Discovered in a Christmas Cracker - Day 23

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Hello!

Well, I had a whole other story planned for this day, but time got away from me, I fear!  Still, at least that means I have something half-written for next year!  In the meantime, I have a short little story that I wrote for krisserci5  as part of her Pros Christmas card.  The story has been illustrated by the wonderful  elizabethoshea.

Happy Christmas!

In a Church, on a Cold Night
by PFL

“Ray?”  Bodie waited for a response, then added some urgency to his tone: “Ray.”  He thought he knew where Doyle was, but he felt a sudden fear —

“Can’t a man get some sleep?”  Doyle’s voice was weak, but close.

Bodie let out his breath in a half-laugh, and let himself rest for a moment. “Wish you could, mate, but you know what the doctor would say.”

“No doctor here. Just us…and the…bats.”

Beneath the obvious tiredness, he could hear glee in Doyle’s voice. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”  It was time to move again.  He moved cautiously over the uneven ground inside the church ruins.  He could see almost nothing in the fog and the dark, and he suspected his ankle was sprained, if not broken.

“I like bats,” Doyle said, just as Bodie finally reached him.  “Oh, hello.”

“Hello. How are you, Ray?”  He ran his hands over Doyle who, he realised, was leaning against one of the few remaining walls of the church. Bodie could see almost nothing in the fog and the dark.

“I’m cold. Side hurts. Head hurts.”  Doyle was passive beneath his touch.  “What took you so long?”

“I fell down, remember?  It took me a while to find you in the dark.”  The firefight had ended in twilight, when Doyle’s shot had taken out the gunman who would have killed Bodie.  It had taken far too long for him to get back to Doyle.

“Bats. Right?” Doyle chuckled. The sudden eruption of bats from the ruined church tower had startled Bodie, but they must have alerted Doyle to the gunman’s position. In the chaos caused by the bats, the gunman’s shout, and the surprise of Doyle’s shots, Bodie had lost his footing and had fallen badly. His ankle was almost certainly broken.

“Yeah.”  Bodie pulled himself up beside Doyle. “Reckon I owe the little buggers my life.”

“Why’s that?” Doyle leaned against him, as if seeking warmth.  Bodie blinked, then shifted and wrapped his arm around Doyle.  There wasn’t much else he could do for him until help arrived.

“Do you remember firing your gun?  You shot a man.”

“Oh. Yeah.  Was afraid — he was going to shoot you.”

“That’s right.”  Bodie closed his eyes for a moment.  Doyle had been shot by the gunman’s partner.  They had patched him up as best they could on the run. The wound was little more than a crease along Doyle’s leg and torso, but he had fallen and hit his head on a half-buried slab of rock.  Bodie had got them to shelter in the church ruins, and then he’d gone hunting. He’d killed one of the gunmen, but the other had eluded him until the bats had revealed his presence.

“Are you okay?  Bodie — “

“I’m fine.  Ankle’s giving me gip. Landed funny.  But they’ll be coming for us soon, Ray.  Cowley knows where we are.”

“Bugger Cowley.”

Bodie smiled a little as he bent his head towards Doyle. “Why’s that, then?” At least the R/T wasn’t on transmit. It was a good idea to keep Doyle talking, and it relieved some of his own worry.

“It’s Christmas Eve, you know.” Doyle paused for a moment, then tilted his head back. “Isn’t it?”

“Damp, with a cold fog and mist?  That sounds about right.”

“Should be home, then. Roaring fire.”

“In our flats?”

“Christmas tree and telly. Bird in the oven."

“Rather have one in bed, thank you.”

“Eh?”

“Bird, girl…never mind, sunshine.  Anyway, we’re in a church, what more do you want?”

“Just you.”

Bodie stilled, uncertain if he had heard correctly.  “Yeah?”  He barely breathed the word, his heart suddenly pounding. Doyle hadn’t meant anything by that; it was stupid t overreact —

“Roaring fire. Christmas tree and telly. And you…in bed…”  Doyle’s voice trailed off

“Ray?”  When there was no answer, Bodie shook him gently.  Ray, come on. You can’t go to sleep now.  Bloody hell.  He heard sirens in the distance, at bloody last. “Doyle!"

“Don’t want to sleep. Idiot.”  Doyle sounded irritated again.

Bodie took in a deep breath, relief mixed with disappointment. It wasn’t an unfamiliar sensation. “You’re all mixed up, aren’t you?  Damned concussion.  Do you hear the sirens? They’ll be here soon.”

“Can we go home then?”

“When they’ve cleared you, yes.”  Back home, to their separate flats, on Christmas day.

“That’s all right, then.”

Bodie tightened his arm around Doyle.  “Yeah.”  As long as he had Doyle in his life, all was well. He’d deal with the rest.

“Don’t have a fire, mind. Or a tree.  Not sure what’s in the fridge.”

It seemed as if there was something lodged in his throat.  “Got a telly?”

“‘Course.  And a bed.”

“Suits me.”  The sirens were close.  He held on to the dream for just a few more moments, held on to the warmth of Doyle.  Ray would recover from the effects of the concussion, and Bodie would have nothing but the memory, but at least they were safe.  He heard voices now, calling for them. It was time.

And then he felt Doyle’s cold hand against his own, and Doyle’s fingers entwined with his own.  “Won’t forget, you know.”

Bodie looked up into the night sky and saw a single star blazing through the tail end of a cloud as it passed overhead. The fog had dissipated. It might have taken bats and a concussion, but… “Happy Christmas, Ray.”



THE END
December 2012

Title: In a Church, on a Cold NIght
Author: PFL
Slash or Gen: Slash
Archive at ProsLib: Yes, will send file!
Notes: Dedicated to  krisserci5

Comments

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

A delightful story - and the art is fabulous! You crammed a lot of backstory, atmosphere and emotion into a very brief tale - thanks for sharing!

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

It is certainly one of the shorter things I've written, (that isn't an outright drabble). But I hope it did convey true emotion. I like the notion of the lads waiting, together, for help to arrive. And what they just might talk about.*g* Thank you! The artwork is gorgeous, isn't it? And just perfect for the story.