tord to observe him at his own leisure. He watched Tom shiver in the corner of his bedroom, tucked tight into a ball. His heart broke for him. Tord felt no pleasure seeing him suffering like this. Tord wanted nothing more than to barge in, cradle Tom in his arms, hold him to keep him warm, and tell him that he's deeply sorry.
I'm so sorry, Thomas. Tord thought to himself in anguish. I wish you weren't so stubborn and that you understood everything.
Through the cameras he watched Yanov and his team enter the bedroom and drag an unconscious Tom out towards the infirmary.
Tord sighed. Tom will learn to adapt to his new role in time. For now, he can rest assured that Yanov will take the best possible care of his beloved Thomas.
The sound of repetitive beeping gradually dragged Tom back to consciousness. He groaned. The first thing he noticed when he came to was how warm and comfortable he is. He blinked open his eyes, squinting as a harsh white light shone down on his face. It took a little getting used to to finally get a good look at his surroundings.
He was lying down on a bed in a brightly lit, pristine white marble room. Doctors and nurses surrounded him on all sides. The room was warm; there were heaters turned on in his direction, and to top it all off Tom had an electric blanket draped over him that was pouring warmth into his body and reviving his being. Tom sighed contently.
A thermometer was jabbed into his mouth unexpectedly, and Tom jolted in surprise.
Yanov stood over him, checking his pulse. "Vitals are looking good." He murmured. He took out the thermometer and nodded at it. "Body heat could be better. Water, please!"
A nurse hurried over to Tom with a bottle of water in her hands and promptly shoved the straw into his mouth. Startled by the intrusive gesture, Tom tried to protest but ended up sucking on the straw. He nearly melted with relief when water moisturized his tongue and trailed down his bone-dry throat, rejuvenating his being.
The nurse moved away a moment later. Tom watched her back away before turning his attention to Yanov. His first interaction with the Red Army doctor hadn't been a pleasant one; he'd hated this man's guts. But now, having nearly frozen to death and watching Yanov diligently doing everything in his power to heal him, Tom felt a wave of gratitude towards the Russian doctor. Maybe it was the effects of freezing still lingering on his body, he wouldn't be surprised if it was, but he felt like he misjudged him.
"Thank you… for saving me." Tom rasped hoarsely. "I'm sorry for the way I behaved towards you… before."
Yanov frowned. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I must ask you to refrain from talking to me in such a manner." He said cryptically. "I'm afraid you won't be saving my life if you keep doing so." His eyes shifted nervously.
What's that supposed to mean? Tom wondered, baffled. Here he was trying to be nice only for the doctor to spit back in his face. Figures.
The nurse came back with more water as Yanov continued to periodically check his pulse for what seemed like hours. "You're out of danger now." He said. "You're all good to go."
Tom chuckled weakly. "Not for long. Tord will probably just come by and finish what he started himself. He'll never let me live after what he believes I've done."
Yanov scoffed. "I highly doubt the Red Leader would be capable of going through all that again. You gave him quite a scare already!"
Tom furrowed his eyebrows but said nothing, though his confusion was evident. He's the one who just nearly froze to death, and yet somehow Tord is the one suffering for it. Talk about playing the victim card. But what did he expect when everyone in this damned base was blindly loyal to Commie?
"You're very lucky, you know." Yanov continued. "Usually Red Leader wouldn't hesitate to kill people who dare cross him, but you're a special case. I guess he must've really taken a shine to you."
Or maybe he just wants to prolong my suffering. Tom finished bitterly to himself. Tord would never pass up the chance to make me pay for what I did to him.
Still, something wasn't adding up here. And that concerned Tom greatly.