Shorter
Chapter 10: Shorter
Bruce followed when Max took Ash out of the common room, then stepped ahead of them to lead the way to where Ash would be staying. He tried to set his mind to the trouble with Ash and not about the fact that a soldier was following him. He didn’t think about how much bigger Max was than he was or that Max had been, according to Phil, a highly regarded soldier for years and would have likely become an officer if it hadn’t been for a tragic incident involving a friend. He certainly didn’t dwell at all upon the fact that no one had checked to see if their guests were armed because soldiers always had guns and shot at people. No. He didn’t think about that. He didn’t think about how, if Max had been so respected and well-liked, that he probably still had friends in the military that he talked to. He didn’t think about how he would probably tell those friends that he had met The Avengers. It would have been perfectly natural for Max to tell his friends that he was living in the Avenger’s Tower and then word would get back to General Ross or another one of those types who wanted to hurt Bruce and use Hulk...
Deep inside, Hulk stirred.
Like a bear coming out of hibernation, Hulk seemed to turn and stretch in Bruce’s mind. Hulk rumbled and growled, pushing at Bruce in order to find out what had disturbed them.
‘It’s alright,’ Bruce told Hulk, his inner voice whispering and calm. Bruce looked at the white walls, focusing his mind entirely on the clean, bright color. ‘Everything’s fine. Nothing to worry about, nothing to be scared of. We’re fine. We’re safe.’
Hulk settled back down.
The room they’d had set up for the witness was very plain - spartan. There was a twin-sized bed with a couple of blankets and a pillow. There was a bureau for clothes, a small table with a couple of chairs, and very little else. In Bruce’s opinion, it was quite a nice room. He had lived rough for long enough that he was always grateful to have a bed, let alone extras like a rug on the floor or a mirror, but he was aware that most people wouldn’t care much for such a room. Tony was generous enough that one he’d realized the witness wasn’t a criminal, but an innocent boy, then he would want to upgrade Ash’s accommodations and had probably already asked J.A.R.V.I.S. to start on it.
Bruce waited by the door of the little room while Max helped Ash to sit on the bed and Bruce had a moment to get a good look at Ash. He looked dreadful, pale and weak enough that he clung onto Max’s arm until he was seated and even for a moment after that. His face, though, was still without even a trace of pain. He had been in pain, Bruce had seen it back in the common room. When Ash had clutched at his wound, there had been great pain etched into his face. Somewhere between the common room and the bedroom, that pain had been hidden and Bruce felt a momentary understanding for Ash. What else was Bruce’s life but one huge mask?
“Don’t stare,” Ash met Bruce’s eyes. “You got a question?”
“I’d actually like to examine your wound to make sure you haven’t hurt yourself. If you don’t mind.” He put his hands in his pockets to stop himself from fidgeting. “I may not be a real medical doctor, but I should be able to tell if you’ve hurt yourself with all this moving around.”
“Good idea.” Max set Michael down on the bed next to Ash and said, “Keep Ash company, okay?”
Michael held Ash’s hand and said, “Don’t be afraid.”
It was all incredibly heart-warming and didn’t do anything to stop Bruce from being afraid to get too close to Max. That fear was starting to trouble Hulk, though, so it would be a problem in a very few minutes if Bruce didn’t get a hold of himself.
Max said, “You want him here?” He jerked his thumb towards Bruce. “He can leave, if you want.”
But Ash shrugged. “Not like it’s a secret.” He pulled up the hem of his sweatshirt and let Max get a look. The bandage covering the stitches was still clean and white, not even a spot of blood.
“There’s no bleeding so I think you’re in the clear. I don’t want to disturb the bandage for a little while, so I won’t pull it up unless it’s really bothering you.” Max smiled at Ash, “You’re one lucky kid!”
“Any other injuries I should know about? At the hospital, your doctor said something about a bullet and another wound on your shoulder?”
