Wings (A Gravity Falls Wings AU)

Chapter 6: Wait

(Warning: Detailed Suicide Attempt)

The twenty-seven-year-old grabbed the scalpel from the tray when the scientist taking his blood wasn't looking. He hummed along to the song issuing from the speakers above as he waited for her to finish filling the third vial, "Read any good books lately?" she asked kindly. Ford looked down at her, a little shocked at the sudden conversation, no one else talked to him so she must be new,

Perfect.

"I, no, I don't have time," he replied. The woman smiled, "Pity, my favorite author just released a new book, it's very good" she said, setting the vials of warm blood onto the silver tray and taking them over to the fridge. Ford shoved the scalpel up his sleeve as he rolled it down. The sharp metal poking his inner elbow. Soon he wouldn't have to deal with these people again, he could leave, just not in the way he would have liked.

~

The door clanged shut behind him and he sat down on his bed, pulling out the knife from its hidden compartment. He took off the top half of his boiler suit and tied it around his middle, leaning his arms on his knees. He extended his wings and gazed at them with a sigh, he shouldn't have them, he was such a freak.

"I'm so sorry, Stanley. I said I would come home. I believed it. But I don't think I can escape, I've studied the patterns, I've done everything I can to ensure a foolproof plan, but I'm afraid..." he choked, feeling tears roll down his face. They splattered on his bed-sheets, dampening the white fabric. He clenched his hand tightly and took a deep breath, lifting the sharp knife to his left arm and shaking as his eyes gazed down at the blue veins. Scars ran up and down his arms from needles, tests and training.

They were pale and shiny, grotesque and wrong.

He quickly sliced into the skin on both arms, severing the veins in one swift motion. He gritted his teeth in pain as scarlet blood ran down his wrists and the knife fell from his shaking hand, clattering to the ground.

Red on silver,

red on white,

Red on him.

The camera chose its sweet time to turn on and move around until it focused on him. Alarms began to blear as their precious subject fell off the bed and onto the floor, blood pooling beneath his arms as it trickled from the wounds. "It's better this way" he mumbled as the door to his room opened. Voices shouted orders but they all sounded muffled to his fading hearing, he closed his eyes, waiting for himself to go. Hands lifted him up onto the gurney they had rolled in. More hands putting pressure onto his sliced wrists, trying to keep his blood inside his body.

He saw the hallway lights pass over his closed eyelids as he's rolled down the corridor,

Then nothing.

~

The black van parked on the curb overlooking the beach. The salty sea air and the squawking seagulls met the drivers senses as he opened the door, closing it behind him with a thunk. Here he was, Oliver Meadows, back to the small town on the edge of the country, a whole lot thinner and a heck of a lot richer. The last time he had been here was over fifteen years ago and still it appeared nothing about Glass Shard Beach had changed. He gazed at the Pawn Shop just down the road and smiled softly, adjusting the cuff links on his sleeve.

It was time to pay the Pines Family a quick visit.

~

Stanford woke to the steady beep of his heart monitor and the sharp pressure of leather straps holding him down. He wasn't shocked, he had just tried to off himself after all, of course he was tied down. He opened his eyes as he felt a soft hand on his forehead. It was the woman that had taken his blood earlier. "I'm just making sure your comfortable before I go."

"Go?"

"I was fired" she said with a frown.

"What? Why?" Ford asked, still a little groggy from the drugs.

"They fired me for not checking you over after the Orderlies escorted you back to your room, it's my first day here and I'm already out," she chuckled weakly. Ford glanced behind her at the man standing close by, his black suit clean and tidy.

"Times up Marina, come with me" Oliver said, adjusting the golden cuff links on his sleeve.

"Wait!" Ford said as she made to leave. They both looked back "Don't fire her, I knew she was new, I took advantage of it" he said, eyes half closed, he was so tired.

"I'm sorry, Subject 6, but because of her negligence we almost lost you, she is to be let go, come along Marina."

Marina followed the man, giving Ford a small wave as she disappeared around the corner. Ford sighed and leaned his head back on the pillows, "Fuck sakes" he grumbled, closing his eyes with a sigh.

"Tough day, huh?" a voice asked. Ford turned his head and opened his eyes, "James! What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" he asked, noticing the guard standing in the middle of the lab.

"I heard you tried to kill yourself, stupid son of a bitch, happy birthday by the way. We left you a present in your room and some cake, don't tell Oliver, he's a fucking wet blanket, and don't worry about Henry, that asshole of a guard's been dealt with."

Ford chuckled, "Thanks, appreciated."

James walked off, whistling the happy birthday tune as he left, and Ford went back to sleep, his arms itchy and painful. When he woke next, he was back in his room, a good-sized plate of chocolate cake and a messily wrapped box sat on the end of his bed near his feet. Ford sat up, wincing as his recently stitched wounds pulled, the injuries wrapped up in thick, white bandages. Henry banged on his door. "You up yet, Freak?""

"Yes" Ford grumbled, he hated that damn man.

Why couldn't James watch his door.

Ever since he had arrived here, Henry had stood at his door, the rude asshole calling him names and being a total jerk. But he did do his job well, and any whining hadn't done a thing to help. Stanford picked up the cake and smiled, he hadn't had cake since his thirteenth birthday.

He shoved it in to his mouth and devoured the sweet treat, barely chewing as the sugar washed over his taste buds. "Oh god that's good" he mumbled with his mouth full, cake crumbles falling onto his bed. Discarding the now empty plate he reached for the box, tearing at the paper as he leaned the box on his knees, it surprisingly heavy for it's size. Inside were a stack of obviously second-hand books. Ford smiled at the old and new covers, fingers caressing the pages as he checked them out one by one. He picked up the one that looked the most interesting and opened it, settling down to read with a smile on his face.

Everything temporarily forgotten as he lost himself in the inky words.