Forgotten childhood memories

"A Ray-magnet?" Eugene wasn't following the conversation very well. The two started bickering and he felt at a loss, running a hand through his head as he started to feel anxiety in his chest. His breathing getting a little out of hand as he started to hyperventilate. He wasn't doing well, his lung felt like it was burning and he just wanted to see Jane. It was all he could think about even as he could barely breathe.

Victor had been ready to fight and as she tackled him to the floor and dodged the first few slashes, he did his best to protect himself from her hits, kicking her away before she could really get a good punch in, scrambling to his feet as he swung and hit her arm. She went back and he scoffed at her words. "You were lucky it was just your arm." he hissed, getting ready to fight her again just as one of the brutes ended the fight. Jane opened her eyes and looked down to see Raven on the ground, widening her eyes a little though she kept quiet. Victor didnt seem too happy with the interference, walking up to the brute, slashing open his chest and pushing him down to leave him there. He just left the unconscious brute there as well. "Guess I'll have to use you as the leverage you refuse to hand over." he told Raven, moving some hair off her face before picking her up.

Dove was annoyed with Brock, but hearing Eugene's breathing change made her look his way. She moved over, placing a hand on his. "Eugene, what's wrong?" she asked, hearing the wheezing quite clearly. Brock groaned. "I'll go check the arcade." he said, slightly annoyed. Though the sight that met him made him look around. "Ray? Jay?" he called as he went to check the pulse of the brute that was passed out, the other had seemingly bled out. There was a blood stain that seemed to not come from the dead guy though and that made Brock worry. Raven's or Jane's? He called out once more. Still no answer.

Raven had passed out, the bleeding on her arm soaking through her shirt. If you ignored her dirty face and grubby hands she was actually a very pretty girl. The brute was quite clearly shocked as his chest was cut open, the last thing he saw was Victor picking up Raven before he left.
This wasn't a good thing. Everyone knew their past, and Raven was stupid for getting caught like this. Sure, Victor wanted Jane, wanted what he was promised, but he also wanted Raven back. As if he wanted to reclaim something he had lost even if the love wasn't there anymore.

Eugene was a little helpless, Dove trying to comfort him, but he was already too weak. His medication. He had left it at home, not thinking they would be out for so long because of the cold. But now he was paying for not having packed any. Brock left in frustration while Eugene was heaving for air.

Eugene was left, and he sorta collapsed on the floor, on the brink of passing out as he watched Dove leave him. Was this it? He had decided to live, live as much as he could, and this was how he was going out? He eventually passed out, barely reacting once they returned. His eyes moving beneath his lids as Jane touched him. He could hear her, sort off, but it was like he couldn't control his body.

Once he finally came to, he was laying on an old couch, his chest stinging for every breath he took, coughing as he was shaking sitting up. His eyes were glazed over, barely seeing anything. His head spinning, "Zippy?" he muttered. Maybe he had just had a bad dream. Maybe they were back in his house, maybe she had gotten up to get him something to drink to fight off the cough.

He heard voices, but he could barely make it out before he felt his head touched so gently. Those hands. He knew who they belonged to, and he followed what she said, drinking from the glass carefully. He had to stop halfway through, having a coughing fit, curling up where he was laying as he shivered. He wasn't built to be out here. He was a weakling, he thought, and now everyone could see it. "Are you alright?" he asked as if it was all that mattered to him. He was going to need to go back to his dad soon, maybe get hooked up to some oxygen just to get a normal flow through his body. "I'm sorry," he muttered, coughing again, his voice wheezing a bit, some blood on his lips as his eyes fell shut and his body grew heavy once again.

As they arrived at the house, Dexter came out looking a little disheveled. He looked at his son in the stranger's arms, then to Jane and then back to his son. This was bad. He guided them in, letting them place Eugene down on the bed as he went to rummage through their moving stuff to find all the medical supplies. "How long has he been unconscious?" he asked, grabbing a large bag as well before he kneeled down by his son's side, lifting his wrist, feeling for his pulse. It was weak. Gritting his teeth he started undressing him, revealing some bruises on his torso and a dark spot on the side where his lung was collapsed.
Dexter worked hard, and if Jane hadn't left he would have her check on Eugene's pulse every step of the way. He found some needles that were filled with some clear liquid. It wasn't something he used lightly. "Can you hold his head?" Dexter asked, and if Jane agreed, he would give Eugene one shot, making the boy convulse in pain, shaking before Dexter gave him the other shot. Eugene's father was shaking a little, looking at his son as he started to breathe more easily. But the damage had been done. This wasn't a treatment, this was more of a way to keep his son alive, and every time there was a risk that the poor boy would lose a part of himself. "He need rest now," he said in a shaky breath, looking at his son that was working up a fever now as well, but that was far from the worst part. "He's going to have a rough night ... I hope he finds his way back to us," he said, Dexter looking at his son with sad eyes.

