Bury The Shadows

Part 10

Roman sat straight up in his bed, his heart racing. Loud screaming was echoing from across the hall. He flung his covers off, but before he even reached the door, it opened. Cook stood there in her pajamas, a terrified look painted across her face. She looked at him open-mouthed.

"He's-- He won't stop-- I didn't want to go in--" They both breathlessly dashed across the stair landing and to Silver's door, flinging it open. The boy was screeching like a banshee. 

"Don't touch me! No-- Don't touch! Don't touch!" He'd fallen from the bed and was thrashing around on the floor,  sweat-soaked and feverish. He fought the blanket that was tangled around him.

Cook froze in the door and Roman ran into her back. His eyes widened at the sight and he quickly went around her, sinking down next to the boy and trying to help. He didn't really know what to do. 

He pulled Silver into his lap, wiping the sweat off the boy's face with his pajama sleeves. His skin was on fire. "Get me some cold wet rags, quickly!" 

Cook nodded and rushed from the room. Roman returned his attention to Silver, who was struggling in his lap, still trapped in his nightmare. A sick feeling washed over him when he noticed Silver pushing imaginary hands away from his private areas. He continued to scream and cry as Roman rocked him back and forth. "Shh, shh. . . you're okay, baby."

Cook came back with the requested cloths and helped carefully take Silver's shirt off. She let out a cry at the sight, having not seen it yet. It even got to Roman, who had seen it. They started to wipe his body, careful to avoid the wounds. As the heat was pulled away, Silver slowly started to come out of his nightmare. 

"Don't-- Don't," it came out as a raspy plead, his voice hoarse. His eyes were swollen, and hair stuck to his face from the dampness. Roman wiped his forehead with one of the cloths. 

Silver's eyes came open, and when he saw a stranger in front of him, touching him, he lost it. He broke free from Roman's grasp (he'd been caught off guard and hadn't been able to hold on), scrambling away. As he frantically tried to crawl from danger, Roman gently grabbed his waist and pulled him back. He screeched.

"Let go! Please don't hurt me! Don't touch!" He pleaded as he pushed at the hands that gripped his waist, struggling to get away.  

"Silver, please, It's just me. I'm not going to hurt you. Never." He whispered the last part, and Cook gave him a quick, knowing look. He didn't notice.

Silver slowly seemed to be coming out of his hysteria. He went limp in Roman's arms, trembling and hiccupping. "I'm sorry. I'm s-sorry," He gasped. He was sitting between Roman's legs, leaned back against his chest with Roman's strong arms wrapped around him.

"No, no, it's okay. Do you want some water?" 

He weakly nodded against the warm body behind him, and Cook stood to grab the half-empty bottle of Pedialyte from earlier that stood on the nightstand. She opened the cap and held it to Silver's trembling lips. He eyed her fearfully, taking in her messy black hair and bunny pajamas. Not very threatening, but scary enough when you wake up to a stranger hovering over you.

He allowed her to help him drink, some spilling down his cheek as a hiccup interrupted his drinking. Roman wiped it away with his sleeve. Cook pulled the bottle away and recapped it, scooting away to give Silver some space. His breath came in short gasps, each one let go with a pitiful, wheezy moan. His fingers were bloody from where he'd picked at them to soothe himself to sleep earlier.

Roman knew he was in pain from all his moving around and falling off the bed. "Are you okay? Does your back hurt?"

"Yeah," Silver whined, hiccupping.

Even in this situation, a smile made it's way across Roman's face. Silver was just so cute! He quickly wiped it away. 

"Okay. We'll get you some medicine." He nodded to Cook, who dashed from the room to get ibuprofen. 

"It was so scary," Silver breathed, almost so quiet roman couldn't hear him. 

"I know. But it was just a dream." Roman was concerned about the way Silver had acted when they first came in. Had the kid been molested on top of the other abuses? He'd kill those damn scientists.

"No. . . It really happened. It wasn't a dream. He hurt me-- Don't let him hurt me." Silver's voice was weird; strangled-sounding and low. Roman placed a hand on his forehead.

"Jesus, kid. You're burning up." He picked up one of the damp cloths and began to wipe Silver's face again, still swaying him back and forth. Cook came back with a pill, popping it in Silver's mouth and again helping him drink. She brushed away damp hair that clung to his forehead and he flinched, his eyes unfocused and distant. 

"Hey, Roman? He doesn't look so good. . ." She tilted Silver's chin up, analyzing his face. His eyes roved around, not seeming to see her right in front of him.

"What do you mean?" He peeked over and around Silver's shoulder, seeing his ashen face. Sweat beaded on his skin, and his eyes were. . . strange. 

"Does he need a doctor?" Cook asked, unsure.

"No. Not yet, at least. He's just scared and feverish. I'll stay here; I'm not leaving his side."

Cook nodded, and stood. "I'm going back to bed, I guess," She felt like she wasn't being much help. "If you need me, come get me."

Alone in the dim room with a sick boy on his lap, Roman was left to his thoughts. Dangerous ones. His mind played out what he'd do to the people who'd hurt Silver; it wasn't pretty. His grip on the boy tightened, and he stared off into space, angry at the faceless monsters.

                   Part Eleven Coming Soon