Cormack Owle
32. The Captain and The Engineer: Best Intentions
Author's Note: The contents of this chapter include very sensitive subject matter and may be triggering to some individuals. Scenes of abuse of various forms are represented as not only for storytelling, but to raise awareness of what this behavior looks like. Abusive behavior in this story includes, but is not limited to: physical abuse, mental abuse, verbal abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, intentional triggering of another's PTSD, and trauma. In no way are these scenes intended to purposely trigger or harm anyone.
...
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Vincent! Are you home?!"
Aiden was jolted awake by an offending loud noise coming from the front door of Vincent's flat. With an unhappy groan, Aiden sat up and pressed his face into his palms. He didn't feel very rested at all! What time was it?
From the next room over Bernadette came peeking out as Aiden was already making his way groggily towards the door to answer it. Before he could unlatch it, the knocking came loudly again and caused Aiden to scowl at the door. Glancing towards the clock, he saw he'd barely slept four hours!
"Hold on!" he grumbled loudly through the door as he began unlocking it. When the lock was undone, he pulled open the door to glare grumpily at whoever was on the other side. He was met with an astonished Damien staring back at him as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
And that was EXACTLY how Damien felt! Here he was in the late morning visiting his best friend's home to see if he was there to find their very sleepy and disheveled engineer answering the door! And with how long Vincent had been missing? Was Vincent here?! What was going on?
"What the Hell? What are YOU doing here?!"
Aiden frowned a bit deeper and took a step back to reluctantly allow the man inside. "Shh!" he hissed and motioned Damien in. As soon as Damien was inside, Aiden shut and locked the door while Damien looked around worriedly. Then he blinked in surprise as he realized they were not alone.
"Bernadette!"
Damien looked between the two of them with wide eyes and things suddenly began clicking into place. He knew who and what Bernadette was and if she AND Aiden were here...
Before either of them could speak again, Damien began to make his way into Vincent's room with hasty determination. Behind him, Aiden said, "Damien, wait!" Bernadette darted out of the way as Damien marched past. With a slight frown, she then followed in behind him with Aiden trailing behind her.
Damien's eyes widened as he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the sight of his best friend laying there in bed. He was clearly ill and he was covered in bandages and bruises! Why had no one told him?! Why had no one come for him?! Vincent would have wanted him to know! The angry Damien turned to Aiden and unexpectedly grabbed his shirt and pushed him hard against the wall which caught Aiden off guard!
"What the fuck happened?!"
"Damien!"
Bernadette's exclamation was ignored by both men as Aiden clenched his teeth and grasped Damien's wrists and dug in with his fingers. He growled, "Let me go!" He could see that Damien was desperate for answers; he was scared obviously and perhaps angry as well that he hadn't been notified sooner. But right now, especially after last night, he was not in the mood to be messed with and had no qualms about punching Damien out! And right now the idea had merit!
"Let. Me. Go."
Damien seemed to think better of his actions and finally relented. His fingers let go of Aiden's shirt (to which Aiden released him as well) and they breathed angrily at each other. Beside them, Bernadette stared at them with a pale expression before she loudly let out the breath she was holding with every intention of letting them know how fed up she felt.
"Whatever you two decide to do, whether it be to talk or fight like childish imbeciles or whatever, take it outside! And don't either of you think for a second that Vincent would be very pleased with the two of you right now!" And on that note she turned to go to Vincent's side again, grumbling something about "bull-headed men."
Desperate for answers, Damien jerked his head and started to walk out towards the terrace. "Let's talk." And he said nothing else as he made his way outside to wait for Aiden.
Aiden glanced towards Bernadette who met his eyes with a loud exhale through her nose, indicating her frustration and attempts to not say anything else. Aiden remained where he was for a moment to quickly center himself. With a final glance to Bernadette, he held up his pinky with a wink to reassure her of his promise, then went to join Damien outside.
As soon as he stepped out there, Aiden was taken by surprise! Damien was turning towards him with an apologetic look as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Look, I'm sorry about snapping like that. I was worried! He's my best friend and after he disappeared yesterday?" His hands lowered and his whole body language implored Aiden to understand his plight. "And seeing him like THAT and you didn't offer any explanation? Well...you understand, right? I only had the best intentions."
Aiden wanted to be frustrated at Damien! He hadn't even had a chance to explain his side! But he really did understand; not that he wanted to right now. Feeling annoyed that he was deflating already, Aiden sighed softly and pushed the door shut behind him so they could have some privacy.
