How long had it been? How long had he been lying here, every muscle in his body trembling, cramped and complaining? Well, alright not every muscle; his heart was a muscle right? And that was okay, except that it hurt. It hurt a lot, a huge crushing pain in his chest that barely rose, as the effort of breathing was just too much. But it was still beating, so that was okay right?
Actually, he didn't care. Something had happened and now it was over. He didn't understand it, couldn't process it so he dismissed it. He felt... blank. It was as if someone had reached inside his head and wiped a cloth over his thoughts and feelings. Most of them were gone or buried deep and those that were left were indistinct and confused.
A voice was speaking close to his ear but he was so disconnected it didn't occur to him that it was speaking to him so he ignored it.
Something touched his hair, smoothing it, lingering to stroke his temples. It felt good and he sighed.
"Nye, are you awake?"
The stroking stopped and he wanted more so he opened his eyes to see what was going on -- except that he couldn't see. No, that was not entirely true. His eyes were working fine but his brain seemed to have lost the ability to interpret the information they provided as all he could see were a nightmarish jumble of shapes and colours that made his head hurt so much he closed his eyes again with a groan.
With agonising slowness his battered brain began to make some connections and the sounds he was hearing resolved themselves into words and then the words began to have meaning.
"I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't know. Well, yes I did know but I didn't think... I didn't believe... Fuck! This is all fucked up. Nye... I'm so sorry. I am going to get you out of here I swear."
Nye sighed, not because he had made any sense of what Adam had said to him, but because the tremors in his body had faded to be replaced by an intense tingling which was not exactly painful if he lay perfectly still. Nevertheless it felt strange.
"Can you hear me, Nye? Can you move?"
Nye understood what was being said by now but had neither the energy nor the inclination to respond.
He felt Adam's hands move over his body, tugging, twisting, moving. Wherever he touched the tingling increased in intensity until it was almost a scream and made him bite hard on the gag in his mouth and hiss. However, by the time he was done it was starting to fade, leaving a body that felt as though it were made of damp putty.
The last thing Adam did was take the gag out of his mouth. He groaned loudly as his teeth snapped together and his jaw cracked. The pain took all his concentration and he missed Adam speaking to him again. He felt Adam lift his hand, the pins and needles almost gone leaving muscles which trembled a little but otherwise just felt heavy and dull.
"Nye... can you hear me babe? Try and squeeze my hand. Show me you can hear me... that you're there."
Nye had no idea what he meant by squeezing his hand but his body seemed to, because the muscles in his arm contracted and Adam grunted in pain, releasing his hand.
"Oh thank God... thank God. Nye... Nye open your eyes. Speak to me."
Reluctantly, Nye opened his eyes and, again his head was stabbed by a lance of pain as the light bit into his eyes. At least this time he could make out shapes and movement.
"Nye?"
Like the tingling sensations, the intense pain in his chest was easing and it was getting easier to breathe. Nye suddenly found that he was incredibly tired. With a deep sigh he closed his eyes and began to sink into the warm comfortable darkness. Somewhere in there was something he badly wanted, something that was waiting for him if only he could...
"Nye! Wake up. You have to wake up. If you are still here when Lian gets back he will hurt you again. It's his way of getting back at me for what has happened. I can take it Nye but I am getting to realise you can't. I have been a fool, a fucking selfish fool and I never realised it until today. Fuck... I never though I would ever let anyone get this close to me and when it happened I couldn't handle it.
"God this is screwed. I have to get you out of here. I can't let Lian hurt you anymore. He might kill you. I thought he was going to. I thought he had. Come on babe. You can do it. Wake up. Come on."
Adam slapped his face, gently but persistently until he was drawn slowly back from the edge of darkness and forced to acknowledge the light. He moaned and tried to turn his head away.
"Come on babe, please."
Finally giving up all hope of being allowed to go back to sleep Nye opened his eyes and blinked to clear them. He saw a man standing beside him, leaning over him. He was confused. There was a part of him that said he should know this man and a part of him that said he really didn't want to. Part of him felt he loved him and part felt only hatred and anger... but it was all jumbled and muted and he couldn't make sense of any of it.
The voice was still urging him and slowly both his mind and body were coming back to life and beginning to make connections, make sense of what was being said to him.
"Nye, you have to get up. We have to get out of here. Can you do that, baby? Can you sit up? Nye, sit up."
There was note of command in the voice but Nye no longer felt any compulsion to comply. Instead he studied the face. It was a very beautiful face, especially the eyes... the eyes were large and blue and... He felt that he should know the face, that it should mean something to him, should make him feel something, however if he had felt anything at all it would have been confusion. A name floated into his mind and slipped out through his lips.
"A...dam."
"Yes, yes it's Adam, Nye. It's Adam and I am going to take care of you. Now will you please sit up?"
"Sit... up."
"Yes. Come on. Come ON Nye. We have to get out of here."
"Get... out."
Adam shivered, chilled by the blank eyes and flat voice. Nye was simply repeating everything he said with no understanding at all. Well, at least he knew who he was, that was good... right?
Carefully, he slid his arm under Nye's shoulders. Unresisting, Nye shifted to let him. Pressing him tight against his chest Adam lifted Nye up into a sitting position. Nye allowed himself to be raised, closing his eyes against the sudden disorientation and dizziness.
"Are you alright now? Can you sit up on your own?"
This time Nye didn't answer because he was immersed in the sensations that were going on inside his body. They were vaguely unpleasant but he was too disassociated to comprehend what they meant. The sensations intensified and he opened his mouth to say something and was taken completely by surprise when his body convulsed and liquid gushed from his mouth and nose.
Adam, resisting the temptation to pull back held Nye tightly while he vomited repeatedly, retching even after there was nothing else to come up. When he was done his head lolled weakly against Adam's shoulder while he panted and swallowed, trying to speak.
"Ssh. It's alright Nye. It's okay. Don't worry. You're going to be alright. Just take deep breaths and relax. You'll feel better soon."
"Better..." Nye's voice was distant and Adam became alarmed that he might be about to pass out again. Carefully supporting Nye he drew away and brushed the hair out of his face. Remarkably, most of it had escaped the onslaught of vomit and was still fine and silky. For a second Adam got lost in the beauty under his hands and in front of his face. He cupped Nye's cheek gently and looked into the fading eyes.
"Nye, you have to focus baby. You have to do this on your own. I can't carry you. Please... please baby. You have to do this. You have to or... No... you just have to. Come on."
Adam's voice hardened as he swung Nye's legs over the side of the table and lifted him onto his feet. Nye's eyes went wide at the sensations it evoked. He was not able to bear his weight and sagged in Adam's arms, his eyelids fluttering and rolling.
"Nye... Nye, you can't do this. You have to stay with me. Nye..."