THE TRUTH OF US : Truth Known. (5)

A Picture With Feeling!

Since Nate had gone......I had been wearing his t-shirts, and trying read his books.......I know it hadn't been that long, but it felt like for ever.

Audrey had been "visiting" with Edith, Gus had been having long "chats" Mr Jefferson, who in turn had been "speaking" to Dr Quest.

Lots of TALK......I was just thinking of Nate, I still had visits (I so badly wanted to just go! And, I just stay there and hold him. I know he would crawl into my arms, and just hold me back!) Audrey told me a plan was being worked out......I couldn't stop thinking I was in some weird re-run of "just when you think you've got it worked out.......SHIT HAPPENS!"

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"..Ruby, you will be with Carl today.....One of his DSW's is sick.."

I nodded, and walked to the REC room. Carl was laying out papers....He'd been doing art (Not too bad at it actually, Evie had got him into it)

He looked up, smiled....Then looked at me.

"..You have to go and see him, baaad things are happening...." Carl wasn't smiling, his expression serious.

"I really want to. I've been given four visits to say good-bye..." I shouldn't be telling him this.
Carl looked at me......"And your NOT doing that..."
"I don't know how to "fix" this.....This doesn't feel like the other times..."
"Go!....Ruby..."

Carl and I looked at each other. Carl wasn't asking, suggesting......He was giving an order.

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"Ruby, I'm soooo glad to see you!! You have to go get him, Get him away from there.....That girl he's with! Have read the paper?, magazines?..."

".....umm...no..."

Lucy was talking so fast, and if I thought I looked like crap....Lucy looked like she was falling to pieces!

She was dressed neatly, but her hair wasn't brushed....Just pulled back in a bun, she was dropping things, hands shaking, looked like she was about to cry any minute, no make-up (Not that she needed it)

Me. Just Dead.....Walking, breathing......That was it. Any more.....And, I'd probably just fall over flat on my face.

I looked at Hunter...."I thought you had a handle on this?.."
"I do.    But, you have to play your part.    He needs to fight back......You Need to SEE HIM!!.."
Hunter looked at Lucy.    He looked in control.....But lost, he hated seeing Lucy like this.     I had to get Nate, before Lucy would come right. Hunter kept frowning at me. (What could they say to me, to make me understand....)

Fuck!     Why do people have be so "connected".....Now I really felt awful!

(YES.....I did want to DO something, I just couldn't face trying.....And STILL losing him!..)

The thought of not having him......I wouldn't even let myself go there.

Lucy was standing in front of me.

"You need to see the pictures.....Yes, the pictures.     Hunter, we need her to look at them....And see them.    Go to him!   He's lost!.."

Lucy went from just talking, to rambling, squeezing my hands......Then dragging me out of the room, Hunter followed.

I found myself standing in a spacious room, a bit on the cool side.....Facing two very, very large oil paintings. I went to pull my jacket around me (Nate liked this one.......He could put his hands in the pockets, with mine..)          I tried to do it up, looked down....A button's missing.

(Shit!)

"Ruby!      Look, look!.....See!   Do you see it!.."

Hunter came and stood beside me.

"......Large, aren't they.     Very old too..."

He guided me slightly forward, I started to feel a little overwhelmed.

"This one's called...."Protection".     The french called it "The Embrace."          I looked up, down......To the image in the picture, and started to feel a little dizzy.      BUT.......The dark angel holding the woman, was showing me something.

He had her cradled in his arms.....One of her arms was around his neck, the other lightly touching his face.      They were looking into each other's eyes.....It was love.    But, it also just beyond that.....They shared a secret.

Hunter gave me a few more minutes....Then, he moved me to the next picture.

A woman sitting on a bench.....A dark angle chained...His arms resting in her lap. She was looking down at him, he was looking up at her. They were looking into each other's eyes.     The woman may have been trying to touch his cheek, there was an intense pain......No secrets, just a really deep pain.

This picture started to make my chest ache.....I almost couldn't feel myself breathing.

"Heart-breaking....isn't it...."
I was nodding, answering was starting to become hard.

"This one is called "Devotion". Don't think the name is right. Some how, or....More....It's not the name, I would have gone for.."
".....no..."
"It was painted in Denmark.....The painter unknown..."

".....umm....Hunter.....I can't look at it.." I walked over to Lucy.

"Do you understand.....I know you feel it, Ruby?.."

I looked over to the first.....Then, did a quick look to the other. Oh, my god.....The pain..."

"Hunter, can you get me in for a visit?.."
Hunter nodded. Lucy was jumping up and down....Big grin on her face.
"We need to go passed Tech first.....Then, I'm seeing him..."
Hunter nodded again.

This is what I had been dying to do. Just visit.

But after Audrey had told me, I was given four......She had six, I started to panic. Audrey had said use them wisely. Something was being worked out, but papers needed to be filed first, there was to be no mistakes.

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"There's the book.....And my home-work! Better not forget that!.."

Three of us walked out the front gates, towards the car.

"..RUBY! Nate's dumped your sorry ASS!..."

One minute I was standing beside Lucy......The next, Toni was flailing on top of the bonnet of her car.....Jenny managed to punch me in the eye. Not that I really noticed!
Hunter pulled me away.....And the language coming out of Lucy's mouth, had any one standing close by.......Wishing they weren't! Lucy can sling'um like any sailor! Hard and vile!