Avery's Desire Pt. 14

"I'll take that under advisement." Hanson said.

"So what can I do for you detective?" The lab tech sat his coffee down on a counter top then sat down on the only stool available in his tiny cubicle. He picked up a few slides and began to label them before slipping them gently into a plastic case that was sitting on his desk.

Hanson felt kind of bad for the guy. His work space was way too small and his equipment mostly outdated. He was short staffed and backed up with so much work that it would take him till retirement to get through all of it though somehow he still seemed to come to work with a smile and a great attitude.

"I just wanted to see what we got on the Duprey case."

"Oh yeah, I was just looking through the case file on that one." The tech took a sip from his coffee then started shuffling through some loose papers until he found what he was looking for. "It's a shame what happened to that poor kid."

"Yeah it is." Hanson agreed, "That's why I want to lock up the bastard that did it."

"I hear ya. Well, I wish I could say that I have the evidence to hang the creep but so far what I got won't hold water."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that."

The tech shrugged. "Your boys lifted a ton of prints from the apartment, but most if not all of the prints belong there, as in their all from the victim and his friends. We didn't get as many from the bedroom, only three sets actually. One set belonged to your vic, another to his lover, and the third belonged to another male. We also found traces of blood in the bedroom, one again from your vic, and the other an unknown source. We did run the prints though and as luck would have it the guys in the system."

"Let me guess..." Hanson grinned. "Michael Doogan."

"That your perp?" The tech asked.

Hanson nodded.

"Well he was definitely there. My guess is that the unnamed blood we found was his as well."

"I'd have to agree with that." Hanson said. "Did you get anything from the rape kit?"

"I haven't got that processed yet." The tech told him.

Hanson rolled his eyes. "Come on Jerry, you're killing me here."

"Relax, relax, it's on my to-do list and as soon as I know something, you'll know something."

"Well lets see if we can't move it to the top of your to-do list. I have one shot at getting this guy and my entire case is built on the DNA he left behind. The hospital already told me that the bastard didn't wear a condom, so if we can match the blood and semen to Doogan then I have him dead to rights. There is no way he can worm his way out of this one."

Jerry sighed as he rubbed his temples. He could feel another migraine coming on but he wasn't one to complain. "I'll do my best buddy but I have a stack of other cases that are waiting on evidence as well. I'm only one man."

"I know, hey don't sweat it. Just do what you can. I know you're over worked, we all are. I just need that report as soon as possible. I want to nail this asshole to the wall. What he did to that kid was inexcusable and whats worse is that he feels absolutely no remorse over it! You know, those are the worst kinds of criminals, the ones with no remorse. The best thing that we can do is to get them off the streets."

"Oh I agree and believe me, I'm working as fast as I can."

"Well keep me posted." Hanson stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned towards the door.

"Over and out!" Jerry mused.

"Results!" Hanson laughed as he left the closet."Get me results!"

Hearing Rick's voice and feeling him near helped to ease Avery's mind. Everything that he was feeling, everything that he'd experienced, had come back so fast that it knocked him breathless. It made matters even worse that he was unable to speak, or cry, or scream. He couldn't move and his body felt like some alien thing that he had no control over. He wanted so badly to let Rick know that he was there and that he could hear him, but all he could do was lay there feeling helpless.

He was wrapped up in a black blanket of pain and torment unable to break free. All he wanted at this point was to throw his arms around Rick, bury his face in his chest, and cry.

'What good would that really do though?' He wondered. 'Crying would just show how weak I really am.'

He cursed himself for being so weak and for being so stupid. How could he have even allowed this to happen? If only he'd remembered to lock that fucking door. Everyone kept reminding him but he never listened to any of them. He just never thought that something like this would ever happen to him so he was never worried about it. But it did, and it was his own stupidity that allowed him to get ambushed.

He remembered Mikey coming into his bedroom, and he remembered the events after that in vivid detail. He'd tried to get away and call for help but Mikey had over powered him. After that last blow to the head came, things got sketchy. He vaguely remembered waking up someplace outside. Mikey was there, of that he was sure, but he also remembered another voice, maybe two. He didn't know who they were or how many there even were, but he was positive that Mikey was not alone.

