A Scripta

Masonry gazed at his lover's eyes and wished he could do something to take the pain away. He knew he was the one who caused it.

"I hurt you, and I'm sorry."

Frosty turned away. "You're always sorry."

"I know, I know, you think I won't change."

"It's your nature."

"It is NOT my nature."

"Then why do you do it?"

"Because I'm a kid with a gun."

Frosty closed his eyes. Masonry went to put his arm around him. Frosty shrugged and turned into a block of ice.

He refuses you. So what're you going to do about it? Now? Later? Tomorrow? When he's dying?

He promised not to leave me. He's keeping his promise, and it's hurting him to do it. I should let him go. Let them all go.

Let them all go.

Masonry sank to his knees before the ice block, not in tears for once. Not begging. It was going to take some work, and he didn't want to be standing. He went through in his mind's eye all the people that he had been angry with, and they were legion. Frosty disappeared before his eyes; Tommy Sass stood in front of him. He wore the school's varsity coat with its letters on it, looking entirely like he did in his yearbook as Nate had memorized. Masonry looked up into the eyes whose life he had snuffed out, the first one he took his revenge on.

"If anyone should be angry it should be me at you, don't you think?" he snarled.

Nate nodded quietly.

"Do it again."

"I'm done," he said, and Tommy slowly faded out of sight to be replaced by Hammer.

Hammer laughed at him, his arms folded across his chest. "This is gonna take a long longer than what you think, Booger," he said, calling him by the nickname they all had for him. "Because we ain't gonna let you go that easy. . ."

---------------------------

"Doctor, 15a won't get up."

Dr. LaPlaca stared for a moment at the orderly. "Have you given him a stimulant?"

The orderly shook his head. "Jessica doesn't think it's a good idea. She said he's almost in a trance."

Jessica had a Kheldian, so LaPlaca knew what she was talking about. "Should we restrain him?"

"Maybe so? Just in case?"

The doctor nodded. He hoped when 15a woke up that he wouldn't try and kill them all.