Years of Dying

Chapter Three

A long time ago, when Hercules and I were about ten years old, he took me to the meadow where I used to go with my mother. It was difficult for me to return there with all the sad memories that surrounded the place, but it wasn't all that bad. We mostly just sat in the dandelions and made flower crowns. Mine was better than Herc's but he didn't care. He was glad to see that I was happy for once, so he just smiled as he accepted it as a gift and placed it on his head. The next day we wore the flowers to school, because wildflowers rarely bloomed in the desert so it was special to us. We both got laughed at. That day after school I cried behind the grocery store while Herc sat there comforting me. He was there for me then, so I need to be here for him now.

     I rush forward and kneel beside my crying friend. When I cautiously place a hand on his back, he flinches and looks up. Tears are rolling down his cheeks, and his eyes are overly bright. But that's not what scares me. What scares me is that one of his eyes is bruised and his nose looks to be broken and it's bleeding.
     "Oh my god, Herc what the fuck happened?" I ask, and I grab his face with my hands so all of his attention is focused on me.
"John..." Herc manages to get out before he starts crying again. Then he suddenly throws his arms around me, and I hug him back. Because honestly, I'm so glad Alex was right. I'm so glad he said that the robot Hercules was just a decoy. I'm glad he said that Hercules was living somewhere and we'd find him eventually. "John I'm so... it's so good to see you."
"I was so worried about you. I was told not to find you but-"
"Wait- you were told? Didn't you... didn't you come with the rebels? And Laf?" he asks hopefully, and it hurts so much to tear hopeful expression away from his face, but I have to.

"No actually... I was... I was kidnapped. From the rebels base." I answer, my eyes going down cast.
"Where?" Herc questions and then I realize, Hercules hasn't been with us after all this time. So I explain to him everything that's happened from leaving the mines to getting taken away by the British. I leave out the parts with Alex, because for some reason I have a feeling Herc won't like that, and it's not really important right now. "My... robot doppelgänger was spying on you?"
"Yeah." I say simply.
"So that's why they kept coming in here. They kept on sketching my face and body. Guess they were building the robot." Herc says more to himself than me.
"Herc... how long have you been here?" I ask.
"I remember the fight with the British we had. I was there. I did save you, I hit someone on the head with a rock. Anyways, after that I remember us retreating and then... nothing. I woke up here a few hours later. Haven't left since." he responds.
     "I'm so sorry," I say suddenly. "I'm sorry I didn't notice, I'm sorry, I was being self absorbed and-" but Herc cuts me off with another hug,
     "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself for things you can't control." Hercules tells me.
     "I know but it just- it just hurts so much. It hurts to know what you've gone through." I say into his shoulder.

Alexander is sitting up in his bed, his right arm in a sling, and half of his head bandaged. I forcefully push his back down so he sinks into his pillows.
"Lafayette! Stop!" he says to me as he sits up again.
"Non! You need rest." I tell him, shoving him down again.
"How am I supposed to sleep with everything that's going on? I need find Washington!" he protests.
     "No, you need to rest," I remind him. "And as for everything that's going on, that's none of your concern right now." No. That's wrong. It is his concern, but I don't want to worry him.
     "None of my concern?" Alex shouts, outraged. "John got captured by Captain George, and it's my fault! Both of you came to rescue me, and it's my fault." His voice breaks as he's finishing the sentence.
     "It's- you're our friend Alex. We couldn't just leave you." I answer.
     "But John shouldn't have been captured. Why would the Captain want him and not me? I'm the one who caused more trouble, I should take the blame!" Alex cries.
          "I don't understand it either! The- the happiest moments in my life have been with John and I can't bare being without him either. But we have to stay strong for him, that's what he would have wanted," I tell Alex, watching my feet instead of his eyes. "He wouldn't want us to break apart for him."
     "But he needs us Lafayette. I need him! I- I love him." Alex says to me. I look up at him quickly, to see if he's joking or not. I can see him staring seriously at me, his eyes brimming with tears.
     "It's going to be hard," I finally manage to get out. "But we'll get them both back. Hercules, and John."