My Split Conference

Chapter Seven - Find Higher Ground

JD woke slowly, feeling sluggish and achy. His skin felt stiff and stretched over his bones, and there was dried sweat and dirt over his back. He groaned slightly as he sat up from Perry's knees, feeling his neck protest as he raised it from it's awkward positioning.

Perry jerked in front of him, and for a split second, his face was wildly terrified. Then it slipped back into a composed frown that he'd been wearing for the majority of the time they'd been in the bathroom. It made JD think for a minute how many times he might have already missed that animalistic terror on the older man's face.

JD hadn't bothered to hide his fear anymore. It didn't do any good, and Thomas didn't seem to be as angry when he could see the fright. He flexed his fingers, even though he knew the feeling in them wasn't coming back as strongly anymore.

Perry looked at the kid and struggled to push down the panic rushing through his system. It always did when he woke now, and as his heart slowly went back to it's normal pace, he sighed and stretched his sore muscles. He'd nearly given up on feeling anything in his fingers now, and the bruises were beginning to make his face more sore then usual.

The cuts still stung on his chest and stomach, and he wondered how many of them would need stitches. Water had pooled on his neck, dampening the tangled hair there.

Having not seen a mirror in a while, Perry had to wonder just how bad the two of them must have looked by then. The hunger in his stomach was familiar now, and easily ignored compared to his other injuries.

Perry gave JD a look and then raised a hand to twirl his numb fingers.

JD frowned for a minute, but then slid to turn around in the tub. Perry inspected the cuts along JD's back, frowning as he peered at them carefully in the dark. They had dried and scabbed now, with gelled pieces of coagulated blood along the ridges. He didn't touch them, thinking of how sensitive his own chest and stomach were and knowing that JD's back had to feel the same.

JD turned around after a moment, head bent down to his knees. He pointed to Perry's torso with his head cocked to the side in a questioning manner.

Perry rolled his shoulders in what was now understood to both of them to mean "not great, but I'll live".

JD reached up and touched his own jaw gingerly. He winced; it hurt like hell. His throat still ached from where Thomas had viciously cut his airway the other time, and he knew Perry's head couldn't be doing well.

But that was when he noticed Perry was trembling with cold. JD checked his own body, and realized he was as well. The fear of pneumonia was harder now, and at the very least, infection of the wounds on their battered bodies.

Perry coughed hard, grimacing at the wetness he felt in his chest. JD peered at him in the darkness, the same worried concern on his face that Perry felt in his head. It was now a matter of getting out for medical attention rather then to save their own skin.

Sighing warily, Perry looked at him and flicked the side of his nose before he gave JD a thumbs-up.

JD gave a weak smile of his own in return, giving an ok sign with his fingers.

They both seemed to chuckle at that, mostly because they knew the other was probably full of bull at that.

Even with the filthy surroundings and putrid smells, JD couldn't find it in himself to hate it. Every minute that passed by in darkness, wordless hand gestures, and disgusting air, it meant that Thomas wasn't in there.

They both knew that there were far worse things Thomas could've had made them do by this point, and the fact that Thomas had drugged them once gave indication that he might do it again.

Thomas hadn't yet; he'd seemed more then satisfied at simply threatening to take a life. And while he hadn't done that yet (obviously), it didn't mean he wouldn't.

JD felt the sick fear again in his stomach at the idea that Thomas could and probably would eventually take their lives. The next selfish thought that crossed his mind made him think that he was, quite possibly, the worst person in the world.

Knowing that Thomas could and would kill them eventually, JD could only hope he went first. He didn't think he could handle watching Perry die, and thought even more so that he couldn't and wouldn't last long without the other man there.

Perry looked at him, analyzing the sorrowed frown on the kid's face. He sighed, wondering if he'd be able to handle this on his own after watching the kid die. The answer was obvious in his mind, but not one he wanted to think too closely upon.

If he couldn’t handle this on his own without JD, that meant he was coming perilously close to needing the kid somehow. A small voice in his head pointed out that it'd been the case for the past year anyway; why should now be any different?

That answer was easily found as well. It was different now simply because there was nothing for Perry to fall back on if he didn't have the kid anymore. There wasn't someone else he could yell at, and there would be no one to blame but himself for not saving the kid.

Perry sighed hard, struggling to figure out not only his own mind but JD's as well. JD had begun to touch him more, and often grew agitated if he couldn't. Perry had reluctantly been feeling the same, but pushed fear away because if they did get out of here, he didn't want to come out of it knowing that something was subtly shifting between them.

