Toy Soldier {ManxManxMan}

CHAPTER 16

I was lying out on my bed with an icepack against my hip, and Beckett was sitting quietly in the chair to the left, hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his left hand rubbing the knuckles of his right, a solemn expression hanging on his face. Orion was in the bathroom soaking a washcloth, dragging a chair in front of Beckett so he could sit down and hold a hand out towards him.

"Let me see," he commanded, and Beckett slowly held out his right hand so Orion could mop the blood away to reveal the scrapes and cuts left over, "What the hell happened out there?" he asked me, and Beckett's shoulders seemed to sag lower as I rolled my head away.

"It's fine," I said, "Roman is just really conservative and old fashioned. It's not the first time he's said shit like that to me, or to Demi. I'm used to it."

"I don't care," Orion said simply, dabbing at Beckett's torn knuckles, "I'd appreciate an explanation, mainly the whole you killing his nephew, and him telling you to go and get yourself raped to death," his voice was tense, not at all like he usually sounded, and Beckett winced a little at his words as I folded my arms.

"I didn't kill him, firstly, Demi did. His name was Rhett, okay? He was just some gun jockey who kept pining after me, acting all simple minded and smiling all the time. Everyone who met him figured he was some great nice guy, but all that was a face he put on to keep people distracted. He was selling information to the Fer-de-Lance, stealing our weapons and giving them over to the enemy.

"A few months back we caught one of the snakes, we were trying to break him, but Rhett let him go before we could get anywhere with him. One of our former military leaders, Jayden, he was in the Air-force before all this, he caught Rhett, and Rhett killed him. Demi showed up after, but that just made people think Demi was the one who killed Jay.

"It was this whole thing, Roman, that guy from the hallway, he's Rhett's uncle, he insisted we throw Demi in a cell until everything got settled, but nothing was going to get done unless Rhett confessed, so I went to the fucker and got him to confess on tape. Demi killed him when he got out of the cell, but Rhett deserved it, and Roman's in denial about what happened. He blames me."

"Why?" Orion shook his head, "All you did was get him to confess. You didn't kill him."

"If it makes you feel better, Roman hates Demi too," I muttered, rolling my head to look at him, "He's just scared of Demi so he doesn't harass him straight out."

"But he'll harass you," Orion stated, setting the rag aside and opening the little first-aid kit he always had belted to his thigh, pulling out medicine and bandages, "Then what about that whole rape thing? It seemed seriously out of place if you ask me."

I turned away, staring up at my stars and shrugging, "I don't know. Maybe he said it because I'm gay."

"It's still out of place," Orion argued, "You don't just say that to someone unless there's history, resentment. I think we're a little past trying to hide shit, don't you think? Look at this," he held Beckett's hand up, turned towards me so I could see the torn skin.

He must have punched teeth or something, because there were gashes all down the back of his hand, his knuckles worn raw, still bleeding. I turned away and grit my teeth as Orion started to fix up all the damage, sighing.

"Listen, I can understand if there are things you don't want to talk about, I'm the same way, but if it's going to be chasing you like this, don't you think people should know, so they're prepared?"

"No," I bit, and Orion tensed up.

"I was under the impression we were passed the attitude, Dakota. Talking about stressful or traumatizing points in your life can help you get through them!"