Ash yanked the collar of his shirt down enough for Bruce to see a healed, but still pink, slice on his right shoulder. He pulled down the other side of his shirt to show another bandaged wound on his left shoulder. He went on to show off a long, pink slice on his left side, just over his ribs. There were other wounds, old scars, bruises. None of it was really a surprise - Bruce had spoken to Ash’s doctor with Max, after all - but it was shocking to actually see so many injuries, new and old.
Ash put his shirt back where it belonged. “Max, I need to call Alex and let him know what’s going on. I think I left my phone in the other room. Can you go find it?”
“Sure.” Max stood up and took Michael with him, though Michael complained he wanted to stay with Ash. Max convinced Michael he needed help looking for the phone and as Michael was an expert at hide-and-seek, he was the perfect person to help.
Bruce watched until the door closed behind them and then stared at the door for a few seconds longer just to make sure Max was gone. By the time he was sure Max wasn’t going to come right back into the room he felt himself relax and he turned to look at Ash who looked like he might laugh.
“Relax.” Ash shook his head a little. “Max looks like a wolf, but he acts like a golden retriever. He’s mostly harmless.”
Self consciously, Bruce looked down at his feet and tried to laugh it off. “I don’t get on with soldiers very well.”
Ash gave a careless shrug. “I’m sure Max has dealt with worse that your staring. Say, I wanted to talk to you. I’ve got a question. I read your credentials a while ago. You’re a doctor of all kind of stuff, right? You know about chemistry and biology?”
“I do.” Bruce couldn’t help but be a little flattered that Ash, who had led such a life that he surely had much more urgent worries than learning about an obscure failed scientist, actually knew about him. Most people knew about Hulk, but that was all.
“Do you know anything about the long-term effects of mind-altering pharmaceuticals introduced into the brain?”
Bruce blinked, momentarily speechless. “Ah, it’s not my speciality, but I know a little. Do you have a specific question?”
“Yeah. Say there’s this guy and he takes a drug that really messes with his head, makes him think all kinds of crazy things and maybe, for instance, brainwashes him into doing anything another person tells him to do and then just gives him nightmares so bad that he ends up killing himself. Now, can a drug like that wear off?” Ash looked small, all of a sudden. It was only for a moment, and it was probably just Bruce’s imagination, but Ash seemed small and hurt. Even his voice got small. “Can that person ever get better?”
Bruce rubbed the back of his neck and thought back to a few classes and lectures, reviewed a few books in his head. “The effects of that drug sound very invasive. The human body is an amazing thing, the brain in particular. It can survive and recover from many kinds of trauma with the right treatment. However, everyone is different and drugs can affect different people in different ways. I’m sorry, but without knowing what the drug is, I can’t give you better information. If I knew what drug was or had a sample of it...”
“No.” Ash quickly shook his head. “No. Never mind. It’s not important. Forget it.”
When Bruce stood up to leave the room, Ash said, “Hey. About that drug... don’t tell Max I asked. It’ll just upset him.”
“Alright. If you want to tell me later, I’ll listen. Speaking of listening, if you need anything or if your wounds bother you, just tell J.A.R.V.I.S. and he’ll let me know. I’ll come straight away.” He hesitated at the door then turned back to Ash and asked something he’d been worrying about. “Will you tell me why you won’t take painkillers? Is it the needle? If you don’t like injections, I can get you pills.”
The look that settled on Ash’s face was hard. “You’re not gonna let up about that, are you?”
“You’ll sleep a lot easier if you’re not in pain and good sleep with help you heal. I won’t try to force you to take anything, but if you tell me why you don’t want it maybe I can help.”
Ash turned his face away from Bruce and looked at the wall. “Dino kept all the kids at Club Cod drugged up so everyone was controllable. Everyone got sleepy and kinda spacey after we were dosed. That way, no one ran away or put up a fuss. If it makes it any better, all those kids at Club Cod? They were probably so high they never even felt what happened when they were killed.”
It didn’t make anything better.