The small voice in his head was back, remarking acidly that something had already shifted between them, and it had changed their relationship irrevocably. Something close to affection had been idly passing between them in the darkness and safety of the room, and Perry wasn't sure he wanted to come out of this experience with that hanging over his mind as well.

He already didn't know if he'd ever be able to handle mental patients the same way again.

Perry bit on his knuckle in frustration, resisting the urge to spit out the filthy taste that came with it.

For JD, it might have been simpler on his part. After all, he'd been studying the man for years now, and knew well enough when Perry was playing macho man to avoid something deeper and more emotional then he felt comfortable with.

But it was still a minor discomfort for JD as well. He was certain that when (or if) they escaped the man, something was going to be different. He couldn't quite pin his finger down on what, but he knew that the panicked nausea that came at the loss of contact had something to do with it.

Need for contact generally equated to affection of some kind. And affection could mean anything in JD's book.

But JD had a little voice of his own too, running around in circles trying to figure out what JD wasn't ready to admit. Even as JD bent his head into his knees to think and to get away from looking at Perry's face, the little voice ran into a brick wall and shouted at him exasperatedly.

JD simply told it to shut up; he had enough to think about without developing feelings for the difficult man across from him.

Both men looked at each other, darkness covering their pale blushes as they looked away.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You've looked at the envelope yourself; I've already told you! It didn't have a return address," Jordan snapped, fingers clenched in her lap. "It arrived with my usual mail; I don't know how the guy knows where I live."

The skinny, tall officer, Lieutenant Jacobs, sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

"And you saw no one near your residence? How about following you around?"

"No. I can't recall seeing anyone unusual following me around," Jordan replied mockingly. "Why the hell are you talking to me? Haven't you see the photos?" She stood in irate frustration. "They've been missing for two weeks. The guy's got their credit cards; can't you trace them?"

"We haven't seen any red flags, Miss Sullivan. The last dated transaction we could find was only a small withdrawal, and it was over two weeks ago," Lieutenant Jacobs said, trying to exact patience with the difficult woman. "As we haven't found any witnesses who can say when, exactly, they went missing, we've gone over everything several times. We still can't find anything that looks suspicious."

"Why would either need to make a withdrawal? What about their cell phones?"

"Nothing since the last transmission with Dr. Turk, and the signal indicated they were still in the state then," Lieutenant Jacobs replied. "We're just revisiting all the witnesses in case someone's remembered something."

"You think the guy took them out of the state?"

"We're not sure about anything, Miss Sullivan," the man said tired.

Jordan rolled her eyes, gave an infuriated huff, and kicked the wall. "I didn't like string beans when I was a kid, and I was just beginning to forget why. But you, in all of your incompetent, beanpolish glory have just reminded me." She slammed the door hard behind her as she walked out.

She had walked here from the park, even though the weather was chillier than normal. Hugging her jacket around her, Jordan blew a stray piece of hair from her face and became more annoyed that she'd let her hair become messy at all.

As she approached the park where Elliot was playing with Jack, Jordan frowned. The worry and horror were still running plainly through her mind at Perry and DJ's condition.

Elliot waved when she saw Jordan standing still, but didn't get up.

Jordan sighed and grasped her elbows. The blonde woman playing with her son just seemed to understand, and didn't offer any kind words to make her feel better. Elliot never did that, and for the most part, Jordan found herself bitterly grateful for it.

That had probably been one of the bigger mistakes in her marriage to Perry. They had always tried to make each other feel better, read self-help books out the nose, and even tried the rule of "never go to bed angry" near the end of it.

That usually resulted in all-night arguments that involved slamming doors, loud voices, the baby crying, and exhausted days.

But Elliot never offered sympathy, and Jordan didn't think she could stand it if she did. Elliot sometimes offered "war" stories of her own, cataloging relationships with her, and even talking more about her family.

Jordan snorted at that as she watched Jack dump a pail of sand in Elliot's lap. She sighed then, and told herself that if she got any more introspective about the matter, it would morph into something other then the outlet she needed right now.

As such, she shook her head to clear it, and approached Jack and Elliot. "Sand in the lap…you have to watch out for that," Jordan mentioned casually as she didn't sit.

Elliot looked up at her, dusting sand off of her legs. "He's looking for treasure." She did stand then, leaning her head over to Jordan's shoulder. "I buried my necklace for him to find."

Jordan gave a derisive sound from the back of her throat. "You didn't care about it, did you?"

