Gideon paced up and down the room. Spewing curse after curse from his grimacing mouth. When he reached the door to the outside, he stopped his pacing, look up and glare out for a few seconds. A curse went soaring into the silent air thus resuming his furious pacing. Between the constant curses he mumbled things like, going to kill him, he will never know what hit him and how dare he embarrass him like this, as his face darkened with rage minute by minute.
Tieran sat in the waiting room on the verge of hysterics due to Gideon's state. Tieran knew why he was all flustered and pissed off and if Tieran had not been a little less worried he'd be convulsing with uncontrollable laughter. He knew that Payne never made it home last night. Tieran waited in Payne's room in his abode last night so he would be able to speak to him. But he never surfaced. Now hours after both Payne and Stryker were to be at the office neither showed.
Stone seemed amused more than upset my his Potentials absence. He kept telling Gideon to relax, after all they are young and you know how boys can lose track of time. Stone knew himself how he can lose track of anything when having a bang up of a time. Like last night he tagged along with his new buddies, Diesel and Gideon to the slave quarters, to let loose. They must have ripped at least seven or eight asses last night. They definitely played hard. Stone was so exhausted by his shenanigans he crashed at Diesel's habitat. His was too far to get back to and he knew Stryker was entertaining.
Tieran knew nothing last night ended well. He just knew it would not. He saw the physically strong and assured boy he loved turn into a driveling, legless pet. One minute he saw fight in Payne's eyes. When Stryker started playing with him, feeding him and teasing him all control dissolved. His beautiful, gleaming blue eyes, clouded over. It was like Stryker snapped his fingers and Payne changed. Eyes ended up mesmerized to Stryker, lust and compliance muddled through, then all was lost. So it seemed to Tieran anyway.
After a few more paths were made by Gideon's relentless pacing the men in the room saw a shadow flow through the opening. Not a word or breath uttered until both were fully encased in the room and away from any means of escape. Payne stood a pace behind Stryker facing forward but eyes cast down waiting for instruction from Stryker. Before Stryker could do anything, Gideon clawed passed Stryker, snatched Payne by the throat and pulled him closer. Hands grasping Payne's hair yanked his head back so Payne's eyes gazed upon his Carer. A roar washed through the room as Gideon began his tirade on Payne.
"Where have you been, boy?" He sneered through clenched lips. "You embarrassed me for the final time, you good for nothing little shit." He released Payne's hair and pushed him, dropping Payne to the floor in a crushing heap of bones. In a blink of an eye Gideon was over Payne kicking the shit out of him. Smashing his booted foot into his chest, head, back and any other part that Payne was not able to cover. Whines, moans and gasps escaped Payne's lips. He tried to breath in but felt everything constrict savagely as his body lost much needed air.
Tieran amazed at how quickly the events transpired finally got himself together, got up from his seated position and ran to Payne. By the time Tieran reached him, Stryker pulled Gideon from Payne, pinned him to a wall, holding him away from Payne. Stryker wanted to plant a fist right in Gideon's throat but knew that would cause him further trouble at getting what he wanted. He was boiling over with absolute rage and hate for this insipid man.
"Stone, yeah?" He bellowed. "Get over here man and calm this fucker down. I want to hurt him. Hurt him so bad my body is trembling from the need. I don't want to ruin nothing for you Stone..." Before Stryker finished his thoughts Stone clasped Stryker's shoulder and pulled him away gently and took over trying to get Gideon in control of himself.
Stryker went to Payne, lightly pushed Tieran from him and gathered his crumbled boy up in his arms, shielding Payne from anything or anyone else. Stryker carried Payne to a corner, slowly sunk to the floor gripping his boy so no more injury would be induced on his bruising boy. Stryker held him as tight as he felt he could manage as to not hurt him and whispered words to soothe his racing mind. When Tieran walked over to get near Payne so he could check him out, Stryker nearly lost it. "Leave us alone, boy, yeah." He snarled out. Not caring that Tieran only wanted to help. Stryker would be the one to care from now on. Not the whiny boy enamored with Payne.