"I understand. It's fine, Damien."
Damien visibly relaxed a little more now that Aiden forgave him. He nodded to the younger man and folded his arms over his chest. He was more level and ready to actually listen this time.
"Tell me everything." he insisted.
And so Aiden did: starting from the moment Aiden had overheard his informant until Bernadette and he had closed Vincent's wounds (with several interruptions from Damien pressing him for more details). From there he completely skipped over his private discussion with Bernadette and said that he'd gone to sleep and was woken by Damien banging on the door.
Damien had stared at Aiden the entire time, wide-eyed as the details of the night came out. He was shocked to say the least! At first he couldn't seem to find any proper words! Finally he did.
"Are you mad?!"
"What?"
"You went there alone?! ALONE! You should have come to me! I could have helped you and he'd be back sooner and he wouldn't be laying there on his deathbed!"
And immediately Aiden felt guilty. Aiden had gone there alone with no help except Pete who was just a lantern. At the time he'd been desperate and determined to help Vincent and he hadn't thought it through. Aiden felt dread fill him and he looked down slightly. He really should have gone for help. Damien was right.
"God damn it, Aiden!" Damien growled as he turned away and ran his hands through his hair in a frustrating manner as he gazed up off in the distance. Aiden slowly looked up and felt the sting of tears behind his eyes as he fought them back.
"I'm sorry," he insisted. "I just-"
"Didn't think? Hmph! Sometimes I think, 'Maybe he isn't such a kid after all' but then you go and do a thing like this! Just like blowing your life savings on a stupid little lantern! You really thought that LANTERN was going to help you?! 'I' could have helped you!"
Aiden didn't even have a response. He just stood there feeling so guilty. Because of him, Vincent could have been dead right now. He should have gone to the peelers. Even taking Damien would have been wiser than going on his own. He should have been smarter. Faster. Anything. Aiden believed that Damien's anger was justified. He was right.
When Damien turned to look back at Aiden, he saw his face starting to crumble and was clearly about to cry! And sure enough, a couple of breaths later Aiden let out a small sob as tears slid down his reddening face.
'Well fuck,' Damien thought. He wanted to yell more at him but seeing Aiden tearing up made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't like it. Feeling a little disgusted with the whole situation, Damien finally sighed and approached him and set his hands on his shoulders as Aiden let out another small sob.
"C'mon kid, get a hold of yourself," he tried to console him in a somewhat encouraging tone. It was clear Damien was pushing himself to be nicer. "Obviously Bernadette got him fixed up and I'm here now. He's going to be fine now, okay? He's not going to let some fever take him after all that. Vincent's tougher than that!"
Aiden sniffled and glanced up to meet Damien's eyes and was surprisingly met with a small encouraging smile. Wiping his eyes, he sniffed once more and found himself smiling slightly as well. Damien's assistance would definitely be helpful even if he was a bit overbearing. Perhaps now Bernadette could finally get some rest.
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right."
"Of course I am!"
Damien chuckled and patted his shoulder and started to head inside. Aiden smiled slightly more but it faded once the door closed behind Damien and he was left out on the terrace alone. He looked down at his hands and nibbled his lower lip as he felt confliction entering his thoughts. While he knew Damien was right, he still felt like he'd laid the guilt on a bit thick. Aiden HAD managed to return with Vincent after all! He was still alive because of him! Truth be told, a part of him still didn't regret his actions. He'd have to work through it later. Right now, what mattered was Vincent.
Deciding to brush it all off as Damien's intense worry for his best friend's safety, he tried not to let what was said get to him. When Aiden rejoined the other two in Vincent's bedroom, he was unsurprised to find Damien seated at Vincent's bedside and Bernadette sitting on the chaise. "So, what happens now?" Aiden asked aloud as he looked towards Bernadette, but it was Damien who responded.
"I say we take shifts. Bernadette is insisting on staying but she needs rest." He looked towards her meaningfully and she scowled at him with a huff before retorting, "He is my patient!"
"Of course he is, but you still need rest. You've been attending to him since last night."
"Then I will rest on the couch! I am not leaving until the fever breaks and he's stable!"
"So be it. However, Aiden, you should go back to the ship and get some real sleep."
"How can I sleep now? I'm awake and everyone I know is here! I don't want to go!"
Aiden didn't want to leave Vincent's side! After everything they had been through together thus far he wanted to stick it out to the end with him! He couldn't just stay aboard the ship waiting anxiously!