Elliot shrugged. "I'll live. How'd the chat with the cops go?"

"Like I thought it would. They still don't know anything." Jordan watched as Jack ran from spot to spot, pulling up sand and filling up holes he'd already dug in the process. "Jack's spending the night at my mom's house. You staying over tonight?"

Elliot looked at her, wondering when it had become commonplace for her to stay at Jordan's for more then a few minutes, but shrugged in regret.

"Carla wanted to know if I'd go drinking with her and Turk."

Jordan ignored the small pang of disappointment, telling herself it was because they hadn't found Perry yet.

"Sounds like a regular meeting of the brat pack without Molly Ringwald."

Elliot shrugged. "You can come if you want. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"Sounds like a date with the brat pack without Molly Ringwald."

"It wouldn't be that bad."

"Golly, princess, I don't know. I might have to check with my mommy to make sure it's okay."

Elliot rolled her eyes at the now-familiar sarcasm and shrugged. "You don't have to make a federal case out of it. I just thought you might need a break out with friends."

Jordan decided it was time to pick up Jack to take him home. "I don't need a break." She uncrossed her arms and clapped her hands to catch Jack's attention. "Jacky, come on! Time to go home."

"You need to find something to help you out with this. It's hard on everybody."

Jack came running towards his mother, treasure in his fisted hand. He waved it to her.

"Lookie!" he crowed and opened his hand to reveal Elliot's simple, beaded necklace. "You wear it!"

Jordan took the sandy necklace from Jack's hand as she picked him up.

Jack frowned and snatched it back. "Wear it," he said plaintively. Jeez, he'd just spent half an hour digging around in sand for it; the least she could do was put it on for a minute.

Jordan sighed. "Blondie?"

Elliot took the necklace from Jack and looped it around Jordan's neck. "Striking. I love the look of sandy necklace on perfection."

Jordan snorted at that. "Flattery will get you no where."

"How about kissing ass?"

"I thought we already covered that last night." She sighed and nuzzled Jack's face with her own. "Fine. I'll pick you up at eight to meet your girlfriends."

Elliot smiled and walked with Jordan back to the car.

Jack grinned at that. Being stubborn, learned directly from his father, worked wonders on Mommy. Puppy eyes, while they didn't work on his parents anymore, definitely got whatever he wanted from Blondie. The misty memory of a man with dark hair poked at his mind, but he recalled flat-out screaming worked there. And Daddy was easy stuff; he just had to do anything involving a ball.

Jack leaned his head on his mother's shoulder. He had them all pegged.

XXXXXXXXXX

JD hated his mind. At least, he presently did. It told him all the things that he wasn't ready to know or accept yet.

Like how he couldn't go more then a few minutes anymore without touching the man across from him. Not to mention the reasons behind that (no matter that his mind didn't always point out that they were having a really bad couple of weeks).

Blissfully, however, Thomas had barely seen them in those two weeks. He had come in and silently stared at them at one point, and then left without doing anything.

That had made JD raise a hand in question with a frown. Perry had shrugged at him, drawing his fingers around his head in a crazy motion.

JD sat back in the tub. He had barely moved from it in a while. But back to his mind. He hated it. Now it was wondering if this would be the last room he'd ever see, if these would be the last things he remembered. He even wondered if Perry would be the last person he'd ever interact with.

And that only served to heighten the odd movements that had been passing between them. JD had tried one day to not touch the man at all, confused by the feelings and emotions rising in him.

But Perry had contradicted the plan easily enough by touching him. JD frowned at that. It had been odd, when that split-second look of terror had crossed Perry's face again. JD had to wonder how scared the man really was.

Perry looked at JD's thoughtful face, flexing his fingers in a now familiar movement. He hadn't been able to feel his fingertips for days though. He had tried loosening his bonds, but they remained tied around his wrists as tightly as ever.

He looked away from JD's face, content enough to know that the kid was okay as long as he felt the slow, even movements of breathing from JD's legs. He didn't want to think anymore, and was tired of being trapped inside his own mind.

Vulnerability and fear had begun to wear away at the carefully constructed walls of a stone surface like water eating away at the earth, and even he knew it was only a matter of a time before he burst.

Perry looked up at JD's face, noting the pallor in the darkness. The kid was scared, no doubt of that. But he'd known that for a while, and had finally accepted that he was terrified too.

Terrified wasn't a word or emotion that came easily to him, but two weeks had worn on his mind quickly enough. He missed the light that came with the natural day, and was torn neatly between his knowledge. He knew that every minute more spent in the darkness was another minute that Thomas wasn't in there.

