Chapter 2
Luke sat patiently next to the couch. he had pulled a chair in from the dining room and he had the glass in his hand. Leon hadn't drunk much of it yet. The only sound in the room was the gentle 'Tick Tock' of the clock of the clock on the wall above. Leon's eyes opened and they moved up to look at Luke. Luke held the water out.
"Would you like some more??"
He asked. Leon's eyes closed and then opened again, indicated that he did want to drink. Luke leaned in and put one hand under Leon's head. He lifted him very gently and put the glass to his lips. he only let him have a little bit at a time though. He was obviously seriously dehydrated. If he were to drink to much at once, he would be sick. And Luke doubted that Leon's body could handle that. He let Leon back down slowly and removed the cloths from his forehead and neck. He went and soaked them again to replace them. Leon wished he could speak to thank the nice man for helping him, but he wasn't even going to bother trying. Luke was currently humming a soft tune as he checked Leon's temperature with the back of his hand. Leon looked at him, watching him. Studying him. Then, as Luke finished and his gaze landed on Leon's, Leon gave a small smile. he was so grateful for the man's kindness. His only hope was that he would live so that the man- Luke he had said his name was- All of Luke's action's were not in vain. Luke looked, slightly dumbfounded for a moment, and then returned the smile. He felt almost like he would cry. Whatever this child had gotten, he hadn't deserved it. he reached out and gently ruffled Leon's dark red hair.
"Don't you worry. I'm going to make sure you're alright..."
Luke said, nodding. Leon closed his eyes, enjoying the kind touch of another.
"You'll never enter that house again, Leon. never."
Luke said reassuringly. Leon opened his eyes a bit. Was that true? Would he never have to see his prison again? It was a wonderful thought... But he wouldn't get his hopes up. No matter what he did, he always seemed to end up back there... Tied to the wall once again... But he knew this time, if he returned, he would die. At leats that way, he could escape no matter what happened. Though... he throughly prefered to live... Luke had left momentarily and he came back with a stick looking thing. Leon wasn't sure if he liked it very much... His brow furrowed nervously as he wondered what it was. Luke had noticed that, not only was leon's breathing ver labored from the swollen throat and broken ribs, but Luke could hear a rasp. It sounded like ti came from deep in his chest and lungs. But Leon hadn't seemed to take much of a notice to it. Not with the pain he was in. When Luke had checked earlier with his hand, Leon had felt exceptionally warm. Seeing the fear in Leon's eyes, he hesitated before putting it in the childs mouth.
"It's a thermometer. Do you kno what that is??"
he asked. Leon just looked at him. When he didn't blink, Luke was supposed to take that as a no. Luke showed it to him.
"All it does is it tells me weather or not you're sick. You just hold it under your tongue for a minute, and then I take it back. Okay??"
Luke said. After a long hesitation, Leon blinked. Luke nodded.
"Now... Open your mouth and lift your tongue"
He said, making sure he didn't sound demanding. He knew that would frighten Leon... He smiled. Leon's lips quivered with fear as he slowly opened his mouth and shut his eyes tight, waiting for the pain or horrid taste. Luke saw this and placed his hand on Leon's cheek. Leon opened his eyes.
"Don't worry. It's nothing. Look."
Luke put the thermometer in his mouth, taking it out a moment later and wiping it throughly on his shirt. After seeing this, Leon actually felt a little better about it. He was still a bit nervous... But he openedhis mouth once again. Luke didn't hesitate. He popped the thermometer in under Leon's tonuge. Leon jumped slightly, but soon realized that nothing bad was happening. He relaxed again. About a minute later, Luke pulled it out. He smiled as he brought it up to his eyes.
"There now. That wasn't so bad, was it??"
