hacked title number 6

"Oh, f-k off if you're going to be all sensitive," Lex growled, looking away.

Geena frowned as she approached Gaster.  "What's wrong?"

Ashton growled and stood. "The guy's been working his a-- off to try and help you, and when he tries to be someone who cares too and try and make you happy, you treat him like cr-p!" Ashton frowned. "Lex, he nearly stayed up all night two nights in a row for you, and would have if Geena hadn't told him to lie down. So I'm sorry if I think you're acting a bit like a prick, but if you still see nothing wrong, have fun recovering without me."

Gaster sighed and rubbed his face. "Lex." He murmured. "I mentioned trying to see how soon I could get him home because I know he hates it here, but after that, he gets defensive and short."

Lex met Ashton's eyes.  "Then what are you waiting for?  Don't let the door hit you on the way out," he said, his voice soft and cold.  Let Ashton leave.  Let them all leave.  He didn't need them.  Didn't want them, and they didn't want him!

Geena hesitated.  "William, did you sit and talk with him for a while and see how he was, or did you say hi then instantly act like a doctor again?"

Ashton glared back, a faint sense of hurt in his eyes. He slammed Lex's door firmly as he left, the noise sounding pretty final as he left.

Gaster looked away guiltily. "I... no. Lex has never seemed to be much for conversation, and I just want to make him happy and give him a chance at a happier life. He deserves that, at the least."

Lex stared at the door.  Then silently, he turned away, painfully rolling over to face the wall and shut down.  The wall around him was almost physical.

"Yes, he does, but, William," Geena put her hand lightly on his cheek.  "He needs more than that.  He needs to know that you are there for him as a father, not just to fix him.  I know you know that, but he needs to feel it.  Not just 'what do we need to fix you?' but a few moments to simply sit with him.  Maybe you don't talk about anything important or anything at all, just the fact that you are sitting there and not studying him, not poking and prodding, and not trying to fix anything will mean a lot to someone used to being an experiment."

"Lex?" Layla asked softly, and hesitantly reached to put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Gaster looked down guiltily. He knew Geena was right. Gaster suddenly recalled his own childhood, and how distant he and his own father had been, and felt awful for now being able to draw comparisons between himself and Gaster Senior. Gaster nodded a little. "Thank you, Geena." he said quietly.

Lex jerked his shoulder out of her touch.  "Why can't everyone just f-k off and leave me alone?" he snarled.

"Give him some time to calm down then go talk to him," Geena said gently.  "I'll check on him soon, but I have an errand to run first."

Layla drew her hand back a little, but still her touch lingered. "Because we all care about you, Lex. We want you to be happy, and it's hard when you shut down and tell us to go. You are very strong.... but it's important to let yourself be weak once in a while and let others be strong for you."

Gaster nodded. "I'll be in either the office or the lab." he said. "Call my cell if you need me for whatever reason."

"Just leave me alone!" Lex snapped.  Then more quietly, softer, "Please, Layla, just go.  Please."

"Thank you, Doctor.  I will be back in a couple of hours," Geena said, turning to go.

Layla drew a sharp breath and her hand jerked back. She stared at Lex for a moment, tears in her eyes, before she quietly stood and left like he asked. Once in the hall, she blindly ran out of the building and onto the streets.

Gaster nodded and went back to work, thinking of how to talk to Lex, or at least explain himself.

Lax lay listening to the rain hit the window.  Then. slowly and carefully, he sat up and began undoing the monitors and pulled out the IV after figuring out how to stop the drip.  Finally freed of his leashes, he stood, swaying unsteadily, and made his way to the cabinet where his clothes waited.  Changing was a slow, painful process, but at last he finished, even getting his shoes tied.  Lex breathed slow and deep, forcing himself to relax as he shuffled out and headed down the hall...

~~

Two hours after she'd left, Geena returned.  She looked like she'd seen a ghost, going through the motions as she mechanically dropped her purse and keys onto her desk.  She headed into Lex's room, remembering she'd promised to look in on him.  What she saw snapped her out of her shock.  "GASTER!!!  ALLY!!"

Gaster sprinted to Geena's side in an instant, and Ally just a few seconds behind the taller and longer legged doctor. Gaster saw the room and swore softly under his breath, running his hands through his hair. "Ashton!" He called as he ran to the breakroom. Ashton left Lex's side, but the guy still stubbornly refused to truly break his promise. Gaster quickly explained Lex's absence and the two ran up to the streets to start looking for Lex.

Geena started searching for Layla, hoping she would know where Lex would have gone.

Lex hurt.  He hurt so much!  But pain was an old friend to the red-headed youth, and he stubbornly continued to drag himself through the alleyways, often pausing to catch his breath and lean against the cold brick walls.  He didn't seem to notice or care that the rain had soaked through his clothes and dribbled down his back.  Finally, he could go no farther and sank shivering to the ground and closed his eyes.  Let it rain.  Maybe he would drown and make it easier on everyone.

After a couple of minutes, a pair of hands helped Lex up, and guided him. Echo let Lex lean on her as she guided him to one of her safe houses, out of the rain. Once there, she gently sat him on a couch and started the space heater, putting a blanket around his shoulders. Echo stayed silent the whole time.

Lex didn't move, wheezing softly as he sat shivering, head hanging as water dripped from his hair.  On the back of his neck, water and blood mingled to create a sort of punch color that dribbled down his spine.

Echo frowned as she noticed the cut. "You're bleeding." She told him quietly. "Stitches popped."

"I know.  Doesn't matter," Lex mumbled.  "Nothing matters.  Not anymore."

Echo frowned at that. "Why?" She asked as she found some paper towels and applied light pressure to the cut to try and slow the bleeding.

Lex flinched but didn't pull away.  "I have it better than I've ever had it before.  And it doesn't matter a dam," he whispered.  "None of it.  Just hollow bitter glitter.  Fake smiles.  Hands held out.  I'm still nothing but a lab rat.  All I'll ever be."  He fell silent, still shivering almost violently.

Echo sighed softly. "Lex... they really do care about you." She said quietly. Echo hesitated before she decided to tell him. "I... I am actually a little jealous of how much your family cares. One guy-I think his name was Ashton?-took you from me before I could even really explain what happened after you fell off of the roof. I followed just to make sure a scene wasn't made, and I think several speed laws were broken with how fast that car tore out of the garage. My family... well, to say the least, they didn't care all that much for me. But these people... they do care about you, and a lot from what I saw."

Lex lifted his eyes to meet hers, looking broken and hollow.  "You can see it... why don't they show it to me?"  He dropped his gaze again.  "I'm only talked to when I can help with something or the Doc can 'fix' some problem with me his partner caused.  He just feels guilty."

Echo sighed a little. "How often have you showed them you want that?" She asked. "How much have you just started randomly talking to them unless there was a 'need' to do such? How many times have you just sat down and told them something along the lines of what you're telling me now?"

Lex just shrugged.  "Tried to talk a couple of times.  Only one that listens is Paul.  Ashton use to.  He has Shuni now.  Shuni needs him.  Needs him bad.  Ashton doesn't need me anymore."

"Sure didn't seem like that after you fell." Echo said a little dryly. "I don't think I've ever seen someone look so panicked and scared in my life."

Lex just sighed and lowered his head.  "Can I just stay here for a day?  I'll get gone tomorrow."