His cuts itched, and his chest hurt. Perry coughed into his shoulder, too used to the smell of human scents to care about what he was spitting into the floor.

JD heard the congested cough, knowing that he would soon answer with one of his own. His back itched terribly, and he hadn't been able to look at his arm. He thought now of where Thomas's problems truly lie.

He hadn't been able to figure it out, not by piecing it apart like he usually did with diagnostics. There was always a cause, and therefor an equal reaction. Nothing added up with Thomas, but JD figured that was because he didn't have all the facts. He knew Thomas had been abused as a child, and then again as a young adult.

As a doctor, he remembered skimming the chart and the automatic answer in his head had been "not much hope for a normal life". JD felt that now more then ever.

With the medications completely out of Thomas's system, his disorder began to present with even more severity, and with climbing mood swings.

It wasn't odd for DID, after all.

JD sighed and settled for looking at Perry again. The emotions raced through him again, but he was now familiar with the onslaught of feelings. They needed each other right now; had needed each other for mutual support for their duration there.

The contact was a psychological emotion that JD knew would last even when or if they escaped.

Perry looked at JD again, and shoved away the need to touch his face or hand. He told himself he wanted to in order to make sure the kid still had feeling or to check his bruising. The small voice was back though, telling him even more strongly it was because he feeling something for the kid.

Grumbling the voice away in his head, Perry decided that impulse was best and leaned forward to grab JD's hand.

JD looked at him questionably with fear underlying the expression. Perry looked at him solemnly, the glares gone from his mental vocabulary at this point.

Glaring, after all, wasn't working here. And Perry didn't feel the need to be angry at the broken man in front of him anymore. He worked the almost-feminine hand in front of him slowly, trying to rub warmth back into them, even though he didn't have any in his own fingers.

JD felt his face color, his cheeks going hot at the intimate touch. Medical expertise had been put aside at the intimate contact, even though he knew Perry was being professional about worrying over the potential nerve damage.

Perry felt something lift (he wouldn't classify it for fear of what his mind would say) when the kid looked up and smiled at him.

But then he gave a return grin of his own before he knew what was happening, and just shrugged in the darkness. His mind screamed at him to let go before he let the kid get too close, before JD could seep past the stone wall.

Perry still couldn't bring himself to let go of that hand.

JD smiled at him softly as warmth slowly seeped into his hand. He tried to squeeze back hesitantly, and Perry didn’t shove him off. He finally just savored the moment, knowing that it might possibly be one of the last happy memories he might have.

The door burst open suddenly, breaking the silent moment, and Perry jumped back. He was once again hit by the fact he hadn't heard the locks turn. JD's fearful face was suddenly drained of color all over again, and Perry found that his stomach was churning with nausea.

Thomas entered the room, a gleeful grin upon his face that made both the men in the tub shiver.

"Hiya, guys!" he said pleasantly. "You know, I've just been having so much trouble making Tommy and Anna shut the hell up."

JD frowned. "Anna" wasn't a person he'd heard about yet.

"Tommy keeps saying that I should leave you alone. Anna keeps saying I should just let you go. You know, I just really can't help it that you two are so much fun!" His voice was frighteningly happy, and the amusement lacing beneath it was drawing a thin line of horror around the room.

Perry looked at JD then, mouth drawn tight and his face white.

JD felt like someone had socked him in the chest. That horrible animalistic terror was back in Perry's face, and JD wondered when the man had quit hiding it.

"So I've got a new game that we're going to play!" Thomas said, clapping his hands as he sat on the counter again, heels pressed flat against the surface. He kicked his heels against the cabinet again, the dull thumping a loud drumbeat within the small room.

JD struggled to focus on the fact that Thomas had no knife with him this time. There was a suspicious lump, however, in his pocket.

Perry looked at the man, feeling sick and horrible all at the same time as he sat up a little and rolled his shoulders.

Taking a chance, JD took a deep breath in his aching lungs. "Who's Tommy?"

Thomas snorted at that. "Tommy doesn't matter. He's only good for watching."

"Then who's Eric?" JD went on, realizing he had a small window of opportunity to try and talk the man down from whatever his plans were.

"I'm Eric," Thomas replied in a bored tone. "You know, you should stop talking."

JD would have gone on if Perry hadn't kneed him hard in the hip and sent him a pleading look. The begging expression was so unlike Perry that JD felt his throat close immediately.