He said warmly. Leon closed his eyes in relief and seemed to try to sigh, but it came out as a coughing fit. As always, blood spurted. Luke quickly recorded the reading in his memory. 103 degrees. As luke had thought... he was ill. And by the sounds of Leon's lungs, Luke guessed it was pnemonia. He put the thermometer down and placed a hand on Leon's chest, the other on Leon's head, trying to calm his cough as well as to keep him from moving to much. Finally, the coughing subsided and Leon's body relaxed. He lay now, exhausted from the fit. His eyes were closed and his head tilted slightly to the side, a trail of blood running down his chin as he gasped.. Luke wiped the blood away again and leaned in, a worried look on his face.
"Leon?" He said softly his hand still on Leon's chest. He could feel the strain in Leon's lungs.
"Leon, you have to stay awake..." he said, shaking Leon's shoulders a bit. He knew if Leon were to fall asleep or lose consiousness, there was a good chance that he would die sooner. But Leon opened his eyes slowly. They were but thin, gray slits. Luke frowned. He was getting worse...
"Leon, have you been coughing a lot lately??"
He asked. Leon's eyes blinked. Luke understood. Leon had been sick for a while before this. The pnemonia had developed probably over the last week or so. And now after all of this... It was beginning to take it's deadly effects... Luke looked at the clock. It was 11:00 pm. He looked back to Leon and ran his fingers through Leon's hair comfortingly.
"Just hang on, Leon..."
He said soothingly. Luke stayed like that for a long time With each passing minute, Leon's breath became more and more labored. Luke looked out the window. Snow continued to fall. But the wind wasn't as strong as before... He looked back at the clock. 1:30 am. Then he looked down at the child. His eyes were closed, but he was still just barely clinging to consiousness. His chest rose and fell slightly, just enough to see that he was breathing. Just then he began to cough again. Luke did as he always did. He placed on hand on Leon's chest and the other on his head to limit movement, wiping away the blood that followed. He had taken a turn for the worst. He was dying. Luke picked up the phone again and listened. Still no dial tone. He sighed and looked down at the young boy before him. He was so innocent... Luke couldn't let him die. There was no time left to wait for the phone's to be repaired or the storm to stop. He got up and quickly grabbed his keys. He rushed out the door and unlocked his car, opening the back door. He hurried back in, leaving both the door to his car and the door to his home open. He went back to leon. His cheeks were red with fever and his mouth hung open slightly as he tried to breathe.
"Leon?"
He called softly as he always did. Leon's eyes opened only slightly. It was obvious that he was struggling.
"Leon, we're going on a little trip. Just try your hardest to stay awake, okay??"
Luke said, offering a warm smile. Leon's eyes closed, opened momentarily, and then closed again. Luke understood. He tucked the blanket underneath Leon and gently scooped him up once again. He was very careful to make sure that Leon's head was supported to prevent pain in his injured neck, which was quite swollen and horribly bruised. There was a clear indent all the way around it where the rope had dug into his flesh. Reno's head popped up up from where he lay on the floor. Luke looked back at him.
"I don't know when I'll be back. But you know where the food is.""
Luke said, forwning at leaving the fox all alone. Reno barked quietly and put his head back down as if to say 'Go on. I don't mind.' Luke smiled gratefully.
"Thanks, Reno."
He said. He walked out and kicked the door shut. He hurried to the car and placed Leon on the backseat, making sure he would stay completely wrapped in the blanket. he had no clothing to wear... He needed the blanket to stay warm. Luke was about to shut the door when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked down. It was Leon. His mouth moved slightly as if he tried to speak. Luke stopped him.
"Don't strain yourself, little guy..."
Luke said, leaning in again.
"I'm going to take you to the hospital. Just try to stay calm... I'll go as fast as I can. I just can't watch you suffer like this any longer."
Luke said, shaking his head.
"Don't be afraid. Try to relax, but stay awake."
He said. Then, he thought of something. He shut the door and ran inside. He went to his bedroom and opened a drawer. Inside sat a soft, little teddy bear. It was old and a little worn, but it was just perfect for Leon. He hurried back out the door and to the car, pulling the back door open. Leon's eyes opened at the sound. Luke smiled.
