Part 25

It took every bit of Harry's strength to remain seated in the chair. The urge to turn and confront the madman taunting his detective was overpowering. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing to speak to Tom. "You let me worry about where I should be. Right now, we need to concentrate on how you are. You still with me, Ryan?" Tom's eyes had again closed with George's interruption.

Tom fought to remain focused and answer his captain. "Still. . .here. You should. . .go, leave. . .me. Too. . .late. . .for. . ." his voice trailed off, but his intent was not lost on Harry.

Harry swallowed hard before speaking again. "I'll give the orders here, Sergeant. You just listen up and do as you are told, you got that?" Tom's failure to respond nearly pushed Harry into a panic. "Ryan! Look at me! Stay with me here, Pal."

Tom groaned as his good eye slowly fluttered open again. "What? Where? Harry. Harry. . .has to. . .go. . .before. . .before. . .too late."

The door opened again just as Harry was about to try to rouse Tom again. George crossed the room to stand in front of the captives when the doctor entered. "I need to check my patient now. If you would kindly step out of the way?" Dr. Leonard challenged George with a look and then motioned for Harry and him to move to the other side of the room.

George sneered and gestured for Harry to do as the doctor requested. "Yeah sure, Doc. You check him out real good now. We'll just stand over here and watch."

Harry rose from the chair and backed across the room. "Is he gonna be okay? How bad is he?" The depth of his concern for Tom wasn't lost on either of the captors.

Dr. Leonard ignored the questions and set about his examination. George grabbed a handful of Harry's shirt and pulled him face to face. "Just be quiet and let the Doc work. Watch closely and you might even learn something."

Harry nearly lost his balance when George shoved him backwards as he released his hold. The captain reluctantly concluded that he could do nothing but wait until the doctor finished. He hated the feeling of helplessness that filled him as he watched while Tom was examined.

"It's okay now, Tommy. I'm back and I'm going to take very good care of you, just like I promised." Tom's only response was a faint moan. Dr. Leonard proceeded to examine the facial injuries that had been inflicted during his absence. After successfully stopping the flow of blood from Tom's nose, he gently cleaned what had spilled down the side of Tom's face. "Come on, Tommy. Look at me here. I need to check your eyes. Please, Tommy, look at me. Let me see those gorgeous eyes of yours." His answer was another moan, though louder this time. The eyes stayed closed. The doctor gave up trying to rouse the patient and gently pried Tom's eyes open and checked the pupil response. He put a hand to Tom's forehead and frowned in concern. Next he carefully set about cleaning the dried blood from the split lip.

He tried once more to rouse the patient. "Come on, Tommy. You have to wake up! We'll be leaving soon and we have to make sure you can travel. Please, Tommy, open your eyes now! Please!" Another low groan was his patient's only response.

He turned to Harry and commanded, "Get over here and talk to him. Try to get him to talk to you."

Harry stepped forward and did as the doctor directed. "Tom, it's Harry again. You have to open your eyes now. That's an order, Thomas." More groaning accompanied the flickering of the good eye.

"Harry. . .you. . .have to. . .to go. . .Sorry, I. . .can't. . .Need to. . .So. . .tired. Have. . .to sleep. . .now." Tom again drifted off.

Doc was the first to speak. "Dammit! You just had to do it, didn't you? I tried to tell you, but you just couldn't control yourself, could you?" he screamed at George.

Harry couldn't keep quiet any longer. "What's wrong with him?" he asked in the calmest voice he could summon.

Doc turned his glare to the captain. "What's not wrong? He has a broken jaw, several cracked ribs, a deep cut in his shoulder that's now infected and has him spiking a fever, and probably a concussion. He's dehydrated and hasn't had any real nourishment in four days. Anything else you want to know?" Harry simply shook his head.

Doc turned his attention back to George. "You do what you want with your old friend there. I'm taking my Tommy and leaving now, just like we agreed."

George's laughter bordered on hysteria as it filled the small room. Doc moved to the end of the cot and took out his key to unfasten the restraints around Tom's ankles. The laughter finally died as the last restraint fell away. "You really are a stupid little pervert. You didn't really think I'd let you just waltz out of here with him, did you?"

Doc looked up to find himself staring down the barrel of the confiscated weapon he had given to George earlier. "No, George, I didn't. I was hoping that I would be wrong and that all of your boasting about your honor and how you always keep your word would apply here, too."

George was momentarily stunned by the doctor's calm reaction. He had expected the doctor to whine and plead for the life of his obsession. The calm detachment was not a side of Doc he was used to seeing. George was determined to proceed with his plan, though, and decided to ignore the unusual reaction. "I'm going to let you both say a final good-bye before the young man here meets his maker. Doc, I'm even gonna let you go first."

The anticipated hysteria still did not come. Dr. Leonard met George's gaze with an icy glare. He then moved calmly and deliberately to Tom's side and sat beside his patient. He lovingly stroked the side of Tom's face as he spoke. "It's going to be all right, Tommy. I promised you that and I always keep my promises. If we can't be together here, I'll just have to follow you wherever you go." He leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on Tom's temple.

Unable to watch quietly any longer, Harry took several steps toward the cot. George moved to block his path and forced him back to the middle of the room. Stein placed the gun to Harry's head and turned to keep the doctor in full view. "Now, now Harry. Let's just leave the two lovebirds alone to say their good-byes. You'll get your turn next."