Bernadette had stood and walked over to Damien's side. Once the argument had reached this point, she gently placed her hand upon Damien's shoulder with a gentle squeeze. "He can stay in the other room and keep me company. Three sets of hands are better than two, Damien, and right now Vincent needs all the help he can get." Damien's eyes narrowed as he gazed up at her with a hint of opposition. "Fine," he finally said with a reluctant sigh.
There was a soft groan and all three pairs of eyes shifted to the man laying before them. Vincent was breathing harder and looked to be in pain. Bernadette glanced towards the clock then began nudging Damien to move.
"It's about that time," she said as she bolstered herself up and reached for more of her specially medicated tea. "He's due for more medicine. You say I need rest, but if I rest now, what then, hm? Do you know how to administer these medications so precisely? Depending on what it is, if you give him too much it could kill him."
"I would if you told me how."
"Hm, no. Better safe than sorry."
"There has to be something that I can do to help."
"Actually yes. Do you know what you can do?"
"What's that?"
"Go boil this."
And she handed him two large pieces of raw ginger. Across from them, Aiden actually snorted at how anticlimactic that had been. Damien looked down at the pieces of ginger in his hand then looked up at her skeptically at such an assignment.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"You want me to boil-?"
"Ginger is an important part of the antibacterial poultice I am using for his wounds and also for his medicine. So you need a small pot and do not dump the water. I will need it for later. I know it sounds so mediocre but it would be very helpful. Please? For Vincent?"
Damien quirked his mouth slightly and then gave a small nod. "Very well." Once his back faced her, he mouthed silently to himself and went to do as she asked.
Once Damien was out of earshot, Aiden approached Bernadette's side with a slight smirk. She glanced up at him with an innocent look and asked, "What? It's a legitimate chore that needs to be done. Eventually." Aiden could only chuckle which Bernadette joined in softly.
"He means well?" Bernadette sarcastically murmured aloud, reiterating her earlier comment about Damien. Aiden snorted and replied under his breath, "Hell is paved with good intentions."
"Indeed. But it is good to have an extra set of hands. Poor Vincent needs all the help he can get."
And then softly below them came a soft, hopeful voice that was barely a whisper: "Em-Emily...don't go..."
Bernadette gasped softly and looked down at Vincent who was gazing up at her with half open eyes. His fingers shifted as he tried to reach for her, so she reached out to touch his hand. She replied gently and with a hint of regret, "Oh, Vincent, no. It's me, Bernadette, your cousin."
"Bernie?"
"Mhm."
"Oh...sorry...I th-thought..."
"Shh, shh, shh...I know."
"Sorry."
"Don't be. It's okay. Sleep."
"Do I..have...to..?"
"Oh, sweetheart," Bernadette said sadly but Vincent was already passing back out; sleep feverishly taking him under once again. She sighed softly and began to wipe at his brow with a fresh, cool cloth.
Aiden's heart broke as he remembered just last week or so Vincent asking him the very same thing. Vincent didn't want to have to wake up to the same daily torment. Aiden felt the sudden urge to crawl into bed with Vincent and wrap him up in his arms and tell him everything was going to be okay and hold him until it was. Instead he stood there feeling a little sad and empty as he watched Vincent fall back into his fitful sleep.
"Who's Emily?"
Somehow Aiden already knew before he even asked but he felt compelled to ask anyway. Bernadette blinked at him then turned to glance over her shoulder to look at the small picture frame on Vincent's nightstand. She reached over and gently picked it up and looked at it for a long moment. Finally, she offered it to Aiden who took it.
"His wife. She's no longer with us. She-... she passed away a few years back during that plague, both her and the baby. It was really heartbreaking. Happened while he was still recovering from the explosion and all and he couldn't get home before they- well, you know. Don't tell him I said this but..." She took a deep breath and finally got her thoughts off her chest. "...it's the reason he drinks so heavily when he's home. I really wish he would just stick to the herb and abandon that wretched drink altogether!"
And echoing in his memory Aiden could hear Vincent screaming and crying: "A good man would have not even left them in the first place! HOW AM I A GOOD MAN?!"
So that confirmed his suspicions. Vincent had never made it home to his wife and child before the plague had claimed their lives. It seemed to be just as Aiden felt: Vincent was just a man who had been through too much.
...
