Chapter Eight

Sengul

Nick was in and out most of the day, opening his eyes long enough to roll over, puke, grab his stomach, puke some more and if he was lucky swipe the back of his hand across his face.  Other than that he was totally useless to anyone most especially himself.  He was cold he spent most of his time curled up in a tight little ball trying to get warm but it was so damn draft in here that it was impossible.  He didn’t know where his clothes were and lacked the presence of mind to ponder the question to any great degree. Mostly he laid on the hard bed that was far too short for his long body shivering and puking and hoping to die rather than live another moment in this unfamiliar form of torture.

Laying there suffering images danced behind his watery eyes. He remembered seeing his father off, he was going home and he was going to come back with….

Who cared what he was coming back with? He was coming BACK. When he did then he’d find Nick and get him the hell out of here. Wherever here was.

“Help,” he called out in a weak voice, “I need help.”  Several times he called out and once someone came or so he thought but that could have been a hallucination.  The bars and the cold stone floor could be hallucinations too but this hard bed was not and it was killing his back while being stingy with the warmth.  It only seemed to suck the heat out of him returning nothing.

What’s that?

Nick tried to sit up. “Hello?”

No answer but still he thought he heard something like people whispering very low.

“Is anyone there? Hello?”

The effort of talking made his head hurt and Nick’s flat stomach gave out a rumble and then a heave. He flopped over on his side and puked onto the floor again wondering how many times he could do this and still produce something other than bile. Not too many more or so he hoped his abs felt worse than if he’d done a full day’s worth of crunches and sit ups.

Turning over again he heard the creak of metal hinges and struggled to open his eyes fully.  All he could make out was light and shadow. Something or someone was coming near him and then he felt the strong but soft grip on his forearms as he was hauled out of the bed. Nick couldn’t manage to hold himself upright it seemed his knees had forgotten how to work properly and all the did was hang open.

“He’s too big,” a female voice complained. Nick felt them tugging on him pulling him toward an opening in the bars. “Come on you big brute,” she tugged harder on him as Nick tried to get his legs to move. “We have to get him cleaned up they’ll be here soon.”

Now there were more hands on him. Some in front of him and some behind, in his groggy mind he tried to count them and thought there were maybe four or five women around pushing and pulling him toward the door. A door he’d very much like to get as his feet slid through the mess on the floor.  Finally he found his feet and was able to aid in getting to wherever they were going but escape was out of the question. He didn’t know where he was so how could he know how to get out and where to go?

Out of the cell and down a stone corridor they pushed him into an open shower then turned on cold water.  Quiet while they worked he was soaped up and rinsed off until he was clean as a whistle.  The cold water helped raise him to the point where he could see fairly clearly. There were four women all of them of the stout variety but still pretty in their own way. Their hands grabbed at him and scrubbed him and touched him in places they should not touch as he tried to bat them away.  “What are you doing? Why am I here?” He grumbled. “Get off of me!” Nick roared but it came out as more of a whimper. “Stop touching me!”  They didn’t listen and kept on about their work as they pinned his big body up against one wall to keep him in place. Nick felt helpless and alone as though any second now he was going to break down and start blubbering like a baby. He tried to fight that off and keep his wits about him but it wasn’t easy with their paws all over him.  Cold water dribbled into his mouth it flowed over the thick coating on his tongue and back of his throat. Nick tilted his head upward to catch the fresh water, swish it around in his mouth and spit it out. He did this twice and the second time he spit someone shoved a toothbrush into his mouth. “Ow!” Nick held a hand up in defense and was swiftly kneed in the gut for it.  He sank to his knees holding his already tortured stomach. “I can brush my own teeth!” Nick grabbed the brush away with his free hand and ran it over his pearly whites grateful to be rid of the taste of vomit.

The water turned off and the toothbrush was yanked out of his hand. Towels. There were towels on him now.  “I can do it.” He batted at their hands weakly not wanting to be touched or even near them.  They didn’t listen to him and instead they shoved him down to the wet floor while they dried him off and then hauled him again.  Once dry he was dressed in his uniform pants and black t-shirt but his feet went bare.

Back in his cell he noticed a fresh clean scent and weaving his way back to the uncomfortable bed Nick saw the floor had been cleaned and not a trace of puke remained. There was a fresh and blanket on the bed now along with a fluffy pillow. Now that he was more alert he saw there was a very small wood table and chair in the room just large enough for one.  On the table were a plate of food and a cup of liquid. Nick’s stomach leapt and cringed at the offering. He was starving but the idea of eating made him want to start throwing up again.  Forcing his gigantic body back to his feet he walked over to the cell’s one window and looked out at the capital city of Sengul.  Night was falling out there Dad should be back any minute now.  That was probably the reason for the shower and clean clothes. Hell, at least he smelled better. Nick looked again at the plate of fruit and again held a hand to his stomach.

Gazing through the bars he wondered what he’d done to land himself in jail.  The last thing he could remember was his Father telling him he’d be back soon as they stood at the foot of the Sengul Stargate.  The night was still coming and by the time Daniel had left it was full dark here so that meant at least a day had gone by and he had no recollection of it whatsoever.

Behind him he heard the squeaking of hinges and the sounds of footsteps coming down the corridor. A lot of them.  Probably the warden coming to tell him what he’d done and how long he was going to have to stay here in this rat trap.

“Nicholas!”

The sound of her voice raised the hair on the back of his neck. “Mom?” Slowly he turned around to see her there all decked out in one of her Queen Calla dresses and reaching through the bars for him.  “What the hell?” Nick stumbled across the cell to the bars. “Annie?” He held his hand out to her. “What are you doing here?”  He looked past the women to his Father and, “Umpa?”  He must be in some really deep shit if his Mother and his Grandfather were here not to mention Annie. Was that John Watson, President of UCOE with them?

