#and kolt is supposed to be really smart and everything

[clickerflight]

Fallen: Part 9 - How Much is that Doggie in the Window

I was supposed to write this ages ago, but misread fallen as fleeting on my to do list so :p Also, I do adore the hallucinations in the way of 'they're hurting my guy :)' They're fun. I have plans for them.

Masterlist

Part 8

Content: Villain whumpee, hallucinations, miserable times, wet cat vibes, nonsexual nudity, discussion of past injuries, mentions of drugs and needle marks

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It was raining now. Kolt was completely drenched, his thin shirt and sweatpants doing nothing to protect him from the elements. The nice woman who had been helping him had needed to go to work and gave him a little bit of money, which helped him get pretty close to where he needed to go, but not far enough, 

He shuffled through the rain, the lights shimmering before his blurry eyes as he went, arms wrapped around himself as he sniffled and allowed himself to look less and less like the man he had been before. 

Ah, look at him. Like a soaked puppy dog, Gambler said with relish in his voice. 

“Shut up,” Kolt said softly, pushing past the dark hallucination. He swore he could feel the rain slicked poncho the man was wearing under his scarred palm. 

Ooh, we’re brave today, aren’t we, Watcher said, which sent chills down Kolt’s spine, unrelated to the weather. Watcher didn’t speak often, but when he did, it was usually a portent of something terrible coming his way. He hoped this time wasn’t one of those occasions. 

We should do something about that, Beater said, stepping out of an alley. In the past, Kolt would have just ignored them. Rationalized that they were just hallucinations. But they weren’t just hallucinations any more. They could affect him now. Force him to do things he didn’t want to do. They could hurt him or stop his progress, so he treated them like cautious enemies. 

He moved carefully, not allowing them to corner him or surround him. 

So fast when you’re let out of your cage, hmm? Beater said, jogging to catch up, trying to get ahead of Kolt, but Kolt turned down another street. 

Never let them know your next move, Watcher whispered in that two toned voice. It made Kolt want to throw up. 

Where are you going, puppy? Shouldn’t you be in a window? How is anyone supposed to want to buy you if you getting all muddy and bruised in the streets? Gambler asked, and before Kolt could get out of the way he felt something trip him, sending him sprawling. 

They had to be real. There was no way a hallucination would be so real, right?

Kolt shook his head, pushing himself out of the mud. He couldn’t think about it right now. It would only slow him down. 

Persistent, Beater commented, impressed. Looks like they didn’t take all of the fight out of you. But we knew that. You are so so good at hiding what is actually going on in that big brain of yours. 

You were such a good dog for Dr. LeAnne for so long. It is amazing you’re able to remember anything after that, Gambler added and all three of the hallucinations laughed. 

Kolt tried to drown them out, his heart beating faster when he saw the familiar door ahead. 

“Please,” he couldn’t help but whisper to himself. “Please still be here.”

The hallucinations, still laughing, hung back as he approached the door. He knocked, the sound weak under the sound of the rain. He waited, arms wrapped around himself again, water dripping out of his long hair and into his face as he waited. 

Someone moved inside and the door opened. Dr. Dalley Hitchcock still looked the same, round of face and chest, friendly looking besides a dark look behind his eyes, and sturdy. 

“Dalley,” Kolt breathed, emotions swelling up in his chest. Shame from being seen like this, gratitude and relief and hope, fear that he would be turned away because Dalley’s alliances had changed; everything. Kolt opened his mouth to explain, to be rational and ask for help politely, to apologize for the intrusion, but his eyes blurred further, obscuring Dalley’s features and a sob ripped out of his throat in such a manner that Kolt covered his mouth like he could take that and the rushing tears back. 

“Kolt? Is that you? We thought you were dead,” Dalley said, reaching out and taking Kolt by the elbows to guide him inside, closing the door and blocking out those three clear shapes Kolt could always see even as he cried. 

Kolt was sat in a chair, elbows propped on his knees as he tried to regain his composure. 

“Where have you been?” Dalley asked, rummaging around and grabbing things. “Not even the Dragon Gang could figure out where you’d gone.”

Kolt shook his head in his hands. No one could find him except Gale. And Gale was who knows where. 

“Kolt?”

Kolt wiped his face hard, sniffling and lifted his head. “I was in a lab somewhere,” he said with a grimace. “Look, I don’t really feel good, Dalley. Can this wait until-”

“No, of course. I apologize. That was insensitive of me. You wait there for a moment while I get some things ready in the bathroom and we’ll get you taken care of,” Dalley said, shuffling off. 

Kolt was left among the piles of supplies and books, all at once chaotic and organized. Just like the last time he’d been here. He was grateful that Dalley was a creature of habit. Kolt would have been left wandering the streets looking for an ally for quite a while if Dalley had moved. 

