♚ tenth step ♚

[polarization]

[ Oh boy, it's been a while Plane! There is a good reason for this, and this reason is a doozy. This is quickly seen when Sefton appears; not only are his wrists strapped to the gurney that he's brought with him, but he's also dressed in a pair of scrubs, barefoot, and trying to wrest his hands free from the bindings in quiet panic. ]

Come on, come on, come on, come on...!

Agh! [ He flops back against the pillow, momentarily defeated and breathing heavily. Looking for all the world like the scared, helpless fifteen year old that he is. ] Dad... Dad... why would you do this...?

[ Standard Sefton disclaimer applies, yes. ]

Comments

[lostandfinder]

[Hands by his side means less temptation to grab hold of Sefton. Gloves or no gloves, he's not totally sure that touch is a good soothing mechanism at the moment, even if he would feel better with some kind of physical contact.]

I couldn't do anything. [Which is more apology than anything else.] Are you okay? I mean, you're not... ["What do I do?" is on the tip of his tongue, but Sefton's the one who's hurting, not Chivy, and Chivy shouldn't be turning to Sefton for guidance.]

[polarization]

Not what?

[ He doesn't mean to snap, especially not with Chivy, but there's a tone to his voice that the other has probably never heard before: fear. Genuine fear, displaced in a vat of anger and betrayal. ]

[lostandfinder]

[The force of Sefton's response pushes Chivy back a step, hands up to signal he means no harm. He actually thinks about it before answering, shaking his head]

I don't know.

[polarization]

[ Sefton takes in a rough breath, shaky, and curls up just a little tighter. ]

He... Chivy, they said—they said what I thought they did, didn't they?

[lostandfinder]

I.. what? Which part? [The actions were more on his mind than the words, none of what they said had seemed particularly important at the time.]

[polarization]

[ Another snap. ] Who tipped them off?

[lostandfinder]

[He looks blank, finally coming up with the only name that sounds right, but it's more a question than an answer.]

Gabriel?

[polarization]

[ His shoulders hunch, and he tenses further. A choked murmur, ] Dad...

[lostandfinder]

[It takes a second for Chivy to completely understand what Sefton's saying.]

It— no. It's got to be somebody else.

[polarization]

Who else?! [ Is that a sob? It sounds like a sob. ] Who else would it be, Chivy? Who else would... would give 'em reason to kidnap me, 'n... 'n lock me up, 'n...

[lostandfinder]

Not him. Not.. [Chivy can't find any reason at all why someone would do that to someone they know. He can't find a reason why someone would do that to anyone, but definitely not someone they know.] That doesn't make any sense.

[polarization]

No... [ His voice is shaky. Quiet. On edge. Mere steps away from the break down he's so fiercely fighting against. ] It doesn't, but it has to be.

[ He pauses, needing to breathe, needing to try and keep the lid on his emotions from flying off. Needing to work up some courage. ] I'm scared, Chivy.

[lostandfinder]

Yeah. [Chivy's scared and he isn't even the one in trouble right now.] There's got to be something we can do. [Trying to get in touch with Sefton's family is all that's coming to mind, and that's probably a good and very bad idea — Chivy knows better than to even mention it.] Do you know where they... where you were? ["Are"? "Will be when you go back"?]

[polarization]

[ His face is still hidden in his legs, but he shakes his head. It takes him a solid minute of simply breathing before he can respond without sobbing again. ]

N-no... Some kind of—hospital. Place. I just... woke up there.

[lostandfinder]

[Chivy carefully sits, making sure to stay a safe distance from Sefton. He knows he's probably staring, but he can't bring himself to look anywhere else right now — it feels like if he looks away, Sefton might be dragged off again, and as nonsensical as Chivy knows that is, it's just easier to let the visual confirmation quiet the worry.]

I wish I could just come back with you. Maybe there's something you can bring back that'll help.

[polarization]

[ The anger seems to have buried itself again, at least for now, and is replaced with quiet misery. Hopelessness. He doesn't really react to Chivy sitting, aside from shifting his feet closer to his body. ] Like what?

[lostandfinder]

[Of course Sefton's reaching for the negative first.]

I don't know. Pepper spray, or something.

[polarization]

[ It's practically his job description. ]

... pepper spray.

[lostandfinder]

I said I didn't know. But we'll figure something out.

[polarization]

When? What good'll it do?

[lostandfinder]

Before you go back. [Luckily, that can be right after they come up with something. Yay, time dependency.] It'll help, and you'll get out of there.

[polarization]

Then what?!

[lostandfinder]

Things go back to normal. [Not exactly "ride off into the sunset" material, but it's way better than the current situation.]

[polarization]

... they'll just come back.

[lostandfinder]

You don't know that.