Thomas clapped again. "You two really are a set. I've got to wonder what's been building between you two while I've been gone." He kicked his heels against the cabinet again. "Peter Pumpkin Eater and Tom Thumb…"

"Why do you call me Tom Thumb?" JD suddenly asked, despite Perry's terrified glare. "My name's John. You knew that a couple weeks ago."

Thomas looked at him oddly then. "Because you are Tom. You're Tommy."

"Why do you call him Peter? His name's Perry."

Thomas swept away from the counter fluidly and kneeled to stare JD in the face hard. "Because his name is Peter. You're Petey and Tommy. Locked together in a basement under the sad ravings of insanity because you two survived."

The words were slurred together slightly, and the even tone had Perry sitting back tightly. He coiled into himself, struggling to control the fear that raced through his blood like fire.

Thomas stood again in the same sweeping motion. "Who's the man in this relationship, I wonder…who's the bitch?" He looked between the two, noting that the younger man still seemed to have color in his face and the older man had gone white in the face. "Hard to say sometimes just by looking at you who takes it in the ass and who gives it."

JD and Perry exchanged looks of confusion and dread.

Perry already really didn't like the way this conversation was going.

"We're not like that," JD said, ignoring yet another kick to his hip from Perry. "We just work together at the same hospital. He's my boss."

"Oh, so you take it then," Thomas said with a chuckle. "You know, Peter Pumpkin Eater, I'd always wondered how many asses you had to put your fingers in to be considered a real doctor; I just didn't know it involved your co-workers too."

"We're not gay," Perry snapped at him, having spoken for the first time in days. His voice was hoarse, and talking made him realize just how sore his throat was.

Thomas slid his gaze to Perry with a raised eyebrow. "Oh my god; did you just actually speak to me?"

"Yeah," Perry snapped, anger building along with the frustration as he sat up straighter. "Only half a man ties up victims he knows could kick his ass if they're free."

Now it was JD giving Perry hard looks that were obviously meant to try and shut the man up.

"Really." Thomas stood, arms crossed against his chest. "You've not eaten since you've been here; you've barely been getting enough water. I wager your limbs are pretty sore and god knows your chest and arms have got to hurt like a bitch. You really think you can take me in that state?"

Perry snorted, hoping his voice was more confident then he felt. "I know I can."

"Fair game." Thomas jerked Perry out of the tub and slid the bindings from his feet. "You going to play fair?"

"You never have."

"That's because I'm in control. Tell ya what, Peter Pumpkin Eater. If you kick my ass and knock me out, I'll let you both go."

Perry looked over at JD, who shook his head wildly. "And if not?"

"Then I really do get to do everything I want with you two."

JD bit his lip hard. This was a bad idea, and he knew it as well as Perry did. Still, the sound of freedom didn't sound so bad, even if one of them had to take a few punches to get it. Miserable guilt washed over JD at that thought as he shook his head again in Perry's direction.

"Deal, Peter?"

"It's Perry. Deal." He held his wrists out for Thomas to untie them.

Thomas reached forward and fluidly untied the nylon cording.

Perry immediately landed a punch to Thomas's face. The black-haired man reeled backwards into the wall, and hurried his eyes to the figure in front of him.

Just as Perry's other fist charged forward, Thomas ducked, hands moving to his slacks as he slid past the older man.

Perry hissed suddenly as something cut across his rib cage. He looked down to find fresh blood.

Thomas had, indeed, had the knife all along. He flipped it in front of him and grinned.

"I didn't make the rules, Peter."

Perry clenched his teeth, trying to remember the last time he'd gotten into a fist fight with someone. Even as he brought his fists up to try and protect his head, Thomas was behind him and before Perry could turn around, a foot had shoved itself into the back of his knee.

Hissing, Perry went down, and rolled away as Thomas stabbed at the floor with an unholy glint in his eyes. Frustration boiled up through Perry's mind at the amused look that crossed Thomas's face.

Perry charged at him then, grabbing Thomas by the shoulders and sliding a foot behind the skinnier man's legs. He shoved hard against Thomas's shoulders in hopes of knocking the man off balance.

An outcry escaped his lips as Thomas slashed his arm with the knife and bent backward with the forward momentum of Perry's shove. He felt his head knock lightly against the door as a result, but nothing that seemed to hurt him overly much.

Thomas grinned at him and suddenly shoved back up to slam his head into Perry's.

Perry grunted at that, backing off in a stumble that had him sitting on the toilet. Before he could gather his dazed mind together, he felt himself jerked back into the floor into a close-relative of Indian-style.