He tried so hard to remember everything, every detail that he could, but the effort of it made his head hurt. 'Maybe it's better not to remember.' He told himself. But then again, he wanted to be able to give the police as much information as he could. He just needed a clear head then everything would come back to him.

The problem was that the more he was pumped full of pain killers, the more foggy things became. If he could just get the strength to open his mouth and speak he could tell Rick or the others not to let the staff drug him. He would have to suffer through the pain, but he could do that. He would do that, if it meant giving the cops all the information they needed to hang Mikey's ass for good.

It was getting late and Rick knew that any moment one of the on-staff nurses would come into the room and inform him that visiting hours were over. Well, that shit wasn't going to fly. He'd made a promise and he intended to keep it. He wasn't about to leave Avery's side, the hospital staff would have to drag him out kicking and screaming before that would happen. He wanted to be there when Avery finally woke up. More than that, he was determined to be there.

Rick's one fear was that he'd step out, even for a second, and that would be when Avery finally opened his eyes. Rick just couldn't risk that. It didn't matter how tired he was, or how hungry. He just couldn't leave now. Avery would cringe or make small noises every so often but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The nurse had come in about an hour ago and replaced the IV bag. She told Rick that she was giving Avery something for the pain which should make him sleep for a while. Since then he'd pretty much stayed still.

Rick was glad that he wasn't in any pain, but he still hated to see him laying there like that. He missed seeing his smiling face, hearing his sweet voice, and feeling the soft sweet flesh of his lips as they kissed. They'd made love the morning before Rick had left for work, but that seemed like a life time ago now. So much had happened since then. Rick remembered every detail of it though. He remembered the way Avery's body felt against his. The touch of his fingers as he let them glide gently down Rick's back.

The most amazing part though was the look in Avery's eyes when Rick was inside of him. Avery was a stunning young man but there was something in his eyes that just seemed magical. When he looked up at Rick, smiling, and those eyes wide and full of love, Rick could get lost in them. It was like nothing else in the world existed anymore when he looked deep into those emerald orbs. Avery had captivated him entirely.

Rick lowered the side rail on Avery's bed and then lay down beside him, wrapping his arms around his sleeping beauty. Oh how he longed to feel Avery's arms around him too but being beside him would have to suffice for now. At least, in some sense, they could be together. At least Rick could still feel the warmth of Avery's body next to his and he felt so good in Rick's arms. Rick could lay like that forever, never letting go, never leaving him alone again. He could protect him this time, like he should have before.

After they'd made love that morning so long ago, he'd held Avery close to him and he felt so content, Avery did too. They both knew though that Rick would have to leave for work later that night and Avery had practically begged him not to go. Rick thought that Avery was just sick of being left alone all the time but in hindsight, maybe Avery was actually scared. Someone had been stalking him, and that someone was more than likely Mikey.

Maybe, somehow deep down, Avery knew that something bad was about to happen. Maybe he somehow felt it. Rick had dismissed his feelings and left anyway. That was a mistake that he would regret for the rest of his life. If he'd only listened to Avery, if he'd only respected his feelings, things could have turned out so very differently. Rick's eyes swelled with tears as he thought about how frightened Avery must have been, and how alone he must have felt. Rick was supposed to have been there to protect him and he'd failed miserably at that.

"I'm so sorry Ave..." He whispered through his tears. "I'll never dismiss your feelings again. I should have known better, I should have been there. I am so very sorry."

When Avery heard Rick's voice he struggled to open his eyes but to no avail. The world around him was still so dark. He could feel Rick's arms wrapped around him and it felt so fucking good. He wished that he could reach out and touch him, hug him, or kiss him. He wanted so badly to tell him that it was okay, he was okay, and that it wasn't Rick's fault. He hated hearing the pain and guilt in Rick's voice.

If anyone was to blame for the state he was in it was himself. He was the careless one after-all, he was the one who had left the door unlocked. He was pissed off that he couldn't tell Rick that. He was pissed off that Rick was suffering so bad and that there was nothing he could do about it. He refused to just give up though. He had something to live for, something to fight for, and he knew that he was in for a fight. It wasn't just the recovery, or facing Mikey. Avery was determined not to let him win and that meant that he had to fight his way back and up on that stage.

