Henry Creel - Short Stories

Pt 3 - Hope in the past

The nurse was back when El was napping and was quick at dismissing Henry from the infirmary, although he didn't look fully recovered yet and still had fever.
El was glad when he was gone, but suddenly remembered her mission and felt like she didn't do enough to make progress.
She wasted her occasion in being a silly teenager blinded by a handsome face.
She wasted time on feeling guilty like she cheated on Mike.
Then she was impatient to meet Henry again, feeling a forbidden attraction pulling her at him.
He made her feel things she never felt with Mike.
Mike was good. Henry was evil.
Henry knew how to make her angry and needy at the same time.
El tried to put her feelings aside and focus on saving her world.
She would do anything to save her friends. Even sacrifice herself.

Next time she met Henry, he was back into his white orderly uniform.
He looked more healthy, yet he had dark circles under his eyes and his pace wasn't confident.
There were in a corridor and he just greeted her kindly as he pushed a cleaning cart while she had to follow the nurse.
Then it was him who knocked on the door when she was alone in the infirmary.

"I'm not feeling well" he said grimacing.
"Come in" she said and waved for him to sit on the stretcher.
He obeyed and she scanned him to understand where he was hurt.
She touched his forehead, he still felt feverish.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I just wanted to see you" he admitted "I don't think we left on good terms the last time I've been here".
She froze, she didn't want to talk about it. Yet having him sitting in front of her made him look so harmless.
"What do you think so? It was the old nurse that kicked you out of here".
"Yeah, but I think you're still upset with me... for what I did".
"Do you mean when you kissed me?" she said bravely "You were just feverish".
He nodded woth a deep frown "Yeah, I was feverish..." he changed his mind "Wait, no. It wasn't that. I meant it when I said you intrigue me. I just didn't mean to be that impulsive and scare you off".
"I think you're just very confused" she touched his neck "I'm sorry for that. Nobody deserves to be restrained in that way".
He grabbed her hand and kissed it "Nobody ever cared of what this bloody thing does to me. You seem like... you know me".
"Maybe I do" she said vaguely "I know you play the orderly, when you're a subject who has a chip stopping his powers. And you are dangerous, so the guards and nurses are ready to punish you whenever you overstep".
"Do you really think I'm dangerous?" he whispered.
"I don't know. Nothing I can't handle, I guess".
He stared at her in a way that made her uncomfortable "Who are you, Jane? You don't look like a new trainee. It's like you've always lived here. But I'm sure I've never seen you before".
"Why would you think that?".
"You're different from all the other people I've known. You have compassion. You understand me somehow".
"I'm just here to help. Do you need help, Henry?".
She knew what he would answer and in a haze, she leaned towards him to shut him up with her lips, catching him by surprise.
Henry did not pull back.
He stood up and cupped her face to linger on the kiss.
She tasted desperation and wished to respond to it with some hope.
"Help me" he whispered when she broke the kiss.
Some noises alarmed her and she stepped back.
"You need to go now. We'll talk again. But for now go. Please. Don't put yourself in trouble" she said quickly, pushing him out of the infirmary.
He stepped out of the door, then turned to smile at her "It was good".
He disappeared before the nurse could see him. And El barely listened to her scolding because the place was a mess.
So one step forward.
He knew she wanted to help him.
Maybe he thought it was just a delusion. Or maybe he guessed that she was like him.
Not much time passed when El bumped into him in the corridors again and he dragged her to a dark corner.
Before she could speak, he pressed her against the wall and silenced her with a hungry kiss.
El replied with the same urgency, drowning in the smell of him and the heat of his body trapping her there.
He was nothing like Mike.
He didn't let her go until they were both breathless. For a moment she feared they'd go too far.
"I just wanted to tell you that I miss you" Henry said brushing a hand on his messy hair while his other hand rested against the wall above her head, to keep her trapped there.
"You proved that right" she said smiling "I thought we needed to speak of more urgent stuff".
"Do you want to come to my room?" he asked bluntly.
She gaped. It wasn't a good idea. What if he wanted to continue what they were doing?
"I have no bad intentions" he said reading her expression "Don't you trust me a little? I think that's a safe place to talk. I'll make sure nobody notices you".
"Will I get punished if someone catches me into your room?".
He placed a finger on her lips to silence her "I'll never let anyone harm you".
He lowered his hand to grab hers and pulled her through some corridors until he opened a door and pushed her in, quickly following her and locking the door.
His room was probably the most scary place of the whole lab.
That was were Henry Creel slept.
The future Vecna.
El winced when his fingers looked for her hand again.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly, moving to stand in front of her.
She nodded "I'm just nervous".
He took both her hands and guided her to sit on his bed, next to him.
"We won't do anything you don't like".
"I'm afraid we don't have time for that" she admitted, choking in her fears "We need to get you out of here".
He stared at her shocked for a moment, then he relaxed and caressed her face.
"Do you mean you want to help me escape?".
She nodded.
He touched his neck "This won't let me go far. They can track me. They'd be on us before we can reach the fence".
El breathed deeply. That was a point she couldn't decide. Could she remove the chip without unleashing Vecna? Or was there still some good in young Henry so she could free him and make him help her stop Vecna?
"Why do you want to help me?" he asked like he needed a sincere answer after all that daydreaming.
El lowered her head and grabbed his arm, revealing his tattoo.
She wiped her finger on it, feeling his gaze burning on her.
Then she offered her own wrist.
Henry hesitated, then slowly raised her sleeve.
"You're like me" he whispered fascinated, staring at her tattooed number.
"That's why I can't resist you" his hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling down. Henry pushed her against his bed, climbing on top of her and kissing her roughly.
She broke the kiss before he could make her lose her mind.
"We need to get out of here before Papa finds out and traps me in this lab".
Henry frowned with anger and let her go, sitting up "I won't let him have you".
"Then we need to escape, together" she felt hyperventilating when she needed to be calm and focus on the plan "Do you have any idea on how to escape without fighting? I know there's a passage under the building, but we are too big to sneak in there".
He chewed his bottom lip, lost in thoughts.
"I can help you fighting, if you can remove this" he showed his neck and the chip under his skin.
"I'm not sure I can" she said with sadness "They will be on us before we can take a step out of this lab".
"They can track us if I have this thing in me" he insisted.
"We get out. And when we need to get rid of the chasers, I'll try to remove it from you".
"Jane, you don't trust me".
"No, you don't trust me" she said angrily pointing a finger against his chest "I know what happens if I remove it now. We won't get a minute before an army will be on us. And I don't want to massacre. I'm not a murderer, Henry".
He sighed "Alright. Then, we can try another way. The emergency system".
"What is it?".
"If someone like us tries to escape the lab, there's a safety measure that release a narcotic gas. Everyone falls asleep, including people like us. That's how they stopped me before implanting this thing into me" he tapped his neck.
"So we need gas masks. And then you know how to activate this system?".
His smirk was promising.

A/N

Sunday 4th September 2022

Playing "Running up that hill", the epic version, as the plan is taking shape 🔊

Will El regret it? Can they really escape that lab?
Put Papa to sleep and just run! 💥