The Price of Friendship Chapter 29
A door slowly opened at the far end of the brightly lit room. The late afternoon sunlight spilling into the room through the windows facing the west, cast strange shadows across the far walls, creating a somber, almost eerie atmosphere for the room�s new occupant.
�Well, well, well, Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick�world�famous�entertainer,� Russell Johnson said in a quiet, amused tone of voice as he sat down on the edge of the bed, which held the still unconscious young man. Just an hour earlier, Russell�s wife, Leigh had placed a chloroform soaked cloth forcefully over Chris�s face as he lay bound on the bed, effectively rendering him unconscious.
Russell reached up to test the ropes keeping Chris�s hands bound tightly above his head, to the headboard and those wrapped about his ankles to the footboard below. Marco had done well in ensuring that the young American would be unable to escape and this would also guarantee that when he would finally be released, he would be too weak to attempt escape and he would fully appreciate the release, playing further into the older man�s hands.
�What to do�what to do. I know what I want to do, but you were not my first choice,� the man said with regret as he watched the young man�s body begin to twitch back into consciousness ever so slowly.
�Yes�that�s it,� Russell coaxed as he continued to stare down at the figure. �Soon�soon you will know just my medical genius first hand.�
The man sat back quietly and watched as Chris struggled to awaken from his unconscious state.
Chris felt a warm, gentle breeze blowing across his body, as it seemed to twitch back to life. For a moment, he was sure that he was home, in Orlando, lying in his own bed until he made a move to turn from his back to his side, but found, in a panic that he was unable to. Suddenly, the events of the day�Justin�the attack�the woman�then the events of the last two weeks crashed into Chris and caused him to wince at its ferocity.
With a groan of frustration, Chris pulled at the bonds restricting his movement and strained to glance through eyes opened to thin slits behind him at his numbed hands then down at his feet, never seeing the figure seated at his side. He moaned softly into the thick gag that had been pressed into his mouth when he realized that he was still bound to the bed�his nightmare was still alive. He rested his head back and closed his eyes once again and fell back into a level of unconsciousness.
Russell Johnson groaned in disappointment at the realization that the young man would most likely sleep for another hour or more. Apparently, the chloroform and his exhausted state was a strong mixture. The older man raised himself from the bed and left the room only to return minutes later with a chair and book to read. He was determined to be there when the young man would finally happen to awaken.
About a half hour later, Chris slowly opened his eyes and blinked heavily in an attempt to bring everything into focus. His blurred gaze traveled around the shadow filled room�first to the wall to the right to see that the sun was setting just above the tree line in the distance�next to the door at the far end of the room�still closed�then finally to the wall to the left and to the figure seated on the bed beside him.
Chris screamed mutely into his gag and tried his best to move away from the decidedly male figure but was unable to move very far.
�It is good to see that you are finally awake, Mr. Kirkpatrick.�
The look of pure confusion mixed with fear on Chris�s face must have been greatly amusing for the man because he leaned his head back and let out a loud, rumbled laugh that bounced around the blank room causing Chris�s head to feel as if it would split open from the pain he was feeling.
He tightly clinched his eyes and tensed his muscles in anticipation of what might happen next. There he was, bound tightly, hand and foot to a bed with a madman seated at his side.
JC was awakened from his restless nap by several voices floating about him. He opened his eyes and for a brief moment, was confused about his surroundings, but then realization came to him and with a small sigh, he rubbed a hand over his eyes then turned to look at the figure lying beside him.
With another small sigh, JC brought himself up to one elbow and saw that Justin had not moved from his current position in the entire time they had been lying on Imelda�s bed. With a shudder, JC�s gaze moved up and down Justin�s lightly covered body taking in all of the black and blue marks that were visible above the covers.
�J�what are we going to do?� JC softly whispered as he reached up and lightly ran his hand over Justin�s curls�the only real spot that he could touch without coming in contact with any bruises, cuts or scrapes.
�Why�why did any of this have to happen?�
JC�s questions remained unanswered and he slowly lay back down on the bed and briefly stared at the ceiling above before closing his eyes once again.
Minutes later, a noise off to the side startled JC and he sat up straight in the bed and glanced wildly around the room while at the same time placing a hand over Justin�s bruised arm in an act of protection.
�JC�Josh�it�s just me,� Lance�s familiar voice reassured JC before walking directly in front of his friend.
�I didn�t mean to scare you like that. I just woke up and wanted to see Justin,� he quietly explained to the still shaking figure sitting on the bed.
Lance had lay down with Joey in an adjoining room sometime before Justin and JC had returned from the forest. Davis and James had explained what had happened on the trail and now Lance was ready to see just exactly how bad Justin looked.
�James said he looked bad, but�geez,� Lance murmured as he reached out to touch Justin but he stopped short of doing so.
He was unsure as to exactly where he could actually touch his friend without hurting him.
�I�I don�t�� he began as he looked up from Justin�s still form to gaze into JC�s anguished face in a mixture of horror and disbelief.
�Josh�I don�t know�I don�t know where I can touch him,� Lance slowly breathed out, his voice shaking with emotion as he returned his gaze to Justin.
JC reached out and carefully grasped Lance�s outstretched hand and moved it toward Justin�s curls. Very gently he guided Lance�s hand over their young friend�s head then released the hand. Lance continued to slowly move his shaking hand over the tight curls, hoping that Justin would somehow know that he was there�he would know that he was safe.