Next Part:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/52338397167
To start from the beginning or to read another chapter, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
DISCORD SERVER:
That's right! The Captain and The Engineer has a Discord Server! If you wanna join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
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32. The Captain and The Engineer: Best Intentions
Author's Note: The contents of this chapter include very sensitive subject matter and may be triggering to some individuals. Scenes of abuse of various forms are represented as not only for storytelling, but to raise awareness of what this behavior looks like. Abusive behavior in this story includes, but is not limited to: physical abuse, mental abuse, verbal abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, intentional triggering of another's PTSD, and trauma. In no way are these scenes intended to purposely trigger or harm anyone.
...
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Vincent! Are you home?!"
Aiden was jolted awake by an offending loud noise coming from the front door of Vincent's flat. With an unhappy groan, Aiden sat up and pressed his face into his palms. He didn't feel very rested at all! What time was it?
From the next room over Bernadette came peeking out as Aiden was already making his way groggily towards the door to answer it. Before he could unlatch it, the knocking came loudly again and caused Aiden to scowl at the door. Glancing towards the clock, he saw he'd barely slept four hours!
"Hold on!" he grumbled loudly through the door as he began unlocking it. When the lock was undone, he pulled open the door to glare grumpily at whoever was on the other side. He was met with an astonished Damien staring back at him as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
And that was EXACTLY how Damien felt! Here he was in the late morning visiting his best friend's home to see if he was there to find their very sleepy and disheveled engineer answering the door! And with how long Vincent had been missing? Was Vincent here?! What was going on?
"What the Hell? What are YOU doing here?!"
Aiden frowned a bit deeper and took a step back to reluctantly allow the man inside. "Shh!" he hissed and motioned Damien in. As soon as Damien was inside, Aiden shut and locked the door while Damien looked around worriedly. Then he blinked in surprise as he realized they were not alone.
"Bernadette!"
Damien looked between the two of them with wide eyes and things suddenly began clicking into place. He knew who and what Bernadette was and if she AND Aiden were here...
Before either of them could speak again, Damien began to make his way into Vincent's room with hasty determination. Behind him, Aiden said, "Damien, wait!" Bernadette darted out of the way as Damien marched past. With a slight frown, she then followed in behind him with Aiden trailing behind her.
Damien's eyes widened as he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the sight of his best friend laying there in bed. He was clearly ill and he was covered in bandages and bruises! Why had no one told him?! Why had no one come for him?! Vincent would have wanted him to know! The angry Damien turned to Aiden and unexpectedly grabbed his shirt and pushed him hard against the wall which caught Aiden off guard!
"What the fuck happened?!"
"Damien!"
Bernadette's exclamation was ignored by both men as Aiden clenched his teeth and grasped Damien's wrists and dug in with his fingers. He growled, "Let me go!" He could see that Damien was desperate for answers; he was scared obviously and perhaps angry as well that he hadn't been notified sooner. But right now, especially after last night, he was not in the mood to be messed with and had no qualms about punching Damien out! And right now the idea had merit!
"Let. Me. Go."
Damien seemed to think better of his actions and finally relented. His fingers let go of Aiden's shirt (to which Aiden released him as well) and they breathed angrily at each other. Beside them, Bernadette stared at them with a pale expression before she loudly let out the breath she was holding with every intention of letting them know how fed up she felt.
"Whatever you two decide to do, whether it be to talk or fight like childish imbeciles or whatever, take it outside! And don't either of you think for a second that Vincent would be very pleased with the two of you right now!" And on that note she turned to go to Vincent's side again, grumbling something about "bull-headed men."
Desperate for answers, Damien jerked his head and started to walk out towards the terrace. "Let's talk." And he said nothing else as he made his way outside to wait for Aiden.
Aiden glanced towards Bernadette who met his eyes with a loud exhale through her nose, indicating her frustration and attempts to not say anything else. Aiden remained where he was for a moment to quickly center himself. With a final glance to Bernadette, he held up his pinky with a wink to reassure her of his promise, then went to join Damien outside.
As soon as he stepped out there, Aiden was taken by surprise! Damien was turning towards him with an apologetic look as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Look, I'm sorry about snapping like that. I was worried! He's my best friend and after he disappeared yesterday?" His hands lowered and his whole body language implored Aiden to understand his plight. "And seeing him like THAT and you didn't offer any explanation? Well...you understand, right? I only had the best intentions."
Aiden wanted to be frustrated at Damien! He hadn't even had a chance to explain his side! But he really did understand; not that he wanted to right now. Feeling annoyed that he was deflating already, Aiden sighed softly and pushed the door shut behind him so they could have some privacy.
