Too Many Bloody Days Later

A/N: Again, this is Jim's POV.

SUMMARY: When Jim speaks his mind to West about how he feels, he has to suffer the consequences.

DISCLAIMER: see first chapter.


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TOO MANY BLOODY DAYS LATER

Chapter 3: "Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse…"

The chord tightened around my neck as I kicked the stool away. It felt like my eyeballs were going to be popping out of my eye sockets at any minute, and the chord was tearing at my flesh. My bare feet started doing a little jig, dancing my way out of life, as I felt each atom of air leaving my lungs for good.

My body struggled against it, but I wanted it more than anything in the whole world.


As I gave it my last few kicks, I was hardly present in the room. But I must have had a little piece of life left in me, because I noticed the sound of someone opening the door. The person that had opened it, whoever it was, cursed a few times before I felt the chord being loosened, and I crashed to the ground. My lungs were once again filled with air. I coughed, and felt life rush through my body, my blood beginning to circulate faster.

Crap.

"You fool!" the voice said. I was lying on the floor in someone's arms, and this person was stroking my hair away from my forehead very gently. "Shit, it's West", I thought. "You utter idiot," the voice said, and as I was regaining consciousness, I saw that it was not West, but sgt. Farrell. "What if it had been the major in stead of me that had found you?! He would surely have left you hanging there..!" I knew he wouldn't, though. He'd never let me die, not in a million years, and that was what made the whole situation so unbearable. I couldn't speak, but I wanted to tell the sergeant that he was a big prick for cutting me down.

After a few seconds of sitting like this, me half lying, half sitting upright in Farrell’s arms, I heard someone speak.

"What is going on here?" – The sound of an authoritive voice I knew all too well. "Farrell?"

The sergeant didn't speak, apparently not knowing what to say. I was lying with my back against the door, so I couldn't see the face of the man who was speaking... It was for the best, for I didn't dare to look upon it.

Again he spoke.
"What has happened here, sergeant..?"

Now Farrell didn't know what else to tell him but the truth. What COULD he tell him?? That I'd had an asthmatic attack? My medical record was flawless, and West wouldn't buy into it for shit.

"He - He tried to hang himself, Sir."

"I see... Farrell - leave us."

"Yes, Sir."

I looked to the sergeant for help, but he just shook his head at me and whispered that he was sorry, with a miserable look on his face. When he got up I tried to hold him back, but he slipped out of my grasp and quickly left the room without looking back. I was left on the floor, almost crying in frustration, as West squatted down beside me.

"I don't know what to do, Jim," he told me. "I just don't know what to do with you. What do I have to do to make you happy? Hm?"

"Let me go," I managed to say.

The major shook his head. "Sorry, I can't do that." ...I had absolutely no say in this, I was to die when he saw it fit.

"Then let me see Selena..!"

This was apparently a sore spot for him, cause he suddenly raised his voice a little.

"Look, I thought we'd agreed on this, Jim..."

"No, YOU agreed on it. I have no say in the matter!"

"..I hope you haven't forgotten who's in charge here, Jim," He put a hand around the back of my neck, bringing my face closer to his. "You'd better be obedient if you want to live here." I felt a 100 pound stone sink down into my belly. “Live”?? Did he actually call this living??

"I'm not yours to rule as you like, you know."

"Oh no? Then think about who's been feeding you all this while. Housing you, clothing you," I stood up to leave. "...keeping you alive, Jim..!" Before I left, I halted at the door.

"I'm not yours, major - neither dead nor alive."

I went down into the cellar to get something to drink. I couldn't go back up again, because that's where West would be, either in his bedroom or in the common room. So I stayed down there for a while. Though it was colder than an Eskimo’s arse, it was sure a hell of a lot better than being up there with the animals.

After a while, I started hearing noises. Laughter, talking... And then the door flung open. There stood a couple of the soldiers, Clifton and Bedford, grinning mischievously at me.

"Well well well, if it isn't little miss Bitch in the cellar..." said Bedford.

"What do you want?"

The soldiers came closer, a little too close for comfort, but I didn't know what else to do but to just press myself up in a corner - which, come to think about it, probably wasn't the best tactic. Clifton took off his stupid fucking hat, and gave it to Bedford. He then brought his right hand up to my jaw, and began inspecting the marks of the chord.

"What's happened here then, Love?" he said, and his hand dropped. He turned to Bedford. "Looks like someone has tried new things in bed," he chuckled. "Then I guess it's true what they say..." Without me having to ask what he was talking about, he continued "...that he makes you scream every night." Both soldiers made a few crude noises and movements before Clifton started touching me again. "I've always wondered what he fancies about you," he said, while curling a lock of my hair around his finger. "...you smell pretty though, don't you." As he sniffed my hair, I saw my chance to knee him in the nossers and make a run for it. Luckily they didn't have their rifles, so all I had to do was to push Bedford out of the way before he had the slightest clue what was going on, and make my escape.

I didn't know exactly where to run - or who to run to, but I figured anyone would do... Even West. The common room was closest, and there was bound to be someone there. I heard the two privates gaining on me in the hallway, so I pushed myself to the limit... I reached the common room before they reached me. The major was sitting there in one of the big chairs, reading an old newspaper as if it were a new one... Strange, seeing as there were heavily stacked bookshelves pretty much all around the house. He was all alone, luckily, which made it easier to tell him what was going on.

"What's wrong, Jim?" he asked, getting up from his chair. "Are there infected in the house??" - I wish!

Being very hard of speaking at the time, I only managed to stutter "Clifton... Bedford, they tried to.."

“There he is..!”

I noticed that the two privates had gained up on me, and they were pretty angry, to say the least. Clifton ran as if he’d been recently circumcised with a rusty knife.
West came closer, and as the privates were about to pound on me, they saw their officer in command giving them a puzzled expression, causing them to stop in their tracks.

"What is going on here, Clifton?"

The private seemed to be at a loss for words.
"I- we were just...."

"..Just what, private?"

"Well, we, you know, we were getting tired of the black bird and the teenie princess, so... Well, we were just thinking that if.."

"Have the balls to answer me, private Clifton, and answer me quickly before I lose my patience."

"...We were just wondering if we could have our way with 'im, Sir."

West went silent for a while. I was sure he was going to scold them for asking such a thing.


"..Well, of course, do whatever you like." What?! He must have been joking.

"Really??" said Bedford.

"Really." It felt like a huge weight had been dropped on my shoulders. Did he actually say that? "Go have fun, kids," he added, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Clifton grabbed my arm, but I was holding back. With a look of utter desperation, I pleaded silently, and West saw it.

"What, Jim? You said it yourself, you're not mine... What you do is none of my business."

The shock of the betrayal had numbed me. Unable to speak, think, hardly even breathe, I quit struggling and let myself be dragged off by the two soldiers.

I used to think it couldn't get any worse than it already was, but now that he'd left me to the dogs, the previous events didn’t seem all that bad anymore.


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YET AGAIN, TO BE CONTINUED....