Time To Go

Here we go

Victor tightened his grip against Ryan. He lost him once. He almost lost him twice. He wasn’t gonna lose him again. He’d make sure of it.

He approached the revolving doors of the apartment complex and awkwardly made his way through them, trying not to drop Ryan in the process. Modern technologies made no sense to him. What did you need a spinning door for, anyway? It confused him.

Thankfully, it was late enough that the hallways were empty. He didn’t need anyone seeing them like this. Not all bloodied up and injured. At least they’d probably recognize him as Jack…this timeline’s Jack. The Jack that he just had to see get ripped apart by a 30-ton train. Oh dear…maybe that wasn’t ideal after all. He shook the thought from his mind.

Ryan whimpered. He was having a nightmare..a bad one. He was at the train tracks..Jack was on them.. Jack kept getting hit by the train, over and over again and all Ryan could do was watch as his little brother got ripped apart. His body shook in Victors arms, he wanted to get out of this nightmare but..he couldn't wake up.

Victor carried Ryan into the elevator and through the hall. Which apartment was it again? Oh, yeah. The one with the open door, that would make sense. He just shut the door behind them when he heard a noise…a whimpering? It was then that he noticed a quivering Ryan in his arms. Victor’s eyes widened, he rushed to Ryan’s room and set him in his bed. He needed rest, but…this didn’t seem good. He placed his hand firmly on Ryan’s shoulder.

“Ryan?” He called.

Ryan felt the hand on his shoulder but he didn't wake up. He turned around in the dream, it was Data, he screamed. He heard the thud again and he could feel Data turn him back to the tracks again. God, someone get him out of this dream. His body curled up on itself as he let out sobs both in the dream and outside of it.

Victor was getting worried. In all the time he’d been in the medical field, this he wasn’t prepared for.

“…Ry…?” He mumbled softly. He put his hands on Ryan’s shoulders and shook him slightly. “Come on, we have to get your wound dressed…”

Ryan felt hands on both of his shoulders now, "Get your hands off of me, Data!" He yelled as he woke up. He was breathing heavily as he pushed Victor away still thinking it was Data.

“Ry! Ry, it’s me…it’s me,” Victor assured, sitting down on the bed beside Ryan. “It’s okay…you’re home…” He was saying some of these things for himself, too. “…You’re home…”

Ryan slowly started to calm down, he wiped his eyes. He closed his eyes but when he did he just saw Jack getting hit by a train, he immediately opened his eyes again. "Fuck...I'm sorry.." He said brokenly. This was gonna haunt him..forever..

Victor shook his head. “You went through something traumatic. That stays with you. And the first days are always the worst. It gets better over time, but…the pain sticks. Lessens, but…it sticks. Trust me…” His eyes locked with Ryan’s. They were tear-rimmed. “…I should know.”

Ryan looked back at Victor, he immediately went into his arms and hugged him tightly. "I love you..thank you.." He said softly as tears cascaded down his cheeks. He didn't close his eyes...he was scared to.

Victor closed his eyes and put his hand on the back of Ryan's head. "...I love you, too."

He felt a wetness on the palm of his hand and lifted one of his fingers to see a dark red. "Oh...I'd almost forgotten. We still need to dress your wound, Ryan. Properly this time."

Ryan nodded but he didn't leave the hug..he didn't want to..."...D..Do we have too..?" He cuddled more into Victor. "I..I'm comfortable.."

Victor chuckled sadly. "...I fear what more will happen if we don't."