Chapter Text
|Farah|
When I walked into that room, with Todd leaning heavily against the wall, Dirk pratically catatonic staring at his hands, my first thought was simple:
Shit.
It had only been just over a week since I last saw them, running into the Cardenas' house.
Eleven days, three hours and twelve minutes.
Not that I was counting.
Even through everything we had seen, everything all of us have done, I have never seen anyone who looked as broken as these two.
It wasn’t just how thin and pale they'd gotten. It wasn't the blood that covered both of them, although that didn't help. It wasn't even the gun that lay inches away from Dirk's feet.
It was their eyes. The pain that Todd's held, the sorrow. But more the overwhelming blankness in Dirk's. That look of nothing that shone through them. He just continued to stare at his bloody hands, unseeing.
I finally snapped out of my thoughts and started moving when Todd's knees buckled. He slid down the wall to the floor beside Priest's body.
At least that bastard is dead.
I walked over to him, kneeling down and taking his red hands in mine. His eyes shifted up to mine, seeming to just comprehend that I was there. He breathed my name out slowly, before pulling me into a hug.
His breath was warm against my neck, his tears falling down onto my shirt. I knew I had to move, to get them both somewhere safe, but I couldn't pull away, not with how he clung to me like a lifeline.
It was several minutes before he dropped his arms, his breath hitching as he looked over at Dirk. I could feel the concern run through him as he crawled, yes, crawled to his friend.
That was when Dirk freaked out, standing and jumping back from Todd. I saw the fear that his eyes held. But also the concern. He wasn't scared of Todd. He was worried about him, he was afraid for him.
At first I couldn't hear his words, they were so quiet. But then as Todd kept approaching him, they got louder to the point where he was almost yelling, and my blood froze.
"Please, Todd. I don't want to hurt you. I'm dangerous. Please-" A single tear slipped out, trailing slowly down his cheek. His strength gave out and he crumpled to the floor with a cry of pain. It was only then Todd fully came over to him, kneeling and looking at his friend's neck. Dirk just kept whimpering, his eyes unseeing.
"Todd, what are you-" I started to ask, before I stepped closer and could see. His hands were gently pulling a needle out of Dirk's neck, buried almost to the end. He was speaking calmly, whispers I couldn’t make out. His fingers were shaking, but he kept his pace steady as to not hurt his friend. My stomach turned. What the hell had happened to them?
Once the needle was fully out, Todd chucked it as far away from him as possible, before pulling Dirk close to his chest. I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to ignore his flinch.
"We need to bring you both to the hospital, ok?" I asked gently, already trying to work out our options. We were still fugitives, but I knew a doctor who works nearby who may be able to keep our identities hidden. That would have to be good enough. By the amount of blood I could see on their shirts, the bandages, that goddamn needle laying somewhere in the room, I knew the boys needed more help then I could give.
Todd gave no other indication than nodding. He pulled Dirk in closer, their difference in size making the move awkward. Even though Dirk kept whimpering for him to get away, he leaned into Todd's chest, his hands gripping his shirt tightly.
Together they walked out of Blackwing, of the place where they had been tortured for days, years, by a monster.
Together they sat in the back of my stolen car, both going into the backseat, still holding on to each other with all their strength.
Together they whispered as I drove, sweet little nothings like they had just days ago as we speeded away from the hospital where the Boy had been killed.
Together they survived what no man should have to survive.
Together they went through hell.
Together, in each other’s arms, where they always will be.