Perry started to move away, but not before he felt an arm lock around his neck in front, and then felt a hand petting down his dirty hair to lock against the back. Realizing his airway was about to be neatly sealed off, he immediately began to struggle as he felt legs wrap around his waist and lock against his crotch. Heels dug in painfully, and Perry saw lights behind his eyes.

Thomas pushed against Perry's throat lightly, but well enough that the man gagged in front of him. Thomas tapped the knife against Perry's temple.

"Game, set, and this would be match." Thomas shoved his arms harder and dug his heels in with strength that had Perry choking on a howl.

JD shut his eyes tightly as Thomas drew a look to him.

"Say, Tom Thumb," Thomas said, releasing Perry's airway enough that he could draw in gasping breaths. "You wouldn't mind tying his wrists and ankles for me again, would ya?"

JD seemed frozen in the tub.

"Oh, fine. Have it your way." Thomas drew a long, neat cut down the side of Perry's face and brought the man to his feet. Keeping one arm locked to Perry's airway, Thomas dug something from his pocket and shoved it into Perry's neck.

Perry felt the effects of it immediately as the lights in the room seemed to grow brighter and the floor dropped away from his mental feet. He slumped reluctantly against Thomas's body.

Thomas dropped him to the ground casually. "I'll be back. I wouldn't try anything, Tom Thumb. If I took him down, you know I'll just break you in two."

JD didn't think he could move anyway as his eyes drifted over Perry's crumpled figure.

When Thomas returned, it was with a needle. He sat down near Perry's body and looped the bonds around his wrists and ankles again, tightening them viciously.

"I gotta tell you, Petey," Thomas went on conversationally as he tied the limbs. "That was a good first punch. I think you broke my nose." Blood dripped from Thomas's face as he wrinkled his features experimentally with a pained frown. "You may have even knocked it back into place."

"Good," Perry mumbled, his voice slurred.

JD looked at Perry's dilated eyes and sluggish movements as Thomas dumped him back to the tub.

"What'd you give him?" JD asked before he could stop himself.

"Same thing I'm giving you."

JD started to shrink away, but felt the needle plunge into his elbow anyway.

"Not enough to make you fall asleep; I don't want that right now." Thomas backed away, throwing the needle into the sink as the knife slid back into his fingers. "But I did win the fight, fair and square." His other hand held a box of matches, and the knife was placed into the pocket. He lit one and threw it in Perry's direction.

Perry stiffened at the flash of burn against his skin and he turned his head lazily to Thomas's direction.

"I won," Thomas pointed out. "And you're striking me more and more as the one who really dominates this party when I'm not here."

Perry didn't answer, only turning apologetic, guilty eyes to JD's direction. He frowned; the kid didn't look as scared as usual. Why wasn't he scared anymore?

JD struggled to stay lucid, and yelped when the next match landed on his bare shoulder. Still, whatever Thomas had injected him with began to cloud over his mind, and fear started to drift off in a sea of nausea and thickening fog.

Thomas lit another match and aimed for Perry's crotch. He hit the instep of Perry's leg and frowned in disappointment. The older man still jumped in the bathtub at the feel of burn through his jeans.

"So that brings me to being nice so you two won't hate me quite so much," Thomas kept going and flicked another match on JD's wounded back. The resulting cry was a jolt of power for Thomas, who smiled and basked. "So here's the deal." The next match landed in Perry's hair, burning a spot off near his ear. Thomas grinned again. "I'm going to be a nice guy for once and let you two have at each other."

"We're not like that," JD slurred out. "We told you already."

Thomas frowned and flicked the match towards JD's back again, hoping he hit the same spot so he could see that pale back draw up in pain. He missed it by a couple of inches, but JD still drew up in front of him.

"Do it anyway," Thomas replied simply and flipped the match towards Perry's ankle. "You two have been all over each other; I've been watching. Tommy told me. Nothing sicker then a couple of fags who think they're not being watched." He aimed for JD's back again, but still missed either of the two previous spots.

"If we do it, will you stop that?" Perry asked as another match landed on his stomach.

"This bother you?" Thomas flipped a match to Perry's neck, bypassing JD's turn all together. His voice was amused again, and the calm was back.

"Yes, it hurts," JD muttered through clenched teeth as one landed on his back again.

Thomas considered a moment, holding a lit match. Then he grinned. "Good." He threw it at JD's chest.

JD stiffened, trying not to cry out anymore. It usually only served to heighten Thomas's moods.