"This is for you. It'll help you stay comfortable."
He said, pulling the blanket open and tucking the bear in against his arm, but out enough so that the soft head of the stuffed animal could lay against Leon's cheek. Leon closed his eyes and let out a tiny sigh. He liked the feeling of the bear... Luke tucked the blanket back in and ruffled Leon's hair.
"Hang in there, Leon."
He said and shut the door, hopping into the front and starting the car. He looked out the windsheild. The snow was so thick... He couldn't see well at all... But he didn't car. He backed out of the driveway and began down the street, which was covered with at least a foot and a half of snow. The going was slow... But he was making some progress. Behind him, he listened to the unsteady breathing of Leon. 15 minutes went by and Luke looked back.
"You still with me, kiddo??"
He asked. Leon's eyes opened for a moment, but closed again. He began to cough again. Luke stopped the car and turned around in his seat, comforting the child. He knew how painful it was for him...
"You're doing fine, Leon. We'll be there in no time..."
Luke said as the cough began to cease. Leon gasped, sweat dampening huis red hair from the rising fever. With each exhale, a quiet whimper escaped Leon's swollen throat. Tears began to pour down his red cheeks. Luke frowned. The boy was beginning to fail... He had to hurry. He brushed the hair from leon's face and turned around. If he were driving at normal speed, he would be at the hospital in 10 minutes. So he figured if he could keep a decent speed, he could be there in 20. He began, again, driving faster now. Every now and then, he would speak to Leon, trying to keep him up. And Luke only had to stop twice more for Leon's coughing. Finally, the hospital lights were in Luke's sight. He smiled slightly.
"We're almost there, Leon. Almost there..."
He looked back. Leon's eyes remained closed.
"Leon?"
Luke said, a hint of panic in his voice. He turned and put his hands on Leon's shoulders, shaking him slightly. But it was no use. Leon wasn't waking up. But he was still breathing... Luke spun around, getting ready to floor it towards the lights ahead of him. But just as he had started forward, he heard a loud cracking nosie next to him. He looked out the window just in time to watch the big tree tip forward and fall with a deafening crash on the road before them. Luke looked at it, speechless. Then he let out a short groan of frustration, smacking his palm against the steering wheel. He pushed his door open and ran around to the other side of the car, pulling open the passenger side back door. Leon lay with his feet closest to Luke.
'We aren't giving up now, Leon..."
He mumbled, picking the motionless child up once again, making sure he was covered in the blanket. He kicked the door shut and looked around him, squinting against the snow. Then he looked down at Leon. He couldn't allow this innocent boy to lose his life... he pulled Leon close and began to run forward. Lucky for him, he was the only person who had braved the trecherous blizzard... No cars would be on the road to hit them. he was careful to stay straight, careful not to trip on a curb. He didn't want to drop leon. Finally,he came face-to-face with a sign. 'Brimfield Hospital'. Without a moment's hesitation, he rushed onto the sidewalk. he saw the front door. Letting out a quiet groan, he went quickly, but carefully, up the slippery steps. The nurse at the desk inside saw him coming and picked up a phone, saying something into it just before jumping from her chair to meet Luke as he came in. Luke saw her and the automatic door opened. Behind her came three men pulling a stretcher with them. Luke was panting hard as he came through the door. He had chosen to ignore his asthma until this point. He could barely breathe. The nurse and doctors rushed to him. Luke immidietly put Leon down on the stretcher.
"Take- Him-"
He said between gasps. The cold had shocked his lungs more than he had expected. His head swam and his hand went to his chest. His vision began to blur as he watched the stretcher roll away. He felt the hands of the nurse on his arm. He tried to take a step forward, but stumbled and was about to collapse when another stretcher rolled up. He was laid back on it and an oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and nose. A doctor's face appeared over him.