“Say you didn’t do it and I’ll believe you.” Annie begged as she held his hand to her tear stained cheek. “I love you, Nick.”

“Do what?” Nick asked. “I don’t even know why I’m here. Don’t cry, honey.” Nick kissed her through the bars. “I love you too.”

“You look like shit.” Ares remarked.

“Thanks Umpa, I can always count on you.” Nick returned in the same tone. “I happen to feel like shit.”

Annie looked up at him. “Oh you don’t look very good,” he didn’t he was pale and haggard. “What have they done to you?”

Before he could answer he felt his Mother brush her lips over his hand and then she stepped away from the bars. “Open this door!” Calla shouted to someone Nick couldn’t see. “You said you were treating him well but he is ill! Open it!”

One of the women who washed him earlier came into view and opened the cell door. Nick stepped back before it opened to show he wasn’t going to try and run through it. Annie pushed the guard out of her way when it opened and ran to him. She threw her arms around his waist and held on as though she were never going to see him again. “Would someone tell me what’s going on? Mom you shouldn’t be here, won’t someone tell her she shouldn’t be here?” His voice rose higher and grew more panicked with each syllable.

The doctor in her started to kick in. “Sit down and I’ll check you out.” Annie had her medical bag with her for Calla she hadn’t expected to use on Nick who was being ‘well treated’. “Mom’s fine, ok? I’m keeping a good eye on her.”  She took his temperature and it was high.  His pulse was erratic, his color was horrible, his blood pressure was high and his pupils were not as responsive as she’d like. “What color was it?”

“Huh?”

“The emeses,” Annie said and then shook her head as she looked down at her confused and distraught husband, “the puke, what color was it?”

Involuntarily Nick clutched his stomach again. “Gross.”

“Just answer me.”

Nick shook his head as he tried to think. He really wasn’t paying attention to the hue of his emeses. “I dunno, kinda green maybe. I’ve never been sick like that in my life,” he said as she put the blood pressure cuff away. “Never. It was awful. I still don’t feel right but I feel better.” 

“Put your arm out.” Annie held a length of surgical tubing in one hand and a syringe in the other.

“Awwww, c’mon.”

“Just do it.”

Nick stuck out his left arm and looked away while she put the band on him and then drew some of his Ichor.  It was at this point he noticed that the rest of them had not come into the cell. “How many times do I have to ask?” He said to them. “What’s going on? What am I charged with?”

It was Ares who broke the news since it seemed everyone else had suddenly gone mute. “They say you raped several of their women.”

Nick’s jaw dropped open and he stood straight up which jostled the syringe in his arm. “No way!” He looked down at Annie who was trying to get the needle out of his arm and Nick stood still for half a second while she finished. “No way, honey.” He said in a softer voice as he looked down at her. “I never touched any of them. I swear it.”

“I know.” Annie returned with a sad smile and put the vial into her bag. “You’d never do anything like that.”  Although she stopped there the word ‘again’ still hung in the air.

Once upon a time he’d been too rough with his wife but once upon a time he’d done something far worse than that. Now Nick looked to his Mother. “Mom? Do you believe me?”  If anyone was going to doubt him or would have more than enough reason to it was her and the God of War standing behind her.

“We’re going to get you out of here.” Calla promised.

Nick’s heart sunk. “That’s not what I asked you.” His voice cracked as he spoke. “Do you believe me?”

Even though he’d been washed the stench of the females was still clinging to him. Annie couldn’t smell it but Calla was sure Ares could.  What did not linger on him was the scent of fear. Whatever happened it was consensual of that she was also sure. “Why would I do otherwise?” Calla asked.

The guard returned with D’Sila. “Your visit is over.” She informed them. “You’ve seen him, he’s well.”

“No, he’s ill. What medicine did you give him?” Calla countered as she wondered about what Nick had said. He hadn’t been sick since he was very small and had a bad cold. For him it was a bad cold for everyone else in Colorado it was a very strong strain of the flu.

“I assure you we know nothing of this illness but,” D’Sila looked into the cell at Nick and Annie. “We see that Annabelle has taken care of him. The Sovereign will meet with you in the morning.”

“In the morning?” Calla protested.

“Yes, we do not conduct business after the sun has done down.” D’Sila said and watched the expression on Daniel’s face. “Criminal business.” She corrected. “Diplomatic negotiations are another matter. You will be escorted to comfortable accommodations for the night.”

In the cell Annie held onto the Nick a little longer. “I love you.” Annie said as she laid her lips on his. “I’ll be back soon.”

That’s what Dad said and the next thing Nick knew he ended up behind bars. “I love you too. I didn’t do it.”  He watched her walk away and the cell door close behind her. Soon the rest of them would leave and he just couldn’t let her go like this. Nick got up and walked over to the bars, he stuck out his hand and grabbed Calla’s before she could walk away. “Mom?” She had to say she believed him she just had to.

“I believe you, Nicholas.” Calla whispered and held onto his strong hand a moment longer.  “I’ll get you out of there in a jiff, you’ll see.”

“Hang in there, Nick.” Daniel said as he shook his Son’s hand. “Just a jiff.” He said and tried to smile.

“Yeah.” Nick mumbled. Ares passed by him and his nostrils flared. “Umpa?”

Ares leaned in close to the bars taking in the lingering scent of sex. “If you’re guilty boy nothing will get you out of this.”

“I didn’t do it.” Nick watched his family walk away for as long as he could see them.

End of Chapter Eight of
Golden Years
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
Go to
Chapter Nine