"I understand. It's fine, Damien."
Damien visibly relaxed a little more now that Aiden forgave him. He nodded to the younger man and folded his arms over his chest. He was more level and ready to actually listen this time.
"Tell me everything." he insisted.
And so Aiden did: starting from the moment Aiden had overheard his informant until Bernadette and he had closed Vincent's wounds (with several interruptions from Damien pressing him for more details). From there he completely skipped over his private discussion with Bernadette and said that he'd gone to sleep and was woken by Damien banging on the door.
Damien had stared at Aiden the entire time, wide-eyed as the details of the night came out. He was shocked to say the least! At first he couldn't seem to find any proper words! Finally he did.
"Are you mad?!"
"What?"
"You went there alone?! ALONE! You should have come to me! I could have helped you and he'd be back sooner and he wouldn't be laying there on his deathbed!"
And immediately Aiden felt guilty. Aiden had gone there alone with no help except Pete who was just a lantern. At the time he'd been desperate and determined to help Vincent and he hadn't thought it through. Aiden felt dread fill him and he looked down slightly. He really should have gone for help. Damien was right.
"God damn it, Aiden!" Damien growled as he turned away and ran his hands through his hair in a frustrating manner as he gazed up off in the distance. Aiden slowly looked up and felt the sting of tears behind his eyes as he fought them back.
"I'm sorry," he insisted. "I just-"
"Didn't think? Hmph! Sometimes I think, 'Maybe he isn't such a kid after all' but then you go and do a thing like this! Just like blowing your life savings on a stupid little lantern! You really thought that LANTERN was going to help you?! 'I' could have helped you!"
Aiden didn't even have a response. He just stood there feeling so guilty. Because of him, Vincent could have been dead right now. He should have gone to the peelers. Even taking Damien would have been wiser than going on his own. He should have been smarter. Faster. Anything. Aiden believed that Damien's anger was justified. He was right.
When Damien turned to look back at Aiden, he saw his face starting to crumble and was clearly about to cry! And sure enough, a couple of breaths later Aiden let out a small sob as tears slid down his reddening face.
'Well fuck,' Damien thought. He wanted to yell more at him but seeing Aiden tearing up made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't like it. Feeling a little disgusted with the whole situation, Damien finally sighed and approached him and set his hands on his shoulders as Aiden let out another small sob.
"C'mon kid, get a hold of yourself," he tried to console him in a somewhat encouraging tone. It was clear Damien was pushing himself to be nicer. "Obviously Bernadette got him fixed up and I'm here now. He's going to be fine now, okay? He's not going to let some fever take him after all that. Vincent's tougher than that!"
Aiden sniffled and glanced up to meet Damien's eyes and was surprisingly met with a small encouraging smile. Wiping his eyes, he sniffed once more and found himself smiling slightly as well. Damien's assistance would definitely be helpful even if he was a bit overbearing. Perhaps now Bernadette could finally get some rest.
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right."
"Of course I am!"
Damien chuckled and patted his shoulder and started to head inside. Aiden smiled slightly more but it faded once the door closed behind Damien and he was left out on the terrace alone. He looked down at his hands and nibbled his lower lip as he felt confliction entering his thoughts. While he knew Damien was right, he still felt like he'd laid the guilt on a bit thick. Aiden HAD managed to return with Vincent after all! He was still alive because of him! Truth be told, a part of him still didn't regret his actions. He'd have to work through it later. Right now, what mattered was Vincent.
Deciding to brush it all off as Damien's intense worry for his best friend's safety, he tried not to let what was said get to him. When Aiden rejoined the other two in Vincent's bedroom, he was unsurprised to find Damien seated at Vincent's bedside and Bernadette sitting on the chaise. "So, what happens now?" Aiden asked aloud as he looked towards Bernadette, but it was Damien who responded.
"I say we take shifts. Bernadette is insisting on staying but she needs rest." He looked towards her meaningfully and she scowled at him with a huff before retorting, "He is my patient!"
"Of course he is, but you still need rest. You've been attending to him since last night."
"Then I will rest on the couch! I am not leaving until the fever breaks and he's stable!"
"So be it. However, Aiden, you should go back to the ship and get some real sleep."
"How can I sleep now? I'm awake and everyone I know is here! I don't want to go!"
Aiden didn't want to leave Vincent's side! After everything they had been through together thus far he wanted to stick it out to the end with him! He couldn't just stay aboard the ship waiting anxiously!