"Try to relax." The doctor said, taking Luke's glasses off of his face. Luke couldn't respond. It didn't matter though. Luke's crystal blue eyes rolled and his head fell to the side as he lost consiousness...
About a half an hour later, Luke walked out of the room, followed by the young, black haired nurse from before. In his hand he held a white inhaler, almost identical to the one he had at home. He was still having noticable trouble breathing. The two went into a waiting room where they sat side-by-side in ywo of the chairs.
"Now, Mr. Denin-"
"Luke."
Luke inturrupted, not wanting to be addressed by his last name.
"Very well. Luke, I need to ask you a few questions about the child you almost killed yourself over."
She said, offering a smile. As she spoke, Luke shook the inhaler and he put it to his lips, sucking in the medicine as he always did. He had had bad asthma attacks for as long as he could remember. Though he usually had his inhaler. And normally he wouldn't go sprinting in the freezing cold air. Luke's eyes came up from the floor to look at the nurse.
"Is he- Going to be- Alright??"
He asked between weezing breaths, his brow furrowed in worry.
"I'm not sure... I'v been told to tell you, though, that he's showing signs of recovery."
She said. Luke closed his eyes with relief. "Is he your child??"
She asked, her pencil ready in her hand. Luke shook his head and used the inhaler again.
"He's my neighbor's kid I think."
Luke said quickly, all on one breath. He took another deep breath. "I found him like that in the basement."
he said, coughing a bit after he finished. With a slightly confused look, the nurse wrote the information on the paper.
"What were you doing in your nieghbor's basement??"
She asked.
"I heard a banging nosise.- He wasn't home.- I thought it was a burgaler.- Maybe trouble.- I took a bat.- Used it to get in.- Found Leon."
He explained the best he could. He tried to take another deep breath.
"Shall I take you back for more oxygen??"
The nurse asked worriedly. Luke just shook his head.
"Go on."
Nevertheless, the nurse seemed to write extra slow to let Luke catch his breath.
"Where was he when you found him??"
She asked. She didn't know if he was telling the truth or not... But she was pretty sure that he was. She somehow doubted that if he had beaten the child this badly, that he would have gone so far as to drive in a blizzard and run half a mile to the hospital doors, knowing he would have such a strong asthma attack.
"On the floor.- He was tied to the wall by- by a rope around his neck.- He only had- a pari of pants.- There was blood on the floor.- And he was covered in- in a sheet of ice.- Wasn't breathing.- Gave him CPR..."
Luke said, having to stop and cough. The nurse didn't want to make him talk to much more.
"And you took him to your home, took care of his immidiate needs, and then brought him here?"
She said, guessing the rest. Luke nodded, pushing his glasses up on his nose. The nurse wrote some more.
"Well, we'll have to wait for Leon to wake up to know for sure. Do you know your nieghbor's name??"
She asked, slightly bewildered at the story. Who would do such a thing...? Luke nodded.
"His name is Dean Renald."
He said. The nurse wrote the last part down and sighed.
"Okay, Luke. You just rest right here. Deep breaths."
He nodded. He knew the drill.
"If you need anything, I'm right over here. I'm Amy."
She said. Luke smiled, his eyes sparkling slightly in the light. they always seemed to shine like clear, blue water.
"Thank you."
He said. Amy smiled back at him and got up, going back to her desk around the corner. As she left, Luke shook the inhaler again and took a breath, putting his face in his hands afterwards. Waiting... It was 4:00 am now. He sat there for hours, his face hidden. Evry now and then he would shake the inhaler and take in the medicine. It was noon when Amy came back. Luke heard someone coming. He lifted his head slightly to see who it was and when he saw it was her his head shot up, hoping for some news. He adjusted his glasses. Amy smiled at him
"How are you feeling, Luke??"
She asked.
"Better. Thank you."
Luke said, nodding. He wasn't gasping so much anymore. It was still difficult though. And his voice was very raspy and strained, but it was a lot better than before. Amy sat down next to him again.