"But yeah. Yeah, I'll stop if you two want to take a fuck-buddy break. If you don't, I'll just move closer with the fire. Maybe even light a candle for more stability." He lit said-candle beside of him.

JD turned his face to Perry slowly, hating the way the room spun beneath the influence of the drugs.

Perry struggled to think clearly against the drug-induced haze of his mind and eyed the kid. He sighed brokenly as he suddenly felt more then saw Thomas move closer, lit candle in his hand.

"Take your time thinking," Thomas said casually. "I'm playing." He lowered the candle to JD's arm first where Perry's name stood out against the pale skin.

Perry snapped out of the haze a little when JD's scream rang through the room. The skin blistered and reddened as Thomas pulled the candle away.

JD cried hoarsely, coughing as he tried to stop and cradling his arm against his bare chest. He struggled to open his eyes against the watery pain as Thomas moved over to Perry's end of the tub.

Perry clenched his teeth as Thomas jerked his arm up and then held the flame of the candle beneath his forearm. The pain wasn't immediate, as his skin was cold and the fire felt okay at first. It changed in a flash to a white-hot pain that seared against his arm and before he could help it, he was the next one to let loose a scream of his own.

"I'll do it," JD shouted hoarsely even as he tried to sit up. He looked in Perry's direction, taking advantage of the time they had to speak. "Just stop it."

Perry glared at him, stomach rolling with a panicked sickness. "I can't do that."

"It's that or this."

Thomas let out a cold laugh, the sound drifting over the air like a wave of awful happiness.

"My god, this is just cute," Thomas chuckled and settled against the countertop again as he crossed his arms. He raked a hand through his hair and let it settle against his chin. "Pathetic, but cute. You'd rather fuck him then watch him endure a little pain?"

Perry looked at JD again, and that small voice in his head started screaming that if nothing else had changed their relationship, that this most certainly would. The voice didn't argue with him, or even debate it.

That was probably the more frightening prospect.

"Your choice, boys." Thomas picked up the candle again.

"I'll do it." Perry sighed hard, arm still tender from the fire as he looked at the white blisters. Then he looked back over at JD, who seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Why the sigh came, Perry couldn't be certain. He raised himself to his knees and carefully lay a hand against JD's shoulder. The kid looked scared a bit now, but that drug-induced fog of a look was still scraped against his face.

Perry sighed and kissed him, glad that there was no bloody taste to the mouth this time around. Still, it wasn't pleasant; they were both dirty and hadn't brushed their teeth in a while.

If it hadn't been for all that, said the small voice in Perry's head, you'd probably have enjoyed it. Still, he kept his mouth firmly planted against JD's, trying to keep his chest away from the other man's skin.

"Just try to relax," Perry muttered against the mouth. "And if you tell anyone, I'll hang you by your ankles in the janitor's closet."

JD didn't reply, feeling guilty and ashamed all at the same time. If it hadn't been for the surroundings, he realized that it was almost nice. The thought had him whirling as it was, and he jumped at the sudden touch of fingers against his sweaty chest.

Something was subtly shifting between the two of them as JD raised his own shaking hands to unzip and unbutton Perry's jeans. The older man stiffened in front of him, but relaxed slightly.

JD bit his lip when he felt a hand dip into his boxers and then slide his pants down. He couldn't tell if the subtle shift had come about because of the drugs or if because despite the environment, he was already aroused.

Perry slowly pushed at JD's shoulder, a redness washing over his face as he spit into his hand and motioned for JD to bend at the waist a little. Knowing it wouldn't help but still wanting to try, Perry shot one last desperate look to Thomas, whose eyes had glazed over as he watched.

As Perry slid his bound hands between JD's legs, he felt his stomach roll again. He shouldn't have been enjoying it at all, not with Thomas watching them and a knife pointed at their throats if they didn't comply.

The hate came easily when Perry realized he was.

In a mimicry of preparation, Perry used slow movements with his fingers and hands, trying to roll with the pained sounds JD made in front of him.

JD wouldn't lie to himself; it hurt. It was uncomfortable, and his aroused erection was faltering every step of the way. He lowered his hands to slowly fist himself in an attempt to make it easier on Perry, who was shaking behind him.

A cry of pain escaped JD's lips when Perry entered him, hands tightly held against his hip. Perry bent his head down to JD's ear.

"Just…just relax, Ginger."

The sound of Perry's voice was unnamable. Something was laced through it against the drugs, and something was hidden beneath the desperately apologetic tone.

JD thought he might have recognized it if Perry hadn't begun to move. With the repeated movements, the entry became easier.