Ash continued, “Well, when Dino took me out of Club Cod, he decided he didn’t want me on anything that would spoil my health or my appearance, so he got me clean and that was Hell. Detoxing is a real misery. I don’t want to take any sort of drug that’s going to make me go through that, again. Besides, I don’t like feeling out of control. Bad things happen when... never mind. I don’t need that stuff.”
And something deep in Bruce focused on that. He knew exactly what it was like to hate feeling as if all control had been taken from him. The times when Hulk would be roused and push his way to the forefront of their mind and Bruce would be forced into a strange state of something like sleep, but not quite, had always been horribly disorienting. He never could quite remember what happened when he woke and it was always frightening to wake up somewhere completely unfamiliar, perhaps with destruction all around. Worse would be later, when he’d happen to see a newspaper or news report that told about what Hulk had done and Bruce couldn’t remember anything but a few flashes of emotion - pain, anger, fear... always fear.
“Once...” Bruce’s voice trailed off as his courage tried to slip away. But Ash was looking at him, watching and waiting. Ash who wouldn’t take painkillers for fear of what would happen when he was asleep, who was so used to pain that he knew very well how bad he could let it get. He was eighteen, he’d said. A man, by law, but really... just a kid. A kid with everything against him. How could he cower away when Ash had no choice but to be brave? So he swallowed hard and licked his lips before he started, again, “Once, I was with my friend. It was just after my little...er... accident. My friend had a secluded cabin far from anyone and I was scared so I went there. When I was there, some soldiers came along and they shot me with a powerful tranquilizer dart. Next thing I knew I was in some desert. It was very disturbing.”
Ash slowly nodded. “Your friend sold you out and called in the enemy.”
Bruce blinked. “Now, it wasn’t like that. She was a very good friend and she was trying to help. I know she was trying to help.”
“It always hurts when it’s someone you trust. At least I never trusted Dino. It’s worst when people who are supposed to take care of you and protect you are the ones to give you up to the bad guys.”
“She didn’t betray me. She thought she was helping.” Bruce wasn’t entirely convinced that Ash believed him. “What I’m trying to say is, I think I understand a little of your aversion to drugs. You have my word - so long as you’re under my care, I won’t let anyone give you any medication without your explicit consent and you will be told what the medication is and what sort of effect it might have on you. I promise.”
Ash regarded him for a time and Bruce knew he was being judged. He didn’t get the impression that Ash was afraid of him, but Ash’s face was studiously blank, a practiced ‘nothing’ of an expression. Finally, Ash gave a slow nod. “Okay. Fine, then. Anything else? I’m tired.”
“Of course, yes. You’ll need lots of rest.” Bruce hesitated, again, then added. “You’ll also need to eat. You need food to recover. I can find easy to digest things for you, but you do need to eat. If you have any favorites, we can get them for you.”
“I don’t need any special favors.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Just name anything you like. Just one thing that you’ll eat.”
Ash scowled. “You’re stubborn, ya know that?”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Fine. I like apples.”
Bruce nodded and stood up. “Right. I’ll go take care of that. Try to get some rest. There’s a bathroom just there,” he pointed to the only door in the room other than the door leading back to the hall. “Again, if you need anything, just ask J.A.R.V.I.S. and he can help or get a message to anyone in the tower.”
Ash nodded, but said nothing else as Bruce left the room. In the hall, he found Max sitting in a chair with Michael on his knee. Jessica had caught up with them and sat next to them. They all looked up as soon as Bruce stepped out of the room.
“Well?” Jessica demanded. “How is he?”
“Healing and remarkably strong. So long as he takes care of himself, I think he’ll be fine.”
She got to her feet. “Excellent. Then he will take care of himself!” She said it with determination and walked briskly into Ash’s room, as if she could, by sheer will-power, make Ash take care of himself.
Bruce felt awkward standing in front of Max, but he knew he had to get used to having another soldier around if Hulk was to stay calm. So he tried to be polite. “So... did you find the phone?”
