Post by GL-12 on Apr 3, 2007 13:46:19 GMT -4
Title: Return
Rating: G
Characters: Ben, does it matter who else?
Disclaimer: These characters belong to ABC
Summary: It is Ben's first night home after surgery and somebody has to take care of him.
Ben shifted in his bed, trying to get comfortable. It was futile, of course, but the new position at least resulted in different parts of his body hurting. All he could manage lately was to move the ache from one joint to another. Both Jack and Juliet had tried to persuade him to take medication, but Ben had refused after the first 24 hours. Narcotics would dull his wit as well as his pain.
His people had to see that he was still strong, still in charge. This was also why he had instructed Tom to keep quiet about Juliet’s treachery. He would deal with that in his own way. Tom had spread the rumor that Juliet was being sent away as a punishment for killing Danny. The only ones who knew the truth were Tom and Jack. And of course Alex. Alex had a way of finding out things she wasn’t supposed to know. And even though she was constantly in trouble, constantly defying his orders, Ben took secret pride in her resourcefulness. After him, no one knew the Island better than Alex.
Ben heard his front door open and hushed voices in the front room. Juliet and Jack. The pair had been virtually inseparable since their return to the main island. When his bedroom door opened, Ben closed his eyes and feigned sleep. He didn’t feel like making small talk with the happy couple.
It had only been a day since their return from the small island. The voyage across had been so excruciating that Ben almost relented and accepted medication. In the end, he had held out, although he had passed out during the trip on a stretcher from the dock to his house. His own front door had never been such a welcome sight. He had closed his mind to his circumstances as he was carried into his house under dozens of watchful eyes. No point brooding over something that couldn’t be changed, yet. But after they had deposited him in bed, not his own, but a hospital bed, Ben had been grateful that Jack shooed everyone out of the house. The previous weeks had been the most difficult of Ben’s life and what he wanted more than anything was solitude. His diagnosis had come at the worst possible moment. It was a distraction at a time he needed complete focus. The arrival of John Locke on the island changed everything and Ben knew the situation must be carefully played if he was not to lose it all.
Ben turned and strained to hear the muffled voices in his living room.
“I’ll stay here tonight,” Jack said. “He won’t be able to get around at all for these first few days.”
“You don’t need to do that, Jack.” It was Juliet’s voice this time. “I can take care of him.”
Ben felt a lead weight in the pit of his stomach. Their pity was ten times worse than the pain. He had managed to maintain his authority through it all, giving orders even midway through surgery. But the fact was, he could do very little for himself right now. His thoughts went to Locke, the one person on the island who could possibly understand how he felt. Ben recalled an almost physical pain as he read Locke’s file; a litany of personal failures and tragedies that had made up his life, culminating in a paralyzing injury. It was this as much as anything that had kept Ben from escaping when Locke was trapped under the blast door at the Swan station. Ben’s mission had not yet been accomplished, and he knew he needed to stay, but there had been a moment when there was nothing between himself and the jungle, that Ben had been tempted to break and run. He had known the risk when he allowed himself to be captured, but he had to admit that he had not been quite prepared for Sayid. It was not the physical beating that nearly defeated him. That was simply a question of mind over matter. But something about Sayid’s patient efficiency was terrifying. In the aftermath of his release, Ben was glad Juliet was not there to witness his nightmares. Still, the torture had not been without its subtle rewards. It was important for his people to see what he was willing to endure in furtherance of their mission. He could still see the shock on Juliet’s face when he had returned to the village, bruised and bloody. She had offered to minister to his wounds, but Ben had refused. She had a strong inborn impulse to care for people, but Ben would not give her the satisfaction of taking care of him when she had made it so clear that she despised him.
Now Juliet was in his living room arguing with Jack, who also hated him, over who would bring him a glass of water and help him to the bathroom.
Just when he thought he would pretend to sleep until he could walk on his own, Ben heard his screen door slam and familiar footsteps.
“You guys can both go. I’ve got it under control.”
“Are you sure, Alex?” Juliet asked.
“I’m sure,” Alex replied. “Go on, both of you.” Ben smiled in spite of the throbbing in his back. Alex’s tone left no room for argument. Now where could she have learned that?
Jack gave Alex a few instructions, and orders to get him right away if Ben should start to run a fever. Ben heard the screen door slam again, and the fading voices of Jack and Juliet. When Alex’s footsteps came to his door, he again closed his eyes. He wanted to enjoy a few minutes of her being in the house without being reminded of the strain between them. He wondered why Alex had insisted on caring for him herself. She had been scarce since before his surgery, only visiting once, and that was to bring Jack to parlay for Juliet’s life. But for now Ben could pretend that things were like they had been, when each of them was enough family for the other.
He heard Alex rustling around the room, straightening his blankets, putting his open book back on his nightstand. He knew she would carefully place the mark in the open page.
There was silence, and for a moment, Ben thought Alex had left the room. Then he heard her voice softly.
“Dad?”
Ben did not open his eyes. He would be selfish for a while longer. After a moment, he felt a hand briefly on his, and then she was gone. A moment more and Ben’s sleep was real. This time there were no nightmares.