Thomas's laughter filled the room again, and he clacked the knife against the countertop.

Something fell away from JD's ears as he felt something building in him. Oh, this just wasn't good. There was no way he could enjoy this, not in front of Thomas and not coming from Perry. He bit his lip and pressed his forehead into the lip of the tub.

That was when Thomas began flicking matches at them again.

JD screamed again at that, and Perry realized to his own horror that tears had begun to squeeze from his eyes again.

It was over a few minutes later, and Perry dropped back to the tub as tears of shame and horror ran down his cheeks. The burning matches made him shout and jerk as Thomas giggled at them and said things he wouldn't recall later.

"No doubt the little lady in your wallet is going to love these photos," Thomas mentioned as he stood.

Perry's head came up sluggishly at that, and he didn't bother to hide the wetness across his face.

"Leave Jordan out of this," he snapped.

"She's already seen you two hunkered down in here like a couple of little girls," Thomas mentioned amicably. "No doubt she's really going to leave you now."

Perry laughed harshly at that, and regretted it when the candle stabbed his left shoulder hard.

"You've got to learn how to stop laughing."

JD curled at the other end of the tub, both ashamed and confused at the same time as Thomas stood.

"Well, boys. It's been real." Thomas flipped out the light, slammed the door, and the metallic sounds of locks clicking shut filled the air.

Perry couldn't see in the darkness this time; the lights had been on for too long. "Tina?"

JD didn't reply as he made an effort to yank up his jeans and boxers. The echoing rustling of clothing indicated Perry was doing the same.

"I'm sorry," came the next hoarse, rough statement.

JD didn't know why that simple apology should hurt so much, and sighing hard, he shrugged even though he knew Perry couldn't see it.

"You're talking again!" a voice called out in a sing-song tone.

Perry sighed and struggled to focus his eyes to the smaller man in front of him. The fear and blame coursed through his skin, and made him wish he could take a shower in the dingy tub. He felt JD's shaking legs stretch out beside of his own, and the shame grew tenfold.

His stomach rolled against him mutinously, and he silently begged his body to calm down before he threw up. The luck didn't seem to be with him, and he found his head tilted over the tub to throw up again.

When JD's hands gently rubbed at his shoulders, the tears started anew at what he had just done. A part of him wanted to throw JD off and pound at the floor until he couldn't breathe anymore.

Instead, the crying grew harder and he looked in JD's direction. He could just barely make out the pale skin now, but not by much.

That was when JD gave him the okay sign again with his fingers.

It seemed to break the last of Perry's tenuous hold on his emotions, and he broke into a sobbing scream that grated against JD's ears.

Thomas laughed again from the outside and the drumming of fingers sounded against the door.

JD sighed, not sure if he could help at all except to slip his arms over Perry's shoulders in the little tub. He straightened a bit and pulled Perry to the other side of the tub, realizing it was now his turn to try and support the other.

The only problem was that Perry had always been the mentor, the boss, the leader. And he was more broken then JD could even begin to figure out how to fix.

That was when the next scream sounded, and it made JD jump as tears pricked his eyes. He slipped a hand up to wrap itself in Perry's hair. He hadn't thought that the man could break down this hard. He wasn't supposed to be able to come down like this, wasn't supposed to be brought down to this level that turned him into a ghost of a man.

But still, he was and JD felt something inside him snapping a little with each passing second. JD buried his face into Perry's hair even as his stomach jolted with sickness.

It was sometime later when JD realized the man had passed out from exhaustion against his chest. He sighed hard and didn't try to move the man away. Some part of him called him a terrible person, knowing that Perry was going to be just as horrified when he awoke as he was when he'd gone to sleep.

Still, JD leaned hard against the tub. They only had each other in this room; might only have each other until they died. Acceptance settled over him; no one was going to rescue them.

The hopelessness overcame the shame of the earlier situation, and he quietly cried in the dark room, hoping he didn't wake the other man.

Still, Thomas had said something about Jordan earlier. That meant Jordan knew they were missing, at the very least. He sighed again, and squeezed Perry's shoulders lightly.

Perry felt the light hold, and didn't raise his head. He couldn't look at the kid, not right now, not after what had just happened. The only things keeping him down now were JD's arms (he should've gone for a hug earlier, thinking back on it) and the fact that someone knew they were gone.

A dim hope, maybe. But Perry knew Jordan wouldn't give up. He just had to hope that he and JD didn't give in before she did.

Continues with Chapter 8