Aesop lay in his hospital bed, tilting his face away from the food Jack was trying to feed him. Jack sighed, but wasn't frustrated. He couldn't bring himself to be, not with someone who'd just lost his loved one.
"Aesop please just... At least have a bite..?"
Aesop turned around to eye the glob of food before shrinking back under the sheets. He hadn't eaten for three days already, but Jack didn't want to give up. He was determined to get Aesop to at least have a bite out of the food. But the male seemed to have no appetite for anything not even soup. His health would get worse if he continued like this.
"Aesop please..."
He bit back any mentions of "Eli wouldn't want to see you like this" or "Eli would want you to be happy" He was pretty sure any mentions of the missing executive would bring Aesop to tears again. He didn't need to be sedated a third time, and Jack certainly did not want to have a nurse barge in a start attempting to force-feed Aesop.
The other male seemed to know this as well, and reluctantly, he took a bite of food. Everything tasted bad to him, considering his mouth was completely dry. Anything he took a bite of tasted like dough, other than soup. Soup was the only thing he could eat without grimacing at the texture and how it tasted in his dry mouth.
In a few more days he would be discharged from hospital. Rosa had insisted on staying with him to make sure he was alright. Aesop hadn't put up any argument either, he just shrugged and went back to staring out the window. Jack was concerned for the man, but there wasn't much he could do either. He had tried contacting Naib, but it seems the other male wasn't picking up his phone. There was nothing from Norton's side, and Jack could only hope he was holding well against the Abyss.
"You should go home and get some rest, Jack."
He looked up at the tall figure beside him. Andrej stared down at his son, deep in thought. Jack got up and stretched, leaving the two by themselves.
"It should've been me walking in that day... I shouldn't have given you this position while you weren't fully prepared."
"Pa... It's fine..."
Andrej shook his head and sighed. If he hadn't decided to give his position to Aesop when he was only 16 maybe things wouldn't have gone thing wrong. If he had stayed, perhaps this wouldn't have wound up in such a big mess. Maybe his executives could still be safe, and the building wouldn't have blown up.
Maybe Eli wouldn't have died.
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Joseph repositioned the severed ropes so it looked like they hadn't been moved at all and tilted his head down when he heard the first footsteps approaching his chamber. His hand tightened around the sharp piece of glass he'd found. It was the only thing that could serve as his weapon as the lock outside twisted and turned. Only one guard stepped in. This would make it easier for Joseph. He remained still, not daring to look up.
"Oi, you up yet? No time for you to get your beauty sleep."
A hand grasped Joseph's chin. He finally looked up, quickly scanning his surroundings. Nobody outside, the guard all alone, unaware. Joseph felt a rush of adrenaline as he lunged at the guard. The other man hadn't been prepared and fell to the ground, fumbling for his weapon. Joseph was quicker. In seconds he had the gun in his own hand as he slashed the guard's throat with the shard. Blood painted the floor as he straightened up, staring at the mess.
There was no time to lose. He searched the guard's pockets for keys, which he managed to find. Dashing to the door, he checked around the make sure nobody was nearby before dashing to the exit. There was only one guard there, fast asleep. A few more quick slashes and he was dead, slumped in his chair.
"Enjoy that eternal nap..."
Joseph muttered as he slipped the dead man's coat on him to blend in with other people better. He unlocked the door and went out into the dark tunnel, where more members of the Abyss were gathered. He could see crates and crates of weapons around almost every corner. He was careful to not draw attention to himself, staying closer to the shadows. A group passed by, and one of them gave him a clap on the back. It took all his willpower to not break into a sprint.
"Heyyyyy how was the small dude down there?"
Joseph panicked. He had to respond, but he didn't know how the person they thought he was normally responded. Instead he cleared his throat, and with the deepest voice he could muster, he whispered hoarsely.
"Sore throat, can't speak."
The others laughed and gave him another pat. He could feel all the air being slapped out of his lungs already.
"Told'ya you shouldn't have eaten all those spicy chips by yourself you damned pig."
Joseph shrugged under the coat, pulling the hood lower down.
"You probably look horrible eh? Not even showing your face."
His heart was thundering away in his chest. He felt them staring for a few moments and he cleared his throat. He turned around and waved his hand, leaving. They remained there for a few more moments before one of them spoke again. Joseph heaved a sigh as he listened to the fading chatter. Down the tunnel was a door with an unmistakable exit sign. He made a dash towards it and pushed it open, praying nobody would see him.
Outside was an abandoned underground subway. He dashed down the tracks, not bothering that his lungs were burning. The end of the tunnel was in sight as he pushed himself onwards. Never had the fresh air felt so good. He stared up at the sky, guessing it was still quite early. But now wasn't the time for him to be enjoying his newfound freedom. He cast aside the coat onto the grass and dashed for the river. If he wanted to find the twins, to see their faces again, he had to act fast.