He had no idea how he was going to do it, he just knew that he had to. There was no way that he could let Mikey win. He may have won the battle, but the war was far from over and Avery was about to show the bastard just how strong he was. Mikey couldn't break him, no one could. Avery was like a phoenix, ready to rise up from his own ashes and kick some ass, and that is just what he was planning to do.

Rick opened his eyes and looked at Avery. For a moment he thought he'd felt him move. Not a lot, just a twitch, but it was something. He lay his head on Avery's chest and closed his eyes again as he listened to the sounds of his breathing. His heart was pounding in his chest. Rick wondered what he must be thinking just then. Was he having a nightmare?

Rick held him tighter, ready to chase away what ever monsters were plaguing Avery's dreams.

He wrapped his fingers lovingly around Avery's arm, then moved them up and down his skin in a gentle, soothing, motion. "I'm here babe." He whispered. "I'm here and I won't let anything hurt you, you're safe." Avery's breathing calmed and the beating of his heart quieted a bit. Rick smiled. He somehow knew that everything was going to be alright now. He knew that Avery was going to be okay and most importantly he knew that Avery was aware of his presence. How he knew he couldn't say, he just knew it. Both of them were content, both of them were loved, and they drifted off to sleep together.

Trash looked at his phone again. It was about the third time he'd checked it since leaving the hospital.

"Relax." Kat said as she slid her key into the lock and opened the door. "He'll call if he needs us to pick him up."

Trash sighed then slipped his phone back into his pocket. "You're right, I just worry I guess." He smiled at her then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. "I just can't imagine what Rick's going through right now. If it were you..."

"Shh." She touched his lips with her finger. "They'll be alright. Avery's a tough little shit. There is no way that he's going to allow something like this to get him down. If anyone can come back from this it's Avery."

"I hope you're right." Trash frowned.

"I am." Kat touched the side of his face and kissed him passionately on the lips. "What can I do to ease your mind?"

Trash grinned. "Oh, I can think of a few things."

Kat raised an eyebrow. "I kinda figured you might." She laughed then took Trash's hand and pulled him inside the apartment, closing the door tightly behind them.

Morning had come way too soon for Rick. The events over the last few days had left him feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. The only thing he wanted to do at this point was to lay in that bed next to Avery and hold him forever but unfortunately he had to piss like a Russian race horse.

He opened his eyes, kissed the side of Avery's face then slipped off the bed and walked sleepily to the bathroom in Avery's room. The door to the bathroom and the door to the room itself were one and the same so as he closed the bathroom door, he left the room door wide open. This was the nurse's cue to come in and start her morning rounds.

Rick heard her walk in and greet Avery with a friendly and very bubbly, "Good Morning!", before going about her duties. When Rick walked out of the bathroom the nurse turned and smiled at him. "And good morning to you too!" She greeted Rick.

He smiled halfheartedly and then yawned as he seated himself in the chair next to Avery's bed. "Morning."

"I peeked in earlier but you were still asleep. I went on down the hall because I didn't want to wake you. Did you sleep well last night?"

Rick shrugged, "It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep but I didn't want to leave him alone."

"I totally understand." She chirped. "I'm sure he was happy to have you here with him."

"I hope so."

The nurse smiled again then turned her attention back to her patient as she did the usual morning maintenance of checking bandages and dressings, making sure that his hospital gown was clean, and the other little comforts that could be offered. After taking his vitals she emptied his catheter bag into a measuring cup and headed to the bathroom to dump the cup out into the toilet.

Rick yawned again. He was still half asleep, even with the morning sun cutting through the darkness of the room. He could have easily crawled in bed with Avery and slept another couple of hours, and was actually quite tempted to do just that. He rubbed his eyes then sat back in the chair and glanced over at Avery. "Oh my God!" He gasped. "Hey, nurse...whatever your name is, hey!"

The nurse came rushing out of the bathroom. "What is it?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"Look!" Rick pointed at Avery.

The nurse smiled. "Well hello!" She exclaimed.

Rick put his hand over his mouth as he tried to stifle the small laugh that had escaped him. Avery's head was turned in Rick's direction and his eyes were wide open and staring right at him. Rick's eyes filled with tears as he saw those gorgeous green orbs staring back at him. "Hey baby." He whispered through tears of joy. "You're awake."