Michael said, “Ash told a fib. He doesn’t like lots of people all around so we waited out here.”
“Someday, he’ll learn it’s easier to just ask for what he wants.” Max seemed entirely unconcerned about the lie. “He wanted to talk to you privately, didn’t he?”
Bruce nodded.
“That’s what I guessed. Thanks for being worried about him.”
Bruce started to walk away when he heard Michael say, “I’m glad Ash is gonna be okay ‘Cause I love him a lot.” Then he paused and his voice turned sulky. “I’m gonna hate Eiji, though.”
“What for?” Max asked. “Eiji’s nice. You’ll like him.”
Michael shook his head. “I heard Ash when he read his letter. Eiji wants Ash to go to Japan to live and I don’t want Ash to go away. He’s my best friend.”
Max rubbed Michael’s back. “Aww, son. I know it’s hard, but Ash and Eiji are really close friends and if Ash gets to live with Eiji he’d be very, very happy. If Ash got to be with Eiji all the time, he’d be happier than if you gave him a whole bag of jelly beans. If he can be that happy, do you think you can let him go to Japan?”
Resting his head against his dad’s chest, Michael let out a long, pitiful sigh. “I guess so. But I’m still gonna hate Eiji.”
“We’ll see about that. I still think you’re gonna like him.”
Bruce discreetly left after he decided the conversation was none of his business.
Ash-
Jessica, Max, and Michael had all visited and advised Ash to get some sleep. After they’d left he did try, but he just couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t the pain, although that was bad, that kept him awake. He felt as if a thousand eyes were watching him.
“So,” Ash said, aloud. “Read any good books, lately, J.A.R.V.I.S.?” How the Hell was he supposed to sleep with an invisible person watching him all the time? If Stark was to be believed, then J.A.R.V.I.S. was a real person and could see and hear everything that went on in the Avenger’s Tower. That was just creepy.
“I appreciate many written works,” J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. “Do you have something in particular in mind?”
“Yeah, how about 1984, Big Brother?”
J.A.R.V.I.S. didn’t answer for a minute and Ash reflected on the wisdom on needling the thing that held his life in it’s hands. So to speak. More importantly, it held his friend’s lives in it’s hands. “Are you concerned that I am watching too much, Mister Lynx?”
“I’m just making conversation.” Ash pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around himself as he sat up on the bed. He was always cold. “Never mind. Look, I’m bored. I’m gonna go for a walk.”
“That is inadvisable. Concern for your health is the utmost concern for all at the moment and your injury is very serious. Even a simple fall may lead to further complications.”
All well and good, but Ash wasn’t going to get any sleep with the computer watching. It was probably recording, too. Ash’s eyes narrowed. Was it watching the others, too? Was it watching and recording Michael? “Say, are you really everywhere? Every little nook and cranny of this place?”
“‘This place’ is me, so it is accurate to say that I am all places, Mister Lynx. However, in regards to respecting the privacy of my residents, I tend to ignore bathrooms. However, due to that concession, there is a rule that no sharp implements or other things that may cause damage to my residents may be in the bathrooms. I must protect my people, even from themselves.”
“Right. Well, that’s good. Look, you don’t have to watch the kid, do you? He’s obviously harmless, so you leave him alone.”
“I will not harm anyone, Mister Lynx.”
“That’s not what I said. You don’t have to go recording what he does. Just leave him alone.”
J.A.R.V.I.S. seemed to think about it. “I have informed Sir of your request and he agrees that surveillance of the guests is not necessary so I shall not monitor the private rooms of the guests, though I will continue to monitor common areas. You must also be monitored for the sake of your health. I need to be able to alert people if your injuries worsen.”
Ash nodded. “I can compromise. That’ll work.” He lay back down and covered up with the blanket. It was tempting to go sleep on the bathroom floor, but he had the suspicion that J.A.R.V.I.S. would disapprove and tell someone. Besides, it wasn’t as if J.A.R.V.I.S. could actually touch him. He covered himself entirely with the blanket and worked to focus his mind on the good things in life to prevent nightmares. Eiji. Bagels. Michael proudly giving his ‘Little Engine that Could’ book to Ash, Jessica laughing, Max singing, Ibe-san smiling. Eiji. Always Eiji. No matter what thoughts or images he filled his head with, he couldn’t push away the lingering worry that there was someone in the room.
Time ticked on. The room was dark and perfectly silent. By all rights, it should have been peaceful enough for anyone to sleep in. Ash stared at the darkness.
The sound of gentle ocean waves filled the room.
“The Hell?” Ash turned his head this way and that. “What’s that?”
“Relaxation soundtrack Sea Music. It is designed to assist in relaxation. You appeared to be having trouble sleeping and I was attempting to help.”
And that only reinforced the idea that he was being watched in the darkness which meant Ash wasn’t getting any sleep anytime soon. “Right. Right. Turn on the lights.” He blinked his eyes for a minute when J.A.R.V.I.S. did as Ash said. “Thanks, but it’s not going to work.”
“You need sleep.”
“Yeah, everyone’s already told me that. It’s still not going to happen. So, are you really all that great of a computer program?”
“I have been programmed to be able to handle any task Sir requires of me and I have the capabilities to access nearly any computer on the planet.”
“Yeah? So, if you’re so great, then tell me - what’s the answer to life, the universe, and everything?”
“42. But now you have to ask the actual question.”
Impressed, Ash put his hands behind his head and settled in for a good conversation. “You ARE good.”
Bruce-
By the time Bruce returned to the common room, he had calmed Hulk down enough that he wasn’t terribly worried about an incident. He didn’t like strangers in the tower. The other Avengers knew him well - they were all practically family, if Bruce could be so bold to think such a thing - and they made the effort to be calm around him. Strangers wouldn’t, he was sure. Jessica seemed loud and vibrant and Max had been a soldier - not people he would think of as peaceful. Having their little boy around was another problem because, though Michael was sweet and softly spoken, he was a child and Bruce couldn’t help but worry that if Hulk did make an appearance, Michael wouldn’t stand a chance. But it wasn’t his call to make and so he fought extra hard to keep himself in a stable frame of mind.
After an hour or so of everyone peacefully getting to know one another, Max stood up from where he’d been sitting on the sofa and said, “I’m going to get a gun for Ash.”
Jessica didn’t question him and Michael just waved good-bye from the kitchen where he was eating with Jessica.
“Are you sure it’s necessary?” Phil asked. “I can honestly promise you, Ash couldn’t possibly be anywhere safer than right here. He really doesn’t need it.”
Max pulled on his coat. “You’ve got to understand - Ash is in a war. He’s been in it most of his life and I wouldn’t ask him to go to war without a way to defend himself. If it makes you feel better, he was telling the truth earlier - he does have a permit. Golzine got it for him.”
Clint frowned. “What? Am I missing something? Golzine’s the one who kept him prisoner, right? He owns Club Cod? Why would he get Ash a gun permit?”
“Oh, that’s nothing.” Jessica used her thumb to wipe a bit of food off Michael’s cheek which made him giggle. “That monster got him a gun permit, a gun, bullets to go in the gun, and a world-class gun instructor to teach him how to use it.”
There was silence all around while Phil said, “I’m afraid I don’t see the sense in Golzine doing all that. It seems kind of obvious that Ash would go after him, considering what Golzine did to him.”
“That’s because you’re sensible,” Jessica said. “Golzine also gave Ash some kind of expensive sports car for his sixteenth birthday.”
Steve looked around at everyone. “I’m lost. Wasn’t Ash kept a prisoner for...well... you know.”
“He was.” Max said even as he took out his wallet and counted out some cash. “But Golzine was weird like that. He kept Ash a slave, but liked to pamper him like a pet. Don’t ask me, I don’t get it, either. The man was twisted in the head.”