Bernadette had stood and walked over to Damien's side. Once the argument had reached this point, she gently placed her hand upon Damien's shoulder with a gentle squeeze. "He can stay in the other room and keep me company. Three sets of hands are better than two, Damien, and right now Vincent needs all the help he can get." Damien's eyes narrowed as he gazed up at her with a hint of opposition. "Fine," he finally said with a reluctant sigh.
There was a soft groan and all three pairs of eyes shifted to the man laying before them. Vincent was breathing harder and looked to be in pain. Bernadette glanced towards the clock then began nudging Damien to move.
"It's about that time," she said as she bolstered herself up and reached for more of her specially medicated tea. "He's due for more medicine. You say I need rest, but if I rest now, what then, hm? Do you know how to administer these medications so precisely? Depending on what it is, if you give him too much it could kill him."
"I would if you told me how."
"Hm, no. Better safe than sorry."
"There has to be something that I can do to help."
"Actually yes. Do you know what you can do?"
"What's that?"
"Go boil this."
And she handed him two large pieces of raw ginger. Across from them, Aiden actually snorted at how anticlimactic that had been. Damien looked down at the pieces of ginger in his hand then looked up at her skeptically at such an assignment.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"You want me to boil-?"
"Ginger is an important part of the antibacterial poultice I am using for his wounds and also for his medicine. So you need a small pot and do not dump the water. I will need it for later. I know it sounds so mediocre but it would be very helpful. Please? For Vincent?"
Damien quirked his mouth slightly and then gave a small nod. "Very well." Once his back faced her, he mouthed silently to himself and went to do as she asked.
Once Damien was out of earshot, Aiden approached Bernadette's side with a slight smirk. She glanced up at him with an innocent look and asked, "What? It's a legitimate chore that needs to be done. Eventually." Aiden could only chuckle which Bernadette joined in softly.
"He means well?" Bernadette sarcastically murmured aloud, reiterating her earlier comment about Damien. Aiden snorted and replied under his breath, "Hell is paved with good intentions."
"Indeed. But it is good to have an extra set of hands. Poor Vincent needs all the help he can get."
And then softly below them came a soft, hopeful voice that was barely a whisper: "Em-Emily...don't go..."
Bernadette gasped softly and looked down at Vincent who was gazing up at her with half open eyes. His fingers shifted as he tried to reach for her, so she reached out to touch his hand. She replied gently and with a hint of regret, "Oh, Vincent, no. It's me, Bernadette, your cousin."
"Bernie?"
"Mhm."
"Oh...sorry...I th-thought..."
"Shh, shh, shh...I know."
"Sorry."
"Don't be. It's okay. Sleep."
"Do I..have...to..?"
"Oh, sweetheart," Bernadette said sadly but Vincent was already passing back out; sleep feverishly taking him under once again. She sighed softly and began to wipe at his brow with a fresh, cool cloth.
Aiden's heart broke as he remembered just last week or so Vincent asking him the very same thing. Vincent didn't want to have to wake up to the same daily torment. Aiden felt the sudden urge to crawl into bed with Vincent and wrap him up in his arms and tell him everything was going to be okay and hold him until it was. Instead he stood there feeling a little sad and empty as he watched Vincent fall back into his fitful sleep.
"Who's Emily?"
Somehow Aiden already knew before he even asked but he felt compelled to ask anyway. Bernadette blinked at him then turned to glance over her shoulder to look at the small picture frame on Vincent's nightstand. She reached over and gently picked it up and looked at it for a long moment. Finally, she offered it to Aiden who took it.
"His wife. She's no longer with us. She-... she passed away a few years back during that plague, both her and the baby. It was really heartbreaking. Happened while he was still recovering from the explosion and all and he couldn't get home before they- well, you know. Don't tell him I said this but..." She took a deep breath and finally got her thoughts off her chest. "...it's the reason he drinks so heavily when he's home. I really wish he would just stick to the herb and abandon that wretched drink altogether!"
And echoing in his memory Aiden could hear Vincent screaming and crying: "A good man would have not even left them in the first place! HOW AM I A GOOD MAN?!"
So that confirmed his suspicions. Vincent had never made it home to his wife and child before the plague had claimed their lives. It seemed to be just as Aiden felt: Vincent was just a man who had been through too much.
...
Next Part:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/52338397167
To start from the beginning or to read another chapter, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
DISCORD SERVER:
That's right! The Captain and The Engineer has a Discord Server! If you wanna join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
FACEBOOK PAGE: