Dangerous Minds

© Sweet Kisses™

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~**~

"Sleep well, dudes, and think about the plan, okay?" A.J asked Nick and Kevin at their door. "The other two...they're useless. I'm counting on you guys to help. Deal"?

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, all right. I'll have a think about it, but I still believe that we should just stick it out."

A.J shrugged. "Just give it some thought." He looked to Nick. "You'll have a think, too?"

Nick nodded his agreement, and A.J gave them a few last words before retreating back to his room. They both looked at each for a moment, then Kevin opened the door and Nick took a deep breath and followed him in.

Kevin sat down on his bed. "You really want to get out of here, huh?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah, in a big way! I mean, she's locking us up, forcing us to tell her private things. It's horrible."

"Look, what we did..."

Nick shrugged. "It's just between us. Right?"

Kevin turned his head to the side. "Right." He shifted a little, then laid down and pulled the blanket over him.

Nick watched him as he did this, feeling his heart begin to sink. Maybe it would be just that one time, maybe nothing more would come of what they did. Maybe nothing else would happen between them.

Maybe he was a fool to believe that it would.

Suddenly, just as Nick had given up all hope, Kevin turned over. "You get in, right?"

Nick smiled and fell into Kevin's comforting arms.

~***~

"You know what I was thinking?" Howie asked A.J in the kitchen the next morning.

A.J took a sip of coffee, his head in a major state of agony. He'd taken to the bottle after their rendezvous. Bad move, but it made him feel better at the time. "Yeah, what?"

Howie smiled devilishly. "I was thinking that we could - "

Dr Sheffield cut him off when she sailed into the kitchen, looking rather happy. "Good morning, gentlemen. How are we all this morning?"

A.J glared at Howie. "Did you get to her last night?" he hissed.

"No!" Howie exclaimed. Then, he smiled. "But if I did, I'd like to think she'd be happier than this!"

A.J rolled his eyes and sat down. "I'm fine, and yourself?"

Dr Sheffield scanned some papers in front of her. "Just fine." She looked up a few moments later. "I need you two to get everyone together. Now. There's been some developments."

Howie raised his eyebrows. "What developments?"

"You'll find out in due time," she said vaguely. "I need everyone up and ready in ten minutes. I suggest you get the others out of bed."

A.J sighed. "Why is it always me that cops the shit around here?"

"Mr McLean," snapped the doctor. "I suggest you watch your language in future. I want all of you to be in the living room in ten minutes, so get the other's up. Pronto!"

A.J gave her a salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

Howie grabbed him by the shirt and gave the doctor a lecherous wink. "We'll be back soon. Promise."

~****~

"What the hell is going on here?" Nick asked as he walked into the living room and saw two very tall and very well-built men dressed in white standing behind the doctor. He was scared. Very scared.

"Two regular toughies," A.J taunted with a smile.

"The fiery pits of hell," Brian whispered in a scared tone.

"I'll take 'em on, all of 'em," Howie said in a determined voice.

"Yeah, right, they'd crush you like a paper cup!" Kevin quipped.

"Gentlemen, take your seats," the doctor ordered. "Now," she continued, "these two are here to keep you in line. They'll be watching your every move. Since you all don't have the ability to tell me your problems, I'll be forcing it out of you."

"Oh yeah?" Kevin mocked. "How?"

"They'll be locking your doors at night and making sure that nothing happens between you," she said, casting a glance in Nick and Kevin's direction. "As from today, you'll all be split up. Permanently."

Nick jumped up. "But you can't do that!"

Kevin jumped up, too. "That's illegal, you can't lock us up."

"I'm well aware of my legal standing's, Mr Richardson," Dr Sheffield replied icily. "If need be, they have the legal right to inject tranquillisers into you if you act too hysterical in my presence. I suggest you all wake up: this is for real."

"Fuck you!" A.J yelled. "You have no right to do this!"

"I've warned you about language, Mr McLean, and if I have a reason, I'll do whatever I choose - even if that means solitarily confining you for the rest of your time here."

"I'm not going to listen to this, I'm not going to hear this now..." Brian chanted with his hands over his ears.

Howie closed his eyes. "Oh, shit, this is getting worse and worse."

Kevin finally snapped. He tried to keep his cool, but it was highly impossible with a murderous doctor on the loose. "You crazy bitch!"

Doctor Sheffield snapped her fingers twice and suddenly, the two men raced over to Kevin and grabbed him by the arms. "I've warned you all about language."

Kevin struggled furiously in their grasp. "Get off me! Get your hands off me!"

"Come on, now," the first one said. "Be a good boy."

Kevin screamed again as they dragged him over to the door. "No!"

The four watched in terror as Kevin was held in their grasp and a needle plunged into his neck. They saw him fighting in vain, but his body became weak. Finally, his eyes closed and they dragged him away.

"Let me remind you all once again: you're here to be helped. I suggest you start helping yourselves or you'll all suffer the consequences," she said icily.

A single tear rolled down Nick's face. "Bitch!" he screamed at her before running out of the room.

As Doctor Sheffield crossed her arms, the remaining three stared at each other in horror.

~*****~

Nick threw himself onto his bed, tears running down his face, and buried his head in his pillow. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. It had been a shock, something he felt he'd never recover from. How was it that she could do this? Didn't she have a heart? A soul?

A brain, even?

He began to punch his pillow. "Stupid...bitch...stupid...bitch..." He followed every word with a punch.

Something that he hoped would never come true had just been made into a reality: they would all be separated. Which meant he'd have to sleep alone. But he couldn't! He just couldn't! How could he manage to sleep through an entire night without Kevin's arms around him or Kevin breathing down his neck?

He began to remember, and more tears rolled down his face.

He wouldn't be able to manage it, he just couldn't. He knew for sure already, and he hadn't even began to try. This place was scary, and he needed comfort. More than that, he needed much, much more. Something that only Kevin could give him.

"Stupid...bitch...stupid...bitch..."

Where did Kevin hide his Swiss army knife?

He wiped his tears and jumped up. He searched through the closet. Nothing. He searched through his bags. Nothing. He searched through the drawers. Still nothing. He gave up, it was nowhere.

He sighed. "Where the hell is it?"

Nick looked in the corner of the room and found a pile of Kevin's clothes. He walked over slowly and picked up a shirt that he'd already worn. He put it close to his nose, and realised that Kevin's scent was still evident.

Clutching it tightly, he laid down once again, with a few more tears running down his face, and fell into a fitful sleep.

~******~

Kevin woke up to darkness. Pure and utter darkness. His head hurt something chronic. Much more than usual when he was high. He head was throbbing, voicing its pain like loud thunder. It hurt.

He rubbed his head and sighed.

He didn't remember much, he only remembered the look on Nick's face. He couldn't recollect much more. Except for some guys. In white. Were they angels? Or devils? He didn't know, and he didn't know how he got here.

He couldn't see anything, he couldn't feel anything. Except for the cold concrete and the chill that was blowing in from somewhere. He lifted his hand to the wall. Concrete. He touched the floor. Concrete again.

"Shit."

Just speaking hurt his head. He was becoming distressed. Did the others know that he was in here? Were they trying to get him out? What were they doing? Were they doing everything they could to get him out of this freezing room?

At the thought of freezing, he began to rub his arms.

Freezing place...freezing place...freezing place...

How did he get in here, and why was he in here?

He needed answers.

All he got was silence.

The chill had to be coming from somewhere, but he couldn't see a thing. Except darkness. And more darkness. He was bored, and his head hurt. How could he occupy himself, and when was he getting out?

He decided to do something he always did when he was alone and bored: sing.

"I dream of Nicky with the soft blonde hair..."

~*******~

"Nick, stop crying," A.J ordered. "I don't understand why you're so cut-up about this. I mean, sure it was scary, but there's no need to cry. Kevin's strong."

As Nick wiped a tear away, Howie spoke. "We have to get him out of there. We have to get ourselves out of here before she starts committing murder!"

"Where's Brian?" Nick asked softly.

"Where do you think?" Howie said. "Chanting, as always." He took a deep breath. "All right, we have to act as though everything's cool, as though nothing is the matter or else the jig will be up."

"Your jig will certainly be up!" A.J joked.

"Funny, A.J," Howie replied dryly and made a face.

"Guys, we have to get Kevin out of there. Now!" Nick exclaimed. "He's in pain."

"How do you know?" Howie asked.

"I just do."

A.J shook his head. "Anyway, give me a day to find out what the Doc has in her office. Maybe it'll be what's she planning or keys or something that we can follow on with. But for the time being, I say we stay put and act as normal."

"She's going to drug us and split us up from now on," Nick reminded them with a pale face.

Howie nodded. "I am not going through all that just because I love sex! I mean, really."

"There's nothing we can do," A.J said. "We have to catch everything she throws at us. She wants us to break, she wants us to fail and be weak, but if we stay strong together, she'll give up. She'll see that she can't force us to do anything, no matter how many tough guys she uses."

"All right, so what do we do?" Nick asked.

"No more outbursts," A.J said strongly. "No more winking," he added, giving Howie a stern look. "If we keep our cool, we'll get through this. Don't let her get to you, it's just a game and we're the pawns. But that doesn't mean we can't play a game on her."

Howie laughed. "I like the sound of this!"

A.J sighed in disgust. "Sicko," he murmured. He raised his eyebrows. "So, y'all in?"

"Yep," Howie said with a smile.

Nick looked at them both and realised he'd have to be in. "All right," he said reluctantly.

"Now, remember," A..J reminded them. "No emotion."

"No emotion," Howie and Nick chorused.

~********~