darker_london | Understanding (Peter, Bentley) (Reply)

While Peter couldn't do much now that he was undergoing chemotherapy, one thing he could do was talk to the various denizens of the hospital. He had stopped by to bring Jillian another coffee, and then he made his way to a very different ward to check in on their new arrival. Peter knocked on the door and he gave Bentley a warm smile. He knew he looked ill, but he hoped he could help the boy despite that. "Hello. My name is Peter Kemp. I own the hospital."

Bentley looked up at Peter and he shrugged. He was sitting on the bed, propped up against the pillows. He was wearing clothes the hospital had provided for him. The long-sleeved top was too big for him and the sleeves came down over his hands. He had balled up his fists in them so he looked handless. "Hi."

"How are you feeling?" Peter asked, making his way into the room, as he took 'hi' as an invitation. "Do you feel any ill effects from the cold?"

"No." Bentley said with another shrug. "Am I a prisoner here? I didn't meant to hurt that little girl."

"What?! No!" Peter moved closer then, pulling his chair up close because clearly this issue needed to be addressed. "You're not a prisoner here at all. You're here so we can look after you. The door isn't even locked. You can come and go as you please. Is there someone you'd like us to contact? A family member or a friend?"

"I don't have any of those." Bentley said quietly. Which was partly true. He did have family, but they wouldn't want him. And he didn't have friends. Not real ones anyway.

Peter bit his lip but he didn't say anything to that. "I hear you have visions."

"Yeah. I'm a freak." Bentley sighed, wondering if they were going to make him see things for them too. Either that, or they would just think him mad like everyone else and he would be stuck here forever without being able to explain that it wasn't his fault he saw the things he did.

"Well if you are then I am." Peter said calmly. "I have visions too."

Immediately, Bentley snapped out of his 'pity me' attitude and he sat up straighter. "You do?"

"I do. I have since I was twenty-four. It started when I witnessed the death of my best friend." Peter thought it was pretty wonderful that it was now that best friend's birthday and he would get to spend it with him. "That traumatic experience caused me to have dream premonitions. I never had visions outside of dreams until I developed a brain tumour a little over a year ago. Then I started having them when I was awake."

"I have them when I'm awake too." Bentley frowned. "I always have. No 'traumatic experience trigger' here. My family decided I have epilepsy which makes me think I'm seeing things. It's not so fun to have your family decide you're psychotic."

Peter, who had had his family decide he was seeing things when he told them all Svetlana wasn't dead and they hadn't believed him. He had only just saved Aly from being slaughtered by the then quite evil Svetlana. "I've experienced that, yes, though not on a long term basis. I can imagine it's unpleasant. I want you to know though, that we believe you. You're amoung friends here."

"Mara's family hates me." Bentley said, sounding dejected.

"Mara's family loves her very much and they missed her terribly while she was gone. And while I believe that what you did was not with the intent to harm. You did pass on information that put her in a great deal of danger." Peter knew Bentley was not a bad person. He had had Rolf make sure of that. He wanted to reassure Bentley that if he made amends, his actions would not be held against him forever. "Sometimes when we're in bad situations, we do things to help ourselves without thinking of the consequences. I have been guilty of that on many occasions. Thomas told me you said they would withhold meals until you had a vision. I can imagine that was a terrible experience."

"Never lasted long." Bentley admitted. "It wasn't nice, but I have them all the time. So it never took too long. I knew Merope might take her, but I...I guess I didn't know Mara would be so broken up about it. She's like they are. I thought she'd be...I don't know. She seems just like a human..."

"Well she is." Peter said with a smile. "Of course she is."

"The angels that had me weren't like humans at all. They're different. I sort of thought Mara would be glad to be with them. When she was upset, I felt really bad. I did save her!"

"Yes you did. And we are infinitely grateful for that. Bentley, I know Mara's family to be composed of the most gracious people I've ever met. They won't hold this against you for long. They might be a little strange at first, but they'll let it go. It's what they do. I think you'll find that you've stumbled upon a group of people that would be glad to accept you just as you are."

Bentley didn't know how he felt about that. He didn't know whether or not he could believe that. No one had ever accepted him and now, without the angels who needed him, he was feeling more than lost. "I don't know where to go..."

"You can stay here as long as you'd like." Peter said easily. "You'll be provided with everything you need. We'll take care of you. How often do you have these visions?"

"Once a week if not more. Sometimes I have them about people in fucking Thailand."

"I've had them about people in Brazil. Would you feel comfortable sharing your visions with someone? Please believe that I have no intention of using you for your gifts. I won't demand to know things nor deprive you of basic needs until you can provide information. But the things you see could help people. I have stopped some terrible things from coming to pass because I saw them before they happened."

"Sure...okay." He could do that. Maybe it would mean he was needed again.

"Thank you, Bentley. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

Bentley pondered that and then he smiled. "Chocolate cake?" He asked, hopefully.

Peter chuckled, his eyes twinking. "Ah, that sounds pretty good to me too. How about a trip to the cafeteria?"

"Okay!" Bentley jumped up then and he followed Peter, feeling much happier already.