Dalley came back quickly and leaned down, taking Kolt by the elbows again to help him up. Kolt usually would have protested, but he did not think there was much left of his ego to rescue at the moment, muddy and bruised and scarred as he was. 

Soon, he was sat in a chair in the bathtub, Dalley with rolled up sleeves and pant legs standing in the tub with him. 

“Alright. Are you attached to these clothes? I’m thinking it would be easiest to just cut them off if you don’t mind.”

Kolt shook his head and Dalley got to work. 

Kolt was naked in the chair as Dalley turned on the faucet, moving the shower head to where Kolt could touch it. 

“That temperature alright for you?”

Kolt reached out and nodded. A warm shower. When was the last time he had one?

Dalley cleaned Kolt off quickly and efficiently, enough so that it was clear this was how he regularly treated the clients that came through his door. 

As soon as Kolt was clean, Dally had him dry off and then stand up for a proper assessment. 

Kolt wanted quietly as Dally tallied up his scars and old wounds, taking in the way he stood and the bruises around his elbows. 

“Do you know what meds they had you on?” Dalley asked, prodding gently at the needle marks.

Kolt shook his head as Dalley moved his fingers and wrists, assessing any damage or loss of movement. “Something that made me weak and sick…. And it made my eyesight worse.”

Dalley clicked his tongue, looking up at Kolt’s face. “Here, sit down. I’ll check that for you.”

Kolt did, turning his head and letting Dalley push and pull at his face as he examined him. 

“Do you still have your powers?”

“Yes,” Kolt said, flexing the hand he’d used to kill Kate. 

“Alright, tell me when my finger becomes clear.”

Kolt did so and Dalley hummed, taking out a pen light to peer into Kolt’s eye. 

“Did they want you for your power?”

Kolt had to fight very hard to keep from closing his eyes at the reminder. “Yes. They wanted to turn me into a weapon. They didn’t succeed.”

Dalley laughed. “I should hope not. Alright. Looks like you’ll need some physical therapy for a couple of your joints, your muscles are atrophied, your spine looks a little bit messed up but that shouldn’t be a problem. The new healer Phoenix has working for him is incredible. Some of these scars might need a bit of surgery to loosen up and give you more movement back, you’re definitely going to need some surgery for this one-” Dalley tapped Kolt’s lip where the scar pulled everything so tight he knew teeth were always showing on that corner of his mouth- “Or else your teeth might dry up and fall out eventually. We’ll need full dental work up of course. Your eyes are a bit of a concern and I think we should consult someone about your powers just in case anything is wrong. Have you been experiencing any psychological effects from everything that happened?”

Should he lie? You should always tell your doctor the truth, but this…. This was different. Kolt wanted to wait it out and see if a few good nights of sleep and safety would help sort him out. 

“A little dizziness and some strange ocular illusions, but I do not know if that is because of my brain or my eyes,” Kolt said. There, good enough for now. He’d explain more if it became necessary. 

“Okay. We’ll just keep monitoring you. Now I-”

“When was the last time you saw Gale?”

“What?”

“Gale. When did you see him last?”

Dalley leaned back, thinking for a moment. “A few months ago, I think. He said he was going undercover. Looking for you, actually. We thought it a bit of a waste of time, but things were quiet back then, so we weren’t going to keep him from doing so. Did he help you out?”

“I think so. I vaguely remember him, and I have suspicions that the scientists who had me have him.”

Dalley narrowed his eyes at Kolt. “I will tell the Phoenix and we can see what we can do, but-”

“No. I’m going to-”

“Absolutely not! You have a long recovery ahead of you,” Dalley said sharply in a tone that reminded Kolt exactly why he respected the doctor. 

Dallley blew out a breath and said, “You are going to dry up and get dressed, eat something and go to bed. Understand me?”

“Yes, sir,” Kolt said. There wasn’t much he could do now, after all. He was just too tired. A bed sounded heavenly right about now. 

Dalley nodded, putting a hand on Kolt’s shoulder and leaning in a little so Kolt could see his expression clearly. “I am glad to see you alive. We searched for you for as long as we could. Gale never gave up, and he won’t give up under whatever treatment those lunatics put him through.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Kolt sighed, shaking his head. “I’m just so glad you’re still here.”

Dalley laughed. “Well, you know me. I am loathe to leave my little crevices.”

Kolt hummed, amused as he slowly got up, ignoring the way his hip and spine clicked as he did so. 

So, Kolt followed Dalley’s advice, giving Dalley a pee sample before going to bed so he could send it off alongside some of Kolt’s hair to be tested for what he’d been drugged with. 

Kolt, now clothed in warm pajamas and properly clean after one more shower, climbed into bed, curling up under the blankets. 

His mind felt heavy, and despite his desire to think and to try and make plans, he couldn’t keep his eyes from drifting closed, sleep overcoming his muddled, exhausted brain. 

Part 10

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