Camilo's Journey

Chapter 11:

Camilo woke up, cold and shaking. Where was Spencer? He shuffled around and realised he was alone. His breathing quickened.
"Spence." His voice caught in his throat like a lump he couldn't swallow. Then he caught sight of the guard watching him.
"Spencer!" He screamed. He heard Noah moving beside him, still in his cell. Suddenly unharmed and he knew exactly what had happened but it only made him feel a little bit better.

"He healed me.. and they.. they.." Noah couldn't get past the lump on his throat either it seemed. Camilo took Noah's hand through the bars. "I'm sorry Camilo, I told him not to." Noah said like he thought Camilo might try to blame him.

"I know, that's Spencer." He sighed. Selfless, beautiful Spencer.
Noah sighed and tried to pull Camilo through the bars.
"Sorry.." Noah started but Camilo hugged him the best he could around the bars.
"We are in this together Noah, I won't leave without you." Camilo said. Noah clung to him, poor kid was shaking. He didn't let him go.

"How are you going to leave?" Noah asked.
"My family and friends will come for me." He said. Noah sighed.
"Eric?" He wondered. Camilo nodded.
"He's not as hard as he seems, he's worth having around." Noah said like it was a response he was used to giving automatically.
"I know Noah, he saved Spence and he stood up for me. He's my friend." Camilo told him.
"I loved him, Camilo."
"I know, Noah." Camilo gave him a squeeze. "And if it's something you want, I'll get you back to him."
Noah nodded slowly. That's all Camilo needed. He'd make it his mission.

"Do you know where they took Spence." Camilo said softly. Noah still held his arms around Camilo, Camilo knew of the term "touch starved" and he hated to think what Noah's past must have been like for it to come to that.

Noah hesitated.
"They.. spoke of an isolation box." Noah forced his words out and hung on tighter to Camilo.
"Noah, I will not let go of you unless you want me to." Camilo said doing his best to be patient and Noah loosened his grip. "And Spencer was always going to heal you, there was nothing you could have done. That's who Spencer is. I think that's why he's a healer. Because it's in his nature to help people, no matter what it costs him."
A sadness came over Camilo and he was glad Noah was there.

That's when they heard movement underneath them.. and then a lot of cries in pain. Spencer.. and another voice he didn't know.. a young girl.
Noah buried his face into Camilo's chest and he tried his best to run circles into his back, the bars made that hard. But if touch and to be held would keep Noah calm it would keep him calm too. Camilo cried as cries turned to screams from below them. He felt Noah patting his shoulder and he realised how important touch was right in this moment.

"Oh god, please stop. You're going to kill him.. please, please stop." Camilo wailed even though he knew they couldn't possibly hear him. "Spence, I need you. I need you to be okay."
Noah was holding Camilo now, the best they could through the damn bars.
The screaming stopped and Camilo didn't know if that was good or unnerving.
He cried out Spencer's name over and over until he and Noah had lost all their strength,

Noah wasn't strong enough to hold Camilo up so they both sat cross legged on the floor. Their foreheads together and their hands joined between the bars.
Camilo's voice was sore from the yelling he'd done and the guard warned him to shut up or he'd make him.

"Camilo!"
"Eric?" Noah whispered.
Eric! No way! The hushed whisper came from a hole in the back of his cell. His eyes wondered and Noah reluctantly let go of him.

The hole was only big enough for maybe two fingers but he looked out at Eric.
"Noah's here." Camilo said. Eric gasped.
"Noah?" And Camilo noticed Eric was fighting back tears. "You're here?"

"Eric." Noah said trying to push himself through the bars. Camilo worried he was going to hurt himself as he started to shove at the bars. Camilo shushed him gently. The guard looked up, told him to shut up. Then went back to his work.

"Noah, it's okay. Take some breaths, Camilo is right there with you, babe. I'm going to spring all of you out of there as soon as the others come. It's going to be okay Noah, as soon as I get to you I'm going to hold you and never let you go again. I love you. I never stopped."

Noah sobbed and Camilo was tearing up it was a big gay love fest. But Camilo's heart ached.. for Spencer.
"Where's Spencer?" Eric said suddenly. Camilo's words weren't forming, he just cried. He felt Noah rubbing circles into his back.
"He.. he healed me last night and the guards took him into isolation." Noah sniffed.

Eric huffed.
"It's okay Camilo, we'll get to him too. We're all getting out of this okay?" Eric sounded hopeful.

And Camilo liked the side of Eric that loved Sweet and fragile Noah and showed Camilo compassion, he hoped with Noah around they would get more of this side of him.

"'milo." Delores.
"Delores." Camilo breathed. Thank goodness!
"They have Spencer downstairs, once we take out the guards we can get to you." She said seriously but then she softened. "We are coming for you little brother, hang in there." And they headed off.
Camilo held onto Noah as he muttered and mumbled.
"They are coming Noah, it's okay." Camilo whispered as he watched his new friend struggle to keep grips with reality.