Harry could only stand by and watch, helpless and seething with rage at the treatment of his officer. The color of his face changed from deep red to near purple when the pervert finished his good-bye with a gentle, but lingering kiss on the lips. Gun or no gun, Harry couldn't allow things to go any further. "Get away from him!" He started towards the cot, unable to remain still any longer.

George reacted quickly and grabbed Harry by the arm. He angrily slammed him into the wall across the room. "Well, I guess I see where the kid gets his stubborn streak from. You had better learn to follow instructions, too. I told you to leave the lovebirds alone."

Harry felt the unmistakable pop of his shoulder separating when he hit the wall. Ignoring the pain, he struggled to rise and go to Tom's aid. He couldn't help the cry of pain as George angrily yanked him to his feet. "If you can behave yourself, you will get your turn to say good-bye momentarily. I do so hope discovering his true sexual preference won't tarnish your last moments with your son. It must be quite a shock to find out that he prefers men to women. He and the old Doc there sure did take to one another. Kinda tugs at the old heartstrings, doesn't it?"

Doc took advantage of George's distraction and whispered to his patient. "It's okay, Tommy. I have to play along with him for now, but I promise you that George won't hurt you anymore. I'll take care of everything, so don't worry. Just hang in there a little longer, Tommy. Everything's going to be over real soon. Then we can leave together, just like I promised."

Clearly enjoying Harry's physical and emotional pain, George was quick to seize the opportunity to inflict more of both. "Okay Doc. It's time to give lover boy one final farewell kiss before Dad here gets his turn to say good-bye." Harry resisted crying out as George grabbed him by the injured shoulder and pulled him to the center of the room.

Dr. Leonard's gaze never left Tom's face. He reached out to again caress the bruised and battered face. "Just remember what I told you, Tommy. I will keep my promise. We're going to be together. You'll see. I won't ever be far from you, not ever." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the side of Tom's face. "Forever, Tommy. I promise."

"All right. That's enough. Move away from him now. It's Dad's turn to say his last farewell." George motioned for Doc to move to the foot of the cot. Seething hatred was clear in the look the doctor gave George as he slowly rose and moved to the end of the cot.

Harry stood in the center of the room, his breathing fast and deep. Realization was dawning that he might very well be unable to do anything to save the man he would be proud to call his son. His mind refused to accept the possibility that he could be sharing Tom's last moments on earth with him. He desperately prayed for Cassy to somehow find them. Next came the bargaining with God for Tom's life to be spared in exchange for his own.

The gun nudging his shoulder brought Harry back to the present. "If you want to say your good-byes, you'd better get it done now. I'm not waiting all night." George's voice was a mixture of excitement and hatred.

Harry moved on shaky legs to Tom's side. He carefully sat in the same spot vacated by the doctor moments earlier. He struggled to find the words he could not chance leaving unsaid. "Oh God, Tom. I can't . . .I'm not sure . . ." Harry paused for a deep breath and began again. "I would give anything to have spared you this. I'm so sorry. I should have . . .I should have found a way to get you out of this."

A tear slowly ran down Harry's cheek as he continued. "I have to tell you that I'm so very proud to be able to call you my friend. Frannie and I both . . . we care . . . we love you . . . like our own. If we had been blessed with a son, we'd have wanted one exactly like you." The tears were coming faster with each word spoken. "Please, Tom, open your eyes again. I need to know you can hear me, Son. Please."

The plea was met with a groan as Tom's good eye slowly opened. "Don't . . . blame . . . you. Stop . . . blaming . . . yourself. Tell . . . Frannie . . . and Cassy . . . love them. You . . .too . . . Harry. Not . . . your fault. Tell my. . .tell . . . Mom and . . . Dad . . . love them . . . I . . . gotta . . . gotta go . . .now. Bye. . . Harry . . . " The eye slowly closed as the last words were spoken and remained closed.

Harry remained silent for several minutes, tears still streaming down his face. He took another deep breath and turned to face George. "You want someone to pay for your son's death, then kill me, not him. Tom didn't do anything to deserve this. If someone has to die here, it should be me. I'm the one who didn't find out Keller was dirty. Tom had nothing to do with this. I didn't even know him then. I should be the one who pays." Pure venom laced every word.

"You can move back now. You've said your good-byes. That was quite a touching little scene there. It only reaffirms my decision. Your boy will die. You will know what it feels like to lose your only son. You will experience the pain of losing your whole future, your reason for living. That is how you will pay. Every single day for the rest of your life. You should be grateful that I have given you the opportunity to say good-bye; that is something I was denied. The bible says an eye for an eye, Harry. A son for a son." George pulled Harry from the cot and shoved him back to the center of the room. He stood with his back to the cot, temporarily forgetting about the doctor standing quietly at the foot of it.

George pulled out his pocketknife and carefully extended the blade. He didn't notice the doctor slowly reach into his medical bag, which had been lying on the foot of the cot since he'd examined Tom. George's attention remained on Harry as he spoke. "Did you read the reports on how my son died? I've decided that it is only fair your son should die the same way." He moved back to face the doctor, still keeping Harry in his sight. The doctor stood calmly with both hands behind his back.

Raising the knife above Tom's chest, he couldn't resist a final taunt. "Say good-bye, boys. Justice is at hand." A loud bang thundered through the room. George stared at the doctor, shock written on his face as a red stain spread down his side. "You stupid little pervert! You won't deny me my justice!" With that he plunged the knife into Tom's chest. As Stein prepared for another strike, Dr. Leonard reacted.

"NNNOOO! Tommy!" The doctor's wail was drowned out by the sound of the gun firing again and again. George slumped to the floor, knife still in hand.

End Part 25

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