🩸Saw One Shots 🩸

Day 2- Trauma

Lawrence won his game. He should be celebrating, shouldn't he? But he should have known that all games come with a price.

~~~

Lawrence survived. Miraculously, he managed to make it out of his trap alive. He won the game Jigsaw forced him in. But at what cost? What was the point of living on the outside, when inside, he was still a dying man in that bathroom?

But he wasn't a man. He was a coward. He had run away, metaphorically speaking, and never came back.

Each night felt like an eternity since he returned home. He refused to fall asleep for fear of waking up in that same place. But one night, he let his guard down. And in a matter of seconds, he was back in that wretched bathroom.

The fluorescent white lights surrounding him, engulfing him like flames burning his eyes, too bright for him to see properly. Bile filled his throat from the truly grotesque stench of blood and rot. His own blood and rot, burning through the bones---or whatever was left of them, since he had sawed it off. That chunk of flesh was clotting, but at least he had freed himself. The same could not be said for Adam.

He scanned the area, barely able to comprehend where he was with the dizzy spirals spotting his focus. But he refused to give in. At last he caught a glimpse of his shivering, bleeding companion. Never in a million years would Lawrence have imagined being close to someone like Adam. Nor would he expect to be drawn to him, despite his undeniably creepy hobbies.

He was drowning himself in wild obsessions and anger, an addictive personality that Lawrence was invested in. Somehow behind that anger, that aggression, was filled with so much spirit and passion. Lawrence longed to be closer to him, to help him pull through and survive alongside him.

Both of them knew it was impossible. Adam's shaking breaths were growing weaker, his blood soaked shirt, his pale, almost skeletal skin leading to only one conclusion. The wound on his shoulder that Lawrence inflicted out of panic needed to be treated properly. He needed to be taken to a hospital, taken home, wherever that was.

Lawrence started to crawl towards the other man as fast as he could. He swallowed his pain, ignoring the blood, ignored the freezing floor and kept moving. He only had one goal in mind: to reach Adam.

He couldn't be the reason this man died. He had to try to save him at least. The short time they spent working together, fighting together, it couldn't be all to waste. Lawrence refused to let that happen.

Their eyes met, both desperate, terrified and helpless to save the other. Would this be the last moment spent together? The last thing they ever see? Nothing more than a damp, disgusting bathroom and a man they swore to protect, even if at first it was out of necessity rather than of compassion.

"I- I have to go get help." his voice croaked, barely above a whisper filtering through the room.

"No...no!" Adam begged, whimpering as he clasped onto Lawrence for dear life. "Don-don't leave me!"

"I promise I'll come back and get you. I swear. But we'll both die if we stay put here." He insisted, firmly to hide another stabbing pain in his leg.

"Lawrence I think I'm---" He gasped out a few sobs until no sound was left.

"Where does it hurt?"

"It hurts where you fucking shot me, asshole."

"I'm sorry." He had wanted to say, but instead he fell silent, quiet enough to hear Adam whisper.

"I think I'm dying."

His heart sank, not having the courage or strength to deny the statement. He just let Adam sob into his chest.

"I don't wanna die. Please, I don't wanna die! I'm scared, Lawrence, I'm scared!"

"I know." He squeezed Adam's hand until his knuckles were white. He was so cold, his face tight with pain and fear. "I'll come back for you. You'll be okay, I swear. You have to trust me."

"Stay with me. Please. I can't- can't..."

"I'll be back. I wouldn't lie to you, I promise."

But he never kept his promise. He let the words fall and lied straight to his face. He was Adam's last chance of survival. He was the only one who knew where he was. He could have gone back with help, just like he said.

He didn't even have the courage to stay with him until Adam was still at last.

He was still drowning in darkness when he opened his eyes, grasping for any resemblance of normalcy. Unfortunately for him, he was still stuck in the still, cream painted makeshift hospital bed that John had constructed for him until he recovered. Rubbing at his eyes, Lawrence slinked over to reach for his cane. He had removed his prosthetic when he had gotten into bed, so he would have to hobble around a bit until he reached the door. He couldn't bear to stay here any longer.

He started to wriggle off the bed when he felt a cold touch on his shoulder. Shaking it off, he maneuvered his cane upwards so he could clasp on it. He had to get back to John...Amanda. Someone.

Something whispered in his ear. "You promised you'd come back for me."

Then he saw it. Saw...him, sunken eyes and covered in blood, looking more like a corpse than a man. Watching him intently with fierce intensity. His shoulder was red and angry, dripping with something that could only be described as an infection, or visible streaks of muscle.

"You left me to die."

The growl was close to him now, as if he was only a few inches away. Lawrence pushed aside some stray tears roughly, praying that this nightmare...this hallucination would stop.

"I didn't want to--- I wanted to come back. But I didn't know where you were, I had no choice!" his voice raised in both frustration and panic at being blamed for something he had no control over. No...something he could have prevented. Something that was so heartbreakingly true.

"But you didn't. I waited." Adam continued, filled with pure hatred and venom. "I waited for days there. Thinking you would come back for me. Like you promised."

"I know-"

"Alone in that dark shithole with nothing. Nothing but that gunshot wound that you caused!"

"I know and I am so sorry!" He howled pathetically. "What else could I have done? I didn't know where you were! I- I...I was dying of blood loss and ...and.. Adam, please God, you have to listen to me..." His back started to shake from his sobs. "Please, I'm so sorry. Come back to me, Adam. I-"

But when he blinked again, Adam had vanished.

He didn't make it very far before he collapsed onto the carpet, hissing in pain like an animal.

"What are you doing?"

Lawrence jolted, heart quickening at the voice. Mouth agape with fear, he blurted out the only name he could think of.

"Ad- Adam?" He said, still delirious. Adam's form had vanished by the time he spoke.

The large chested man scoffed. "You wish." Without any effort, he lifted Lawrence back on his bed. "There you go. All set."

"I need to...need to go back for him." He mumbled.

Hoffman sneered. "We need you to stay put for now. John's orders." Lawrence scowled. "It's not like you can walk anyway."

He refused to meet the other man's judgemental beady eyes, hating him. But he did take a chance to watch him turn his back, heading towards the doorway. Before he could leave, he caught his smug stare one last time.

"You've got a lotta work to do, Doctor Gordon." He said ominously.

Lawrence could proudly say he beat his game. He won, in fact despite all the odds against stacked against him.

Lawrence may have lived, but he wasn't surviving.