Max turned to leave, but stopped when J.A.R.V.I.S. said, “Excuse the interruption, but there is a visitor who has come to speak with Ash.”
“He’s asleep,” Jessica said, sternly. “His visitor can come back later.” Then she beamed at Michael. “All done, darling. And you even ate your broccoli. Very good! Let’s wash your hands and then it’s naptime.”
J.A.R.V.I.S. said, “Ash is not asleep, Ms. Randy. We have discussed literature as well as the current political climate in Peru. Currently, we are playing a game of Go.”
“Go?” Steve said.
“Yes.” J.A.R.V.I.S. sounded remarkably amused. “It’s a strategy game, much like chess, though he said chess is too easy. He is winning at the moment, but I may yet beat him.”
Tony looked aghast. “You can’t be beaten at a logic game by a human!”
“Apparently, that assumption may be incorrect. Fear not, I have not given up, yet.”
Bruce buried his hands in his pockets and frowned at his feet. Ash needed to sleep. With that injury and the operation, he should have been exhausted. If he was fighting sleep and if, as Bruce suspected, Ash wasn’t eating properly, then he wouldn’t be able to heal well. He didn’t have any proof that Ash wasn’t eating, but Ash had refused food on the way from the hospital to the tower even when his stomach had clearly been screaming for food. When Ash had been laying in his hospital bed, Bruce had been able to clearly see Ash’s clavicles and when he’d just looked at Ash’s wounds with Max, he couldn’t help but notice that he could see Ash’s ribs. He’d seen worse. Most people might not notice, but little alarm bells inside Bruce’s head were telling him to keep an eye on the issue.
Max looked up at the ceiling, as if he could see J.A.R.V.I.S. that way, and said, “Is he laying down?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good.” Max nodded. “He’s resting, at least. He won’t sleep.”
“He needs to.” Bruce said, firmly. He didn’t raise his voice at all, but everyone turned to look at him and he fought not to just walk out of the room. He hated being stared at. “He has to sleep. If he needs something to help him sleep...”
“It’s not that,” Jessica said. “He doesn’t like sleeping around people. It’s alright if he trusts you, but this whole situation,” she waved a hand around at the Avengers. “No offense, but he’s only known you all for about an hour. He’s not going to sleep here.”
“Sure he will,” Max said. “You said you’re getting a room set up for us?” He said that to Tony. When Tony nodded, Max said, “Well, as soon as it’s ready, we’ll just move Ash in with us. He’ll sleep, then. Until then, just let him rest quietly. Who’s the visitor, anyway?”
“He told the receptionist, “Tell Ash Charlie needs to talk to him.” and has identified himself as Detective Charles Dickinson. Do you want to see him?”
Max said, “I’ll talk to him on my way out and tell him that Ash isn’t up for visitors, yet. But,” he went on even as he walked out of the room. “Everyone should get ready for more cops coming around. They’ll have questions and interviews and such until Ash is recovered enough to go down to the station.”
Jessica finished helping Michael to clean up from his snack then had him lay down on the sofa. He was asleep almost at once.
Max was only gone for ten minutes before he returned with someone Bruce hadn’t met before. The man was tall and lanky with red curls. He was quite young, surely no more than twenty-five or so and carried a briefcase. He gave polite nods to everyone and shook Jessica’s hand. Max introduced him as Charlie.
“I’m sorry to disturb everyone like this,” Charlie said. “It’s... ah... rather important. I need to talk to Ash.”
Jessica put a hand on her hip. “It can’t be so important you have to disturb his rest. He won’t get well if he gets too stressed, you know.”
“It’s alright,” Max said. “He DOES need to talk to Ash.” Max was pale and his shoulders slumped. He looked as if he were both angry and sad.
