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darker_london2008-05-25 08:02 pm
father-peter.livejournal.com) wrote in darker_london2008-05-25 08:02 pm
The Troops (Johan, Werner, Peter)
Johan had admitted that Werner had been the one to strike him, causing his face to bruise. It had taken a lot of coaxing, and both Stuart and Peter's reassurances that they understood that Werner hadn't done it on purpose. Johan didn't want his lover to be in trouble with his family. He trusted Werner, even while he was angry and hurt that Werner had struck him. He knew Werner hated that he'd done it and that he'd do everything in his power to ensure that it wouldn't happen again.
Peter wasn't quite as sure. Rolf was explaining, quietly, what it meant to be a 47-year-old werewolf. And it didn't sound pleasant at all. It meant a slow and torturous breaking down of one's body. And the changes would continue to get more and more difficult over time. The end wasn't necessarily imminent. But it was on the horizon, and Johan looked beyond crushed while Rolf relayed the news.
It was Werner who spoke up first, as Johan not only have much on his mind, but he was also having his hand bandaged by Dr Tracey. "If it's going to take me longer to come back to myself after each change...perhaps it's better if I am separated from everyone until am more able to control myself." Werner looked over at Johan, regret filling his face. "I don't want something like tonight happening again." For someone who had just been told he was going to die sooner rather than later, Werner was relatively calm. At least now he knew what was happening to him. Now he could do things to help himself and the people he loved.
"Do you mean like...locking you up?!" Johan sounded positively horrified by the very idea.
"Of course not, Johan, though if it comes to that...do it. Know I hold nothing against you if it is necessary, believe me." Werner sighed. "I can't usually get out of the bed the day after the change anyway. If everyone knows to steer clear until I, myself, come to find you all...I think that should suffice." For now.
"But who will bring you something to eat?" Werner needed food after the change. A lot of it. This didn't sound like a good arrangement at all to Johan!
"I can do that." Peter volunteered. "You can't do anything lasting to me, Werner, I assure you. And if I'm not available, we will find someone else. Deirdre will be home soon." Peter didn't mention Spectre. Sure, Spectre was an angel and as such, he couldn't be killed. But he was not as strong as Deirdre was. Deirdre could hold her own, and moreover, she'd be annoyed if Peter didn't offer her assistance because that was how Deirdre was, and Peter had made the mistake enough by now to know. But the idea of Werner hitting Spectre was terrible to imagine. As was Thomas's anger that Peter had let it happen. No, Peter left his best friend's husband well out of it. "There will always be someone to help with that. We'd hardly let Werner go hungry."
"But...I should be able to take care of him." Johan had rarely felt so out of control. Usually he was calm and collected. Now he felt like he was about 15 years old and in so far over his head he'd never see the sunlight again.
"Johan, you do take care of me." Werner insisted. "This is about me taking care of you. Please...it's important. What happened tonight cannot happen again. It will not. I won't allow it."
Johan sighed and he nodded. "Alright. I...I suppose that's what we'll have to do."
"And if this means the end is near, I want to move to London." Werner looked over at Johan. "I want to be near to my son. And this hospital as well. I think it's for the best. Rolf was saying there may be treatments to prolong things. If that's possible, I want to do it."
Johan nodded again, his eyes bright. "Anywhere." Johan choked out, unable to say the entire sentence 'I would follow you anywhere'.
Werner reached over then, and he took Johan's unbandaged hand in his. "I'll be alright, Love. Now that we know... We'll be alright."
Peter watched them, and it was then that he felt better. Werner was doing everything right. He'd made a terrible error, but Deirdre slipped sometimes too. Everyone did. It was what made them human, and not necessarily because they were anything else. And in the face of his mistake, Werner wasn't hiding. He wasn't shying away from it. He was taking steps to make it better. That was the man Peter knew and respected. He smiled as encouragingly as he could. "We'll take care of the both of you. As best we can. That's a promise."
Johan stood then, to hug his cousin, and Peter returned the hug, glad to do so.
Peter wasn't quite as sure. Rolf was explaining, quietly, what it meant to be a 47-year-old werewolf. And it didn't sound pleasant at all. It meant a slow and torturous breaking down of one's body. And the changes would continue to get more and more difficult over time. The end wasn't necessarily imminent. But it was on the horizon, and Johan looked beyond crushed while Rolf relayed the news.
It was Werner who spoke up first, as Johan not only have much on his mind, but he was also having his hand bandaged by Dr Tracey. "If it's going to take me longer to come back to myself after each change...perhaps it's better if I am separated from everyone until am more able to control myself." Werner looked over at Johan, regret filling his face. "I don't want something like tonight happening again." For someone who had just been told he was going to die sooner rather than later, Werner was relatively calm. At least now he knew what was happening to him. Now he could do things to help himself and the people he loved.
"Do you mean like...locking you up?!" Johan sounded positively horrified by the very idea.
"Of course not, Johan, though if it comes to that...do it. Know I hold nothing against you if it is necessary, believe me." Werner sighed. "I can't usually get out of the bed the day after the change anyway. If everyone knows to steer clear until I, myself, come to find you all...I think that should suffice." For now.
"But who will bring you something to eat?" Werner needed food after the change. A lot of it. This didn't sound like a good arrangement at all to Johan!
"I can do that." Peter volunteered. "You can't do anything lasting to me, Werner, I assure you. And if I'm not available, we will find someone else. Deirdre will be home soon." Peter didn't mention Spectre. Sure, Spectre was an angel and as such, he couldn't be killed. But he was not as strong as Deirdre was. Deirdre could hold her own, and moreover, she'd be annoyed if Peter didn't offer her assistance because that was how Deirdre was, and Peter had made the mistake enough by now to know. But the idea of Werner hitting Spectre was terrible to imagine. As was Thomas's anger that Peter had let it happen. No, Peter left his best friend's husband well out of it. "There will always be someone to help with that. We'd hardly let Werner go hungry."
"But...I should be able to take care of him." Johan had rarely felt so out of control. Usually he was calm and collected. Now he felt like he was about 15 years old and in so far over his head he'd never see the sunlight again.
"Johan, you do take care of me." Werner insisted. "This is about me taking care of you. Please...it's important. What happened tonight cannot happen again. It will not. I won't allow it."
Johan sighed and he nodded. "Alright. I...I suppose that's what we'll have to do."
"And if this means the end is near, I want to move to London." Werner looked over at Johan. "I want to be near to my son. And this hospital as well. I think it's for the best. Rolf was saying there may be treatments to prolong things. If that's possible, I want to do it."
Johan nodded again, his eyes bright. "Anywhere." Johan choked out, unable to say the entire sentence 'I would follow you anywhere'.
Werner reached over then, and he took Johan's unbandaged hand in his. "I'll be alright, Love. Now that we know... We'll be alright."
Peter watched them, and it was then that he felt better. Werner was doing everything right. He'd made a terrible error, but Deirdre slipped sometimes too. Everyone did. It was what made them human, and not necessarily because they were anything else. And in the face of his mistake, Werner wasn't hiding. He wasn't shying away from it. He was taking steps to make it better. That was the man Peter knew and respected. He smiled as encouragingly as he could. "We'll take care of the both of you. As best we can. That's a promise."
Johan stood then, to hug his cousin, and Peter returned the hug, glad to do so.