Rating: G
Characters: Ben, does it matter who else?
Disclaimer: These characters belong to ABC
Summary: It is Ben's first night home after surgery and somebody has to take care of him.
Ben shifted in his bed, trying to get comfortable. It was futile, of course, but the new position at least resulted in different parts of his body hurting. All he could manage lately was to move the ache from one joint to another. Both Jack and Juliet had tried to persuade him to take medication, but Ben had refused after the first 24 hours. Narcotics would dull his wit as well as his pain.
His people had to see that he was still strong, still in charge. This was also why he had instructed Tom to keep quiet about Juliet’s treachery. He would deal with that in his own way. Tom had spread the rumor that Juliet was being sent away as a punishment for killing Danny. The only ones who knew the truth were Tom and Jack. And of course Alex. Alex had a way of finding out things she wasn’t supposed to know. And even though she was constantly in trouble, constantly defying his orders, Ben took secret pride in her resourcefulness. After him, no one knew the Island better than Alex.
Ben heard his front door open and hushed voices in the front room. Juliet and Jack. The pair had been virtually inseparable since their return to the main island. When his bedroom door opened, Ben closed his eyes and feigned sleep. He didn’t feel like making small talk with the happy couple.
It had only been a day since their return from the small island. The voyage across had been so excruciating that Ben almost relented and accepted medication. In the end, he had held out, although he had passed out during the trip on a stretcher from the dock to his house. His own front door had never been such a welcome sight. He had closed his mind to his circumstances as he was carried into his house under dozens of watchful eyes. No point brooding over something that couldn’t be changed, yet. But after they had deposited him in bed, not his own, but a hospital bed, Ben had been grateful that Jack shooed everyone out of the house. The previous weeks had been the most difficult of Ben’s life and what he wanted more than anything was solitude. His diagnosis had come at the worst possible moment. It was a distraction at a time he needed complete focus. The arrival of John Locke on the island changed everything and Ben knew the situation must be carefully played if he was not to lose it all.
Ben turned and strained to hear the muffled voices in his living room.
“I’ll stay here tonight,” Jack said. “He won’t be able to get around at all for these first few days.”
“You don’t need to do that, Jack.” It was Juliet’s voice this time. “I can take care of him.”
Ben felt a lead weight in the pit of his stomach. Their pity was ten times worse than the pain. He had managed to maintain his authority through it all, giving orders even midway through surgery. But the fact was, he could do very little for himself right now. His thoughts went to Locke, the one person on the island who could possibly understand how he felt. Ben recalled an almost physical pain as he read Locke’s file; a litany of personal failures and tragedies that had made up his life, culminating in a paralyzing injury. It was this as much as anything that had kept Ben from escaping when Locke was trapped under the blast door at the Swan station. Ben’s mission had not yet been accomplished, and he knew he needed to stay, but there had been a moment when there was nothing between himself and the jungle, that Ben had been tempted to break and run. He had known the risk when he allowed himself to be captured, but he had to admit that he had not been quite prepared for Sayid. It was not the physical beating that nearly defeated him. That was simply a question of mind over matter. But something about Sayid’s patient efficiency was terrifying. In the aftermath of his release, Ben was glad Juliet was not there to witness his nightmares. Still, the torture had not been without its subtle rewards. It was important for his people to see what he was willing to endure in furtherance of their mission. He could still see the shock on Juliet’s face when he had returned to the village, bruised and bloody. She had offered to minister to his wounds, but Ben had refused. She had a strong inborn impulse to care for people, but Ben would not give her the satisfaction of taking care of him when she had made it so clear that she despised him.
Now Juliet was in his living room arguing with Jack, who also hated him, over who would bring him a glass of water and help him to the bathroom.
Just when he thought he would pretend to sleep until he could walk on his own, Ben heard his screen door slam and familiar footsteps.
“You guys can both go. I’ve got it under control.”
“Are you sure, Alex?” Juliet asked.
“I’m sure,” Alex replied. “Go on, both of you.” Ben smiled in spite of the throbbing in his back. Alex’s tone left no room for argument. Now where could she have learned that?
Jack gave Alex a few instructions, and orders to get him right away if Ben should start to run a fever. Ben heard the screen door slam again, and the fading voices of Jack and Juliet. When Alex’s footsteps came to his door, he again closed his eyes. He wanted to enjoy a few minutes of her being in the house without being reminded of the strain between them. He wondered why Alex had insisted on caring for him herself. She had been scarce since before his surgery, only visiting once, and that was to bring Jack to parlay for Juliet’s life. But for now Ben could pretend that things were like they had been, when each of them was enough family for the other.
He heard Alex rustling around the room, straightening his blankets, putting his open book back on his nightstand. He knew she would carefully place the mark in the open page.
There was silence, and for a moment, Ben thought Alex had left the room. Then he heard her voice softly.
“Dad?”
Ben did not open his eyes. He would be selfish for a while longer. After a moment, he felt a hand briefly on his, and then she was gone. A moment more and Ben’s sleep was real. This time there were no nightmares.