�He�s going to be okay, Lance. Really�he�s going to be alright,� JC said in an effort to not only convince his younger friend, but also himself.
Lance simply nodded his head in response, never taking his eyes off the figure lying before him.
A touch to his shoulder caused Lance to start and he looked up to see that JC had a knowing look on his face.
�What?� Lance asked. �I�m sorry, C�did you say something?�
With a thin smile JC repeated his question. �I wanted to know how Joey was doing?�
�He�s doing better. Imelda and Thomas seem to think that his fever has come down and is close to breaking. He�s been moving some on the bed too. It�s like he�s trying to wake up.�
�I want to go check on him,� JC commented as he slowly scooted to the end of the bed since the side that he had been sleeping on was resting against a wall.
�I�ll stay here and watch J sleep,� Lance commented as he reached for a nearby stool. He placed the low stool along side the bed then sat down.
�I�ll be back in a minute,� JC commented before leaving the room.
Imelda looked up to see JC approach her and the sleeping figure lying on a low cot in the kitchen area of her small hut. She saw a mixture of deep emotions coarse over his face. Fear�sadness�hopelessness�anger�
She knew that her sons were partly to blame for the situation that the Americans were finding themselves to be in and her heart went our to the group of young men�
Imelda tentatively reached out her hand to the young man, not knowing how he would react to her invitation. JC glanced down at the time and work worn hand then stepped forward and took it in his grasp. He allowed the woman to pull him down and into her warm embrace. Her tender, compassionate action brought tears to the young man�s eyes and he melted into the woman�s grandmotherly hug. For several minutes Imelda held the trembling figure in her arms and the pair remained quiet until a tiny moan invaded the silence.
Immediately, the pulled away from each other and brought their full attention to Joey who slightly moved his head back and forth before stilling once again.
�He wake soon, young one,� Imelda said in her quiet voice as she glanced up from her task of wiping Joey�s forehead with a damp cloth at JC, who had knelt on the other side of his friend.
�Do you see?� she asked, pointing at Joey�s hands lying on top of the light blanket that had been placed over him. JC looked down and saw that Joey�s hands were twitching slightly.
A small, almost imperceptible moan suddenly surprised the pair and JC immediately bent overJoey�s form. Very quietly he began to whisper into Joey�s ear as he ran one hand over Joey�s sweat dampened hair while lightly gripping his left hand with the other.
�Joe�Joe�come on, man�wake up,� JC urged the young man. �You�re safe now�it�s going to be okay.�
JC kept up his quiet monologue for several more minutes before seeing positive results. He quickly called out to Lance in the next room and seconds later, both young men were looking down into a pair of very confused, honey-brown eyes.
Two hours later, Davis, his two brothers, Matthew and Thomas, and his brother-in �law, James, along with JC, Lance, Imelda, Martha and a very weak Joey were seated and reclined in the bedroom where Justin was still lying comatose.
�I don�t like it�not one bit,� Lance said speaking of the plan that Davis and his brothers had just finished revealing to the group.
�Too many things could go wrong, JC�too many things,� Lance said quietly, his voice threatening to break with the fear and high anxiety he was feeling at that very moment.
�But�Lance�if we don�t at least try this plan, Chris could die�or, even worse�wish he was dead,� JC said cautiously. Both he and Lance had already heard the possible side effects that Davis and his family had seen first hand when Russell Johnson had administered the drug to relatives and neighbors through the years with disastrous and more often than not, deadly results.
�I know, but too many things could happen�we could lose you and Chris,� Joey whispered, unable to voice his fears in his normal tone due to the fear if he actually said it aloud, it would in fact happen�it would be admitting the distinct possibility of disaster.
�Look at Justin�we could have the same thing happen to you too, C,� Lance said, his red-rimmed eyes searching his older friends, all the while knowing that his words were falling on deaf ears. JC had already made up his mind and there was no going back.
�Stop it,� JC admonished his friends in a voice that was leaving little room for argument. �I�m going to do it.�
�But��
�No buts guys�it�s final. You�re going to have to just trust this plan,� JC said firmly. �It�s the only way.�
After a few more moments of anguished protest, Lance and Joey finally gave into JC, both knowing that he was the best choice to help make the plan work�to help get Chris out of danger.
In the meantime, darkness was quickly descending upon the island 8 miles away. Chris lay immobile on the double bed, his thoughts racing and full of fear and trepidation. There wasn�t anything else for him to do but think since he was still bound hand and foot to the bed, gagged and now once again blindfolded. He realized that that had to be part of Mr. Johnson�s plan�part of the plan that he had disclosed hours earlier. With a small, muted groan Chris could feel the sting of tears in his eyes but his blindfold soaked them up as quickly as they were released. His thoughts were scattered as he tried to find a more comfortable position on the bed.
�Somehow�someone will find me and help me�right?�
�Justin really isn�t dead�they were only lying to me.�
�Joey won�t die�JC will find help for him.�
�JC will be safe�we didn�t find him, but he will be okay.�
�Lance won�t be freaking out by now�Lance can take care of Joey until everyone is back at the cave.�
Chris bit hard into his gag to stifle the sobs that were wracking his body. He realized that he was playing right into Johnson�s plans, but he knew, deep down that he would have had these thoughts anyway�he loved his brothers and wanted no more than for them to be safe�to be healthy�to be home. Home�home.
Chris�s sobs finally quieted when he fell into an uneasy sleep.