Stryker rocked him slowly until his gasps came with less frequency and air found a passage through to his lungs. Once regaining normal pace, Stryker removed the coat he wore and placed it on the floor. He gently settled Payne on top of it to cushion him from the cold hard slab below him. Finger's steadily whispered on Payne's skin. Feeling him. Making sure bones were not broken. It felt that perhaps a couple of Payne's ribs might be cracked but other than that and deep bruising he felt his little slave would be okay from his Carer's overbearing beating.
This is it Stryker thought to himself. If he told Gideon that Payne would go to the Guards and accuse him of using such brute force against him, which is completely frowned upon, Gideon's reputation would be ruined. No one cared if the lessers such as the breeders, slaves and ponies were abused but a Carer is never encouraged to hurt his own Potential. Knowing the man could fly off the handle at any moment was one thing, but actually doing so. That is a whole other pile of beans. That was the first time after walking into Gideon's office habitat he smiled. This would work. He knew it in his soul. Then once the boy recovers he will be Stryker's toy pet until the need to throw him away occurred. Though Stryker honestly never thought that that need would ever arise.
After Payne seemed less stressed Stryker brought him to the habitat he and Stone dwell's.
After a few days of looking after his boy Stryker did not notice any tangible improvement. In fact, Payne became paler, weaker, less alert and less verbal as the days passed. Needless to say, concern struck him to the very core of his being. Which thinking back, was quite unusual for Stryker. Yes he had plenty of fuck things in his past. Many whom he cared for quite deeply he believed. But it seemed as if this feeling, this internal yearning for this boy was more, a lot more, than he has felt for anything or one, ever. His feelings to Stone were no where close to these emotions that reeked out of him when he thought of Payne.
He stopped thinking about all the extreme crap for a moment. He needed to get a medic to check Payne out. Maybe that bastard Gideon caused some internal damage or bleeding. It is a shame that all the medical technology and advances that were achieved in the mid to late twenty first century were mostly all lost. Any documentation that was found after the dismantling of the country seemed few and far between. From texts Stryker read, medics know about as much as what people knew in the early twentieth century.
Anything of usefulness that was ascertained after humans migrated out of shelters was hard to put to use because barely anything survived. Any form of energy took years to come by. Basically in the beginning everyone lived as if they were in the dark ages. No lights, technical gadgets or electricity was attainable because nothing was left. Everything they have now, which is not much, is due to discovery of items that were hidden and not touched by the onslaught of bombs and decay. Finding materials that made these items worked was a scavenger hunt. Thus medicine is not a most predictable and accessible science. The mid wives have hard times with delivering babies a lot due to complications not foreseen. Thus the population of The ENN is staggeringly low in number. And no one, unless The Powers actually know and not say, how many people survived in different parts of the world.
Stryker left Payne curled up on the flat bed. Basically it consisted of a couple animal pelts thrown on to the floor. Not the most comfortable, but much more so than a human one that had the prickly hairs on it. He walked around the abode to see if he could find Stone. After several moments he walked into the sitting room and Stone was having a small bit of pog and beans. "Would you do me a favor?" Stryker asked.
"Depends on the favor, boy." Stryker smirked with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Would you watch my boy? I need to hunt down a medic." He paused then muttered, "Hopefully there is one close by and available."
"I thought you said he would be fine. Just, you know bruises and such, yeah?"
Getting a tad irritated by Stone's third degree and the time being wasted, Stryker narrowed his eyes, controlled his voice so it would not come out so strained and peeved replied, "I was wrong. He is getting worse. He is pale. He no longer talks. I can barely get food into him. Now what do you say? Will you watch him til I get back? Or should I throw him over my shoulder and take him to the medic like a slab of pog?"
"Damn, boy, care much?" Stone laughed at himself. But after seeing Stryker's lips turn into a hardened line he simply nodded his head then flung his fingers out in a shooing gesture towards the door indicating Stryker to get the hell out and look for help. At that Stryker quickly took Stone's dismissal and left in search of a medic.
