Escape is Only Temporary [boyxboy]

Chapter XXXV

 ~Monday 8th August 2016~

"It's healing well, another day or two and the bruising should be all that's left," that voice was unfamiliar. Female, light, even cheerful, but nothing that registered in Shepherd's clouded mind. Waking was difficult, an arduous climb that left him even more exhausted than before. Then there was the fear. Opening his eyes was a frightening task, so much so that Shepherd found himself procrastinating. He actually wanted to go back to sleep, to drift off into the abyss, into the cold beneath, rather than facing his fears.

"Thank you," that voice, however, Shepherd knew that voice, "it'll be nice to help around the house again," Beau. If Beau was there, then Shepherd had done it, hadn't he? He had escaped. And that meant that dream, the dream of Reece's voice and the fleeting sight of his youngest son leaning over him, was real. Suddenly, Shepherd wasn't afraid anymore. Instead, he felt real excitement, and that spurred him into making the final journey to that pinprick of light cutting through the darkness.

When Shepherd eventually opened his eyes, the voices had stopped. Time moved differently in his mind, and he couldn't be sure how long it had been since he heard Beau speaking with the stranger. He blinked slowly, knowing all too well that moving with any speed when he was so injured would only worsen his condition. It was better to take his time, start with focusing his vision before anything else. Movement would be the last to work on, or maybe speech, he couldn't remember.

Shepherd found he was in the guest room, not the bedroom he shared with Reece. A brief pain shot through his chest at the longing for his nest. Even if it didn't mean to him the same as it did for Reece, Shepherd still craved the warmth and comfort he received from snuggling down into the circle of blankets and pillows and lavender. Speaking of which, lavender wasn't what Shepherd could smell in that room. There was some sort of incense burning nearby, the smoke reeking of coconut. It brought a lopsided smile to Shepherd's lips, reminding him of how much Reece had complained about the smell when he had been injured. Sometimes, the best medicines were those that were difficult to swallow.

Canting his head to the left, Shepherd spotted Beau. He was settled in a chair beside the bed, head cocked back and eyes closed. Sleeping. Was it late? Shepherd couldn't see with the curtains closed, however, the room was lit only by the lamp on the bedside table, so that had to mean it was late, right? It had been earlier when Shepherd caught that brief glimpse of Reece, the morning sun bathing around him in a heavenly glow. Now, it had to be well past dusk. Or maybe earlier. Shepherd lifted a weak hand, trying to reach for the clock on the bedside table, only for his incoordination to knock an empty glass onto the carpet. Thankfully, it didn't smash.

"Shep?" Despite the glass making little noise when it hit the floor, Beau was awake instantly. Wide eyes met with Shepherd's as the man sat forward, almost looking as though he couldn't be sure of what he was seeing. That had to mean Shepherd was in worse condition than he initially believed. Well, he could wiggle all ten of his toes so he definitely had use of both of his legs. He could figure out the rest later.

"You look like shit," Shepherd's voice was nothing more than a whisper, his throat dry and raw, but at least he could smile. He didn't feel as drowsy as he thought, his energy returning to him the longer he remained awake. A beaming grin cracked over Beau's face too as he squeezed Shepherd's hand, evidently trying his best to hold back his joy. If he was honest, the warlock really could have used a hug, no matter how painful. It was OK, he would wait. No doubt there would be others who wouldn't restrain themselves like Beau had.

"You look worse," Beau teased, helping Shepherd sit up in bed when the man asked, "do you want something to drink?" Shepherd merely nodded, not wanting to worsen the state of his throat, "it's been two days since we found you, if you were wondering. Reece stayed by your side pretty much the entire time, but Cam finally convinced him to go get some fresh air. Ironic, really, he'll be pissed that you woke up without him here," so long as he wasn't alone, Shepherd didn't mind. He was silently grateful when Beau passed him a half-full glass of water, taking a few small sips. Honestly, he wanted to down it all and revel in the soothing sensation of the cold liquid trickling down his throat, however, he didn't think that would be advised.