Virgin Territory(Author�s note: Denotes entries in Elijah's diary - denotes Elijah's thoughts.)Part 17 - Advice For The Love Torn Dom thought long and hard as Elijah slept in the car on their way home. Dom had spoken with Ken, Jim's medic buddy, and Ken had mentioned that nervous types like Elijah were more likely to suffer from panic attacks than more composed personalities. Dom thought how obvious that statement was - but conceded that Elijah was hot wired to the "start" button. Always "up", always moving...fluttering like a butterfly, chain smoking and nibbling at his nails like a demented gerbil. Elijah had mentioned dinner at Viggo's, and Dom immediately called Viggo to ask if the invitation extended to him, please. He was not leaving until ten that night, and thought Elijah would benefit from the company, and that it would remove his lover's thoughts from the main concern of the moment - Sean fucking Astin! Dom could not get out of his mind the image of his Lighe kissing Sean. Not that he in any way doubted Elijah's motives - Elijah had said it was compassion that had moved him to do it, and Dom believed this, implicitly. What bugged Dom was Sean, or rather, Sean's behaviour. Sean was older, more mature, sexually experienced and married. Why try to seduce his - Dom's - lover? And why now? Why not before they'd got together? It was like trying to unravel the Gordian knot, except Dom felt like taking his sword to Astin's throat, not to a bit of fucking rope! An hour and a half later, the couple, showered, changed and tired, arrived at Viggo's. Dom was pleased to smell the delicious aroma emanating from the kitchen, but Elijah said he had a bit of a headache, and wasn't feeling particularly hungry. He managed to eat a little of the excellent pasta dish Viggo had prepared. He smiled at Orli's jokes, and answered Viggo's questions, but inaugurated no topic of conversation himself. After they'd eaten, and had sat down on the two sofa's to talk, Elijah excused himself to visit the bathroom. He didn't come back. "I'd better go and see if he's fallen down the loo." Dom joked, and went off to find Elijah. He knocked the bathroom door. "Lighe?" "Dom." a faint voice, hardly discernable, came through the door. "Please help me." "Lighe!" Dom yelled. "Viggo!". Viggo ran in. "What's the matter, Dom?" Dom was pale and shaking. "Open the fucking door, Viggo", Dom said, quietly. "I can never work these fucking stupid locks!" Viggo twisted the handle on the door, twice, and it clicked open. Elijah was sitting on the bathroom floor with his head resting on the toilet seat. He was grey, and his eyes were jerking backwards and forwards. "Feel so sick, Dom." he whispered. "My head hurts." "That'd be where you banged it this morning", said Orli, wiping Elijah's face with a damp cloth. "Concussion, probably" "Call Michael!" said Viggo. Orli ran to ring the unit doctor. "When did you bang your head, love?" Dom asked, picking Elijah up from the floor, with Viggo's help, and carrying him into the bedroom Viggo was showing him. "Sean pushed him." Orli volunteered. "I saw him, man. Pushed him fucking hard, too. Lijah hit his head on a rock." "Gonna hurl, again!" Elijah gasped. Dom put him to sit on the edge of the bed, while Viggo dashed off for a bowl. It was hardly in place under Elijah's chin, when he threw up. Dom looked at Orli with such heat in his gaze, that he was surprised he wasn't incinerated on the spot, but Dom said nothing, except to soothe Elijah. "Lie down, baby. I'll get another cool cloth for your head." Dom waited until Elijah had closed his eyes, then he dragged Orli out through the door, and down the corridor. "Tell me about it!" Dom ordered. Orli told him. "If I ever get my hands on that fucker, I will fucking kill him!" Dom growled, moving to the bathroom for the cloth. Fifteen minutes later the doorbell rang. It was the doctor. Elijah assured Michael that he felt much better now he'd been sick, and that he could only see two of him, now. Michael insisted on a x-ray, but Elijah was adamant. All he needed was to lie here, quietly, and rest. "On your own head be it." he muttered, oblivious to the pun, as he left a list of instructions with Dom and Viggo. "If he gets any worse, or starts vomiting again, or gets confused, or the pupils of his eyes change size in any way � hospital." Michael stated, and left them to it. The bell rang, again. It was Dom's lift. "Fuck! I'd forgotten! I can't leave him like this!" he said, looking at Viggo and Orli in despair. "Why, don't you trust us to look after him, Sblomie?" Orli asked, slightly offended. Dom kissed him, unexpectedly, causing Orli to squeal in protest. " 'Course I do, you plonker. I must kiss - um, say goodbye to Lighe", he blushed, and went into the bedroom. "Got to go, now, baby," he said, caressing Elijah's arm with his hand. "I'll ring you tomorrow. Try to get some sleep. I love, you, Lighe." Elijah smiled from under the washcloth. "I love you, Sblom. More than ever. You are a prince among men." Dom grinned, and kissed him, softly, on the lips. "Nope. "Princess" I think you'll find is the correct term, love. You are the prince. 'Bye now." "'Bye!" Elijah heard the door slam behind Dom, and took the cloth off his eyes, and wiped them with the corner of it. What had been hidden from Dom's view by the offending cloth was now only too apparent to his distressed friends - the cataract of tears that ran down Elijah's face onto the pillow. "Oh, Lighe." sighed Orli, as he gathered his friend into his arms. Viggo sat on the bed and held Elijah's hand. "You're all right, now - we'll look after you!" Orli said, helplessly. "Dom." Elijah wept into Orli's t shirt. "Dom!" Viggo's eyes met Orli's over the tousled head. "Ssh, man! It's all right, little one. All right, love." Orli said, softly. Viggo shook his head at Orli, unseen by the sobbing Elijah. Was it all right? Viggo thought they all had a long way to go before that phrase would be apposite. All right? It was all wrong! |