When Max left the room to get Ash, Phil stepped forward and started to make small talk with Charlie and Bruce was relieved. He appreciated that Phil took control of the situation because he was starting to feel a little overwhelmed and just wanted to walk away. It was bad enough that Max and his family had come along with Ash to be sheltered in the Tower, but now there was another stranger and Bruce could felt Hulk starting to feel antsy with all the new people in his territory and that, added to Bruce’s aversion to strangers, was starting to make Bruce feel extremely uncomfortable.
“Hey,” Tony slipped over to Bruce’s side. “You okay? The both of you?”
“Too many people.” Bruce turned away from what suddenly felt like an extremely crowded common room and looked out at the city. His eyes went straight to the green of Central Park and he tried to concentrate on it. He could still hear Charlie’s voice.
“You want me to send him away?” Tony offered, keeping his voice quiet. He wasn’t always loud and bombastic and had learned, over time, that sometimes Bruce and Hulk just needed quiet. “I can have them meet in one of the conference rooms downstairs. No one would mind.”
It was tempting. So very tempting. “Ash shouldn’t go that far. He shouldn’t even get out of bed.” He tapped his fingers against his leg, then wrung his hands. “I’ll go. I’ll tell Ash to talk with the detective in his room so he doesn’t have to get up.” It was also a very good excuse for Bruce to get away into the blessedly lonely halls for a moment. Before he could even take more than three steps to the door, Max and Ash walked in.
Still in the sweat suit Jessica had given him at the hospital, Ash acted as if he were perfectly fine. There wasn’t the slightest bit of weakness in his walk and the only outward sign of his injury was his pallor. He gave Charlie a little smile. “What’s up?”
“First come and sit down,” Bruce said. He did not like that Ash was walking around. He needed at least a few days of bed rest, even if he thought he was too tough to worry about it. Bruce hurried to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair for Ash. “Please?”
Ash raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue. He sat and Jessica and Max immediately went to stand on either side of him.
Charlie let out a self-conscious laugh. “Come on, you two.” He said to Jessica and Max. “You know me - I’m not the enemy. I’m on his side, too.” Charlie set his leather briefcase on the table and opened it up then took out a manila envelope from it. He hesitated and looked around. “Could we have a little privacy?”
Tony looked like he wanted to argue about being told what to do in his own home, but Steve gave that big, reassuring smile of his and said, “Of course. Call if you need anything, we’ll be in the other room.” And he led everyone into the living room. The living room and the kitchen were connected, but the space was big enough that if everyone went to the far side of the room, no one could really hear what Charlie was saying.
It took a little convincing for Max to get Jessica to leave Ash. He took her hand and whispered just loudly enough for Bruce to hear, “Charlie’s not gonna do anything to him and Ash won’t want an audience. Not for this. Charlie told me on the way up here.” He held her hand and they went to stand next to the window. Both of them looked over to check on Michael, still napping on the sofa.
Bruce looked back at Ash in time to see Ash shake his head. Charlie said something and took a paper out of the manila envelope. He handed it to Ash and waited, patiently, while Ash stared at it. Ash shook his head. Charlie said something else, his expression very kind and soft. Ash began breathing hard. He threw the paper at Charlie and stood up.
It was getting very tense and both Max and Phil started over to the kitchen.
“You’re wrong!” Ash almost shouted at Charlie.
Charlie stayed sitting and kept his voice calm. “I’m not telling you anything one way or the other. I’m here so you can tell me. If you say you don’t know him, I believe you.” He picked up the paper Ash had thrown at him, a paper Bruce could now see was filled with the photographs of a dozen kids, and put it back on the table. “Like I said - this was found on one of the computers at Club Cod. Do you know the name of that boy?” Charlie pointed to a single boy on the paper.
Ash’s mouth pinched into a thin line and he stared at the paper with a terrible expression of pain and hate and grief. He snatched up the paper and marched over to Max. He shoved the paper at Max. “He was my best friend! He would have told me if he’d been one of Dino’s kids! He would have told me!”