Dexter sighed as he saw how upset Jane was. He wasn't blind to what the two had had, and now that they were trying to reconnect he felt bad for not warning her. Eugene's breathing made the whistle noise return, but it was more silent and in the background as Dexter moved over to sit in the chair by his kid's desk. "I can't be angry at you for trying to bring him out of his shell," he said quite honestly, frowning as he took off his glasses, rubbing his face a little. "But I don't think Eugene has been completely honest with you regarding how much pain he is in," not that he could blame his son. It wasn't abnormal to think the boy wanted to appear stronger than he was. He had done that for years now.
Dexter explained why they had come back, what he had sacrificed to try and get Eugene the help he needed and how bad things looked. "He has good days and he has bad days, but him exhausting himself is something he should know better about - That is not your fault," he reminded her. Sighing he shook his head, "I can see you're hurt too ... I'll bring you some pain medication that can help your healing speed up," he said, getting up from his chair and putting on his glasses once more. He took another look at his son as he whistled away, sleeping and resting.
He eventually came back with some pills, water and a small plate of food. "He wouldn't want you not to eat," he just said, leaving her to be alone with Eugene if that was what she wanted.

"I gave him some medicine of my own creation; It's not something that should be taken lightly," he kept it at that, that was best. Of course he could go in to details about how it functioned, but he worried that Jane wouldn't understand or worse get angry with him. He was effectively keeping his son alive even though he should've been dead so many years ago by now. "It keeps him alive," he just said.
Looking at the way she held Eugene's hand he sighed, "I fear that eventually his legs will stop working completely," he said, a quite honest fear, but also one that had merit. The medicine, while it kept Eugene alive, wasn't stable enough and was causing harm. "Jane, I don't want you to get your hopes up about him; He's strong, that's for sure, but he can't be your boyfriend ... He's a special kid, but there'll be things he can't do, and you are far too young to lock yourself up with a guy that will need so much extra care," he was trying to plead with her. Maybe it would be better if she cut herself off from Eugene already, that way nothing could happen.

Dexter got up from his chair. He guess she would have her heart broken regardless of what he told her, but now she was at least informed. He left her and Eugene to rest having to work on some papers for some of the kids he had gathered up for Samuel.

It was late in to the night when Eugene finally woke up. His body heavy like lead, his head pounding. Opening his eyes he saw a shadow by his side, feeling warm arms around him. "Zippy," he smiled softly, his voice a little broken, but he looked almost normal. His hand moved up, touching her face delicately. "How long have I been out?" he asked, not even sure if she was sleeping. "I'm so sorry," he whispered softly. He felt so guilty.

"And you shouldn't be here when you already have a boyfriend," he argued, lifting his hand to touch her face, cupping her cheek as his thumb caressed her cheekbones. He had heard what Brock had said, he knew that Jane was seeing him. And Eugene felt like the scum of the earth having stolen such intimate moments with someone that wasn't even his. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, feeling rather upset. His body was trembling a bit, sweat on his forehead as the fever was still having a heavy grip on him. Was he even going to remember this tomorrow? "I feel like shit ... Not just because my body's a mess, but because you didn't tell me."

She was going to leave, and somehow that just felt worse. "Zippy," he pleaded, his voice weak, turning his head to see her go in to the hallway. No. He couldn't let her leave now. His body ached all over, trying to move he realised he was basically paralysed. That was when reality kicked in. He didn't have anything to offer her. He couldn't even walk right now, so all he could really do was cry. He sobbed, hating himself for hurting her once again, but in the back of his mind he also convinced himself that this was for the better. That she was being tied down by him, and she had her whole life. He on the other hand didn't have that luxury.

At first all her body felt was the cold and how alert she got. Her eyes looking around in bewilderment, her whole body shivering. Her arm was stinging where he had cut her, but soon enough her eyes focused on the man in front of her. "V-v-vic," she stammered, her teeth chattering as her eyes slowly adjusted to being away again. She could barely feel her body, was she tied up?

Her eyes finally focused on him, hearing his words but they were ringing in her ear. Her head was pounding where the brute had hit her. He touched her cheek, and she moved away from his touch. He couldn't do that. Not anymore. "They know better than to come for me," she said, and she hoped she was right. She had always told them to stick together and not do something stupid. And going out if their way to try and rescue her? That was stupid.
"Why are you so insistent on getting Jay?" She sighed, leaning her head a little back, her eyes having a few black spots when she blinked. "Is it just to torment me further? It wasn't enough to kill Winston so you go after the next in line that I love?"

Weapons? Was that really all he thought about? Violence and killing. She could hardly recognise him anymore. Where was that sweet innocent Victor she had known? He placed a blanket around her, the notion of chains made her scoff. "I fight with chains, you really think this sensation is new to me?" No, she had plenty of burn marks and imprints of chain links all over her forearms. The blanket did help a little, but she was still shivering q bit. "What happened to us, Vic?" She asked. They had been so good for one another, and now all they could was fight and hurt each other.