About an hour later a tall lanky man in his thirties with deep chocolate brown hair and light ashen colored eyes walked into the habitat a pace or two behind Stryker. Stryker quickly showed him to Payne. The medic began his poking and prodding as soon as he got to the boy. "He doing okay, Stone?" Stryker asked a little out of breath from his journey looking for someone suitable to check on Payne.
"For the most part. About fifteen, twenty minutes ago he gasped like he was trying to get air into himself. Then ended up in a coughing fit. I sat him up and rubbed his back and it finally subsided a few minutes later. Since then he's been out. I'm taking off. Diesel and I are going to have a chat with Mr. Gideon Justice about his unreasonable behavior, yeah?" He said strolling out. Before he could make his exit Stryker grabbed his shoulder. Stone just looked at him as if he had gone insane. Stryker shoved him gently out the door, turning his head around to see the medic and quickly said, "I'll be right back. Stay here if you finish before I do get back, yeah."
Without looking away from his patient the medic calmly nodded and replied, "Sure, no problem, sir."
Once Stryker got his Carer into the other room he began talking. "You need to let me handle this, Stone. I never told you this but before we were offered a new Terrain, Gideon contacted me and wanted my services to train someone. And that someone was Payne. At first I did not care. You know? What do I care if a Carer wants to make his own Potential into an animal. The Potential must be offensive, right?" Stryker stopped and looked at Stone. Making sure Stone was following. "I obviously said yes to the job, which in turn made it easier for you to get the position you wanted here. But then I met him. Yeah? I just can't do that to the boy. He is a far cry from what I expected. Gideon made Payne sound like he was already part animal. Never listened. Never obeyed. Could not be trusted. Deemed a waste. Gideon said he should have stuck with the instinct he had when he saw the boy after birth. That was to throw him away. But Gideon figured he could turn the boy and get some use out of him. But, he said that the boy was an all out failure and humiliating him any way he could. And." Stryker paused. Looked up and saw that Stone was listening intently. Nothing readable on his face. Then continued. "I want him Stone. I just. Um. My affection for him is vast. I've never had these urges for another so pronounced. So, after this assault to Payne I figure I can finagle a way to get out of the job. I can't afford to buy Payne outright from him but I can manipulate the situation to get what I want. And now it should be easier with this looming over Gideon'. He does not like a challenge or to be humiliated. He basically is causing his own demise by being such a careless and disgraceful Carer." Stryker stopped after feeling Stone's hand on his shoulder.
"I will make it very clear to Gideon that both Diesel and I found his behavior offensive and have no qualms of getting Guards or even Superiors involved. I will offer silence for his release of Payne to you." He gave Stryker a small smile. Stryker almost believed he imagined the look on Stone's face. He and Stone were fond of one another but never considered that he'd be helping in such a way that may hinder his placement at the office. He was about to say something about it but found Stone talking first. In a lower voice, so he would not be overheard he looked at his Potential. "I see you care for him. It is hard in these times to really connect to others. In fact it is pretty much illegal. But knowing you, you have a plan so what you feel won't be seen as a partnership, a union. I hope Payne agrees to what you have in store for him and feels the same towards you, my boy. You deserve someone there for you. Thank you for staying on with me, being there for me and indulging me in my desires." After his little speech, Stone wrapped his arms around Stryker for a quick embrace and as quickly as it started, it ended and Stryker was left in the room alone with a sense of warmth flooding through him from a man that actually gave a damn. In a time when no one really believed in helping others, his Carer did and Stryker smiled. For the first time in his twenty two years maybe life wasn't just a long dull ride to death.
After a moment Stryker appeared back at the door where the medic looked after Payne. "Any information acquired, yet?" Stryker asked as he sauntered into the room.
"Yes, sir. From what I can tell, it looks like a bacteria from an infection on a wound. The would itself was minimal, however, from the condition it is in now it is quite clear that a bacteria entered into his blood stream via the cut. If you want to see I will show you." The medic stopped and waited to see if Stryker wanted to inspect the injury. Stryker walked up and hunched down to look. The medic pointed it out and Stryker nearly fell back. He remembered this cut. It seemed so shallow and insignificant he forgot to treat it. But now it had puss and a hazy green ooze leaking from it. Gideon must have cut him there with a punch or perhaps from a scratch from his nail. Thinking for a moment, then with a hint of a tremor to his voice he asked, "Can you help him?"
"The only thing that may help is irrigating the wound and while flooding it adding a medicine to reduce the bacteria in his blood stream. That gives him a fifty/fifty chance of surviving. The only problem with this is that for the first week it should be done every hour. Day and night. The cost for me to do this will be quite large..." The medic trailed off and looked to Stryker then continued. "After the first week I will know better if he will recover fully. Also the irrigation and medication would be reduced to six times a day the second week. At the end of week two if the first week deemed to be a success he should be almost fully recovered. The final week would be to irrigate twice a day with an added pill to complete the removal of the bacteria in his blood."
Stryker looked at the man for a moment without any hope of Payne's recovery. He would never be able to afford such costs. His face must have shown a lot because the medic sighed and shook his head. The medic knew what he was prepared to say could easily compromise his position in his field but the anguish and deep heartbreak that appeared on this strong looking man's face got to him. Never once in his work did he see such an outcry of emotions.
In a quiet, almost inaudible whisper Gage Ryecorte addressed this distressed being in front of him. "Mr. Cerilian, sometimes situations such as these seem very unattainable, however, I have a suggestion. But the only way I will offer it to you is if you will never tell another living being, no matter who that may be." Gage paused and glanced to Payne and then refocused on Stryker.
"I give my word Medic Ryecorte. I will sign anything if you need that from me. I promise never to utter a word of this to anyone." Stryker emphasized every word and looked directly into the man's eyes to show him his sincerity.
"That is fine. Nothing written is required. I simply needed your utmost discretion due to the fact this could cause me several losses. But I see how much this hurts. My suggestion is this. If I bring you the medicine and equipment required I will stay here for a few hours and show you exactly how to do the irrigation. I will only ask for my payment for this consultation which you already knew about and the medication payment. We have several irrigation systems and there never seems to be a call for them. One missing for a few weeks will not be a problem. The cost of the medication is reasonable for a person of your status. If you agree I will go and be back after the evening meal and stay for three procedures. How does this sound to you?"
For a brief moment Stryker thought he would pass out from shock. But he quickly collected himself and made sure he spoke with a calm resignation. "Thank you. Yes. I agree to it all. Is there anything I can do for him until your return?"
"Just make sure he is comfortable. If he feels feverish see if you can cool him down somehow. If you have a little extra water hiding, now may be a good time to use it. Put it in with your meats to keep it cold then just take a cloth and wipe any sweat from his body. Don't worry. I will be back soon." Gage gave Stryker a tentative smile, directed his hand out to him to shake and then took his leave.
The hours Stryker waited until the medic came back seemed like an eternity. Nothing happened with Payne to believe he was fevered. So Stryker just looked over him, held his hand and softly talked to him. A few hours passed. Stryker heard the door and immediately got up thinking it would be the medic. But it was not. Stone strolled in with a glimmer of mischief in his eye and a smug look placed on his face.
"How is the kid?" He asked.
"Not good. He has some sort of bacteria in his blood, yeah. The medic is coming back to administer his medication. What has you in such a devious looking mood?" Stryker looked at his Carer and tried to figure out what was going on.
"You certainly are out of it." Stone simply said, then handed him a small document and sauntered off to his own quarters.
Stryker held it for a minute just wondering what was going on with Stone. But an overwhelming sense welled throughout his lean body. He read looked at the document then began to read. As he finished reading it, a smile crept upon his face. They did it. They convinced that man to release Payne. And the best part, nothing was asked for him in return. They must have put the fear of the monsters into him so bad. Maybe after Payne got better he would ask what happened. But right now he was happy to have the boy and very concerned he may not even get a chance with him if this irrigation did not work.
The next week of Stryker's life lingered on and on. No end looked to be in sight. The first few times he irrigated Payne's infection without the medic watching him was pure agony. He knew he hurt Payne. Payne whimpered and groaned as he dug in and poured the medication into the wound. As that first endless night finally turned into the grayish dawn of morning Stryker called Gage and begged him to come over for a couple hours with pay. He needed to see him do the procedure again and show him what he was doing wrong. Finally after several excruciating hours passed, Payne's moans of protest were no longer voiced. This pleased Stryker. He was performing the procedure correctly and not hurting his precious boy. That week Stryker lost weight and a lot of sleep. But he would never regret helping Payne.
Payne seemed a little more with it as the week progressed. Pale and weak still stood out but at least he could drink and eat very mushy food without it coming back up.
The second week did not drag out as long as that first one. Stryker was happy about the progress now actually showing on Payne's body. The medic came in to check him and give Stryker the pills required. The medic seemed optimistic that the bacteria would be one hundred percent gone after the final dose of pills administered.
The third week Stryker slept. He watched over his boy. Administered pills, fed, and bathed him knowing he would be recovered fully.
One day late in the afternoon near the end of the third week Stryker went to the Justice household and took everything that belonged to Payne. Payne would no longer live there so obviously there would be no need for his stuff to be there. Unfortunately, Stryker ran into the person he least wanted to see. Tieran. For the past three weeks he knew Tieran asked about Payne. Every time he saw Stone he wanted to know what happened to him. Stone told him of his infection but nothing else. So by the time Stryker ran into Tieran, Tieran was red with fury. Loathing for Stryker showed through every pore on his body and as soon as he saw him, Tieran shook with absolute fury.
Outrage burst through his usual calmness. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Stone won't say a word to me, of course Gideon is being his usual grunting self and I can't even go over to your abode and knock on the door like a normal human would because of that fucking ditch. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY FRIEND!" Fury rolled through him. Voice loud and angry.
Stryker made sure to keep his cool. As soon as he opened his mouth his words were halted by venom spewing from Tieran as he just noticed Stryker holding all of Payne's things. "Why do you have all his stuff?"
Stryker could not help but show a slight grin. He was quite amused by this gentle boys unusual ire. Tieran growled. "Calm down, yeah?" Stryker used a calm quiet tone. "You saw the mess Gideon left him in, yeah? Well Gideon must have cut him somehow and the tiny cut went unnoticed. The cut ended up creating a bacteria that flowed through his veins and I've been vigilantly caring for him. Irrigating it and medicating him. He is finally over the worst of it and the medic sees him recovering fully. The reason why I have all his belongings is because I now own him." At that point Stryker was cut off by a vicious looking Tieran.
Shaking with rage Tieran stared at Stryker with such disdain it oozed from his being. A laughter so full of hysteria erupted from the deepest pit of Tieran's soul emerged. "You own him? What the fuck does that mean? Gideon would not sell his own, would he?" As he ended his statement that tapered off into a question his mind slowly clouded and a state of shock took over. Of course, he mused to himself. Gideon loathed his Potential, blood or not. It should not surprise Tieran he did this. But why sell him to Stryker? Did Diesel know this was happening? If he did why would he not tell Tieran. Maybe Tieran could have suggested Diesel taking him. This is bad. Tieran bowed his head and shook it as if not truly believing the words Stryker spewed. "No. This just is not right. Why? Why?" His voice getting louder towards the end, fists acting on their own, punching Stryker in the chest. A tear appeared and started to fall. Tieran needed answers. He also needed to think and talk to Diesel. Maybe he'd be able to get Diesel to reason with Stryker and let Diesel have him. He had to get away from Stryker now before he said or did something more he may regret. Tieran turned and with a hurried pace left Stryker standing there without a second glance.
Stryker just shook his head to himself and took off back to his habitat and back to his boy.