"Well, Leon has just left the operating room. Work has been done on his ribs... And he has a bad case of pnemonia... But he'll be alright in a few days."
She said. Luke's face brightened and a wide smile formed on his lips.
"He will?! That's great!"
He said. He looked like, if he had had the strength, he'd be jumping for joy. Amy laughed quietly, sharing in his happiness.
"He is still in critical condition... But I'm going to let you in to see him. You saved his life, after all. And..."
She paused for a moment, sighing a little. "When he woke up, the first and only thing he said was your name."
She explained. Luke looked down and nodded again. It was so difficult for Leon to speak... Yet he called or Luke anyway. He looked back up.
"Can I stay with him??"
He asked.
"We'll put a cot in for you." She said, getting up. Luke got up as well. He was a bit dizzy, but he could manage."This way."
She said, leading the way through a door. A long hallway met them, doors lining the it. They walked a short way before stopping in front of a closed door. "Here we are." She said. "He's sleeping now. He should be waking up anytime now though."
She said, turning the knob and pushing the door open. Amy stepped to the side, letting Luke pass.
"I'll call that cot in now."
She said, walking away. She wanted to leave them alone... Luke stepped slowly forward. The room was silent save for the steady beeping of the heart monitor. He stood next to Leon now, looking down at him. he stayed like that for a good 10 minutes. Finally, he reached out and stroked the child's dark red hair. Leon's eyes twitched slightly, then opened. They seemed to look nowhere for a few seconds, but then his gaze landed on Luke's face. Luke smiled, tears welling in his eyes.
"Hey."
He said simply, a tear finally making it's way down his cheek. Leon gave a small smile just before he burst into tears himself. Luke laughed softly and squated next to the bed, putting his head against Leon's as a make-shift hug.
"It's okay, Leon... You're alright, kiddo..."
He said soothingly. he needed his inhaler. He'd been needing it less and less now. Though his breath woudn't return to normal for several days. Not after an attack like that. Leon nuzzled Luke's head slightly. He was happy he'd finally found someone he could trust... Someone who would keep him safe... He wept tears of happiness and relief when he saw Luke. Just then, the cot rolled in. Amy smiled at the sight of the two.
"Awake I see. Wonderful."
She said., leaving the cot right next to Leon's bed. Luke looked up.
"Thanks a lot, Ma'am."
He said, standing.
"Amy."
She insisted. Luke smiled.
"Alright then, Amy."
He responded. Amy then looked at Luke with a more serious look.
"You really ought to sleep. You've been up for an awefully long time taking care of this little guy."
She said, smiling at Leon. "And since you're the only one he wants to see, I suppose that means you call the shots from now on."
She said, shrugging. Luke thought for a moment.
"No visitors. None at all. Even if his father comes, I must insist that he not be left alone with Leon. Therefore, I would have to be awake."
He said. Amy nodded.
"I won't wake you. Even if he comes. He will wait. But what about visitors for you??"
She asked.
"There won't be any."
Luke said, shaking his head as he sat on the cot. Amy frowned, but nodded.
"Alright. Get some good rest."
She looked to Leon. "You to, Leon."
She said. With that, she walked out, shutting the door tight behind her. Luke pulled the curtains closed and took off his galsses, rubbing his eyes. he then looked to Leon, smiling.
"I'm going to go to sleep for a little while. You rest too. Nobody is allowed in here until i wake up, so don't worry."
He explained, placing his hand on Leon's. It looked so big compared to his hand... Leon wrapped his little fingers as far around Luke's hand as he could. Luke smiled at him, staying there like that until Leon's tired eyes finally closed and he went to sleep. Luke was so glad that he was alright... He wondered though... What would Dean do when he found out what had happened?? He sighed, laying down. That wasn't a question for now... Now, he wanted just to sleep. He closed his eyes and placed his galsses on the table next to the bed. He rolled over, facing Leon, and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.