The room was uncomfortably silent at Ash’s display of pain. Max took the paper and put a hand on Ash’s arm. “Ash, I know you hate this, but Charlie needs an answer. Think with your head instead of your emotion. Do you know that kid?”
Ash’s eye’s grew misty. “Shorter. It’s Shorter. He was at Club Cod.”
Ash-
The pain Ash felt when he saw Shorter’s face amongst the many other kids of Club Cod hurt more than any stab wound or gunshot he’d ever taken. He felt sick and faint. Shorter had been big and strong, he’d always been strong. Ever since they’d met in juvie, Shorter had seemed too big for life with his big voice and big personality. His confidant smile had told Ash that Shorter could take on the whole world without problem and he’d defended Ash against the worst people in that place without any fear. Even after they both got out of juvie, Shorter had ruled the Chinatown streets without trouble - an easy-going, generous leader who’d earned the respect of his people.
But... there he was. A tiny photo in the middle of the page Charlie had put in front of Ash. He couldn’t have been more than ten-years-old in the photo and had a full head of fluffy hair. He glared defiantly at the camera. Under the photo was the name, “Jason Wong”. Shorter’s real name.
Very suddenly, with Max still holding Ash’s arm, Ash suddenly remembered.
Memory -
They’d been in juvie and he’d argued with Shorter. Shorter had been angry about Ash manipulating one of the other inmates. He’d intended to use that one to fight off another inmate who’d wanted to kill Ash. It had seemed like a perfectly reasonable plan considering Ash was so much smaller than any of them. But that had led to the argument.
“I’d say there’s something wrong with using other people as tools,” Shorter had said, his face grave.
Ash had snapped back, full of venom and spite. He’d yelled at Shorter that it wasn’t as if the other guy had any noble intentions, either. That guy hadn’t cared about Ash, only wanted to use him. Just like everyone else. Every other garbage person who’d ever touched him had only wanted to use him and he was so angry, angry to the point of explosion. Angry at the whole world and everyone in it and especially Shorter who’s only crime was to be standing in front of Ash at that moment. “What would you know about it, anyway? You don’t have a clue,” Ash had growled out. “Of even half the crap I’ve been through.”
“Sure I do.”
“Give me a friggin’ break!”
“I know how you feel, Ash!!”
End Memory-
The rest of the memory faded away. Ash stared at Max, horrified. “He DID tell me. Oh, God! He told me back then and I didn’t listen. Too caught up in my own stuff. He tried to tell me and I wouldn’t listen.” Ash put his hands over his face and dug his fingernails into his skin. Shorter had known, had always been sensitive and understanding about Ash’s situation with Dino and Ash had been too stupid to realize why.
“Right, that’s enough.” Ash felt Jessica’s thin arm slip over his shoulders. “Enough excitement for one day.”
“I agree.” It was Doctor Banner who’d said that. “He needs rest. I’m sorry, detective, but he’s getting too agitated. Perhaps you can visit another time.”
Big hands cover Ash’s and his hands were gently pulled away from his face. Max. “Don’t hurt yourself. That’s not allowed.”
With Jessica at his side, Max leading the way, and Doctor Banner trailing along behind, Ash felt weak and helpless. Shorter was dead, Ash couldn’t fix this. He couldn’t apologize, couldn’t thank Shorter for all that he’d done and he couldn’t give Shorter any comfort for what he had gone through. Shorter deserved comfort, too. Did Shorter have anyone to support him after he’d escaped Club Cod? Had he ever talked about it? He should have been able to talk to Ash, to confide in him, but he’d tried and Ash had ignored him. There was no other way to see it - Ash had entirely failed Shorter and he could never make it right.
Ash wanted to talk to Eiji.
To Be Continued...
A/N: The memory Ash had of Shorter in juvie was from Angel Eyes.
There was a mention of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in this chapter. I hope someone caught it.
Also, I plan to update on Saturdays from now on.